News: Announcing Project Mirage Block!
Let’s look back for a moment on the reviews we’ve done in 2012. We began with Tempest, which was the first set to carry Theme Decks. We then skipped a couple of years ahead and tackled Invasion, Magic’s first “colour-matters” set and the first one to feature a five-colour precon (Spectrum). Of course, then Dark Ascension came along as the new set, but we’re returning to the theme of “Magic’s Firsts” with our next set: Mirage.
That’s right. Mirage.
But wait, you might think, wasn’t Mirage the block before Tempest? True indeed, but as it happens here was another Magic first: MTGO Theme Decks. That’s right, Mirage block was given the precon treatment some years later when it arrived on Magic: the Gathering Online, and we’ve assembled the decks in paper form (right down to the original Mirage basic lands) to begin reviewing.
Of course, we couldn’t have done all this without some invaluable assistance, and that’s where we proudly announce an Ertai’s Lament first as well. In short, we’ve been sponsored! Don’s Magic and Sundry has stepped up to the plate and helped us build the decks we’ll be using for our reviews.
A quick note about sponsorship, because for some folks it can be a bit of a thorny issue- and I’m one of them. The integrity of this site is important to us, and we don’t want to be playing the shill’s role for the shill’s coin. This was an undertaking we were excited about, but we certainly didn’t want to just “cash in” for the first thing we could find. If you’re a listener of the superlative Limited Resources podcast, you’ll know that they recently picked up an ongoing sponsorship to a local dealership up in Seattle. Although one of the hosts, Marshall, plugs them each week in the beginning of the show, it’s quite clear that he’s not just doing it for his own benefit, but because the store is something he believes in and uses on his own. To me, that gives the sponsorship a great deal of added weight.
So it is for me with Don’s Magic and Sundry. Those of you on Twitter may have seen Don on there before, and he’s not just another card-flogger. Instead, he comments a lot on the game and his experiences with it, including his longstanding and informative series on becoming a Wizards Play Network organiser. And while individual results may vary, I can say that I’ve both bought and sold cards through Don, and have often found he beats the majors on buy and sell prices. In addition, his level of service is top class (he took it upon himself to collate and assemble the decks prior to shipping, as seen in the picture above). If Don’s Magic and Sundry isn’t on your short list of places to browse when you’re looking to pick up some singles or supplies, it well should be.
We’ll be beginning coverage of Mirage’s four Theme Decks tomorrow, and boy do they have some interesting stories to tell! As a token of our appreciation for Don’s partnership, we’ll be running a small banner on the front page, where the art for Meditate customarily goes. It will be visible throughout our reviews of the Mirage block decks, so if you fancy a visit you can click on it to head over to Don’s! Want one more reason to visit? The Sundry is giving 10% off of any order in excess of $20 until the end of the month- just use the promo code DMASDKA at checkout.
So thanks again to Don, and we hope you all enjoy the ride from Mirage all the way through Weatherlight!
Ertai's Lament 
Oh cool! This was one of the first big expansions that I’ve bought boosters and starter decks from. Can’t wait, this brings back memories 🙂
Don has been a pleasure to deal with since the first time I browsed his website. For those of you that don’t know, Don is a family man and a small business owner. He works HARD and goes out of his way to provide customer service that cannot be rivaled. He’s a great communicator and it’s no coincidence that he is also associated with another great site, Quiet Speculation. I think it’s a reflection of his morals, work ethic, and love for Magic that he is a sponsor for this website.
Mirage pre-cons?! If there pre-cons when Mirage came out I would have snatched them up. I was in high-school with little to no money and Starter decks were about all I could afford. I’m really excited about these!
Thank you so much for the kind words – much appreciated!
I’m going to echo Stric9 here. I’ve bought cards from Don and the Sundry many times before and am always extremely happy with the experience. Great prices, excellent service, super-fast shipping and just a pleasant guy to deal with.
Keep up the good work, Don! 🙂
I had SO much fun pulling the cards for this and putting the decks together. It was a blast! The last minute acquisition of Viashivan Dragon and Alabaster Dragon to complete them was particularly satisfying 🙂
I’m looking forward to reading the reviews on these guys!
Well, this certainly sounds interesting, especially for those of us (myself included) who don’t dabble much in the MTGO side of things.
For those who aren’t aware, here’s the the dirty dozen plus what I assume they are after a quick glance at the decklists.
MIRAGE
Burning Sky- an R/U deck with a focus on flying, leaping, and pinging your way to victory; rares are Subterranean Spirit and Mist Dragon, with a special mention of the lone Mystical Tutor.
Jungle Jam- a W/G “ramp for flyers” creation with a griffin theme and a single splashed mountain as an interesting twist; rares are Sawback Manticore and Zuberi, Golden Feather
Ride Like the Wind: R/W in the Boros fashion featuring flanking. Lots and LOTS of flanking. Leading the charge are legendary rares Sidar Jabari and Telim’Tor.
Night Terrors- mono-black beatdown featuring Shallow Grave and headliner Spirit of the Night, who seems to be the focus of the deck with a recursion subtheme.
VISIONS
Legion of Glory- mono-white weenie in every sense of the term featuring Zhalfirin Crusader and Retribution of the Meek
Savage Stompdown-R/G stompy, as implied by the name. Stars Viashivan Dragon and the rather impressive money rare Natural Order
Unnatural Forces-a B/U control affair focused on bouncing, killing, and generally screwing with all your opponent’s creatures. Rares are Flooded Shoreline and Necrosavant.
Wild-Eyed Frenzy- mono-red goblin heavy aggro with an “all in” theme, Kookus and Ogre Enforcer taking up the slack once your goblins clear a path.
WEATHERLIGHT
Air Forces- The all too familiar W/U skies option, featuring Alabaster Dragon and Debt of Loyalty
Dead and Alive- a monoblack deck focused on graveyard filling and manipulation, with a dash of suicide black. Infernal Tribute and Morinfen fill the rare slots here.
Fiery Fury- a more burn-heavy take on mono-red including Firestorm and Heart of Bogardian.
Gatecrasher- a G/R stompy deck featuring fat cumulative upkeep creatures and a bounce theme to offset it; Aboroth and Maraxus of Keld take lead.
This is incredible. I’m super excited.