Commander: Mirror Mastery Review (Part 1 of 2)
One deck down and four to go, and it’s been some time since we’ve been quite this eager to tear into new decks. Our first review was for Heavenly Inferno, which although fun seemed to be a construction not unlike a regular constructed Black/Red deck, only on a larger scale. Like a Rakdos deck, it tended to burn itself out early and struggle to refill its hand. Looking to see something in quite the opposite direction for our next review, we selected Mirror Mastery, a deck by name and commander that promises a great deal of trickery and shenanigans.
Mirror Mastery’s bit of the colour pie consists of the unique joining of Blue with its enemy colours, Red and Green. Thematically, one can only imagine what might result of a crossbreeding of Simic and Izzet, and that’s what looks to be in store for any pilot of this deck. We’ll begin as we shall, working our way down from the top.
Commander: Heavenly Inferno Review (Part 2 of 2)
After a thorough reading of the rules insert for Commander, we’re ready to undertake our first game. We’ve got our playmats out with the oversize foils denoting the Command Zone, and a ton of dice. Our 99’s are shuffled, and we’ve rolled both for seating placement as well as ‘initiative’ (who plays first, clockwise from there). As mentioned in our disclaimer in the deck analysis, we’ll be using an attack-left/defend-right model in an attempt to strike a balance between using the cards as they were intended without creating a lopsided and brief review due to gang-ups- a compromise with only three of us available.
For the match, Sam’s taken Devour for Power while Jimi’s gravitated towards Political Puppets. Here are the notes from our match.
Commander: Heavenly Inferno Review (Part 1 of 2)
It may seem unusual to our modern Magic sensibilities, but long-time players can attest to the fact that we weren’t always blessed with the variety of formats that the modern player is today. When the game first began, there was only one format: duel your mates. As the game moved forward and developed, we began to see the rise of changes like regulation of deck contents (card minimums and maximums), the limited formats (sealed and draft), and the like. On account of the passage of time and that we seldom take proper notice of things that begin slowly, the origin and development of Commander is shrouded in some degree of mystery. What we can say is that like any other idea, there’s often no singular point in time that we can point to and say aha, this is the founding of it!
But that’s not to say we can’t get at least close.
New Phyrexia: Rot from Within Review (Part 2 of 2)
With the set behind us and the Event Decks about to be complete, we’re on the verge of leaving New Phyrexia for quite some time. Fitting, then, we’d go out with a bang and not a whimper, with two no-holds-barred aggressive options in War of Attrition and Rot from Within.
I sat down across from Jimi to give the deck a proper field test. Here are the notes from this final engagement.
MBtB: Stoneforge Event Deck Giveaway!
When I was growing up, my favourite radio station was the pop-filled Z100 out of New York City, and like any top-level radio station for a major market they had a slew of giveaways. Whenever an ecstatic winner made it through on the phones, the dj’s would always end by asking, “And what’s the phrase that pays?” To which the caller would invariably answer “Z100 means more money!” Twenty-five years later I still can remember that, so I suppose it must have made some impression.
So perhaps I can be forgiven for feeling a bit like Z100 right now with all these giveaways as of late! Between the Time Spiral theme deck, the New Phyrexia Intro Deck, the One-Year Anniversary Giveaway (ending this Saturday), the Commander deck giveaway I’m working on (expect to see it next week), and this week’s offering: the War of Attrition Event Deck from New Phyrexia!
You know, the one with the Stoneforge Mystics in it!
If you’d like a shot at winning it, and/or would like to read about the significance of the deck, head on over to this week’s Magic Beyond the Box, where I talk about the evolution of the Event Decks, and if they have ‘painted themselves into a corner’ design-wise. Come check it out!
New Phyrexia: Rot from Within Review (Part 1 of 2)
Expectation can be a powerful thing. At its most fundamental, its a barometer of confidence that assesses the interaction of two things- a subject and its environment- and finds its fruition in their intersection. Will I get the job? Well, that depends- how good of a candidate am I, and what are the company’s needs? How good are the others applying for it? Will Johnny pass his History exam? Now much effort and aptitude has Johnny shown for the subject matter, and how difficult is the test? Will I win tonight at Friday Night Magic? Well, how good is my deck, and what is my meta?
As humans we are constantly in a process of setting and refining expectations. If insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, as is often apocryphally attributed to Albert Einstein, perhaps then we can define wisdom as the reassessment of expectation in light of new evidence. If that’s so, then we can credit Wizards with a bit of wisdom in their treatment of New Phyrexia’s Event Decks.
Did Into the Breach and Infect & Defile take the world’s FNM’s by storm? Hard to say in the absence of documented evidence, but given how little anecdotal groundswell there has been in that direction, it’s probably safe to say that they didn’t quite live up to their expectations of making their wielder “immediately competitive,” a quote taken directly from the back of the box.
In learning from this, Wizards was presented with three options. First, they could improve the decks to meet their desired outcome. Second, they could decrease expectations. And third- the default option- they could do nothing. It would seem that Wizards has taken the path of the first two. As mentioned in our review of War of Attrition, the decks took what worked the last time- speed- and made it a defining characteristic of both offerings this time. The midgame positioning of Infect & Defile- easily the weaker of the two Mirrodin Besieged decks- has found no successor here. Rather, we’re treated to two decks that acknowledge that a rapid-deployment strategy offers inferior decks the best chance of victory against those of higher quality. One wonders briefly if this realisation condemns the Event Decks to being a pair of aggro decks released every set, but that is a question whose answer won’t be revealed for some time. At present, we have but the two sets’ worth.
Accompanying this pivot in positioning is a tamping down of expectations. Gone is the cocksure swagger of “immediately competitive.” Instead, we’re treated to this gem:
Event Decks let you jump into tournament play with a powerful deck that will give you a fighting chance.
New Phyrexia: War of Attrition Review (Part 2 of 2)
With the reviews written and the stage set, it is time to pit Event Deck versus Event Deck and see how they play against one another. As we saw, both decks have embraced a speed-kills mentality. To crib a little Thomas Hobbes, every indication points to these matches being nasty, brutish, and short. One controvertial decision we made during the last round of Event Deck playestings (for Mirrodin Besieged) was to forego a sideboard, and we’ll be repeating that choice here. Although sideboards are indisputably a critical element of constructed play, there are two reasons for our decision. First, as precon players we’re perfectly happy to see how the ‘stock 60’ stands up- we’re looking for overall performance of the deck moreso that how it manages to outmaneuver a specific opponent. A worry here is that one player might skew results by happening to draw a couple of their sideboard options and gaining considerable advantage. This is the point of a sideboard at the constructed tables, of course… but perhaps a little less so here, when we want to see how the list stands up on its own.
The second reason is unfamiliarity with the concept. If Event Decks are to be the gateway to competitive play, they’re going to need to do a better job of coaching players on how to manage a sideboard. Because of the level of skill it requires in making decisions- both what to put in, and perhaps more critically what to take out– there is a high level of intimidation factor. Not all in the Ertai’s Lament crew are as comfortable with the concept, and so setting the sideboards aside is the better option.
There is a minority opinion here (read: mine) that holds that sideboards are actually part of the deck, and that a thorough testing should include them. It’s something we’re working on with our skill levels, and I should expect that by the next set of Event Deck reviews, we’ll have full integration for testing purposes.
Until then, we can only hope that you’ll enjoy our review of the stock decks, and on that basis get an idea of what they are capable of right out of the box. Here are the game notes from our matchup.
New Phyrexia: War of Attrition Review (Part 1 of 2)
The story of the Stoneforge Mystic is a story about patience as a virtue. Released in 2010’s Worldwake expansion, she was recognised by many for her card advantage and tutoring, but in the environment she was born into, this wasn’t very exciting. Luis Scott Vargas of Channel Fireball- noted for his set reviews (and dreadful punnery)- spoke with the voice of many when he said that she was “unlikely to make a splash in Standard.” And he was right… for a little while.
Then came word that the next block was a return to Mirrodin, and with the artifact pool about to get a huge boost, canny minds thought back to this belle-of-the-ball-to-be still waiting for her chance in the spotlight. The actual release of Scars of Mirrodin brought even more around, and slowly her price started to move. According to the Black Lotus Project, which tracks price trending for Magic cards, 19 October 2010 was the day that Stoneforge Mystic became a débutante. Long languishing as an inexpensive rare, she crested $5 in value for the first time after some nine months in waiting and slowly began climbing as more people gave her a look.
Then things changed overnight- as they can- with a Pro Tour. The Caw-Go deck, which Brian Kiber had played to no small notice in Worlds the previous December had been given a gift in Mirrodin Besieged: the Sword of Feast and Famine. With the Stoneforge Mystic perfectly positioned to take advantage of this new mythic equipment, Ben Stark’s upgraded “CawBlade” list took him top honours at Pro Tour Paris in mid-February. Over the course of that weekend, whispers and mentions leaked out that saw the Mystic crest $8 in value. By two weeks after the event- with the full decklists spoiled- she was already on her way to $12 and climbing fast. She would soon reach her zenith at over $18 and become one of the Standard environment’s most sought-after cards.
Not bad for a wee slip of a thing from nomadic paths of the Kor, no? And while the story of the Stoneforge Mystic is not the story of War of Attrition, you could not tell the story of War of Attrition without it. According to Wizards Director of R&D Aaron Forsythe, Stoneforge Mystic was $4 when the deck was shipped off to the printers. It is the Mystic’s rise to prominence which has given this latest round of Event Decks the commanding attention denied the first two.
New Phyrexia Event Decks Info Released
Today on the mothership, Magic Arcana announces the new Event Decks that will be released on 10 June for New Phyrexia. War of Attrition is a mono-White Equipment list, while Rot from Within looks to be a mono-Green Infect build. But don’t just take our word for it- have a look yourselves!
Whispers of the Muse: Henry S’s ‘Predators Trample Underfoot’
Today’s Whispers of the Muse (our community-feedback deckbuilding series) comes to us by way of Henry S, a player relatively new to the game but already keen to try out his brewing skills. In possession of two heavily Green decks, he’s looking to fuse them into one powerful set of 60 cards. Of course, suggestions from outside the card pool never hurt, either! Says Henry,
I’m the sort of person that enjoys creating new decks and my next idea is something I’m very unfamiliar with: a trample deck.
I will be basing the the deck on a synergy between Garruk’s Teeth of the Predator and Archenemy: Trample Civilisation Underfoot, both of which, as you know, are green decks excelling at pumping out the fatties. I’m a player that likes speed, so I would the deck to be as quick as is possible.
Combining both of these decks will allow me access to several large creatures (two Molimo, a Vigor, Verdant Force, and Kanahl, Fist of Krosa) but, being that I would like some of my own changes in the deck, I am currently holding a Liege of the Tangle that I would like to put to use, although I’m not sure here to put it or how start the deck in general.
Ertai's Lament 