Dragon’s Maze: Strength of Selesnya Review (Part 2 of 2)
With only one Event Deck to choose from, Sam and I took a page out of our reviews for the Premium Deck Series and decided she’d get to have her pick of an Event Deck from the previous set, Gatecrash. Naturally, she went for the ferocious Rally and Rout, the Boros deck, and it was with no small trepidation that I shuffled up and prepared to take my Selesnya to battle. Here are the notes from our engagement.
Dragon’s Maze: Strength of Selesnya Review (Part 1 of 2)
In late February of 2011, a new product appeared on the shelves of many friendly, local gaming stores. A new preconstructed product, the Event Decks were aimed at players wishing to get involved in competitive gameplay. They contained seven rare cards, and were available in two flavours- “Kuldotha Red” and Infect. Foor the first time since the product’s debut, we’ve now witnessed a change in the product line.
Gatecrash: Rally and Rout Review (Part 2 of 2)
It’s our last look at Gatecrash today, for the next time we break out these decks it will be for the Preconstructed Championship later this year. Joining me at the table this time is Sam, who’s volunteered to give Thrive and Thrash another shot. Will she prove that the previous match was just a fluke, or will the Boros live up to the billing and rout the Simic?
Gatecrash: Thrive and Thrash Review (Part 2 of 2)
Now that we’ve had a chance to review both decks, it’s time to see how the fare against one another. Joining me to take the role of the Boros is- who else- Jimi, ready to champion her guild. Can my three-colour ‘Simic’ stand a chance?
Gatecrash: Rally and Rout Review (Part 1 of 2)
For the most part, the overlap between the competitive world of the Event Deck and the more casual one of the Intro Pack has remained fairly segregated. After all, aside from the set whose banner they are released under, they really don’t have much in common. Intro Packs, aside from being an accessible point of entry for new and returning players, tend to give a fair amount of design space over to showcasing the set’s themes and mechanics. Event Decks, on the other hand, care far less for these things, instead focusing on presenting a valid option in a given competitive environment.
Gatecrash: Thrive and Thrash Review (Part 1 of 2)
Released in 1991, Morrissey’s Kill Uncle occupies an unusual place in the singer’s discography. Only his second album in four years after the breakup of The Smiths, the album ranged from the deeply sentimental There’s a Place in Hell for Me and my Friends to the quirky and pun-laden King Leer, with stops all over the map in between. Buried almost at the end of the album is a subdued little number called (I’m) the End of the Family Line. What has that to do with Gatecrash? Hopefully, nothing.
Return to Ravnica: Wrack and Rage Review (Part 2 of 2)
It’s back to the table for our last visit to Return to Ravnica- at least until next year’s Preconstructed Deck Championships! Joining me is Sam, who’s been eager to get her hands on Creep and Conquer. Can she steer the Golgari to the finish, or will the Rakdos pitch a carnival tent stake on her grave?
Return to Ravnica: Creep and Conquer Review (Part 2 of 2)
The table is set and the tea is brewed, an altogether overly civilised setting for the brutal savagery that’s about to take place. I’m piloting the Golgari and their Creep and Conquer Event Deck, while Jimi’s looking to dance on our graves with the Radkos and Wrack and Rage. Can she burn her way to victory, or will she just end up another body in the fungus pile?
Return to Ravnica: Wrack and Rage Review (Part 1 of 2)
Inthe long history of Magic: the Gathering, few colour pairings have gone together like chocolate and peanut butter to quite the extent of Red and Black. Indeed, their iconic stature is rivaled perhaps only by White and Blue. This may not be a coincidence- if you plot the game on an axis with control and one side and aggression on the other, looking at colour combinations you tend to find both these two pairs on opposite extremes.
Return to Ravnica: Creep and Conquer Review (Part 1 of 2)
Moreso than any other preconstructed product in recent memory, the Event Decks have become a lightning rod for attention and criticism amongst the Magic community. To be sure, there isn’t a thing that Wizards could issue that wouldn’t have a Greek chorus of detractors, bemoaning some or other aspect of the release- some of it fairly, some of it not. But perhaps because of the unique intersection that the Event Decks product line inhabits it finds itself much more squarely in the community’s sights.
Ertai's Lament 