Commander: Counterpunch Review (Part 2 of 2)
Approaching the end of our Commander coverage, our second-to-last playtest game sees Ghave’s Counterpunch deck- a Black/White/Green token-heavy construction- pitted against two of its contemporaries once again. On my left is Jimi who has selected Mirror Mastery, while Sam is to my right in attack position with the very aggressively-minded Heavenly Inferno. Would Ghave have what it takes to come out ahead? Jimi’s won all three of our previous Commander games… could the streak be broken today?
MBtB: Our Biggest Giveaway Yet!
After a one-week hiatus (organising this contest), Magic Beyond the Box is back and helping our friends at Quiet Speculation with a massive giveaway. How big? Let’s just say that if you have even the slightest interest in attending the incredbile Gen Con gaming convention this August, you owe it to yourself to take a look!
Because what’s better than going to Gen Con for “the best four days in gaming?”
Going there free, and with an armful of prizes!
Commander: Counterpunch Review (Part 1 of 2)
It is a curious thing how history when running its own course has a tendency to return to the same patterns time and time again. A mind unattuned to this flow of history has little chance to learn the lessons the past teaches, and thus avoiding the past’s mistakes. One can see no better illustration than the tendency for destinies to run in parallel than by examining the shared fates of the elves of Sarpadia and the humans of Drakkus. We recently visited the downfall of the Sarpadian Elves, and related the following tragic tale:
The Elves raised the Thallids as a crop, not unlike cattle, and it appeared that Thelon’s unique solution had saved his people.
For a time, anyway, for nature is an unpredictable thing. The Thallids did not stop growing and developing while in captivity, and before long they became self-aware, which in turn led to aggression against those who were cultivating them for food. That Elvish society was riven by fierce debates over the ethics of their treatment of the Thallids, though this was of little consolation to the Thallids who were continuing to be led to the slaughter to put food on the tables of the Elves. The Thallids rose up against their Elvish harvesters, and the fragile Elvish civilisation came crashing down to ruin. Source
In another time, another place, there were the humans on Drakkus. Had both peoples been able to communicate with one another, the fate of one might well have been spared.
Commander: Devour for Power Review (Part 2 of 2)
Once more to the arena we go, with Devour for Power in the showcase seat. Unlike previous games, the dice rolls yielded a different outcome this time- Jimi to my left, Sam to my right. With our focused attack policy in place, that meant that I would have to balance striking at Jimi while defending myself against Sam. For her part, Jimi selected the Green-Blue-Black Counterpunch. Sam opted for the doubling strategy of the Blue-based Mirror Mastery. Here is how the battle unfolded.
Guest Meddling: Devouring Skies (New Phyrexia)
So, here we are… the fires of war have been extinguished by the icy breath of death… all the battle cries that have planted the seed of hope into the hearts of those who charged forward have faded into a melancholic silence… all those artfully crafted weapons were exposed to decay just like the courage of those wielding them.
The plague of Phyrexia has come over Mirrodin- it has consumed another world leaving us speechless to a scenario that we explore in New Phyrexia. As corruption has spread, innovation has declined. Phyrexia’s tools for victory are fear, doubt, infiltration, and defiling what is good and noble. How do you fight an enemy that does not attack your house but your very heart? Not your home but your hope?
Commander: Devour for Power Review (Part 1 of 2)
If we led off with a deck that soared the heavens above, whether it be on feather or batflesh or scale, today we’ll be looking at a deck with an altogether more earthy interest. To mages of a particular mindset, it has been a great shame that one part of the natural order has been so criminally neglected. Sure we’re born, we live lives of varying greatness, failure, and mediocrity, but… what about after? What happens when the great engine of life has exhausted itself, and the body gives itself up to the sweet respite of the grave? What is there for us after our mortal life has completed its journey?
The spirit? The anima? That eternal essence bound up in the heart of all living creatures? Who cares- that’s a question best left to priests and philosophers. No, what we’re here for that thing all living creatures leave behind, that thing they have no need for and won’t miss when we appropriate it. We speak, of course, about their bodies. Why let a perfectly good natural resource go to waste when there are so many uses for it? Indeed, it would be almost selfish of someone to try and hoard their mouldering remains well past the point of having any use for them at all. And thanks to advances in the necromantic arts, why, there are plenty of things we can do with it.
For those who put purposeful efficiency over the squeamish revulsion of the living for the dead… who see opportunity where others see something best left to decay… welcome to Devour for Power.
Inside the Ertai’s Lament Precon Library
From time to time, readers of Ertai’s Lament have asked us to post some pictures of our precon collection. Knee-deep in spring cleaning today, it seemed the perfect time. For the curious, here is our collection and how it’s stored. We like to think of it as a library of precons. Here’s a brief tour.
Deck maintenance
Each deck is sleeved in the UltraPro 5-mana sleeves and stored in the corresponding UltraPro deck box for each particular set. Here you see a Rise of the Eldrazi deck. Additionally, a laminated card is inserted into each box denoting the deck’s name, colours, and a verbatim transcript of the blurb found on the back of the box. For sets where no such deck box was released, we use a flat black UltraPro box instead.
Commander: Mirror Mastery Review (Part 2 of 2)
Ready for our next go of Commander, we’ve already high hopes and expectations. The format has proved to be an immediate success, validating what we’ve heard from other players in the Magic community for quite awhile. We may be the perfect target demographic for this launch- players who would warm to the gameplay of Commander, but who never got around to actually playing any of it. Consider Ertai’s Lament converted- even when not playing we’re often found discussing the various decks and their strategies to a degree most uncommon.
Today I’m piloting Mirror Mastery, the Green/Red/Blue deck which uses its commander to duplicate spells and creatures, (hopefully) leading to long-term card advantage and domination of the battlefield. After dicing for seating arrangements, Sam is again to my left and Jimi to my right. This is important because of our condition on playtesting- attack left, defend right- designed to make for a more balanced review. Sam is playing Counterpunch, the token-generating deck, while Jimi pilots Heavenly Inferno, packed with Angels, Demons, and Dragons (oh my!).
Ertai’s Lament News & Notes 6/23/11
Two quick notes today, folks!
1. Although it’s been two days since our last update, we actually were scheduled to release that review yesterday, not Tuesday. The next article is to go up as scheduled tomorrow! I mentioned this on Twitter, but as many don’t use it it’s worth mentioning here as well.
2. The giveaway I hinted at for this week has been pushed back until next. We have a great reason for doing so, but I don’t want to give anything away. I can say this- it’s going to be a blast!
We hope you’ve been enjoying our Commander coverage as much as we’ve enjoyed providing it. We’re looking with interest today at the Booster battle Packs just announced on the mothership, and wondering if they’re close enough to precons that we might review them when the time comes. This sounds like a Thoughsieze poll waiting to happen!
Announcing the Winners of the One-Year Anniversary Giveaway!
The One-Year Anniversary celebrations and revelries have come to a close, and we’d like to thank everyone who participated. In particular, the comments section took on something of a yearbook tone, with readers offering kind words on how much they enjoyed the site. Jimi, Sam, and I were very touched, and glad that we continue to produce reviews worth reading.
As much as we’d like to have prizes for everyone, we have but nine to give out. By random drawing, the following winners have been picked:
Aaro
@billy_moreno
@cikesef
Errtu
@JoshEnke
@lansdellicious
@NoUse4AName68
@SoyElReyDelMndo
@TheSundry
Winners will be contacted for their mailing address, and will be randomly sent one of the nine prizes we’re giving away. As always, we’d like to thank Frankfort, KY’s own Moonlite Comics for their generous donation and continued support.
For those that didn’t win, don’t worry- there’s another giveaway right around the corner!
Ertai's Lament 