The 2011-2012 Preconstructed Deck Championships
Ahh, Autumn. That lovely season transitioning us from the highs of Summer to the frigid lows of Winter, Autumn has a great many charms all its own. Temperate days and evenings with cool, crisp breezes. The leaves of the trees begin to turn from green to reds and yellows, soon to be blanketing the ground. Night gently descends a little sooner each day. The sounds of planeswalkers battling with eldritch wizardry and terrifying creatures.
…wait, what?
Return to Ravnica: Selesnya Surge Review (Part 1 of 2)
Like all things, language is subject to change and evolution over time. Words that mean something now may not mean the same thing later, and tracing the origin of words can be an intriguing experience. You don’t have to go back to Greek and Latin to find interesting origin stories- sometimes there’s a story behind the original meaning of a word that’s come to mean something else.
Betrayers of Kamigawa: Spiritcraft Review (Part 2 of 2)
It’s our last visit to the world of Kamigawa for awhile, and we’re giving the Spirits their due. With Spiritcraft, the most tribal of the four Theme Decks from Betrayers gets its moment in the sun. Facing me at the table is Sam, ready with the Rat-like Nezumi and their Ninja and Ronin. Can the Spirits muster the mystical might to send the vermin back to the swamp?
News: Return to Ravnica Intro Packs Decklists Revealed!
Those waking up to the mothership today are in for a treat- the Return to Ravnica Intro Pack contents have been spoiled!
Betrayers of Kamigawa: Spiritcraft Review (Part 1 of 2)
When it comes to tribal decks, you don’t typically see one following right after another in the progression of a block. In the game’s first tribal block, 2002’s Onslaught, the inaugural tribes honoured by anchoring their own Theme Deck were Soldiers, Clerics, Illusions, and Beasts. Thus a few months later, when the follow-up Legions hit the shelves, these four tribes hit the bench and allowed a new slate of four to take center stage: Elves, Slivers, Zombies, and the quasi-tribe morphs.
Betrayers of Kamigawa: Dark Devotion Review (Part 2 of 2)
While the war against the Spirit world rages, the Ogres in their mountain homes have been making diabolic pacts with the Oni, and Dark Devotion shows just what they’ve been up to. Has the power been worth the price? There’s only one way to find out as I pit them against Jimi’s Ninja of Ninjutsu.
Betrayers of Kamigawa: Dark Devotion Review (Part 1 of 2)
Shards of Alara, released in 2008, introduced us to a world that had been riven into five self-contained dimensional fragments, each characterised both by the prevalence of one colour of mana and its allies, as well as the complete absence of its enemy colours. The designers and creative team had to ask themselves what each of these five “worlds in a bubble” would look like, and one of the ways they chose to do this was through unique mechanical identity. Bant, the White shard, was given the exalted mechanic, designed to represent their honourable way of single combat. Fiery, primordial Jund had devour, which showed the food chain at work in that dangerous land. Unearth was the plaything of the necromancers and demons of Grixis, a desolate shard of endless fields of bone and ash.
As for the other two, however, that’s a little less simple.
Reads: The Five Worst Precon Decks of Innistrad Block
In my last piece over on Quiet Speculation, I took a look at the cream of the crop of Innistrad’s preconstructed decks- both Intro and Event. This week I’m back to list those clocking in at the opposite end of the spectrum.
Whispers of the Muse: Peter C’s Wild Rush (M13)
It’s that time again! Time for you, the readers, to lend your voice and expertise towards tuning a fellow reader’s preconstructed deck in our occasional deck improvement series. Today’s submission comes to us by way of Peter C, who is taking the scalpel to Magic 2013’s Wild Rush.
Betrayers of Kamigawa: Rats’ Nest Review (Part 2 of 2)
You might have noticed, but Jimi has been out of commission on the site for a wee while now, a result of her recent back surgery which has left her unable to comfortably sit in seat for any length of time. With extraordinary determination, however, she’s been making some equally extraordinary progress, and although it took us a few days to do it, she managed to grab a deck and join me at the table for a match. Meeting my Nezumi at the table was Jimi’s army of Oni and Ogres, the denizens of Dark Devotion.
Ertai's Lament 