dknight27
12-28-2009, 09:54 PM
Preview: An overview on the basis and goals of the preventative magic style, the best preventative techniques, and their uses in specific situations and colored decks.
Hola amigos. Today I wish to discuss the many wants and woes of preventative magic, the subtle art and exact science of not allowing the opponent to do anything. Quite different from simply playing a counterspell, preventative magic seeks to eliminate the problem before it enters the stack. This brand of magic holds many distinct positions in control, combo, discard, lad destruction, and many other types of decks. But the true genius of preventative magic is the lack of options that it presents to the opponent.
Preventative magic can be a fantastic alternative to counter spells for combo deck seeking protection from the meddling measures taken by opponents. Lets face it, not every deck can afford to employ the vast countering ability that blue has to offer, and it is for this reason that the seasoned magic player must turn to planed prevention rather then immediate countermeasures. In particular, white and black possess excellent means of stopping the opponent before they begin and it is these measures that I will examine first.
A deck that includes black and wishes to utilize prevention on the opponent must inevitably turn its attention towards the disruptive world of discard. The opponent cannot counter a spell or destroy an enchantment if they do not possess the card to do so, it is this mentality that gives discard the edge required for the black category. The type of discard cards become very important for proceedings: duress and thoughtseize are absolutely essential if one is trying to circumnavigate trouble in a black deck. A turn 1 duress can mean the discarding of a counterspell that the opponent would have counted on for protection from the inevitable combo to come. This simple play can make all the difference for a variety of deck types, and in truth, any black deck could easily employ this tactic, regardless of what type. Another example, with far less familiarity, lies in the vastly expensive card hypnox. This flying fortress has possibly the single greatest ability possible for a beat down giant, when it enters play it exiles every card in the opponents hand. Imagine, having an 8/8 flyer on the field and the opponent has virtually no way of touching it. You have control of the field with your vast monstrosity, you more then likely have card advantage seeing as the opponent has no hand, and the opponent can only work with what is currently on the field. One of the deadliest combinations in all of magic is to play a damnation followed by hypnox, the heavens and the earth shake violently at the thought of such a happening. This bad boy of the skies illustrates my point extremely well; it is easier to stop an opponent before they start.
In the realm of white magic, where life flows freely and angels soar above, resides possibly the best preventative spells known to mankind: the twin spells of silence and orim’s chant. These two works of art can be utilized to put a complete stop to any and all plans the opponent may be hatching. Used correctly in conjunction with isochron scepter and aphetto alchemist and the opponent will never play another spell. Or use them early game to stall the opponent’s field construction and leave him or her 2 or 3 turns behind, giving you a phenomenal advantage. But the best use for these cards lies in their ability to gain an entire turn with no interference. This turn, if used to its full potential, is all the skilled magic player needs to clench victory. This turn could be used to finish a combo, set one off, search a deck, set up the top of a library, or even stack a graveyard. I have personally used these cards as the ultimate means of insurance for almost every partially white combo deck that I own.
Another white-based means of prevention resides in the famous and infamous combo if Iona, shield of emeria combined with painter’s servant. This daunting combination allows you to select a color for every spell the opponent could ever play and then prevent the opponent from ever playing any card of that color. In short, it reduces the opponent’s future game to exactly what they have on the field. If used correctly this is a winning combination and should therefore be considered by any deck builder. In my experience, the best way to use this combo is in conjunction with defense of the heart. This enchantment allows you to play both creatures for free from your deck, and therefore allows an immense advantage to the player that wields it. A white and green deck could easily be constructed that features Iona, painter’s servant, defense of the heart, idyllic tutor, and forbidden orchard (to help with defense of the hearts creature condition). This would be an extremely effective deck as it prevents the opponent from being able to respond in kind and therefore eliminates over three quarters of the imposing threat.
Blue magic also offers many options for this particular style of play. Arcane laboratory severely checks the development of any plans the opponent might be formulating, and if used in conjunction with erayo’s essence, it spells the end of the opponents spell-casting career. Frozen aether can be used to slow the development of the opponent’s field dramatically, and gains its optimum use when joined with meekstone. Used against a deck that focuses on medium or larger creatures, naya for instance, and the entire flow of the game is now within your grasp. The remainder of blue control aspects involve countering spells rather then prevention, but blue can still be used in this aspect.
Taking into account the goal of preventative magic, the skilful player can use its techniques to overcome almost any obstacle the game of magic has to offer. It is far easier to stop a play before it is put into action, and defeating a well thought out strategy is as simple as making the opponent discard a single, well-chosen card from their hand. Enjoy the pleasures and peculiarities of preventative magic, try utilizing it in your combo, control, or anti-combo decks; or go even further and build an entire deck based on stopping the opponent before they even get started.
“For want of a nail the horseshoe was lost, for want of a horseshoe the horse was lost, for want of a horse the message was not delivered, for want of a message the battle was lost.”
Hola amigos. Today I wish to discuss the many wants and woes of preventative magic, the subtle art and exact science of not allowing the opponent to do anything. Quite different from simply playing a counterspell, preventative magic seeks to eliminate the problem before it enters the stack. This brand of magic holds many distinct positions in control, combo, discard, lad destruction, and many other types of decks. But the true genius of preventative magic is the lack of options that it presents to the opponent.
Preventative magic can be a fantastic alternative to counter spells for combo deck seeking protection from the meddling measures taken by opponents. Lets face it, not every deck can afford to employ the vast countering ability that blue has to offer, and it is for this reason that the seasoned magic player must turn to planed prevention rather then immediate countermeasures. In particular, white and black possess excellent means of stopping the opponent before they begin and it is these measures that I will examine first.
A deck that includes black and wishes to utilize prevention on the opponent must inevitably turn its attention towards the disruptive world of discard. The opponent cannot counter a spell or destroy an enchantment if they do not possess the card to do so, it is this mentality that gives discard the edge required for the black category. The type of discard cards become very important for proceedings: duress and thoughtseize are absolutely essential if one is trying to circumnavigate trouble in a black deck. A turn 1 duress can mean the discarding of a counterspell that the opponent would have counted on for protection from the inevitable combo to come. This simple play can make all the difference for a variety of deck types, and in truth, any black deck could easily employ this tactic, regardless of what type. Another example, with far less familiarity, lies in the vastly expensive card hypnox. This flying fortress has possibly the single greatest ability possible for a beat down giant, when it enters play it exiles every card in the opponents hand. Imagine, having an 8/8 flyer on the field and the opponent has virtually no way of touching it. You have control of the field with your vast monstrosity, you more then likely have card advantage seeing as the opponent has no hand, and the opponent can only work with what is currently on the field. One of the deadliest combinations in all of magic is to play a damnation followed by hypnox, the heavens and the earth shake violently at the thought of such a happening. This bad boy of the skies illustrates my point extremely well; it is easier to stop an opponent before they start.
In the realm of white magic, where life flows freely and angels soar above, resides possibly the best preventative spells known to mankind: the twin spells of silence and orim’s chant. These two works of art can be utilized to put a complete stop to any and all plans the opponent may be hatching. Used correctly in conjunction with isochron scepter and aphetto alchemist and the opponent will never play another spell. Or use them early game to stall the opponent’s field construction and leave him or her 2 or 3 turns behind, giving you a phenomenal advantage. But the best use for these cards lies in their ability to gain an entire turn with no interference. This turn, if used to its full potential, is all the skilled magic player needs to clench victory. This turn could be used to finish a combo, set one off, search a deck, set up the top of a library, or even stack a graveyard. I have personally used these cards as the ultimate means of insurance for almost every partially white combo deck that I own.
Another white-based means of prevention resides in the famous and infamous combo if Iona, shield of emeria combined with painter’s servant. This daunting combination allows you to select a color for every spell the opponent could ever play and then prevent the opponent from ever playing any card of that color. In short, it reduces the opponent’s future game to exactly what they have on the field. If used correctly this is a winning combination and should therefore be considered by any deck builder. In my experience, the best way to use this combo is in conjunction with defense of the heart. This enchantment allows you to play both creatures for free from your deck, and therefore allows an immense advantage to the player that wields it. A white and green deck could easily be constructed that features Iona, painter’s servant, defense of the heart, idyllic tutor, and forbidden orchard (to help with defense of the hearts creature condition). This would be an extremely effective deck as it prevents the opponent from being able to respond in kind and therefore eliminates over three quarters of the imposing threat.
Blue magic also offers many options for this particular style of play. Arcane laboratory severely checks the development of any plans the opponent might be formulating, and if used in conjunction with erayo’s essence, it spells the end of the opponents spell-casting career. Frozen aether can be used to slow the development of the opponent’s field dramatically, and gains its optimum use when joined with meekstone. Used against a deck that focuses on medium or larger creatures, naya for instance, and the entire flow of the game is now within your grasp. The remainder of blue control aspects involve countering spells rather then prevention, but blue can still be used in this aspect.
Taking into account the goal of preventative magic, the skilful player can use its techniques to overcome almost any obstacle the game of magic has to offer. It is far easier to stop a play before it is put into action, and defeating a well thought out strategy is as simple as making the opponent discard a single, well-chosen card from their hand. Enjoy the pleasures and peculiarities of preventative magic, try utilizing it in your combo, control, or anti-combo decks; or go even further and build an entire deck based on stopping the opponent before they even get started.
“For want of a nail the horseshoe was lost, for want of a horseshoe the horse was lost, for want of a horse the message was not delivered, for want of a message the battle was lost.”