2014-15 Precon Championships: Make Your Predictions!
At last! The long wait is over and the Preconstructed Championships have returned (one day late, sorry). We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so I’ll skip the lengthy and flavorful preamble and get right down to business!
What is this?
The Preconstructed Championships are a semi-annual feature here on Ertai’s Lament, where we take a year’s worth of preconstructed decks (typically core set + block + all releases during that time) and match them up against one another, March Madness style.
The competition is broken down into four divisions spread across two conferences, and each week we cover four matches. You- the reading audience- have the opportunity to predict the winners, and for every correct prediction, you get a point in the “prediction league.” The person with the most points at the end of it is our winner, and wins the prize package!
What can I win? Read more 
Oath of the Gatewatch: Surge of Resistance Review (Part 2 of 2)
Last time we had a chance to game, we tested out the last deck we had to review of Shadows over Innistrad. Today, we’ll be bringing Oath of the Gatewatch to an overdue conclusion with Surge of Resistance, a Red/Blue deck that features- surprise!- the surge mechanic. Joining me at the table is Josh, who is running the Blue/Colorless Twisted Reality. Can Zendikar’s defenders keep the Eldrazi at bay, or will the relentless tide overwhelm them? Let’s find out! Read more
Conspiracy: Building an Intro Pack
Ever wonder what it’s like to build an Intro Pack? I wondered the same thing, and decided I’d try my hand at it for a set that didn’t come with any: Conspiracy!
My article was in two parts on Gathering Magic.
Part 1: Choosing a color, and narrowing down the rares and themes
Part 2: Building the deck!
As always, if you enjoy seeing more preconstructed Magic content, make sure to leave a note or comment over there letting them know.
Thanks!
The 2014-2015 Preconstructed Deck Championships
If there’s one thing I’ve been looking forward to most since taking Ertai’s Lament out of mothballs, it’s been the Preconstructed Deck Championships. One of the site’s most popular features, the Championships follow a ‘March Madness’ style format, where all of the preconstructed decks of a given season are randomly seeded into one of four divisions, and battle their way to eternal glory. Read more
Shadows over Innistrad: Ghostly Tide Review (Part 2 of 2)
As we look ahead towards Eldritch Moon and the implementation of the one-deck-per-week schedule, we’ve got some loose threads to tie up. Ghostly Tide, the Blue/White Spirits/Skies deck, is the last to be reviewed for Shadows over Innistrad, and in addition to three decks from Battle for Zendikar, we also need to conclude Oath of the Gatewatch’s Surge of Resistance.
But playing one deck at a time, we put Ghostly Tide through its paces, with Josh taking the field armed with Unearthed Secrets, the deck themed around investigate. Would his forces prevail, or would his defeat prove to be his deck’s biggest mystery? Read more
Ertai’s Lament Site Update (Plus a Teaser)
Good evening!
Time for another of the periodic “site news” posts about the state of Ertai’s Lament. These tend to be a bit dry, but I like to keep folks informed. As a reward, there’s a little preview teaser at the end that should get a few folks excited. Read more
Magic Origins: Assemble Victory Review (Part 1 of 2)
Of all the different considerations that go into making a Magic: the Gathering set, one that seems to most often be underestimated is the factor of time. Just because RoboRosewater exists, doesn’t mean that sets get manufactured overnight. Indeed, Wizards of the Coast tends to work on sets up to two years prior to release, so there is a common perception that Wizards has a great deal more flexibility than it does with set creation and design.
Magic Origins: Take to the Sky Review (Part 1 of 2)
In the world of comic books, the “origin story” is one that looks back in time and tells the tale of how a super-hero or super-villain came to be. How they got their powers. Where their motivation to [choose one: save/destroy] the world. In short, how the character came to be.
Somewhat ironically, however, Magic Origins represents both a beginning, and an ending, and it’s a tale that’s been nearly a decade in the telling.
Shadows over Innistrad: Vampiric Thirst Review (Part 2 of 2)
I found madness to be one of the more interesting mechanics of Shadows over Innistrad, and pairing it with tribal Vampires seems like a chocolate-meets-peanut-butter win. Of course, to get a sense of how the deck comes together, we’ll need to take it into battle. Joining me at the table is Josh, who’s piloting the Red/White Angelic Fury.
Read more
Shadows over Innistrad: Horrific Visions Review (Part 2 of 2)
We’re back to round out our coverage of Shadows over Innistrad, with a look a the delirium-filled Horrific Visions. To help test the deck, I’ve enlisted the help of Josh, running the Blue/White Spirits deck, Ghostly Tide. Which deck will emerge victorious? Read more
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