Whispers of the Muse: Max’s Deathfed/Grave Power (INN/DKA)
Although Innistrad block is now gone, it is far from forgotten! While many of its cards continue to see constructed competitive play, casual players too are using the flavourful designs from the sets to spur their own creative deckbuilding. Today’s Whispers of the Muse comes from just such an environment.
Whispers of the Muse: Styles O’s ‘Fiery Dawn’ (AVR)
Fresh off the success of our recent Depths of Power piece, another reader has come forward with a precon deck that they’d like to get some extra mileage out of. And so, welcome to the next installment of Whispers of the Muse!
Avacyn Restored: Humanity’s Vengeance Review (Part 2 of 2)
As a third act, Avacyn Restored was everything you’d expect to get out of, say, a Return of the Jedi. Pushed to the brink, the good folk of Innistrad have fought back from the precipice, emboldened by the return of their archangel. Fittingly, the last two Event Decks of the block give us the same monsters vs humans matchup, but today the tables are turned. Piloting Humanity’s Vengeance, I’m joined at the table by Sam, who is at the helm of the Zombie-filled Death’s Encroach. Let’s see how the Humans hold up!
Avacyn Restored: Death’s Encroach Review (Part 2 of 2)
Having given both decks the once-over, we’re ready to move on to the playtesting stage. For our opener, I’ll be piloting the mono-Black Death’s Encroach, while Jimi will be on the other side of the table with the White/Blue Humanity’s Vengeance. We all know how the story ends in Innistrad, but can I write a different ending on the battlefield?
Avacyn Restored: Humanity’s Vengeance Review (Part 1 of 2)
After the initial release of the Event Decks with Mirrodin Besieged, the design of the product moved towards mono-coloured decks. After all, if the idea was to build a budget-conscious deck that had a limited card framework (read: limited rares and no mythics), then swift aggro was a perfectly viable avenue to take. Both New Phyrexia as well as Magic 2012 turned in single-colour offerings, but to continuously offer a rotating stable of such decks would surely doom the product to monotonous predictability.
Avacyn Restored: Death’s Encroach Review (Part 1 of 2)
Even Deck reviews, for us, have tended to become bittersweet affairs. Although it’s great to tear into a new precon- especially one tuned to the higher degree these tend to be- it also signals that our time with a particular set is drawing to a close. After these reviews have concluded, the next time we’ll be looking at the world of Innistrad through the prism of its precons is in Autumn when the next Preconstructed Champonships take place. Of course, there’s always the hope that we might oneday return to the plane in a future set.
Ertai’s Meddling: Slaughterhouse on Gathering Magic
A new set means a new crop of precons, and that means building decks out of them! Over on Gathering Magic today, I rebuild the Slaughterhouse deck, breaking it down to its core essence and adding a secret ingredient.
Of course, the sharp-eyed readers of Ertai’s Lament might have already put their finger on it…
Come on over and check it out! If the spirit moves you, or you just want the editor to know how much you enjoy precon coverage on Gathering Magic, please consider leaving a comment as well.
Avacyn Restored: Solitary Fiends Review (Part 2 of 2)
It’s our last clash with the Intro Packs of Avacyn Restored, and my Solitary Fiends and I are up against Jimi’s Slaughterhouse. Will the unorthdox strategy of my deck be enough to carry the day?
Avacyn Restored: Solitary Fiends Review (Part 1 of 2)
The trope is so overused now that it’s become a cliche, but there’s a scene at the end of the horror movie where the hero or heroes have vanquished the evil that had terrorized them for the bulk of the film. As they head off to lead lives all the more mundane now by comparison, the camera moves in a different direction. It focuses on the defeated villain’s head for a moment, then then WHAM right before the cut to credits, the monster’s eye opens! Or perhaps it moves to an undiscovered clutch of eggs, an overlooked canister of zombie-making gas, or just an audio overlay of the villain’s haunting laughter. In any event, the message is clear: the battle isn’t over.
Avacyn Restored: Slaughterhouse Review (Part 2 of 2)
Thus far in our reviews it’s been the heroic side of Innistrad, with the Humans and Angels striking back and the inhabitants working together to repel the evil that had them driven to the very brink of extinction. Today’s deck serves as a reminder that the scary things of the night haven’t gone away. To act as foil, Sam has eagerly volunteered, selecting Angelic Might to try and thwart my sinister plans.
Ertai's Lament 