Small yet satisfying plays

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toctheyounger
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Post by toctheyounger » 4 years ago

We had this over on sally - those plays that might not win you the game, but they come with a rush of endorphins and a good healthy dose of dopamine - your brain goes 'oh yeah, THAT'S the play'. That type of thing.

I'll start.

Opponent hardcasts Avenger of Zendikar and makes 7-8 tokens, passes turn tapped out. I cast Duplicant on my turn targeting Avenger, opponent is stuck with a bunch of shrubs.
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pokken
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Post by pokken » 4 years ago

summary dismissal vs. any cast triggers. Nothing finer in this world.

The other day I was facing down a board of:
oracle of mul daya and +2 lands for Korvold
Daxos with lightning greaves on

In my hand was crackling doom. Korvold proceeded to miss two land drops since he was counting on Oracle to fix his empty hand, and Daxos was set back for days.

One of my favorite things ever to do is to stonecloaker things. I got someone's life from the loam the other day. Mmm.

Tapping top to miracle is always fun times.

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WizardMN
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Post by WizardMN » 4 years ago

The other day I was playing my first game with my new Alela, Artful Provocateur deck and it came down to just me and the Korvold, Fae-Cursed King player. They had set up a sequence where they could cast Plaguecrafter and get it back with Journey to Eternity and then, once it transformed, Atzal, Cave of Eternity. They did this to make me sac 3 of my creatures which was my entire board.

I had 1 card in hand and it happened to be a Saving Grace. So, I sacrificed 2 Faerie tokens and, in response to the third Plaguecrafter trigger, I cast Saving Grace to give me a third token and also protect me against any damage for the turn by having everything get dealt to Alela instead. The opponent chose not to attack at all (Alela was untapped) and I was able to stall long enough to win the game turns later due to them drawing from an empty library.

Another was with my Karador deck where I needed to deal with an opposing Tendershoot Dryad. I stalled the board for a while with my Deed out and ended up making a play where I had 4 mana open. I cracked my deed for 1 to wipe my opponent's entire board (Rhys and Birds along with a ton of tokens) and then, before the next upkeep, cast Unexpectedly Absent to put the Dryad as the second card in their library.

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Sinis
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Post by Sinis » 4 years ago

Last night, I was playing a quick 1v1 game while we were waiting for the rest of the group to show up. I was playing Radha, Heir to Keld, and my opponent Izoni, Thousand-eyed.

I went first, and my turn two (predictably) was Radha, and he opened his turn 2 with Hermit Druid. I played a land, tabled Sarkhan, Fireblood, +1 to loot, and found... Abrade. I attacked with Radha generating RR, and Abraded Hermit Druid before blockers. It felt pretty good to use Radha's attack-mana in such an effective way.

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SocorroTortoise
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Post by SocorroTortoise » 4 years ago

Small, finite value plays are my jam. Recruiter of the Guard for Apprentice Necromancer, return Reveillark, sac Recruiter and Lark to bring back Recruiter and Necromancer is delightful. There are obviously a couple extra pieces needed there, like a sac outlet and a haste source. Anything where I can combine a bunch of cards to get some small effect is satisfying.

Discarding Anger to Tormenting Voice.

Activating Weathered Wayfarer in response to cracking a fetchland.
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toctheyounger
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Post by toctheyounger » 4 years ago

SocorroTortoise wrote:
4 years ago
Small, finite value plays are my jam. Recruiter of the Guard for Apprentice Necromancer, return Reveillark, sac Recruiter and Lark to bring back Recruiter and Necromancer is delightful. There are obviously a couple extra pieces needed there, like a sac outlet and a haste source. Anything where I can combine a bunch of cards to get some small effect is satisfying.

Discarding Anger to Tormenting Voice.

Activating Weathered Wayfarer in response to cracking a fetchland.
I love a sweet reanimation loop! THOSE are my jam.

One of my fave small but sweet, sweet plays - watching someone cast Expropriate knowing you can survive it and still win :cool:

It's happened to me twice. The first time guy took 4 turns against my Dralnu list, was playing Yennett, Cryptic Sovereign and cast Rise of the Dark Realms. Kederekt Leviathan was in my graveyard........we all had to scoop we were laughing so much. Game ended a tie theoretically, but it still stands as just a hilarious event.

Happened today too - My Varina against Taigam, Ojutai Master. Guy lost his commander in combat and it got countered by his own Dovescape. He probably could've played on, but even if the two turns had gone off I'm pretty sure I had it in the bag.
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| Shadowthrone/Lazav | Raest/Yidris | T'iam / The Ur-Dragon |


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Sinis
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Post by Sinis » 4 years ago

This one has come up a few times in my Toothy/Pir deck.

Activating Fertilid with Evolution Sage on your battlefield.

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Post by umtiger » 4 years ago

For me, I'd say choosing to miss a land drop while holding Bojuka Bog in hand. And then on the following turn, landing Bog for a devastating exile.

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Post by Rumpy5897 » 4 years ago

Some decks just lend themselves to such big brain moments very well. My most potent would probably be Feather. This one time, the table decided to pool its spot removal resources to take out my Mirrorwing Dragon, once I was already sitting on a copied cantrip or two's worth of cards in hand. Bad idea. Two people wiped their boards with copies of their own removal spells while nothing happened to my stuff.

That said, the best big brain moment deck I've ever encountered was my friend's Selenia lifeswap. He's always got some zany trick up his sleeve to outplay attempts on his life, survive on a sliver of life, and then gift you that life total before finishing you off with an extort. Good times.
 
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materpillar
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Post by materpillar » 4 years ago

My opponent plays a T3 Memory Erosion. I cast Ramunap Excavator and mill Anger and Genesis.

My opponent used Swords to Plowshares on my Ovinomancer because I had Torpor Orb out.

Activate Dreamscape Artist, discard a creature I want in the graveryard, sacrifice Drownyard Temple.

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Gashnaw
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Post by Gashnaw » 4 years ago

9 player game, Eureka is cast, everyone draws like a dozen cards (Except me, i didn't have a draw spell)
I wait for the last guy to draw his cards and then counter Eureka.

On my turn, i play a wheel of fortune
(I was play RUG, Riku of two reflections

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toctheyounger
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Post by toctheyounger » 4 years ago

9 players??? Damn that's a big game.
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