Duel Decks- Knights vs Dragons: The Dragons Review (Part 2 of 2)
In our last review, I piloted the Knights to what felt to be a fairly well-matched tilt against the Dragons, but of course I felt I could only render full judgment when I had the chance to play things from the other side of the field. This worked out well as White Weenie is one of Jimi’s preferred archetypes (the other being Boros), and the Knights deck is right up her alley. We put the baby to rest, brewed up a kettle of tea and got down to the business of killing one another with cardboard. Here are the notes from this final engagement.
New Commander Decks on the Mothership
Just in case you missed it, the upcoming Commander decks were announced on today’s Daily Arcana, and launch on 17 June. We can’t speak for you, but we know that we’re already starting to brew our own first-ever Commander decks in anticipation!
So… anyone recommend any Grixis-coloured generals? 😉
Whispers of the Muse: Robert F’s Phyrexia
It’s that time again! Whispers of the Muse is our occasional feature where a Lament reader looks for advice and suggestions from the community in building off of a precon deck. Today’s deck couldn’t come at a better time, with ‘Action’ being announced as New Phyrexia and a massive leak of cards giving everyone something to salivate over.
Robert F has found himself in possession of two copies of Duel Decks: Phyrexia vs the Coalition, and has this to say:
Deck: Phyrexia (Duel deck)
Restrictions: Anything goes, I am a casual player.
Extra Stuff: The set was on sale at my local hobby store, so I have two each of the Phyrexia and Coalition decks to work with. I play mostly multi-player, as well.I just want the deck to feel more refined, focused, and aggressive, although I do like the sacrifice effects and abusing Living Death.I have a bunch of cards from alara block/m10/zendikar block/m11, but most importantly, a playset of Abyssal Persecutors that I think would feel right at home in this deck.
Who has some thoughts for Robert on how to best craft his deck?
Duel Decks- Knights vs Dragons: The Knights Review (Part 2 of 2)
Enough talk- now that we’ve picked both decks apart and gone through their inner workings, its time to shuffle them up and deal a hand (or three). I’ve decided to pilot the Knights for this first foray into the conflict, while the Dragon deck will be steered by none other than Sam. Sam’s had plenty of experience with massive beaters, and a transition from Green to this Red deck is a pleasant one given the sheer volume of burn. We squared off for the customary three matches, and here are our notes.
Duel Decks- Knights vs Dragons: The Dragons Review (Part 1 of 2)
“They surround us, Great One. Their net grows tighter each day.”
Welcome back to our ongoing in-depth review of Duel Decks: Knights vs Dragons. In our last feature, we took a look at the Knights deck and determined that it was build as a hybrid tribal/White-weenie aggro-rush that looks to dominate the early game and deny the Dragons a chance to leave their dens. If there’s one thing those so-called heroes weren’t counting on, though, it’s the fact that the Dragons have not amassed their power without accumulating a few thralls and slaves friends and allies along the way. If the Knights were expecting to ride freely to the mouth of the cave and challenge the rightful inhabitant to combat, they are sadly mistaken.
They may indeed make it to the mouth of the cave… but only after being harried by Goblins, attacked by Humans and Elementals, engulfed in flame and assaulted by the very ground itself. By the time the first Dragon unfurls its leathery wings, the Knights should be so battered and singed that they’ll put up little resistance against the inevitable. And if facing up to nine Dragons (not counting the Fire-Belly Changeling) isn’t the inevitability of death, what is?
Duel Decks- Knights vs Dragons: The Knights Review (Part 1 of 2)
“Dragons, my liege. Hordes of them! Hurry, the sky blackens!”
And so begins our tale, the story of the latest tribally-themed Duel Decks to hit the shelves of our local gaming store. Within the small, unassuming box a mighty contest rages, pitting the tribe of the Knights against their immortal enemies- the Dragons. The Duel Decks series began with a similarly classic match-up of Goblins squaring off against Elves. Eighteen months later, we had our second non-Planeswalker themed release containing Angels and Demons. With 2010’s Duel Decks: Phyrexia vs The Coalition, though, the mould of the two mono-colour decks was broken, and the good news is that Duel Decks: Knights vs Dragons continues in much the same vein. Sure, you’ll find that the Dragons don’t deviate much from their expected mono-Red archetype, but as it turns out Green has as much to offer the Knights as White, and contained herein you find the best of both.
At its core, Knights offers little surprise and is about what you’d expect from the Knights: fast (and predominantly White) creatures, with a small minority of noncreature support cards. There can be little mistaking that this deck is built for the early game and starts on something of a clock. Fail to wrap up the Dragons deck before they can fully hatch, and the Knights’ prospect of victory drops precipitously.
Mirrodin Besieged: Infect & Defile Review (Part 2 of 2)
Yikes! A long, long day at the office (on my day off) trying to hit a deadline means that we’re racing to the table when I get home, looking to sort out the customary three-of and see how Infect & Defile ranks next to its fellow Mirrodin Besieged Event Deck, the blitzkrieging Into the Breach. Without further preamble, here are our match notes.
Mirrodin Besieged: Into the Breach Review (Part 2 of 2)
Eager to tear into the brand-shiny-new Event Decks released for Mirrodin Besieged, Jimi and I broke them open, sleeved them up, and laid out the playmats- time for battle! We had one guideline we established straightaway, and that was that we would not be sideboarding between matches. As preconstructed decks don’t ordinarily include them, and they’re more a fixture of Constructed strategy, we wanted to battle the two decks against one another as we would with any precon- stock right out of the box.
Here are the notes from the confrontation. Warning: it ain’t pretty.
Mirrodin Besieged: Infect & Defile Review (Part 1 of 2)
Again as we prepare to explore the second of the two Event Decks, the Phyrexians’ Infect & Defile, we must answer the question of how to build a successfully competitive deck within the confines of the card pool allowed. Most decks at the competitive level lean on mythics and a solid number of rares. How can decks permitted zero mythics and only seven rares hope to hold its own?
Into the Breach found one niche where a narrowly-focused deck could make a decent showing of itself: mono-Red aggro. Leaning on cards like Goblin Guide, Goblin Bushwhacker, and Lightning Bolt, it traded power for blistering speed, and will certainly steal a few wins on that account. That takes care of the Mirrans, but what about the Phyrexians? As it happens, the answer lies within the question.
It’s in niche specialisation, of course, and with infect being around for all of two sets, it doesn’t get much more niche than that. Infect & Defile takes a very intriguing and unconventional approach to the strategy, however, in that it doesn’t pack a swarm of infect creatures- in fact, it’s relatively creature-light. Instead, it plays more like an aggro-control deck, looking to resolve a few threats then back it up with denial and removal. It’s an approach well worth a look, and we’ll start with those sixteen beaters.
Mirrodin Besieged: Into the Breach Review (Part 1 of 2)
They’re here!
The waiting and anticipation is finally over. It isn’t often that Wizards releases a new line of products for Magic, but the much-anticipated Event Decks can now take their place alongside the Duel Decks, Premium Deck Series, Intro Packs, and other such preconstructed products. And the verdict? Well, taking a stab we’d say they’re not as good as what some folks hoped, but far better than what many feared.
When news of the Event Decks was loosed into the community some months ago, speculation was rampant as to what they might contain. The decks were positioned as “FNM-ready,” perhaps not a deck you could win a PTQ with but certainly one that would give you a shot at your local comic or hobby store. That deliberately-vague depiction left tremendous ground for guesswork. Would they have a slew of rares? Mythics? Planeswalkers? Jaces?
For those entertaining the end-spectrum of such fervent hope, prepare to be disappointed. The Event Decks- and there are two for Mirrodin Besieged (and two for the next set, ‘Action’)- contain exactly zero mythics. Nope, not a planeswalker between them. What you do get, though, is a finely-tuned deck that includes seven rares and a host of uncommons, so you certainly get some card value right off the top. In addition, each is packed in an attractive cardboard box, including a divider (for your deck versus your sideboard) and a Mirrodin Besieged “spindown” life counter. Nice attention to detail: the deck box holds the deck perfectly when they’re sleeved.
The real question, however, isn’t so much content as positioning. Do they live up to the hype? The card list is static- you know what you’re going to get when you crack one open- but the Friday Night Magic scene is anything but. Some are very casual, some very competitive, and the majority likely a proper mix. I’ve gone from battling against someone’s Orzhov-themed lifedrainer deck in one matchup right to the guy with playsets of Jaces and Baneslayers (back when she was a hotter commodity). You’ll find folks playing “netdecks of the stars” to those with a modified intro pack. It’s a meta that, from where Wizards is sitting, is virtually impossible to plan for. So how then do you construct these decks?
Ertai's Lament 