Magic 2013: Repeat Performance Review (Part 2 of 2)
We’re back with our continuing Magic 2013 coverage as we unwrap the Event Deck boxes and prepare to do battle. cross the table from me sits Sam, shuffling up the flashback-heavy Sweet Revenge. For my part, I’m ready to go with a deck that’s nearly all creatures, Repeat Performance. Two decks, virtually the mirror opposite of one another. Which strategy will get the upper hand?
Magic 2013: Sweet Revenge Review (Part 1 of 2)
As we mentioned in our review of Sweet Revenge’s sibling, Repeat Performance, one of last year’s models attracted a level of criticism that was surprisingly sharp given the value of the cards within the box. Magic 2012’s Vampire Onslaught made quite an impression with a playset of Dismembers, a couple of Go for the Throats, a pair of Bloodghasts, and a Kalastria Highborn, but the discontent was more broadly applied. With a full twenty-five cards in the main deck coming from sets soon to rotate out of the Standard environment- either Zendikar block or Magic 2011- the ticking from the clock of obsolescence was particularly loud. But if we were to think that this would spell the end of the “encore” decks- one lust hurrah for a battle-tested strategy while it’s still capable of being run- we’d need to think again.
Magic 2013: Repeat Performance Review (Part 1 of 2)
Since the advent of the Event Deck for last year’s Mirrodin Besieged, the decks have come under a steady drone of criticism for their content. This is to be expected, for whenever Wizards sticks a fixed group of cards in a box and slaps a pricetag on it, the playing community immediately begin assessing it. Indeed, it’s the very principle that this site was founded upon, and it makes for an engaging and healthy debate. From the outset we’ve held a critical eye on the Event Decks as Wizards fine-tuned the product after launch, watching it go into its mono-coloured aggro phase as a hedge against its rarity caps, and have been delighted to see the growth of the product beyond that. What we haven’t touched on yet aside from a rather general manner is the other charge leveled at the Event Decks: that they are unrepresentative.
Planechase 2012: Night of the Ninja Review (Part 2 of 2)
This is it! Our final Planechase 2012 game, with me piloting Night of the Ninja. I’ll be looking to sneak my Ninja saboteurs through enemy lines to give my deck the best chance of victory. Lining up against me are Sam to my life, who is playing the cascade-centric Chaos Reigns. Jimi, on the right, has shuffled up Savage Auras. Who will be the last planeswalker standing?
Planechase 2012: Night of the Ninja Review (Part 1 of 2)
Having reached this, the final of the four Planechase 2012 reviews, we thought we’d begin with a revelation so staggering that it requires a bit of a preamble. For the faint of heart, you may wish to ensure that you are seated before reading it. If you’re reading this on your smartphone, you might wish to put the device on a flat surface first. This shocking revelation flies in the face of conventional wisdom for some, but it’s important to note before we get stuck into Night of the Ninja.
Planechase 2012: Primordial Hunger Review (Part 2 of 2)
Once again we’re back in the arena, ready to do battle with the Planechase 2012 decks. I’m piloting Primordial Hunger, a Jund-themed deck that stakes its flag on the devour mechanic. Jimi, seated to my left, is rocking the Savage Auras deck, while Sam’s taking a turn behind Night of the Ninja. Here’s how the evening unfolded…
Planechase 2012: Primordial Hunger Review (Part 1 of 2)
It’s hard to deny that the plane of Alara is experiencing something of a renaissance in Magic at the moment. Although the set is some ways out from the Standard environment now, having been released in 2009-2010, its circled around for a second pass through some of the game’s other outlets. For one thing, Bant’s signature mechanic of exalted has been confirmed to be the ‘returning mechanic’ of Magic 2013. Since Magic 2011, Wizards has dusted off a previously-used mechanic and given it new lease on life, such as M11’s scry (originally from 2004’s Fifth Dawn) and M12’s bloodthirst (an update from Guildpact, released in early 2006).
Planechase 2012: Chaos Reigns Review (Part 2 of 2)
The three-way format we chose for our reviews has been a hit, and we’ve really enjoyed the novelty of the Planechase games. For today’s bout, I’m at the helm of the cascade-filled five-colour Chaos Reigns deck, while continuing clockwise we find Jimi (with Night of the Ninja) and Sam (back again with Primordial Hunger). As before, we’ve implemented an attack-left/defend-right rule, to give the game enough room to develop that we get a good look at the decks.
Planechase 2012: Chaos Reigns Review (Part 1 of 2)
The older we get, the more the years as simple numbers can become difficult to distinguish. “1992” recedes into the mists of memory, though “the summer of my senior year” may burn brightly for all the rest of one’s days. So too it is in Magic when we talk about Standard environments. What were you playing in 2004? might provoke a momentary look of puzzlement and head-scratching, but the words “Ravager Affinity” are sure to bring the memories flooding back for any competitive player who was active then.
Planechase 2012: Savage Auras Review (Part 2 of 2)
Between our on-site poll and feedback from Twitter, the results were overwhelming- playtest the decks with their Planes! This was something we didn’t do in our reviews of the initial release, choosing instead to focus on the 60-card decks that came in the box rather than the Planechase experience itself. Inspired by your feedback, we decided to go one step further and take a page from the Commander playbook, playing a three-way game!
Ertai's Lament 