Ari Lax Profile picture
PT Khans of Tarkir winner, writer for @ChannelFireball, he/him Dominaria's Judgment (@dominaria_pod) w/ @dominharvia, Turn1Thoughtseize w/ @T1Thoughtseize
Dec 1, 2023 5 tweets 1 min read
Why banning Fury is a bad idea:
1. Fury isnt causing new issues
2. Fury Scam is healthy
3. Fury has real costs in 4C 1. Fury isnt the reason Leonin Arbiter isnt playable. If it wasnt Fury, you would be getting shit on by Heat + Ragavan, or Yawg, or Dart + Swiftspear, or Wrenn + Bolt. Fury is only a unique problem for Yawg, where 2x Pyrokinesis vs Undying matters, and Elves which deserves it.
Apr 13, 2021 5 tweets 2 min read
Early Strixhaven draft speculation:

The Lorehold graveyard cardboard movement theme is a trap. The individually good commons don't support it well. Just draft the archetype as a proactive Boros style deck unless you get multiple Quintorius early. There was originally a rant about Lorehold getting Golgari'ed, where the adjacent Guilds are so disparate that unless you get the perfect open lane and have all cards of your Guild your deck fights itself and falls apart.
Feb 22, 2021 11 tweets 5 min read
More Kaldheim draft talk: reviewing the best non-rares.

Change 1: I have the top commons as Packmate >> Bolt > Behold > Vale. Packmate is messed up, Bolt over Behold is splashable Red cards being basically colorless. The good non-red, non-XC Snow decks are mostly niche bar GW. I defended Bloodsky Berserker last week, but it has moved down to around Behold. If you aren't an aggro maniac, that's probably more Vale/Berg Stridee tier.

Clarion Spirit is still close to Packmate though. It oddly feels like it underperforms in game, but you always win so....
Feb 21, 2021 4 tweets 2 min read
Definitely saved all the good pool luck for today after my (still great) 1 rare aggro decks yesterday. 6-1 in Arena Open with a bonkers pool, round 8 pending b/c I'm also 3-0 in SCG with Gruul. 7-1 Sealed. Highlight was actual Infect killing one of my early opponents with Fynn -> Reaper -> Snakeskin Veil.

Full Pool: 17lands.com/pool/ec1a9fe63…

Snakeskin Veil was great and I almost started both. Boarded in Demonic Gifts, various 3 drops, took out Priest a lot.
Jun 28, 2018 5 tweets 1 min read
1) Pro Magic as income is largely content production with events as research costs.
2) The quarterly Pro Club system at this point appears to be a large cut to the consistency of the PT.
3) The $750,000 added to PT25 and this draft more than cover that cut. On point 1) listen to Pro Points podcast where Mike Sigrist, Sam Black, and Paulo all agree on this. Over a medium term stretch, only the top 5-10 players in the world could subsist off event winnings. 20x that do it off content.