Magic 2013: Wild Rush Review (Part 1 of 2)
For as long as there’s been a game, players have been attracted to swinging in with giant creatures, or “fatties” in the common parlance. For all one likes to have decks with scads of intricacy and shenanigans, for many there is a certain satisfaction at taking something massive and turning it sideways, putting the opponent under pressure to find a solution or die trying. Indeed, it was just this sort of enjoyment that led Wizards to create the Beatdown boxed set, back in 2000.
Magic 2013: Mob Rule (Part 2 of 2)
Halfway through Magic 2013, and it’s time to look at the deck from a certain shady underworld figure in Ravnica. To give my deck a run for its money, Sam’s back with Depths of Power, the Blue/Red deck featuring Talrand, Sky Summoner.
Magic 2013: Mob Rule Review (Part 1 of 2)
One of the interesting facets of the five new legends introduced in Magic 2013 is the degree to which they represent a build-around-me archetype. This stands in fairly stark contrast to what has come before, namely the legend-led Theme Decks of Tenth Edition, and certainly represents a deeper integration of gameplay and strategy.
Magic 2013: Sole Domination Review (Part 2 of 2)
First introduced in 2008’s Shards of Alara, the exalted mechanic has been dusted off and given a fresh coat of paint! Now moved into the “religious” colours of White and Black, we’re about to find out how it actually plays out. For opposition, Sam’s back at the table with the White/Blue Path to Victory.
Magic 2013: Sole Domination Review (Part 1 of 2)
A rotating card pool. Multiple new sets each year. A Standard format which evolves and adjusts each Autumn upon rotation. At its core, change is bound up in the heart of Magic. In our last review, we discussed how the advent of Magic 2010 marked a milestone in Magic’s history, a major turning point for the design philosophy of Core Sets. It should not be surprising, then, that the game has hardly sat still since then, with other innovations being introduced. Indeed, we would see the first of these the very next year.
Magic 2013: Depths of Power Review (Part 2 of 2)
And we’re off! The first playtest for the new slate of Magic 2013 decks is here, and it promoses to be quite the clash! I’m piloting the instant/sorcery-centric Depths of Power, looking to see if its synergies can be harnessed together to make a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Serving as opposition is Sam, running Wild Rush, a Green beaters deck with a splash of Black.
Magic 2013: Depths of Power Review (Part 1 of 2)
With its release in July of 2009, Magic 2010 revolutionised the Core Set format. For the first time since Alpha/Beta, you had a Core Set that didn’t consist entirely of reprints, but rather intorduced entirely new cards to the Magic landscape. In addition, the biennial release schedule was changed over to an annual one, allowing Wizards greater ability to tune and adjust the Standard metagame as well as keep players’ appetites whetted. It was a risky approach, but with the luxury of hindsight and history we can see that it has well paid off.
Perhaps lost in the shadow of this period of innovation was the previous Core Set, Tenth Edition.
News: M13 Intro Pack Decklists Revealed!
If you haven’t already, head on over to the mothership for today’s Daily Arcana. This time around Wizards has jumped out early with the decklists for the Intro Packs of Magic 2013, and they’re ready for inspection!
News: M13 Intro Packs Revealed!
Today on the mothership, we’re been treated to a look at the upcoming Intro Packs (as well as the Fat Pack contents). The last time we saw legendary creatures in a core set was Tenth Edition, and a legendary creature anchored each of that set’s five mono-coloured Theme Decks.
Ertai's Lament 