Avacyn Restored: Solitary Fiends Review (Part 2 of 2)
It’s our last clash with the Intro Packs of Avacyn Restored, and my Solitary Fiends and I are up against Jimi’s Slaughterhouse. Will the unorthdox strategy of my deck be enough to carry the day?
Avacyn Restored: Solitary Fiends Review (Part 1 of 2)
The trope is so overused now that it’s become a cliche, but there’s a scene at the end of the horror movie where the hero or heroes have vanquished the evil that had terrorized them for the bulk of the film. As they head off to lead lives all the more mundane now by comparison, the camera moves in a different direction. It focuses on the defeated villain’s head for a moment, then then WHAM right before the cut to credits, the monster’s eye opens! Or perhaps it moves to an undiscovered clutch of eggs, an overlooked canister of zombie-making gas, or just an audio overlay of the villain’s haunting laughter. In any event, the message is clear: the battle isn’t over.
Avacyn Restored: Slaughterhouse Review (Part 2 of 2)
Thus far in our reviews it’s been the heroic side of Innistrad, with the Humans and Angels striking back and the inhabitants working together to repel the evil that had them driven to the very brink of extinction. Today’s deck serves as a reminder that the scary things of the night haven’t gone away. To act as foil, Sam has eagerly volunteered, selecting Angelic Might to try and thwart my sinister plans.
Avacyn Restored: Slaughterhouse Review (Part 1 of 2)
In January of 2010, Magic players could be forgiven for their looks of puzzlement when cracking open the brand-new packs of Worldwake and finding a mythic rare called Eye of Ugin. It wasn’t entirely useless on its own at that point, but its power level certainly didn’t seem to correspond with either its rarity or its activated ability’s cost (seven mana to tutor up an artifact creature?). More puzzling still was the cryptic reference to “colorless Eldrazi spells.” Obviously all of these factors- combined with the fact that it was legendary- pointed to the card being a strong one, but it was not until the following set, Rise of the Eldrazi, that its full impact would be felt. Although the card was initially something of a curiosity, veteran players knew it for what it was: a plant.
Avacyn Restored: Fiery Dawn Review (Part 2 of 2)
It’s our third tilt with the Intro Packs of Avacyn Restored, and Sam’s been waiting patiently for her chance to pilot one. She gets it today with Bound by Strength, acting in the role of opposition to my Fiery Dawn. For my part, it’s a third stab at the Humans tribal deck for the block- how will it stack up to its predecessors?
News: Avacyn Restored Event Deck Decklists & Duel Decks: Izzet vs Golgari
It’s been quite a week for precon fans! Thanks to Magic Arcana on the mothership, we’ve had the next Duel Decks release revealed. Duel Decks: Izzet vs Golgari will be released on 07 September, 2012!
If that wasn’t enough, we’ve also been treated to the decklists for the upcoming Avacyn Restored Event Decks, which hit the shelves later this month on the 25th.
A lot to look forward to!
2005-07 Precon Championships: We Have a Winner
And so another Preconstructed Championship comes to an end, another deck added to the hall of heroes. It was a hard and bitterly contested contest over the course of nine weeks, and Endless March has much to be proud of. So to do the members of our Prediction League. As much fun as it was to stage this epic competition, it was made all the more so by the participation of our readership. The predictions, the explanations, and the banter back and forth made it a delight and success once again, and we are already looking forward to the next installment this Autumn.
Avacyn Restored: Fiery Dawn Review (Part 1 of 2)
Gamers of a certain age might recall with fondness some of the great computer and console games when the RPG genre was in its relative infancy, like Wizardry, Bard’s Tale, and Might & Magic. One element that many of them had in common was a reliance on the old “random monster tables” from the role-playing games they evolved from. Exploring a new room? Need a monster? Roll a die, consult the table, and voila! Instant villain! Of course, the cost of such convenience was the virtual abandonment of any sort of flavourful cohesion, for what possible reason could there be for encountering a band of two faeries, an orc, a stirge, a rust monster, and a brown pudding all in one room, and all united in their singular desire to destroy you? Although such things may keep the flavour-focused Vorthos up at night, for most gamers it was good for a chuckle before you commenced your attack.
2005-07 Precon Championships: The Grand Final
Welcome to the epic finale of the 2005-07 Preconstructed Championships! It’s been a titanic clash of decks from the Ravnica and Time Spiral blocks, Coldsnap, and Ninth Edition, but in the end for all the struggle on the battlefield, only one deck will write its name in the history books and go down as the season’s penultimate champion. The real star of the show has been Time Spiral block. With three of four semi-finalists hailing from that set of decks (indeed, two from Future Sight itself), their imprint on this season has been unmistakable. By the same token, Ravnica decks have surprisingly underperformed. The Golgari aside, all have fallen by the wayside, and seem to have been victim to mana issues as a sort of running “curse” throughout the playoffs.
Avacyn Restored: Bound by Strength Review (Part 2 of 2)
To represent the inhabitants of Innistrad inspired by Avacyn’s return and coming together to defeat their monstrous foes, Wizards has given us the soulbond mechanic and a 60 cards to showcase it. A deck comprised almost entirely of creatures and land, can Bound by Strength live up to its name? To find out, Jimi grabbed Solitary Fiends and sat down at the table to do battle.
Ertai's Lament 