Fun and Useful Magic Sites

With Magic's continued growth, more and more sites are popping up that are devoted to one aspect or another of Magic. Whether it's collecting the cards, building decks, playing games, practicing drafts, or watching the business side of things, Magic has become a robust topic across the Internet.

We all know about Channel Fireball and Gatherer (and if you don't, boy, I'm just giving you all the goods today), but there are plenty of other sites out there that have a ton of useful resources for Magic players. Here are a couple I've found that I enjoy.

SupernovaBots - http://www.supernovabots.com
Online card pricing

SupernovaBots is a straightforward site that offers a quick reference for determining the potential sale (and purchase) price of a card. It's a nice thing to have open during a draft, to make sure you don't misjudge the resale value of a card. You'd feel silly if you passed on a foil Prime Speaker Zegana because you didn't realize it sells for 14 tickets (aka a whole draft). Plus, the site is in plain text, so it's easily searchable using Ctrl+F. Nice little utility.

MTGO Traders - http://www.mtgotraders.com
Online card pricing

When I was putting together my commander deck, MTGO Traders was a godsend. It was a quick, searchable reference that let me find out if a card was in my price range (generally under $0.10). Between it and Gatherer, I was able to assemble a fun deck for less than eight bucks. Turns out it was outmatched a lot of the time, but regardless, the site was a great resource. It's still a great way to find out what cards are selling for.

TappedOut.net - http://tappedout.net
Deck building, cube building, paper card pricing, mock drafts

TappedOut.net is a site that I still haven't gotten all I can get out of it yet. You can create an account and save decks, posting them for review for your friends or strangers. For any deck you create, there's a link on side that gives you an estimate on the cost of your deck, and offers a link to a custom shopping cart that already includes the cards from the deck. Granted, the link you get is way overpriced, but it's a nice enough feature at least as a quick reference.

You can also do simulated solo drafts of any set you like, as well as host drafts for other visitors of the site to join and draft. This can give you a better sense of how a real draft might go. The site is a real plethora of deck-building and practice utilities, and it's the kind of site an avid Magic player can get lost for several hours. You're welcome.

Bestiaire - http://draft.bestiaire.org/index.php
Mock drafts, card rankings

There used to be another website I used for mock drafts, but Wizards put the screws to whatever site that was. Now I use Bestiaire, and I'm enjoying it. It's super easy to start a mock draft, and the AI that's been developed for the mock drafts seems to be pretty effective. Additionally, the site accumulates draft data from each mock draft that takes place on the site, and holds a running ranking of each card in each set. You can go all the way back to Alpha and they've got draft ratings (though the ratings for newer sets are a little more current).

My one complaint about the system is that it doesn't let you see your drafted cards during each pick, only in between packs. So sometimes, if you can't remember all your picks, you can make small errors, especially early on when your deck doesn't yet have an identity. Still, the mocks are super fast, so you can get a bunch of practice in a short period of time.

MTG Goldfish - http://www.mtggoldfish.com
Card prices and tracking, deck building

I just recently discovered MTGO Goldfish, and I'm just blown away by it. The site tracks card prices across all sets for both online and paper Magic cards. And by tracks, I mean that it has data for the past several years on the progression of card prices. It's an amazing tool for those of us who are interested in the economic aspect of the game. And I absolutely, absolutely am.

The site also offers comprehensive reports on the decks that people are playing in large events. For example, you can click here to see the decks that found success in a recent Pauper event. It's also got lists of the most common decks, and the variances that people play. You can check out a sample here, where the site shows the card choices made for "Bant Hexproof" decks.

If you've got any further suggestions, post a comment son.

Anniversary Show - Today!

We're finally here. Today's the day that, one year ago, these three bros started streaming pedestrian Magic and next-level jokes. Okay, it's actually tomorrow, but we're sticking with our normal Friday plan. Sue us.

Please don't sue us, we're broke.

So what do we have in store for you tonight? Well, I don't want to give everything away, but here are some highlights you can expect from tonight's show, starting at 8:00 Eastern Time:

1. Three drafts, each by a different bro!
2. Giveaways!
3. Trivia!
4. WWYD!

So come out tonight and join us, it should be a blast!

One Year Anniversary Show!

That's right, bros. Almost one year ago, the Good Point Bros started streaming terrible Magic and solid jokes, and it's time to celebrate! On September 6th, we'll be streaming our Anniversary show on our Twitch channel, and we hope you can all make it. We're kicking around a few ideas for the show, but rest assured we'll provide all the fun that you normally expect out of the Good Point Bros.

Yes, that includes WWYD, Decent Point Bro, relax.

But more importantly, it will include multiple Magic drafts, multiple giveaways, and the same old witty banter between the three bros you've come to know and love. So get your popcorn, make sure you're stocked up on bourbon, and tell your friends. The Bros are throwing down on September 6th. And the gods only know what happens after that.

Top 5 Most Unplayable M14 Cards (Limited)

Every year, Magic gives us a new core set. And every year, we spend a bunch of time trying to determine the best cards in that set, in a variety of colors, in a variety of circumstances. But where's the love for the miserable? Where are the accolades for the cards that are just utterly terrible? When will the worst cards get their due discussion?

Right now.

It's now time for my list of the five cards you would steer away from in any draft, the cards you would most hate to see in your sealed pool. Here they are, the five most unplayable M14 cards in limited Magic:

5. Burning Earth

I put Burning Earth at 5, even though it should probably be more like 3, because it's got a definite use in Standard. So while you would never, ever play the card in a draft, it's not the worst thing to see, since it'll net you a ticket and a half in bot trades. But as far as actually playing? No, no sir. There are only three nonbasic lands in the set, so it's unlikely that you get any sort of play out of the card. Your biggest hope is that your opponent is trying to run a three-color monstrosity and he's got two or three Shimmering Grottos that you could burn him for. So, Burning Earth is a potentially sideboard-able card for the most rare of circumstances, but by and large, you'll want to play something else.

4. Encroaching Wastes

Encroaching Wastes is one of those three nonbasic lands I mentioned above, but it's not one you'll expect to play against. Again, you're hoping to spike a Shimmering Grotto, but at what value? You're sacrificing your unplayable land plus spending four mana to destroy his somewhat playable land? Against a deck that's got Mutavaults (plural), I'd consider sideboarding in Encroaching Wastes, but really, so unlikely. Pass.

3. Shadowborn Apostle

In a constructed deck, maybe, maybe this guy has some value? Say, I wonder what the rules are in Commander, if his rules text overrides the limit of one-per-card? Probably not, that'd be kind of unfair. Anyways, in limited, no chance you get six of them, so it's a vanilla 1/1 for 1. If it was a sliver that'd be one thing, but a human cleric just won't get it done. I do like the flavor of the card, and its interaction with Shadowborn Demon, but as far as playing it? No sir.

2. Artificer's Hex

Now we're getting into the really miserable limited cards from the set. Artificer's Hex is funny, because it actually feels really good. Not like, functionally, but the flavor is perfect for black. And it works pretty well in Commander, where equipment like Lightning Greaves gets used in almost every deck. You turn those Greaves into a curse, and you're back in the saddle. However, in M14 limited play, it's bad bad bad. There are only three equipment in the set, all at uncommon or above, and none of which is necessarily gamebreaker material. The Hex should go bottom 3 in every pack that holds it, probably above the basic land...probably.

1. Darksteel Forge

Here we are, the #1 unplayable M14 card for limited. Let me be clear: I don't think this is the worst card in the set. There will be some constructed decks that find a way to get good use out of Darksteel Forge. Indestructibility is a useful effect, and there are a thousand different ways to ramp your mana to get to nine. But in limited, get serious. While M14 matches tend to go a little longer than M13 ones did, nine mana is still asking way too much out of a single card. Furthermore, exactly which artifact are you so hung up on that you want it to be indestructible? Millstone? Fireshrieker? Really, there's just not enough power in the artifacts of M14 to even consider playing a nine-drop to protect them. Finally, it's a mythic rare, so it blows your chance at a boss mythic like a planeswalker or Archangel of Thune. Just bad feelings all around.

Honorable Mentions
- Merfolk Spy
- Dismiss Into Dream
- Pyromancer's Gauntlet

Tales From Free Play - 8/20

I have a few basic online decks that I've created over the years, and I occasionally play online with them. They're generally underpowered, but as long as you're not looking at some elite standard deck, they've got a shot. Well, the other day I put together a very basic red/green slivers deck, using only cards from M14. It has no rares, and is decidedly underwhelming. Still, I've been able to put up a decent fight from time to time. I joined a 2-headed-giant game (which almost always means that your two opponents know each other and have built decks that synergize), and went about my business. Things were fine until one sequence made my partner quit. My draws were numbered at that point, but I figured I'd play it out. A couple minutes later, here was the board state:

Yeah, 1207 life, two Serra Avatars, and Akroma's Memorial. Obviously I did not come back.

Removing Magic's Barriers - New Player Drafts

Wizards of the Coast has recently been ramping up their efforts to attract new players. It's the right move, obviously; the more people who are using your product, the more money your company makes. So how does Wizards get people to start playing Magic Online, where people spend literally hundreds of dollars a month playing games? Well, you have to find a way to make the game accessible, both financially and as far as the gameplay. Magic is an insanely complex game; simplifying it for new players is vital.

This week's blog posts will discuss what Wizards has done to try to remove the barriers to entry for the game. Today's post will focus on New Player drafts.

In order to play the official Magic The Gathering: Online, a player has to pay $10 to set up an online account. This account gives you access to the online world of MTG, which includes the opportunity to enter drafts, purchase packs of cards, trade with other players, and develop your own collection, from which you can play recreationally with your friends, or with players around the world.

New players receive a starter kit, a sort of "welcome gift," which includes some cards from the current core set (Magic releases a new core set every year, and new expansion sets every few months) and some tickets, which can be used to enter events.

Previously, the welcome gift 2 regular Event Tickets and 4 New Player Tickets. An Event Ticket costs $1 to purchase from the Wizards online store, and is used for entry into all MTGO events. New Player Tickets are only available via the starter kit, and are used to enter special New Player events. A New Player draft costs 1 New Player Ticket at 1 Event Ticket. These are phantom events, which means that the cards drafted in these events do not go into your online card collection. Additionally, while a normal event would have several prizes of 1-8 Magic 2014 (M14) packs depending on the format, a New Player event offers only a single M14 pack to the winner of an event, and no prize to the other three participants. Still, the chance to play in the drafts and possibly get a little reward out of it was enough to draw me in; I ended up buying three different accounts so that I could get the New Player draft opportunities.

Well, things have changed...quite a bit actually. Now, each player who creates a new account gets 5 normal Event Tickets and 20 New Player Tickets. This means that a new user can play five drafts at no additional cost, and can pay one dollar per draft for up to fifteen additional drafts. This gives a new player the chance to get a LOT of playtime for a fairly reasonable price; if the player elected to play through all 20 New Player drafts, he or she would spend $25 between the cost of creating a new account ($10) and the additional tickets ($15).

Won't you take me to...VALUE TOWN!

Seriously. This new setup has two distinctly exciting aspects. First, to the player, you're getting a chance for a full draft experience five times from those first ten dollars spent on the new account. Five drafts should be enough for most players to find out if they like the idea. The second part is a little more sneaky, and a creative business move. This method creates multiple nudges for the user to make a purchase from the in-game store. If you win one of the New Player drafts, you get an M14 pack. If you want to play in a real draft, you need a total of three packs as well as two Event Tickets, all readily available for purchase from the store. Plus, if you liked the experience but you're not sure if you're ready for the real thing, you can always just buy a few more Event Tickets and use up some of your 20 New Player tickets to get into more drafts. Either way, you're pulling people towards making purchases from the store, and that removes one of the bigger barriers to entry for the system: that nervous feeling you get when you're spending money. It's a good value, so what's a couple more dollars? And boom, they've got you.

Let me be clear on this, though: I have no problem with Wizards' move here. First, as I said, I was already buying new accounts to get the draft time, so this just makes it way more reasonably priced for me to do so. Second, I think Magic would appeal to a larger audience of people if they just found ways to get past some of these barriers (hence this feature on the blog). And I really do want Magic to become more mainstream; my end goal is to eventually own and run a game store, and that's obviously easier if more people are playing Magic.

What do you think of the new system? Love it? Hate it? Don't care? Let me know in the comments.

The "Epic" Uncommons of M14

So, as you may have seen earlier this week, I named and rated my top five uncommons from M14. That's all well and good, but we're in the realm of M14 now, so it's time to move forward. M13 had some ace uncommons, cards you'd often take over all but the biggest bombs in draft. Does M14 have cards of the same caliber? It's tough to say for sure this early in the format, but there are certainly a few early favorites. Here's my list of the top uncommons in each color, rated against each other. Enjoy.

5. Black - Doom Blade

Doom Blade might actually be better than some of the other cards on this list, but it doesn't have that "epic" feel to it. It's of course very powerful; it's a strong piece of removal that has a very manageable mana cost. But as far as a card with a broad enough effect to call "epic"...no sir. As far as other potential dark horses that might shine as the format advances, I could see Blightcaster or Vampire Warlord proving to be very useful in the right decks. But as far as something as strong as Vampire Nighthawk was? No way.

4. Red - Young Pyromancer

Flames of the Firebrand is actually back in M14, and, truthfully, I'd take Flames over Pyromancer in a vacuum. But it's no fun to re-hash the previous one, so let's talk about the new one. Young Pyromancer is part of a "theme" of this deck, which is basically, Chandra is going to mess you up. Having a mono-red deck or combining red with some effective blue or black removal/control cards, Young Pyromancer gets a ton of work done. Red is actually pretty strong at the uncommon level, with Battle Sliver and Shiv's Embrace also being very useful cards in draft. Flames is still the champion, but there's plenty of potential here.

3. White - Serra Angel

Serra Angel has been reprinted about eighty quadrillion times, but it's been good every time, and this time is no different. It's another repeat from M13, but this time there's no Oblivion Ring to take the crown. Banisher Priest has a similar effect, but it's limited to creatures and, more importantly, the Priest itself is a creature. A big part of the strength of Oblivion Ring (and Journey to Nowhere, it's creature-only counterpart) was that it was an enchantment, and drafters often don't have enchantment removal, outside of their sideboard. Creature removal is far more common. So, this time around, I'll go with the under-costed 4/4 flyer with vigilance. The only other uncommon that looks to be worth mentioning is Wall of Swords, another reprint. It can block all day with 5 toughness, and with 3 power, it can make your opponents very wary of swinging.

2. Green - Briarpack Alpha

Late in the M13 life cycle, I realized that Yeva's Forcemage was better than I was giving it credit for. You almost always make some use of the +2/+2 he gives to a creature, and then he's still a 2/2 body. Well, Briarpack Alpha eats Yeva's Forcemage for a light afternoon snack. It's a 3/3 instead of a 2/2, which honestly would make it already worth the additional 1 colorless mana it costs. But the thing that makes it just blow everything else away is that one extra word on the card: FLASH. It's 2/3 of a Giant Growth that also gives you a 3/3 creature at instant speed. Kalonian Tusker and Enlarge will almost always have value in drafts, and I could see Voracious Wurm being a powerhouse if the deck lends itself to that. But Briarpack Alpha to me is ahead of the rest.

1. Blue - Opportunity

Blue's uncommons are ridiculous. There are six different cards I'd consider at pack one, pick one (though with varying levels of satisfaction). Air Servant is a big flyer with a useful effect, Warden of Evos Isle is a Wind Drake+, Water Servant does all the things I loved about Watercourser and just does them better, Phantom Warrior will always play in a blue deck, and Wall of Frost buys blue decks the time they need to work their magic/Magic. But my pick is Opportunity. Drawing four cards feels as strong as drawing an entirely new hand, because it's basically that much. Six mana is a lot, but here's the best part: it's at instant speed. So you can leave up the mana for a counterspell or Disperse, and then if you end up not needing any of them, you cast Opportunity for four more cards, and your opponent concedes. Seriously. The more I've seen Opportunity played in M14, the more I'm realizing I probably under-valued Inspiration when it came around in Return to Ravnica. Sorry about that, Inspiration.


As far as an overall feeling, M14 feels way weaker than M13 on a power level. My hope is that it's part of a grander scheme by Wizards, where the effects they're focusing on (enchantments, lifegain, slivers?) get amplified in the Theros block, creating a new style of deck for Standard play. I'm interested to see how things play out in drafts over time as far as color balance. One of M13's great strengths was that each color had enough strong, problem cards that you could win playing any colors. Hopefully, despite being a little less exciting, M14 will offer the same balance and excitement in draft play.

So that's my take on the M14 uncommons. Thoughts? Questions? Applause? Hatred? Feel free to light me up in the comments, for better or worse.

The Epic Uncommons

One of the best parts of drafting M13 was that you weren't relying on rare cards to carry your deck. Obviously pulling Krenko, Mob Boss or Talrand, Sky Summoner was a nice moment, but there were just as many uncommon cards that got your blood flowing. So, this two-part article is going to list the top uncommon in each color from M13, and then estimate which uncommon might fill the same role in M14. And what the hell, we'll rank them against each other as well.

5. Red - Flames of the Firebrand

In a truly red deck, you'd take Arms Dealer over Flames of the Firebrand. But Flames fits in just about every deck, and Flames would be your first pick over Arms Dealer. In M13, there were a ton of useful creatures with 1 toughness that just get eaten by Flames of the Firebrand (the aforementioned Arms Dealer, Intrepid Hero, Knight of Glory, Knight of Infamy, etc). The flexibility of being able to kill multiple creatures with one spell, or even to kill one creature and burn your opponent for 1-2 damage, is what makes Flames such a good card. And at its worst, it still kills Centaur Courser or Faerie Invaders at sorcery speed. Epic.

4. Blue - Talrand's Invocation

Talrand's Invocation seems like one of those cards that just shouldn't exist. A 2/2 flyer normally costs three mana in blue (see Wind Drake). So you add another blue mana, and you get another 2/2 flyer? They're tokens, granted, but even still, the value is insane. This card also helped me understand the value of cards. That is, a single card that generates a single creature is "normal" value. A single card that generates two creatures has considerably greater value, because it means you don't have to draw another card to get that second creature. And when the creatures aren't little 1/1 soldier tokens but 2/2 flyers...get out of here.

3. Black - Vampire Nighthawk

Vampire Nighthawk is too good. To prove this, Magic came out with Deathgaze Cockatrice in M14. Deathgaze Cockatrice costs 1 more colorless mana, has 2 toughness instead of 3, and doesn't have lifelink. Anything with deathtouch and either reach or flying is tantamount to a pacifism. Anything with flying and lifelink is a potential win condition. Vampire Nighthawk has all of that. Ridiculous.

2. White - Oblivion Ring

I know James will call me insane for not putting Oblivion Ring first, which speaks to how strong it can be. He refers to O-Ring as "the mythic uncommon" because it's never available after the first pick. It's perfectly splashable, which means it fits into most decks. And it's removal for, well, everything. It can't kill Primal Huntbeast, and Knight of Infamy's protection prevents you from being able to target it, but that's it; everything else yields to Oblivion Ring. That makes it almost as effective as Murder at creature removal (because it's sorcery speed), and it can also be used to remove enchantments and artifacts. It's a broad, strong piece of removal. It's worth first-picking in just about every pack.

1. Green - Rancor

It's a razor thin margin between Oblivion Ring and Rancor. Interestingly, that exact situation has happened to me, choosing between Oblivion Ring and Rancor, and I hemmed and hawed for the full clock before finally taking Rancor. My thinking was this: while Oblivion Ring eliminates just about any problem you're facing, Rancor creates problems anew for your opponent, over and over again. Oblivion Ring can eliminate Rancor, it's true, but I take bombs over removal, and to me, Rancor is a bomb. It would be a playable card even if you didn't get it back; +2/+0 and trample for one mana is still good value. With the graveyard bounce-back action, it's unconscious. It's my pick for the best uncommon from M13.


But as exciting as these cards are, they're all in the past now. These days, it's all about drafting M14, and we've got a whole new list of potentially epic uncommons to choose from. On Thursday, I'll post my initial impressions of what's the best uncommon in each color, and compare them to how strong M13's were. See you then.

The Commons of M14 - Green

This is part of a series of posts about drafting our brand new set, Magic 2014. I'll discuss each of the five colors, and rank each common card from that color as I would expect to take them in a limited format. Check my recent posts to see the other colors.

Green

Tier 1 - Potential pack one, pick one:
1. Rumbling Baloth
2. Rootwalla
3. Deadly Recluse
4. Verdant Haven
5. Elvish Mystic

Rumbling Baloth isn't exciting at all, but a 4/4 for four mana is a big advantage. Rootwalla can be a dangerous creature, attacking or blocking. Deadly Recluse isn't much of an attacker, but as a blocker, it's basically a piece of removal. Verdant Haven is ramp, fixing, and a little health bump. Elvish Mystic sounds more appropriate flavor-wise than Llanowar Elves, though obviously they're the same card. Regardless, the speedy ramping is very useful.

Tier 2 - Potential pick one in pack two or three, after my colors are established:
6. Giant Spider
7. Predatory Sliver
8. Hunt the Weak

Giant Spider is a really nice card both in flavor and balance...which explains why it's been reprinted a billion times. Predatory Sliver is like Timberpack Wolf except pretty much exclusively better. Hunt the Weak is the standard green removal this set. Sorcery speed, creature-based, but it often works.

Tier 3 - Solid cards to fill out the color:
9. Giant Growth
10. Trollhide
11. Advocate of the Beast
12. Gladecover Scout

Giant Growth is one of the prototypical green cards, and I'm always glad to see it. Trollhide gets a bump over a normal enchantment because it gives you a way to avoid the troublesome two-for-one situations. Advocate of the Beast seems good, but there are only a few beasts in the whole set, so mostly it's a 2/3. Gladecover Scout is an unassuming 1/1, but in an enchantment-heavy set, there are ways to make it a real problem for your opponents.

Tier 4 - Not exciting, but playable cards in color:
13. Sporemound
14. Brindle Boar
15. Ranger's Guile
16. Naturalize
17. Plummet

Sporemound makes you hate drawing lands late less, but, only a little bit less. Brindle Boar would be miles better if the life were awarded upon the Boar's death, and not just when you sacrifice it. Still, a 2/2 creature has a use. Ranger's Guile is a limited kind of counterspell ability, but you'll almost never use it for the +1/+1. Naturalize, again, in an enchantment-heavy set, might be a reasonable main-deck choice if you're lean on cards. Plummet fills a similar role, though like Naturalize, it's a better fit for a sideboard.

Tier 5 - Cards I have a hard time seeing myself play:
18. Lay of the Land
19. Groundshaker Sliver
20. Fog

Lay of the Land can help with mana-fixing, but doesn't ramp, so it's a marginal card. Groundshaker Sliver is dumb outside of a slivers deck; seven mana for a 5/5 trample is too much, especially in green. Fog might be the best worst card in any color. If you have a gimpy deck and want a trick to try to sneak a win, it's not the worst.

Baseball's Suspension Rampage

The more I'm reading about the complex situation regarding Biogenesis and the several players who may or may not be suspended as a result of the information obtained from the clinic, the more nauseous I'm getting.

Baseball is obviously very concerned with their checkered history when it comes to drug suspensions. Even before the sport tested for steroids, Steve Howe was famously suspended seven different times for drug use. His usage was not "performance-enchancing" though; he fought a battle with alcohol and cocaine abuse, substances that we know absolutely do irreparable and dramatic damage to your body. Baseball found its way to forgive Howe seven different times, but it now appears resolved to forgive Alex Rodriguez roughly zero times.

Alex Rodriguez was discovered to have been using steroids during the 2003 season, the first season that baseball tested for steroids, during a "survey" season in which players' tests would remain anonymous, and whose results would be used to determine whether or not mandatory steroid testing would ensue. That season, 104 different players tested positive for steroid use. Of those 104, I can find news of seven actual names that have been confirmed: Rodriguez, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Sammy Sosa, David Segui, Larry Bigbie, and Jason Grimsley. None of those players were suspended/fined/had a finger wagged at them for those test results, presumably because A) they were supposed to remain confidential forever, and B) baseball didn't have a true anti-steroids policy at the time.

But there's something in that list that should give you pause. Look at it again. I'll wait.

Did you find it? It's Manny Ramirez. Manny tested positive in 2009, was banned for 50 games, and returned. Then he tested positive again in 2011, was banned for 100 games, and chose to retire rather than face the suspension. Eventually he decided he wanted to return to baseball, and was able to negotiate the second suspension down to 50 games. He's played in the minor leagues a bit, and likely won't return to major league action ever again, not as a result of discipline for substance abuse, but simply because he's 41 years old and can't really hit anymore.

So here's the information we have:

Manny Ramirez
Tested positive in 2003
Tested positive again in 2009, suspended 50 games
Tested positive again in 2011, suspended 100 games (later reduced)

Alex Rodriguez
Tested positive in 2003

Found to have been receiving illegal treatments from a clinic
Potential lifetime ban

What in the ever-loving shit is going on here?

The evidence suggests that Rodriguez should be treated the same as Ramirez, but that's not what's happening. A-Rod is getting railroaded because he's not well-liked, and because baseball really doesn't want him to hit enough home runs to bypass their precious records. It says something when baseball would rather let Barry Bonds hold onto a record than risk letting you overtake him.

But it's all garbage. Baseball is trying to do something that U.S. law prohibits, which is to punish Rodriguez for attempting to exercise his collectively bargained right to defend himself. From this article on Yahoo by Ronald Blum of the Associated Press:

Major League Baseball is threatening to kick A-Rod out of the game for life unless the New York star agrees not to fight a lengthy suspension for his role in the sport's latest drug scandal, according to a person familiar with the discussions...Whether Commissioner Bud Selig would actually issue a lifetime suspension was unclear and a permanent ban could be shortened by arbitrator Fredric Horowitz to about 200 games, the person said.

Now listen. Nobody really likes Alex Rodriguez. He's a Yankee, he's wealthy, and he's a cheater. That trifecta is going to net you an awful lot of disdain. But he's entitled to be treated the same as his peers. Major League Baseball set a precedent with Manny Ramirez. He was a big name player who'd had a prolific career and was still productive, he tested positive, and he was suspended for 50 games. You can't force Rodriguez to be suspended for four times as long just because you don't like the guy.

I've never had a vendetta for steroid users. A couple of steroid users pretty much saved baseball after the strike that cost us a World Series (and may have cost Montreal their baseball team). They're committing a crime, so I'm on board with them getting punished, but after you establish the punishments, you can't just change them willy-nilly. It destroys your credibility and creates uncertainty for players/owners/teams. But more than anything else, it's distasteful and vindictive. I hope that's not what 21st century baseball is about.

The Commons of M14 - Red

This is part of a series of posts about drafting our brand new set, Magic 2014. I'll discuss each of the five colors, and rank each common card from that color as I would expect to take them in a limited format. Check my recent posts to see the other colors.

Red

Tier 1 - Potential pack one, pick one:
1. Shock
2. Pitchburn Devils
3. Chandra's Outrage

Shock is immensely useful. As a one mana card, it's almost always available to blast away some creature. Pitchburn Devils is like Goblin Arsonist on acid, so obviously I think it's fantastic. I like Chandra's Outrage; four damage is going to get rid of the most common problem creatures in the set.

Tier 2 - Potential pick one in pack two or three, after my colors are established:
4. Blur Sliver
5. Marauding Maulhorn

Blur Sliver is just a really solid card; 2/2 with haste just gets work done. Marauding Maulhorn is very useful even if you haven't got Advocate of the Beast. Dropping 5 power on turn four is a huge advantage.

Tier 3 - Solid cards to fill out the color:
6. Regathan Firecat
7. Goblin Shortcutter
8. Act of Treason
9. Striking Sliver
10. Lightning Talons
11. Canyon Minotaur

Red in this set seems to get a lot of power at a reasonable price; Regathan Firecat gives you 4 power for three mana. Goblin Shortcutter can give you a very useful effect sometimes, but is always good enough to play. Act of Treason is a hit-or-miss, but sometimes it can hit really, really big. Striking Sliver is similar, really strong in a slivers deck, kind of blah in a deck without slivers. Lightning Talons is a powerful enchantment; 3 power plus first strike is an offensive and defensive house. Canyon Minotaur is Canyon Minotaur.

Tier 4 - Not exciting, but playable cards in color:
12. Dragon Hatchling
13. Academy Raider
14. Thunder Strike
15. Lava Axe
16. Wild Guess

Dragon Hatchling is a card that relies heavily on exactly how red your deck is. Academy Raider is I guess about as good as Rummaging Goblin was, but I'm not wild about relying on intimidation to get my card cycling. Thunder Strike reminds me of Mind Rot; you don't want to play it, but you don't want to see your opponent play it either. Similarly, you want to have Lava Axe late game, but you don't want to make room for it in your deck. I'd like Wild Guess alright if it were instant speed, but as is, it sits pretty low on my list.

Tier 5 - Cards I have a hard time seeing myself play:
17. Smelt
18. Seismic Stomp
19. Cyclops Tyrant
20. Demolish

We all know what Smelt is, sideboard. Seismic Stomp can be useful for some extra evasion, but you have to already have a decent board for it to be useful. Cyclops Tyrant has a forbidding cost and a considerable downside. I'll avoid it most of the time. I guess in the rare situation where your opponent lucked into a ton of good artifacts or one or more Mutavaults, you might want to play Demolish. But that's about it.

The Commons of M14 - Black

This is part of a series of posts about drafting our brand new set, Magic 2014. I'll discuss each of the five colors, and rank each common card from that color as I would expect to take them in a limited format. Check my recent posts to see the other colors.

Black

Tier 1 - Potential pack one, pick one:
1. Liturgy of Blood
2. Mark of the Vampire

I wanted desperately to put Mark of the Vampire first, but when thinking about the actual decision, there's just no way I'd take Mark over Liturgy if the choice was in front of me. That said, Mark of the Vampire is essentially half a bomb, so I have no problem taking it first if there isn't a true bomb in the pack.

Tier 2 - Potential pick one in pack two or three, after my colors are established:
3. Deathgaze Cockatrice
4. Quag Sickness
5. Accursed Spirit
6. Blood Bairn
7. Child of Night

Deathgaze Cockatrice shows how absurdly good Vampire Nighthawk is; Deathgaze costs one more mana, has one less toughness, and doesn't have lifelink. And it's still a good card. Quag Sickness is a pretty solid piece of removal. Accursed Spirit is the black version of Bladetusk Boar, which was a nice card. Blood Bairn is a functional reprint of Vampire Aristocrat; it's still good. Child of Night, despite only having one toughness, can get a lot of work done.

Tier 3 - Solid cards to fill out the color:
8. Altar's Reap
9. Corpse Hauler
10. Dark Favor
11. Wring Flesh
12. Nightwing Shade
13. Festering Newt

Altar's Reap is one of those cards that really fits into black flavor-wise, and at instant speed, gives a lot of opportunities for extra value. Corpse Hauler is another example of how 2 power makes any two-drop fairly useful. As with most enchantments, I like Dark Favor more than most, but 3 extra power can turn any creature into a real problem. Wring Flesh is more of a combat trick than true removal, but a pretty good one. On a scale of shades, Nightwing Shade feels pretty close to the bottom. That said, it's still a 2/2 flyer with some ability to pump, so it's got value. Festering Newt will often be Festering Goblin, which makes it pretty decent in my book.

Tier 4 - Not exciting, but playable cards in color:
14. Mind Rot
15. Duress
16. Undead Minotaur
17. Shrivel

Mind Rot is one of those cards you never want to play, but you also hate seeing your opponent cast. Duress serves a specific purpose, and has a place in every sideboard. Nobody's going to call Undead Minotaur a beast, but it'll get plenty of work done. Shrivel is like infinitely worse than Cower in Fear...which often ended up as no more than a sideboard card.

Tier 5 - Cards I have a hard time seeing myself play:
18. Vile Rebirth
19. Minotaur Abomination
20. Shadowborn Apostle

Vile Rebirth isn't the worst...but it's pretty close. Minotaur Abomination is blah. If you have no finishers, it can squeak in, but if it's your best finisher, you're probably going to lose. Shadowborn Apostle is utterly worthless in limited.

The Commons of M14 - Blue

This is part of a series of posts about drafting our brand new set, Magic 2014. I'll discuss each of the five colors, and rank each common card from that color as I would expect to take them in a limited format. Check my recent posts to see the other colors.

Blue

Tier 1 - Potential pack one, pick one:
1. Trained Condor
2. Time Ebb
3. Claustrophobia

Trained Condor may not be a factor in constructed situations, but in limited, it feels like one of the best cards to start with. Time Ebb undermines your opponent's tempo and is fairly splashable. Any deck can use it. Claustrophobia isn't at all splashable, but beckons you into blue with how powerful it is.

Tier 2 - Potential pick one in pack two or three, after my colors are established:
4. Nephalia Seakite
5. Disperse
6. Archaeomancer
7. Essence Scatter

Nephalia Seakite is a good card; flash is really valuable in blue decks, because it lets you keep up mana for counterspells without missing opportunities to play creatures. Disperse is Unsummon-plus, but that extra mana knocks it down a peg for me. James's favorite card in every set is Archaeomancer; while I'm not quite as enamored, it's very useful and very blue. Essence Scatter is the "Blu-oom Blade," arguably the best piece of removal in blue. Once you're going blue, you're always happy to take it, any pick.

Tier 3 - Solid cards to fill out the color:
8. Cancel
9. Messenger Drake
10. Divination
11. Scroll Thief
12. Sensory Deprivation

I'll never understand why Cancel gets shrugged aside so often in limited. If Counterspell were reprinted, it'd be hated as far too powerful, but adding another colorless mana suddenly makes the card unplayable? I don't get it. Messenger Drake is a non-bomb bomb; a 3/3 with evasion and an on-death bonus has a place in every blue deck. Divination is Divination. I never really like choosing Scroll Thief for my deck, but he seems to always get work done. Sensory Deprivation, I don't know, maybe I like it more than I should, but it honestly seems like it can be as useful as Pacifism in plenty of circumstances.

Tier 4 - Not exciting, but playable cards in color:
13. Negate
14. Seacoast Drake
15. Coral Merfolk
16. Frost Breath

In this set, with all the useful enchantments, I'm more willing to main-deck Negate. Seacoast Drake is fine, defensive, helps you prolong the game. Playing Coral Merfolk makes you realize how much more important power is than toughness in low drops. Frost Breath fits into blue decks, but there are plenty of other cards that I'd put above it.

Tier 5 - Cards I have a hard time seeing myself play:
17. Armored Cancrix
18. Zephyr Charge
19. Merfolk Spy
20. Tome Scour

Armored Cancrix can fill out a deck if you really need some depth and defense, but I'll try to find a thousand other ways to fill that need. Zephyr Charge is one of those cards that looks useful, but when the cards are on the table, you'd rather have almost anything else in your hand. Merfolk Spy is a mostly useless 1/1, though I suppose it's better than a completely useless 1/1. I'm glad Tome Scour will be back in Standard, but the mill deck is a tall order in M14 limited unless you get awfully lucky.

The Commons of M14 - White

This is the first of a series of posts about drafting our brand new set, Magic 2014. I'll discuss each of the five colors, and rank each common card from that color as I would expect to take them in a limited format. I'll arrange them in tiers, for your organizational viewing pleasure.

Normally I'd be all about ranking the colorless cards as well, but seeing as how there's all of one common-level colorless card, it might not be all that interesting an article. Sliver Construct is a fine card, though.

White

Tier 1 - Potential pack one, pick one:
1. Celestial Flare
2. Pacifism
3. Dawnstrike Paladin

Celestial Flare is one of the stronger pieces of removal in the set, right up there with Doom Blade. I like that it's a very white card in flavor, and I like that it pierces hexproof and indestructible. Pacifism is classic; no discussion necessary. I know I'm going to rate Dawnstrike Paladin higher than most people, but I can't help it. I've always been a fan of vigilance, and after the number of times I've gotten rolled by Mark of the Vampire in M13, I've got a newfound appreciation for lifelink. The cost is high, but spells cost mana, that's how it goes.

Tier 2 - Potential pick one in pack two or three, after my colors are established:
4. Charging Griffin
5. Master of Diversion
6. Auramancer

Charging Griffin is fine, works really well if you have some defenses back to cover. Master of Diversion is a 2/2 body with a useful effect. Same goes for Auramancer. The set seems to almost demand that you play at least a couple of enchantments, so I'd expect that you're getting full value out of Auramancer around 40% of the time.

Tier 3 - Solid cards to fill out the color:
7. Sentinel Sliver
8. Suntail Hawk
9. Divine Favor
10. Hive Stirrings
11. Solemn Offering
12. Capashen Knight
13. Pay No Heed

I like Sentinel Sliver a lot, but vigilance on a 2/2 doesn't do a ton; by the time you can attack with a 2/2, it's usually at risk of being traded for another 2/2, which means half the time your Sentinel Sliver is just another Silvercoat Lion. In a slivers deck, obviously it's more useful. Suntail is fine, a one mana flyer in an enchantment-heavy set should be useful. Divine Favor isn't a phenomenal, but it makes any creature a problem to deal with. Hive Stirrings I'm rating a little higher than I might normally rate a sorcery-speed token spell, simply because the set favors slivers. Solemn Offering is going to be a damn useful card in this set, I promise. I initially had nothing positive to say about Capashen Knight, but really, it's a two-drop that you don't hate pulling in turn 8, so that has value. Pay No Heed seems just okay, but it can unmake a lot of red decks' plans, and also has a narrow fog effect.

Tier 4 - Not exciting, but playable cards in color:
14. Show of Valor
15. Fortify
16. Siege Mastadon
17. Pillarfield Ox

Show of Valor was a deck-filler at best in M13; I expect it to be the same in M14. Fortify is a tough card to judge, but I could see it moving up my list a bit as we see more of the set. Siege Mastadon and Pillarfield Ox are cards, but that's all they are.

Tier 5 - Cards I'd have a hard time seeing myself play:
18. Griffin Sentinel
19. Angelic Wall
20. Soulmender

Griffin Sentinel has to exist, but I don't ever want to play it. Getting just one power on a three-drop creature never feels good. Angelic Wall is what it is; Fog Bank is infinitely better. Soulmender might fit into lifegain decks, but until I see him getting work done, I'm wary of any 1/1 without evasion.

Top 5 "Whoa Nelly" Moments from Terraria - Number One

This is part of a series of five articles about the great surprises from my first foray into Terraria. Check out the other recent posts for the rest of the list.

#1 - The Blood Moon

So here we are, the #1 most insane moment from my early forays into Terraria in a multiplayer setting. I remember the first time it happened, I was deep into the third cave level, not knowing when the sun was rising or setting, and I got a message: "The Blood Moon is rising." That was followed by a confused "wait what?" from one of my companions on Skype. Curious, I returned to the surface, where I could see the moon.

What I found was carnage and chaos.

The Blood Moon basically means that nowhere is safe. Zombies and Demon Eyes can force their way through your doors and into your house to pummel your characters and murder your townsfolk. The enemies also spawn in greater number and with greater frequency. But the last, most devious change is that those sweet little five HP bunnies turn into murderous Corrupt Bunnies, who have greater health and damage than the zombies themselves. Watching a purple rabbit maul your friends while you try to fend off the zombies that have invaded your home is a mortifying experience...and part of what makes Terraria just so F-ing great.

Top 5 "Whoa Nelly" Moments from Terraria - Number Two

This is part of a series of five articles about the great surprises from my first foray into Terraria. Check out the other recent posts for the rest of the list.

#2 - Eater of Worlds

Ahh, the Eater of Worlds. The best thing about the Eater of Worlds is that when he shows up, it's your fault. The Eater is spawned when you smash enough of the dark crystal balls in the Corruption, which is only possible after you've crafted a fairly high level hammer. When you smash a crystal, you get a cryptic message, something like, "A horrible chill runs down your spine..." The first time one of our group did so, there were four or five of us in the server, and upon that text appearing at the bottom of the screen, one of our players immediately disconnected. It turned out he wasn't up for whatever was coming.

After two more orbs were smashed, the rest of us realized that we were also not ready for what was coming.

Seeing that massive worm barreling through the cavern, was an eye-opening experience for me during the game, and pretty much the exact moment when I realized it was time to upgrade my armor and find some more life crystals. Eventually, after upgrading your gear and getting the hang of the Eater's mechanics, the fight becomes fairly easy, and a good way to generate a bunch of money. But I won't forget that first time, when I got chewed up and spit out...or not spit out, rather, but definitely chewed up.

Top 5 "Whoa Nelly" Moments from Terraria - Number Three

This is part of a series of five articles about the great surprises from my first foray into Terraria. Check out the other recent posts for the rest of the list.

#3 - Sky Islands

I'm sure that a lot of people found out about sky islands from the internet, but I'm delighted to say that my group of friends came across our first sky island by chance. We had been having a pain of a time traversing the countryside getting from one side of the map to the other, so we decided to build what we called a sky bridge, an elevated line of stone blocks across the map. With some jumping around, a friend came across the vines hanging from one of the islands. I honestly thought he was joking about the island when he started talking about it, but it turned out he was telling the truth...and he reaped the rewards. When he showed the rest of us a few dozen pieces of nice ore, a cloud in a bottle, and some other assorted loot, we were all on the hunt for other islands.

Though the harpies that patrol the sky islands were a bit of a nuisance, the "Whoa Nelly" wasn't so much from being panicked or threatened. It was more of a, "Whoa Nelly, what a cool thing they did in this game with these sky islands."

That's not so much the case with #2. Tune in tomorrow to read all about it.

Top 5 "Whoa Nelly" Moments from Terraria - Number Four

This is part of a series of five articles about the great surprises from my first foray into Terraria. Check out the other recent posts for the rest of the list.

#4 - The Dungeon (and those asshole skull ghost things)

I knew the dungeon existed fairly early in my Terraria-playing days, well before I actually delved into it. The trailer for the game showed part of the boss battle against Skeletron, the "gatekeeper" of the dungeon, so I had some sense of the situation when my friends and I finally found the dungeon entrance in our travels. But I didn't have any idea exactly what sort of dangers lurked in the dungeon.

We started to go into it, and then these flying skull things started zipping around. So we do a little dodging and weaving, pop a couple shots at the skulls, and then one of us takes a hit and just gets obliterated. We try to regroup, but there's no way around it; these flying skulls were just massacring us. After about a dozen deaths, we finally realized there was something up with the situation, and did our research to find that we needed to defeat Skeletron to eliminate those bastards, but for a few minutes we had a hilariously panicked time.

Steam Summer Sale 2013

Every year, there are two massive sales on Steam, one during the summer and one during the winter. Today is the last day of this year's summer sale, and, as usual, I bought a couple games I absolutely did not need to buy. I've got 370+ games, but my thirst for good values brings me to the virtual checkout line over and over again. Here are the games I bought, why I bought them, and what the likelihood is that I play them anytime soon.

Fallout: New Vegas - Ultimate Edition ($4.99)

I played Fallout 3 for about an hour over at my friend Chip's house several years ago, and I really, really enjoyed it. Which of course means nothing when it comes to how I spend my free time. I have owned Fallout 3's Game of the Year Edition for over a year now, and I haven't even installed the title. And while I'm absolutely looking forward to playing Fallout: NV at some point, I want to play through Fallout 3 first. After hearing people talk about how they spent hundreds of hours on Fallout 3, and knowing that I'm the kind of guy who takes the long way around in Bethesda games, who knows when I'll get to New Vegas.

Likelihood to play in the next year: 5%

Wanderlust: Rebirth 4-Pack ($7.49)

I loved Secret of Mana. Loved it. When I was in middle school, or maybe early high school, a friend of mine brought the game over and we started playing around 7:30, after dinner. When we stopped playing, the sun was coming up. That's what I'm hoping for out of Wanderlust. It's billed as an arcade-action RPG, and while it looks a little more explosive and intense than Secret of Mana, I'm willing to take a gamble on that kind of payoff.

I also got the 4-pack of this game. The game has a four-play cooperative mode, and I've always been a big advocate of cooperative gaming. So with the opportunity to try out a game I'm interested in, on top of the ability to share that gaming experience with my friends, I think that maybe, just maybe, I'll play this game.

Likelihood to play in the next year: 50%

Under the Ocean ($2.49)

Under the Ocean is the only game I purchased during the sale that I had never heard of before the event. I got a text from a friend about the game, saying it was one of the "hidden gems" of the sale. It was never one of the featured sales, but the discount was deep. The game is still in alpha, which means it'll have its share of bugs and problems, but honestly, that's part of the appeal. Getting to see how a game develops is something I don't normally do; I rarely even buy games at all in the first year or more after their retail release. Picking up Under the Ocean gives me a chance to play a game right away, and for $2.49, you can't beat that.

Likelihood to play in the next year: 75%

Top 5 "Whoa Nelly" Moments from Terraria - Number Five

I'm a huge fan of Terraria. If you check out my Steam profile, you can see that I've spent over three hundred hours mining, constructing, exploring, and slaying. It's often described as a 2D Minecraft (by myself as well), which is accurate enough, but the implication is that Terraria is a dumbed down version of Minecraft, and that's not fair. Terraria has a much stronger combat system, a more robust suite of enemies, better graphics, and a killer soundtrack.

Terraria has also offered some multiplayer moments that rival even the most heated battles in Left 4 Dead or Payday in terms of intensity. The game really captures the idea of the wilderness being this treacherous, unknown area, where danger lurks at every turn. Here are the top five "Whoa Nelly" moments from my first time playing through Terraria.

(For those of you unaware, the phrase "Whoa Nelly" has a special place in my heart since Earthworm Jim.)

#5 - Jungle Shrine

The first time I came across one of these, I was mystified. What on earth are gold bricks doing down here? And...ooh, treasure. When it comes to Terraria, there are two things I really go crazy for: high-end blocks and treasure. Finding both of them was a delightful surprise in the dangerous depths of the jungle.

Of my five "Whoa Nelly" moments, the jungle shrine was the least scary, which also makes it the least fun to talk about. It was a nice surprise, but didn't hold a candle to the other four. Which is my way of saying, stay tuned.