[Izulde]

Yeah I've really come to appreciate removal's importance in Standard.

As for the updates of my playing, etc...

I've given up on playing at UNLV. Went Tuesday and it was just stupid because everyone there has win combos that can and do win by like Turn 4 or 5. When like 5 games of 4 player EDH last maybe 30 minutes, you know it's just gotten stupid. Particularly annoying - an infinite drakes combo leading to my Coat of Arms getting stolen to give those infinite drakes infinite power and toughness.

Yesterday at my other campus, Franz and Pip were playing the Lord of the Rings: Two Towers edition game with a guy I'll call Scrooge (he's a self-admitted cheapskate but who also has a very strict moral code - fascinating dude in a lot of ways). Scrooge was well on his way to winning with a crazy scenario until Franz convinced Pip to play a sequence that led to everyone losing. I've never played it so I can't explain the mechanics.

Pip was loud and obnoxious this game as per usual. He kept shouting that he would have won the game if he had one card to get another card, and Franz and Scrooge are like "...No... no you wouldn't have. Scrooge had a ton of points just from this pile, and that's not counting all the other stuff."

Pip: "It would have been close!"

Franz, Scrooge & Me (I'd ascertained something of VP total calculation from listening: "Nope, it wouldn't have. It would have been a rout."

Pip: "But I did really well for it being my first time."

Scrooge: Eh, it wasn't bad.

Franz: And actually it was your second time.

Pip: First real time! Professor, wanna play?

Yes, yes I did. I then promptly waxed Pip who got mana screwed, while I had Seeker of the Way, and I think Cavalry Pegasus up, maybe one or two other things. Pip still has yet to beat this deck. Oh by the way, I chucked Herald of Anafenza and Master of Pearls for Murderous Cut (black removal) and the black card that makes a land so that target opponent loses life whenever the land is tapped. Neither one got in play, however.

Then Franz, who was tweaking his aggro Temur deck, joined in for a couple games of three way. I don't remember offhand who won the first game between me and Franz, and I had to go after I was the first one knocked out in the second game (which rustled my jimmies, because I should never be last in a multi-play with Pip, even with his Merfolk deck).

Oh, and I also found out about a card/comics shop close to campus that's got great reviews. Pip got an Arbor Colossus for 10 cents (worth 33 cents, it turns out) there, which is a card that'd be great for my deck.

Also talked trade/sale a bit with Franz. We may have a framework whereby I trade a Stoke the Flames for a Siege Rhino, though I would try to get a little something extra since STF is worth slightly more than SR.

Pip kept whining about how he needed Bident of Thassa, but he didn't have anything Franz wanted for it. So then Pip asked me to get it for him, and I'm like, "...No." I helped him out once with Merchantess, and that was enough. Besides, I was frankly getting tired of his whining.

After class, I stopped by and Franz, Scrooge, Mario, and Prez were playing four way Commander. Mario sped up the game as much as possible so that we could five way EDH. As he noted, we would then finally have all five colors represented, as they were lacking green in any of their decks (It's so fun being the mono green guy).

I built up with elves quickly and got out Coat of Arms. Sylvan Offering for 8 proved my friend, although I mistakenly attacked Scrooge (who I gave the elves to... they were 22/22 elves by the way) at Franz's urging. I should have left him open to keep my elves at +21/21. Lesson learned. Anyway, I attack everyone in turn. Mario survives 99 damage attack from 9 elves who were 11/11 at that point, thanks to some destruction cards, and a little help from Franz to survive with 3 life.

Then when I attacked Franz, he used Aether Storms or something like that to send attackers back to my hand and survive. Mario started pinging me, and then Prez finished me off with attackers that needed 2 blockers for every attack plus all damage dealt to attackers was nullified (should have killed him first rather than Scrooge).

So Franz won that game.

Prez, Mario, and Scrooge started playing 3 way Yu-gi-oh, while Mario, Franz and I played a 3 way of EDH. I'm sitting in a decent position, with Thrun, Mirrorworks, activated Quest for Renewal and Beastmaster Acension on the board, and Sword of Body and Mind is in my hand, just waiting to get Mirrorworks treatment and equipping to Thrun to destroy both Mario and Franz with his what would have been 13/13 and protection from blue (to say nothing of milling 20 cards with each swing).

...And then Franz hits with Cyclonic Rift overload right before my turn.

Me: DAMN IT! *table slam*

I guess I was louder than expected, because everyone in the area looked at me. Oops. Afterwards Franz was like, "Why were you so surprised? I said I was putting it on the top of my library with that fetch." "I didn't hear you... I thought you said something else."

I've never, ever gotten to Mirroworks Sword of Body and Mind. Other artifacts, yes (including Coat of Arms, which was awesome fun), but not the Sword. I think I'll keep Sylvan Offering in, though.

The problem with being mono green is that you can be awesome early, but then everyone guns for you as the biggest threat on the board (literally). I've thought about switching to Surrak Dragonclaw and running green/red/blue, but I love Thrun so very much.

Difficult decisions.