Pre-Registration for Continental Cup: Starts NOW! Everyone is hyped and so are we. To make sure you are one of the 120 players on November 17th, please transfer 25€ to Lars Lindenhahn who is the Hall of Games store owner and the host of this greatness. Message to add to your transfer should include: MGM CC REGISTRATION, YOUR EMAIL-ADRESS and DCI NUMBER. You can transfer the 25€ to Lars via Paypal: Lars-lindenhahn@gmx.de   OR   via bank transfer to: Lars Lindenhan, IBAN: DE25860100900984617906. Please tell everyone who isn‘t on Facebook. Happy registering!!!

Friday, October 19th

1 Florian 12 - Abzan Midrange
2 Dominik 9 - Orzhov Midrange
3 Felix 9 - Mono G Ramp
4 Jonny 9 - UW Midrange
5 Benjamin 9 - 4C (w/o G) Artifact Aggro
6 Christoph 6 - Big Red 
7 Niclas E. 6 - Mono Black Aggro
8 Jacob 6 - 5C Reanimator
9 Stefan 6 - Selesnya Aggro
10 Oliver 6 - 5C Reanimator
11 Nils 6 - UW Midrange
12 Daniel T. 3 - UW Midrange
13 Marvin 3 - Selesnya Aggro
14 Niklas R. 3 - Gruul Beatdown (Drop)
15 Leopold 3 - Gruul Land Destruction
16 Leon 0 - RDW (Drop)
17 Tobias T. 0 - Dimir Mill (Drop)

Friday, October 12th

1 Nils 12 - Jeskai Midrange
2 Dennis 9 - Gruul Midrange?
3 Felix 9 - Selesnya Aggro
4 Tobias W. 9 - 4C Scapeshift (w/o W)
5 Marvin 6 - Selesnya Aggro
6 Jacob 6 - 5C Reanimator
7 Stefan 6 - Naya Midrange?
8 Jonny 6 - UW Midrange
9 Daniel 3 - Gruul Ramp
10 Dominik 3 - Orzhov Midrange
11 Matthias 3 - Izzet Control?
12 Tobias T. 0 - ?

Thanks for the data.
Plz give me RDW Decklistsss....!11!!!

You only should miss the one from Werner (3x RDW -> Rank 6 + Werner + your own). I edited the main post and added his list.

Thanks for the data.
Plz give me RDW Decklistsss....!11!!!

[Metagame Masters #13]

Metagame Masters #13


Decklists Top 8:

Rank 1: Jonny A., Azorius Midrange
https://deckstats.net/deck-17287742-5da7e53ca7aefa41e7cc5ffb37cf77a3.html

Rank 2: Justus H., 4c (w/o G) Aggro Control
https://deckstats.net/deck-17287563-ee01dd5f6fa0778039a419af4c323358.html

Rank 3: Nils R., Jeskai Midrange
https://deckstats.net/deck-17287572-27eebb685a419d3c5ffcf3a2809f6fbe.html

Rank 4: Felix R., Selesnya Aggro
https://deckstats.net/deck-17287603-6d51a8d42f80514ac1a851d2329b1528.html

Rank 5: Anje H., Izzet Control
https://deckstats.net/deck-17288556-190ff40a3eea9aa5ecc157ebbfbf22a9.html

Rank 6: Jacob W., RDW
https://deckstats.net/deck-17287614-c5cf7fbe1113a0e08ac2ca29eb87e626.html

Rank 7: Felix K., 4c (w/o W) Reanimator
https://deckstats.net/deck-17287641-5b27b06b3ffb24b08f80b550ca0bd217.html

Rank 8: Hendrik S. Mono G (splash B) Ramp
https://deckstats.net/deck-17287652-6439d0c9f84c4d08ab2bab932018c61d.html


Final Standings:




Top 8:

QF

Antje (Izzet Control)          vs. Felix R. (Selesnya Aggro)
Felix K. (4c (w/o W) Reanimator)     vs. Justus (4c (w/o G) Aggro Control)
Nils (Jeskai Midrange)       vs. Hendrik (Mono G (splash B) Ramp)
Jacob (RDW)             vs. Jonny (Azorius Midrange)

SF

Felix R. (Selesnya Aggro) vs. Justus (4c (w/o G) Aggro Control)
Nils (Jeskai Midrange) vs. Jonny (Azorius Midrange)

F
Justus (4c (w/o G) Aggro Control) vs. Jonny (Azorius Midrange)

Winner: Jonny (Azorius Midrange)


Meta Breakdown:




Additional lists:

Rank 10: Luca D., Sultai Midrange
https://deckstats.net/deck-17289519-8dc6680c0c1626668550af1afc4e0cc7.html

Rank 12: Carsten K., TPS
https://deckstats.net/deck-17289218-28d049f1b26af47a348e5e360f33a595.html

Rank 22: Werner D., RDW
https://deckstats.net/deck-17290815-46f6c34fb457b4285bac83bbe241cfa1.html

Rank 23: Dominik B., 4c Blood
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/823409#paper

Rank 24: Benjamin M., 4c Artifact Aggro
https://deckstats.net/deck-17291760-c4ad0c4a7b4b53cdbafebd5d1b681b9b.html

Rank 25: Niklas R., Gruul Aggro
https://deckstats.net/deck-17307218-76f512a7c273a11bcd56612ae54ed6c3.html


There will be a video coverage again. Leave me a comment if you are interested in another deck lists.

Ok. If nobody wants to respond I'll do it.

You got some good points there, Jan, and sure, I could imagine to swap "Scapeshift" with "Valakut". But to understand, why we decided to put Scapeshift on the list requires to understand the train of thought we had in the last weeks. I try to explain it in 2, maybe 3 words. ^^
In the council sits 8 strong persons with 8 strong opinions. Each of us has different solutions of current situations. And each of us thinks different about the current state of the format.
My banning votings for this season were:



The whole point of this votings is, that I think that the amount of tutors (Demonic, SFM, Fetch Lands), cantrips etc gives the format a lot of constancy. It allows (within certain limits ofc., it is still a 100-card singleton format.) relatively same processes with a high success frequency. Even if I see, that Midrange and Control players argue in favor of this constancy (mostly to beat specific scenarios, which are felt as "overpowered"), the biggest beneficiary is still Combo. A resolved Demonic in a Midrange deck is mostly a solution, in Combo it feels often like a Win. Tutors are, especially in a singleton format, very strong. They are always the best card for your situation or simply the best card in your deck.
Here we have Scapeshift. A big part of the community gave the feedback, that this deck is way too constant atm. It feels unhealthy flexible and it has not just striking presence but also impressive tournament results. In local tournaments as well as on a larger basis.

I want to be honest.
1. For me Scapeshift is not a Combo deck. It is a controlish midrange deck with a Combo add-on. The easiness of searching for the Combo makes Scapeshift-Valakut often the main plan, but the deck could just as easily switch to Control deck or throw creatures in the opponent's face. It is strong because it is flexible.
2. On the other hand I think Scapeshift is NOT a 1-card-combo as many people says. Yes, you "only" need Scapeshift. Yes, the other cards do not need much effort for integrating in your deck. But you still need to look for this specific card. You still need to build around this card. And you still need to plan around specific situations (e.g. life gain of the opponent, number of remaining mountains in the deck and previous "fetching", a well-placed Wasteland (or Assassin's Trophy if you insist), counter-backup, etc.). You still need time. That it feel that easy is also a thing we owe to the constancy. Scapeshift itself is under this point of view more unimpressive.
3. I think that, after we would ban the shit out of Scapeshift, we had a similar situation with Reanimator. Not that constant, but very explosive. Especially with cards like Entomb in the format.


With this line you can maybe already imagine that MY way to go is not banning Scapeshift (or Valakut). I would cut off the constancy. I really hoped for a Demonic ban and even if it was really close it still stays in the format. The unban of Seal only beats in the same notch and was completely unnecessary for the already tutor-spoiled format. Even if I think that the whole Combo with and around Scapeshift is not banworthy, it's constancy and the emerging displeasure plays me very much in my antipathy for the tutors. It would take a lot of constancy out of the deck and also prevent the potential threat of Reanimator. It would also allow us to keep a lot (and maybe more) Combos in the format.
We had a lot of discussion and a lot of different ideas. An interesting idea (and maybe a point to make Bring to Light on the WL more comprehensible) was, to remove Demonic Tutor and Bring to Light in this banning session. An idea I heard from several guys in my local store. It makes sense if you see the banned list not as a "meet and greet of MtG best cards", but as a fixing of current potential discrepancies in the format. Wizards do not only ban cards under this point, when you lay the focus on competitive formats. They ban for balancing reasons. Even if this mean to cut unimpressive cards out of the format. In this case this would be Bring to Light. Of course it is much different for Eternal formats, mostly because the maintenance and love of them is much less profitable and therefore balancing less relevant. This, compared with the opinion, that "emergancy"-bans and -unbans should always an absolute exception, sounded as a nice temporary solution. But in the Council this idea met with little favor and was quickly rejected. Therefore, at least for me, Scapeshift as a representative of the eponymous deck, was a logical consequence as a candidate for the watchlist. Regardless of whether I would ever ban it, the deck may be watched and cropped if the community experiences it as disturbing. Therefore, it does not really matter to me whether it should hit Scapeshift itself or Valakut. I, personally, would rather play Valakut more than Scapeshift and can better imagine some cute and fair "3 in your face" interactions with it. I doubt Scapeshift will ever see games if Valakut is banned (tbh vive versa, too...). But overall I do not really care, because both are not banworthy for me.

I know, that this opinion do not reflects everybody's opinion and many surveys shows, that each wished outcome of each person would offend a lot of other persons. That's why you should treat this as that what it is: a personal point of view and not the opinion of the council as a whole. In this case, with this comment, I am not a representative of the council. However, leaving your question completely unanswered would also have been strange and so you have at least my views.

Hi,
 after reading anouncement, one thing crossed my mind regarding Scapeshift issue. What is real offender in Scapeshift deck? Is it Scapeshidt itself or the fact, that it tutors Valakut that insta-kill the opponent. I have never seen using Valakut in RDW as a tech for manaflood situations and I gues, that any other deck can't even think about including it. On the other hand Scapeshift itself has some interesting applications. It can tutor tech lands, enable land synergies, landfall triggers, Dark Depths combo, Urborg & Cabal Coffers, Glacial Chasm lock... All above mentioned is quite fun and can bring interesting games. What is currently not so fun is the fact, that resolved Scapeshift ends the game without much possibility for opponent to interact with it.

Would you reconsider swapping Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle for Scapeshift on the Watchlist?

[Changes to the present banned list, effective 10/15/2018:]

Changes to the present banned list, effective 10/15/2018:

Banned:                                                     
-

Unbanned:                                                    
-
                                               

Current watchlists:

Ban watchlist:                                                    
• Blood Moon
• Back to Basics
• Bring to Light
• Demonic Tutor
• Dig Through Time
• Entomb
• Imperial Seal
• Mana Drain
• Oath of Druids
• Scapeshift *new*
• Tainted Pact
• Tolarian Academy
• Treasure Cruise
• True-Name Nemesis


                                             
Unban watchlist:                                                      
• Birthing Pod *new*
• Gifts Ungiven
• Umezawa's Jitte *new*
• Skullclamp *new*


Single cards explanations:


Ban-Watchlist:

Back to Basics and Blood Moon

We are aware Back to Basics and Blood Moon often create frustrating play experiences. There is a long history of debate about those cards and on whether they should be legal or not. Currently, we are of the opinion that – despite the negative side effects which come along with them – both Back to Basics and Blood Moon should stay in the format because they serve as stern punishers for the more "greedy" multicolored strategies. This primarily means combo decks, which currently are some of the better performing decks overall.

Bring to Light and Scapeshift

In an effort to weaken the Scapeshift archetype – to take the wind out of its sails, so to speak – we first thought that banning a tutor from which only the Scapeshift deck profited would be a good idea. In the end though and after some more deliberation, we believe Bring to Light to be interchangeable in the deck and that a ban wouldn't reduce the overall power-level of the deck by enough. This, together with the fact that banning an otherwise totally fine card would be a strange thing to do, leads us to removing Bring to Light from the ban watchlist.

Instead we opted for a watchlisting of Scapeshift itself. This move seems harsh at first glance but ultimately enables us to make the appropriate decision, should the need to act arise. This is because not only do we now have the option of banning Scapeshift directly but also have the important role-players on watch as well. These would be Treasure Cruise, Dig Through Time, Demonic Tutor and Mana Drain. A banning of one of those would hit Scapeshift in a meaningful way (rather than not very much at all like with the banning of Bring To Light).

Basically we have now set us up for three possible scenarios:
First, ban Scapeshift directly if the deck overly dominates other options.
Second, ban one ore more important roleplayers or tutors in order to weaken the core of the deck.
Third, ban nothing at all if the deck continues to be strong but without dominating other options.


Unban-Watchlist:

Birthing Pod

It can be argued, the current metagame creates incentives for players to play blue-based decks, maybe blue-black at the core with tutors and a combo built in. Also, there are incentives to play the very successful red deck. Unbanning Birthing Pod would create incentives on the other side of the metagame spectrum. Neither blue based control or combo-control decks, nor mono red profit from Birthing Pod. An unban would strengthen green-based midrange decks for which there currently exists rather little payoff.

We acknowledge the fact of Birthing Pod having utterly dominated the metagame during its heyday. But we do believe the current configuration of dominating decks could handle the threat of Birthing Pod better and its unban could lead to a more vibrant back and forth in the ever-changing arena which is the Highlander metagame. Also as a sidenote, there have been cards added to the highlander cardpool, which are very maindeckable and function as solutions for Birthing Pod (among others Kolaghan's Command and Abrade come to mind, as does the newly printed Knight of Autumn), thus increasing the overall outs to the strong artifact.

Umezawa's Jitte

Similarly to the argument for Birthing Pod, we want to watchlist Umezawa's Jitte because an unban would create incentives for players to place their bets on more creature-heavy decks. Umezawa's Jitte would also provide a counterbalance to mono red aggro.

Skullclamp

Skullclamp again slightly shifts the gravitational center of the metagame in the direction of creature decks. Skullclamp would be a great boon for the mono red deck, which – in a theoretical world of Birthing Pod and Umezawa's Jitte being legal – would otherwise get the short end of the deal.
Skullclamp would also strengthen midrange strategies with a sacrifice theme. Pattern-Rector variants come to mind as do decks revolving around cards like Bloodghast, Entomb, Unearth, Stoneforge Mystic, Phyrexian Tower, Lingering Souls, Recurring Nightmare and so on. There certainly seems to be a viable deck which currently lacks just a little bit of synergistic power – power which Skullclamp could provide.

Friday, September 28th

1 Florian 10 - Jeskai Midrange?
2 Marvin 9 - Selesnya Aggro
3 Nils 9 -
4 Philipp 8 - Izzet Aggro Control
5 Felix 7 - Selesnya Aggro
6 Dion 7 - Artifact Control?
7 Jacob 6 - RDW
8 Daniel 6 - Mono U Spirits?
9 Dominik 6 - Orzhov Midrange
10 Jonny 5 - UW Control
11 Tobias W. 4 - 4C Scapeshift (w/o W)
12 Tobias T. 4 - Artifact Combo
13 Niclas 3 -
14 Benjamin 3 - Artifact Beatdown
15 Mike 3 - Selesnya 2010 Meta
16 Evan 0 - Very fair Abzan