Open House Week 1
Since the reroll, there has been a lot of excitement for the new season. During the first Open House (week zero), players were excitedly theorizing game-winning combos, finding their favorite pet cards, and testing their initial brews. I’ll be sharing some of the action I saw throughout that night.
Sharing our Excitement - Show and Tell by Donato Giancola
Sharing our Excitement
It felt like show-and-tell as I walked around the tables. I found two mono-black lists displayed next to each other as the deck-builders discussed how they may have arrived at similar cards and where they diverged. At another table, I overheard a conversation between two brewers theorizing what the most optimized Azorius Control list would look like.
When it came to players on combo decks, they turned into performers at an exhibition, putting on a show for those close enough to witness. Seeing them light up and explain what they had assembled as they drew their missing puzzle piece was an absolute pleasure. Maybe they had two enchantments that made infinite creatures, or they began slinging a flurry of spells at a swan to draw their deck, or maybe, they even had the simple joy of casting a Memory Lapse with a Codex Shredder in play. Whatever the style, these players had been able to turn their abstract theory into a physical reality.
Many Styles - Unique Archetypes
Many Styles
One of the appeals of Fantasy Standard is the opportunity to try old strategies in a unique context. Besides the three basic archetypes of Aggro, Combo, and Control, I saw some more specific established strategies at work. Turbo Fog was overcoming combat-damage strategies and fatiguing their opponent by exhausting them of their library. Owling Mine and Ponza both used mana denial to have their opponents falter early, then either lock them out with counterspells or finish the game with a big threat respectively. Someone even told me they had built a Pia’s Revolution deck inspired by one I piloted during Season 3!
As a fairly new player, I find it simply awesome to experience the eras of Magic from before my time. It allows me to delve into the game’s history, and gain a deeper appreciation for each card I come across. I have already fallen in love with two innocuous cards, (Skred and Codex Shredder), but I won’t get into them today.
The Wurm in the Room - Flash
The Wurm in the Room
Before the first week of games, we heard murmurs of a brutal combo circulating. “15 power on turn 1.” “Double stone-rain turn 2.” “A mulligan simulator that never misses.” They all revolved around the card Flash after I posted the deck online.
I was curious to see if the card’s rumored power was real, so I brought it to the Open House. After playing two games each against nine different decks across multiple archetypes, some with theoretically alright matchups (including silver-bullet cards), I don’t recall losing a game.
Shortly after the first Open House came the restricted announcement for Flash, Vampiric Tutor, and Mystical Tutor. Effective July 3rd, players are limited to only a single copy of each of these cards in their deck. I am excited to see this restriction wash away some brewing anxiety.
Round 2 - Seek the Horizon by Howard Lyon
Round 2
We are hosting a second Open House on June 26th, so keep experimenting with new cards. It is the perfect showcase to get invested in the format if you haven’t stopped by before, and for veterans, it is the best time to share the idea with your curious friends. I’ll see you all then, (and maybe this time I’ll bring some Snow-Covered Mountains with me!)
