Could have been a line, true!

Not really a big deal, but a misplay indeed

Free counterspells break the game's tempo in such a way that it's perfectly fine to complain about it whenever you get the chance.

​@@lamjeri They are perfectly fine when they cost 2 cards, but they were not designed for singleton formats, it is more a thing to stop combos that can gain you some tempo in other cases. The real problem lies when there are too many of those, like the damn evoke elementals. Aminatou doesn't recoup such card loss and the graveyard hate cycle itself. He only needed a couple of more lands and he would have been in a great position.

@@atilalexander I have to disagree. It breaks one of the fundamental game mechanics - you pay mana to cast stuff. Any free spell which was ever printed that had a semi-playable effect always became either a staple in eternal formats, or it got banned there. In a game where eternal formats devolve into playing 1 drops, you're pushing the curve even lower by allowing to play even earlier. Funny how you mentioned that it was a thing to stop combos. At the same time, it's an absolutely lethal weapon in the hands of combo decks, because it allows them to go off sooner, as they don't have to keep mana up for protection if needed. Card disadvantage doesn't matter if the opponent gets so far ahead, or wins on the spot. Fury and Force of despair got so far that they even designed the card in a way, that you can mitigate the cards disadvantage, or gain card advantage even.

​@@lamjeri Things have escalated so much out of the norm that drops 1 and 2 mitigate the 2x1 from those cards. In theory, you shouldn't be able to run off with such card disadvantage but they also shet on the game when they print cards like Urza's Saga and The One Ring. It seams my knowledge of the game, of what it used to be, is not relevant anymore.

I think the newest free-spell cycle is a FAIR way of designing those cards, while many other cards - especially the elementals - are pretty much out of hand. To me having "the sideboard cards" vs. "interacting with it for free" is a different debate.

Necrobloom? :P

@@bitzelberg thalia And The Gitrog Monster He's a bad commander?

@@baronurvan2323 I don't think so, but MH3 brought 10+ new interesting commandzones, so it's not boring for us :D Maybe one day we'll bring them to the battlefield :)

@@bitzelberg nice

That's no tournament gameplay, no need for that.

Is Magic a memory game or a strategy game? The alternative is to write down every card, which slows the game down tremendously amongst two buddies playing. Pros do the same thing when information is known - watch every single Nadu game from the PT this weekend. Modern day poker players would eviscerate 90s poker players btw.

@@bitzelberg ok perfect

@@treycuret its both. Our tourneys we ban writing down cards. Lamest thing wizards allow. Just lame

​@@tcgmetaslayer4202 MtG isn't a memory game 😂 Open decklists and the writing down cards (which every tournament up to and including Pro Tours) remove some of the accounting aspect of Magic. The game doesn't test revealed information - it's treated as known. The way your tournament does it probably allows for some weird angle shooting (ie. good luck against Bryant Cook's foil Japanese alternate art storm deck) and weirdly might take MORE time in that players are having to play a sub game of navigating effects that reveal hands. Honestly though, I love that there are so many different ideas on what the game is supposed to look like. It is sweet that there's someone treating Magic like a game of Concentration.

Well this deck is partially a combo-deck so you take any tutors you can! Also the lifegain usually compensates well for the life-loss.