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“The Window” is what I call the week between Pre-Release and Release, and it’s almost over. To put it shortly, this Coreset isn’t exactly exciting, in terms of openings for financial superstars. A lot of the playable rares and mythics are reprints, and their values are known quantities. However, at my LGS, people are still actively pursuing other newly printed cards. Your chance to get rid of these at inflated value is limited. Hopefully you had some success at your pre-release, and walked home with some packs.
Pre-release prize support is often packs of new product, and its tough to fight the urge not to bust them open immediately. Unreleased packs are the few that you can often get full retail price in cash from other players. Doing this at your LGS is not reccomended, but setting something up off the premises is wise. A local grinder told me this weekend he sells his via Craigslist, and ususally gets about $3.50-$3.75 per pack that way. I haven’t tried this, so take his suggestion with a grain of salt. Craigslist often involves having to coordinate with some of the wackier people in your community, and people will flake on appointments to meet you, haggle with you, and otherwise make the situation not very smooth. That being said, if its an opportunity to get some cash out of your prize packs, it may be worth investigating, and you can likely still get rid of them before the Release this weekend.
Trade quickly-
During this week, EDH players and Spikes are always anxious to get their hands on the new cards. Trading into safer plays is always smart, staples that won’t be going away in the near future. Not many cards in this particular set are going to be catching anyone by surprise, so get rid of them while supply is low. This is about the only situation where I feel comfortable asking people how they value certain cards. For every unique rare, there’s going to be one guy in the room who values it higher than everyone else. Find that guy, and trade with him. Keep your ears open for what people are looking for, and if you can track one down, try and conduct the trade later in the day. In all reality, you don’t want to have many of your pre-release cards on hand at the end of the day. These cards will be available to you in much more supply and lower prices after the release in less than a week. Take advantage of the other players’ impatience.
Use your LGS as an outlet-
This shouldn’t necessarily be your last result, but it often is for me. Each LGS will have a different policy, but be aware that they may be willing to buy cards as late as the actual Release date with out adjusting their pricing. This is where I turn pre-release sealed pool cards I was unable to trade away into store credit for future event entries. In earlier articles I’ve discussed how important it is to build rapport with your LGS employees and owner. The Pre-Release and Release weekends are so busy that likely all employees are on hand, and it’s your chance to schmooze with them all. I usually go out of my way to thank them for the event(s) and ask them if I can help them stock up on new cards, handing them my pile of stuff I have no need for. Even if I don’t have a ton of stuff left, I’m sure to at least trade in something. Let the owner know you’re not simply extracting value from the store, but also bringing value to the owner. This pays off in ways that only reveal themselves after a good relationship is built, but I can assure you it’s worth while.
Organize your new gear-
Keep newly printed cards in a separate longbox or binder for the near future. People will be excited to see what you’ve got from the new set. Having a special section for it makes it easy for them. Believe it or not, many players don’t examine the spoilers very carefully, and they may see a rare for the first time in your Binder, so EVERY rare makes the cut, at least for the time being. About a week after the Release event, you can filter items into your existing organization scheme.
Rotating Cards-
I’ve been harping on this for weeks, but you really need to push your rotating cards out of your collection. These cards are also things you may even want to consider trading into your LGS to pay for Release events, as soon enough they won’t even be interested in buying them. Don’t be stuck with a whole section of your binder that isn’t desirable to anyone a couple months down the road. Think of it as produce, once it spoils, you can’t even give it away.
I’ve been really digging through the set, and trying to find a card that has some potential as a speculative option, but really nothing jumps out at me. Oblivion Rings are worth hoarding for trades, but not buying, and same can be said for most of the reprint Standard staple Rares and Mythics. From a trader’s standpoint, this set is not very exciting, but the Window is your chance to make the most of it.
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When I was growing up–we're talking the 80's–I was absolutely fascinated with Dungeons & Dragons. I'd come across it young when one of my schoolyard mates broke out the old 'red box'. We huddled around the steps poring through the books, passing around the plastic polyhedral dice and white crayon (for colouring in the numbers), and staring at the blank character record sheet as the gateway to limitless possibility.
Of course, those were heady and perilous days. For some, role-playing games (RPGs) were a dangerous psychological trap for the unwary, a notion which landed Tom Hanks his first major starring role. For others, the moral panic of the day decreed that the Devil not only infested our music, but his infernal reach extended to our pastimes as well.
Through it all gaming endured (the jury's still out on the music), and in the pages of Dragon Magazine at the local library there was one annual event which took on an almost mythical, Camelot-esque quality. Set in the far-flung reaches of distant Wisconsin (I was in Connecticut), every year I would read about Gen Con and marvel at the wonders found therein.
More than two decades later, Gen Con is not only still going strong but it's bigger than ever. It's hard to imagine that this Shangri-La of my youth was at the time drawing in only about 20% of what it attracts today; almost every year has been bigger than the last!
Last week we kicked off our Best Four Days in GamingGiveaway, with the promise of a pair of entry badges to Gen Con, a Magic: The Gathering Commander deck, a custom Quiet Speculation-themed Commander life pad from MTGPad.com, and a Quiet Speculation t-shirt. Today we'll be announcing our winner, but before we do I'd like to discuss a bit about Gen Con itself, and give those attending (or thinking about attending) some idea of what's available.
Held every year since 1968, Gen Con moved from Wisconsin to its current home in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2003. For one long weekend, the Indiana Convention Center becomes a gamer's mecca. From artists' and writers' symposiums to miniatures painting to a costume contest to a wall full of games to play, there truly is something here for almost any interest. While you'll find a full list of all the things to do at their website or Facebook page, here are just a few highlights to get you started.
2. Have an interest in breaking into the gaming industry? You could probably learn a few things from these distinguished gentlemen. Even if you're perfectly happy in your non-gaming career, isn't it always fun to pop the hood and see what's under there? These are some of the minds who built it.
3. Take on Tracy Hickman–the creator of Dragonlance–in the role of a murderous DM, with nothing between you but your Level 1 character, in the longstanding Gen Con tradition Killer Breakfast. Do you have the wits to stay alive as your partymembers are killed off, one more entertainingly than the next, endlessly replaced by eager members of the audience? And speaking of Dragonlance, say hello to Margaret Weis while you're at it.
4. Stop in at Wizards of the Coast's exhibition. See what's new at White Wolf. Check out some chain mail or try on a kilt. Then see what else is on offer at the nearly three hundred different exhibitor's booths that will be happy to show you their wares.
5. Immerse yourself in a real-life Dungeons & Dragons experience with True Dungeon. This year's adventure is The Lair of the Sea Lich, and after you've vanquished evil beneath the waves for a few unforgettable hours you can save your treasure tokens for next time, kick them down to a friend, or even sell them on eBay.
Now for the fun part: choosing a winner for the Four Best Days in Gaming giveaway!
There Can Be Only One
We had a number of entertaining 'bad beats' stories for both Commander and Magic in general, but in the end we only had one prize package to award. Each of our five judges–Sheldon Menery, Jack LaCroix, Carlos Gutierrez, Neale Talbot, and Robby Rothe–read through the stories posted by each contestant, then submitted their thoughts on the stories as well as their pick for overall winner. We put all five in a hat, shook it up and had Ertai's Lament's very own Sam draw one at random.
Umm... nice try. Huh? Tricksy blue mages...Now that's more like it!
Neale perhaps said it best when he nominated Steven "for losing to a Myr Welder when playing mono-blue. It's always great to see such an assumed innocuous card bring down the pain. It also shows how thinking through your outs can get you past the toughest spots through some of the unlikeliest of paths in Commander."
Congratulations, Steven! You've won the Best Four Days in Gaming Giveaway! We'll be in touch shortly to get a shipping address, and your glorious prize package will be speeding on its way.
An honorable mention surely must go to reader @RelentlessRats for his bad beats story, which received a sympathetic mention from more than one of the judges. Carlos shared his reasons for the nod "because of the time and effort put into making his bad beat fun to read. ... It involved a mishmash of luck, miss-evaluation, misplays, and really was just a terrible beat story. Really. I've just got to appreciate that a game that could have been summed up with 'sometimes [card=Azami, Lady of Scrolls]Azami[/card] happens' was actually pretty epic and entertaining!"
A special thanks to all of those who entered, and to our five judges. Truly, we would not have the community we do were it not for the labors and passions of each of you.
That's all for now, I'll be back next week with The Best Four Minutes in Reading. That is, of course, assuming you define that as a discussion on the Magic 2012 Intro Packs. See you then!
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Another year, another Core Set. As Cube builders we are fortunate to have yearly Core Sets that feature new cards, as well as give us some opportunities to pick up reprinted cards if you missed them the first time around, particularly in foil. Since the sets are less than 50% new cards, we also don’t have a ton of cards to evaluate–a nice departure from the other sets of the year in my opinion.
As I did with my New Phyrexia review, I’m not going to rate every card out of the set. I’m just going to comment on ones that I think will have an impact, other people think will have an impact, or I want to make fun of. The cards will be rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with the following convention:
1–Not good enough for any reasonable-sized non-specialty Cube.
2–Good enough in the largest of Cubes (720+)
3–Good enough in the medium-sized Cubes (450-540+)
4–Good enough in the smallest of Cubes (360)
5–First pick quality in any Cube
As with any 'evergreen' format, all card evaluations need to be done relative to every other card printed. While some cards may be powerful in a vacuum, they may suck in Cube next to other older cards.
Note: I reserve the right to change my opinions at any time. These are ‘testing in my head’ predictions, and I am never too proud to admit that I was wrong on a card evaluation, or missed a card entirely. I’ll eagerly update you on any new findings in future articles.
Off we go!
WHITE
Aegis Angel
A 5/5 with flying for six mana is about right, but the effect just isn’t what I’m looking for in this type of card. When your competition is Sun Titan, Yosei, the Morning Star, and Akroma, Angel of Wrath, you better follow the immortal words of Floyd Mayweather.
Rating: 1, but pretty cool if you have an Angel tribal theme
Alabaster Mage
The power to converted mana cost (CMC) is right, but the ability is unexciting compared to the other Mages. No thanks!
Rating: 1
Angelic Destiny
A powerful, flavorful aura that can swing a game by itself, Angelic Destiny harkens back to Rancor insofar that you don’t always get two-for-one'd when it is in play.
The problems? It costs four mana, which is a ton for an aura. It's competing with cards such as Calciderm, Hero of Bladehold, and Hokori, Dust Drinker for a slot. It doesn’t have the same resiliency as Rancor because your creature has to actually die in game mechanic; getting exiled (Path to Exile), bounced (Capsize), or put back into the deck (Chaos Warp) means you will get two-for-one'd.
This is a powerful effect, but I'm going to pass on it.
Rating: 2, but once again awesome for that Angel tribe!
Armored Warhorse
Elvish Warrior for white! There is way too much competition at CMC 2 in white, let alone at WW.
Rating: 1, but much higher in Pauper/Peasant Cubes I imagine. [Editor's Note: Oh how quick we forget Veteran Armorsmith.]
Gideon's Avenger
This has very cool flavor (in conjunction with Gideon Jura's abilites), but just isn't good enough against non-aggressive decks to make the cut. While it's certainly neat with Icy Manipulator, Scepter of Dominance, or Opposition, corner case interactions do not a Cube card make.
Rating: 1
Gideon's Lawkeeper
What’s better than one Goldmeadow Harrier? Two of course, if you like that sort of thing. Personally, I want my 1-drops in white to be more powerful than just a tapper. Super neato in Peasant/Pauper Cubes, I bet. [Editor's Note: Yep.]
Rating: 2, but much higher if you don’t use rares.
Grand Abolisher
This guy is an example of the level of power I expect from double color requiring creatures in the Cube. A powerful effect attached to a reasonable power to CMC ratio, this guy is very close to being good enough in most Cubes.
My problems? He doesn’t fight very well in combat, the competition is really stiff at CMC 2 in white, and there are fewer combat tricks in Cubes compared to other formats (any sort of removal/destruction spell will just be used before he resolves). That said he is pretty cool, and allows you to just about have an uninterrupted turn (unless they have a counterspell).
Rating: 2, but I’d like to test him to see how much of an effect he has. Awesome for combo-oriented Cubes.
Timely Reinforcements
Reminiscent of Feudkiller's Verdict, Timely Reinforcements allows a control deck to possibly gain some life and get some creature support. I just don’t think that 6 life and three 1/1's are worth a sorcery-speed card with conditional effects. If this card were an instant I think it would be pretty awesome, however.
Rating: 1
BLUE
Azure Mage
Better than Alabaster Mage, and gives blue a power-to-CMC 2-drop with a relevant ability. However, Dimir Guildmage just wasn’t that impressive in his time in the Cube, and while he was ostensibly harder to cast he also had an extra ability (and point of toughness). Another pass from me.
Rating: 2, unless you are pushing blue aggressive strategies.
Jace, Memory Adept
Finally, an auto-include! Big shocker, with it being named ‘Jace’ and all. While the ultimate ability is useless in Cube, the other two abilities are both very good.
The first +1 activation takes you to five loyalty and says the magic words blue players love: Draw a card. The second ability is a straight-up three turn clock that is absolutely insane against control and midrange decks. Just two activations out of a control deck playing this card will likely be enough, too.
While most planeswalkers offer a game-winning effect at ultimate, this one does it without a minus.
Rating: 4.5, because he can’t have as high a rating as the best [card Jace, the Mind Sculptor]Jace[/card], can he?
Jace's Archivist
Why would blue decks want this, again? I feel as though this card is only good when you are losing to another control deck. No thanks.
Rating: 1
Lord of the Unreal
This is only good if you are jamming a bunch of illusion cards into your Cube. This set does come with a few extra options, but not enough. However, he does turn your average Meloku the Clouded Mirror into a Spanish Meloku the Clouded Mirror!*
Rating: 1, unless you are forcing an illusion strategy.
Master Thief
A Sower of Temptation of sort for artifacts, Master Thief doesn’t come with the evasion that makes Sower a decent attacker. Oh, and he doesn’t take creatures. No thanks.
Rating: 1, but a 4-5 if you have an artifact Cube!
Mind Unbound
For six mana, you get a reliable card draw engine that is the most difficult permanent type to remove in most Cubes. What you also get, however, is nothing for your six mana investment on the first turn. Let’s take a look at how this breaks down:
One turn in play: nothing but a do-nothing permanent (six mana Darksteel Relic?)
Two turns in play: one card total (or, six mana Obsessive Search)
Three turns in play: three cards total (or, six mana Concentrate)
Four turns in play: six cards total. Finally, some good value!
I don’t really want to play something that requires six mana and four turns to generate the value I want from a Cube card. Some are comparing this to Future Sight; even though the type is about right (expensive enchantment card advantage machine), I feel Mind Unbound pales in comparison. Future Sight can generate one to three cards per turn (including the turn it comes into play), and expands your effective hand size by one when you reveal an instant. I’m not sure Mind Unbound could ever provide that sort of advantage.
I also feel like there could be a danger of drawing yourself to death with this card; control decks aren’t known for their quick kills, and the draw isn’t a ‘may’ ability. Maybe I’m over-reacting?
Rating: 1
Phantasmal Bear/Phantasmal Dragon
Once again, only if you want to push blue aggro. Their lord is unreal, however.
Rating: 1
Phantasmal Image
Cloning effects usually cost four mana (Clone, Rite of Replication) or more (Vesuvan Doppelganger and [card Vesuvan Shapeshifter]Shapeshifter[/card]), and we were ecstatic to get Phyrexian Metamorph last set because it can cost "three" mana and copy an artifact if we wanted. At only two mana, Phantasmal Image seems like a slam-dunk include even with the ‘skulking’ drawback.
The best use is to copy a shroud or hexproof dude ([card Simic Sky Swallower]SSS[/card], Troll Ascetic, or Sphinx of Jwar Isle), but copying any creature with an enters-the-battlefield effect (Mulldrifter, Shriekmaw, or [card Flametongue Kavu]FTK[/card]) is going to give you more than enough value for your two mana investment. It can also operate as a Legend removal spell (for [card Thrun, the Last Troll]theirs[/card] or [card Kokusho, the Evening Star]yours[/card]), and at the low end of the value scale will likely trade 1-for-1 with another spell (they Arc Trail your copy of Genesis, e.g.). The real drawback occurs when they have a permanent in play that can target at will that isn’t legendary (Spikeshot Elder) or if you really want to equip it.
It's still fine with me!
Rating: 4
Skywinder Drake
Only mentioned because of that blue aggro thing. Three flying power for just three mana is pretty good if that is what you are pushing as an identity for blue, but this is now the third functional reprinting (Rishadan Airship and Cloud Spirit).
Rating: 1, but much higher if you are pushing blue aggro
Sphinx of Uthuun
Really cool card! Anything that has Fact or Fiction stapled to it can’t be all that bad, but there are just much better finishers at six mana in blue. Sorry! Very nifty with blink effects, however.
Rating: 2
Turn to Frog
Why not just pay one more mana, give green access to it, and also draw a card? Oh wait, that's Snakeform. No thanks. Interesting note: I can believe that a snake can, but apparently a frog can also kill a [card Savannah Lions]lion[/card].
Rating: 1
BLACK
Rune-Scarred Demon
See Sphinx of Uthuun. One more power for your seven mana, as well as a possibly stronger trigger. There is still too much competition for expensive black finishers (not even as good as the other one in this set!).
On a side note, I won a few games with this guy at the prerelease. Most of the time, he tutored up a Gravedigger for when they killed him, and then tutored up Sorin's Vengeance once he came back. Recursive giant evasive threats are good, at least from what I hear.
Rating: 2.
Vengeful Pharaoh
A home run flavor-wise, as far as I’m concerned. It's pretty powerful, as you are getting five power of deathtouch for five mana (requiring triple black, though) and a good pass of the ‘Vindicate Test’. It's a little too narrow for Cube, however, unless you run Entomb, Buried Alive, or an otherwise large dredge theme.
Rating: 2
Another Scrambleverse?!? NOOOOO!
Wring Flesh
I just wanted to mention how painful this card looks, like an rug burn for your back cleavage.
Rating: 1, [card Sonic Burst]unless[/card] [card Ad Nauseam]you[/card] [card Smallpox]have[/card] [card Inside Out]a[/card] [card Pulling Teeth]painful[/card]-[card Thought Hemorrhage]looking[/card] [card Tomb Hex]Cube[/card].
RED
Chandra, the Firebrand
Hooray! A four mana red planeswalker and it can be splashed! All three abilities are good:
its first ability can help to protect itself somewhat
the second ability is a classic red ability that combos well
the third ability has the potential to end games (pre-alpha strike, e.g.).
Rating: 4
Chandra's Phoenix
While not as hard-hitting as other three drops, Phoenix is still pretty good with evasion, haste, longevity (no sacrifice trigger), and added value with the ability to rebuy itself for no additional mana. Not the greatest card, but definitely could be a role player for red decks to get some added reach.
Rating: 3
Crimson Mage
The best of the Mages, it has the cheapest ability as well as the best color for this type of body. Haste can be valuable, and this card could be very powerful in the right kind of deck (lots of 1's and 2's, with no real concern for under-dropping). Given red’s 2-drop woes, I could see this card making its way into some Cubes.
Rating: 2 or 3, with testing pushing it one way or the other.
Goblin Fireslinger
I’m just not that impressed with pingers anymore, especially ones that can only go to the face. Sure, it holds equipment, but the ability is kinda meh.
Rating: 1
Stormblood Berserker
Hey, another 2-drop for red! The first inclination is to compare this card to Scab-Clan Mauler, and I think the Berserker compares pretty favorably. Not being able to be blocked by less than two creatures is better than trample for pushing damage through (does a wonderful job getting around the CMC 2 walls), and the casting cost is obviously a lot easier. Red has a lot of ways to ensure the bloodthirst trigger on turn 2, and being an ‘attacking’ color will likely have lots of opportunities to make him 3/3 eligible later in the game. The evasion type can also help get the last few points of damage in versus the control decks with their non-Meloku finisher in play.
Rating: A solid 3, with a chance of bring a 4 with testing.
Wall of Torches
I bet it looks cool in foil!
Rating: 1.
GREEN
Arachnus Spinner
Combined with Arachnus Web, the absolute grand slam of flavor in M12. Tap a spider to shoot a web? If the creature is strong enough, it can break out of it? Awesome!
Green loves its 3-drops, as the play sequence of turn 1 Elf-thing, turn 2 3-drop, turn 3 4-drop is a popular, and optimal, line of play for a lot of decks. Dungrove Elder’s problem is that you need actual Forests in play for him to be good, not just green mana (unlike Leatherback Baloth). While he could be insane in a mono-green deck, that is just too narrow of an archetype to warrant inclusion.
Rating: 1
Garruk, Primal Hunter
Is GPH (norelation) more expensive than OG [card Garruk Wildspeaker]Garruk[/card]? Yes. Is GPH harder to cast for most decks because of the triple in the cost? Yes. Is GPH worth it?
Oh, yes.
His first ability is the very definition of ‘protecting itself’ by producing a sizable creature and raising loyalty. The second ability provides card drawing, an ability that green rarely sees in bulk without sacrificing (card) a creature (card), and it can work in conjunction with the first ability. Finally, Garruk’s ultimate ability is the type of game-winning effect we have come to expect from the best planeswalkers. Not much more to say!
Rating: 4, with the possibility of earning a 5.
Hunter's Insight
Another way to draw cards in green, this one also has the advantage of not having to sacrifice something. What it does do, however, is leave you open to getting 2-for-1d by a removal spell or take a huge tempo loss from a bounce spell. It is a neat combat trick, however, and can definitely help a green deck keep momentum (at least card-wise) with control decks. I’m just not convinced that green needs this card in the Cube. I’d rather have the last card listed for green card drawing!
Rating: 2
Jade Mage
With an incredibly useful ability in Limited, Jade Mage draws an understandable comparison to Selesnya Guildmage for Cube purposes. Both have pros and cons, but one thing they both share is a mana-hogging syndrome to make 1/1s. Jade Mage seems like it would be awesome in Peasant Cubes, but I’m not convinced it belongs with the rares.
Rating: 2, higher if you have a strong token theme in green.
Primordial Hydra
My first inclination upon seeing this card was that it would just be chump-blocked all the time (which is why Scute Mob found its way out of my Cube). Then I read the rest of the card and thought, “Oh cool, it actually can’t be chumped forever, good design!”
Then I considered how much mana and time it would take for this card to do anything resembling useful on-curve, since it doesn’t have any sort of way to protect itself, and wasn’t impressed:
1GG: starts as a 1/1, attacks for 2, then 4 (6 damage over 3 turns, no evasion)
2GG: starts as a 2/2, attacks for 4, then 8 (12 damage over 3 turns, no evasion)
3GG: starts as a 3/3, attacks for 6, then 12 (18 damage over 3 turns, evasion on 3rd turn)
4GG: starts as a 4/4, attacks for 8, then 16 (24 damage over 3 turns, evasion on 3rd turn)
5GG: starts as a 5/5, attacks for 10, then 20 (30, with evasion on first attack)
While some of those damage numbers are impressive on the higher casting costs, it is important to keep in mind that the lifespan of creatures is typically perilously short in Cube drafts (especially when said creature is imediately ‘[card Lightning Bolt]bolt[/card]-[card Incinerate]able[/card]’ unless you spend six mana right away), and you cannot rely on creatures to live very long without some sort of protection. Casting this card as a 3-drop is really awkward, as he doesn’t grow to a reasonable enough size to be useful in combat unless he stays in play for a full three turns.
In my opinion, for Hydra to get the most value you need to spend a minimum of 6 mana on it. That’s a bit high for my tastes, even if it does make a wonderful late-game topdeck. If you have a way to protect it, however (a Lightning Greaves or Swiftfoot Boots, perhaps), Primeval Hydra can become a very real problem for your opponent.
Rating: Asymptotic to 3.
Skinshifter
For two mana and a mana to be named later, Skinshifter provides a good attacker for the cost in rhino form (the "best case scenario" is attacking for four trample damage on turn three for three total mana, 8 trample total for four total mana), a flying attacker in bird form (which green seldom gets), or a Kim Kardashian in plant form (probably not that useful). Seems pretty solid to me, and should likely be included from the start for testing.
Rating: 3, with a long shot at being a 4.
ARTIFACTS
Swiftfoot Boots
This card is actually pretty cool. The problem? Lightning Greaves is ice-cold, and is now more accessible than it was previously thanks to the Commander decks. I feel like small- and medium-sized Cubes only have enough room for one of these types of equipment (especially with the recent equipment boom), but I could see it finding a home in a larger artifact/equipment section.
Rating: 2, but could be a 3 if your group likes this kind of effect.
And that’s all, folks! This set seems to be stuffed full of cards that might see play in larger Cubes, but really only a handful of outright auto-includes (the three planeswalkers, Phantasmal Image, Stormblood Berserker, Skinshifter, Chandra's Phoenix) for the mid-sized and smaller ones. It makes my trade binder sad that only one of those is a non-rare non-mythic!
May all your squares be three-dimensional!
-AA
*Printings of Meloku in Spanish originally made 2/2 tokens due to a proofing error!
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Lets see whats been moving in the finance world the past week, and see if we can't figure out why. The first number under the card is the current Star City Games pre-order price, and any changes to it over the past week. In the piece about each card is the online shop I was able to find the best price at.
Chandra's Phoenix
Up $1 on pre-orders to $3.99.
Seems red players are starting to take more interest in this card. I've heard some whispers about it through twitter, but everyone is keeping quiet about it, which usually means it's a half decent card and no one wants to give away their "secret tech". It's worth picking a few up. Hobby Goblins, Strike Zone Online, and 3rd Coast Cards all have them for $2.25 or less. Being the buy a box promo will keep it's price from going up too dramatically, but its very worth trading for those from people if you see them.
Chandra, the Firebrand
Up $10 to $39.99.
Another red card that rose up in the past week, but it's also a planeswalker. We've seen the same thing happen to most planeswalker cards since Worldwake, so it's not surprising. I don't see her maintaining a $40 price tag for much longer than two weeks after the release events, and if a deck doesn't pick her up as a staple card soon after, her price will tank. I stand by picking her up at $10 still, and no more than $12 in trade value. Sadly, all the shops are following the path of Star City Games, and no shop has her at a price worth mentioning.
Dungrove Elder
Holding steady at $2.99.
I mention this card because its worth watching. It could be used as a large beater for Elves in the late game, and with Hexproof and the land-to-size ratio, it will always be popular with the casual crowds. You should be able to see $5 in trade value for this guy when trading him away easily, anything less isn't worth your time. I've ordered a set from The Mana Crypt for $1.69, and I think that anything under $2 is a great price for the time being.
Skinshifter
Holding stead at $3.99
Another card worth watching, it brings itself up with a lot of possibilities. I could see him being used in control decks that splash green. This is one of the few cards that has its pre-order price above $3 across the board, and if you can find him for under $3 each, I would consider it a steal. Grab these up as you see them, a lot of people really under value him.
Phantasmal Image
Holding steady at $2.99
This is one of the better cards in blue, and another that many people undervalue. Premier Magic has them for only $1.77 each, and a number of other stores have him for under $2 each. While he suffers from "dies to a target" clause, some decks just don't have an efficient way to deal with him and all of the other threats. I consider them a safe buy at $2 and under, simply because he has an effect that casual players will love, and you should be able to get $3-$4 in value from him.
Quicksilver Amulet
Holding steady at $2.99
Anyone remeber Elvish piper, and how it still commands a high price tag today because of EDH, and other casual formats? A slightly slower Elvish piper that any deck can use will end up seeing a price higher than $2.99 in the end. It also has the "not a creature" aspect going for it, already making it harder to deal with. The Mana Crypt has them for $1.44 each, and CFB has them for $1.49. I've ordered two sets of them for myself.
Sphinx of Uthuun
Holding steady at $1.49
Matchplay and The Mana Crypt are both selling these for $0.38 each. At that price, its worth stocking up on a few sets, since its under $2.00 a set. It's got enough defense to survive Dismember, and a Fact of Fiction effect is always awesome. His cost will make it difficult for him to see a lot of play, but even if there is a short demand spike you can make some profit from selling them.
Vengeful Pharaoh
Holding steady at $1.99
I feel this is one of a few "planted" cards for the next set, and while $1.99 isn't a bad price for him, you can pick them up for $1.08 or less from The MTG Place, Undercity Comics, and The Mana Crypt. I see a lot of potential for this card, since its graveyard effect triggers on you or planeswalkers. If only there were some Looter effects, or some way to draw cards and then put them back into the yard for some kind of gain.
Frost Titan
Currently at $4.99.
Six months ago, we would have told you to buy Frosty for $5 and laugh all the way to the bank. I still think it's the case, only you'll be putting less money in the bank when you get there. He's still good, he still does his job, and control decks are still possible. Alter Reality Games, Matchplay, CFB, and Old School Gaming all have him listed at under $4, if not much under. For that matter, you can actually buy M11 ones closer to $3 now from most of the stores listed in this article. Remember that the format will shift, and if slow decks see play, Frost Titan will be useful once again.
Angelic Destiny
I'm very surprised that people are buying this at $8. I'd be surprised if people were buying this at $5. $3-$4 is more reasonable, but only because its mythic, has the word angel in its name, and does big flashy effects. Eldrazi Conscription only saw play because Sovereigns dropped it into play basically for free, and even then you cried when the creature died. A timely "in response, removal spell" play means you won't be getting the enchantment back here, and I really disagree with anyone saying it's worth the buying spree. However, if you feel differently I'll at least try to save you some money. Premier Magic has them for $6.01, and almost every other site I've listed here has then for under $7.
That's all for this week, next week we will begin to see prices stabilize and rares fall.
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Magic 2012 is finally here. This weekend was Prerelease weekend, and it was the first time we did not have a large regional Prereleases. I find this a little sad as big Prereleases are where I got some of my best trading done. At times I even booked off work to attend them. In Toronto, we don't have many large events close by, like a Pro Tour or Grand Prix, to get the trading exposure big events bring. Prior to last year's GP, I think the last big event we had in Toronto was Worlds or PT in the early 2000's. Hopefully Wizards changes their stance on Prereleases, or comes through well with the 40-or-more GP plan in 2012.
For my set review I will mainly be talking mainly about new cards, especially if they are relevant to Commander. I won't be posting specific current prices unless it is relevant for a specific card as most cards are overvalued at the moment.
WHITE
Aegis Angel
Angels are always good as throw ins. Nothing amazing about this card, but it should have some demand. Trade them away as its price should not go up any time soon.
Angelic Destiny Another "Angel" card. This one, however, is a lot better than the last. Rancor is a fan favourite and this card will probably be received just as well. I don’t see it making much of a splash in constructed, but casual players will love it. I think it’s a great Commander card, but wait for it to settle a little. I think it should settle around $5, and that’s totally fine to pick it up for that price as it’s a mythic. If it eventually drops below that price, it should slowly rise back to the $5 range over time.
Gideon's Avenger
Gideon's Avenger could end up being an Commander staple, but I am a little hesitant. I see him as white’s version of Taurean Mauler or Hamletback Goliath. The thing about him though is he’s just a big beater. He also won’t get as big as similar creatures that grow over time in most instances so really he's not the greatest beater out there either. I see him best played alongside [card Zedruu the Greathearted]Zedruu[/card] so he has time to build up while everyone else is pretty much forced in to fighting eachother.
Grand Abolisher
White gets yet another hate bear. I could see Grand Abolisher making a showing in some Commander decks, especially if they depend on some sort of combo to win. His actually could see some constructed play as well. Foils are currently at $14.99, so keep an eye out for anyone undervaluing them. That seems very close to a fair price for a hate bear foil so I don't think you will come out too bad if you try and get one around $10-$12. As for the non foil version, he is slightly higher on the price scale at the moment at $7. Most rares struggle to maintain a $5 price so he is on the way down. Trade away and wait for the price drop.
Personal Sanctuary
This is a perfect way to turn something symmetrical, like Manabarbs, into an asymmetrical bomb. I am sure this will see some play in Commander, but if it creates some decent combo similar to it's interaction with Manabarbs, it could see play in Constructed. Manabarbs may even be enough for it to at least see a splash. Currently at its lowest price it can be so you can easily get your playset as a just in case pick up off of most players, especially drafters as this will surely be picked very late.
Spirit Mantle
"Protection from creatures" is pretty very strong in Voltron decks so I can see this card becoming a huge Commander playable. It also has awesome art attached to it. Try to get these if you see one in foil. Every Commander player that likes foils will probably want one of these.
Stonehorn Dignitary
Obviously, this Rhino is a perfect fit for [card Momentary Blink]blink[/card] [card Flickerform]effects[/card]. If handled correctly this card can be a game changer. It could even see play in standard along side [card Venser, the Sojourner]Venser[/card]. I would be on the lookout for foils on this one for Commander players.
Timely Reinforcements
This card seems chock full of goodness. In a multiplayer game of Commander, your ability to trigger at least one of the modes is pretty much a guarantee. Triggering both will probably happen most of the time as well. Six life is pretty significant and should matter often. I find it funny that it creates three dudes. Three. Dudes. Seriously. (Fast forward to 10:46 to get the full effect) Evan Erwin quotes aside, even though the soldiers do not have evasion like the [card Spectral Procession]infamous three dudes[/card], they are still [card Thallid]three chumpers[/card], [card Skullclamp]sacrifice outlets[/card], [card Batterskull]equipment carriers[/card] and [card Overwhelming Stampede]over-runners[/card]. It may even see play in Constructed control builds, so look out for these in your tradepartner’s random unsorted piles from drafts or Prerelease/Launch tournaments. As always, lookout for foils if the card is common or uncommon; they will always be undervalued.
BLUE
Jace, Memory Adept
This guy seems legit enough to play in Commander. All planeswalkers are lightning rods, especially in Commander, so who knows if you get to actually ultimate with him. If you can protect him, he seems really good. Four turns is a lot, but drawing 20 is huge, basically game winning due to the card quality associated with Commander. You could even use his ultimate as a bargaining chip but I’m sure only the most gullible players will fall for it. His mill 10 is relevant for graveyard strategies, but be careful when depending on graveyard strategies in Commander. Most decks play at least a few pieces of [card Relic of Progenitus]graveyard[/card] [card Scavenging Ooze]hate[/card] and most decks have multiple ways of tutoring their hate cards out.
Preorder prices on Jace are pretty insane at the moment and hopefully price memory does not hold strong with this one. I just can’t see paying over $20 for him until Innistrad introduces a whole bunch of flashback and graveyard-based spells to the game. Is he really going to break standard in half before Innistrad comes out?
Jace's Archivist
Windfall is a pretty powerful effect. Having a repeatable windfall effect is pretty huge. You could easily mill multiple people to death, or cause them to die due to spells that cause damage for each [card Psychosis Crawler]card[/card] [card Spiteful Visions]drawn[/card]. Jace’s Archivist should be popular with the casual crowd for years to come. Get these on the cheap if you can and hold on to them in case it becomes vital to a Standard strategy. His price based on the casual crowd should always be there
Lord of the Unreal
Illusion is the new Knight as it seems for Magic 2012. Lords of random creature types are [card Soraya the Falconer]peppered[/card] [card Greatbow Doyen]throughout[/card] magic and all have at least some sort of following. There are rumblings of the Illusion deck becoming an actual deck, but I highly doubt that it will have enough quality pieces to really make a stand.
That won’t stop the casual players from trying which is good for the future value of this Unreal card. Trade these fast and trade these soon, even at a loss from the current $2.99 price. I can’t see this card gaining value any time soon and will probably see a sharp decrease in price as soon as this set is drafted. Better drafters, who are mainly non casual players may have these sitting in their draft boxes, as Illusions seem fairly decent for draft. Don't be afraid to ask.
Master Thief
Artifacts are big pieces of the Commander puzzle. Almost every deck starts with one part Sol Ring, one part Duplicant, one part Sensei's Divining Top, and one part Lightning Greaves. Those are all great cards to steal, but that’s just to tip of the iceberg. Stealing something like a tapped Nevinyrral's Disk, or a Blightsteel Colossus,could be game altering.
Be aware of the the specific wording on this card. You lose control of the artifact when you no longer control Master Thief. So having the thief die isn't the only way to lose control of the artifact. As for almost all uncommons or commons I talk about in this article, only look for foils of this card.
Mind Unbound
I can see this card working out pretty well in Commander. Getting 10 cards off of this card is probably an easy feat. One thing to note, however, is that it is mandatory. Be careful and ensure you have a way to bounce the card, or possibly even [card Zedruu the Greathearted]donate[/card] it someone. This should end up being bulk, so get it as a throw in if you are interested in playing it. It could be a buck or two down the line due to the casual appeal.
Phantasmal Image
Players love Clones. Players love cheap cards. Phantasmal image is the cheapest Clone to date. One trick is to use it on a creature with [card Argothian Enchantress]shroud[/card], [card Dungrove Elder]hexproof[/card], or a [card Wurmcoil Engine]graveyard[/card] [card Archon of Justice]trigger[/card] [card Academy Rector]effect[/card].
As a Standard card, I am excited to play this with Frost Titan. Locking down two things instead of 1 is huge and can pretty much win you the game. The only thing going against this Glass Clone is the other great clone in the format, Phyrexian Metamorph. They both have their ups and downs but I think they can co-exist in the same format, and possibly even the same deck. It seems like the perfect 2-drop for a Birthing Pod deck late game, when your [card Birds of Paradise]1-drops[/card] are just too slow to ramp up to your 5-or-m0re-drops.
It should see play in Commander as well, as Clones are really good due to all the epic creatures being cast in that format. Phantasmal Image is possibly a dual format playable, which means Phantasmal Image will be worth over the $2 threshold for a long time. Capitalize on this because some players will undervalue him. Use that to your advantage and get these at $1-$2 if you find someone that crazy.
Sphinx of Uthuun
The "Sphinx of 100 card decks" is what this should have been called. It is a big beater that does something. Big, flying beasts are a dime a dozen, so you really need your creatures to do more than just beat face. Anything really, as long as it does something important. A Fact or Fiction is nothing to sneeze at, especially if you are playing the political game well and have a temporary ally under your wing. I also love the art, and this card should look great as a foil. Keep an eye out for these as they are pretty much Standard unplayable with Consecrated Sphinx drawing you more cards and coming down a turn faster. It should be easy to find them as throw-ins, and cheaply as foils.
Visions of Beyond
Some call this one of the best card of the set, some call it the most over-hyped card of the set. I lean more towards the over-hyped side. "Threshold 7" is not the easiest thing to pull off, and "threshold 20" for any player is, well almost three times as hard to pull it off.
Dredge in Legacy is an obvious deck that can use this card, but for Standard only Pyromancer Ascension can realistically utilize this card at the moment. It may or may not be the card that puts that deck over the top, but the issue of deck space is a real problem. Ponder, Preordain, and possibly Gitaxian Probe are the deck’s main card draw spells. You could overload the deck with Visions, but it may just be too much. I’ve seen a few decklists, and the lists seem very tight and very fragile. I think they the deck really needs Into the Roil or Burst Lightning to actually interact with decks, other than using your Lightning Bolts. Archive Trap versions are a better fit for Visions, but may or may not be the better build. The Trap build is certainly even less interactive than the burn version, so it's weakness to aggro is much more obvious.
For Commander, Visions is an entirely different card. It's 20 card qualifier is easy to obtain, and the fact that Visions of Beyond cycles if you absolutely need it to is a very important key to its playability. You never really want to have a dead card in your hand in Commander because so many different game states can come up at any point in the game. Card advantage is king in Commander and having a replica of the best card draw spell ever is a no brainer for Commander players.
All that said, I would trade Visions of Beyond away at the moment. It is a possible multi-format star, but for Standard, at least until Innistrad hopefully changes the way we look at our graveyards, Visions is mostly a fringe player. In the new world of Mythics, Rares have a very hard time staying above $5 unless they are [card Stoneforge Mystic]format defining and have paid their dues[/card] in the the low price bracket for half their stay in Standard. This card should follow the pricing trend of Green Sun's Zenith. It sees limited Standard play, tons of Legacy play and tons of Commander play but sits quietly at $5. If you can get it for under $5 I would pick them up, but trade them away at $5-$8 to players who are clouded by the thoughts of drawing 3 cards on their opponents end step.
BLACK
Bloodlord of Vaasgoth
This card is not Vampire Nocturnus, and no Vampire lord to date has met his playability. But I think this bloodsucker is actually better for a different purpose. In a black-red aggressive deck, five mana for a 6/6 flyer is pretty relevant, and I think that’s what this “lord” will be used as. It is the Prerelease foil, so this shouldn’t be worth much more than a few bucks. Trade them away if you can find people over-valuing him.
If people are dumping him for less than $5, I would get a few just in case the hypothetical deck for it exists. In Commander, I think he is not that great as he doesn’t do enough extra except help you and all your other creatures beat face. He is a Vampire though, and that does count for something with the casual crowd.
Rune-Scarred Demon
I really hope the seven mana "nostalgia creatures" cycle eventually becomes a full cycle one day. I would love to see what the other color versions would look like. White Balance, Red Inferno or Wildfire, and Green Natural Order seem pretty sweet in my mind. As with [card Sphinx of Uthuun]Sphinx of 100 Card Decks[/card], 100 Card Deck Demon is Commander-playable only. However, if either was to make some sort of splash in Standard the Demon would be the more likely of the two. Tutoring is much better than card draw, especially at the price you will have to pay for it with this demon. Get these as throw ins as it will be eternally playable in Commander, and should be easy to find at that rate.
Sorin's Vengeance
It is hard to deny the power of a 20 point life swing, especially combined with [card Sorin Markov]Sorin[/card] in your deck as a 2 card kill. Some Commander players will love this combo, as individually they are not the worst of cards to play but when they do come together it’s an instant kill. For Standard, once every set is spoiled the age old tradition of claiming "Mono Black Control is a deck" starts. I am not sure what is in store for MBC, but I do think it is closer than ever to actually being a deck, especially with Smallpox being reprinted. Will Sorin’s Vengeance be part of that puzzle? I am not sure, but either way I don’t see the card becoming a huge money card. Its closest comparison is Cruel Ultimatum and even when Cruel Control was all the rage the name sake card never even cracked $3. Do not go out of your way to get these as they will be easy to find anywhere. Unless Cabal Coffers gets reprinted, they will forever sit on the edge of playability. Trade them away for $1 if you can, but dump them as bulk if you need to.
Vengeful Pharaoh
Dredge-uh-vine decks everywhere rejoiced when this No Mercy variant was spoiled. I do think that having the Pharaoh placed on top of your deck, combined with you being required to take damage for it to trigger, may hinder the playability of this card. However, the missing cast member of Mummies Alive! could actually make his mark for the short while he overlaps with Vengevine. Beyond that, who knows what is in store for our graveyards once Innistrad is released. Commader players will enjoy a repeatable source of creature kill, but I don’t have much faith in it unless you play [card Life from the Loam]some[/card] [card Golgari Grave-Troll]dredge[/card] [card Stinkweed Imp]cards[/card]. Black just has so many better ways to deal with creatures.
Because it’s not insanely priced, I would hold on to these guys for the time being if you have 1 or 2. However, get rid of any more as it probably wont be a 4-of in decks that want to use it and doesn’t have a huge playability factor for Commander.
Part 2 - Not Yet!
That's it for today! Join me later this week for my look at Red, Green, Artifacts and Lands. Two exciting new Planeswalkers await!
I also wanted to give my buddy @derfington another plug. I just got two sweet alters from him. Here is the first one...
@derfington's not just a great comic strip writer/artist, but also a versatile card alter artist!
You will have to wait till my follow up article to see the second one. I decided to get him to alter two cards for me because they were the only non-Dual Land or post-Fallen Empires card that could not be foiled in my deck. I am basically 80% finished foiling out my deck. Anyone want to donate some judge foils?
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Last week we talked about playing for value, the concept of getting the most out of your cards and card advantage. This week, I’m going to address those concepts with a breakdown of my Mayael the Anima deck. This deck, despite containing very few card drawing effects, is all about card advantage.
I like a bit of a challenge when I play Magic, so I look for ways to generate card advantage without actually just drawing cards. Mayael is a perfect commander for that, since she’s both a card advantage engine and potentially a mana advantage engine. The best Mayael activations not only get you a great creature directly onto the battlefield, they do it at a discount.
Even though there are well over 30 creatures in this deck, the focus is around generating card advantage. Nearly every creature in the deck provides an effect when it hits the battlefield or dies, and the ones that don’t often require multiple cards to answer. The sweepers that aren’t attached to creatures are all based on knocking out multiple permanents for each of your opponents while hitting very few of your own. The utility cards make your Mayael activations more powerful while providing card selection to help you maintain your board presence.
Notable Moments Playing Mayael
Timmy Moment: Activating Myojin of Life's Web to put eight fatties onto the battlefield at an opponent’s end step (fatties included Vigor, Scourge of Kher Ridges, and Spearbreaker Behemoth)
Johnny Moment: Casting Seedborn Muse with Mayael and Coalition Relic, in a five player game, and making it all the way back to my turn, with five more creatures out and five extra mana on my turn
Spike Moment: Curving out with turn 1 Sensei's Divining Top, turn 2 cycle Eternal Dragon, turn 3 Coalition Relic, turn 4 Mayael the Anima, turn 5 Seedborn Muse (even Johnny can have his Spike moments)
Why Mayael?
The most important reason I’m running Mayael is because she’s a card advantage engine in colors that typically have a hard time generating it, short of board sweepers. She makes a perfect complement to a strong suite of board control effects by letting you rebuild faster than your opponents while digging through your library to find the best creature with power greater than or equal to 5 you can.
Board sweepers can do a lot to generate card advantage, but if you aren’t going to combo out you eventually need creatures to win. In a multiplayer game, creatures are noticeably more important than in a normal game because a board sweeper will reset the board, but you could have (potentially) 2 or more players attacking you every turn. The only way to make sure you aren’t getting pounded for more damage than you can handle is to run some defensive guys to block all those incoming attacks. If you’re going to run the guys to block with, why not run ones that are hard to destroy, and do a great job of attacking as attack deterrents while you’re at it?
In Commander it’s often go big or go home, so fatties do a great job of mucking up the board when we don’t want to use a board sweeper. A single fatty will often keep teams of less than 3 creatures at home, or rumbling over to attack someone else. You will even force people to overextend into your sweeper if they want to get in for any noticeable damage. It only gets better if you can keep your creature around through the sweeper, and green and white have the most ways to protect your guys from your own effects.
Focus #1: Sweepers
Even though they make up less of the deck than the creatures, the sweepers are the most important cards in this deck. While occasionally the right play will be to just come out, guns blazing and curving out before turn 5, the deck normally plays much more conservatively. The typical path to victory involves playing out a few ways to fix your mana, or set up a way or two to fix the top of your library while your opponents get set up. Once they start to get some threats onto the battlefield, use a sweeper to clean up the mess and break the symmetry of sweeping, creating some solid card advantage to get ahead.
The deck has a wide variety of creature sweepers alongside a few that can hit other permanent types as well. It’s important to use the right sweeper at the right time. If you need to kill a few creatures and you have the option of using Day of Judgment or Austere Command, use Day. Don’t blow a way to severely cripple a Sharuum the Hegemon, or Hanna, Ship's Navigator player if you don’t have to.
The best sweepers in the deck are Austere Command and Scourge of Kher Ridges. Being able to select what you destroy will put you in a much better board position. Since very few creatures in the deck are small enough to die to one or two activations of Scourge of Kher Ridges, he makes for a fantastic way to keep hordes of creatures under control. The flexibility of Austere Command makes it amazing as well. Wiping out frustrating artifacts and enchantments on demand really can’t be underestimated, as well as being able to selectively deal with either the expensive creatures or cheap ones. Breaking symmetry is the key to making the card truly effective.
Focus #2: Hard to Answer Fatties
Mayael only likes creatures with five or more power (unless they are named Seedborn Muse – she makes an exception for a girl that sexy). It’s a good thing for us that Ken Nagle started working at Wizards, or we most likely wouldn’t have Mayael or all the fantastic five (or more) power fatties that we’ve gotten in recent years.
It’s important to have enough fatties that you should always hit at least one when activating Mayael. I find around 25 or more five power creatures does the job, and more is usually better provided you aren’t including cards just to up the count. There are three main types of fatties we want to have in abundance if possible.
Hard to Kill Fatties
This is the most obvious category, but also the one with the fewest to choose from. If you’re going to build a deck around sweepers, wouldn’t it be sweet if you could cast your creatures even if you might need to sweep the board later? I know that sounds like a great plan to me. I hope it sounds like a good one to you too, or you might be in the wrong place. While there aren’t a lot of these guys to run, the ones you can run are very good.
There are a few obvious includes. Number one is Spearbreaker Behemoth. He’s indestructible. He makes the majority of your other guys indestructible. Sounds like a recipe for success to me. Deathless Angel gets the nod as well for similar reasons. Vigor isn’t difficult to kill on its own, but he makes it very difficult to kill your other fatties in combat, or with any sort of damage effect.
Unique Effect Fatties
There are a lot of weird effects available in Magic. Fortunately, many of them come attached to a body with five or more power, and we have a deck that can take advantage of several of them.
I already mentioned Vigor, but it also belongs in this category. A few of our sweepers are damage-based, and the combo absurdly well with Vigor for that reason. Myojin of Life's Web lets a smart Mayael player drop a ton of threats onto the battlefield all for the low cost of giving up indestructibility the turn you plan on killing someone. Blazing Archon just says no, and does it pretty convincingly. Combine with Spearbreaker Behemoth or Deathless Angel for the ultimate in not-dying-in-the-attack-step.
Card Advantage Fatties
Normally, one thinks of small enters-the-battlefield trigger creatures when they think of card advantage creatures, like Mulldrifter. This deck is an exercise in going big or going home, so we’re going to find fatties that do that job on top of having a huge body. There are also numerous behemoths with death triggers that you can use quite effectively to make killing your own creatures with a sweeper less painful.
The rest of the fatties I run fall into this category. The Titans (Primeval Titan, Inferno Titan, and Sun Titan) are perfect examples of what we’re looking for here. All them come with a body that can’t be ignored, and an ETB trigger that will guarantee you get at least something out of the card. Death triggers also can get the job done–see Wurmcoil Engine. The important part of fatty selection is to make sure that if you resolve one, you’re going to get something out of it even if someone kills your guy.
Focus #3: Library Manipulation
There’s very few cards in my Mayael build that draw additional cards, but there are a lot of cards that let me manipulate the cards on top of my library. When you have a fatty in your hand, it generally means you’re going to end up paying retail for it, and doing it at sorcery speed. This is the opposite of what you want to be doing. The ideal play is to activate Mayael during your last opponent’s end step, or in response to an attack. You should know what you’re going to flip off her activation but they won’t, making it much harder to attack you profitably.
Considering we’re playing a deck full of fatties that you’ll end up paying retail for eventually, we want to make sure we have the mana to cast those creatures, so cards that passively manipulate the library for you while you execute on your main game plan are excellent. Sylvan Library and Cream of the Crop both let you dig without necessarily goofing up and putting the fatty in your hand, and Sensei's Divining Top does it on the cheap. Scroll Rack is one of the few cards outside blue that lets us put our hand back on top of our library. Greater Good is one of our very few actual card drawing spells, It's great here because sometimes you just need to sweep the board, and you might as well get something out of your fatties that are going to die anyway.
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As promised in last week's article, this week we will delve into the world of foils and how best to alter them. I will also fill you in on how you can get a hold of the cards that are shown in today's article. Business before pleasure though, we have a lot to cover.
The first and most important thing you need to know about altering foils is that foil cards do not accept the paint as well as normal cards. That shiny exterior does not allow the card to absorb the color. This can be a good thing though, you will notice that your colors are marginally more vibrant.
It's also important to note that throughout the years, wizards has changed the process by which they create foils. If you are new to the game you may not know that foil cards used to only have foil borders, the picture remained unchanged. If you choose to alter an old foil then you need to take this into consideration. Newer foils are of course completely shiny-ified so we at least have a consistent surface to work from.
This may seem obvious, but the areas where you have painted will be much easier to spot on a foil card. We must consider this when planning our project. As stated last week, we want to keep the paint to a minimum while maximizing the impact of the alter, so an accent piece is the best way to go in most cases. For today's project I have chosen an Oxida Scrapmelter, though as I know, many of you may not have one of these at home. If you wish to play along with this tutorial, any foil card with fire in the artwork will do.
FIRE!
The first step is always to lay a base coat, but as we are working on a new medium, there is a slight change to this step. No matter what color you plan on using, a white base coat is always advisable. This allows the next coat to have a firm grip on the card. Also make sure to allow more than ample time for each coat to dry. It is entirely too easy to smear paint on a foil before it dries completely. That said, this provides a very good opportunity to start or finish another project while you wait.
Once that has dried you may now lay down your first true base coat with the basic colors of the chosen design. For myself, I used a touch of Brilliant Orange for the areas of fire that will be darker and continued with white in the lighter areas. Remember that yellows and oranges do not cover very well, so err on the side of caution in terms of how dark you want to go. It is easy to go darker, not so easy to go lighter. I also used a sort of rounded “swish” stroke so that any texture on the card will hopefully enhance the idea of blown flame.
After allowing ample amount of drying time once again, its time to add some of the real colors here. The outer parts of the flame may look like a deep orange, but in reality I used straight Naphthol Red on top of the orange I had laid down first. I worked my way inward from there by mixing Brilliant Orange with the red and gradually getting lighter with Titanium White. No tricks, no gimmicks, this was an easy one. Although it doesn't show in the picture, the colors matched up perfectly. We have, however, come to the last thing you need to know about painting foils. The colors on the card change due to the angle at which the light in the room hit the card. It is ultimately impossible to exactly match the colors on a foil card, the best we can do is find a median that looks good in most lights and go with it.
I wasn't entirely happy with how the fire ball looked. I felt the shape was too round and obtuse and I also felt that the fire needed some depth. I solved the shape problem with my trusty toothpick, giving the flame a more sleek shape, as if it were being propelled rather than just belched out randomly.
I then used a Mars Black in conjunction with my previous orange mixture and painted a shadow around the outer part of the fireball to add some depth. I did not clean the edges of the shadow as I thought it looked a little more “burnt” that way. Critics will say that the text is visible under parts of the fire, to which you should always reply “Fire is not opaque”. Lastly, I decided to try and disguise the alter a little more by carving out some spots in the fire ball where the original foil can shine through. I found I was ambivalent about the end result, but it is something to consider in the future, or maybe suggest to a client.
Waffle Time!!
Sorry about the typo above, it should say “Raffle Time” but I'm getting a bit hungry as I write this, so I think it's time I told you about the raffle. The more this column grows, the more feedback I require to keep it growing. Also given what I stated last week about building a community, it is only right that I provide some sort of a forum to plant that seed. So I invite you to submit your name to the raffle in any or all of the following ways:
Follow me on Twitter
Like “The Painters Servant” facebook page
Leave a comment here on QS
Email me
The Rules
You get one “ticket” for any and all avenues you use to leave feedback. You must leave useful feedback, not just “good article”. Anything from suggestions on how to improve the article (Format, length, more pictures, less pictures etc.) to painting techniques will do. If you already follow me on Twitter than you have already qualified.
Please try to use the same or similar screen names if you want multiple tickets or notify me with any notes on who is who. I should also note that as I don’t know any of them personally, QS authors and editors are also welcome to enter, but will be shown no favor. All entries must be submitted/joined/emailed/tweeted/liked by June 19th.
How to Win
I am literally writing down names and drawing them from a hat. If you win, I will contact you in (one of) the methods that you chose to enter for your contact information. You're contact information will not be sold, used, or given to anyone else past sending you your prize.
Prizes
Set of foil Lightning Bolts (pictured)
Oxida Scrapmelter (pictured)
Cancel (pictured)
Other prizes will be awarded if I'm feeling particularly generous at the time and could be, but are not necessarily guaranteed to be, altered cards or unaltered rare and foil cards.
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Unless you've been living under a rock for the last two weeks, you're aware that Stoneforge Mystic and Jace, the Mindsculpter have been banned in standard. Part of the draw of Commander is that it is a format where you can play all of your favorite cards, new or old, and it just so happens that these are the favorite cards of a good friend of mine at the local store. Since the bannings, there's been nothing he's wanted to do more than to bring the dynamic duo to Commander, but he's been struggling to get the deck to "feel" the same.
I thought this would be a great way to talk about using competitive decks as a gateway to a format as broad as Commander. The first thing I ask anyone who's new to the format is what their favorite deck is. It doesn't matter if that answer is as simple as CawBlade or as vague as a "some cards," that's the best starting point for someone looking to get started in Commander. The goal is to identify and recreate the elements that made that player like that deck so much. Oddly enough, when you take a deck that someone liked playing, recreate it, and tell them that they can play it forever, they tend to enjoy playing.
So what were the key elements of CawBlade, besides crushing everything? The first thing that comes to mind is the way it plays out, being able to play as an aggressive deck or a control deck as a situation requires. Second, the ability to Brainstorm, Preordain, and tutor up answers to specific situations or board states. Finally, the deck is defined by its ability to swing games with [card Sword of Feast and Famine]Sword[/card] hits.
Using this as a basis, I like to start by choosing a commander since so much of the deck can be built around the utility and consistency that is provided by it. For this style of deck, I only really see two options: Grand Arbiter Augustin IV or Isperia the Inscrutable, and to decide between them, one has to consider what role each would play for the deck. [card Grand Arbiter Augustin IV]Grand Arbiter[/card] allows you to efficiently play out threats and answers, while making it harder for your opponent to interact with you. My problem with the [card Grand Arbiter Augustin IV]Grand Arbiter[/card] is that he doesn't actually do anything, and that his ability becomes less relevant as the game goes on. While this is fine if you're trying to force through additional prison pieces or a game-ending combo, it seems less helpful when it doesn't provide a quick clock.
Isperia the Inscrutable, on the other hand, is a strong blocker and a reasonably quick clock, backed by Swords. Additionally, [card Isperia the Inscrutable]Isperia[/card] provides additional information about the game state, which will help you make the correct choices when tutoring for Swords and fliers. Finally, whenever you connect with [card Isperia the Inscrutable]Isperia[/card] and name a card correctly, it feels like you've connected with a Sword. Not only does it put you up a card, but it lets you tutor for a flier that either helps you stabilize or apply additional pressure. Honestly, I think that [card Grand Arbiter Augustin IV]Grand Arbiter[/card] is a better general on the whole, but that [card Isperia the Inscrutable]Isperia[/card] will be better for a deck that wants to feel like CawBlade. Besides, she'll put the "Caw!" back into a deck that can't profitably run Squadron Hawk.
With a commander decided, let's get started on the deck itself. I think it's easiest to start with the [card Sword of War and Peace]Swords[/card] and Stoneforge Mystics, since that's the part that will be closest to the 60-4 builds. Unfortunately, there aren't terribly many ways to tutor up equipment but I'm sure we can make do.
Blades
Sword of Fire and Ice
Sword of Feast and Famine
Sword of Light and Shadow
Batterskull
Bonehoard
Lightning Greaves
Stoneforge Mystic
Steelshaper's Gift
Stonehewer Giant
Fabricate
As I've played with it more, I've been incredibly impressed with Batterskull. It's certainly not the biggest creature, but there's almost always going to be someone without a blocker, and the ability to just always have a creature is pretty valuable. The biggest strike against Baneslayer Angel in this format is that she just dies to removal. Batterskull doesn't have that problem.
Bonehoard is taking the place of Sword of War and Peace in this deck. Sure, there will be times that the blue player has sixty cards in hand and a Reqliquary Tower, but the rest of the time, Bonehoard is going to be scarier, especially equipped to your general. When the game invariably goes long the ability to just kill people in one or two hits is really powerful, and seems more relevant than some lifegain and the ability to kill Planeswalkers.
Next let's look at the toolbox of fliers!
Ka Caw!
Mulldrifter
Reveillark
Karmic GUide
Riftwing Cloudskate
Vendilion Clique
Aven Mindcensor
Linvala, Keeper of Silence
Commander Eesha
Cloudchaser Kestrel
Keeper of the Nine Gales
Thieving Magpie
Archon of Justice
Blinding Angel
Draining Whelk
Emeria Angel
Sunblast Angel
I didn't know quite how awesome of a toolbox you could make out of just creatures with flying. I mean, there's hand disruption, different kinds of spot removal, a one-sided wrath, countermagic, card drawing and recursion to start with, all on reasonably efficient bodies. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a way to chain a creature with flying into a piece of equipment. Still, if you connect with [card Isperia the Inscrutable]Isperia[/card], there's always going to be something relevant to tutor up.
The two targets I'm least certain of are Commander Eesha and Keeper of the Nine Gales. Commander is an awesome blocker, and is great at carrying [card Sword of Light and Shadow]Swords[/card] since he's unblockable, but he is pretty expensive for what he does. Keeper of the Nine Gales seems really good if you can get him active, but I don't know how difficult it will be to keep three birds on the board outside of an active Emeria Angel.
Next, we have to think about the card advantage and selection engines that are going to help make the deck as consistent as possible. One of the biggest strengths of the CawBlade deck was the consistency, and it's definitely not something I want to miss with a Commander build:
Card Selection
Gitaxian Probe
Peek
Ponder
Preordain
Brainstorm
Sensei's Divining Top
Jace Beleren
Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Future Sight
Fact or Fiction
Enlightened Tutor
Merchant Scroll
Mystical Tutor
Ranger of Eos
Weathered Wayfarer
Mother of Runes
The cards that are most interesting here are Gitaxian Probe and Peek. While typically not powerful enough for a tuned Commander list, here they allow you to hit with [card Isperia the Inscrutable]Isperia[/card]. They are effectively each a Demonic Tutor that cantrips! I don't know how you can argue with that!
The other interesting card here is Ranger of Eos. Ranger is one of my favorite cards in white, and it's especially appropriate here since it mimics Squadron Hawk so well. Part of me was really, really tempted to put in a Suntail Hawk just to make it more authentic, but that seemed unnecessary. Mother of Runes, however, is a great way to protect Sworded guys from removal, or to force through a Sword hit. Weathered Wayfarer is, in my opinion, one of the best white cards in the format, but we all know how much I love utility lands.
Now we checkthe removal and countermagic suite to keep the board at parity while you grind out advantages with [card Isperia the Inscrutable]Isperia[/card] and [card Sword of Fire and Ice]Swords[/card]. You want to be able to leave as little mana as possible up on other turns, so these need to be as efficient as possible while being difficult to play around.
Disruption
Misdirection
Cryptic Command
Counterspell
Hinder
Spell Crumple
Dismiss
Forbid
Muddle the Mixture
Into the Roil
Swords to Plowshares
Path to Exile
[card]Austere Command[/card
Catastrophe
Cataclysm
Your spot removal is there to force through sworded guys, and anything that can't either be ignored or dealt with by other means can be countered. You have a minimal suite of mass removal, most of which ought to be saved for when you are in a dominating board position, and used to try to put one or more players into positions where they cannot win.
Cataclysm and Catastrophe are especially good at just winning games once you are ahead on the board, and you shouldn't hesitate to use either one to kill one another player.
Finally, we're down to the last few free slots before making space for lands. Here I want to add a little bit of mana acceleration so that [card Isperia the Inscrutable]Isperia[/card] can hit the table in a reasonable amount of time. If [card Isperia the Inscrutable]Isperia[/card] is going to be playing the role of Stoneforge Mystic, I'd like it to hit the table consistently by turn 4 or 5. I would also like the deck to have some powerful late game cards that aren't completely reliant on equipment to be threatening.
Utility
Sol Ring
Azorius Signet
Solemn Simulacrum
Sun Titan
Consecrated Sphinx
Venser, the Sojourner
Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Battle Screech
Trinket Mage
[card Elsepth, Knight-Errant]Elspeth[/card] and Battle Screech are there to play a role similar to Squadron Hawk in that they give you multiple creatures for a single card, bodies to put swords on, and some resiliency to wrath effects. Similarly, Sun Titan and Consecrated Sphinx are trumps for stalled or empty boards that will force people to either remove them on sight or threaten to win you the game.
Beyond this we'll add a pretty standard manabase with manlands and fixing, and end up with a list that looks like this:
[deckbox did="a100" size="small" width="560"]
Now, rather than wrap up with some general comments about the deck, I'd like to take this as an opportunity to talk about a personal quest for Commander enlightenment that I'm starting on. What I'd really like to do is, over time, to build a unique deck for each color combination, spanning a range of archetypes and approaches. To stay true to my inner-Johnny, I'd prefer to stick mostly to commanders that see less play than most, or at least approach building the general differently.
I'll be the first to admit that I have a huge personal bias towards certain cards and archetypes, and so I'm hoping to get some reader-participation going for this project to help keep me honest, otherwise I'm always going to end up playing some clunky attrition deck.
I've got a few decks that I've already built and written about that I'm going to keep together regardless (Child of Alara, Wortikut, and Ib Halfheart), but beyond those I've got a good 20-ish decks to build!
It's probably easiest to start with monocolor decks, and we might as well start with my favorite color for Commander: white! So, along with the usual comments, emails, and tweets about this week's article and suggestions for future articles, I want to hear what you think about monowhite generals and decks. Which are overplayed? Which are undervalued? Should I build a Kataki, War's Wage deck, or is that too hopeless? Only you can decide!
As always, I appreciate any feedback, and I'm especially excited to hear any of your ideas and suggestions for my Johnny-tastic journey for Commander awesomeness! Next week we'll be taking a look at a reader-submitted, non-Voltron build of Sygg, River Guide. This guy was one of the first legends I ever owned, so hopefully I'll be able to do him justice!
Carlos Gutierrez
cag5383@gmail.com
@cag5383 on Twitter
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Monocolored madness continues as we step into the lush, savage, Elf-infested world of monogreen strategies! Andy is joined by Justin and Byron, his mightiest green warriors, as they guide us into the realm of ramp, trample, and hurricanes by guest host Cassidy. We also hit up a set review and speak on some proposed changes to color identity.
You can find the full show notes for this week's episode here!
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Hello, and welcome to the second half of our Mirrodin retrospective, highlighting the money cards in the set. Mirrodin was a critical block, much like the Urza block, that supercharged Magic, pushed it to its limits, and fundamentally changed how the game designers created future sets. Last week, we left off with Lightning Greaves, and this week, we'll finish up the list of Mirrodin cards that you need to know!
Mind's Eye
Mind's Eye was never constructed-playable. Standard couldn't bother with it, since you'd be spending 6 mana to draw your first card. Vintage neglected the card because for five mana, you could have freakin' Memory Jar!
Mind's Eye is highly relevant in Commander, though. Five mana isn't too hard to pull off and if you have spare mana, there's always someone at the table who is drawing cards. It is a colorless font of magical spells, which makes it more desirable – consistent card draw is tough for mono-colored decks that aren't blue. Sufficient people want Mind's Eye such that it is a very tradeable card.
$3.75
MindslaverSuch a simple sentence, such a powerful one. Mindslaver was originally an Unglued card, but thankfully, it made it through to a real set. What a lucky break, because Mindslaver is so iconic that it got reprinted for more insanity. Mindslaver gets to let a player do what they may have joked about with their friends during casual play one day: how to make your deck kill itself. Mindslaver is no simple “tap you out, pass the turn back” kind of card, it challenges a player to say “with these resources, how can I best screw myself over?” The power of Mindslaver is proportional to the power of the format, and nowhere else is it as potent as it is (or was) in Vintage. With cards like Demonic Consultation and Yawgmoth's Bargain in your deck, getting Slaved could outright kill you (with my favorite suicidal DeCon card name being Corrupt Eunuchs). Thanks to Goblin Welder, Mindslaver could come back over and over, sometimes infinitely (with Crucible of Worlds and Great Furnace, for example).As an example of just how powerful the card could be, I was playing Slaver against Brian Demars, running the mirror. He started the game with a land, Goblin Welder, Mox, Pyrite Spellbomb. This was a dynamite lead-off in the mirror. I drew a hand that went Tolarian Academy, Mana Crypt, Mox, Mox, Tinker. He and I both had Force of Will, so my Tinker went for Mindslaver. I activated it on the spot. Brian drew into Ancestral Recall and pointed it at me. He then shot Pyrite Spellbomb at his Goblin Welder, responding by welding the Spellbomb in for his Mox. He then shocked himself with the Spellbomb. At that point, Brian scooped up his cards. Note that this isn't even the most savage play I could have made! Mindslaver mirrors often had one player involuntarily Welding in his opponent's Mindslaver, over and over! My opponent would have had to endure two more turns of brain-draining.That's the power of Mindslaver, and it's no small wonder that folks everywhere like to pull it off.$2.50Oblivion StoneO-Stone is a colorless board wipe in the tradition of Nevinyrral's Disk. With enough time and mana, you can make all of your permanents survive the crush! O-stone is popular casually and saw a bit of play in constructed formats. It's a card that casual players love and often overvalue, so it's worth having in a binder.$3.00Platinum AngelThe Angel is still a required component of stupid Johnny win conditions involving doing things that would ordinarily kill you. Players dream of playing it and then putting Lightning Greaves on her. It has shown up occasionally in constructed decks, including Extended – some decks had no answer to a resolved Platinum Angel, strange as it sounds.My favorite Dumb Card Trick with her? If you get to a negative life total with it in play and then cast Lich, the game considers setting your life to zero as lifegain if it was from a negative number. Thus, you draw a card for every negative life point you had! Silly!$2.75Sculpting SteelIn Commander, utility rules. Sculpting Steel can take anything, from a Mind's Eye to a Blightsteel Colossus, and double it up. A big part of its price, though, comes also from Vintage. Sculpting Steel is good in the all-artifact Mishra's Workshop decks that focus on big monster beaters. Cloning a Lodestone Golem is a serious threat, but doubling a Tangle Wire, a Smokestack, a Juggernaut or otherwise is still huge. Sculpting Steel often does a duplication on the cheap, saving one or two mana along the way!$3.00Solemn SimulacrumThis card was designed by Jens Thoren and was originally costed at 2RG. Alternately called StrongSad, RoboJens or the Sad Robot, he's a premiere mana fixer and accelerator. Four mana doesn't get you anything crazy here, but the robot does do some stuff pretty well. He's casually loved and saw a little bit of constructed play, too. I would be careful about picking any up, though, because he is a M12 reprint and his current price will probably drop a bit more if/when he sees no constructed play (see: Meddling Mage).$4.75Soul FoundryThe Dude Machine inspires all sorts of silly combo ideas. You can make Mystic Snakes with it, what more could you want! Soul Foundry is pretty popular in Commander, where it can reproduce all manner of fatties. I was surprised to see that this had climbed up so much, since I had previously considered it a junk rare. Don't make my mistake!$2.00Sword of KaldraIt wasn't really until Darksteel that we realized that this card was part of a trio. Sword of Kaldra was, at that point, just a really cool artifact from the first set to debut Equipment. People like to put the Kaldra voltron combo together, and the Sword is just fine by itself, too. It's a valuable card that people might undervalue, so be on the watch for it.$2.75Tooth and NailAfter Affinity got stomped down, the world shifted to Tooth and Nail. It's a ridiculous effect, but at nine mana, who is going to do that in Constructed? It was at that point that people turned to the Urza lands, which were idealistically printed in the base set, though they had never before been used in tournament Magic. People quickly found out that when you make a 9-mana spell that's worth casting, the Tron is actually pretty good. The deck's earliest incarnation would go for Platinum Angel and Leonin Abunas, but people could shred through that with Shrapnel Blast and the like. Then it went for Sundering Titan and Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker. You'd get the Titan out and then if you didn't immediately need to kill some lands, you'd make the token copy in the Waylay step and then make another on your next turn. Three Titans, coming in!
My favorite adaptation to Tooth and Nail was what Blue Tron ended up doing. You'd cast your Tooth and Nail and then they would respond with... Twincast? Okay, sure, and you're getting Uyo, Silent Prophet and Triskelion? Weird, okay. Uyo copies the Tooth, getting Mephidross Vampire and Sakashima, The Imposter to copy the vamp? Now Trike gets two counters for each one it takes off? And now I'm dead, with my Tooth and Nail still on the stack?
Talk about metagaming!
Tooth is still enormously popular in Commander and casual, since getting to nine mana isn't hard and Tooth has better and better guys to get these days (like Kiki and Pestermite for an insta-kill).
$6.25
Troll Ascetic
Apparently, trolls being Hexproof has become part of Magic. Not sure where it came from, other than from this duderino. The big play in Standard when he was legal was to slap a Loxodon Warhammer on him. Six lifelinking damage that you can do nothing about, coming right up! Other appropriate attachments included Blanchwood Armor. The Troll has little casual appeal and got reprinted in Tenth Edition, so people don't value him highly. He's much better than bulk, however.
$1.50
That wraps up Mirrodin! Next week, we'll look at Darksteel, a set that attempted to kill Magic where even the Urza block was unsuccessful. What's your favorite Mirrodin card? Got a good Mindslaver story? Trade for any Mirrodin cards lately? Post in the feedback below!
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Commander is a casual format. With the exception of something like StarCityGames Open Series side events, there's nothing to win; everyone you sit down with is there for the sole purpose of having a good time. Everyone likes different parts of the game, as Shaheen Soorani explained in his article about play styles. We each have different types of game play that we enjoy most, and we like decks according to the degree to which let us play the way we want to.
In a tournament setting that's as far as we need to go. If you enjoy your deck, your opponent won't complain about it being unfun for them; they just want to win, so enjoy yourself. But in Commander, if you ruin the rest of the playgroup's fun they won't play with you anymore. For instance, I'm a fan of attrition based, grind-‘em-out decks. But while these might not offend other people in the early or mid game, it isn't much fun to sit staring at an opponent who you know you can't reasonably catch up with yet is going to take another twelve turns to actually kill the table. Similarly, most people don't appreciate watching someone else take a lot of extra turns in a row, nor do they enjoy sitting helplessly staring at a Jhoira of the Ghitu after having all of their lands Obliterated.
There are a lot of strategies that very few people find enjoyable, so if you have a special place in your heart for one of these be aware of it. Don't pursue that line of play every game. Just like you, you're opponents are here to have fun so give them a chance to.
Memorable Plays
Something that most people do enjoy is a big, memorable play. The reason that everyone remembers the time that you Genesis Waved for X=72 is because it was new, interesting, and exciting when it happened. It was fun during the game, and fun to talk about afterwards. It left people feeling good. It made them want to play more. This is the sort of experience we're looking for, so how can we build decks to facilitate these sorts of plays?
Ramping With Style
Huge plays like these usually require quite a bit of mana to pull off, so in order to make them consistently we'll want to include a lot of mana acceleration in our decks. We can go about this with green ramp spells, [card Mind Stone]mana rocks[/card], mana doublers, or something land-based like a Cabal Coffers engine. These methods each yield different amounts of mana, and vary in difficulty to dismantle. Whichever approach (or combination of approaches) you can play or works best in your deck should be able to fill this role.
Splashy Spells
This one is pretty obvious, but all that mana won't get you anywhere unless you have something awesome to do with it. This could be Genesis Wave, flurries of cheap spells into Mind's Desire, kicking Rite of Replication, setting up and epic Warp World, or Marshal's Anthem multikicked six or more times. The point is that the spell will do something memorable and, more importantly, something that will feel unique every time. Notice that each of the cards I listed depends upon board position or chance: Comet Storming the table might be memorable once, but the result is the same each time. People will get fed up pretty quickly.
Synergy
Singular, splashy spells aren't the only way to make cool, memorable games. Combinations of less awe-inspiring cards can have similar results. For instance, evoking Reveillark to return an Eternal Witness (getting your Mirari's Wake) and a Karmic Guide, grabbing Sun Titan, which in turn returns Knight of the Reliquary) may not involve any cards as singularly impressive as Genesis Wave. The end result is still pretty spectacular. Once again, the secret to success here is to have different cool plays. In principle, assembling Thopter Foundry and Sword of the Meek isn't any more obtrusive, the combo's repetition takes the excitement out of it. Variance is key.
War is for the Tugging
We understand that huge moves and synergy are fun, where a combination like Dark Depths-Vampire Hexmage wouldn't. But under this model, I should be able to build myself a Richard Garfield, Ph.D. deck that will be fun because I combo kill the table a new way every game, right?
This proposed deck would be a flop because it lacks the most often cited source of fun in Commander: back and forth. Making a huge play can be fun, but you know what's even better? Making your awesome play, having it answered, and then getting to see an equally cool move out of your opponent! This explains why "instant win" combos aren't fun for most people. Even if they evade the trap of repetitiveness, they can never be as much fun as answerable threats because they preclude the possibility of more cool moves in the same game and leave people feeling helpless.
By the same token, we want to make sure that all of our master plans have a weakness for our opponents to exploit. In the case of the Reveillark chain above, while your board position is devastating it leaves you vulnerable to [card Wrath of God]Wraths[/card]. You've pulled ahead, but everyone else can still play the game. On the other hand, if you instead evoke 'Lark into Eternal Witness (returning Crystal Shard to your hand) and Karmic Guide (getting Reveillark back), your play is less awesome as the table now has a much harder time coming back from it (Wrath of God gets them nowhere). For this reason the first line of play will make for a more enjoyable game for the table, and thus is the sort of game play we ought to aim for.
Forge a Path
If there's one thing that most memorable plays share it's that they're proactive. You're going to have a much harder time doing anything that the other players find fun if your deck is chock full of Counterspells, board wipes, and removal. That's not to say you shouldn't run any. They can help create swingy moments, but your games will be faster and more exciting if everyone's decks have proactive game plans with light disruption, rather than packing heavy disruption before winning through Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir beats.
Putting it into Practice
I'm not a fan of posting Commander deck lists in articles for people to copy. Your deck is your own creative endeavor, and there's something deeply rewarding about finding a diamond in the rough amid endless Gatherer searches. To this end I avoid posting decklists when it's plausible to do so, but these card comparisons should make one thing clear:
My golden rule of commander deck building: if you have a choice between a creature and a non-creature to perform a function, pick the creature.
Magic is, and has always been, a game about creatures. Not only does this mean that a lot of effects can be found on creatures, but also that a staggering number of cards are designed to interact with them. More interactions between your own cards will usually lead to more craziness, so let's cultivate it! For instance, in a vacuum, Zombify is a much better card than Phyrexian Delver. Rarely will a 3/2 body offset costing an additional black mana and hitting you for six to eight damage. Nonetheless, I often consider the Delver for decks, and have yet to consider adding Zombify to one. By running Delver over Zombify, I allow myself to pull off cool moves like casting Careful Consideration during my opponent attack step, discarding a creature, and then casting Momentary Blink on my Phyrexian Delver to immediately block and get whatever interesting effect the new creature has. On the other hand, it's very difficult to make Zombify do more than what's written on the card.
While running creatures over their non-creature counterparts will go a long way towards building more interactions into your deck, even choices where a creature isn't in the running (or between creatures) can profoundly impact how many interesting things your deck can do. For example, I would pretty much always run Greater Good over Harmonize. While Greater Good requires you to have some resources to work with, and can't dig you out of a zero board position hole as well as Harmonize can, it makes more opportunities for cool plays by stocking your graveyard via discard, giving you an opportunity to reuse the enters-the-battlefield abilities of the creatures you sacrifice via recursion.
These are some good ways to build interactions, but what about the other type of play we identified? Let's talk about giving yourself the opportunity to make a splash. Imagine that you're playing a black-green deck and are looking for a way to ensure your development in the early turns. You can choose between a card advantage package to ensure an unending supply of resources, or a land tutoring package to guarantee yourself a lot of mana as the game progresses. (And, yes, I understand that these are best in concert.)
The first package is much stronger; you'll never be unhappy to see the cards because they'll help you get to the card you want, and while you might not have as much mana as you would with the second package, you won't be missing any land drops either. The second package on the other hand opens you up to bad top decks (when you're flooded or already have the Coffers-tron pieces) and leaves you no way to find specific answers to most problems. Nonetheless, this second package will usually be more fun. Sure, sometimes you'll get flooded out when you could have been in the game, but the games that work out will involve you making awesome and ridiculous plays rather than mundane ones.
I hope that this article has helped you to think about making your commander decks more enjoyable for you and your playgroup, and I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments, on twitter, or over email.
Happy Brewing!
Jules Robins
julesdrobins@gmail.com @JulesRobins on twitter
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The world of Pauper is not always one that is easy to comprehend. Immediately following the release of a new set and banning it can be downright confusing. If you’re new to the format and don’t have a lot of experience to draw on, you might already have tried several decks and not found one that feels right to you. If you’re just considering starting in the format, the variety of unfamiliar deck options can be daunting.
Never fear, faithful reader: I am here to help. Let me be your guide to the world of Pauper!
To begin, a bit of history. Since the first homo habilis scrawled a crude depiction of a Totem-Guide Hartebeest on the wall of his cave-apartment, man has struggled to find the perfect way to express himself. He has turned to music, writing, and the visual arts, each of which has surely been a medium for powerful statements. They each somehow fall short of fully capturing the entirety of the human experience. Then, in 1993, Richard Garfield invented Magic cards. Though he might not have realized it at the time, this developed into the most complete and perfect form of expression mankind will ever devise: Magic deckbuilding.
The deck you play tells the story of your life. In fifty minutes or less, you communicate to your opponent you personality, your values, and your very soul. That means that the deck you choose to play is one of the most important decisions you can make. To that end, I’m going to break down this format with a view toward the message that each deck sends on your behalf.
(A Small Note: Many of these lists are gathered them from MTGO Pauper Daily results, and I make no claim that any of them are the best version of the deck or anything like that. These are merely meant to serve as examples, so that you know what I’m talking about when I describe these decks. That said, let’s get to it!)
[deckbox did="a107" size="small" width="567"]
(by The_Raging_Flump)
This deck says: “Eh, I still have the cards for it, so I might as well play them.”
If you aren’t familiar with it, this is the slow, blue-based combo deck that was probably the best deck in the format until a couple of weeks ago. Despite that, I really wouldn’t recommend picking it up now. It’s not that Frantic Storm is a bad deck now that Frantic Search is banned, it’s that it’s just kind of a purposeless one. It can still beat up on a number of decks (generally the creature-based ones that aren’t lightning fast), but so can red-based storm, in half the time and with mostly better matchups.
[deckbox did="a110" size="small" width="567"]
(by deluxeicoff)
This deck says: “Pauper? What’s that? Oh, you mean Legacy?”
While not actually degenerate enough to dominate the format, the good old “play a ton of rituals and then Empty the Warrens” plan is very strong and very, very fast. It’s a great choice for players who’ve enjoyed playing storm combo decks in other formats because it plays quite similarly. It’s also good for people who like to play combo decks in general while also like winning, because this is the only deck that seems to be able to combine those two things at the moment.
[deckbox did="a114" size="small" width="567"]
(by me!)
This deck says: “I can do anything! Well... theoretically at least...”
White Weenie really does have it all. It's fast enough to beat control, blanks combo with hate cards, cuts the legs out from under opposing creature decks with removal, and easily gains more than enough life to trounce burn decks. The only problem is that it’s pretty hard to get it to do all those things at once. If you’re fond of creature decks that have access to a bunch of killer tech, you’d probably enjoy trying your hand at wrangling this beast. For a thrilling tale of how I managed to wrangle it, check here.
Mono-Green Stompy
This deck says: “I am nostalgic for the summer of 2010.”
Nettle Sentinel! Jungle Lion! River Boa! Quirion Ranger! How can you go wrong, right? Sadly this isn't amazing, thanks to the presence of a certain other deck that plays all Forests and tons of pump spells. If you're wondering why there's no list, it's because this deck is such a non-entity that it doesn't even show up in the dailies.
If you're a fan of this deck, this all might be hard to hear. Believe me, I can sympathize. I have some very fond memories of playing with a lot of these cards in this style deck too, but it's just outdated at this point. As fun as it is to break out a few old favorites, there’s just not really anything to recommend this deck over...
[deckbox did="a111" size="small" width="567"]
(by jsiri84)
This deck says: “My favorite type of math is multiplication.”
This is the true stompy deck of the format. It’s fast (turn two wins are certainly not unheard of), powerful, and fun to play. Color splashes are being tested here and there, but as of the time of this writing the dominant version is still monogreen, which comes in two flavors: good, and cheap.
The good version plays Invigorate and Lotus Petal, and the cheap version doesn’t. Word to the wise: don’t bother playing the cheap version; it won’t make you feel good about yourself. On the upside, Invigorate is originally from Mercadian Masques which is coming to Magic Online for the first time pretty soon. Its price should plummet after that happens and, really, you should just have the Lotus Petals anyway.
[deckbox did="a108" size="small" width="567"]
(by Boin)
This deck says: “I like to cheat at card games.”
I could, and probably will, write an entire article about this deck, but for now just understand that the Affinity player is playing a different game from the rest of us. I mean it’s still Magic, but just look at some of the cards it has:
- [card Thoughtcast]“Draw two cards” for U.[/card]
- [card Galvanic Blast]“Deal four damage to target creature or player” for R.[/card]
- [card Myr Enforcer]Two[/card] 4/4s for two mana.
- [card Somber Hoverguard]A 3/2 flying for U.[/card]
- A [card Disciple of the Vault]1/1 for B that effectively burns your opponent[/card] for 4-6 if not answered.
- Atog, with the added provision that you can actually sacrifice almost any permanent in the deck to it, and sometimes even draw cards while doing so.
Put another way, the creatures in this deck are so efficient that it has access to a 3/3 for one mana and a 3/3 flying for two mana yet most lists don’t even play them. So yeah, cheats. If you like the cheapness of pauper but don’t care for the reduced power level of the creatures, this deck is for you.
[deckbox did="a113" size="small" width="567"]
(by sneakattackkid)
This deck says:
Long story short: this is not any of the monoblack control decks you’ve played in the past. It’s essentially a rat tribal deck, kinda sorta, without any tribal effects. The aim is to destroy hands, and all those rats and rat impersonators getting recurred via Unearth do a pretty good job of that, which is enough to swing a lot of games.
The problem is that the deck sometimes struggles with the part of the game that takes place after that. As a result, it sometimes loses games after it appears to have established control, which is awkward. It also has a few horrifically bad matchups, such as Burn (which empties its own hand and makes your rats look kind of bad) and White Weenie (which plays Order of Leitbur). Both are winnable, but neither are easy. This one is a bit of a fixer-upper.
[deckbox did="a118" size="small" width="567"]
(by DoubleDrain)
This deck says: "Stop whining, you can play when I'm done."
Don’t be scared off by this deck’s reputation. While it plays very similarly to its hated Standard counterpart, it feels a lot more fair without the like of Bitterblossom, Mistbind Clique, and Mutavault. It’s still good though, and I have a feeling it’s underplayed right now, so you might be able to score more than the usual number of wins with it before it spreads more and the metagame adjusts to it.
[deckbox did="a116" size="small" width="567"]
(by TopDeckFiend)
This deck says: “I was totally into Tortured Existence before it was big.”
This is the Boston Red Sox of Magic decks. Seriously, take a look at Tortured Existence. It’s awful. It’s like a sad parody of Survival of the Fittest. But from time immemorial, people have been trying to make it work in Pauper, and I’ll be damned if they didn’t do it in the end. What’s more, the deck's success hasn't been a fluke; against all odds, it’s now one of the better decks in the format. Play this deck if you’re looking for a solid performer with interesting gameplay decisions, just don’t let on that you just started playing it now or the other kids won’t think you’re cool anymore.
[deckbox did="a117" size="small" width="567"]
(by Erostratus)
This deck says: "Seriously guys, I'm not a hoarder. These figurines are a collection."
Remember when I said that White Weenie was a creature deck with a lot of techy cards added? Well Goblins is like that too, only with more creatures and less tech. Instead of getting fancy, it just lays creature after creature, backs them with a decent but not excessive amount of burn, and claws its way to the finish.
I realize I’m not shedding a whole lot of light here, but it’s a Red aggro deck. There’s not that much to say, other than that it’s about turning guys sideways, and that it’s a very good deck.
[deckbox did="a109" size="small" width="567"]
(by ScarletMacaw)
This deck says: “Hey man, you got some mana? I’ll take anything man, I’m hurting here.”
The big mana deck for people who have high standards attached to the phrase “big mana.” In addition to Cloudposts and tons of ways to get more Cloudposts, you’ve got multiple mana-producing walls and often Mwonvuli Acid-Moss to boot! It’s not really all that great, but it does have some nifty tricks, such as toolboxes built around Fierce Empath and Crop Rotation. Play this deck if you want to play big mana the Timmy way, or if you just want to be able to occasionally drop two Ulamog's Crushers on the same turn.
[deckbox did="a112" size="small" width="567"]
(by Yoshi_Master)
This deck says: “Hi. I’m Luis Scott-Vargas. Pleased to meet you.”
This one is a different story. Probably the premier control deck in the format, this deck is basically a byproduct of people realizing:
Red’s big mana spells are less flashy but more effectivethan Green’s.
Mana fixing for control decks is not that bad thanks to Prophetic Prism
These realizations have made it possible for Cloudpost decks to not only run the awesome Red cards that have been in them for quite some time, but a bunch of great Blue (and even some off-color) cards as well. The result is a very powerful control deck that has the tools to beat just about anything else in the format if given enough time.
[deckbox did="a115" size="small" width="567"]
(by me!)
This deck says: “SAN DIMAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL RULES!”
Play this deck if you want to LARP as a dumb jock who still plays Magic for some reason (not that that's a bad thing as I've done it myself from time to time), or if you’re just angry or stressed and want to take it out on somebody. It’s a deck that performs pretty consistently, losing to well-defined hate cards and bad matchups and winning everything else most of the time.
I know, I know: I left out some, probably including one of your favorites. But I’m only one man, and besides, that’s what the comments section is for. The point is, if you didn’t know what Pauper was all about before, hopefully you do now. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go. I’m late for my appointment at:
BONUS MAGIC 2012 PAUPER REVIEW SECTION
Hooray! Magic 2012 is now fully revealed! While the fact that I’m giving it a couple paragraphs instead of an entire article (like I did with New Phyrexia and will likely do with Innistrad) probably speaks volumes about how good this set is for Pauper, I might as well still give you a quick rundown of the new cards that I think have at least an outside chance of being playable.
Guardian's Pledge - Of all the new commons in this set, I think this one has the best chance of seeing play. It might be good in certain White Weenie builds, and it’s definitely good in token decks. Whether or not it’s good enough to make those decks stronger choices remains to be seen, but this is certainly a card that merits testing.
Frost Breath - Is mini-Sleep good enough? Maybe. It’s sure good against decks that play big creatures. The problem is that so many of the decks in this format play a bunch of 1/1's against which this card is pretty terrible. Still, it could see sideboard play if the metagame changes in favor of fewer, larger creatures.
Griffin Rider - 4/4 Flying for 1W is sure tempting, but how can it be made to work. Actual griffins are probably out, because almost all of them are terrible. Changelings, though? Maybe.
Stave Off - There are a lot of versions of this card already out there, but I’m sure this one will show up from time to time.
Stonehorn Dignitary - This one is a real edge case, but if some kind of monowhite or W/x control deck crops up, this might end up being a decent defensive option.
Bloodrage Vampire, Blood Ogre, Lurking Crocodile, Gorehorn Minotaurs - None of these are super-compelling, but none of them can be ignored, either. Well, except for Lurking Crocodile, I guess. I just don’t see that ever being played over River Boa. But the numbers kind of do look at least decent on the other three. I don’t necessarily see a place for any of them right now, but we’ll see what happens.
Sorin's Thirst - Probably on the wrong side of playable, but it might actually be able to edge in depending on metagame shifts. Killing a creature and gaining life at instant speed is potentially pretty good against aggro decks.
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M12 is legal to play starting on Friday July 15. That means some players will have M12 cards in their decks on Friday and Saturday. Will you be prepared for them? Don’t get caught up in all the set analysis hype or even the articles that say, hey these decks have been doing well. None of that will help you compete in Standard with M12 legal because the format will simply be different than that. Does Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle.deck gain anything from the new set? Likely not much, but if you are playing that deck you need to consider not only what cards you could add but what cards you might have to play against.
No matter what deck you are planning to play, for example, you should take into consideration the existence of Goblin Grenade. Last week, I may have been a little hasty in the deck list that I recommended, thanks @JoshJMTG. However, when Goblin Grenade was spoiled, I was genuinely scared and concerned with just how good a red deck could be. I remember getting wrecked by this card out of nowhere. Five damage for one red mana is a ton and we have not had a card this potent in Standard for years. This card is so powerful that no matter how bad the goblins are for the next year, players will be losing to this card. So, with that in mind, let’s focus on building a deck to utilize Goblin Grenade where it will really shine: Goblins. We need lots of goblins! Here is a list of all the Standard playable Goblins.
Untitled Deck
Bloodcrazed Goblin
Goblin Arsonist
Goblin Balloon Brigade
Goblin Bushwhacker
Goblin Gaveleer
Goblin Guide
Spikeshot Elder
Bazaar Trader
Ember Hauler
Goblin Piker
Goblin Shortcutter
Goblin Tunneler
Goblin Wardriver
Grotag Siege-Runner
Oxidda Daredevil
Slavering Nulls
Warren Instigator
Blisterstick Shaman
Goblin Chieftain
Goblin Roughrider
Goblin Ruinblaster
Lavafume Invoker
Torch Slinger
Tuktuk the Explorer
Battle-Rattle Shaman
Blackcleave Goblin
Bloodshot Trainee
Tuktuk Scrapper
Tuktuk Grunts
Of the M12 goblins, here are the ones that are reprints in the above list. Goblin Arsonist, Goblin Chieftain, Goblin Piker, and Goblin Tunneler. Then we have two new ones: Goblin Bangchuckers and Goblin Fireslinger. Once we whittle down to the truly playable ones we are left with something like the following.
Goblins!
Untitled Deck
Creatures
4 Goblin Guide
4 Spikeshot Elder
4 Goblin Bushwhacker
3 Ember Hauler
4 Goblin Wardriver
4 Goblin Chieftain
Spells
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Incinerate
2 Searing Blaze
4 Goblin Grenade
Lands
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Arid Mesa
2 Teetering Peaks
13 Mountain
Sideboard
4 Act of Aggression
4 Manic Vandal
3 Koth of the Hammer
4 Dismember
Not only does this deck have an effective twelve lords, but it’s full of sick burn too! When was the last time Goblins were actually good? Onslaught. When I think of Goblins in its height as a tier one Standard deck, I always think of Onslaught Goblins. Even the Legacy Goblins deck didn’t even really exist until Onslaught because of Goblin Warchief and Goblin Piledriver. Sure, this deck has no Goblin Piledriver, but this deck has crazy efficient burn and, oh yeah, freaking Goblin Grenade! I would be looking to this or a more Red Deck Wins version with Grim Lavamancer as the go to aggro deck in Standard for the M12 metagame.
Mono Red not your thing? Well then, jump on board the Vampire ship with me. This archtype is full of aggressive creatures, disruption, and efficient kill spells. What more could you want? Smallpox. Smallpox? Yes, I like giving my vampires more diseases and so should you. Anyone played this card before? It’s sick. Now, think about the four abilities. Yes, this two mana card has four abilities and yes that is like a command for two mana except you don’t have to choose two, you just get all four. How insane is that? Well, let’s see…
Each player loses 1 life = great because I am playing an aggro deck so I don’t care about my life total.
Each player discards a card = either I discard a Bloodghast or a land.
Each player sacrifices a creature = either I sacrifice a Bloodghast or nothing and you sacrifice something.
Each player sacrifices a land = I can run on less lands than you can.
Where is the down side to this card? What if you had two Bloodghasts, one for each of the middle two abilities, how sick would that be? Sure that’s not going to happen often, but it will happen. Smallpox is so good the deck list I am about to advocate basically replaces Phyrexian Obliterator with Smallpox. Yes, that’s right, one of the best creatures ever printed is being replaced. That should grab your attention and tell you how strongly I believe Smallpox is busted.
I think if Vampires is to survive as a tier one or two deck, it needs to adapt and become disruptive in a different way. The first step to that is Smallpox. The second step to that is Despise. Despise is going to do everything you want it to do in almost every match up. Obviously if you ever have to play against Pyromancer Ascension with Despise in your deck, that could be bad but even they might have Jace Beleren. That’s the worst it will ever be. Against a control deck you take their win condition or their awesome planeswalker. Even against an aggro deck where you would side them out, you can take their best creature. I think it would be especially potent against Valakut though because you can take their Primeval Titan.
Let’s see this new Vampires list.
Untitled Deck
Creatures
4 Vampire Lacerator
4 Pulse Tracker
4 Bloodghast
4 Kalastria Highborn
4 Gatekeeper of Malakir
Spells
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Despise
4 Smallpox
3 Dismember
2 Go for the Throat
Lands
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Dragonskull Summit
4 Blackcleave Cliffs
3 Lavaclaw Reaches
9 Swamp
Sideboard
3 Phyrexian Obliterator
2 Arc Trail
1 Mortarpod
3 Act of Aggression
2 Manic Vandal
2 Duress
2 Dark Tutelage
I did keep the red mana because I feel it is important for some burn to still be in the deck. Also, Manic Vandals, and Arc Trail out of the sideboard are very important to a variety of matchups. Although no one has played in the post M12 metagame, I really feel that this list is solid and I encourage you to try it out too.
The third and final deck that I want to talk about today is a control deck. My team has been working on this deck a lot recently and it has gone through many changes already. The deck is reminiscent of Super Friends and yes, Caw-Go before Stoneforge Mystic was in the deck. If you think about it, the starting point of the format is the decks that were viable at the beginning of the season. Back then Valakut was king and Caw-Go was built to beat it. This version has a similar goal except not only does it need to beat Valakut, but also Splinter Twin and RDW. It just happens to have a great matchup against any aggro deck also.
Updated Caw-Go
Untitled Deck
Creatures
4 Squadron Hawk
2 Consecrated Sphinx
Spells
4 Preordain
2 Condemn
4 Spreading Seas
4 Mana Leak
2 Oblivion Ring
3 Day of Judgment
2 Elspeth Tirel
4 Jace Beleren
3 Gideon Jura
1 Karn Liberated
Lands
4 Tectonic Edge
4 Celestial Colonnade
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Seachrome Coast
4 Island
5 Plains
This deck tries to disrupt the early game with counters and Day of Judgment and then follow up with planeswalkers. Tectonic Edge and Spreading Seas are there to disrupt your opponents’ mana, specifically Valakut but it also helps against many other opponents as well. Squadron Hawks are still good against aggro and control decks, though not as broken they are still card advantage and do a great job of getting you to the midgame. There have been many other large creatures in the deck but in the end, the nod goes to the sphinx of card drawing. Playing the Consecrated Sphinx is like playing Jace, the Mind Sculptor because if your opponent doesn’t answer it right away you just gain such a huge advantage that they cannot ever catch up. In previous versions, there were Dismembers but they were constantly underperforming so they were moved to the sideboard. The rest of the sideboard is up in the air but there will be Celestial Purges for sure. Most likely there will be Spell Pierce and Into the Roil as well but it will depend on what your metagame looks like.
In conclusion, these three decks are sure to make an impact on Standard and should help you get a start on the metagame. I expect the blue white deck to catch on rather quickly because it is well positioned and has good matchups just like before. Goblins is fast and Vampires is disruptive and both of those things seem particularly good in this metagame. There is one final card in M12 that I think will have a large impact in the next three months and that card is Ponder. I expect the lowest impact Ponder will have is to give consistency back to Pyromancer Ascension and Splinter Twin, with the possibility of it being played even more than that.
It’s a brewers format so until next time, unleash that brewer's spirit!
