Whispers of the Muse: Benjamin M’s Modern Superabundance (EVE)
Welcome back to another installment of Whispers of the Muse, our occasional series where a reader asks for deckbuilding assistance from the Lament community! Today’s deck comes by way of Benjamin M, and he’s asked us to put our Modern hats on this time around.
Gatecrash: Gruul Goliaths Review (Part 2 of 2)
Primal fury time! Though Jimi’s Dimir Dementia may prefer to keep to the shadows, the Gruul have forced them out into the open for a titanic showdown. Will it boil down to who has the biggest club, or will a knife in the back settle the score?
Giveaway: Gatecrash Intro Pack and Meddlings!
It’s that time again- Theme Weeks are back, and each of the five Intro Pack decks from Gatecrash are getting a well-deserved makeover over on Gathering Magic. Today, it’s the Boros Legion’s turn.
Gatecrash: Gruul Goliaths Review (Part 1 of 2)
As we’ve seen both in Gatecrash as well as Return to Ravnica, Wizards felt in some cases that designing new mechanics for the guilds was a chance to do justice to some that may have gotten the short shrift in the first go-around. While there were some obvious hits, such as convoke for the Selesnya and replicate for the Izzet, there were also some that fell somewhat short of ambition. The Azorius Senate’s forecast was deliberately underpowered, the Golgari’s dredge was dancing on the line between fair and broken, and radiance for the Boros was “the big miss of Ravnica block” according to Mark Rosewater. But guild mechanics weren’t the only things getting a second chance.
Gatecrash: Dimir Dementia Review (Part 2 of 2)
The Boros are back, this time in the role of foil in the capable hands of Jimi. Meanwhile, I’ll be piloting the shadowy DImir Dementia, as we look to give it a thorough stress test to see how well Blue/Black cipher-mill holds up!
News: Gatecrash Event Deck Decklists Revealed!
Fresh off the excitement of last night’s game, the mothership today has some pulse-quickening news of its own this morning- the Gatecrash Event Decks have been spoiled!
Gatecrash: Dimir Dementia Review (Part 1 of 2)
At times, Magic can seem a rather paradoxical game. Take the much-derided mana screw, for instance. A source of eternal criticism and feel-bad moments for players from novice to professional, it is by turns also credited with assuring the longevity of the game. This unpleasant, frustrating experience has been looked at as a design problem to be overcome in other games, offering more stable and consistent resource development- and yet many of those games are consigned to the halls of history while Magic flourishes still.
Whispers of the Muse: Max’s Deathfed/Grave Power (INN/DKA)
Although Innistrad block is now gone, it is far from forgotten! While many of its cards continue to see constructed competitive play, casual players too are using the flavourful designs from the sets to spur their own creative deckbuilding. Today’s Whispers of the Muse comes from just such an environment.
Gatecrash: Simic Synthesis Review (Part 2 of 2)
Life- not unlike guild warfare in Gatecrash- is about the survival of the fittest, and the Simic have a new trick in their quest for biological perfection. Can they evolve past Sam’s Gruul Goliaths, or will the Gruul show who the real apex predator is?
Gatecrash: Simic Synthesis Review (Part 1 of 2)
In the Autumn of 2010, Wizards of the Coast kicked off the Great Designer Search 2. The first one, held four years prior, had proved a tremendous success, and had resulted in the hiring of some tremendous creative talent. It had been won by Alexis Janson, who’s first lead design (Dragon’s Maze) is the third set in Return to Ravnica block. In addition, Wizards also scooped up the runners-up Ken Nagle (who we’ve covered before), Graeme Hopkins, and Mark Globus (who has led design for Magic 2012 as well as the most recent Planechase release). As we touched on in our review of Boros Battalion, this was the “Fourth Age” of Magic design.
Ertai's Lament 