MagicTheGathering/BreakingElevenFormat

[This article] details the eleven format. I want to see if I can build a deck that is certain to win the first turn in which it plays.

My first thought is Brain Freeze, and some cantrips - 'draw a card' afterwards. However, if you draw the Brain Freeze first, that's no good.

Next thought: Fanning the Flames kills in two card-activations. If the rest of our deck is cantrips, we can do this unless FtF? is at the bottom. If at least two of our 'cantrips' are of the 'draw 2 cards' ilk, then we are certain to have drawn FtF? having played at most 9 spells. 22 damage to the opponent's head, and we win.

So, MTG: Fanning The Flames, MTG: Thoughtcast, MTG: Opportunity, and any 8 cantrips you care to name.

Should the opponent have gone first, drawn a counter, and use it, the whole affair is set back one notch. Should they somehow have repeatable counters, they've won anyway. In fact, if they went first, they've won anyway.

Yep. It's a coin toss...

PeterTaylor reckons that the format is fixable only if you prohibit X-spells (or, more accurately, say that X is always 0).

Though it makes the format even less interesting than it is now, how about limiting players to 11 mana (of any colours) per turn?

: I think I actually disagree... that such a ruling would make it less interesting. It's still an overpowered format that can make a 9/9 regenerator (MTG: Krakilin), a 4/7 and 5 2/2s (MTG: Verdeloth the Ancient) or two 19/19s (MTG: Phyrexian Processor + MTG: Galvanic Key) on first round. Could be fun with such restrictions in place. --AC

AlexChurchill was thinking similar: FtF? definitely needs banning, banning X spells in general is probably sensible. I thought it was a bit of a silly format (not in a good way) when I saw it. Just-mana activated abilities like MTG: Reckless Embermage or MTG: Rocket Launcher are still quite strong... --AC

Is there an obvious way to give someone lots of poison counters quickly? 'cos limiting those to 11 doesn't help.. - MoonShadow

: Hmm. MTG: Marsh Viper plus any of the Tim enchantments (MTG: Fire Whip through to MTG: Viridian Longbow) plus MTG: Pemmin's Aura is simplest. And that's 3 cards. Quite a cool idea though :) --AlexChurchill
: There ought to be a use of MTG: Quicksilver Elemental for this kind of thing too. If you have a MTG: Horseshoe Crab and a MTG: Prodigal Sorcerer out then you can do a similar build-a-tim-machine-gun tricks, but you can't use Quicky with poison cards, because it's only activated abilities he grabs. --AC