Joined: Feb 29, 2016 Posts: 2899 Location: Portugal
I think it's ok.
I've been grinding singleton exclusively since it started. The way I see it, I'm getting rares for a very low cost, which is what matters from packs for me (albeit with no WC progression). My results have been very varied (playing only 2 decks, mono-red and golgari) ranging from 0-2 to 5-0. But worst case scenario, I'm getting a rare for 400 gold. Oddly enough, the best ICRs have been with the 0-2 runs and the worst the 5-0 runs. I haven't run out of gold yet.
Singleton feels like such a crapshoot. Do you know that children's cardgame where one kid gets all the red cards and the other all the black ones? You shuffle your cards and compare topdecks. Stronger card takes the other card and that player puts both on the bottom of his library. Ties are broken by the next card and eventually one kid has all the cards..
Fast forward in Arena, it's like every game is a mirror of Mythics within the Abzhan colors and the better draw wins. I feel like I should migrate into Golgari (from Selesnya tokens) though. Spent so much time staring at opposing Doom Whisperers yesterday, they singlehandedly turn, steal or just win games.
I've been grinding singleton exclusively since it started. The way I see it, I'm getting rares for a very low cost, which is what matters from packs for me (albeit with no WC progression). My results have been very varied (playing only 2 decks, mono-red and golgari) ranging from 0-2 to 5-0. But worst case scenario, I'm getting a rare for 400 gold. Oddly enough, the best ICRs have been with the 0-2 runs and the worst the 5-0 runs. I haven't run out of gold yet.
So 4 runs gets you 4 random rares and uncommons. 1 QD, at the same price, gets you maybe 3-4 rares and up to say 6-7 uncommons which you get to choose (and maybe a mythic, which again you can choose to take or pass). Out of the singleton you're unlikely to break even, lets say you get 900 gold back. Out of the quick draft you're also unlikely to break even, lets say you get a pack and 3-400 gems.
QD seems strictly better to me. QD is also not reliant on owning any cards, .
edit: and the better you play, the more QD comes in ahead.
So ok, 10 rares and uncommons, it looks a bit better, but they're still random. Maybe one or two are usable? And the rest are worth...nothing. 5th copies mean so very little that unused cards might as well not exist.
Joined: Feb 29, 2016 Posts: 2899 Location: Portugal
The runs are much faster in singleton and I actually find singleton more fun than constructed.
Also the risk of having a bad run (0-2) and losing your entry fee is negligible compared to draft. Losing 400 gold and getting a random rare is actually not that bad...
Joined: Feb 16, 2017 Posts: 244
Identity: Walker of Planes
Preferred Pronoun Set: Anything but Dave-O
Starting brewing for Singleton when matchmaking was down earlier, was pleasantly surprised to see it up and running shortly after - thought it opened up tomorrow.
Three runs in so far, got a 3-2 and 5-1 with mono-U control/combo and a 5-0 with RW aggro. What are you folks playing this time around?
I went a bit deep this time round. Gone for Sultai Pod with a little bit of graveyard shenanigans. Singleton mana doesn't really support it, but it got me a ghalta!
Pretty sure I should be running Vivien, but I forgot and keep re-entering without adding her. Maybe the growth spiral could be another mana dork too. The thallid is cute with vannifar, but it should be a reaper really, just a straight upgrade except against rats(which I have faced once).
The pod chain works surprisingly well, and lezav has been a star whenever he's stayed on the table. It's got a lot of cards that are great in draft not so hot in constructed, but it works and I guess that's the nature of the format (well, except when you opponent goes 1 drop, double 1 drop, history of benalia...)
edit - moved the lands out so it's a bit easier to read.
Wow, the persistant petitioners deck is really cancerous. I think someone at wizards heard the complaints about rats and thought "lets show 'em a properly obnoxious deck". Rats is pretty easy to deal with really, couple removal spells a creature or two and they come screeching to a halt. Petitioners is basically "did you draw a 4-5 mana sweeper? do you even run one? no? you lose".
Might end up being the only deck to play if you want to win, there's no way you can be consistent enough to answer it even at 50% (I was usually at like 80-90% vs rats, this time round faced two beaten two), and most of the cheap sweepers don't touch them.
Joined: Feb 16, 2017 Posts: 244
Identity: Walker of Planes
Preferred Pronoun Set: Anything but Dave-O
3-1 vs Petitioner decks with mono-U so far. Sorcerous Spyglass turns them off and I run a fair amount of counters, bounce, and mind control which helps keep them off 4. Seems Petitioners are performing a bit better than expected, but I imagine people will start packing sufficient answers if it gets too popular.
Starting brewing for Singleton when matchmaking was down earlier, was pleasantly surprised to see it up and running shortly after - thought it opened up tomorrow.
Three runs in so far, got a 3-2 and 5-1 with mono-U control/combo and a 5-0 with RW aggro. What are you folks playing this time around?
Playing my slightly updated Golgari that's posted in Constructed. Still a very strong contender. My next project is trying to take my Simic Ramp and translate it into a Singleton deck if possible.
_________________
It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt. - Maurice Switzer
RW: Not a lot to say, bread and butter aggro. Threw Hero of Precinct One and just about every RW card in for something different.
Merfolk: Deck started as counters-merfolk messing with Benthic Biomancer, threw Sharktocrab in as it worked with most of tricks as well. Only saw Sharky once and it got removed immediately. Rather weak to fliers, Thrash // Threat and Vivien Reid helped shore that up a bit though.
Esper: Not a lot to say here either. One Opp ult'd baby Vraska then gave the GG when he played Viashino Pyromancer. He never got to declare attackers after that. Probably would've used Lyra in place of one of the other threats, but I haven't got around to crafting one yet.
Decided to get each Ghalta with a different deck just for giggles, finished the set this morning.
Played the esper list through 3 events, not sure of the exact score but it got 2 ghaltas so clearly it works. I wasn't too happy with it, but I think that's 'cos I went in to play esper and it's pretty much an Orzhov control list with a faint splash so it played quite differently. The contrast between games with dawn of hope and without were really extreme, mostly I think because of how little card draw was in the rest of the list - non creature based games were a bit of a struggle, especially games against duress/thought erasure/plainswalkers though the deck does grind well. I'd really want at least a Chemisters if I play the list again, probably over Final Payment which felt quite awkward. Nice list all told.
I wasn't too happy with it, but I think that's 'cos I went in to play esper and it's pretty much an Orzhov control list with a faint splash so it played quite differently.
Yep, that was a conscious decision. I wanted to play good countermagic, but I also wanted to play Kaya's Wrath, Ritual of Soot, Vraska's Contempt, and a solid black removal package. I've read too many Frank Karsten articles to have it in me to run a bad mana base, so I decided to run a two color base with a splash. Given that I expected rats, petitioners, W/R/RW aggro, and GB to be the default meta, I opted for a WB base for its better reactive answers, sweepers, and incidental lifegain. Perhaps I should've listed the deck as WBu
Seemed to me like base UW could fall behind early and have trouble finding its sweepers to catch up. Haven't tried it yet though, so I'm not sure if that's accurate.
non creature based games were a bit of a struggle, especially games against duress/thought erasure/plainswalkers
That was one of the concessions when running base WB. I hoped the meta might be aggro enough to dissuade too many people from running counter control lists. Chromium or even Nezahal would help the matchup, though I doubt that would be quite enough.
Played the esper list through 3 events, not sure of the exact score but it got 2 ghaltas so clearly it works. I'd really want at least a Chemisters if I play the list again, probably over Final Payment which felt quite awkward.
Glad it's been running well, thanks for giving it a go. Chemisters seems plausible with the mana base. I wonder if The Immortal Sun or even Recover (given that the deck sometimes has trouble if all its threats are answered) would be worth looking into. Stopped partway through my second run with the list, currently 3-1.
Played the merfolk deck twice more to a wretched 2-4 record. It can be explosive, but it's really draw dependent.
Joined: Feb 16, 2017 Posts: 244
Identity: Walker of Planes
Preferred Pronoun Set: Anything but Dave-O
Well, I've now joined you in the 2-1 league for reaching 5-x with the deck. Went 3-2 in the run in progress then followed with a 5-0. Still don't think I've drawn Final Payment more than once, so I can't really say if I'd like Chemisters more there. Still feels like Immortal Sun would be awesome here - able to hit 6 mana regularly and it answers one of the deck's biggest weaknesses (walkers). Can't convince myself to craft one though.
Final match of the last run was vs mono-G. Consume on his Gigantosaurus pretty well sealed it.
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Rather weak to fliers, 
