The Right Play. #1

kendiggy · Joined: 30 Nov 2004 Posts: 366 Location: not here

This is the first installment of a topic I intend to repeat on a regular basis. Each time the question will be different. Each situation is taken from a game I played. I will ask the question to open the debate giving as much information as possible, then later on I will reveal what play was made. I'm not necessarily saying the play that was made is the correct play. I'd just like to get some feedback from the league, and possibly open up some minds to new play styles.

There are rules, though.

1. Please, no flaming other people's opinions.
2. Please, no flaming other people's opinions.
3. Please, no flaming other people's opinions.

I say it three times because many people who browse these forums have a tendency to recklessly flame even though the author has requested constructive criticism.

4. Answer and then explain why it is the correct choice.

Even though it may seem obvious, to other people it may not. And it may be the right play for you, but not for someone else because their playstyle is different. My intention is to simply open debate and hopefully enlighten you, me and any potentially less experienced players.

I hope you enjoy this and learn from it as much as I hope to learn from it. Here's my first scenario.

You are playing U/W Post against R/W Scepter Boom. It's pretty late in the game. You have five Cloudposts in play, two of them are Vesuva copies. Also, you have two Hallowed Fountain, an Island, a plains, a Talisman of Progress, a Pithing Needle on Sensei's Divining Top and four 4/4 flying Angel tokens from Decree of Justice which just came into play. You've also cast Mindslaver and activated it this turn. You are at 4, you're opponent is at 17. You have zero cards in hand. You're tapped out. In your graveyard the relevant cards are one Spell Snare and one Condescend. You have another Mindslaver in your deck as well as an Academy Ruins. You don't know any of the cards on top of your library from scrying. You pass the turn.

Your opponent has only five lands in play, nothing else. Two are Sacred Foundries, one is Flagstones of Trokair, a plains and a mountain. In his hand is a Wrath of God and a Balancing Act. For his draw phase he draws Wrath of God. As the controller of your opponents turn from Mindslaver, what is your play?

Enjoy!

*Edit: I've answered Thorn's question by including the information in the scenario.

Thorns · Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 832 Location: Rath

My opponent has nothing else in play? Are my lands tapped or untapped?

Delicious · Joined: 08 Jun 2007 Posts: 425

well i would do is:

i would use the balancing act. you might lose some of your powerlands and creatures, but they lose both WoGs.

this gives you the chance to maybe top deck an academy and maybe start a mind slavering frenzy

Kaiser · Joined: 15 Sep 2004 Posts: 313

you wouldn't lose any creatures by playing balancing act would you? By playing the 'Act' you just need to sac down to 5 permanents, yes? Then sac all but the 4 creatures and a land. They discard their hand.

Delicious · Joined: 08 Jun 2007 Posts: 425

oh, kaiser you are right

i thought balancing act was lands and creatures, i didn't know it was perms..hmmm

Daveslusher · Joined: 05 Nov 2006 Posts: 202

You play balancing act.... you lose your lands and they're without 2 wraths. They chances of them winning become much slimmer

kendiggy · Joined: 30 Nov 2004 Posts: 366 Location: not here

I agree with what everyone has said, and to me it seems obvious. The guy who played the U/W deck didn't cast Balancing Act. But he still won the game. I wrathed, it resolved, next turn he draws mindslaver and I draw a fetch land while I'm at one.

So, lets change it up some.

Same scenario. But, would it change your play if I told you your opponent had six lands in play instead of five? How about eight lands in play? Exactly which permanents would you sacrifice to Balacing Act in each scenario?

For reference, here is my trial winning (and incorrectly named) Scepter Boom decklist.

http://www.magic-league.com/deck/38953/extended_t1x.html#Balancing%20Tings6757

Rebirth · Joined: 08 Jan 2005 Posts: 102

kendiggy · Joined: 30 Nov 2004 Posts: 366 Location: not here

Yeah, i know it would be better to cycle the decree. I'm not the who made the play, though. My opponent wasn't the greatest of players, which is kinda what inspired me to start this thread. I want to present these questions and get feedback from a different perspectives and hope that other readers learn from them so they don't make the same mistakes themselves.

My question remains, though. Considering I have six mana to top-deck burning wish into Wrath of God, or draw into top and top into another wrath, or if I had eight mana to draw into top and top into a burning wish, would that change your play at all?

Top assuming that everyone who has posted so far has said sacrifice everything but a land and the four angels, meaning that pithing needle is no longer preventing me from using any tops i might draw.

MilanG[GER] · Joined: 10 May 2006 Posts: 58

and then again i would suggest keeping angels and needl is the better play

i would definatly rether keep the needle over a land

you won't find into the game again if the opp found a way to handle your tokens so the land is useless

keeping the needle takes out 4 possible outs

and in both cases i would play the balance

good idea
but slightly harder exmaples would be cool

lennin · Guest

the right play is to shoot urself in the foot for playing uw post

Rebirth · Joined: 08 Jan 2005 Posts: 102

Lennin is on to something but i think it should be a different part of the anatomy.