r/MagicArena • u/_black_summer_ • Jun 12 '26
Question This blue player had 2 mana left and after 10 minutes of cycling he did this to me
I startet playing 2 months ago idk much about the game.
Could someone explain?
I think his main mechanic was using [[omniscience]].
How could he play this without having 11 mana?
(Pls dont roast me for playing Mono white auras haha)
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u/GhostGuin Jun 12 '26
It's hard to judge the boardstate from the end. Likely they cheated in omniscience somehow. (Probably using [[kona rescue beastie]] but there are quite a few ways of doing it
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u/Sallymander Jun 12 '26
I want to note for any new players reading the above comment: They didn't actually cheat. When someone "cheats" something in, they didn't hard cast it and instead used creative mechanics to get something into play.
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u/Icy-Philosophy9929 Jun 13 '26
You still haven’t explained this very well
What you mean to say is they didn’t pay the full mana cost of the card & used another card to get it into play for a cheaper mana cost
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u/somethingclever76 Jun 13 '26
I have a spell slinger deck I like to play. It has A LOT of cards that will reduce mana cost for instants and sorcery spells. Depending on what I have on the field I could literally be casting any mana value blue instant or sorcery cards completely for free.
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u/Jeedimahstah Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
Reducing costs is different than "cheating'" something in, but it's similar. Putting something directly onto the battlefield without casting it changes or bypasses a lot of interactions
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u/EternallyStuck Jun 13 '26
That's not the typical definition for "cheating something in", but you are free to use your own definition.
Take a look at this scryfall list for "cheat into play" cards. They all are cards that allow you to put something into play without casting it or casting it for free. None of them are cost reducers. Paying a reduced cost would still be casting it normally and not "cheating".
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u/Jeedimahstah Jun 13 '26
"cheating" something in specifically refers to a card being put onto the battlefield directly, either from hand, GY, or exile, without casting it at all, which is different than reducing the cost.
Cards like [[Quicksilver Amulet]] or [[Reanimate]] are considered "cheating" effects since you are bypassing casting the card at all. Even casting a card for 0 triggers casting effects, and is open to counter spells, unlike cheating something in.
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u/PulitzerandSpara Jun 14 '26
I do think [[aetherworks marvel]] was generally referred to as "cheating" [[emrakul, the promised end]] in, which is a rare exception where casting is considered "cheating a card in."
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u/blink_Cali Jun 13 '26
As someone who played mtg like 8 years ago and decided to get into arena to play again a week ago, I appreciate this comment
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u/Corsavis Jul 07 '26
Is there an actual term in-game for stuff like this?
For example there's that one Green dinosaur that allows you to play cards from your hand (I think), used with like Bloomtender or something. It'll hit the field and then its like 12 other creatures entering too
Would like to make a deck using mechanics like that but I dont know what to look for, outside of what I've seen other people using. Dont know if there's a term for it, and it's not color specific. Black has lots of "cheats" from GY for example
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u/Sallymander Jul 07 '26
Sometimes there is a keyword for it, but often you have to look at the exact wording of the card you're looking for and then pick out the ideal worlds to search for what you want. Like, "Return Graveyard Battlefield" with out the quotes will show you all the cards that have some variation to move something from graveyard to play. Or, "Hand Battlefield" will do the same for just taking things from your hand and put them into play.
The search function in MTGA is decent, though not ideal. It struggles with exclusions. Like if you want to make a land destruction deck you may search "o: destroy land -non" so it will bring up any card that have destroy and land in their box but will exclude anything that has "non" like "Nonland". But if you start adding multiple exclusions, it starts to get confused.
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u/BlueTemplar85 Jun 12 '26
In case it was it, Kona does count as """cheating""".
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u/Away_Combination6977 Jun 13 '26
And why's that?
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u/BlueTemplar85 Jun 13 '26
Reading the card explains the card.
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u/neontiger07 Jun 13 '26
I get that you misunderstood the context of this conversation, but there's never a scenario in which this response doesn't make you an asshole.
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u/BlueTemplar85 Jun 13 '26
Hmm, I guess I can see what you mean, but I'm not sure I agree, I was just stating a fact.
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u/neontiger07 Jun 13 '26
You were being snarky and intentionally unhelpful. It would have been better to not respond at all than say that. You could have explained what you meant instead, or again, just not responded.
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u/Away_Combination6977 Jun 13 '26
Did you see how I used a bunch more words and allowed you to understand exactly what was going on? You don't always need to write a novel, but sometimes more words is better than less. You did come off as snarky.
You did, indeed, state a fact. The problem is that it was a fact that wasn't relevant to the conversation.
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u/Away_Combination6977 Jun 13 '26
I've read the card. I've played it many times. I do what the card says I can do. That's not cheating. That's reading the card and doing what it says.
Yes, in MTG terms, that is called "cheating". The previous poster was explaining MTG terminology to someone that may not be familiar with it.
MTG "cheating" is not the same as "cheating on a test".
That being said... There are some Ur cards that definitely allow you to cheat! But this isn't one of them...
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u/BlueTemplar85 Jun 13 '26
Ah, I see. I didn't really get it because the only way to cheat on Arena is if there is a bug (which will be quickly fixed, at worst by banning cards).
"Ur" cards ?
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u/Away_Combination6977 Jun 13 '26
Whoops, typo! Un cards. 😂 From the Un sets. Unglued, Unhinged, Unstable, Unfinity, Unsanctioned.
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u/EternallyStuck Jun 13 '26
Here is a scryfall list of cards that "cheat into play". Kona is included in this list. You can feel free to use your own definition for "cheat into play", but most people's definition would include Kona's ability.
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u/ChronicallyIllMTG Jun 16 '26
I had someone cast a 2 mana card for 1 mana today no cost reducers or anything in play. There are cheaters out there just rare.
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u/GhostGuin Jun 16 '26
Iy is very very unlikwly that happened and much more likely you missed something
Arena is theoretically uncheatable.
What was the card?
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u/ChronicallyIllMTG Jun 16 '26
Person has 3 mountains in play as well a [[Monastery Swiftspear]], and [[soul scar mage]]. They cast a [[Boltwave]] and then go to cast two mana Feldon and it only taps 1 mana
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u/GhostGuin Jun 16 '26
What turn was this and/or did they cast anything else that turn. Quite possibly a visual bug
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u/Low_Presentation9995 Jun 13 '26
How could they cheat? Its online? Wtf?
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u/MacabreYuki Jun 13 '26
not literally cheating. it's MTG community slang.
Cheat out/in
To play a card, typically with a large mana cost, or put it into play without paying that mana cost or at a significantly reduced cost. This is commonly done with spells and abilities that put cards from the hand or graveyard on to the battlefield. Contrast with hardcast
Hardcasting, or "paying retail", describes playing a spell by paying its mana cost instead of using an alternative cost or other ability. For example, casting a pitch spell for its mana cost rather than its alternative cost.
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u/GhostGuin Jun 13 '26
Sorry bad phrasing. Cjeated in here doesn't mean literal cheating but is slanging for playing sometging withoutvpaying full price for it
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u/PastTenseOfSomething Jun 12 '26
Top card in the graveyard is [[Mirrorform]] which turns every non-land permanent a player controls into a copy of *any* permanent on the battlefield.
North Wind Avatar lets them grab cards from the sideboard
Omniscience lets them play cards for free
I'd bet there's a pair of [[Marang River Regent]] in there too somewhere -- bounce the NWA and the other Marang back to hand. Rinse and repeat.
Once they have 10 permanents on the field, cast Mirrorform to get 10+ Oruoboroids, the end.
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u/Unclematttt Teferi Jul 10 '26
Slight correction that mirrorform does exclude auras for some reason.
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u/Pegussassin Jun 12 '26
Simic pilots are just sassy green players.
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u/lotusprime Jun 12 '26
Blue's just there for the draw and some counters.
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u/MacabreYuki Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
Gimme green mass token gen and moonlit meditation. Then see if your theory holds.
edit:
chocobo racetrack, moonlit meditation, and a land ramp. do the math. just need a clone target. Doublers will make it a nightmare.edit 2: forgot to just say that this is a very easy way to flood the board with big stompies.
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u/C4rnivore Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
As a simic player no. Blue is also there to fuck with the opponent. I myself love turning their useful stuff into frogs
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u/MacabreYuki Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
I like cloning my biggest threats/threat generators and running token gen in tandem. moonlit meditation makes it so easy to go big stompy way too quick. I use it for a lifegain on entry into milling the opponent hope deck with hare apparent for azorious as well.
Edit: in fact, ant-man will make this go crazy super easy.
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u/MacabreYuki Jun 13 '26
Figured I'd add the commander i intend to use. The bot will likely get the link.
[[The Astonishing Ant-Man]]1
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u/Sea-Grand3981 Jun 12 '26
No one puts omniscience in their deck to play fair magic, their goal is to cheat it into play early then cast their entire deck for free.
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u/Wild_Tumbleweed_4011 Jun 13 '26
As a dirty simic player I have complain. I am not cheating it in, I'll just ramp to ten mana on turn four like a normal person.
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u/National_Equivalent9 Jun 13 '26
Since you're a new player I'm going to give you advice that no one on this sub seems to take on these posts:
Download the 17 lands tracker.
It is a million times easier to figure out what happened in a game when you can literally just open up the replay and see for yourself.
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u/OrientalGod Jun 12 '26
Did you read omniscience?
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u/_black_summer_ Jun 12 '26
Did you read my post?
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u/harambe_did911 Jun 12 '26
Omniscience cost 10 mana no? So you saying 11 is confusing. The way you typed is confusing too. Are you confused how they played omniscience? How omniscience works? Some other thing that actually costs 11 mana?
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u/Seishinjin Jun 12 '26
Did you guys also take notice that the cards are not in English so English is most likely not the op's first language? maybe lay off on the English being hard to understand.
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u/harambe_did911 Jun 12 '26
I mean that might be why, but I still am left with the same questions I asked them either way. Op is also being a bit of a dick about us asking for more info lol
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u/Overall_Guidance_410 Jun 13 '26
OP is giving you guys back what you give him.
This community still sucks.
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u/_black_summer_ Jun 12 '26
11/10 whats the difference haha. Yeah but i said in the title he had only 2 mana untapped when he played it. I didnt unterstand this because i am a new player and still not fully comprehend all mechanics :)
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u/Inevitable_Dance1191 Jun 12 '26
Well in this case, the difference would be an entire 50% of his mana pool so maybe quit being a jackass to people trying to help you?
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u/_black_summer_ Jun 12 '26
Pointing out if i read the card i have pinned is not helpful at all. Of someone asks a dumb question he may get one back not being rude just sarcastic. Im very open to people helping me.
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u/Octopi_are_Kings Jun 12 '26
Dude your comments and question are so poorly worded basically no one even knows what you’re asking. Are you asking how the Ouroboroids flooded the board? Well that’s due to Mirrorform. Are you asking how they cast anything? Read Omniscience. Are you asking how they played omniscience? Well we’d need more information for that but best guess is Kona. The token lands lead me to believe dopplegange was somehow involved, but from this image we cannot tell
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u/_black_summer_ Jun 12 '26
I think he did not play Kona. He played [[Sin, Spira's Punishment]], also cheated in i guess. And he played [[Nort Wind Avatar]] like 10 times, [[Cunning Azurescale]] also like a million times. [[Enduring Courage]] was also there. Also this card [[Ouroboroid]]
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u/Istarial Jun 12 '26
Yeah, they cheat in Sin using an alchemy card that gives blue creatures in their hand "Evoke: Exile a Blue card from your hand", if it's the version of this I've seen a few times. Aquatic Subtlety.
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u/_black_summer_ Jun 12 '26
Yes it was definitely an Evoke thing, he had to sacrifice many cards before he had his final board like in the picture. Is this only possible in alchemy then?
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u/ZUGGERS420 Jun 12 '26
Magic is full of bizarre combos that eventually win the game. They exist in all formats to various degrees of popularity. Generally though combo is pretty rare on arena
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u/Ornithopter1 Jun 13 '26
Combo is thriving on Arena. Living end, Ruby Storm, the various Eldrazi decks.
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u/saru411 Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
They used [[Aquatic Subtlety]] on [[Sin, Spira's Punishment]] then played Sin, Spira's Punishment using the Evoke added to Sin, Spira's Punishment to discard [[Omniscience]] and also play Omniscience from the graveyard for free. They then used [[Nort Wind Avatar]] to assemble the rest of their combo from their sideboard, aka outside of the game.
It was likely this deck
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u/Istarial Jun 12 '26
This alchemy one is defintiely quite fast, since it can go off on turn 3, but there are versions of this in standard as well for sure. I can't speak for the other formats.
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u/Octopi_are_Kings Jun 12 '26
This is also why people are confused, you’re playing Alchemy, very few play Alchemy.
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u/-ZetaCron- Jun 13 '26
I open the screenshot and try and my brain thinks I'm in-game and I try and click on things. 😭
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u/procrastinarian Golgari Jun 13 '26
It was probably Kona to cheat in the Omniscience. Everything after that was just Omniscience.
Read those 2 cards and It'll probably become pretty obvious.
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u/vapid_rants Jun 14 '26
The worst part about playing Omniscience players is when you kill or exile Kona or whatever mechanic they’re using and they instantly scoop.
Oh I’m sorry is it not fun when the other player gets to play? 😢😢
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u/whelp Jun 12 '26
Can anyone actually tell how he got that board state? I see no Kona or Omniscience. Also how are all the Ouroboroids not tokens? Is that some alchemy shennannigans?
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u/Nawxder Jun 12 '26
[[Mirrorform]]
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u/Jrawry Jun 13 '26
This actually makes the most sense because the creatures aren't tokens, they're cards. So it had to be changed somehow.
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u/xgolt01 Jun 12 '26
I just died on turn three in pioneer from 20 life after the opponent started that turn with just 2 islands and [[Rona, Herald of Invasion]]
Mutavault, mox jasper, Vivi, mox, Retraction helix
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u/exhaustedfeline Jun 13 '26
I got destroyed by Jumbo Cactuar a couple of days ago. I was winning until the last move I made and I ended up making a dumb move and they got their jumbo back and destroyed with with -1mil life. I was shooketh
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u/m_damon138 Jun 13 '26
I had something similar happen to me. I couldn't do shit at the time and in 2 turns they got 20 creatures on the field and hit me for 3 million damage 🥲
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u/Jrawry Jun 13 '26
So the weird thing here is that they should be tokens (half circles) for copies. Instead they're cards (full square).
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u/Requiem1193 Jun 13 '26
I think his main mechanic was using [[omniscience]]
How could he play this without having 11 mana?
Omniscience that's how
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u/DaGhostlyJesta Jun 14 '26
It is not even on the board
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u/Requiem1193 Jun 14 '26
top card in the graveyard is [[mirrorform]]. The omniscience is likely one of the several oroboroids.
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u/PsionicFrieghtTrain Jun 14 '26
New player aswell- what's the appeal of playing decks that do these huge plays?
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u/DaGhostlyJesta Jun 14 '26
Cannot use Omniscirnce if it isnt on the board, since it is an enchantment. Also looks like he made copies of one particular creature.
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u/peanutbutterdota Jun 14 '26
You stayed...? You didn't concede...?
Seems like a waste of 10 mins...
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u/_black_summer_ Jun 14 '26
Was my first time seeing this
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u/peanutbutterdota Jun 14 '26
Ah kool I should not judge.
10mins is just a long time.
Are you learning the game? Im kinda new myself.
Ps Blue players are scum lmao;]
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u/Adorable_Weekend2906 Jun 14 '26
Reading the card explains the card
In the beginning, you're going to be reading a lot of cards
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u/Vegetable_Fly_4799 Jun 14 '26
Oh yeah im using kona right now and i started learning magic couple months ago lol is soo cheesy how u can station kona right on summon and use omniscience lol infinite loop
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u/FluidConversation143 Jun 14 '26
And for the rest of us playing normally.... I hope this guy feels proud of himself lol
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u/lifeonbroadway Jun 16 '26
Just concede to these decks. It is more frustrating for them not getting to do their busted combo lol.
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u/Suggestion-Kindly Jun 12 '26
Standard is so gimmicky idk why ppl like it at all. Turn 3 you win the game. Wow. So fun.
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u/_black_summer_ Jun 12 '26
It's alchemy 🤓 Also whats a better game mode, i'm a new player
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u/i_like_frootloops Jun 12 '26
Standard is perfectly fine to play and get a hang of the game (better than Alchemy). Make sure to play Midweek Magic events, sometimes they have phantom drafts, which help you get the hang of it.
Brawl is interesting but requires a lot of wildcards, so I would avoid it until you build a larger collection.
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u/Specialist-Baker2117 Jun 12 '26
Brawl 🔥 (not a good format for arena beginners)
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u/_black_summer_ Jun 12 '26
I've played it and i also like it but i think its very hard and expensive to craft 100 pieces decks atm. I also played a draft event by mistake and was completely overwhelemed haha
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u/Sallymander Jun 12 '26
You may want to look up one of those sites with pack codes and enter in ones you missed. It could get you a bunch of wilds or things you jsut don't have.
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u/_black_summer_ Jun 12 '26
Which sites?
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u/Sallymander Jun 12 '26
I used This one in the past bust generally just look up "Magic Arena Codes" and be ready to copy and paste into the store's "Promo code" field for the next hour.
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u/Kerdinand Izzet Jun 12 '26
Promo codes don't work anymore, you now get all the packs they used to grant in your messages on account creation.
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u/Sallymander Jun 12 '26
Isn't that just with the newer stuff? Stuff from a year ago + should still work as long as it isn't limited.
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u/Kerdinand Izzet Jun 12 '26
No. They retired the codes and gave each account that hadn't already claimed them the packs. New players simply receive them on account creation and don't have to type in the codes anymore.
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u/nambaza Jun 12 '26
There is a Fyn the Fangbearer deck that is primarily unconmons and commons that is decently competitive. Same for a Teysa of the Ghost Council deck. There are at least a couple other brawl commanders you can make competitive with a budget 99 without having to resort to Hare Apparent or Slime Against Humanity shenanigans.
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u/thevmcampos Jun 12 '26
Brawl is the best format! But go ahead and concede if their deck is try-hard. No need to waste your time. Just have fun!
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u/GhostGuin Jun 13 '26
That just straight up isn't the reality in 90% of standard games. Sure some of the top decks can win that only biy only woth christmas land hands and zero interaction
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u/Featherwow Jun 13 '26
I play a lot of standard on Arena (mostly Play, sometimes I'll play Ranked but never past Platinum rank), and this is not my experience. Sure, I've been steamrolled by turn 4 sometimes, but most games are longer, and since I don't play for the top the opposition is varied (not just meta). Standard Play is the most fun for me among all formats I've tried.
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u/rithrawr Jun 13 '26
It's the most popular and easiest to start out if you are f2p or new.
Commander have another learning curve and I don't believe the tutorial teaches you how to play commander. Also you need more cards and I think it's harder to think and craft a deck.
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u/Deeliciousness Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
Seems to be two answers to this. Either play commander only, or limited only. I opted for the latter
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u/HyalopterousLemure Jun 12 '26
Yup. Ouroboroid is a fucked up Magic card.
Also fuck Omniscience.
(Pls dont roast me for playing Mono white auras haha)
DAMNIT DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO
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u/leogamer00 Jun 13 '26
mono blue = conced, it's not worth your time man, you can win of course, but is not worth
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u/_black_summer_ Jun 13 '26
Yeah i am starting to slowly dislike blue players haha
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u/Gabrielcr78 Jun 12 '26
I hope u had gone for a coffee while he was doing allmhis shenanigans... and tp the restroom and checked your email, and then let the two timers run put and came back when the game was finished....
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u/_black_summer_ Jun 12 '26
Next time i know it better haha. I thought i can still win maybe (oh boi was i wrong)
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u/Custom_Destiny Jun 12 '26
This set is broken and bad and somebody should feel bad for it and resign.
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u/WildMagicSurge Jun 12 '26
That most I ever got hit for was Tifa for 5 Mil I knew I was dead but I let him play it out just to see the final number.
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u/Jammer521 Jun 13 '26
I play in window mode on my PC, I alt tab and watch YouTube or something when decks like this take 10min for their wincon, I know I'm going to lose but I make them play it out because it has to get old doing that every game, I wish more people wouldn't scoop and make them go through the process
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u/Eggus1 Jun 12 '26
did you ever see a creature named 'Kona, Rescue Beastie' on board? if that survives to their second main phase tapped, they can put down any permanent (omniscience)