Magic Origins: Assemble Victory Review (Part 1 of 2)
Of all the different considerations that go into making a Magic: the Gathering set, one that seems to most often be underestimated is the factor of time. Just because RoboRosewater exists, doesn’t mean that sets get manufactured overnight. Indeed, Wizards of the Coast tends to work on sets up to two years prior to release, so there is a common perception that Wizards has a great deal more flexibility than it does with set creation and design.
Magic Origins: Take to the Sky Review (Part 1 of 2)
In the world of comic books, the “origin story” is one that looks back in time and tells the tale of how a super-hero or super-villain came to be. How they got their powers. Where their motivation to [choose one: save/destroy] the world. In short, how the character came to be.
Somewhat ironically, however, Magic Origins represents both a beginning, and an ending, and it’s a tale that’s been nearly a decade in the telling.
Magic 2014: Death Reaper Review (Part 1 of 2)
Thus far in our walk through Magic 2014, we’ve found that the decks hew fairly conventionally towards what is increasingly becoming a standard core set formula of showcasing two different aspects or themes of the colour pairing. The first deck we looked at, Lightforce, paired a lifegain strategy with an aura-based one. Though Bestial Strength was a bit more conventional in nature, Death Reaper picks right up where Lightforce left off.
Magic 2014: Bestial Strength Review (Part 2 of 2)
It’s been a busy couple of weeks since we took over Moonlite Comics, but we took a break from work to playtest Bestial Strength. Sam grabbed the Blue/White Psychic Labyrinth, we grabbed a table in the gaming area, and off we went! Here are the notes from the matchup.
Magic 2014: Bestial Strength Review (Part 1 of 2)
It might not seem readily apparent, but the Black and Green colour pairing is one of the more common in the Magic core set preconstructed environment. When Magic 2010 came along and standardised the two-colour core set Intro Pack, Death’s Minions was amongst them as a base-Black deck with a splash of Green. It would immediately set a precedent.
Magic 2014: Lightforce Review (Part 2 of 2)
It’s the opening match of Magic 2014, and I’m once again joined by Sam looking to put my deck to the test. To do so, she’s enlisted the aid of Fire Surge, the Red/Blue counterburn deck with as many creatures as mine. Will that tempestuous combination take the day, or will my auras and lifegain prove the measure?
Magic 2014: Lightforce Review (Part 1 of 2)
Ahh, Summer. Although many of us could probably do without the brutal heat, there’s a certain romance to this time of year that tends to manifest itself in the evenings. Cicadas on the trees, fireflies in the meadows, frogs in the pond, there’s something magical about the season that lets us look forward to it every year. By the same token, there’s another much-anticipated arrival that makes itself known around this time each year- the latest core set.
Magic 2010: Firebomber Review (Part 2 of 2)
It’s our final match before we leave Magic 2010. Will Firebomber take the win, or is it Sam’s day for glory as she pilots We Are Legion?
Magic 2010: Firebomber Review (Part 1 of 2)
As we’ve seen in the previous Magic 2010 reviews, this was a set that changed a fundamental aspect of the game. The core set as it had existed for much of the game’s history had been remade, with new cards and functional reprints appearing for the first time. Mythic rarity and planeswalkers were introduced. Players were treated to a pre-release experience, heretofore reserved for new sets. Even the distribution of the set was touched, as new 6-card mini-boosters became available.
And in the largest change of its type since a decade earlier in Sixth Edition, the rules were given an overhaul as well.
Magic 2010: Death’s Minions Review (Part 2 of 2)
The power of the grave is mine to command as I field Death’s Minions in our playtest. Opposing me at the table is Sam, who’s piloting Presence of Mind. Can she dominate in the air, or with the grave be her resting place as well?
Ertai's Lament 