Memories of an Old Magic Player: Memories of a Jarhead. ~CPN~

[Streetz]

This thread is reserved for the dicussion of the following article:

http://www.magicdeckvortex.com/mdvarticle0385.htm

Please read it, enjoy it and discuss it here.

What did you like about the article? Was it inspiring, informational, ingenius? Was it inappropriate? Was there anything you really liked or didn't like about it?

Let the author know here!

Thanks!

**NOTE: This thread is posted before the article goes live. If the article isn't up yet, please check back later.

[Ryuzaki]

It was a fun read Mr. Newton....taking my ideas.

I'll see you in court! Hope you have a good lawyer...

Other then that, I enjoyed reading about abusing jar-head; such a silly mill card. No wonder they restricted it.

[hamsandwich]

interesting stuff. the multi-player megrim deck is something i have sought after for a while. to date my best build was... oh wait, i should save it for the contest. anyways, well paced and informative. personally i think Ryu stole my ideas with the Rings, so i'll be contacting my lawyer as well. ruthless...

[Aladdin]

An exciting article for an exciting card Tynion!
I've never got a hold onto a Memory Jar, although I've spent some time dreaming about what could happen if I did...

I especially liked the part with... or was it the one in which... no, it definitely was that when you... oh, I'm getting kinda lost...

Anyways, I'll do my best for the deck's contest!

[Azrael Subucni]

I normally don't read MOMP articles, but I may start. I really enjoyed this one, with a look at an interesting and multi-useful card. Really nice overall.

I personally don't like instant win combos.... but Magus of the Jar + Sneak Attack just intrigued me. I've started work on what may be the craziest, most complicated, impractical, and expensive deck design I've ever conceived. I know for a fact it won't win, and may not even work.... yet I feel compelled to finish it in time.

[Maleficent]

Well I tried the Shapeshifters, but it didn't work so well. So I have this... don't have a clue how it'll work, but here goes:

Touch of the Jarmind
Lands (24) 8 Island 4 Volcanic Island 4 Tropical Island 4 Steam Vents 4 Breeding Pool Creatures (12) 4 Vedalken Aethermage 4 Magus of the Jar 2 Jushi Apprentice 2 Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind	Other Spells (24) 4 High Tide 4 Isochron Scepter 4 Counterspell 4 Rings of Brighthearth 4 Heartbeat of Spring 3 Cerebral Vortex 1 Windfall

Open Spoiler for your Guide to Achieving MASSIVE OVERKILL.

Spoiler:

Article-Mentioned Combos:
Jar + Aethermage
Jar + Rings
Jar + Windfall

Unmentioned Combos:
Jar + Niv-Mizzet
Jar + Tomaya (flipped Apprentice)
Jar + Cerebral Vortex
Scepter + Counterspell
Scepter + Rings (+ High Tide)
Apprentice/Tomaya + Rings
Apprentice + Aethermage
Tomaya + Niv-Mizzet
Niv-Mizzet + Aethermage
Niv-Mizzet + Rings (kind of)
High Tide + Every Land in This Deck
etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.

(In other words, basically everything is a combo... with everything. )

To win, the best way is probably with Niv-Mizzet. All you need to do is draw lots of cards, which is easy! Almost too easy. Scary easy. For example: Crack Jar for 7 and copy for 14 damage (7 cards); use Tomaya's ability and copy it, both for yourself, for 21 more damage, totaling 35. Cast Windfall for 35 more- er, you're probably out of cards by then. Talk about overkill.

The other way is with Cerebral Vortex, best with Tomaya and the Rings (and the Jar, of course). Use the Jar to give everyone 7, use Tomaya on your opponent, copy it for yourself - it resolves for you first, making them draw a total of 21 for the turn and BAM! 23 damage!

Oh, and there's also Windfall, so you can use the Jar's ability, copy it, play Windfall, and also deal 23 damage with the Vortex.

If all else fails, I'm sure it won't take long until someone runs out of cards. Tomaya targets, so you can make sure who will run out first.

The only problem is the costliness... so I put in Heartbeat and High Tide, the latter of which can be used with the Scepter. And since the Scepter's in, I put in Counterspell to help survive. Orim's Chant could be used instead of Counterspell, but I didn't want 4 colors and all super expensive duals.

[Maleficent]

Is mine the only deck? Maybe I'll submit another so there's some competition...

[EpilepticCricket]

I didn't even realize that there was contest for it until a few minutes ago when I was re-reading it or I would have submitted one...

Oh well, there's always a next time I'm sure.

[Aladdin]

Oro ? Is it already deadline time?
Well, hum... hem... *Looks in his pockets*
Hehe, kinda empty you know

You forgot to tell us Tynion about how dangerous it is to give an opponent 7 cards in a row, or even more when there are multiple Jar activations, I protest!!

Anyways, here's my list, this is the Legacy legal Jar Academy (you've heard about it, don't you? I know you even watch it ).

Jar Academy
// Prime Time Pieces (8) 3 Magus of the Jar 3 Underworld Dreams 1 Megrim 1 Forced Fruition // Inside the Academy Pieces (13) 2 Academy Rector 3 Zur the Enchanter 4 Lim-Dul's Vault 4 Careful Study // Live For Ever Pieces (10) 3 Swords to Plowshare 1 Genju of the Fields 1 Echoing Truth 1 Ghostly Prison 2 Oblivion Ring 2 Damnation	// What's-the-Trick? Pieces (7) 4 Shallow Grave 1 Corpse Dance 2 Cabal Therapy // The Way We Dance Pieces (23) 3 Swamp 2 Island 1 Plains 4 Flooded Strand 4 Underground Sea 3 Scrubland 3 Tundra 3 High Market // Technical Team: 61

Alright, so... How does it (try to) perform?
Secrets are always hidden...
-->

Spoiler:

First thing, this is supposed to be a control deck, and in no way can it act as a combo deck without part of the crew featured in the Prime Time section being present (activating a Magus turn 2 is feasible, but useles^^). Let's say the participants have to prove their valor first.

The deck relies heavily on enchantments, due to the increased efficiency of Underworld Dreams, Megrim and Forced Fruition when put together. Therefore Academy Rector and Zur the Enchanter are here to tutor out those pieces.
Considering their versatility, there's an enchantment toolbox that they (hopefully) can choose from, namely: Oblivion Ring, Ghostly Prison, Genju of the Fields.

Although it is possble to hardcast it, the privileged way to cast the Magus of the Jar is through reanimation. The dumping is made possible by Careful Study and Shallow Grave makes for a cheap way on board, haste included (this is a ''Happening'').

What's missing? High Market and Cabal Therapy are sacrifice outlets for Academy Rector.
And... Lim-Dul's Vault can make you win against ANY (yes, I've said ANY) other Jar Academy deck! It allows you to get a powerful card (say Damnation or Echoing Truth) or to set up a bombo kill by placing (if you have none in hand) Careful Study first, and then Magus of the Jar and Shallow Grave.

Hey, good decks have unforeseen interactions, so I'll just end up my presentation here.
Thanks for reading

[Tynion]

Perhaps it just goes to show that people don't read the articles as much as they claim too.. or maybe my articles stink and people skip them? I should make this a survey question

[Azrael Subucni]

Keep your pants on, Tynion. I was making some last minute adjustments to mine.

Jar of Whoopass
Creatures: 25 3 Orcish Lumberjack 3 Tinder Wall 4 Boartusk Liege 4 Clone 4 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker 4 Magus of the Jar 1 Deadwood Treefolk 2 Protean Beast Other Spells: 14 1 Black Lotus 1 Mox Ruby 4 Brainstorm 2 Altar of Dementia 1 Wheel of Fortune 1 Windfall 4 Sneak Attack	Lands: 21 4 Steam Vents 4 Stomping Ground 4 Taiga 1 Tropical Island 4 Volcanic Island 4 Wooded Foothills

Spoiler:

It's a monstrousity, I know, but somehow it works. You build up a mana base with lumberjacks and tinder walls in play, and try to find a Sneak Attack. Then the fun begins.

Sneak Attack + Magus = Fills hand with sneak attackables.
Sneak Attack + Clone = An extra magus to refill hand, or extra Boartusk Liege.
Sneak Attack + Kiki-Jiki = See above.
Sneak Attack + Protean Hulk = Fetches a magus and tinder wall, or other fun combination.
Boartusk Liege + Boartusk Liege + Clone + Kiki-Jiki = Owies?

Brainstorm helps fetch the cards you need to go off, Deadwood Treefolk can get back magus, or other dead cards, and Altar of Dementia turns all those creatures that are gonna die into an alternative win condition, if they fail to connect. Boartusk Liege acts like a huge, trampling, Relentless Rats. Or something. It's far from perfect, and takes a lot of precision to play, but it's fun as hell.

[Maleficent]

Perhaps it just goes to show that people don't read the articles as much as they claim too.. or maybe my articles stink and people skip them? I should make this a survey question

In this article's case they may have just scrolled through the big picture-y combos, found nothing really interesting, and moved on. Or they saw there were no decks and moved on.

[Tynion]

Then they will be disappointed as I am trying to steer away from making decks and spending hours playtesting them anymore.

I am retired you know.

Since we only had a few entries, I will most likely make this a side event, give ten points to the guys who entered, and a bonus 5 points to the best deck. I will have results for you guys on Friday.

[hamsandwich]

sorry, the sandwich had a deck, but was looking in the contest threads for a place to post it...

[Tynion]

Results to the contest have been posted in the MDV Blog.

Take a look