Innistrad: Repel the Dark Review (Part 2 of 2)

Our next match its the Humans of Repel the Dark against the very Vampires we just left behind! Innistrad is full of perils for mankind, of which the Vampires are but one. Still, if Sam has her way, she’ll leave Repel the Dark an empty husk, drained of all life. Do the Humans have what it takes to stand up to this diabolic predation? Here are our game notes as we look to find out.

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Innistrad: Repel the Dark Review (Part 1 of 2)

In our last review we looked at the Vampires of Innistrad, as represented by their deck Carnival of Blood. Fearsome for certain, but the wary inhabitants of that benighted plane would tell you, however, that they are but one of the many perils that surround them. In the forests the Werewolves prowl, rending the flesh of any so unfortunate as to encounter one. From the dead the Spirits walk, as oftentimes the corpses do on their own accord. There is no Roil and no compleation, but there are no shortages of way to die here. Against any one of these fiends most Humans would stand little chance, but there is something available to the good citizens of the world that can withstand nearly any peril.

Teamwork.

Trite as it sounds, there is little strength like strength in numbers, and this is the survival mechanism of the Humans, those who feed most every scourge that assaults them. Werewolves, Vampires, Zombies and Spirits all have their origin in man, and many live off them still. In times past they could rely upon their faith in the Church of Avacyn to keep evil at bay (for the night is dark and full of terrors). Since Avacyn’s disappearance from the world, however, they have increasingly had to rely on far more tangible resources to stay alive- their brawn, and their wits.

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Innistrad: Carnival of Blood Review (Part 2 of 2)

It’s our leadoff game for Innistrad, and we couldn’t be more excited. After the lot of us feeling somewhat less than enthusiastic by the end of Scars Block, the release of a set as flavourful as Innistrad has the house buzzing. Today I’m piloting the Vampire deck, Carnival of Blood, and Jimi has her pick of the litter to pit against me. She opts to go for the Spirit tribal deck, Spectral Legions. We shuffle them up, deal out seven, and kick things off! Here are our notes from this first match.

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Innistrad: Carnival of Blood Review (Part 1 of 2)

Ten years ago, Wizards of the Coast introduced a new world to players of Magic, and a new story began. Set on a remote continent of the world, Otaria, 2001’s Odyssey brought a new cast of characters, new themes, and- of course- new mechanics. Although there wasn’t a great deal of flavourful resonance typing the mechanic to the set, the graveyard became the focus of the new bag of tricks. First up was a mechanic that rewarded you for having a well-stocked graveyard, with spells and creatures that became more powerful when a threshold of seven cards were there. And while the set included a number of ways to stock it, flashback ensured that played or discarded cards could have a second lease on life.

These were fine enough ideas, but there was some feeling within Wizards that the set really didn’t quite do them justice. Without any thematic tie to the graveyard they were more or less just naked mechanics, and it had the feeling of an opportunity missed. What a graveyard-based set really needed was something that would weave in the tropes and themes associated with actual graveyards. What it needed was a little dose of horror.

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