Murder: A History
Murder returns in Eldritch Moon, but before you go casting it this weekend, take a moment to explore its place in history in my latest Gathering Magic article.
I trace the history of Black removal in the modern era, from Alara to Mirrodin (next week will be Innistrad to present). What does it mean to see Murder in print again? What does it tell us about the state of the game? I had a blast writing this one, and I hope you enjoy reading it just as much.
2014-15 Precon Championships: Make Your Predictions!
At last! The long wait is over and the Preconstructed Championships have returned (one day late, sorry). We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so I’ll skip the lengthy and flavorful preamble and get right down to business!
What is this?
The Preconstructed Championships are a semi-annual feature here on Ertai’s Lament, where we take a year’s worth of preconstructed decks (typically core set + block + all releases during that time) and match them up against one another, March Madness style.
The competition is broken down into four divisions spread across two conferences, and each week we cover four matches. You- the reading audience- have the opportunity to predict the winners, and for every correct prediction, you get a point in the “prediction league.” The person with the most points at the end of it is our winner, and wins the prize package!
What can I win? Read more 
Oath of the Gatewatch: Surge of Resistance Review (Part 2 of 2)
Last time we had a chance to game, we tested out the last deck we had to review of Shadows over Innistrad. Today, we’ll be bringing Oath of the Gatewatch to an overdue conclusion with Surge of Resistance, a Red/Blue deck that features- surprise!- the surge mechanic. Joining me at the table is Josh, who is running the Blue/Colorless Twisted Reality. Can Zendikar’s defenders keep the Eldrazi at bay, or will the relentless tide overwhelm them? Let’s find out! Read more
Conspiracy: Building an Intro Pack
Ever wonder what it’s like to build an Intro Pack? I wondered the same thing, and decided I’d try my hand at it for a set that didn’t come with any: Conspiracy!
My article was in two parts on Gathering Magic.
Part 1: Choosing a color, and narrowing down the rares and themes
Part 2: Building the deck!
As always, if you enjoy seeing more preconstructed Magic content, make sure to leave a note or comment over there letting them know.
Thanks!
The 2014-2015 Preconstructed Deck Championships
If there’s one thing I’ve been looking forward to most since taking Ertai’s Lament out of mothballs, it’s been the Preconstructed Deck Championships. One of the site’s most popular features, the Championships follow a ‘March Madness’ style format, where all of the preconstructed decks of a given season are randomly seeded into one of four divisions, and battle their way to eternal glory. Read more
Shadows over Innistrad: Ghostly Tide Review (Part 2 of 2)
As we look ahead towards Eldritch Moon and the implementation of the one-deck-per-week schedule, we’ve got some loose threads to tie up. Ghostly Tide, the Blue/White Spirits/Skies deck, is the last to be reviewed for Shadows over Innistrad, and in addition to three decks from Battle for Zendikar, we also need to conclude Oath of the Gatewatch’s Surge of Resistance.
But playing one deck at a time, we put Ghostly Tide through its paces, with Josh taking the field armed with Unearthed Secrets, the deck themed around investigate. Would his forces prevail, or would his defeat prove to be his deck’s biggest mystery? Read more
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