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Dominaria United Legends Throwbacks

Posted on August 29, 2022August 29, 2022 by Sigmund Ausfresser

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I’ve been playing Magic for a long time now. Very long. Like, 25 years long. In fact, since I’m nowhere close to 50 years old, it’s trivial to calculate that I’ve spent more of my life as a Magic player than not.

When Wizards of the Coast announced we would be returning to Dominaria for the next Standard set, Dominaria United, I was admittedly excited. I was on a small hiatus during the last visit to this plane, back in Dominaria, so outside of a few booster packs, I really didn’t have a chance to enjoy the set. This time, things are going to be different!

Except… they’re not. If I’m truly honest, I recently started feeling a little Magic fatigue as I jam drafts and matches on Arena time and again. Playing against anonymous strangers with only newer cards simply doesn’t hold my interest as strongly as in-person, paper Magic. Since I have little time for that these days, my passion for this hobby cycles in and out like a sine function.

Even the new cards in Dominaria United aren’t spurring deckbuilding cravings and reminiscent feelings as I had hoped. In fact, I’m experiencing more nostalgia by reviewing the Dominaria United Commander set spoilers. Have you seen how many throwback cards there are in that set? There are so many references to old legendary creatures from the days of Legends!

Clearly, this was the set made for me.

Legendary Legends Throwbacks

When my friends and I played Magic back in the mid-to-late 1990s, we referred to all multicolored cards as “legends.” This likely stemmed from the fact that the first time we saw such cards was in the Legends set, and all such creatures were legendary. Thus, the shorthand name was born.

Now as I review the Dominaria United Commander spoilers, I’m seeing so many throwback legends harkening back to the original set printed in 1994. I can’t imagine many modern-day players are all that familiar with the Old School printings of these cards. Let’s take a step back and appreciate some of the references!

Ayesha Tanaka

This is a throwback to the Legends rare Ayesha Tanaka before she earned her armorer title I suppose. Through this transformation, she received a small bump in toughness and a far more useful ability. Let’s face it, banding and taxing artifact activations (by requiring them to pay a white mana… assuming they had access to white) wasn’t all that earth-shattering. Because Ayesha was also reprinted in Chronicles, the original printing doesn’t hold a ton of value.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Ayesha Tanaka

Marhault Elsdragon

The original Marhault Elsdragon was printed at uncommon as well, so his rarity remained unchanged. He was also reprinted in Chronicles, so copies can be found very cheaply. As for comparing the cards’ abilities, granting your whole team a super-rampage effect is definitely better than one creature having Rampage: 1. The casting cost is more efficient in the new printing as well.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Marhault Elsdragon

Hazezon Tamar

Now we’re talking! Hazezon Tamar dropped his last name and became a “shaper of sands” in this new iteration. I love all the desert references on this legendary creature, and it’ll give a facelift to strategies that involve the special lands. My favorite feature on the new card, however, is that it still makes 1/1 red, green, and white sand warrior creature tokens! This throwback is brilliant. It’s worth noting that the original creature is on the Reserved List and is quite expensive! If you’re playing this as your commander, you might as well include the original card too—this could drive up demand for the Legends legend.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Hazezon Tamar

Jasmine Boreal

This throwback is equally exciting for flavor, though price-wise it may not rock too many boats. The original Jasmine Boreal was printed at uncommon—however, since it wasn’t reprinted in Chronicles, it is worth a couple of bucks. Jasmine did see a reprint in Time Spiral. Back in 1994, a five mana vanilla 4/5 may have been exciting enough to play. Nowadays, that wouldn’t even make the cut in most limited matches. I really like the boost of power she received in Dominaria United Commander.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Jasmine Boreal

Jedit Ojanen

Next, we have a dramatic upshift in rarity. The original Jedit Ojanen was uncommon, though he’s never seen a reprint. Reading the card, I can see why—a seven-mana, multi-colored 5/5 creature with no abilities? Boring! The new card is far more powerful, and also contains a nice reference to the Planar Chaos version of the legendary character, Jedit Ojanen of Efrava, which also made 2/2 cat warrior creature tokens with forestwalk.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Jedit Ojanen

Ramirez DePietro

Pirates are back, and it’s exciting to see a new version of Magic’s classic pirate, Ramirez DePietro. Callbacks to the original card include the same power and toughness and the same eyepatch! However, the new version dropped two mana from its casting cost in exchange for losing first strike. However, he does more to embrace the flavor of piracy by giving you treasure for two life! The original card was never reprinted (though it technically could be) but is still only worth a few bucks due to its being uncommon.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Ramirez DePietro

Ramses Overdark

This legendary creature refresh may be slightly less obvious than the others, but there was indeed a Legends creature known as Ramses Overdark. The original Legends printing is rare, on the Reserved List, and therefore worth a good amount. Once again, the casting cost became much less demanding in the new version, and it is costed more consistently with modern-day power creep. Back in 1994, Ramses Overdark could tap to destroy any creature with an enchantment (aura) on it. Now, he’s an assassin lord that gives you the ability to win a multiplayer game on the spot—a neat twist on a win condition!

There was an error retrieving a chart for Ramses Overdark

Rasputin Dreamweaver

The hits keep coming! The original Rasputin Dreamweaver is very expensive, as it was a playable commander on the Reserved List before this updated refresh. I love how it stayed a 4/1, though its casting cost thankfully reduced from six mana to three. He still uses dream counters that can be used to create colorless mana, though he doesn’t grant you seven counters on the spot like before. One thing both version of Rasputin share is complexity; so much text on each card! Overall, I like this take on the legendary creature, but I honestly prefer the older version for nostalgia.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Rasputin Dreamweaver

Rohgahh of Kher Keep

When I collected Legends legends, this was one of the last cards I acquired—I just never really had much interest in the Kobold thing. The original printing’s art is also less than pleasing to the eyes! That said, I do like the upgraded version of 2022! For one, it grants all Kobolds +2/+2 instead of only Kobold of Kher Keep. The creation of dragons is a nice touch. Most appreciatively, you don’t have to hand your card over to an opponent if you neglect to pay triple red mana during your upkeep! By the way, the original card is on the Reserved List and is worth a pretty decent amount (considering it’s not all that good).

There was an error retrieving a chart for Rohgahh of Kher Keep

Sivitri Scarzam

Hold on a second. There were no Planeswalkers back in 1994, so why is this one in here? It looks like Sivitri was the one Legends legend to receive an upgrade from creature to Planeswalker! The original card, Sivitri Scarzam, was a vanilla 6/4 creature for seven mana. Why Wizards of the Coast believed that having multiple colors was an upside to a creature back then, I’ll never understand (hello?? Craw Wurm??). Anyway, now Sivitri is a dragon master with amazing loyalty abilities! It wouldn’t surprise me if this version maintains a higher price point than the original.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Sivitri Scarzam

Stangg

The original Stangg was such a cool card because it basically brought a copy of itself along to the battlefield when you summoned him. In fact, this is one rare case where the original card was printed at rare but also received a modern-day reprint in Masters 25 (where he’s worth about six cents). This new version of Stangg requires you to attack in order to receive the token. As compensation, you also get to copy auras and equipment attached to your primary Stangg creature. I’m honestly not as impressed with this one.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Stangg

Tetsuo Umezawa

While the original Tetsuo Umezawa can never be reprinted (Reserved List), there have been numerous modern-era cards referencing Umezawa. This is the first time, however, we have a new version of Tetsuo printed. The old and the new both have the same casting cost and are both 3/3. The similarities stop there, however. The original had an awkward activation cost with a powerful ability to destroy creatures. The new version seems rather unrelated, involving equipment and instant or sorcery spells in your hand. Why the overhaul? I guess it was more consistent with its color identity?

There was an error retrieving a chart for Tetsuo Umezawa

Tobias Andrion

We’re coming down the home stretch here, and I’m really excited about this refresh. The original Tobias Andrion was another one of those overcosted, vanilla creatures. Now he’s got some abilities, and I love the flavor of turning all your recently-deceased creatures into 2/2 zombies! This is a really cool ability to deal with board wipes in Commander. It’s worth noting that, despite being only uncommon and reprinted in Chronicles, the original Legends printing of this card is worth a buck or two.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Tobias Andrion

Tor Wauki

The hits keep coming! Here’s a new twist on the original Tor Wauki. The new creature had its casting cost simplified a little bit (though still five mana value) while maintaining the same power and toughness. Instead of simply tapping to do damage to attacking or blocking creatures, the new version has reach and lifelink plus some other static abilities that unnecessarily complicate the card. Maybe it was for balancing reasons, or maybe it was to make this creature more cohesive with other cards in the set. Whatever the reason for the changes, I liked it better with the singular ability.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Tor Wauki

Xira Arien

Xira is last on the list for alphabetic reasons, but I could also argue that I saved the best for last. I absolutely love the fact that Wizards of the Coast brought Xira back on a new card! Her creature types, Insect Assassin, are so cool and this is one rare instance where I actually prefer the new artwork over the original (blasphemy, I know). The insect tokens that Xira makes are also brilliantly done. The new version has no abilities in common with the old, but that’s OK. Paying BRG and tapping to draw a card isn’t as flavorful. Note that the original card is a rare in Legends, though also reprinted in Chronicles. Still, I could see it climb in price as it would slot in just fine in a deck with this Commander.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Xira Arien

Wrapping It Up

Wow, there were more throwbacks than I initially realized! I may have missed one or two, but this is certainly an extensive list and the more I saw, the more I appreciated this set.

Forget about Dominaria United, I want to pick up some Dominaria United Commander sets this time around. I genuinely think they’ll be more enjoyable. I may try out the new Limited format on Arena, but don’t expect to see me virtually shuffling up a Standard deck anytime soon. When I spend money next month, I expect it’ll be on these Commander decks rather than any Dominaria United stuff. That’s OK, though, as it’ll still keep me engaged with the game, and that’s what counts.

I hope you enjoyed this walk through history and maybe learned a thing or two about some classic Magic cards.

Generational Magic: Enduring the Game’s Worst

Posted on August 26, 2022August 26, 2022 by Anthony Willier

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With Dominaria United around the bend, we've come to the close of another waiting period before rotation. Even with all of the product that's released nowadays, time almost stands still waiting for the next new set. It is part of the ebb and flow of the game, but for those involved, it's generally a slow and boring time.

This is Magic. Say Again, Please...

Sometimes this pause or other life situations can cause you to drop the game, even if you really don't want to. Here are some examples of situations that might cause you to stop playing and suggestions to hang in there when you hit those bumps in your Magic journey.

When you've been playing the game as long as I have, you see and hear many stories about players needing funds, losing interest, or just getting plain frustrated. They might sell their cards and be done with it all. I've also heard and seen many players start up again and longing for everything they let go of.

I'm Done With You, Magic... We're Through!

I'm a Magic lifer. Except for the pandemic, I haven't stopped playing the game since I started back in the fall of '94. Don't get me wrong, I have had the occasional thought of switching to something else or just selling out, but I continue to enjoy the game and the people who play it. Still, I'm sure that a great deal of people have taken a break from the game at one point or another and later wished they hadn't.

TCG/eBay, Here I Come!

Many players, casual and pro, have shared about the dregs of burnout. Too many games, too much travel, too much cost, too much... everything. It's possible to lose ourselves in something to the point we're sacrificing our physical and mental health.

A prime example is from my early years of Magic. My friend Tom was notable within our playgroup due to his age. He was a good twenty-plus years older than everyone else, ironically about where I am now. He was a decent player and did pretty well at a few Pro Tour Qualifiers from what I recall. I bring him up because the last time I spoke with him, over 15 years ago, he had already quit the game four times. I know that three of the four times, he'd sold out of the majority of his collection. A couple times he jumped ship, he was just burnt out. Still, each time we spoke, he expressed regret about getting rid of his old cards, many of which would have been useful to him thereafter or at least more valuable.

If you get to a point where you're ready to chuck everything, relax. Take that step back and reflect. Do you REALLY want to sell it all? Take that extra bit of time and flex other hobbies; you might have to readjust your focus. Many articles about burnout come down to just taking a break.

“It’s All For Naught” -Eeyore the Donkey

My fellow QS author, Sig, has shared on this topic as well. I've known Sig quite a while, even before our mutual involvement in QS. We played at the same LGS back around Theros block. In his article last year, he discussed how a lack of interest can affect your involvement in the game at various times and for various reasons. From a change within the game, like Combo Winter, to changes outside the game, like academics or having a child. In Sig's case, he's refilled his tank and is still enjoying the game, ready to take on his next 93-94 old school opponent.

So when you're not interested in the game at the moment, there are a few things to do not only to help you through the downtime, but also to keep you involved.

Please Line Up in an Orderly Fashion

Take the time to get organized. Invest in binders, deck boxes, backpacks, and whatever else to help get your stuff together.

Of course, that's the low-hanging fruit and I'm sure most of us have turned to organization when times get sloggy. Another suggestion is to utilize your talents. So, I have a question for you: has your collection ever looked like the picture below?

It's alright, don't be shy. We've all had piles of cards littered about. These are the cards I still need to organize and put away. It's been a slow and grindy process to get them put into these 5,000 count boxes.

Which in turn will be stacked here:

I got tired of lifting and shuffling eight or nine 5,000 count boxes back and forth when helping Jarod find cards to build a new deck. So I took the time to design and build a custom shelving unit to store and easily access them. On the days when I'm not writing, playing, or doing much of anything, I'll head back there and work on putting my Magic collection in order.

What are your other interests? How can you use those interests to improve your hobby? These indirectly related activities can be good to focus on. It's something different, and yet you're still involved in the game.

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

A final suggestion is to get brewing! After you've organized your collection, get ready to mess it up again. Look forward to the next set, the next rotation, or just building something that you normally wouldn't or in a format that you normally wouldn't play.

Read and follow what others are doing for new ideas. Another of my fellow authors, David Ernenwein, has an awesome article looking ahead to the Pioneer format and what Dominaria United will do to it. Doing any of these exercises can stretch your mental muscles in different ways and keep you in the game.

My Car Needs Repairs, So It's Your Lucky Day

There are times I see Facebook posts like the above heading and figure it's just a hook to get your attention. The sad reality is I do know people who have had to sell their cards for car repairs or other emergencies. It's a bad situation to get into: forced to give up part of a hobby you're invested in, but when push comes to shove for an essential, you do it. Sometimes the result is you quit the game when you really didn't want to.

So, how best can you protect your hobby from life's surprises? Create a buffer!

What Does an Umbrella Have to Do With Magic?

Savings! Put back a certain amount of money for potential problems. Build that emergency fund. Most financial establishments recommend three to six months of expenses. I know that's not always easy and many live paycheck-to-paycheck. But you just need to start. Be it $10 a week or a certain amount per month, take it out and forget about it. Once you start, you'll get used to it, and when an emergency comes around, hopefully nothing too severe, you'll be able to take care of it without having to ship off your only Volcanic Island.

Scratch That Itch, Just Not Too Hard

Going at it from the other end, limit and track your purchases. Figure out how much you've spent in the last few months and take a hard look at your spending habits. Do you really need that third box of Double Masters 2022 or a Japanese foil Veil of Summer?

Final Resort

Lastly, if you do end up having to sell off some cards, plan ahead. Every so often, review your collection and determine what can be offloaded and what stays. Relieving some of the stress of having to make a quick decision and then regretting it later can make all the difference. These suggestions aren't anything new. I remind my boys, and myself, of the importance of saving. The struggle is putting it into practice.

That Sounds Like a You Problem

One final topic that we all have dealt with one time or another: toxic social interactions. I use that term to emphasize that an emotional or social conflict can arise from anywhere for any reason. I won't go into the types of bad interactions, but for the most part it's like Justice Potter Stewart's famous comment about obscenity: "I know it when I see it."

I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me

So, how do we deal with these unfortunate situations that may truly deal a vicious blow to your Magic enjoyment? My first recommendation is personal preparation. I define it as reminding yourself that you are valued and have every right to play and enjoy the game.

Yes, I'm aware it's not always easy keeping that attitude when confronted. But once you resolve it within yourself, however you can, it will be the first step in better gaming. Many call it being "thick skinned," but I believe that's a misnomer, because it implies you shouldn't get emotional. Emotions aren't the problem; what's important is how you focus and channel that emotion.

What's the Appropriate Response?

Be aware of your surroundings and yourself. Of course, it's still important to discern appropriate responses to these situations. When you get crushed in a match and your opponent drops a "good game," you need to be aware of not only their intent, but your emotion level.

I had a personal experience with frustration in my second Double Masters 2022 draft. During the draft, I was one of the two people in the pod that opened nothing of value. The player to my left opened a borderless Force of Negation, the player to my right, a borderless Imperial Seal. By itself it wasn't a big thing. I've pulled junk rares and mythics many times during a draft. Still, my envy level did rise a notch seeing most everyone at the table pull well. I was a really good box overall.

I built a decent and aggressive RW deck. Low-to-the-ground with good removal. My opponent was a nice young guy and somewhat new to the game. I won the first game and then proceeded to lose the second and third games to mana issues and a couple of well-timed draws on his part. Along with him winning, he also shared what he pulled; a borderless foil Phyrexian Altar and borderless Damnation.

I congratulated him for the win, wished him good luck in the next game, and sat by myself for a little bit. I recognized that I was upset. Truly, not at my opponent. He was having fun, and we both wanted to pull cool cards and win games. Some circumstances are out of your control, and you need to see that to get past them. A little later, a few players came over and began sharing their Pioneer tournament experiences, and I was able to shake that un-fun feeling listening to their stories.

R-E-S-P-ECT!

We're all looking to enjoy the game, right? Either through social interaction, the game play, or just goofing around. Make sure you're respectful to those around you, because they generally are looking for the same thing. Unfortunately, there are times when something happens that just isn't right. Again, we'll usually know it when we see it, so if you see something that's not right, speak up!

We're trying to put out the fire, not pour gas on it. Sometimes being there for someone just means asking if they're alright or giving a word of encouragement. Other times, it might be more serious, and the need arises to bring it to someone's attention.

Without getting too preachy, I am a believer in the Golden Rule. The most recognized example is in the Christian Bible. Matthew 7:12: "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."

Other than the obvious, what I glean is this rule is proactive, not reactive. We are meant to treat others well. Not to stand by and watch others be treated poorly. We're to lift one another up. Why? Because being supportive of our fellow players is important for the game as a whole and for each of us individually. It all makes for a better game experience and encourages everyone to keep on playing. Together, we are stronger than the slog!

Where to Go from Here

I'm sure I only scratched the surface of ways to allow yourself to truly endure. To be able to not only continue your personal fun, but to share it with others. That's what will keep Magic, and your enjoyment of it, going on for a long time.

I hope you were provided some insight on good ways to improve and sustain your Magic experience. Do you have any good experiences or stories to share? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter. And until then, may you beat the bad beats!

Under-the-Radar Commander Cards, August ’22

Posted on August 25, 2022August 25, 2022 by Joe Mauri

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Greetings Commander fans! It's time for another round of some under-appreciated cards. Many cards can escape a first glance, but then prove themselves game after game.

When do you know a card is left-field enough to qualify as off the radar? If an entire table has to read your card, that's a good sign. So without further ado, let's take a look at some game-changing head-turners!

Life, the Universal Resource

There was an error retrieving a chart for Fire Covenant

Want to obliterate a lot of creatures for only three mana? How about at instant speed? Fire Covenant does all that at the cost of some life. We know that cards like Toxic Deluge are good enough for the EDREC top 100, and Covenant is not that much worse. Yes, it's a bit harder to cast, but at the same time it's an instant, it doesn't wipe your own board, and combos with damage effects like Stuffy Doll and Death Pits of Rath. While it can be decent in a lot of decks on its own, it is criminally powerful with additional synergy.

When Banned Cards Are Allowed

There was an error retrieving a chart for Druid of Purification

Four mana for a three-for-one. Nowadays, there are so many different kinds of artifact tokens that there are bound to be enough targets. If you have any recursion or flicker effects, this card can definitely start to do some hefty damage.

While it is a "may" clause, it's extremely unlikely that opponents will not bother to blow something up if they can for free, especially if they themselves are losing something. Sylvan Primordial is banned, and this card is essentially half the mana to do half of the effect. For one more mana than Reclamation Sage, the Druid is a very solid card with a massive upside.

How Can I Add Removal Without Removing Value?

There was an error retrieving a chart for Release to the Wind

Release is a perfect example. You get the flexibility of a Flicker effect when you need it, but can also remove virtually anything in response. Sure, they get their permanent back. Maybe they get another cast or ETB trigger because of that.

But you get more! Release can let you survive a lethal attack or blank an aura or equipment and generally stall another turn in virtually any circumstance. It's also essential for Chun-Li, Countless Kicks to get more kick counters. It "saves" your own stuff as well. While three mana is not generally a bargain price, what you can do with the effect is near limitless. For that level of flexibility, three mana is a bargain.

An Article Without a Theft Effect? Nope!

There was an error retrieving a chart for Thieving Skydiver

A kicker of one steals Sol Ring and also artifact lands, but a kicker of two steals piles of common Equipment cards and signets. This is a very solid card when you consider it alongside the EDREC top 100, of which it nabs 21. And within the top 100 artifacts, 58 cost two mana or less. You can even combo it with Liquimetal Torque to steal anything. Top all of that off with the fact that it has two good creature types and flying, and Skydiver makes for a solid include any virtually any deck.

Another Charming Card

There was an error retrieving a chart for Emerald Charm

As a huge fan of many of the charms, let me just say that Emerald Charm is very underplayed. All three modes are useful. At one mana, what is the best mode? Surprisingly enough, removing flying from a creature is extremely close to killing it, and untapping a blocker works as well. Lots of permanents tap for more than one mana, thus netting mana. If you like tap-to-activate abilities, this gives you a second. Finally, it can destroy a "global enchantment," which means any non-aura. So this card is removal, removal, ramp, and more removal. Five stars, try it!

Would You Play Two Sol Rings?

There was an error retrieving a chart for Thran Turbine

Ever want to try a more fair version of Sol Ring? Turbine is your answer. It's right at home in artifact decks, and there is always a use for extra colorless mana for activated abilities. If you're already running Mana Vault, Basalt Monolith, and Grim Monolith, Turbine helps untap them easily. It also activates many abilities from very commonly-played cards like Mind Stone, Sensei's Divining Top, and Wayfarer's Bauble. In the right deck, it is a second copy of Sol Ring. In many other decks, its potential is close to that of a second Sol Ring. And it's only one mana!

Is It Infinite Or Not?

There was an error retrieving a chart for Bosium Strip

A huge boon for storm-style decks, Strip can act as a colorless Yawgmoth's Will or Past In Flames. Even on the least powerful end, just recasting a good spell like Swords to Plowshares a second time is value, and gives white some extra casting that it normally lacks.

The Solution to "Win More"

There was an error retrieving a chart for Response // Resurgence

Relentless Assault and cards like it can be game-ending, but they only work if you already have a board state, which makes them dead in the early-game and therefore liabilities to actually run.

If you can't manage to create a board, at least Response is waiting to remove something for only two mana. Yes, the removal is not top notch, but it's good enough most of the time and is far better than a dead card sitting in your hand. Resurgence costs just one more mana than Assault but gives you two nice buffs for it.

Known But Not Notorious

There was an error retrieving a chart for Snuff Out

Snuff Out is free removal, but it's not in the top 100 cards or even top 100 black cards. It does find popularity among top black instants, but is only half way up the list. Black has always had great sorceries but has generally lacked in instants. Much like any free spell, Snuff can be a game-winning card, and is easier to splash than ever with triomes. Of course, paying four life is always worth it, and this even beats regeneration. Decks are lacking removal; add more removal; try Snuff.

Everyone Else Is Playing It

There was an error retrieving a chart for Peer Pressure

I'm been experimenting with Peer Pressure, and it's busted. With creatures that have the changeling ability, this is effectively Insurrection except it costs half the mana and lasts forever instead of until end of turn. Talk about compelling!

However, I am looking at this from another angle, because I have noticed in many games my opponents have at least one changeling if not more. I'm going to keep looking for ways to weaponize copycat deck design against other players. Tokens do a pretty good job of getting the critical mass necessary to pressure the table out, so UG and UW make excellent use of this card.

Power AND Flexibility

As always, the local meta is the single largest factor when determining just how powerful and useful any given card will be. Personally, I play in a few different locations, and suspect I prepare for a wider variety of situations than the average player. Even still, having more flexible cards tends to work better than having generically powerful cards because of the singleton nature of Commander. You may not draw your silver bullet. This matters even more when your best bullet is your only one. In multiplayer especially, you may need to take more than one shot to solve a difficult board state.

What are some of your underappreciated Commander cards? Let me know in the comments or the QS Discord!

Life Lessons on Collectibles, Pt. 2 (2004-2012)

Posted on August 24, 2022August 25, 2022 by David Schumann

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In part one of this series, I shared my foray into collectibles, starting with baseball cards and eventually ending up a casual Magic player. Today I'll continue the story and consider the lessons learned collecting in and beyond college.

Collecting in College

There was an error retrieving a chart for Tolarian Academy

There were no game stores anywhere close to my university, which nowadays seems unthinkable, but at the time it forced me to pull away from the hobby I had loved for so long. However, my freshman year, I did look to see if I could find any other Magic players on a local forum.

I met up with one guy who had a full Ravager Affinity deck built, and he stomped most of the casual decks I had made. All of them except one: I had fallen in love with Tolarian Academy after reading just how broken the archetype was, and built an insanely powerful deck utilizing Windfall, Stroke of Genius, Mind Over Matter, and a lot of artifacts. I enjoyed winning every game on turn 1, and he had never seen most of those cards before. The fun I had in those games kept me from selling any of my cards during this break, and when the siren again, I answered with a vengeance.

Lesson learned : Cherish the rare things that bring you great joy.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Stroke of Genius

The summer before my last semester, I had a medical issue that required a week-long hospital stay. I was not used to being cooped up in a bed, and began looking for something to stimulate my brain. Sadly, this was in the days before hospitals had wifi available, and I quickly got bored playing single-player Diablo 2. That is when I remembered my old Magic collection and had my parents bring me my cards.

I spent the remainder of my stay building decks and playing against my brother when he came to visit. The current standard block was Lorwyn, and I opened a pack with a planeswalker, a card type I had never seen before.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Ajani Goldmane

Lesson learned : when times get dark and stressful, having a hobby you love to fall back on is invaluable.

The Real World

After graduation, I was able to land my dream job. However, it required I move to Baltimore, far from my friends and family. I was excited for this fresh start, but also aware that I was no social butterfly, and many evenings were spent cooking dinner and watching TV.

Fortunately, the company I worked for happened to have an internal forum for coworkers to discuss hobbies, so I asked around for fellow Magic players and met a coworker at a local game store (Games and Stuff in Glen Burnie, MD). We played in a Shards of Alara draft and quickly became good friends.

Lesson learned: making new friends is a lot easier when you share a hobby.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Tezzeret the Seeker

It was during this time that I was introduced to EDH (the format now called Commander) and learned it was my preferred format to play. I began buying cards I thought might be powerful in the format or ones I wanted for specific decks. Prior to this revelation, I had almost always bought packs and traded their contents for cards I wanted, which obviously meant I acquired cards pretty inefficiently.

Lesson learned: when you want something specific, just buy it.

Most of the EDH games I played at this time were with a small group of likeminded casual players. We would play at our LGS until they closed, and then moved the games to a Denny's that wasn't too far away until we were ready to call it quits for the night.

Other players watched us, and interest in the format grew, which isn't surprising given that UB Faeries was dominating Standard deck and many found it abysmal to play against. This growth led the store to start an EDH tournament, which of course brought in some more competitive players. I wanted to give them a run for the money, so I built a one-trick pony Maralen of the Mornsong combo deck and took down the tournament. I don't even remember what the prize was, but I do remember that I didn't really enjoy playing the deck and I took it apart after the tournament.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Maralen of the Mornsong

Lesson learned: play what you love, be that competitively or not.

All Good Things...

Sadly, I graduated smack-dab in the middle of "The Great Recession" and my dream job evaporated along with the jobs of 500+ of my coworkers. It could have easily been an opportunity for me to fall into depression, but I had my trusty cards and friends, and we kept playing right up until I moved back home to look for a new job.

I was able to land a position at a company I had interned at for several summers, and there was a card store about 40 minutes away. I made my way there and ended up meeting two brothers who ended up being best men in my wedding and whom I still hang out with as often as possible. Magic had once again brought me new friendships and kept my spirits high.

It was also at this time that I began to find enjoyment in competitive Standard. This was before Cawblade had caught on big, and the format was still pretty wide open. I built a very powerful Mono-Green Elves deck that utilized Copperhorn Scout, Elvish Archdruid, and Ezuri, Renegade Leader to flood the board with elves and kill my opponents on turn 4 or 5 consistently.

Lesson learned: playstyles and enjoyment can change, so don't be afraid to branch out and try new things.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Ezuri, Renegade Leader

Just a Children's Card Game?

Thus concludes my Life Lessons on Collectibles series... psych! Stay tuned for my wrap-up next time. Until then, I hope you enjoyed taking this stroll down memory lane with me. What are your Magic stories? And the most valuable lessons you've learned along the way? Let us know in the comments!

Magical Creatures: Beeble, Masticore, and Metathran

Posted on August 24, 2022August 24, 2022 by Francesco Spagnol

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Hello everybody! Welcome to the latest installment of Magical Creatures, a series reviewing every creature type that was created specifically for Magic: The Gathering. Last week, we finished our double feature on Tempest. That expansion set introduced so many new creatures that we had to split the analysis into two pieces. The first dealt with Thalakos and Soltari; the second, with Licid, Spike, and Sliver.

What's next? The Rath cycle was followed by a starter set (Portal Second Age) and by the first "Un-set" (Unglued). Neither of them, however, introduced new creature types unique to Magic. Therefore, we'll have to wait for one of the most beloved cycles ever: the Urza block, often regarded beetwen 1998 and 1999 as the most powerful block ever and printed.

Urza's Saga

Beeble, Masticore, and Metathran are the three creature types unique to Magic that were created for the Urza block. None of them appeared in the first set, Urza's Saga, which introduced no new creature types at all. Not that it needed them in order to become legendary! It boasted plenty of powerful spells and lands, as you can see.

Some of the most powerful cards from Urza's Saga

Anyway, we'll get back to this abundance of high-power cards on another occasion. For now, let's focus on the three creature types introduced in the other two expansions from Urza block, Urza's Legacy and Urza's Destiny.

Beeble

Beeble looks a lot like a creature from an Un-set. And for good reason. Of the five unique creatures with that subtype, three are from an Un-set! However, when they were first printed, Beebles were included in a regular set, by which I mean one legal for sanctioned play. The first two Beebles are Bouncing Beebles, from Urza's Legacy, and Bubbling Beebles, from Urza's Destiny.

Both are small, magical beings, similar in concept to the fantasy creature known as the "homunculus." Their history is well-known, as Beebles may be the most adorable and funny creatures ever created for Magic. But one interesting fact about the Beeble is their first appearance: the cover of Duelist n°22. Illustrated by Jeff Miracola, it showed a famous Magic character (Squee, as in Squee, Goblin Nabob) with a bunch of little, pink beings bouncing around. The illustration was published exactly one year before the arrival of the first official Beeble!

The creatures are obviously unplayable, at least in competitive lists, as their only feature is a semi-evasive ability. The first is unblockable if defending player controls an artifact, and the second is unblockable if they control an enchantment. Despite their relative elusiveness, Beebles are depicted on many other cards, such as Donate and Wizard Mentor. I personally hope to see many more of them in the future.

Masticore

Masticore, on the contrary, is a totally serious creature type. The exact opposite of Beebles. You can tell as soon as you check out the illustration of the first of its knid, which is called Masticore. So, what's a masticore, apart from being ferocious? Well, its menacing and aggressive qualities are surely relevant characteristics, but they are shared with another similar type: Manticore. Why create a new type entirely?

Let's start with the similarities. Both types are fierce, lion-like beasts of a certain size. And... that's it. Now, what about the differences? The most relevant, at least for our purpose, is that a manticore is a legendary Persian creature which enjoys countless appearances all across the history of literature. A masticore, though, is a creature that just didn't exist before its introduction in Urza's Destiny in 1999. All this to say that the masticore takes inspiration from the manticore, and not the other way around.

Another difference is the alignment. Masticores are colorless, whereas Manticores are normally aligned with red (and sometimes with black and green). What else? If you look at the art, you'll see that most Manticores are winged, while Masticores are always flightless. (To be honest, this was true only for the first Manticores, since in recent years they printed some wingless specimens, too.) Finally, the very name "masticore" is a pun. It doesn't only refer to the famous Persian manticore, but also plays with the verb "masticate," meaning "to eat!"

Finally, all Masticores are artifact creatures, and they share the trait of having an effect that deals direct damage (normally as an activated ability). Another trait they share is making their owner discard cards, either at the beginning of the upkeep or when they enter the battlefield. In both cases, that's a drawback used to balance the fact they are colorless (making them easier to cast) and generally quite powerful.

Metathran

Metathran is probably the least famous among the creature types we're dealing with today. And yet, it's the most printed... in fact, no less than eight different cards exist bearing this subtype, versus five for the other two! That's not all. As we'll see soon, metathrans appear on many other cards, at least if you focus on illustrations.

What differentiates Metathran from Beeble and Masticore is also that this creature type followed the same path as Thalakos, Soltari, Kithkin, and many others. In other words, when the first Metathrans appeared, they didn't bear the Metathran subtype, as shown in the gallery above. It was only with Tenth Edition (2007) that Sky Weaver appeared, the first Metathran that actually received the type.

From an in-game perspective, this subtype is not that consistent. I mean, their art is always recognizable, but their abilities are quite varied. The first two Metathrans share an evasive ability, while the others don't. Four of them have activated abilities, but their effects are not alike. The only thing Metathrans share is their blue alignment.

The most interesting thing about Metathrans, given their unexceptional power level, is the frequency with which they appear in the illustrations of other cards. Some of those include Chromatic Sphere, Kavu Scout, and Minotaur Tactician, to give an idea of how widespread they are across all colors. If you're interested, a full list is available here.

Opposites Attract

In today's piece, we sw some new creature types, but also some long-standing characteristics that we have by now come to recognize. For instance, the very common practice of naming the first card of a new creature type with the same name as the subtype itself. Masticore was just the latest in a long line of creatures such as Lhurgoyf, Phelddagrif, Homarid, Orgg, Atog, and many others!

The most relevant feature we came across today, though, is the opposition between serious and comical creature-type designs. We saw something similar while analyzing Brushwagg and Viashino, or unpacking illustrations. This time, however, the opposition is particularly strong, perhaps because of Masticore's epicness, in total contrast with Beeble's playfulness.

What do you think of today's creatures? Are you team grandeur or team irony? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter, and stay tuned for next week's piece, where we'll deal with the new subtypes from Mercadian Masques!

Pioneer Deck Spotlight: MonoG Devotion

Posted on August 23, 2022August 22, 2022 by Adam Cohen

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In recent months, Pioneer has gotten especially popular among the competitive Magic crowd. It's the inaugural format for the first Regional Championship and many of the Regional Championship Qualifiers feeding the event. Thanks to the influx of Pioneer tournaments and additional eyes on the format, more players have begun to iterate on the established top decks with some interesting results. The most notable innovations seem to all relate to MonoG Devotion, the current top dog of the metagame.

What Does it Do?

The Splash

At face value, MonoG Devotion is a ramp deck that takes advantage of Elvish Mystic and Llanowar Elves alongside Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx to power out midrange threats like Cavalier of Thorns and Karn, the Great Creator. However, the deck also includes Oath of Nissa and Storm the Festival as forms of card advantage and selection. Thanks to Oath's mana-washing and Festival putting permanents directly into play, there is enough consistency to reliably splash otherwise uncastable planeswalkers.

Initial builds played a single copy of Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God as a standalone value engine. Bolas is an enticing include as it provides a consistent source of card draw and removal, things green decks often struggle with. Hall of Fame member and professional mathematician Frank Karsten recently released an article on the likelihood of getting a Bolas in play and found it to have an 82.5% success rate by turn six, with no substantial difference in success rate between one or two copies.

Karsten's findings suggest that it's perfectly reasonable to play off-color planeswalkers, and may arguably be correct for the sheer increase in power level. Recently, the deck has moved away from Bolas in favor of Teferi, Who Slows the Sun as it provides consistency toward combo wins.

The Combo

As mentioned above, the midrange plan is just surface level. MonoG also has access to an impressive combo finish involving The Chain Veil and Pestilent Cauldron // Restorative Burst out of the Karn, the Great Creator wishboard.

There was an error retrieving a chart for The Chain Veil

With sufficient devotion, a player can use Teferi or Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner to repeatedly untap The Chain Veil and/or Nykthos. Restorative Burst can pick up Kioras and Karns in the graveyard that have minused to zero loyalty. Each fresh copy can activate an additional time for each activation of the Chain Veil, even if they weren't in play when the artifact was activated. Since Restorative Burst exiles itself and is an artifact on the front side, Karn can repeatedly find the spell from exile to recast.

After performing this loop a sufficient number of times, Karn can then find Reckoner Bankbuster in the sideboard, activate it, then activate Kiora or Teferi to untap the vehicle until its charge counters deplete. This produces a treasure token that can be used to cast Pestilence Cauldron and mill the opponent infinitely.

What I Like

MonoG feels like a Swiss Army Knife. It utilizes one of the key pillars of the format (Nykthos/one-drop mana dorks) better than any other deck allowing it to fight on just about any axis. Threats like Old Growth Troll can provide an aggro game plan to take down opponents before they set up, while Karn can adjust to any matchup with a variety of hate cards. Having maindeck access to niche options like God-Pharaoh's Statue or even Pithing Needle can deal a critical blow to linear strategies, and "good stuff" options like Skysovereign, Consul Flagship and Esika's Chariot can overpower anyone playing fair Magic.

I'm also a big fan of how consistent the deck is. Each effect has multiple cards performing similar roles. Nine mana dorks and functionally eight land auras, plus Nykthos, almost guarantees acceleration in the early game, while ensuring Kiora will untap a land that produces multiple mana. Oath, Storm the Festival, and Karn all provide consistency in assembling the end game lines as well. Cavalier is either a game-winning threat on its own, or fixes the next draw when it dies for a follow up win condition.

What I Don't Like

Since you are a green deck with only nominal access to other colors, it's hard to make significant deckbuilding changes without affecting the deck's ability to reliably cast its necessarily pip-intensive spells.

The deck's natural predator is white aggro. Decks like WR Heroic, and White Weenie are especially difficult where their clock is fast, disruptive, and can get underneath us. Brave the Elements is a catch-all way for them to completely sidestep MonoG's defenses, so blocks aren't always reliable ways to guarantee another turn.

The list below incorporating Portable Hole on the back of shocklands and pathways may be the closest MonoG can get to early interaction and removal.

The Deck

Pioneer MonoG Devotion

Creatures

4 Elvish Mystic

4 Llanowar Elves

1 Sylvan Caryatid

4 Old-Growth Troll

4 Cavalier of Thorns

Enchantments

4 Oath of Nissa

4 Wolfwillow Haven

Planeswalkers

4 Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner

2 Teferi, Who Slows the Sun

4 Karn, the Great Creator

Spells

4 Storm the Festival

Lands

2 Boseiju, Who Endures

3 Branchloft Pathway

6 Forest

2 Lair of the Hydra

4 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx

4 Temple Garden

Sideboard

3 Portable Hole

1 Treasure Vault

1 Tormod's Crypt

1 Pithing Needle

1 Damping Sphere

1 Transmogrifying Wand

1 The Chain Veil

1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship

1 God-Pharaoh's Gift

1 Meteor Golem

1 Pestilent Cauldron

1 Esika's Chariot

1 Reckoner Bankbuster

End Step

All in all, MonoG Devotion is a powerhouse of a deck, and probably the best all-around choice for Pioneer right now. I plan on locking in the list above for a local RCQ this weekend, and I plan to share updates on Twitter. Follow me there for all the latest updates! See you all next week (and hopefully with my invite in hand)!

Dominaria United Spoilers: A Pioneer Shakeup

Posted on August 23, 2022August 23, 2022 by David Ernenwein

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It's spoiler season again, and as I look around the web, there's speculation running rampant. Nobody knows how cards fit in, whether they're home runs or the pits. We don't even have the full spoiler yet. It's tempting to jump into theorycrafting with unproven, untested cards, but I'm going to refrain. I'll stick to reprints this week.

For those unaware, Dominaria United (DMU) spoiler season is less than a week old. However, about half of the set has been spoiled. This was not intentional, someone at Wizards accidentally posted the entire Dominaria United Release Notes document on the official site last Friday. They took it down quickly, but the internet never forgets. The set looks quite interesting overall. However, six intentionally spoiled cards currently overshadow everything else in terms of format impact. Today, I'll focus on those reprints and what they mean for Pioneer.

Bringing Back the Pain...lands

Confession: I said six cards, but that's only technically correct. See, five of the cards are from a cycle of ten that haven't been in Standard since 2009. This makes me feel very old, as I remember when these were the absolute pinnacle of mana fixing available. The allied pain lands are being reprinted and will therefore be Pioneer playable for the first time.

...though not all of them right away. Wizards is printing six pain lands now, and the rest are coming in The Brother's War in a couple of months. Which is a really weird division. Printing either the five allied and then five enemy-colored lands, or vice versa, makes a lot more sense—but apparently, the needs of Creative outweigh the need for logic.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Adarkar Wastes

This might explain why the reprints in DMU seem arbitrary. We're getting Adarkar Wastes, Caves of Koilos, Yavimaya Coast, Karplusan Forest, Shivan Reef, and Sulfurous Springs. I guess they're important to the story, but I don't follow the story anymore. I'm tired of setting everything on fire being Wizards' only storytelling strategy. Regardless, three allied pain lands are making it into Pioneer now, and the others will join in a few months.

A Needed Addition

I'm looking forward to having the allied pain lands back. The selfish reason is that I acquired multiple playsets of each back in the day, and I can finally unload them. I haven't found anyone who's wanted them since the shock lands were printed. Even the Ice Age versions. The design change towards always having mana fixing for all colors made them somewhat obsolete. The eternal formats have fetch lands and duals, and Standard is, well, Standard.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Scalding Tarn

However, now pain lands will be in Pioneer forever, and I strongly suspect they'll be in high demand. Mana Confluence has been seeing a lot of play precisely because the allied pain lands aren't available. Paradoxically, the mana fixing for enemy colors was a lot better than allied since the enemy pain lands were already available via Magic Origins. Confluence will almost certainly be immediately replaced, which will also make some mana bases less painful on average. The pain lands can be used for colorless mana, after all.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Mana Confluence

Beyond that, it's not clear how the new pain lands will fit into Pioneer mana bases. The enemy pain lands aren't always included in enemy-colored decks, even faster ones. Replacing the Pathways is the logical starting point, but I don't know if that's ultimately correct. I am certain that there will be a lot of tinkering in the next few months.

The Queen Returns

Of course, all that pales in comparison to the news that Liliana of the Veil is being reprinted. Yes, I did bury the lede. It's a legitimate journalistic stratagem. Unlike with the allied pain lands, Modern (and maybe Legacy) is interested in this reprint.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Liliana of the Veil

Liliana's (arguably) most powerful incarnation is fairly expensive and has been so for quite a while, despite a few printings in Masters sets. A new printing in a Standard-legal set (with a Standard sized print run) represents a large increase in supply. This should put downward pressure on the overall price, with the new printing having the most pressure due to older versions having extra collector value. Of course, the new printing will also stimulate demand as players want to play a full set. Whether this will yield a net increase or decrease in price won't be known for some time.

She Finds a New Realm...

Of course, the biggest impact will be on the format that Liliana's never been in, Pioneer. Or maybe we should all just agree to call it Veil.format for the next few months. I'm not even making a joke. I fully expect everyone and their hamster to be running Liliana of the Veil in every deck possible for the next few months. Whether that will still be true in 2023 is another matter entirely.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Thoughtseize

Liliana of the Veil was a staple of Modern for many years. She's still a very potent card and sees considerable play, however, it's definitely not as much as pre-Modern Horizons. Liliana also sees play in Legacy, though it's neither widespread nor consistent. There's no reason to think that Pioneer would be an exception.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Tarmogoyf

The real question is what role Liliana will play in Pioneer. Liliana is a resource denial planeswalker. The symmetrical discard is used to pressure the opponent into taking action while (in Modern and Legacy) powering up Tarmogoyf. The latter isn't possible in Pioneer, but the former will likely have a large impact on UW Control matchups.

...With a Ready Palace

That being said, I don't think that is currently the utility on most players' minds. I'm going to make a bold prediction right now: Liliana's printing will primarily benefit Greasefang, Okiba Boss decks in the immediate future. Whether it's the Abzan Greasefang deck or other variants is irrelevant. Greasefang is the archetype that will most fully adopt Liliana.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Greasefang, Okiba Boss

The reason is simple: Liliana makes Greasefang better. The card, I mean. The whole deck too, I suppose, but I'm specifically pointing to Liliana closing a big hole in the Greasefang plan. Specifically, Liliana makes it possible to discard Parhelion II reliably, repeatably, and consistently. Using Greasefang on Parhelion is the primary strategy for the deck, but also a sometimes-fatal flaw. The Abzan version in particular has many ways to get Parhelion into the graveyard from the library but few to discard it, meaning Liliana is closing a blindspot.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Parhelion II

A blindspot that is relevant. There are plenty of ways for a Greasefang trigger to not result in an attack. My personal favorite is tapping Parhelion with Shacklegeist. Many lists now run Esika's Chariot to avoid this problem, but it's not as powerful as Parhelion. And now there's a way to reset while also disrupting the opponent. It's an exceptional deal.

Make Pioneer Make Sense

With all that said, I really hope that Liliana (and to a lesser extent the pain lands) will make Pioneer make more sense to me. It may just be me, but the Pioneer metagame doesn't make sense. There are some decks that make perfect sense as good decks. There are many others that seem like they shouldn't work and yet see a lot of play. More perplexingly, there are a number of decks that seem like they should be better or even exist but don't, one of which Liliana could revive.

Why Must This Be?

I realize that it sounds weird, but Pioneer's metagame feels very arbitrary. As if there's a gentleman's agreement being enforced that "This is how it is to be, don't ruin everything." However, there's no particular reason that The Things That Are Good have to be, nor is there a reason other things couldn't be too. And yet, things are as they are.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Brainstorm

For comparison, Standard makes sense. It is the reflection of whatever Wizards decided would be good when the legal sets were designed. Whatever's good is whatever is able to be good. Modern makes sense (even if it is a bit wonky). Its metagame is a function of the best threats and answers available. Legacy makes sense. It's Brainstorm decks vs anti-Brainstorm decks, and the top deck is the most efficient Brainstorm deck. Are there holes and oddities in all of these? Absolutely, but the reasons the holes exist have explanations that fit their respective metagames.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Bloodtithe Harvester

To me, that isn't the case for Pioneer. It feels far more arbitrary. I don't have a specific reason why I feel this way. It's a general feeling, but I can point to the source of the feeling. Pioneer was brand new when the pandemic ended almost all paper Magic for a year and serious competitive play for two. The format was poised to be heavily pushed in competitive play to develop its player base, but that never happened. Instead, it was left to wallow and the only players that kept it going were the hard-core enthusiasts. Now that Pioneer is getting pushed again, it's like everyone else is stepping into the enthusiast's exclusive club and being told to conform, and we don't know better.

A Case in Point

The best encapsulation of my issue is that there is only one Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx deck, and that feels wrong. Nykthos is the most powerful mana engine in Pioneer (Lotus Field is a combo, not an engine) and yet it only sees play in one deck anymore. Devotion in general seems like it's being underplayed. I'm not saying that every color needs a devotion deck. Mono-Blue Devotion would be worse than Mono-Blue Spirits. Mono-White Devotion was a thing until Walking Ballista was banned. It isn't anymore because there's no good white mana-sink.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx

But why don't existing mono-red decks play Nykthos? They're well set up to do so now as they did before. Many play several varieties of Chandra, have many creatures and play red artifacts and enchantments. All of which provide red pips to power Nykthos. Red even has the perfect mana-sink/finisher in Banefire. However, I've never seen anyone try. I proxied up a few versions at the start of RCQ season and they performed about the same as the normal mono-red decks, yet, they see no play.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Banefire

Similarly, mono-black decks have never played Nykthos despite being (arguably) the best Devotion deck in Ravnica-Theros Standard. I didn't get it then, and I don't get it now. It's especially egregious since Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth is legal and removes Nykthos' colorless mana drawback. It can't be that Pioneer is too fast. Rakdos Midrange and UW Control are two of the most successful decks. What's the problem?

Liliana As a Fix

This is where Liliana can help me. She's better in many roles than competing red planeswalkers, which will push them out. With a reduced need for red, there will be an incentive to go mono-black. The biggest losses are Bonecrusher Giant and Fable of the Mirror Breaker. However, there are other removal and card advantage options available. Thus, she might make the deck that I think should exist, actually exist.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Fable of the Mirror-Breaker

Not that it's a certainty. My problem is my problem. It may be that I'm simply out of touch. However, as I noted earlier this year, it does feel like Pioneer is missing something. Other players I've discussed this with agree, but nobody knows what's wrong or what's missing. Just that the format feels somehow incomplete. Liliana and the pain lands will certainly lead to more exploration of Pioneer, so hopefully, that will fill in the missing decks.

More to Come

DMU isn't even out yet and it's already having a major impact on Pioneer. Hopefully, these reprints are the most impactful cards and everything else will be interesting build-arounds and role-players. Some pretty overpowered cards need printing to shake up any format as much as Liliana of the Veil and allied pain lands promise to. Which is a troubling thought.

Navigating Arena’s Latest Cube

Posted on August 22, 2022August 22, 2022 by Robert Genuario

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A good format demands to be explored. It presents unique possibilities down each avenue and promises discoveries at every bend. The best example of this is Cube, and Arena's most recent iteration is no exception. Even experienced players will have to adjust to the new card list and relearn the terrain. The lessons of last Cube are still valuable, but the changes impact the environment. A knowledge of the landscape can help you navigate your draft to consistent success.

The best place to start is in the two mono-colored aggressive decks.

Red Aggro

The trick to the aggressive decks in this format is the one drops. Kumano Faces Kakazhan, Bomat Courier, Falkenrath Pit Fighter, Rabbit Battery, and Voldaren Epicure are all amongst the cards with the highest game-in-hand win rate, and that's not an accident. Two drops are always important in aggressive decks. When they follow aggressive one drops they can quickly pressure opponents.

In traditional draft sets, we first pick the top-end threats. In Cube, the power level is high all around. The best way to capitalize on that is to ensure we have the cards that make our deck work consistently. For an aggressive deck to perform consistently, it needs to set the tone early. This means prioritizing cheap creatures. The more expensive cards are mostly interchangeable, but cheap creatures are essential. Of the expensive cards, Embercleave is by far the best finisher.

White Aggro

Similarly, the best white decks are low to the ground. We want a deep arsenal of one and two drops. Adanto Vanguard and Luminarch Aspirant are effective and white's three-drops are very deep. Elite Spellbinder and Adeline, Resplendent Cathar have consistently looked powerful.

Oketra's Monument improves with the addition of Sigardian Evangel. The two combine to create X 1/1s and 3/1s while tapping X creatures down. Both cards are strong on their own and should not be overlooked. The white deck can use the monument to go wide with Clarion Spirit, Wedding Announcement, Angel of Invention and others.

The Alchemy Baldur's Gate legend Lae'zel, Githyanki Warrior is the most powerful addition to the color. It blanks removal and is very hard to deal with in combat. While I don't want a lot of four drops, this is one of the best. Similar to the red decks, you won't need to prioritize traditional bombs in the drafting portion. Focus on curving out and applying consistent pressure. There are enough bombs to go around.

The data provides compelling reasons as to why we should start our draft looking to be aggressive. While this chart doesn't explicitly aggregate aggressive decks versus slower decks, it reveals a clear color preference.

The red aggressive cards boast the highest win rates in the format. Additionally, I highlighted the IWD (improvement when drawn) of the two midrange threats. While Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite and Fable of the Mirror-Breaker have strong win rates, their decks struggle when those cards aren't drawn. The is clearer when we explore the rules of engagement for midrange decks in the format.

Midrange Migraines

The aggressive decks want to curve out, pressure our life total, and close out the game fast. This linear strategy leads to consistent gameplay. These decks have an abundance of tools and are on top for a reason.

Comparatively, the midrange decks need to provide a defense that can stabilize the board. Then they need to develop threats that can close out the game before aggressive decks assemble lethal damage. The following pieces are all valuable for different brands of midrange decks.

Fixing - to provide access to more powerful cards
Defensive Speed and Interaction - to not die to aggressive decks
Grind and Card Advantage - to win the mirror and beat more controlling decks.
Win Conditions - This can refer to any collection of tools that can actually win the game.

The aggressive decks are focused on doing one thing, whereas the midrange decks are torn between establishing a game plan and turning the corner. The aggressive decks define the updated Cube environment, but other decks can still thrive if they're built correctly.

Data Be Damned

Arena Cube is a lower-stakes format (as measured through the cost of entry and the reward for winning, as well as a lack of attached rankings). Take advantage of this format and explore what it has to offer.

One of the best ways to learn about this format is to look across the table. So many of the decks do powerful things, and there are a lot of viable options to consider. Cube encourages creative approaches and can turn any Spike into a Johnny.

Ramp/Lands/Go Big Green

Going bigger than the aggressive decks is a nice way to position yourself against the meta. Oracle of Mul Daya is a powerful centerpiece, while Thragtusk, Elder Gargaroth, and Workshop Warchief all generate value and gain life which makes things difficult for the aggressive decks.

Best of all, this is a deck that can start on turn one. Elvish Mystic, Llanowar Elves, and even Gilded Goose can put aggressive decks on the back foot. There are plenty of finishers, but the ones worth prioritizing are Kogla, the Titan Ape, Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, and even Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger.

The elves are good in a lot of the midrange decks. Taking one early is a reasonable place to start your draft and can help you get into this archetype while leaving other options open.

Gruul Beatdown

The Red Green deck is a bigger aggressive deck. This deck doesn't have the high count of one drops, although it does want the elves. Your threats should be bigger than the mono-colored decks, but you're still playing aggressive creatures.

Domri, Anarch of Bolas and Halana and Alena, Partners are both powerful cards for this deck and exemplify your game plan. Dragons like Glorybringer are great ways to end the game in a deck like this and the burn spells are both interaction and reach.

Esper Midrange

White provides a number of options that the aggressive drafters will ignore. You can often wheel Banishing Slash, Seal Away, and The Birth of Meletis in addition to board wipes like Day of Judgment. Most white players will pursue an aggressive deck, which means these types of cards will be available late. The black removal spells haven't been as impressive, but you probably want some number of them.

Contrary to many of the decks in the format, the top-end threats are the draw to this archetype. Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, Sheoldred, Whispering One, The Scarab God, and Hullbreaker Horror are all very difficult to beat.

Timeless Witness Decks

I've spent most of my drafts in the Cube working on Timeless Witness decks. Usually, these are three-color piles with a lot of powerful cards and card advantage. These decks don't tend to play as many top-end threats and are more formidable in the midgame. Timeless Witness has strong synergies with Baral's Expertise and Mythos of Illuna. Every copy of the Witness can regrow either sorcery while fighting down the opponent's creatures or resetting their development.

Even without any specific synergies, I like this card. It brings back a useful answer or a problematic threat, and it can do it again when you eternalize it. This type of deck uses a diverse array of pieces. You want to keep the card quality high and keep the hits coming. Cards like Mulldrifter, Crystalline Giant, Once Upon a Time, The Scarab God and Fable of the Mirror-Breaker don't have much in common, but they all fit in this deck based on card quality alone.

Mizzix's Mastery

Mizzix's Mastery has powerful applications. Most famously, it combines with Magma Opus to fuel a glut of value on turn three. However, if the game goes long, knowing that this is in your deck makes it feel like you can't lose.

Many of the red decks pull you towards being aggressive, but this card wants to play a longer game. It fits best in control shells and makes good use of the red burn spells. Cards like Young Pyromancer and Smoldering Egg play well with the Mastery as they set up your late game. The aggressive spell-based cards don't belong in this deck.

Aristocrats

This has been the biggest underperformer in my eyes. It has good tools in Blood Artist, Lolth, Spider Queen, Morbid Opportunist, and The Meathook Massacre. I think the problem is the creatures are too small for the aggressive matchup and the midrange decks are going over the top of it.

Weaknesses aside, I think this deck has potential, and perhaps it just needs to go bigger. The Esper endgame cards might be a good direction, but the aggressive black and white cards might provide a better direction. There is a lot of room for variance in Cube and this deck has potential.

Conclusion

Cube's high power level makes every draft feel like a novel experience. There are countless archetypes that we can iterate on and experiment with. In the current Arena Cube, the aggressive decks will give us the best chances to win, but that doesn't always equate to the best experiences. This is a format that deserves exploration and it's hard to play it without being tempted to stray from the data.

I've had success playing midrange decks and the format has been a blast. Each synergy makes me want to explore further, and there are many cards I've yet to test. This format is a great forum to pursue your creativity and that path will lead to fundamental growth as a drafter and Magic player. While I hope this guide gets you the wins you want, I'm more excited to hear about the discoveries you've made. Make sure to comment about what decks have worked best for you!

Inkworks and Autographs: Thinking Outside the Box

Posted on August 22, 2022August 22, 2022 by Sigmund Ausfresser

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At this point, it’s safe to say Magic: the Gathering is the most successful collectible card game of all time. While Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! have had their time in the number one spot, and there will always be fans of Decipher’s Star Wars CCG, Magic reigns supreme. I don’t have sales numbers to compare, but I think after nearly 30 years it would be extremely difficult to contest this statement.

During the 1990s and early 2000s, however, there were TONS of different collectible card games. I’ve read through numerous InQuest Gamer magazines, and in most issues, there’s a section on new and upcoming card games. If there was a successful science fiction or fantasy franchise, it would have a game.

Most of these games have since failed, though some maintain a strong following. I wrote about this a couple of years ago, with a focus on Star Wars CCG. Some of these older games still maintain surprisingly high values.

This week I’m going even deeper because I learned something new recently that I felt was worth sharing with the Magic finance community. This week, I’ll be looking at a series of still valuable non-sports, non-game trading cards manufactured by the now defunct company Inkworks.

What Was Inkworks?

Good question! I tried Googling the company and, while there are a handful of hits, there’s really no official company page. I guess that makes sense since they went bankrupt over a decade ago. Considering the magnitude of their impact on the trading card market—an impact that still lingers even today—I’m surprised there isn’t more coverage of the company’s products.

I’m going to change that.

As far as I can tell, Inkworks started producing trading cards associated with various movie and tv show franchises back in 1996. According to the Trading Card Database, their first release was with the movie Pinocchio. Since then, they released over 100 sets of cards all the way up until 2010, around when they closed their doors.

In addition to printing quality trading cards with images from a set’s respective movie or television series, Inkworks would also include special promos and the like. The chase cards from a given set, however, were sure to be their autograph inserts.

What kind of autographs were included in the various Inkworks sets? There really is a gigantic range here—you have stars like Angelina Jolie, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Sopranos star Katherine Narducci, Alias’ Bradley Cooper, Alyssa Milano, and tons more.

My understanding is that these autographed cards were not present within the packs directly. Instead, you would open some sort of redemption card, kind of like the one below.

This was probably both really exciting and really disappointing at the same time. Eventually, Inkworks tried using autographed stickers to be placed on a card, so that they could be included directly in booster packs. People complained about this approach as well.

Separately, I’m trying to picture Wizards of the Coast doing something like this, and I suspect players would complain quite a bit, though that’s nothing new. More on this later.

After a while, Inkworks also started to include cards that contained snippets of actor-worn clothes, movie props, etc. associated with a set’s franchise. They named this subset of cards “Pieceworks”. I believe some of these would be inserted right inside booster packs, though some may have been too thick. Sarah Michelle Gellar fans may appreciate my first Pieceworks purchase:

My daughter loves Scooby Doo so I thought this would be a fun card to purchase and put on display at home. It's coming from the UK, so I'm still waiting to receive it. Hopefully, it's worth the $50 price tag.

Why Should You Care About Inkworks?

Some people (my spouse, for example) care very little about famous people and their notoriety. To the indifferent, someone like Angelina Jolie is just another person—their autograph is just some squiggly lines on a piece of cardboard. Who cares?

To me, however, a movie or television star’s autograph is a connection to Hollywood. This famous person, adored by millions of fans, actually took the time to sign their name on this card! There are only so many such cards in existence, and that makes something like this highly collectible in nature. The fact that I can purchase a costume piece or prop from an actual movie or television show is also exciting.

Even if you are completely apathetic towards Hollywood stars, it’s worth being aware of this collection simply because of the values associated. Clearly, there are enough people out there who agree with me because some of these Inkworks signature cards are quite expensive!

How expensive? Try four figures!

Inkworks autographs seem to demand a hefty premium over other signature listings on eBay. I assume this is because of a) the collectability of these cards, and b) the confidence in their authenticity. Whatever the reason, these cards are still highly desirable despite being two decades old!

I myself have shelled out a couple hundred bucks in order to purchase some Buffy the Vampire Slayer autograph cards. Despite the steep cost, I felt confident that these cards would hold their value—if they can be this expensive two years after the show, then chances are they won’t erode much in value going forward. Die-hard fans may be willing to pay even more over time since these are relatively rare and it’s not like any more are getting made anytime soon!

The Pieceworks collection of cards isn’t quite as expensive, though some are still worth a couple hundred bucks. I’m not sure if their print run was higher, or if more were circulated because you didn’t have to mail in a redemption card to obtain one. Perhaps people just prefer autographs over pieces of costumes. Whatever the reason, it’s still worth noting their collectibility.

Translating to Magic

I know this is a website dedicated to Magic, so I would be doing a disservice to readers if I neglected to mention the beloved game. Luckily, I have a thought exercise worth discussing in this area.

What would it be like if Magic included something along these redeemable autograph cards in a set? I could envision these modern-day “golden tickets” covering all sorts of surprise perks.

What if there were randomly inserted cards that granted you permission to tour Wizards' headquarters? Maybe there are twenty cards inserted that cover your airfare and hotel to attend the next Pro Tour as a spectator? Maybe some cards could be redeemed for a webcam Commander game with Mark Rosewater. Of course, some inclusions of autographs from the game’s design team would also be pretty neat (especially if Richard Garfield's signatures were included).

What would something like this do for Magic? On the one hand, they’d be a bit of a distraction from the game itself. It would be awkward if chase cards in a set were not game pieces at all, but were instead something altogether different. If they were rare enough, however, I think this confusion could be minimized. Wizards has already included random inserts in packs before—honestly, I think I’d be OK receiving an invitation to battle Mark Rosewater on Arena instead of an advertisement card or useless insert.

You could make the argument that including these cards would be difficult to orchestrate given Wizards’ printing and collation process. However, they just broke down that barrier with the inclusion of Lost Legends in Dominaria United collector booster packs! Was it a significant effort to have people manually crack open Legends packs to insert singles into random collector boosters? I suppose so.

That being said, no one would have to be cracking open any product to include these inserts. There would just have to be some sort of manual seeding process for these redeemable inserts and autograph cards. I don’t think it would be too difficult, and the hype it would drive and the potential increase in sales would be worth the effort, at least as a test scenario.

If it’s a huge bust, then Wizards wouldn’t have to continue the program. All I’m saying is that it’s worth a test—depending on what you offer, you could see a significant bump in sales and potentially reach a broader audience, especially if you offer benefits that go beyond the game of Magic. Imagine opening an invitation to create your own custom version of Monopoly. Or the chance to include your name in an upcoming card's flavor text? The possibilities are endless.

Wrapping It Up

I have more evidence that these Inkworks cards still cause lasting effects in the collectible market. I found this forum thread from 2020, long after Inkworks permanently closed its doors, where people argued about what Inkworks did well and didn’t do well. If people are debating this so many years after the company ceased to exist, you know there must be a lot of passion for their products.

This dialogue, along with the fact that these autograph and Pieceworks cards still sell for quite a bit, indicates to me how popular Inkworks cards can be. It’s a shame the company went out of business, and it seems the fad of collecting such cards may have gone the way of most failed trading card games. I suspect there isn’t much value associated with the common cards of these sets.

Yet, the autographs and Pieceworks cards still carry demand. It makes me wonder if Wizards could ever reapply the Inkworks model to include some non-game rewards or prizes as random inserts in booster products. It may seem gimmicky if executed poorly, but I would still love a shot at opening a card signed by Mark Rosewater or Richard Garfield.

Would it drive me to purchase more product? Probably not. However, it’s not because I don’t like the idea. It’s more that I don’t normally have good enough luck to open something so sweet. I’d be more inclined to shop around on the secondary market for these redeemable cards, which I could then redeem myself for the associated prize. Now that’s something I could see myself buying, just like I’ve been buying some Inkworks autographs.

Generational Magic Player Spotlight: Alice

Posted on August 19, 2022August 17, 2022 by Anthony Willier

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Sharing our Magic: the Gathering journey with each other is what makes this game more than just a game; it becomes a community. We create enjoyable moments with people who become friends and friends who become family. Here's a glimpse into someone's Magical life and how the game has influenced it.

I Play a Game Called Magic: The Gathering... No, It's a Card Game

Today we're meeting Alice, a Gem City Games employee and Commander enthusiast. Join me as Alice shares their Magic journey!

Help Me Welcome Our Next Contestant...

What's your name and how long have you played Magic: the Gathering?
My name is Alice and I've been playing from around 2011/2012; right around Zendikar.

Who initially shared Magic with you?
My father and some of my mother's co-workers back in Maryland.

That's a good distance away. Did your family move over here to Ohio?
No, just me, but I'm with my partner. My father doesn't play anymore, so I've been able to borrow some cards from him.

I see. Does your partner play as well?
Yes, we actually met each other through a Tumblr Magic role-playing group.

Cool. So, tell me about one of your first experiences playing Magic.
Sometime in 2010, my mother worked at a small company, different from the previous one. They had a game night for everyone, so my father brought his cards and we all had a fun, casual evening of tabletop Magic. One of my favorite cards from that time was my first foil mythic, a Novablast Wurm.

There was an error retrieving a chart for Novablast Wurm

How long have you worked here at Gem City Games?
I'm pretty new. I've been here since last November. I enjoy it since it gives me more opportunities to assist others with their decks and appreciate what everyone is playing. Working here has also helped me make more friends in the area since moving from Maryland last June.

That's great. It's can be difficult when coming into a new area. Who do you normally play with?
Generally the people here at Gem City.

I know you're working currently, but will you be playing Commander tonight?
Yes, after I get done with my shift.

What deck or decks are you planning to run?
Now that's a question! I have about 14 or 15 different decks on me. Each one is based around a different concept.

That's quite a few. How do you decide on which one to play?
It depends. Sometimes I'll ask the table; sometimes I'll go with my mood. I like to mess around with new or odd mechanics. I try to shine some light onto cards that are overlooked or messing around with the rules of Magic; testing the limits.

If you would, give us a glimpse into the types of decks you have?
Well, I have a Breya, Etherium Shaper deck that focuses on Thopters. I also have a deck called Prime Fractalization, that is, of course, Fractal-based. The commander for it is Adrix and Nev, Twincasters. I've been able to create 2^{^70} amount of fractals each with 2^{^61} power worth of counters on them. I'm kind of a math nerd, so it's been great fun doubling to absurdity.

The decks I last played were my Zevlor, Elturel Exile and Tivit, Seller of Secrets decks. Zevlor can create a lot of mischief by itself and is a great enabler for different styles of play. Tivit, of course, is great with voting cards. I haven't been able to draw it so far, but I can see Expropriate being great. For me, that is.

Do you play other formats, or mainly Commander?
Yes, mainly Commander, but I have been looking to try out Pioneer. I've seen many people here enjoy it, So I figure I'll give it a run sometime.

What's one of your favorite Magic cards?
That's a tough one for me, because I do have more than one. Currently one of my favorites is Moonfolk Puzzlemaker. The art is so cute, with her smiling and having fun with the puzzle box.

Is there anyone else you try to mentor or assist with the game?
As I mentioned before, I love to interact with others about deck building; share my decks, check out new decks. I'm always happy to give and receive suggestions on new cards, interesting combinations. Whatever would help bring out the fun.

On a slightly humorous and fun note, I'm always ready to lend a hand and assist others with opening packs! Opening packs is great fun, but it helps me not spend my whole paycheck on cards.

As a final note, is there anything you'd like to share with our audience?
I do have to say, Gem City is a very open place. As a transgender person new to the area, I've felt very welcome here.

The Wrap-Up

I want to thank Alice for sharing their story and how Magic has been a part of it. I hope you enjoyed our discussion and look forward to the next installment. Do you have some interesting stories? Feel free to share in the comments or on Twitter.

My New 32: A Deck for Each Color Identity, Part 2

Posted on August 18, 2022August 18, 2022 by Joe Mauri

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Greetings Magic fans, and welcome to the follow-up piece to My New 32, a list of Commander decks I am currently building, testing, and optimizing. As explained last week, the idea to build around each color identity sprang from a desire to create decks that were functionally unique, rather than ones that recycle the same core of staples in a given color, to yield a collection of decks that are truly different from one another and offer distinct play experiences.

Previously, we went over one-, four-, and five-color options. Today, we'll cover two- and three-color decks. Piles based on the shards and wedges of Magic are by far the most common choice in Commander. The land base of two- and three-color decks is easier to assemble now than ever before, and there are plenty of good budget choices in that regard.

Without further ado, I present the rest of my 32.

Three's Company

Esper

There was an error retrieving a chart for Tivit, seller of secrets

When I sort collections, I passively pull cards for decks. I have been building a small stack for Tivit for quite some time now, and it is almost complete. I look forward to casting cards like Split Decision and Expropriate while playing thematic cards like Telepathy. When the flavor text of the card matches the deck, you know you are doing it right! Tivit looks powerful, thematic and hopefully the added interaction of voting will make it fun too.

Grixis

There was an error retrieving a chart for Zevlor, Elturel Exile

Step one, cast huge Grixis spells. Step two, Zevlor. Step three, profit! I won't care if I ultimately lose the game so long as I get to copy some huge spells like Cruel Ultimatum, Bribery, or Jeska's Will. It's mean to single out an opponent so Zevlor makes it completely fair, right?

Jund

There was an error retrieving a chart for Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund

This is an oldie but goodie and pure meta call. There are a large number of Dragon decks at one of my local venues. On top of that, there are a lot of decks that utilize changeling. Karthus will give me a powerful Insurrection effect in my back pocket to solve crazy Dragon-based board states. As it's likely just a "Jund good stuff" deck, I'm more interested in the effect of my deck on the meta than how the deck plays.

Naya

There was an error retrieving a chart for Rocco, Cabaretti Caterer

Can you smell what Roco is cooking? This will be another art-based build restriction. Everything in this deck must feature artwork of food, cooking, kitchen or otherwise culinary things. I don't think this will be an impossible artwork-based deck and I am hoping to stumble into something spicy. Building these types of decks is all about the journey and not so much the destination.

Bant

There was an error retrieving a chart for Falco Spara, pactweaver

This deck could be something special. Like many others, I saw Falco and thought about the possibilities. One obvious approach is proliferate, but I wanted something a little different.

There are a large number of enchantments like Helix Pinnacle that can get a pile of counters easily. If I can turn them into creatures, I could play my entire deck quickly. Thus, I have built an Enchantress-style deck with just a few creatures but a ton of enchantments, Opalescence, and Starfield of Nyx. It's something I have not seen anyone else try and I'm pumped to test it out.

Abzan

There was an error retrieving a chart for Myrkul, Lord of Bones

I opened four copies of this card in one Baldur's Gate box. Guess I should build it, right? Myrkul is a bit all over the place but I am going to explore the enchantment aspect. Maybe I can make a Mulch reanimator deck that leverages constellation effects to great ends. Highly experimental deck incoming!

Jeskai

Jeska is a really powerful planeswalker that makes a strong commander. Ishai? A bit weak for four mana. However, with Jeska's triple damage effect, you don't need much to delete one opponent per combat step. Overall, this deck will have a lot of control and protection effects to guarantee Ishai stays around. In grand total, you only need six enemy spells to make Ishai a potential one-shot.

Sultai

First and foremost, this is a Ukkima deck; Cazur is a backup wincon at best, but it opens up green. My concept is to buff up Ukkima with various enters the battlefield and copy effects like Elegant Entourage or Bramble Sovereign and use various blink effects like Teferi's Time Twist and Displacer Kitten to flicker Ukkima for damage.

Mardu

There was an error retrieving a chart for Extus, Oriq Overlord

The first time I saw this guy in a game of Brawl on MTG: Arena, I was floored. Your commander is a SORCERY?! What kind of chicanery is this? There's all sorts of fun stuff to be done with Extus, and I intend to do it all!

My favorite part about this card is that it single-handedly solves what I call the "one-third" problem. If you get too many creatures and tokens, you can use Extus as a sorcery. If you have a hand full of spells, you can get extra value from the creature side. A very solid and unique card.

Temur

There was an error retrieving a chart for Maelstrom Wanderer

My degenerate Wanderer deck is coming out of semi-retirement. There have been many new cards printed that legitimize the concept such as Magma Opus and great new lands with abilities to interact with the table like Boseiju, Who Endures. After I steal a couple of games, I'll re-retire the deck for a while before pulling it out again.

It Takes Two

Azorious

There was an error retrieving a chart for Chun-Li, Countless Kicks

Thankfully, Chun-Li, Countless Kicks is already starting to come down in price, and I'm hoping to snag one for $10 or less because this is the next Azorious deck I will work on. The plan: re-casting a pile of cantrips and cheap removal spells over and over again until the deck goes off with copies of Dramatic Reversal, High Tide, and Turnabout, generating insane levels of mana to win in a variety of ways.

Dimir

There was an error retrieving a chart for captain n'ghathrod

The boat deck returns, evolves, and continues to optimize with a much better commander and new Pirate Horror sub-themes. While I have had this deck on ice to limit its power, the constant printing of new boat-based cards has worn away at my self control. Mill, reanimation, and surprisingly a lot of counterspells are all included, on-theme for the deck and color combination.

Rakdos

There was an error retrieving a chart for Xantcha, Sleeper Agent

This card looks so spicy and no one in any of my play groups has ever brought it to a game, so I'm definitely going to be the one. The concept builds itself: a bunch of Warp World-style effects and hopefully a lot of bad blood around the table.

Gruul

There was an error retrieving a chart for chishiro, the shattered blade

My very first Magic deck was RG beatdown with cards like Kird Ape, Lightning Bolt, and Giant Growth, so Gruul has always been near and dear to my heart. I really enjoyed the Chishiro, The Shattered Blade pre-con and I'm going to work on bringing it up a level. My guiding principle here will be nostalgia and a throwback to many of Gruul's stompiest cards throughout Magic's history, such as Bloodlust, Berserk, and Rancor.

Selesnya

There was an error retrieving a chart for Dragonlord Dromoka

One day, I will have built a deck for each Elder Dragon. While I have played all of the originals, I have played none of the modern ones, and am going to try a couple. I've drafted and played Dragonlord Dromoka numerous times on Magic Online and it has proven its power. It will definitely be a more controlling, hatebears-style deck with plenty of stax elements.

Orzhov

There was an error retrieving a chart for Shadrix Silverquill

The diplomatic angle of giving your opponents creatures, +1/+1 counters, or cards is something I want to exploit, and it's really cool to have that kind of effect on an Elder Dragon. Part diplomacy, part double-striking monster, Shadrix offers a lot of replayability and many build options.

Izzet

There was an error retrieving a chart for Vadrik, Astral Archmage

I've always loved Dark Ritual and the ability to turn Reckless Charge into a ritual effect with Vadrik looks awesome. The plan is to combo several cards together to create huge turns; think Past In Flames, Galvanic Iteration, and Geist Blast.

Golgari

There was an error retrieving a chart for Baba Lysaga, Night Witch

Originally I was going to build a theme deck using Baba but this card is too interesting not to explore. The value from interaction with cards that have two or more types is palpable. I look forward to bringing a pile of cards to game night and seeing what the table thinks of my take on "baked lasagna."

Boros

There was an error retrieving a chart for Hofri Ghostforge

This is a tough color combination to design. Boros is a very aggressive deck that loves to completely overkill one player and then, typically, lose. It sort of turns into a non-game for the table. For that reason, I'm going to try something different.

Hofri Ghostforge will let me build a primarily red Spirit tribal deck which I intend to use to match the power of the Millicent, Restless Revenant that I play against at home. Maybe with a broader token-based strategy it will be able to hold its own in a multiplayer game.

Simic

There was an error retrieving a chart for Volo, Guide to Monsters

Volo is one of two different decks I'm testing for use with Spy Kit. It's a convoluted idea, especially since it will have many weird and different creatures from throughout Magic's history. While it will probably end up as more of a pile of cards than a deck, I'm hoping Volo can give it a more powerful angle of attack.

That's a Whole Lot of Decks...

It sure is! I look forward to the next several months of collecting, trading, building and playtesting. I hope you found my process interesting or insightful. For me a lot of the value of the Commander format comes from the creative process of deck building. The rest of the value? The games themselves, of course! I look forward to sharing the unique highlights and lowlights of my games and the ongoing evolution of each deck.

How do you approach Commander construction? Does it involve going to EDREC? And before or after making a decision? I'd love to hear the details. Let me know in the comments what new decks you are working on. Until next time, happy building!

Life Lessons on Collectables, Pt. 1 (1993-2004)

Posted on August 17, 2022August 17, 2022 by David Schumann

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I found trading card games at a young age and immediately developed a love for buying, exchanging, and collecting them. In today's article, I'll unveil some of the life lessons I learned over years of picking up and exploring different TCGs.

Baseball Cards in the 90s

Like many my age, I grew up collecting baseball cards. Ironically, I wasn't a huge fan of watching the games on TV, but I did enjoy watching games live. I think many of us just shared a love of collecting things. Baseball cards were small, easily transportable, and relatively inexpensive. Even as a child, I found that one could support their hobby by buying in bulk and reselling. In my case, that looked like buying a box of cards from my local Big Lots and selling individual packs to people at a slight profit. This lesson allowed me to build up a decently sized collection with my meager weekly allowance.

Lesson learned: find a way to make your hobby pay for itself.

The next lesson I learned was regarding the importance of trading. When I was young, the internet didn't exist. Your trading sphere was limited to those you spent time with, typically at school. Unlike many baseball card collectors, I had no desire to collect full sets. I focused on collecting the cards of the best players: Frank Thomas, Ken Griffey Jr, John Smoltz, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, etc. In the early 1990s, the most valuable cards for any given player was their rookie card, so I tried to get those when I could.

1989 Donruss: Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card

Lesson learned: the best cards hold value longer than any others.

Years ago, card prices were determined by companies contacting stores and compiling their card prices into a magazine such as Beckett Price Guide. These prices were technically dated, as the magazines came out monthly and thus reflected information from the previous month. However, many stores used that price guide to determine their own prices, creating a chicken-and-egg conundrum.

These magazines typically cost $3-4 each, which isn't a lot of money to most adults. But when your income is limited, choosing between a magazine or another pack of cards usually meant using old magazine prices when trading. Thankfully, my trades were always with fellow kids, so there wasn't a big risk of being ripped off. My biggest "loss" was not buying a Frank Thomas rookie card that was missing his name on the front because I felt bad that it was priced higher at my local hobby store than my Beckett said it should be, only to see its price skyrocket a few months afterwards.

1990 Topps Frank Thomas Rookie Card - Error (No name)

Lesson learned: never turn down a smart buy because you didn't get it at its cheapest price.

Lessons from the Early Days of Magic

When I first got into Magic in 1997, the internet did exist, but websites were far more primitive, smart phones were a thing of the future, and metagames were still very localized. I traded in my Becketts for Scrye and Inquest magazines for pricing. These magazines gathered pricing the same way Becketts did, and so were never truly up to date.

However, while there wasn't much available on the internet for Magic, there was a site called TheDojo where people posted deck lists along with "tournament reports" of their FNM experiences. I would religiously read the posts on this site and even printed many of them out and read them while riding the bus to and from school. I focused on decks whose players did well, and especially with those with similar successful decklists. I would then trade for cards from these decks, assuming they were better than other cards.

Lesson learned: staying ahead of the curve will save make you money in the long run.

I fell in love with a deck called RecSur which used Recurring Nightmare and Survival of the Fittest as a toolbox deck that could combo off with [card]Great Whale[card] to gain infinite life, draw the whole deck, destroy all enemy lands, and do infinite damage.

In my 12 year old mind, it was the epitome of deck perfection, because it could do everything. Unfortunately, the key cards in the deck were expensive, often $10+ each. I was only playing casually with a few friends at the time, so I simply waited until Exodus block rotated out of Type 2 (what is now called Standard). I then picked up all the cards in the deck after they lost value by trading newer cards that people needed for FNM.

Lesson learned: maximize time-based value in trades as much as possible.

The original Pokemon TCG came out in 1999. My brother and I loved playing the original game on the Nintendo Game Boy, so we both sort of stopped playing Magic and focused on Pokemon for the year. While this actually worked out well thanks to many of those cards holding their values, we unfortunately continued this trend with other games like Dragonball Z, The Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars.

None of those games proved to be as enjoyable to us as Magic, so we eventually shifted back. However, we wasted a fair amount of our money on those games and thus missed out on picking up more Magic cards back when they were cheaper.

Lesson learned: try new games out for awhile before buying into them.

Never Stop Collecting

I hope you enjoyed this stroll down memory lane. I imagine a fair number of you may not have the same reference points, but I feel the lessons I learned from TCG collecting are timeless, and I hope that they help you moving forward.

Please feel free to comment below or reach out to me on our QS discord server if you want to chat about any of these ideas or my bit of personal history tied to them. And tune in next time for a look at my post-college experience collecting TCGs!

Magical Creatures: Licid, Spike, and Sliver

Posted on August 17, 2022August 17, 2022 by Francesco Spagnol

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Magical Creatures. In this series, we analayze every creature type that was created specifically for Magic: The Gathering. Every piece normally comes with an expansion, but last time we made an exception. Indeed, Tempest is kind of a big deal when it comes to new creatures, and thus we only dealt with Thalakos and Soltari.

Three other types were introduced in that set, and we'll cover them in today's article. Get ready for two minor types (Licid and Spike), and very major one: Sliver! We'll start the smaller types, as each one only appears on a dozen cards.

Licid

Licid, just like Soltari and Thalakos, is a creature type specific to the Tempest block (or Rath cycle), including Tempest, Stronghold and Exodus. They present as small parasitic beings resembling snails or insects, and are equally present in all five colors. From an in-game perspective, they are quite elaborate, at least when compared to other creatures from those days.

Each Licid is a creature with two abilities. The first is an activated ability, the second static. When you activate the former, that creature stops being a creature and becomes an Aura enchantment with enchant creature. You then attach it to a target creature, and for the cost of one mana, can end this effect at any time. As for the static ability, it simply modifies the characteristics of the enchanted creature.

It's a complex mechanic, and above all, paves the way for even more complex interactions. This is never a good thing, especially if the cards are just not worth it. As such, Licid are considered among the top 10 worst mistakes in Magic development. There are 12 creatures with this type, and none are powerful enough for competitive play, nor funny enough for the kitchen table. So where does that leave Spike?

Spike

Spike, too, is almost only present in the Rath cycle, with the only exception being Spike Tiller from (of course) Time Spiral. There are 11 creatures bearing this type, and they are mostly green. Again, only one exception exists, and it's Spike Cannibal.

A spike is another weird being, resembling something between a slug and an insect. All of them (except the black one) are 0/0 creatures which enter the battlefield with a certain number of +1/+1 counters. They also have an activated ability that, for two generic mana and the removal of a +1/+1 counter, puts a counter of the same type on target creature.

Most of them feature yet another ability to spice things up. Even so, if you ask me, Spikes are another not-that-brilliant invention. We have seen four creature types from Tempest so far: Thalakos, Soltari, Licid, and Spike. And all of them follow the same pattern: they contain the creature type in their very name, they are mostly confined to the Tempest block, and they all have consistent abilities. None strike me as particularly exciting.

The next creature type, however, is something else entirely. At last, it's time to talk about Slivers!

The Origins of Slivers

Sliver could easily be the most representative creature type in Magic, especially if you speak with players from the early days. Appearing for the first time in Tempest, they came back again and again throughout most of Magic's history, with appearances as late as Magic 2015. Not to mention special sets such as Modern Horizons and Time Spiral Remastered.

Most slivers appeared in the Tempest, Onslaught, and Time Spiral blocks. It's not that much, and in fact 109 (however significant a number it is) is still relatively small. For a few good reasons, though, players love Slivers, and that is why everyone has come across the tribe one way or another. But first, what exactly is a sliver?

This question used to be easier to answer. The original Slivers, as some may remember, had more distinctive features: an armored body; a bifurcated tail; a funny crested head. When more slivers appeared in later expansions, their form had changed, although some vague resemblance is always easy to spot.

And why are they called slivers? This is easier: all slivers form part of a collective mind, or in other words share a hive mind. The in-game consequence is that most of them are able to share their static abilities with all the other Slivers. As such, they are each but splinters, fragments, or slivers of the greater hive mind.

Slivers After the Rath Cycle

Players must have loved Slivers from the very beginning, since it was the only creature type among the five created for Tempest to come back in other expansions. Thalakos, Soltari, Licid, and Spike were not as lucky. Sliver returned five years later in Legions, the second set from the Onslaught block. Legions contained only creature cards, and no less than 15 were slivers, divided into three cycles.

Onslaught was the perfect block for hosting more slivers, since it was all about creature tribes. After all, it was the block that truly launched legendary tribes such as Elf and Goblin. A sixteenth Sliver from this block was printed in Scourge, the block's third and last set. I'm referring to Sliver Overlord, a sort of homage to Sliver Queen, the first lord from Stronghold. They are both 7/7 creatures costing one mana of each color, and each remains very popular among casual players.

Slivers After the Onslaught Block

Three more years had to pass before the third and final wave of Slivers. This time, it happened with the Time Spiral block. Their return was spurred not so much by of a particular tribal focus, but by a look back to the past. Time Spiral was all about time and dimensional travel, yielding another perfect chance to revisit the tribe.

Counting all three expansions (Time Spiral, Planar Chaos and Future Sight), that block brought to us roughly fifty Slivers. Which is half of the total Slivers we have. To sum up, between Tempest and Future Sight, the majority of Slivers existing today were printed. In my humble opinion, this is where Slivers reached their peak. I just love how full of references they are: this block was already packed with quotations from the history of Magic, and Slivers fit in perfectly.

If you look at the gallery above, you can see tributes to Bonesplitter, Psionic Blast, and the two lords (Queen and Overlord). Not to mention Virulent Sliver, a sort of anticipation on the poisonous mechanic that would become much more famous with Scars of Mirrodin.

Slivers After Time Spiral Block

After Future Sight, most of the Slivers' potential had already been used. Nonetheless, they came back again in some later sets. Over a dozen more arrived in Magic 2014, and another seven in Magic 2015. This included a new sliver costing one mana of each color, and a return to the original art with Sliver Hive.

No new slivers were printed in Dominaria, although many expected them. Some more arrived in Modern Horizons, and others still in Time Spiral Remastered. The period of Slivers, however, had already ended, as these were just reprints. No new Slivers have seen print since.

The Philosophy of Slivers

New players (and older ones, too) love tribal themes. And Slivers are simply the tribe par excellence. You don't even need Coat of Arms in order to have your creatures pump each other and share their abilities.

At the same time, Slivers are an all-or-nothing concept. If you want them to be effective, you need to play a deck based around Slivers. Just a few playsets won't do. And since they are not strong enough for competitive play, it can be difficult to force competitive deck playing Slivers. Even that hasn't stopped some Modern and Legacy grinders from shaking a stick at the tribe, always while packing a full set of Aether Vial and sometimes even achieving tournament finishes.

Do you have any funny story about Slivers? Have you ever tried building a deck with this incredible tribe? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter, and stay tuned for the next instalment. We are finally going to leave behind the Tempest block, and move forward to the Urza block!