LSV’s Top 8 M10 Cards for Standard

Tim says: July 18, 2009 @ 9:41 pm

Keeping in mind that Gargoyle Castle is a card that can potentially be used in Faeries to block Stag.

David says: July 18, 2009 @ 10:28 pm

I like your top 8 picks. I definitely agree with Baneslayer only being 4th. It dies to too much right now. I think this cards got alot of hype because of the sheer fact that its a cool card, but i dont know how many decks will feature this mythic (at least until Lorwyn rotates out). I also think the Gargoyle Castle is alot better than people give it credit for. It definitely has a home in control decks, and could even be a 1 or 2 of in aggro decks. Overall, great list and even though it didnt feature my favorite rare Captain of the Watch, i still think the list is quite correct.

hiloster12 says: July 18, 2009 @ 10:50 pm

good point tim, i wasnt think about that, now theres two things in a faerie deck that can block the stag, (muta still is valid with scion out) yeah the bolt is number one, with out that red would be almost completely dead in standard, now mono red can finally work again

Bill says: July 19, 2009 @ 12:13 am

Monored is still dead because of BFT. No red deck can gain traction with that card available to ~35% of the field, unless the red deck does so badly as to make it a surpise (like last year).

jeremy_ftw says: July 19, 2009 @ 12:16 am

Don’t know if Mono Red can “work again” just because of Lightning Bolt and Ball Lightning.. are the rest of the support cards REALLY good enough?

On the other hand, red based aggro in general gets tons better =)

Doobs says: July 19, 2009 @ 12:36 am

Dear LSV,

Videos make this site better than SCG. Keep doing them. Also, publishing content on weekends make this site better than SCG. Keep doing that.

Sincerely,
Doobs

Jim says: July 19, 2009 @ 12:44 am

Mono-Red is too weak. Lightning Bolt will go in Jund Aggro and probably 5CC too.

philoshow says: July 19, 2009 @ 1:41 am

Good list.
Agree that the videos and weekend content make this the best site online. (At least if you understand English.)

Lunor says: July 19, 2009 @ 1:42 am

I love the new duals, but being an oldschool draw-go player at heart I love the Gargoyle Castle even more.
Stalking Stones is one of my favorite cards of all time and this is the power-creeped version of it. Fantastic!

Baneslayer Angel, I think, is way overhyped. No protection (except vs. Cameleon Colossus), no haste, no staying power, no chance. Things will have to be really awful in Zendikar for this card to make an impact.

eidolon says: July 19, 2009 @ 2:33 am

@Lunor: Baneslayer Angel has protection from Broodmate Dragon, Boggardan Hellkite, and the tribal cards Crip Swap + Nameless Inversion, too.
(with the last too being not that important.)

@LSV: keep on with your good work!
while the official site does a good job in satisfying all the casual players + the live coverages, channel fireball has turned into the most important source of free information for the more experienced players.

BC says: July 19, 2009 @ 5:40 am

Quick Harm’s Way question – . I think that you said you could redirect damage from a Volcanic Fallout to save your pair of 2/2′s by redirecting 1 damage from each of them to kill a Putrid Leech that’s been pumped.

‘The next 2 damage that a source of your choice deals to you or a permanent you control is dealt to a target creature or player.’

Why doesn’t this mean that you can only save a single 2/2? I don’t see how I would get to pick the next 2 damage as being the 2nd damage to a 2/2 and 1st damage to my other 2/2 unless the damage is actually assigned point by point (which it may actually be). Being relatively new to magic if someone did this, I think that I’d feel cheated based on the text at a quick glance. I’m assuming that I’m wrong since you’ve played much longer.

Appreciate all the videos though.

newager says: July 19, 2009 @ 6:16 am

I’d actually like to see some coverage on other formats other than limited and Standard.

I mean, I’m almost exclusively a Legacy player. I play the other formats, but I don’t buy into Standard for the most part, and something has to be amazing for me to get it for Extended if it’s not already good in Legacy or Vintage.

Basically, the only person I still read on SCG is Doug Linn, because videos are easier than reading late at night and the information is on average better here than there, with the glaring omission of other formats.

Throw a guy somthin’ would ya?

Lord Faust says: July 19, 2009 @ 7:58 am

Love the little card tosses…. Practicing in case the DCI ever brings back Chaos Orb and Falling Star?

Love the videos; thanks for all the hard work thus far.

Rver Rat says: July 19, 2009 @ 8:03 am

Once again great video. I have learned so much from you guys. My card evaluation skills have improved a great deal though the content here on this site.The draft videos in particular are an invaluable source of information as well as entertaining. Thank you

Pedro says: July 19, 2009 @ 8:19 am

Please post more drafts, still liking the videos though

sneezy says: July 19, 2009 @ 10:15 am

How is Gargoyle Castle “power creep”? While it’s a great card it’s also a balanced one too. Remember, you lose the land when it’s activated, this balances it out from Stalking Stones. I think it would be a little too awesome if it wasn’t sacrificed. I certainly wouldn’t have a problem with that, though.

I’m glad LSV hasn’t gone overboard with hyperbole when talking about Baneslayer. She’s simply not at “power creeped” up as many would have you presume (so as to “preorder a playset”). Again, another solid card seen with the wrong perspective.

Overall, I really like your picks.

Lunor says: July 19, 2009 @ 12:28 pm

@ eidolon: I forgot about Broodmate Dragon and Bogardan Hellkite, good points. Even so…I’m not expecting much from her.

@ sneezy: same cost (if you count tapping the Castle as costing one mana), but an additional point of toughness (and 4 toughness is *so* much better than 3 toughness, just think of nameless inversion, lightning bolt, etc.) and it has evasion.
On the other hand though, I agree that not being able to tap it for mana after the activation is a loss. Still, I definately think it’s a better card than Stalking Stones.

Anyway I forgot this in my last comment, but:
LSV: Thanks! I watch all the vids and love them! This is the first magic-related site I check in the morning now, because watching a vid while eating breakfast is awesome.

Frank says: July 19, 2009 @ 1:49 pm

Good video. I agree with the other comments that videos are a nice departure from text-based articles and make CF stand out amongst competitor sites. As far as future topics, I would love to see a video on sideboarding for some decks in the format, since sideboarding is an often neglected art.

joe says: July 19, 2009 @ 2:16 pm

hey LSV,

nice video as always! looking forward to more draft ones as well.

btw, did you say core sets only stick around for one year? b/c i believe that not to be the case anymore. they come out every year but only rotate after two.

right??

newager says: July 19, 2009 @ 2:53 pm

2 sets core sets will be legal until October of each year, when the new standalone for a block comes in, the oldest of the two legal core sets rotates out at the same time as the block leaving type 2. They overlap for a few months, which will be interesting, but that’s it.

Dan says: July 19, 2009 @ 4:41 pm

Dear Doobs

I Agree with everything you said. Keeping saying that.

Sincerly
Dan

lsv says: July 19, 2009 @ 10:21 pm

Man, Harm’s Way is not the simplest card, which makes me wonder how it fits into their user-friendly Core Set plans. As I have explained many times before (and I’m not blaming those who don’t know, since it is confusing), Harm’s Way lets you choose up to 2 damage dealt BY a source, in this case Volcanic Fallout, and you can choose 1 damage that would be dealt to each of your 2/2′s, saving them both.

Also, the Core Sets will be around for 1.25 years, so I guess 1 year is close enough ^_^

I’m glad everyone liked the video!

David says: July 20, 2009 @ 1:03 am

Wow great video. I agree with the first post, I think Gargoyle Castle is underrated right now…I went out and picked a foil playset very cheap. It is going to be a staple in control decks and I thought it should have been higher on your list LSV. The gargoyle token will be able to block creatures that have protection from colors and at 3/4 WITH evasion it has great value. Just think of all those troublesome creatures like stag, the outlanders (especially the goblin), black knight, white knight, well you get the picture. As for the Baneslayer Angel, I totally agree, great card but she’s no Akroma. I mean the only place she belongs in is permission control where you can back her up with counter magic and protection, other than that, give me Akroma again instead. I have a nice path to exile, deathmark, or doom blade with her name on it. I’ll still get my playset, but only because she looks so cool.

newager says: July 20, 2009 @ 7:42 am

To clear it up a little more, Harms Way doesn’t make you TARGET yourself or a permanent you control (nor does it target anything at all, meaning you can redirect damage that Black Knight would deal back to itself, really annoying those black mages that think they have SB tech against your mono-white deck). All it cares about is that you make a choice (heck, it could be a basic land so you hit threshold). Since it’s not targeting either you or a permanent, when that source deals it’s damage you get to decide which 2 to prevent, it does not have to be damage to the same thing. In addition to being able to save 2 different 2 toughness creatures, you can save one of them and redirect one of the damage that would be dealt to you as well. Might not come up much, but sometimes people use those Fallouts to deal the last 2 to your dome and if you can save one of the creatures you might be able to finish them off with it.

Riku says: July 20, 2009 @ 9:31 am

@ newager: Good explanation, but Harm’s Way does actually target a creature or player, so you can fizzle it with an Unsummon, for example.

Orie says: July 20, 2009 @ 9:38 am

I’d put archdruid and honor of the pure at first and second and the duals right after that..lightning bolt hasn’t impressed me yet and neither has baneslayer

Ian says: July 20, 2009 @ 12:34 pm

@newager: “[...] is dealt to target creature or player instead.”

Protection stops DEBT: Damage, Enchant/Equip, Blocking and Targeting. You can’t redirect the Black Knight’s damage to itself, however you can redirect it’s damage. Just make sure to play it before first strike damage assigns. Unfortunately because of the way damage works now it’s not much different from protecting anything else ultimately. Harm’s Way will often be a 2-for-1 card when played properly, a 2-for-2 at worst. I likey.

Javier Constanzo says: July 20, 2009 @ 12:42 pm

How sick is this that Duress wasn’t even mentioned!? It used to be an auto 4-of most of the time… or maybe it’s me being nostalgic xD

APL says: July 20, 2009 @ 2:59 pm

I can’t watch videos at work. Would love it if there was something that would let me read about whats in the video or something?

enzoreal says: July 20, 2009 @ 3:36 pm

hey man, nice video!!!can i ask one question?
u think the angel will play better the dragon in 5cc?
thx and keep going.

Wes says: July 20, 2009 @ 10:37 pm

@lsv: Harm’s Way may not be the simplest card, but it certainly gets kudos for clarity imo…

I loved it every single game I drew it at the pre-release… All-star card.

Also being a fan of draw-go, I love Gargoyle Castle… Seems like Draw-Go needs a lot of help since losing Razormane Masticore.

Being a fan of turn 1 hyppies, turn 2 Hymn means black always excites me. Doom Blade is pretty cruel, but it shines far more brightly in limited than it does in Standard, at least at the moment with Kitchen Finks and other nasty beaters on peoples’ lists.

Steven says: July 26, 2009 @ 11:37 am

@lsv: the coresets will actually being going on a screwy rotation, the fact that wizards made it so that sets will now only be cycling out in october, means that we will have 2 core sets in standard for a period of 3-4 months before it cycles out, meaning that they might be messing with dual lands in the next set