Lorwyn: Elementals’ Path Review (Part 2 of 2)
Our trip to Lorwyn has been surprisingly disappointing thus far. Now on our last deck, can the five-colour Elementals’ Path follow in the footsteps of Merrow Riverways and help redeem the set? Or will it just be the final nail in the coffin. I was joined by Sam, who was piloting the selfsame Merfolk. Here are the notes from our match.
Lorwyn: Elementals’ Path Review (Part 1 of 2)
Although beyond the scope of what we cover here, Lorwyn introduced one of the most seismic shifts ever witnessed in the game with the introduction of the planeswalker card type. Hinted at in Future Sight, it had indeed originally been intended to release with that set but had been pushed back. Although somewhat incongruous (a pack of Humans on a plane that featured no Humans), it left an immediate mark on the game and has been a critical component of it ever since.
On the other hand, the rest of the set’s many mechanics have been decidedly less so. Read more 
Lorwyn: Kithkin Militia Review (Part 2 of 2)
I’ve got Sam squaring up on the other side of the table… fresh cups of tea steeping… and she’s shuffling up Elvish Predation. It’s time to take the Kithkin into battle, but will teamwork be enough to counter the threat of endless hordes of Elves?
Lorwyn: Kithkin Militia Review (Part 1 of 2)
With today’s deck- Kithkin Militia- we are now four decks deep in Lorwyn. Every one of the five has seen play now, if not as hero than at least as foil while they await their turn under the microscope. We’ve had a chance to see the set’s themes and mechanics, and how the environment plays out. In light of that, we’d like to pause and take stock of the set. On the one hand, we have our long anticipation of playing the set- it’s been near the top of the list for as long as we’ve run the site. On the other hand, we have the criticisms of the set by R&D stalwarts Aaron Forstyhe and Mark Rosewater which were woven through our introduction to Elvish Predation. The question remains: is Lorwyn really a failure?
Lorwyn: Boggart Feast Review (Part 2 of 2)
Next up in our tour of Lorwyn is a trip to see the Boggarts! The plane’s version of Goblins, they broke from the norm by blending together both Red and Black mana, and hopefully will let us see the best of both! For opposition, we have Sam piloting Elementals’ Path, a five-colour Flamekin-based deck. Which tribe will gain the upper hand?
Lorwyn: Boggart Feast Review (Part 1 of 2)
Like it or not, it is an aspect of the human condition that seeks to create not from scratch, but rather to modify or interpret. There are few elements of the Magic multiverse that do not, in some way, draw upon cultures already established in the much more mundane world of Earth. At the dawn of the game, this was done quite unabashedly with Magic’s first expansion, Arabian Nights. Since then, however, the element of the real has been increasingly concealed beneath the veneer of the fictional.
Lorwyn: Merrow Riverways Review (Part 2 of 2)
We’d been looking forward to exploring Lorwyn for a long time, but found the opening matchup of Elvish Predation vs Boggart Feast to be a little underwhelming. Would the guileful Merrow show us a side of the plane we might have missed? If anyone can, it might well be them…
Lorwyn: Merrow Riverways Review (Part 1 of 2)
Gamers of a certain age might remember a particular commercial that used to come on the television on Saturday mornings and during the afterschool cartoons. There were a number of variations, but the central narrative went something like this. A person is walking down the street eating chocolate. Another is walking the other way eating peanut butter (I know, but bear with it). Madcap slapstick hijinks happen, and the chocolate lands in the peanut butter. They pull it out, hesitantly take a bite, and… nirvana! And so Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are “born.” A not entirely dissimilar process went in to the flavour of the races of Lorwyn- minus, of course, the madcap slapstick.
Lorwyn: Elvish Predation Review (Part 2 of 2)
TIme for our first visit to the world of Lorwyn! We’ve wanted to play these decks for some time now, and having finally finished assembling the collection we’re sleeved and ready to go. Joining me at the table is Jimi, who’s wasted no time in grabbing the deck of her favourite tribe, Boggart Feast. Will the Elves be able to put the ugly ones in their place?
Lorwyn: Elvish Predation Review (Part 1 of 2)
When the RMS Titanic left the docks at Southampton on 10 April, 1912, it was with the very highest of expectations. Although the unqualified label of “unsinkable” was actually a posthumous appellation, there were no shortage of accolades bestowed upon her prior to launch. “As far as it is possible to do,” claimed the White Star Line, perhaps coming closest, “[the Titanic] is designed to be unsinkable.” To be sure, the ship was designed to the highest standards, even exceeding many of the regulations of the day. Designed by famed (some would say notorious) Belfast shipyards Harland and Wolff, the experienced naval architects knew what had worked for previous luxury liners, and what they needed to improve upon. Indeed, that primary factor that turned the endeavour from travesty to tragedy was a much smaller detail than ship design.
Ertai's Lament 