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.
News: M13 Intro Packs Revealed!
Today on the mothership, we’re been treated to a look at the upcoming Intro Packs (as well as the Fat Pack contents). The last time we saw legendary creatures in a core set was Tenth Edition, and a legendary creature anchored each of that set’s five mono-coloured Theme Decks.
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?
Build a Magic 2013 Intro Pack Contest
There’s something about a competition that brings people together once it’s concluded. Certainly in my seasons playing Aussie Rules, there was nothing better than sharing tales on the day over a few pints with the opposition after the game. One could hardly expect things to be much different when the clash is in the arena of the mind instead of the body, and it is just this coming together that has inspired some of the more interesting collaborations in the Magic community today.
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 