Duels of the Planeswalkers (2009): Thoughts of the Wind Review (Part 2 of 2)
It’s time to put the most expensive planeswalker to the test- or, really, the deck based upon him. Joining me at the table is Sam, who has grabbed the copy of the Naya-themed Claws of Vengeance. Can Jace think his way out of this latest bind?
Duels of the Planeswalkers (2009): Thoughts of the Wind Review (Part 1 of 2)
Some things just happen to feel ‘right.’ Consider, for instance, the “classical” four elements: air, earth, fire, and water. Although modern science has presented us with a glorious, periodic table of over a hundred of them, the notion of the four elements has persisted. A look at the notion’s history reveals a remarkable perseverance that has transcended time and place. Plato ascribed the association to a Sicilian philosopher, Empedocles, around 450 BC, and this may have descended from the earlier Babylonians and their epic of creation, the Enuma Elish. Interestingly, the Babylonians themselves saw five elements, splitting “air” into “wind” and “sky.” Around a century later, Aristotle would ‘restore’ a fifth element to the mix, aether, the stuff of the stars and heavens.
Duels of the Planeswalkers (2009): Eyes of Shadow Review (Part 2 of 2)
Move over Chandra, now it’s Liliana’s turn to cut loose! I’m taking Eyes of Shadow for a spin today, but it looks like Sam is keen to throw a wet blanket over the party. She’s setting up behind Sarkhan Vol’s deck, Scales of Fury. Will mono-Black impose its will on the game, or will Liliana be taught the value of diversity?
Duels of the Planeswalkers (2009): Eyes of Shadow Review (Part 1 of 2)
In a broad sense, the word trope is used to describe a theme or concept that recurs across a type of creative work. It’s a relatively modern concept, but what it describes are spread across human culture and history. We touched upon this concept in examining Champions of Kamigawa, when Wizards was looking at using medieval Japan as a setting for a Magic set. In order to identify the concepts that would mot resonate with the intended audience- Magic players- members of Wizards polled themselves internally to see what ideas kept cropping up when considering the genre. The challenge of Kamigawa was that after the obvious choices- samurai and ninja- the obvious options rapidly diminished. Perhaps not coincidentally, outside of a dedicated Vorthos following the set was considered overall to be a creative disappointment.
Duels of the Planeswalkers (2009): Hands of Flame Review (Part 2 of 2)
Chandra and Jace. Garruk and Liliana. Thanks to the stories and the repestive Duel Deck releases, these opposite pairs feel like natural foils for one another, and today we’ll be opening the next chapter in that saga. As it happens, Sam has selected Jace Beleren’s Thoughts of the Wind to serve as opposition. Can he lock down the battlefield, or will Chandra’s fire prove unquenchable after all?
Duels of the Planeswalkers (2009): Hands of Flame Review (Part 1 of 2)
During our recent coverage of Portal Second Age, we traced some of the history of the game where it attempted to offer aspiring players an easy on-ramp to the world of Magic. Magic was- and continues to be- a game of increasing complexity, as hundreds of new cards are added every year. Wizards was naturally concerned that the game over time could become too imposing, too intimidating to appeal to the mass market, vital for growing the game and replacing those players who leave it. What they felt was needed was some sort of introductory product, and that came in set form in 1998 in the form of Portal.
Weatherlight: Gatecrasher Review (Part 2 of 2)
This is it- our final game for Project Mirage Block. At last, our top-to-bottom analysis of the MTGO-based Theme Decks of Mirage, Visions, and Weatherlight can conclude after two months, and it has been some adventure! From exploring the history of MTGO and the decision to release previously out-of-print sets in electronic format, to building a world in a “dark continent” setting, we’ve really enjoyed seeing where the journey has taken us. We hope you have as well.
To see things off, we’ve got the final matchup ready to go, and Sam has the honour of serving as the spoiler to the party. Wielding the mono-Red Fiery Fury, she’s ready to stop the beat of the jungle with my Red/Green stompy deck Gatecrasher.
Weatherlight: Gatecrasher Review (Part 1 of 2)
What better place to end our trip through the Theme Decks of Mirage block than in the jungle? It’s been a long trek through the sultry, buzzing, chattering jungles of Jamuraa these past couple of months, and at last we’re about to come out the other side. These decks occupy a unique place in the landscape of Magic: the Gathering. It’s not that we haven’t seen exclusive, Magic: the Gathering Online-only decks before- indeed as recently as last year Wizards held a contest to design an MTGO-only release of Phyrexians vs Mirrans, and they have also released a pair of “Legacy Theme Decks.” But this was the first- and notably last- time you saw preconstructed decks released for a set that didn’t initially launch with them in paper form.
Weatherlight: Dead and Alive Review (Part 2 of 2)
Sam takes a turn at the table to see if she can take down Dead and Alive, the graveyard-based Theme Deck from the graveyard-based Weatherlight. Before her lies Air Forces, a Blue/White skies deck with a difference- lots of tricksy utility and surprise creatures. Will it be enough to send my mono-Black deck to a more permanent rest?
Weatherlight: Dead and Alive Review (Part 1 of 2)
As we continue our coverage of Project Mirage Block and the theme decks of Weatherlight, it’s worth noting that we’re sandwiched right in the very heart of Innistrad block, a set which can look at a deck like Dead and Alive and recognise a sort of descent from lineage. Although the block veers off in a different direction with the onset of Avacyn Restored, which sees the triumph of goodness and light over the darker and more sinister entities of the benighted plane, both Innistrad proper as well as Dark Ascension played heavily in the graveyard as source of mechanical identity.
Ertai's Lament 