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3 months ago ::
Mar 02, 2013 - 8:47AM
#51
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Date Joined:
Sep 26, 2011
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Skaarg
Blocks I liked: (+1) Invasion Onslaught Mirrodin Time Spiral Lorwyn Zendikar Return to Ravnica Blocks I disliked: (-1) Oddesy Champions of Kamigawa Time Echoes Innistrad Any Released Blocks not listed in this Sig Blocks I neutralize: (+/-0) Ravnica City of Guilds Shadowmoor Shards of Alara Scars of Mirrodin http://community.wizards.com/paranoia
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3 months ago ::
Mar 02, 2013 - 8:55AM
#52
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Date Joined:
Oct 11, 2007
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That's a great orzhov pack. Alas, it's not a strong signal because a rare was taken. I'm willing to pass the guildmage here and take grisly spectacle. Pick 3 and 4 should be little more telling as to what is open.
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3 months ago ::
Mar 02, 2013 - 9:09AM
#53
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Date Joined:
Nov 27, 2011
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Alas, it's not a strong signal because a rare was taken.
After our pick it will be. I guarantee this pack will have two people to our left fighting over Orzhov, even if we take one of the cards. If we take the Guildmage here the only Gruul card left will be Mugging, which isn't bad but should be picked lower than Smite, Spectacle, and Kingpin's Pet.
Skaarg Guildmage gets my pick.
Incidentally, if we did pick anything Orzhov I would go for the Kingpin's Pet over Spectacle. A critical mass of Extort dudes seems to be the best way to go, and Pet is one of the best of them.
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3 months ago ::
Mar 02, 2013 - 9:23AM
#54
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Date Joined:
Jun 18, 2012
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The guildmage is worth picking up. It's abilities are relevant and inexpensive. 4/4 lands are usually not killed in combat, trample forces damage or poor blocking assignments.
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3 months ago ::
Mar 02, 2013 - 9:36AM
#55
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Date Joined:
Jul 13, 2008
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Skarrg Guildmage-This card either gets removed or wins games. He's one of the more impressive guildmages and his abilities can really help mid and late game. Bobus-I can tell you from right here in Yokohama, Japan playing in this sealed GP (2,200+ people I think) that Gruul seemed to be doing just fine, there are plenty of mainly Gruul decks splashing for one or two power cards here. I don't think it's right for us to say we should stay away from the Rampager before because of Gruul, that being said I'm happy that we should now have two players after us playing Orzhov and fighting over cards. I don't know if Niche responding to anyone's rebuttals of him but I can't read his replies (only could read the other one because it was quoted). There's a chance that Ivy Lane Denizen  wheels, as there are ballpark 6 cards that look to be taken over it and the other few people with the pick might not be looking green. I'm not sure exactly who we are drafting with (Grevin's friends?) do you buy 24 packs for each of these drafts? Do they consider that they would be playing against this pod? Or is this like when we play at GP Day Two with "friendly passing"? Back to the guildmage. If you can keep this guy on the board it's a very strong card.
bulletd Guidelines: 5.0: I will take this card no matter what. Creature 1 or playable 1 or hate 1. Domri Rade  4.5: Bomb and splashable. Creature 1-2, playable 1-2, removal 1. Obzedat, Ghost Council  4.0: Excellent first pick first pack, will sway me into same colors. Creatures 1-4, removal 1. Rubblehulk  3.5: Excellent first pack pick two, will confirm colors or possibly sway into second color. Ground Assault  3.0: Good in-color addition, or splashable removal/creature. Creatures 3-9, removal 1-3. Kingpin's Pet  2.5: Solid pick in-color; creatures 5-12, removal 3-5. Mugging  2.0: Creatures 10-16; removal 6-7. Act of Treason  1.5: My 23rd or 22nd card, depending on removal. Gutter Skulk  1.0: 23rd card if I don't maindeck an additional land. Mental Vapors  0.5: This card will sometimes be sideboarded in. Shattering Blow  0.0: I will shred this card for counters. Frenzied tilling 
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3 months ago ::
Mar 02, 2013 - 9:40AM
#56
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Date Joined:
Jun 15, 2009
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I've never been unhappy taking Grisly Spectacle. I think it might be the best common in the set.
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3 months ago ::
Mar 02, 2013 - 9:41AM
#57
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Date Joined:
Mar 12, 2011
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The choice seems to be Spectacle or Guildmage. Taking Guildmage will keep the people after us out of Gruul. But it's way to early to decide on a Guild, and our first pick, while strong, does not commit us, yet. By taking Spectacle, we are very likely to not play one of our first two cards, though, which should both be among the strongest we can get. Considering the arguments about Gruul not getting decent removal because it needs to fight over it with Boros and Simic, though, that Mugging is probably the better pick for Gruul. Furthermore, Gruul is one of the aggressive guilds, so the Guildmage will not be activated often before the game ends (hopefully with our deck winning), and thus is no more than a bear in the early game. I don't want to fight for Orzhov, so I go with Gruul for now by picking Mugging.
Edit: Changing my pick, because mine's not going to be taken and I'd rather have Guildmage than Spectacle.
I'm a Rules Advisor now  "Simple questions" usually need rather complex answers, while complex questions often come down to no more than a simple "yes" or "no". Some of my favorite Flavor texts:
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3 months ago ::
Mar 02, 2013 - 9:53AM
#58
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Date Joined:
Sep 20, 2012
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I really don't want to be in a fight with 3-4 others at the table for Orzhov cards so that we all have mediocre decks. Our first pick rates as one of if not the best uncommon creature, now we have possibly the best guildmage right in front of us too, in-guild no less with our first pick! Mugging is a consideration here as well but we might still open mugging and/or have a good spot to take one/two of them. Let's take the powerful mage now while we can, we will have 2 creatures that rank as elite in their respective groups.I also don't buy into the idea that Gruul is a weak guild. I think you have to be a smart magic player to use it at a very high level, but the power is there for the wielding! Skarrg
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3 months ago ::
Mar 02, 2013 - 10:17AM
#59
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Date Joined:
Jun 15, 2009
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Bobus-I can tell you from right here in Yokohama, Japan playing in this sealed GP (2,200+ people I think) that Gruul seemed to be doing just fine, there are plenty of mainly Gruul decks splashing for one or two power cards here. I don't think it's right for us to say we should stay away from the Rampager before because of Gruul, that being said I'm happy that we should now have two players after us playing Orzhov and fighting over cards.
Thank goodness you have hard statistics to back that up. No, wait a minute, you don't have anything of the sort. When you see the actual statistics you are going to feel foolish for stating that Gruul is doing well. I also think it's hilarious that too many great Orzhov cards is the reason to pass them. Because that is exactly the reason I gave for playing Orzhov in the first place, a better pool of common and uncommon cards means that you are more likely to see strong Orzhov cards in any given pack. I remember that during the tail end of AVR people started staying away from G/U because they thought it was overdrafted, and yet at least one deck in the finals (either me or my opponent) was inevitably G/U. Strongest commons+uncommons means that the strongest decks are going to come from Orzhov. This shouldn't be a difficult concept to wrap your head around.
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3 months ago ::
Mar 02, 2013 - 10:20AM
#60
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Date Joined:
Oct 11, 2007
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Just remember that reading signals of what is passed to you is more important than the signals that you send. I used to think in terms of "oh I'll be putting other people into this guild" but I've really gotten away from that. I mean think about it, you're anticipating other people to make draft choices based on what cards they are passed, but you yourself won't do it? Also you're expecting people to go into those guilds because you're passing good cards.... Those are significant flaws in that thinking, IMO. And again, these people will only be shipping 1 pack to you, whereas you're getting fed pack 3 as well as the rest of pack 1 from this direction, so again, it's more important to read what gets sent to you vs what you are sending downstream.
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