GRISELBAMMMMMMM!

It's not a party until Big G shows up.

Hello and welcome to The Eternal Spotlight, your voice for Vintage in the Magic Online world. This marks the 24th episode of "The Eternal Spotlight", and it's my 43rd article for PureMTGO.com altogether. It's been a long ride, but it feels like it was just yesterday that I completed my set of digital power.

I have been skipping the Daily Events, for my own personal reasons. But if I did decide to play, I'd likely try out this Oath of Druids deck that I'm working on:

I've played with Oath before, and I even wrote an article about it here. I did well in the first event I played, and then ran terribly afterwards. At the time, I chalked it up to the deck not being very good, and I've since come around on the subject. Truthfully, I'm sure that I just ran hot that first night, and I'm sure that I wasn't nearly as good then as I thought I was. I'm pretty sure I remember just jamming a turn-one Oath a few times with zero back-up and thinking that if my opponent had Force I was dead. That's not the mark of a veteran, to say the least. Now that I've had a lot more practice playing Vintage with a variety of archetypes, I want to re-investigate Oath strategies.

Oath is a deck that is both wildly powerful and wildly inconsistent at times. On one hand, Oath of Druids itself is essentially just a one-card, two-mana "I win the game" kind of self-contained combo. That's pretty darn powerful. On the other hand, you might just sit there and not draw an Oath, or you could need a Forbidden Orchard to start up. I generally prefer decks that are more consistent, but those decks do sacrifice some of their power for that consistency.

The other negatives about playing the deck mostly revolve around the hate cards for the strategy being very good. This is just something that you can't avoid, just ask any Dredge player. Hater's gonna hate, you just have to break that rusty Grafdigger's Cage and run. Being afraid of the hate cards isn't what has been stopping me from playing Oath or other similar control/combo hybrid decks. I've come up with a new phrase to describe the phenomena that can occur and keep an Oath deck from winning. I'm going to refer to this as "the Doldrums."

The Dead Sea...

There are plenty of meanings attached to the word "Doldrums", but in this context, I'm referring to the following meaning: In the Atlantic Ocean lays a low-pressure area of sea that has at times extremely low winds. Historically, sailing vessels have been trapped in these areas in the past, stranded in place with no wind in their sails. That concept is what I'm trying to evoke as a metaphor for what happens in some games of Magic.

When you look at your opening hand with an Oath deck and see a mix of lands, a Ponder, and maybe one Force of Will, the hand is probably a keeper. Sure, the hand would be better if there was an Oath or a Demonic Tutor, but you can't always just mulligan a passable hand with ample mana. Now that the hand has been kept, the first few turns will likely be spent trying to sculpt the hand with cantrips or tutors if one is drawn. Most Oath builds have had a relatively small amount of card-manipulation cards and they almost always lack Gush and Dack Fayden to bridge the gap between turn one and the Dig Through Time window. This means that many times, if an Oath is not drawn early and with ample back-up countermeasures, then the deck will be in top-deck mode soon. This is the doldrums, all the wind is gone from our deck's sails, and we're waiting impatiently for an answer, all the while we get wrecked by a horde of monk tokens. The traditional term has been "top-deck mode", or the similar and just as awful state of being known as "hell-bent" (taken from the Ravnica mechanic).

"The Doldrums" describe the feeling I have very well, all the wind has been taken from my sails, and I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of a lifeline from the top of my deck. Opposite of this is the celerity of card flow created by Gush decks, or other decks with expansive card-drawing suites. The riddle that I've been trying to solve is how to go about ensuring a robust card-flow without diminishing the ability of the Oath deck to defend its namesake enchantment. I don't want to sit there helpless with an empty hand as my opponent has plenty of gas, I want the cards to keep moving so that I can keep up with the rest of the field!

I don't claim to have the perfect answer, and the list that I've proposed is an experimental one. Since :I couldn't use Gush effectively, I chose to run one innocuous little sorcery, one that would let me draw a card, aid in the protection of my combo, and be able to be pitched to a Force of Will in a pinch.

Gitaxian Probe is not usually seen in these Oath of Druids decks, except for the versions built around Omniscience and Show and Tell. Generally, people would run Thoughtseize in the slots that I've given to Probe, and that's a fine card choice as well. Both will let you see the opponent's hand for two life. Thoughtseize will snag a card out of your opponent's hand and cost one of your mana, Gitaxian Probe will provide the same net zero in card advantage, but will dig a little bit deeper in doing so. Not being able to remove an opponent's Force of Will is a significant downside, but I think that if you're really in the market for the discard effect, room could be found elsewhere, perhaps in the sideboard.

While playing paper Magic, guessing what card an opponent is holding by their facial expressions and other tell-tale body language might be enough to tell an Oath pilot when the path is clear to lay down a Show and Tell or Oath of Druids. In Magic Online, we don't have that luxury. Several turns into the game, I can guess what my opponent might have based on what they've played so far and how many cards they've drawn, but that's it. With Gitaxian Probe, a Mox, a Forbidden Orchard, and an Oath of Druids (which is not an uncommon hand if you've ever played the deck), you can potentially see that the way is clear and effectively end the game on the spot. Thoughtseize allows this play to happen as well, and it could snag a Force of Will as well, but it takes one more mana, and people are far more likely to Mental Misstep a Thoughtseize in my experience.

An additional advantage to running Gitaxian Probe over Thoughtseize is this: Thoughtseize puts one card in your graveyard and one in your opponent's graveyard, bringing each of you a little closer to enabling (Dig Though Time). Gitaxian Probe, because it replaces itself, helps this deck delve faster than it would be able to otherwise. The initial reason I started messing around with Probe in the first place is that I wanted to be able to Dig sooner and more reliably. Dig Through Time does EVERYTHING that this deck wants to be doing, why should we be playing lists that aren't maximizing it?

Digging for the Truth

Griselbrand Oath is a hybrid deck, half control, half combo. A control deck wants to cause interactions that create a positive shift in card-advantage, and a combo deck wants (needs, really) to hit its critical components. Dig Through Time is literally the perfect card for that job, but in my old lists, I found myself cutting Digs because I wasn't able to cast them when they would have been relevant. That's a shame, and a fundamental flaw in deck-building philosophy as far as I'm concerned. I knew that it was Gush and Dack Fayden that were mostly responsible for enabling delve in the "Grow" decks like Delver and Mentor, but including those cards ranges from impossible to difficult. I'm still considering testing out Dack in an Oath list, after all, Brian Kelly has shown us that it can be done. The only reason that I haven't done it yet is that squeezing in some Volcanic Islands could make the mana base cumbersome.

Whatever changes I make to this list in the future will be made specifically with Dig Through Time in mind. Everyone knows how good it is, playing only two still doesn't feel like enough, I want to cast it every time I play with this deck. Lately, I've been able to delve for six by turn three a few times, which is right about the turn that I'd like to play it. This also means that my goal of making the delve spell work in the list is starting to come together. I am certain that more work needs to be done, but I'm pleased with the preliminary results.

Astute observers may have noticed the lack of Vampiric Tutor in my list. This was not an accidental omission, I cut the card. I may bring it back into the list in the future if I decide I need to, but the card has almost always severely under-performed for me. It's a giant Mental Misstep target, and it screams out to the opponent "hold on to your Counterspell, something big is coming!" Then there's the fact that it is card-disadvantage. The loss of even one card can't be minimized, it is a real problem when you're trying to win against most decks in the format. The kind of decks that I'd want it most against are the kinds of decks that Oath is already good against, namely decks without Counterspells. Oath already beats decks based on Mishra's Workshop quite a bit, that's one deck that I'm not worried about in game one.

I think that if you can make a deck like this cast Dig Through Time early and often, then Vampiric Tutor isn't as important. For two mana, Dig can potentially get you the missing combo piece and some protection, which is a lot better for this deck than going down one card just to stack the top card of your deck. Vampiric Tutor does have a really sweet synergy with Gitaxian Probe though, so I've been thinking about bringing it back in lately. I've won plenty of matches without it though, so it might continue to ride the pine.

I'm still building my collection back up, and I no longer have the two Misdirections and play-set of Show and Tells that I once had. Both of those cards should be in the deck in my opinion, but on MTGO many people do go without them. Misdirection costs more than a Black Lotus or a play-set of Force of Wills, so it seems people view it as a luxury. Hopefully I have at least some of those cards by the time this article is published. Misdirection is in dire need of an MTGO re-release, in some fashion. Faithful reader, Facebook friend, and Mishra's Workshop aficionado Niels Thiim was kind enough to mail me some Vintage staples to start my paper collection. Included was a Misdirection. I checked the price, and let me tell you there is a triple-digit price discrepancy. That's just insane.

The Ministry of Propaganda

The sideboard I'm currently using is an experimental one, I'm trying out the cards to see if I like them or not. Most of the cards are pretty standard choices, but I am using one oddball card: Propaganda. I've written about the card before, and I think it's often a lot like a Moat in practice. except it's easier to cast and pitches to force of will. Also, it gets even better if you draw more than one.

Propaganda is also great because it can come in handy against large portions of the field. While the main intent of the enchantment is to slow down the onslaught from token-based creature strategies like Mentor and Young Pyromancer, it is also helpful against Dredge, Workshop-Aggro, and all the various Hatebears-type of decks. At first, I wanted Toxic Deluge in that spot, but for the same mana I get a similar effect that doesn't turn off my Oath of Druids. Tabernacle was also a card I considered, but I chose against it for the same reason. It's possible for an opponent to stall by allowing all of their creatures to die to Tabernacle, which can be bad for me. You don't want the opponent to shut off your Oath long enough for them to draw their Containment Priest.

Other cards that I've been trying out, or have planned to include Swan Song and Mindbreak Trap. Swan Song is a cross between a Flusterstorm (in that it can win a counter war for one blue) and a fifth Forbidden Orchard. I imagine casting an Oath on turn one or two with Swan Song back up is a great play. Unfortunately, it can be undone by a Mental Misstep. Also Swan Song is as bad against Shops as Misstep and Flusterstorm, but it's overall weaker in many other instances.

Mindbreak Trap can be good in counter wars, and it can catch people off-guard quite a bit. It also exiles all of spells that it targets, so if you can hard-cast it, you can exile an Abrupt Decay and effectively counter it. I'm not sure how relevant it really is to the deck though due to it costing four if the trap cost is not being utilized. Space in my list is at a premium, so I cut the Mindbreak Trap a while back. Oddly enough, there was a Mindbreak Trap in my original Oath list that I placed with in my first Daily Event. I was new to the format and had a fear of Storm decks, not realizing how rare they actually were at that time.

So, that's where the Oath deck is at this point. I'm not a fan of running a lot of singletons for the most part, restricted cards being an exception. I prefer the consistency of running three and four-ofs, as I feel this allows me to plan future turns with greater accuracy. I think it also makes sideboarding easier, as it leaves me with the ability to shave a card here or there if there aren't many cards that are bad enough in a match-up to justify cutting completely.

As far as my sideboard strategy, I have a general idea of how to sideboard, but that too constantly evolves. I've experimented with removing Time Vault and Voltaic Key after game one in some match-ups, and surprisingly the deck still won handily. More often than not, getting Griselbrand into play is enough by itself to take a game. I'm running three copies, so if one did die somehow, I can just Oath up another on the following turn. I find that one of the most important things is to attempt to at least find a Time Walk on the turn that Griselbrand shows up. Having the first lifelinking attack for seven generally puts any damage race out of reach for your opponents.

Despite the way it might look, there are seven cards that can be brought in against Dredge. Leyline of the Void is the most obvious, but there's also the two Propagandas and the Pithing Needle. Needle stops Bazaar of Baghdad, and Propaganda makes it next to impossible for them to attack. Of those answers, only Leyline is strong enough to do the work by itself, so if Dredge becomes more popular online, I'd have to make a change there.

In general, Workshop-based decks are not a problem. The obvious anti-hate cards take care of artifacts that get in the way, and Hurkyl's can sweep away any Grafdigger's Cage that might be kicking around. Devoting too many narrow sideboard cards for a strategy that your deck is already good against it not necessary, so I don't do it.

When playing against Gush decks, I bring in Hurkyl's for Cages as well as Abrupt Decay. Decay gets much better if the Gush deck is packing copies of Containment Priest, so if I as much as see one Tundra I'm bringing in Abrupt Decay.

The People's Champ- Vintage MTGO Swiss P.R.E.

My friend and clan-mate No.Outs (Steve Johnson) has been working hard to provide a free-to-enter Player Run Event for us Vintage players. There have been several highly-skilled players playing in these tournaments, including one player with two Vintage Championship top 8 appearances. Here's some results from previous weeks:

Vintage MTGO Swiss - (Tuesday 8/25/15) 1) Hangarback MUD No_Outs 2) Jeskai Control biggestboss 3) Jeskai Delver Diophan 4) Esper Mentor Vault Kasparadi Non-Powered Prize: G/R Goblins ML_Berlin

Vintage MTGO Swiss - (Sunday 8/23/15) 1) Esper Mentor Kasparadi 2) UW Landstill No_Outs 3) Rune-Scarred Oath wolftree 4) UGW Hate gumgod Non-Powered Prize: Team America Gonzzy

I've only been able to play in one of these events due to a scheduling conflict surrounding my fatherly duties. It's a shame though, because they are a ton of fun. You can register on Gatherling.com, and you can read more about the events on TheManaDrain.com. I hope to see you all there soon! I'm planning on playing in the next one that occurs in the evening, and I'll be bringing something spicy!

The Eternal Spotlight Artist Interview with Jesper Myrfors

Armageddon and Banshee by Jesper Myrfors - 1993

Today I am pleased to present to you the very first interview with an artist from Magic: the Gathering. I've published interviews with Pro Tour competitors, Authors, and Vintage Adepts, but this is the first time I've been lucky enough to pick the brain of an artist. Magic is a game like no other, the mechanics and card interactions have kept gamers, myself included, completely engrossed in the game for over twenty years. As amazing as the gameplay is, none of this would have been possible without the visually stunning pieces of original art commissioned for Alpha. Do you know who it was that made that happen? It was the subject of today's interview, Jesper Myrfors.

The art is the first thing we see on the cards, and it's what gets us to learn the rules in the first place. These images power up the imagination, and they prime us for the visceral thrill of the epic battle of two mighty planeswalkers, stylized in a card-game duel. Jesper was responsible for creating images for some of my favorite cards, and I'm excited to share the interview with all of you.

JF: When did you first realize that you wanted to be an artist?

Jesper: I wanted to be an artist for as long as I could remember. My parent’s house always had lots of artwork on the walls and illustrated books lying around. Art was highly prized in my family.



JF: How did you become involved in making Magic: the Gathering?

Jesper: I had been hired by WotC as Art Director for their RPG line, so it was natural that I move over to Magic: The Gathering. It was a secret project at first and I worked there for months before they told me about it. They used to have meetings I was not invited to until I had gained their trust, those were the “magic” meetings. We called the game “Magic” back then but it was only supposed to be a place holder name. I think “Manaclash” was the actual name of the game for a long time. I am very glad we did not go with that name.



JF: Of all your contributions to Magic design, which do you feel was the most important?



Jesper: Getting original art from new artists. Before I came on board the plan had been to get second and third rights for pre-existing artwork. So Magic would have had artwork from old roleplaying games and book covers that everyone had seen before. It would not have had a unique look at all. If you remember Spellfire, it would have been a glorified version of that…all reused artwork.



JF: Whenever possible, I collect the original versions of Magic cards. I like how the older cards looked like ancient relics. As art director, what were you going for when settling on a card frame/back design, in your own words?

Jesper: I really wanted them to look old world. I like things that appear to have been assembled by hand, Many people do not know that a lot of the work that went into the front and back of the cards was hand painted and not digital. The marbling on the blue cards was actually paper that I hand marbled by floating paint on water and pulling paper on it. The card back was for the most part hand painted and put together in photoshop (version 2 for those who care about such things)



JF: Do you have a favorite painting that you've done for a card? (There are too many for me to choose just one, but I have a soft spot for Atog!).



Jesper: Elves of Deep Shadow is my favorite.



Elves of Deep Shadow by Jesper Myrfors

JF: I learned just how instrumental you were to the success of Magic from reading Titus Chalk's book, "So Do You Wear a Cape". What do you think the history of the game would be like if you had not added your ideas to the art direction?

Jesper: Royalties for the artists was my greatest accomplishment and one the company was quick to do away with when the suits figured out they could make more for themselves by taking from the people that actually make the game that pays their salaries. Art drives this industry and yet those who do the actual creating are treated like dirt by the folks with the money. It seems like a backwards arrangement to me. I admire the designers, artists and writers and feel they should be paid more than somebody with an MBA. When the money came into gaming, so did the sharks. My biggest disappointment is when the person running WotC gave in to the craven and greedy demands of the new suits. It was cowardly and shameful, but that will be their legacy and how they are remembered by many people. My time with the game is over, but I hope for the sake of all creative people that the industry will one day pay royalties again, it is only fair.

JF: My favorite set from a flavor standpoint is The Dark. I recently learned that you designed that set. What was that process like, and did you enjoy it?

Jesper: I did enjoy it. I knew there was a hole coming up in the design schedule with nothing in the pipe, so I quietly and on my own time designed the set. I really wanted to do more, well, dark images so the set was done with that in mind. I have had a lot of artists from back then say it was their favorite set to work on. We are a dark bunch I suppose.



JF: Imagine yourself in the Wizards of the Coast offices in 1993... Would you be surprised if someone told you we're still be talking about Magic: the Gathering over 20 years later?



Jesper: Not at all, I knew it would change gaming forever, I never doubted it. I am first and foremost a gamer, so it’s revolutionary nature was not lost on me.



JF: For the readers that don't know, what have you been up to regarding your artwork in recent years?

Jesper: I have been designing games. Brian Snoddy and we have a game out now called Deadfellas. In addition I have started a line of affordable originals. They can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/minimagicart?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

I also take commissions and sell larger pieces through here: https://www.facebook.com/jespermyrforsmagicartist?fref=ts

JF: What do you want your legacy to be? What would you like to be remembered for, both as an artist and in general?



Jesper: I would like to be remembered as reliably creative. I am very proud of my work on the game and it is fun to meet and talk with players who were not even born when the game came out. If it is my only legacy, then it is a good one. I really enjoy traveling and meeting the fans of the game. However, my personal goal now is to die with another (or many other) memorable projects under my belt. I have finished two manuscripts that I am trying to get published and have perhaps another half a dozen games in development. I have a new gig as the art director for Detox Studios, an electronic games company. I also try to paint every day as I have discovered it is not like riding a bike. Since I have begun to paint again I have had to relearn a lot of things.

Atog by Jesper Myrfors

That's all I have for this week folks. I'd like to thank Jesper Myrfors for doing the interview, it's always nice when someone takes time out of their busy schedule to throw this ol' hack writer a bone! In addition, I want to thank all the members of the Vintage community for being awesome people. I've made a lot of new acquaintances lately, mostly through the Vintage Facebook page, and it's been great. I also learned that the really sweet-looking stained-glass altered power nine I saw on camera in Brian Kelly's deck were loaned out by Terrance Calvin Hodges, a card-dealer and member of the Facebook group. I think it says a lot about the overall strength of character of Vintage players that someone would be nice enough to loan out power, and that someone else is trustworthy enough to borrow it. I got a lot of enjoyment watching Brian Kelly beat Paul Mastriano (I had to go to bed after and missed the finals), and I might not have seen it if not for one person's incredible generosity.

Last week, my sign-off was intended as a joke, but accidentally offended at least one person, so I humbly apologize. See you all next week, and thanks for keeping me honest!