MTG Strategist

The big question on most MTG players minds is: Which tribe in standard is the strongest?  The answer: Pirates (but wait...there's more) I hate to jump to the end of the story, but I think it makes more sense to start the discussion here.  I ranked 5 tribes (Merfolk, Pirates, Dinosaurs, Vampires and Zombies (as a control)) using a standardized ranking scale that I will explain below.  I used two scores: 1. Power Ranking : the raw power of the creatures, enchantments, and other spells that support a specific tribe to include synergy effects, individual merits and accessibility.  This ranking takes into account the following: Tribal Effects : -Effects that can resonate throughout every member of a tribe. (10 pts) -Effects that can resonate throughout most of a tribe. (9 pts) -Effects that can target a single member of a tribe. (7 pts) -Effects that add a tribe member. (7 pts) -Effects that occur within a tribe member and make it beneficial for it to be part of

  Energy isn't completely dead. Neither is Ramunap Red. They've just been hobbled. While there are many different 'feelings' on this matter, it's important right now to look at what this does to the Standard playing field.  The article that announced the bannings discussed win percentages and how long Energy and Ramunap Red decks were in primacy.  At the heart of the article, never explicitly stated, was the real problem.  Why were these decks, or any deck for that matter that has caused a banning, singled out?  Answer: Early game dominance. Both decks were fantastic at early game battlefield set up.  That is why other decks fell short again and again.  By the time your cool turn 6 deck was in full swing, you were down to 3 life and hoping they didn't draw a Lightning Strike.  I must preface this discussion with the theory that by turn 5 (most of the time) you're either set up to win or fighting for a lucky break.   What does this mean now?  

1. Your deck should strive to either win or control the battlefield by turn 5. 2. Your deck should be able to play every turn...even turn 1. 3. Your sideboard should hold answers for cards that specifically break your deck's strategy. 4. Your deck should have multiple win conditions. (At least 1...yes, I'm talking to you Mr. Control deck that has no win condition. And combo decks that need 4 or 5 cards to set off the combo...that's not a win condition, that's a penny in a well. (For an example: http://www.mtgstrategist.com/2017/09/ixalan-improbable-but-infinite-cats.html ) 5. If your deck relies on a specific card to win, have a way to get to that card quickly. We don't have to stop at 10.  Your ideas are much appreciated. New: 6. You need land to play. Investing in a strong land-base is unequivocally the smartest investment you can make in MTG. Bomb spells don't happen without the right mana at the right time. This list is almost there.  I

Taking a look at the new mechanic ASCEND, which offers you the 'City's Blessing' if you control 10 or more permanents. Here are the white cards that utilize the ASCEND mechanic: Of these, Radiant Destiny is the most promising. Radiant Destiny becomes an Always Watching, which was a great pairing with the exert mechanic (or any creature card really). Here are the blue cards with ASCEND: These cards are slightly more impactful than the white ASCEND cards.  The card draw with Kumena's Awakening and Secrets of the Golden City are decent.  Slippery Scoundrel becoming hexproof and unblockable could be a nuisance to an opponent.  But it 's Timestream Navigator that is the most interesting.  While it is a fragile 1/1 creature with a 2 CMC cost, it does provide an interesting late game play option.  This is definitely worth playtesting in different creature based decks.  The green cards are: These two creatures have some real fightin