Lorcana: The Heart of Magic Review (Part 1 of 2)
Kaladesh: Chandra, Pyrogenius Review (Part 1 of 2)
2014-15 Precon Championships: The Finals
Lorcana: The Heart of Magic Review (Part 1 of 2)
The CCG gamespace has always been a treacherous one. Following the advent of Magic: the Gathering in 1993, a legion of games chasing that same lucrative business model glutted the market. How could they not, when by the end of 1994 Wizards of the Coast had sold over a billion cards.
The 90’s saw a number of still-notable games carve out a place for themselved, but for ever Netrunner there were probably at least a dozen Spellfires.
While a broader history of the medium is fascinating (including a “second wave” in the early 2000’s), suffice it to say that the model of the idea of a collectible card game- games where you buy booster packs containing random playing cards for the game- is a far harder sell. Magic is still going strong, but far fewer games are competing in the booster space.
While the market innovated (in particular, Fantasy Flight Games with the “living card game” model), there are a few still looking to have success with the original formula. Disney’s Lorcana is the newest member of that rarified air, and one worth coming out of retirement for a moment to take a look at.
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(As Long as we’re Alive then) Punk’s not Dead
Hi everyone.
There aren’t a ton of you around anymore, but I’m touched that this thing we built still lives on- if the traffic that continues to visit is any indication.
While it’s been some time since I’ve written about Preconstructed Magic, clearly if you’re here that’s exactly what you’re looking for. You may well be pleased to learn that there’s another blog out there that’s recently started about just this very topic.
Make sure to take a moment and check out Beats and Skies.
Not only does he enjoy diving into the same kind of precon content I did, but he also seems to have a very similar outlook- that preconstructed Magic is the best museum for the history of the game.
What’s more, he writes about tinkering with them in ways that aren’t just “add more power cards” (as I did with the “Ertai’s Meddling” series when I was a writer for Gathering Magic/Coolstuffinc). For instance, check out this feature on trying to make Masques’ Deepwood Menace deck more efficient and effective by combining it with nothing more than a second copy of the deck. What to cut? What to keep, and why? Therein lie the very bones of this damnable game of ours.
Personally, I love the “review compendium” series he does where he gathers reviews and observations about different precon decks (for example, this one on Flames of Rath). And not just because he’s kind enough to excerpt this site amongst the different sources he cites for the deck.
My involvement with Magic is up in the air at the moment. I had actually started to think about selling off my precon collection (somewhere around 250 decks, seems crazy now)…but then about four weeks ago my sons suddenly took an interest in the game.
So who knows. While the overwhelming majority of Precon content these days appears to be Commander-based, it’s great to see that the thing in here I loved so much about Preconstructed Magic has inspired others.
So make sure to give Beats and Skies a look!
I know I’ll be reading.
Still Very Much Alive
Hey folks! Quick update here, wanted to connect as it’s been too long since I updated!
No, Ertai’s Lament hasn’t gone anywhere. I’ve been crazy busy with some things, but we’ll be right back in stride soon.
In the meantime, I’m still writing about preconstructed Magic every week for Gathering Magic! Here are some recent columns, make sure to check them out if you haven’t already.
A History of Izzet Intro Packs (Part 1)
I go back in time, charting the history of the Blue/Red-colored Intro Packs, with some surprising results!
A History of Izzet Theme Decks
Some of the most notable and interesting Theme Decks in Magic’s history are Blue and Red. Here we walk through them all!
That’s right- we’re meddling a Fourth Edition deck! This was suggested by a reader after the previous week’s column (below)
The first-ever preconstructed deck was a two-deck boxed set called Quick Start: Rivals. Go back to the dawn of the game and see what lie within!
Meddling Nissa, Nature’s Artisan
The Kaladesh Planeswalker Deck deck gets a makeover!
Chandra’s deck gets a meddling, too!
Thanks for reading, and see you soon!
Kaladesh: Chandra, Pyrogenius Review (Part 1 of 2)
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
So goes one of the more quotable lines from The Who’s 1971 classic song, Won’t Get Fooled Again, and it’s been the anthem of sorts around Ertai’s Lament Towers as we prepare for the arrival of Kaladesh and- more significantly- a passing of the preconstructed baton.
2014-15 Precon Championships: The Finals
And with that, the Preconstructed Championships for the 2014-15 Season has come to an end. Although short-lived as a product line, a Clash Pack has written its name in the Book of Glory, and will be see its name on the wall with all of our past winners. Read more
2014-15 Preconstructed Championships: The Finals
Eight weeks.
It’s taken us eight weeks to get to this point, which has seen a field of nearly fifty decks reduced to only four. It’s been a contest not without some controversy, as non-commercially available preconstructed decks were permitted to suit up and take the field. But at the end of the day, the talking was settled in the red zone.
Sample decks made it to the second round, then died. The Player’s Guide decks fared no better. Intro Packs put up a fight, but in the end, it was one Commander 2014 deck, two Duel Decks, and a Clash Pack deck that won their respective divisions and prepared to see which one of them would be able to take their place in the Hall of Champions.
That struggle ends now. Read more
2014-15 Precon Championships: Lauer Division (Part 2 of 2)
Welcome back, folks, for the final round of Divisional action! Yes, your humble author did derp a bit here and posted the divisional write-up and prediction thread in the wrong order, but sometimes you just gotta roll with a little unpredictability!
Here’s how the action unfolded! Read more 
2014-15 Precon Championships: Final Round and the Leaderboard
And we’re here! Eight weeks and four divisions concluded, with the Grand Final in our sights. There are just three matches left to play. Three matches before we crown a Champion for the 2014-15 season, three matches before a winner of the Prediction League is declared and one of our readers walks away with a prize package filled with boosters. Read more
2014-15 Precon Championships: Round 8 and the Leaderboard
Round 8 is upon us! Not only the final and deciding round of the Lauer Division, but also the last of the rounds in the lead-up to the Final Four and Grand Final. This weekend’s matches will decide which deck represents the Lauer, and the week after this whole thing comes to an end. Read more
2014-15 Precon Championships: Lauer Division (Part 1 of 2)
Three divisions have their champion anointed, to represent them in the Final Four. Only the Lauer remains, and today we cut the field of contenders in half! Let’s see who advances, and who is carted off the arena floor in a stretcher! Read more
Ertai's Lament 