[JT] CGC: Magic: the Blendering

In case you haven't realized, I've been trying to make the CGC a weekly thing.  I've been trying to figure out what to talk about this week since I'm not doing the Tempered Steel deck discuss anymore (more on why in a bit), and had a bunch of little things I wanted to talk about, but nothing jumped out as something that needs to be discussed NOW.  What I decided on was to bring back an old series I started at the beginning but haven't touched in a while, Blender, and mixing it into the CGC. 

For those of who have haven't seen any of the previous Blenders, all it is is just me ranting a bit on different topics.  No real rhyme or reason.  Just getting my thoughts out in the open to try and make some sense of them.  The only difference this week is that it will all (or at least almost all) link back to M:tG.

Pulse 1) R.I.P. Venser

So, want to know why I didn't do another Deck Discuss?  Well, FNM tonight was the last standard I got before rotation, so rather than try and max out on the Tempered Steel aspect, I decided to make the deck closer to my original inspiration for it: Venser's Deck (i.e. an artifact deck with no Phyrexia watermarks).  Yes.  This is how Spellbook got it's start, but I had to give my favorite 'walker his day in the sun before putting him to bed.  The deck was basically the same as the last UW Steel deck, but I took out all the Phyrexian spells and replaced them with Mirran spells (Memnites, Stoic Rebuttals, etc.).

I lost out right.  Only one win on my record, but that was via a bye.  So I lost all my rounds.  I did have one epic match against another person who had a WR "Farewell to Scars"-esque deck, using Gold Myr and Priest of Urabrask to ramp.  Game 3 I had a Venser at 9 counters, bouncing a Treasure Mage each time.  All I needed was one Grand Architect and I could cast Myr Battlesphere and have complete board control with Venser giving me 4 more Myr Tokens each turn.  I just couldn't get it done though, and Venser (as well as my life) dwindled to my opponents monsters.

I wish I could have given him a send off that was more fitting his majesty, but at least I gave it a shot.  I'll miss you, buddy.

Pulse 2) Spellbook

There are so many things that I need to consider right now with just the format alone that I can't pin down anything.  I get a fix for one thing using one way, but then I realize it clashes with something else.  For example, there is NO way Venser could only be able to use one Memnite summoning, but any more and we get out of singleton, and away from the basic EDH style.  So we make it a 60-card variant, but that by itself brings other problems.  So we go back to EDH...  And it just cycles.

Making a game is hard -_- 

Pulse 3) The Legend of Zelda? In my card games?

Remember my Link of the Many deck?  Well, I am working on other parts to sort of make it a series of decks.  The first one is a Ganon deck using Kaerveck, the Merciless.  Granted, I SHOULD use a green general since the whole mythos behind my Link deck has Power identified with green.  But I felt since Kaerveck would complete the color cycle, it fit too well.  I'm thinking a bunch of goblins and a few minions with a few other throw backs to other LoZ-universe baddies.  This'll be fun.



Also working on a Water Temple deck with Wrexial, the Risen Deep.












Pulse 4) Factor Friction

Just a quick shout out to Spruke (@ThaGatherin), who released his new EP, "Factor Friction", this week.  It's an awesome dubstep/synth-pop album and you can find it on Amazon.  Here's "All is Dust", featuring the always lovely Laura (@TheEvilLaura).

Pulse 5) A New Standard



Since I never got any suggestions from my CGC last week calling for suggestions for a new standard deck, I've been thinking about a few deck ideas and found two I am absolutely in love with: Deadeye Control (combo-ing Deadeye Navigator with a few "Enter the Battlefield" creatures for repeatable effects; the most important one being Angel of Serenity from Return to Ravnica.) and Bruna combo-ed with Righteous Authority.  Right now I'm leaning towards the Deadeye Control build (the fact that the name itself is bad ass has NOOOOOOTHING to do with my decision.  Nope.  None at all...).  I've never build a control deck though, so this should be fun... 





Damn....  five pulses... that's the most so far.  Not only that, I really was able to blend together a bunch of CGC stuff.  I'm not going to lie, I'm kind of impressed with myself for that.  Anyway.  I'm off to tweak this deck.  Let me know if you have any thoughts on these or the posts I linked back to!

No whammy!  No whammy!  No whammy!  STOP!  Damnit...  mulligan...

-JT