So, as most of you are aware, Battle for Zendikar came out a few weeks ago, and I'm excited about the set's significant impact on Commander. From full-art basics for those that care about aesthetics, to "full-art" foil Expeditions (shocks, fetches, and the new "slow duals") for pimps, to the cards I've chosen to focus on below, this set seems to have a lot to offer. Let's have a look!
White:
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
I know Standard players are hyping Gideon, as he mostly fills the Elspeth-shaped hole left in control decks post-rotation. He doesn't really do anything fresh, but the combination of his abilities and aggressive mana cost could convince me to play him in that 5-colour Ally deck I've been putting off for a few years now, as Ally ETB triggers every turn for no additional mana are pretty much exactly what the deck needs. Not too colour intensive, either.
The main drawback with our Mediterranean (but not) friend is the price tag. The price of some singles is still leveling out, and Gideon's a bit high as of this writing. If and when he comes down, I could see him being used in Ally decks, token decks, and possibly even control decks. Dude's versatile.
Quarantine Field
So, it would seem that the permanents remain exiled regardless of the number of counters that remain on Quarantine Field, unless removed in response to the ETB trigger. Still a pretty expensive O-Ring, but at least Vampire Hexmage and Hex Parasite can't ruin your day, right? Ugin wasn't kidding about failsafes.
Emeria Shepherd
This card got some attention during spoiler season, and I'd say it was deserved. It costs a lot, but incidental reanimation is better card advantage than white usually gets. From reusing bombs like Iona to getting more mileage out of Burnished Hart, this might be worth playing in spite of its cost. Kind of a shame that Flagstones of Trokair and Vesuva don't work together as well as they did before the updated "Legend Rule."
As an aside, anyone kind of get a Mass Effect vibe here? Commander's the format, Shepherd's the card, and both Mass Effect and this stretch for observational comedy involve returning from the dead.
"Shepherd."
"Wrex(ial)."
And there's even a Conduit and some Archives on Zendikar.
I should go.
Blue:
Part the Waterveil
Pickings seemed slim on the Blue front. I liked this neat reference to Magosi, the Waterveil, from our first trip to Zendikar. As a Time Warp effect, this one is interesting due to the Awaken cost, but at nine mana, it might not make the cut in Commander. A deck like Narset might run it anyway, as she can cheat out the extra turn, at least, but when you can get two turns off of Time Stretch for one more mana, it almost doesn't matter how big the awoken land is. A 6/6 (if you want haste, the spell basically costs ten mana) isn't irrelevant, and it adds upside to the spell, but 6UUU can be a lot to ask.
Black:
Drana, Liberator of Malakir
Drana's back! The sequel to the biggest, most-game warping limited bomb in recent history doesn't seem to live up to the hype of the original. There might be a couple cool interactions you could run in an Ally deck, but then she can't really be the Commander, due to a shortage of black Allies in general (pun intended), to say nothing of playable ones. It's worth pointing out, however, that because she has first strike, she deals damage with anyone that also has first strike, then pumps your team before creatures without first strike deal their combat damage. It's a nuanced interaction, but one people should be aware of.
Ob Nixilis Reignited
Ob's back, too, with a name/title that sounds like a prog rock band. I like ol' Ob in this form. Comes down, blows up a threat, then hopefully hangs around to draw you cards? Hell, if he kills one guy and dies to another, that's two potentially dangerous creatures NOT punching your head in. Seems alright. I have one in Nekusar, and I'm running one in my 5-Colour deck in lieu of Vraska. I'll miss the assassin tokens, but both of the abilities on Ob Nixilis that I can reasonably expect to use are better than the -3 I'm realistically playing Vraska for. Her +1 isn't in the same league as Ob's, and so while Vraska's -3 beats Ob Nixilis's -3, I'd rather follow up with a bonus card the next turn than follow up with... nothing?
And for all the critics of Nissa (who would Ashaya up in this bitch), it had to have been satisfying for Ob to beat the crap out of her, before he was defeated by Nissa's impenetrable plot armour. Ob Nixilis: oldwalker, onetime demon, teamkilling bastard, interplanar warlord and one-man army... reduced to a Scooby-Doo villain by a slender elf woman with crippling anxiety. Curses! Foiled again!
Next time, Ob. If he comes back, of course; WotC tends to kill off interesting planeswalkers. But at least we'll still have Nissa.
And Jace.
:-/
Ruinous Path
So... we have a Sorcery-speed Hero's Downfall that if you pay 5BB for rather than 1BB, you get a 4/4 with (potential) haste? This is one I'd probably consider running. There are better catch-all options, but many are multi-coloured (Vindicate, Maelstrom Pulse, Utter End, etc.). Planeswalker removal is rare enough that Ruinous Path still seems fresh. Not the best follow-up to Hero's Downfall, but it's something.
Red:
Zada, Hedron Grinder
Having a goblin that snorts any kind of a powder might not be cool for thematic reasons, but Zada's pretty cool. An Ink-Treader Nephilim for your team, in only one colour, has some cool applications. Many of Red's spells that target tend to deal damage, but as a build-around Commander, she could be pretty cool! Titan's Strength on a team of Krenko goblins for an Overrun effect and to Scry a bunch? Could be alright!
Green:
Greenwarden of Murasa
So, we've got a giant Eternal Witness that can grab another card from your graveyard when it dies? And in a relevant tribe? Seems good enough for me!
From Beyond
I liked Awakening Zone from the first trip to Zendikar. Eldrazi Spawns/Scions have value even in Commander, if used properly. Their mana ramp capability is obvious, but we can't forget about Beastmaster Ascension and cards like Purphoros, either! From Beyond has the added benefit of being able to tutor up a finisher in a pinch, and leave you the means to help you cast it. Solid card; one to keep an eye on for sure!
Multicoloured:
Kiora, Master of the Depths
Those hips, tho.
This is very likely my favourite card in the set. Two relevant abilities in her +1 and -2, and they tie into a number of strategies. Ramp? Her +1 can get you there, especially considering that Serra's Sanctum, Gaea's Cradle, Nykthos, and Priest of Titania are all legal. Kiora being multicoloured makes her a little less useful if a deck like Elves is your plan, but Edric is a thing. Kiora helps fuel The Mimeoplasm and Tasigur, too. And, of course, being the same colour as Doubling Season opens up her fun, flavourful ultimate, too. I'm running Kiora in every deck that can support casting her. I haven't been sad to draw her yet, even if she's just back-to-back Inspiration. She provides pseudo-vigilance, extra mileage out of utility creatures, and could help keep mana open for tricks and counter magic. Not overtly powerful, but I think veterans of the format will recognize her value.
From a Vorthos perspective, I've been digging her character, too. She's the most complete character since Elspeth. Kiora feels organic; her fuck-tha-police attitude, her wit, her sense of humour; they all feel natural. And she has living family! That's she's on good terms with and not estranged from! It's sad that that's pretty much a first among the neowalkers, really. In eight years, there's one? All things considered, I find Kiora to be very well-written so far; I have high hopes for the lore of BfZ.
I do have an issue with her name, though. Minor nitpick, but why not Mistress of the Depths? Twist that knife in Thassa's side, score points for feminism (read: equality), and it sounds cooler. Missed opportunity, though it's not the end of the world.
Omnath, Locus of Rage
I like cards that reward you for doing things you were going to do anyway. I appreciate cards cards that punish your opponent for doing what they have to do. I'm always looking for big, useful Elementals for my Horde of Notions deck. I find all of these in Omnath. His casting cost is a little restrictive, but my plan is to play/fetch lands such that I have 2 mana of each colour as quick as possible anyway, and I don't have any problems casting Prime Speaker Zegana, so I'm not too worried. Can't wait to run him out after Titania, and start doubling down on 5-power Elementals for playing fetchlands. Gotta have dreams.
And if your opponents shatter those dreams, well, that'll be three damage for each elemental. Note that this gets around Anafenza, as tokens are NOT cards, and so hit the graveyard. Worth mentioning, as at least locally, Anafenza, the Foremost is becoming a very popular Commander and hate card.
Bring to Light
So, we've got a two-coloured card that works best in a 5-colour deck. I've heard people complain that it doesn't cheat out some of the more broken things, but it does let you play these totally fair and balanced cards:
Demonic Tutor
Bribery
Acquire
Wrath of God
Damnation
Timetwister
Armageddon
Time Warp
Clever Impersonator
Primal Command
from your deck (basically), for free. And this isn't even the most broken nonsense you can pull. This card will see play in Commander, I'm sure of it.
Sire of Stagnation
Yes, I'm counting this as multicoloured.
This guy is tough to evaluate. A 5/7 for six is no hell, obviously, so let's look at why he made this list. Sire punishes people for playing lands, and punishes them HARD. They exile two and you draw two? More often than not, Sire will just eat removal and then your opponent will play their land. But if they don't...
Probably fine as a random hate card in most decks, but in something like Phenax mill (can actually be a very powerful deck. Seriously.), the Sire could be a staple. There's a super narrow interaction with Yavimaya Dryad, where you give them a Forest, exile their top two, and draw two. It's janky and narrow, but funny as hell. Add some repeated bounce and/or some Clone effects (for either the Dryad or the Sire; doesn't matter)...
Totally going to try this. I run Yavimaya Dryad and Venser, the Sojourner in the same deck, so adding Sire for the hell of it is all too easy.
Colourless:
Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
Ten mana exiles two permanents? Considering that Scour from Existence is in the same set and does half the job for 70% of the cost, and doesn't even leave this lumbering fatass behind says a lot about Ulamog's power level. He'd be playable without his uber-mill attack trigger; as he is, he should see play in pretty much any deck that can make ten mana.
Oblivion Sower
Well, that shits all over delve.
Honestly, I see this guy seeing play. Easy to obtain via the recent duel deck, and most decks run some kind of graveyard hate, including Tormod's Crypt-like effects. So it's not implausible to cast this guy and be able to score at least one land. If your turn zero is Leyline of the Void, then any mill or removal is going to increase the likelihood of this guy snagging you lands. Competitive players might turn up their noses, but this guy just really seems viable to me. I mean, assuming that by the time you play him (turn 8), your opponent has gone from 92 cards in his library, to 84. Now, assume he runs 36 land (it's usually about this). If he hits every land drop, he'll have 28 lands in 84 cards, or one in three. Mathematically, and this is simple math that doesn't factor in additional card draw or ramp, you'll see about one land, assuming an even distribution. Even that's not terrible, all things considered. You have a 5/8 Farhaven Elf for six mana, and you've exiled 3 threats/answers. Now, it could wind up being worse, you still have a 5/8 for six, and you've exiled 4 of their cards. Tough to recover, unless you process them back. I'd say that's still pretty good.
Anecdotal evidence isn't really data, but how has he worked out for you? Let me know!
Void Winnower
There've been a lot of jokes. Mostly about this guy being a white girl, because it can't even. Pumpkin spice, ugg boots, etc. I haven't come across this guy in Commander yet, but having stared it down in limited, I was surprised about how often the restrictions he imposes came up. Wasn't much fun. I expect he'll see some play, mainly colourless Commander decks, given that they don't get many hate cards. Even ironically odd ones, like this guy.
Conduit of Ruin
So, this is cool! Tutor up a big Eldrazi or a Colossus to close out the game, or a Platinum creature to stay alive, and shave 2 mana off its cost next turn? I'm tempted to play this, actually. He'll do some heavy lifting in my wife's Jhoira deck, which tends to suspend/ramp out big artifacts and Eldrazi. Red and Blue aren't great at tutoring up creatures (unless Gambling or the creature is an artifact), and if the deck is running Mycosynth Lattice anyway, there's a chance you could just grab whatever big creature you wanted! And he's easy on the wallet. I think this guy is my budget pick of the set.
Scour from Existence
This card is important. Not because it's common removal that handles Iona, but because we finally have a catch-all removal card that any deck can play. The price is steep at seven mana, but it's a common instant. If it cost any less, we'd have to bump up the rarity to have it not destroy limited. Not every Commander deck will want this. But many, if not most, will.
The Slow Duals
I hate the term "tangolands." I use slow duals to refer to Cinder Glade, Prarie Stream, Sunken Hollow, Smoldering Marsh, and Canopy Vista. If it's not apparent, these are relevant due to them having two basic land types each. This means that fetchlands can grab them, as can any card (Gift of Estates, Nature's Lore, Liliana of the Dark Realms) that can search for a specific basic land type. As such, they're useful for fixing your mana. To make the most of them, you have to play a number of basic lands to have them enter untapped, but if you have the two basics these require, their drawback is nil, beyond them being nonbasic. Zero. Better than shocks, at that point. I don't know if I'd go far out of my way to obtain these, but having opened one of each, I'm happy to hang on to them. I'm not made of ABUR duals, and these are another budget alternative to shocklands. I intend to avoid these Expeditions, however.
Expedition Fetches and Shocks
Initially, I wasn't going to collect these. But when the opportunity to trade for a Verdant Catacombs presented itself, I took it. I'm at 5 out of the 20 I want, including a couple of the most valuable. They'll increase the least, but that's only because they're starting higher than the rest. I don't intend to trade away my Onslaught/Zendikar foil fetches, or my OG Ravnica shocks, so it'll be a gradual process to collect the Expeditions, but collecting is half the fun of this game. I wish they weren't marketed as "full-art," though. You get a bonus 1/8" of art, plus whatever you can make out through the text box. Why they didn't use the Game Day promo frame is beyond me.
So, these are my picks from Battle for Zendikar! I'd be happy to read your comments, critiques, and thoughts. Agree? Disagree? Let me know!
Wednesday, 14 October 2015
Monday, 27 April 2015
Madness!
Recently, I rediscovered an old MTG webcomic called UG Madness. It's been dead and archived for a long time (since late 2008), which I guess means that it died shortly after I began playing. The nostalgia is real, though.
Not a lot of people know that I received my first Magic cards in mid 2005, a couple packs of Fifth Dawn. I couldn't tell you all of the cards I had, but I remember such gems as Blind Creeper, Skyreach Manta, and Rain of Rust. A lot of crap, though I remember having an Eternal Witness, though, which remains a fantastic card to this day. Those cards are long gone, and I wouldn't touch Magic again until 2008, but to come across a comic that spanned the gap I missed was extremely cool. The comic itself was hit and miss, and I found myself wishing I could draw. I can't weigh in as often as the author, since I don't play Standard, but I think I could write a comic. Maybe it's time to learn how to draw?
UG Madness is still worth the read, though some comics are over ten years old. I don't know if there's a Magic-themed comic that really compares; none of the others update often enough or have the longevity this one did.
On another front, my wife and I, well, got married, bought a house, and moved! We're unpacked, and hopefully we can play our first game of Magic in the new place tonight. At Commander Night tomorrow, I think the plan is to try and enlist people for a weekly Commander group that meets at our place, and we're hoping that it goes well.
I'm probably going to run my 5-Colour deck tomorrow, with the new additions:
- Liliana of the Veil
- Gideon Jura
- Ajani Steadfast
- Liliana of the Dark Realms
+ Bloom Tender
+ Guided Passage
+ Dragonlord Dromoka
+ Yosei, the Morning Star
Of the cards cut, I'll probably miss Liliana of the Veil the most, though I am happy with the changes overall. The dragons are there for the off-chance that Sarkhan Unbroken gets to Ultimate; I fighure I might as well be able to get more than a shuffle out of it. I'm excited for Guided Passage. Three cards for three mana is good, even if an opponent gets to pick them. Political manoeuvring can help ensure that I get what I want, and a well-built deck can help in the event you can't convince anyone to help you out. I'll reveal my library; shit's pimp and bound to impress. My next land drop, some kind of creature, and a planeswalker, artifact, enchantment, instant, or sorcery? I can't think of any I wouldn't want. I don't think it's a turn three play, mind you, or I'm going to get a shockland and two things I can't cast, but it's a really interesting card. I hope it catches on.
A few other mods I'd like to make would be to up the amount of removal I run, maybe add a Vindicate and a Maelstrom Pulse. I'd like to add an old favourite, Return to Dust, too. I'll have to have a look.
Any input or suggestions would be great!
Not a lot of people know that I received my first Magic cards in mid 2005, a couple packs of Fifth Dawn. I couldn't tell you all of the cards I had, but I remember such gems as Blind Creeper, Skyreach Manta, and Rain of Rust. A lot of crap, though I remember having an Eternal Witness, though, which remains a fantastic card to this day. Those cards are long gone, and I wouldn't touch Magic again until 2008, but to come across a comic that spanned the gap I missed was extremely cool. The comic itself was hit and miss, and I found myself wishing I could draw. I can't weigh in as often as the author, since I don't play Standard, but I think I could write a comic. Maybe it's time to learn how to draw?
UG Madness is still worth the read, though some comics are over ten years old. I don't know if there's a Magic-themed comic that really compares; none of the others update often enough or have the longevity this one did.
On another front, my wife and I, well, got married, bought a house, and moved! We're unpacked, and hopefully we can play our first game of Magic in the new place tonight. At Commander Night tomorrow, I think the plan is to try and enlist people for a weekly Commander group that meets at our place, and we're hoping that it goes well.
I'm probably going to run my 5-Colour deck tomorrow, with the new additions:
- Liliana of the Veil
- Gideon Jura
- Ajani Steadfast
- Liliana of the Dark Realms
+ Bloom Tender
+ Guided Passage
+ Dragonlord Dromoka
+ Yosei, the Morning Star
Of the cards cut, I'll probably miss Liliana of the Veil the most, though I am happy with the changes overall. The dragons are there for the off-chance that Sarkhan Unbroken gets to Ultimate; I fighure I might as well be able to get more than a shuffle out of it. I'm excited for Guided Passage. Three cards for three mana is good, even if an opponent gets to pick them. Political manoeuvring can help ensure that I get what I want, and a well-built deck can help in the event you can't convince anyone to help you out. I'll reveal my library; shit's pimp and bound to impress. My next land drop, some kind of creature, and a planeswalker, artifact, enchantment, instant, or sorcery? I can't think of any I wouldn't want. I don't think it's a turn three play, mind you, or I'm going to get a shockland and two things I can't cast, but it's a really interesting card. I hope it catches on.
A few other mods I'd like to make would be to up the amount of removal I run, maybe add a Vindicate and a Maelstrom Pulse. I'd like to add an old favourite, Return to Dust, too. I'll have to have a look.
Any input or suggestions would be great!
Monday, 30 March 2015
Fate Reforged, DARGONS, and How Sarkhan Fucked Up
FRF has been out for a while now, long enough that we've got a full spoiler for the next set, Dragons of Tarkir, wherein Sarkhan Vol goes back in time and creates an alternate present. More on that in a sec; right now I'd like to make a friendly PSA regarding FRF cards in Commander.
Ahem.
PLAY UGIN.
Thank you.
Seriously. I try to avoid throwing the word "staple" around, on the grounds that there are tens of thousands of cards, and the vast, vast majority are legal in Commander. Sure, there are cards that probably deserve the term, and I feel that there are decks that can't maximize Ugin's full potential, but it is really hard to lose when you land Ugin. Play Ugin, use his second ability to maximize the hurt for your opponent, and then Ghostfire the bad guys until they die. His ultimate can be backbreaking, but as with any planeswalker, you ought to avoid running him for his ultimate. He's a removal machine, and that's how he should be played.
The new set, Dragons of Tarkir, has a number of cards that I'm excited about for Commander. In addition to nine new legendary creatures that can serve as commanders, we've got two new planeswalkers, an awesome new Clone variant, a new Command cycle, and a Biorythm on legs (that the Rules Committee likely won't ban!). It's a lot to take in, so let's go into a few of the highlights.
Legendary Creatures:
Dragonlord Ojutai: I'm not usually a fan of guys that come into play and have to wait to make an impact. Half-hexproof helps, but there's very little stopping your opponent from making our illustrious dragon philosopher eat instant-speed removal before combat damage. Only costing 5 is an advantage, but I don't expect this version of Ojutai to see too much play as a Commander.
Dragonlord Silumgar: Silumgar misses the hexproof he had in his younger days, but for six mana you get a hell of a flying blocker and you get to steal their best creature or a planeswalker (bonus points if it's ready for its ultimate!). All said, it's a pretty good deal, and bonus points for making this wheezing fatass actually do something.
Dragonlord Kolaghan: This... is not a good card for Commander, because textbox. Move along.
Dragonlord Atarka: 8 power for 7 mana, with flying (obviously) and trample. Not bad. As for its ETB ability, it's a bit worse than Bogardan Hellkite, but still useable. There are better RG Commanders, but Atarka is probably fine.
Dragonlord Dromoka: Here we have possibly the best of the five Elder Dragons. Comes in as a Draconic Baneslayer that bad guys can't counter, and limits your opponents to casting spells on their turn. All for only 6 mana! While I'm unsure that Dromoka will be a popular Commander, I can see her going into Captain Sisay toolbox decks, Mayael decks, hell; I have a Bant list that'd probably use her. Very solid card.
Anafenza, Kin-tree Spirit: Well, she's no Foremost, but still a reasonable card for fast white weenie strategies. Maybe in a GW Hatebears-style deck?
Sidisi, Undead Vizier: Okay, this is pretty cool. With Lifeline and another creature, this turns into a Demonic Tutor every turn. Plays extremely well with creatures that net you some benefit when they die, and is a 4/6 for 5, which is a good size for the cost. Not sure if she's general material, but a pretty neat combo piece.
Zurgo Bellstriker: Tarkir's own Biff Tannen. Of some value given that it appears you can raid him from the command zone. Could be cool. He'd better put two coats of wax on Sarkhan's car. Lazy orc motherfucker.
Surrak, the Hunt Caller: Our old friend Surrak is back, and with a pretty powerful win-more ability. You're likely better of with Xenagos, God of Revels, but Surrak does curve nicely onto a Hero's Blade for self-haste, and 8 damage. For only 4 mana. Christmasland? Perhaps. But mono-green can surprise people.
Planeswalkers:
Sarkhan Unbroken: I have issues with Sarkhan as a character, but this card is awesome. It does everything I love to do- draw cards, ramp, and make guys. Flying blockers are, like Switzerland's flag, a big plus, and while I don't really run dragons, the -8 will be of some use to someone out there. I'm most excited for this card.
Narset Transcendant: Ah, the [Name] [Adjective] formula. Classic. Narset will likely see play in Commander, where I feel her best use will be in Narset decks, which tend to cast a bunch of noncreature spells anyway. Doubling down on said spells is pretty good, as is kind-of drawing a card. She doesn't defend herself, which is actually a flavour win, as it's a reference to her Ben Kenobi manoeuvre that enabled Sarkhan to go back in time. Instead, she counts on her high loyalty to stick around, but that might not be enough as she has a particularly nasty ultimate. The vaguest threat of not being able to cast noncreature spells at all will attract a lot of hate.
Other Awesome Spells:
Damnable Pact: Here's how I imagine this card's creation:
WotC: Whatchu want, fool?
Player: My group doesn't hate Nekusar enough.
WotC: Say no more, fam.
Shaman of the Forgotten Ways: A lot of people were upset when this card was spoiled, due to it's Formidable ability. Nevermind that it cost eleven and requiresa creature with 8 power, which puts it on roughly the same level as Door to Nothingness, and doesn't even guarantee the win. This isn't Biorythm; this is a Somberwald Sage that can, given a huge amount of resources, possibly, maybe win the game. Did I mention that the damn card has three toughness? It won't die to Elesh Norn, but it dies to almost anything else.
Secure the Wastes: Well, that's efficient. And it's an instant. Damn.
Assault Formation:
WotC: What'll it be?
Player: My Doran got tucked!
WotC: I got you.
Clone Legion: Well, it DOES cost nine, but I imagine that it'll see play in Riku decks.
So those are some of my Commander picks from DTK, so let's talk briefly about Sarkhan's trip back to the past.
For those that follow the story each week, we know that in the original timeline the clans didn't exactly have it made. Each clan save for maybe the Sultai had perks for membership, and life for humans was good overall. Surrak could could take down a goddamn rhino. Anafenza was, well, alive and badass. Narset was fun and well-adjusted.
And then Sarkhan kind of wrecked things.
To be fair, it wasn't entirely his fault. After Narset pulled a Ben Kenobi, Sarkhan was sent back in time, where he had the good fortune to meet Yasova, Khan of the Temur. Bewitched by Nicol Bolas, Yasova saved the Elder Dragon's ass by turning Ugin's posse againt him. Sarkhan KO'd Yasova, and somehow used the hedron shard from Zendikar to put Ugin into some kind of stasis.
Seems good.
And then Sarkhan is sent back to the alternate present to find that he'd never been born at all (wat), and that because the dragons emerged from the storms unchecked for ~1000 years, they now ran shit. Sarkhan, being Sarkhan, thinks this is great, and flies off to do... something. His only goal was to silence the voice in his head, and he did. Job done!
Meanwhile...
Anafenza, Khan of the Abzan in another timeline, is now a ghost. Rather than acquiesce to Dromoka's ban on ancestor worship, Anafenza practiced in secret. Once she was found out, she was tortured and executed. It's admittedly kind of cool to see a little more of the dark side of GW as a colour combo, but Anafenza was a well-liked character that successfully lead the Abzan, and the Dromoka are worse off for her loss.
Narset had the passion taught out of her by the UW Dragonlord, Ojutai. The impact on her character is a little harder to assess. Doug Beyer recently revealed on his Tumblr that Narset is canonically on the autism spectrum. This doesn't come as a surprise, but whereas in the original timeline she had the freedom to do whatever she pleased and grow in whatever way she chose, she spent her youth in this timeline under strict tutelage from Ojutai. This tempered her somewhat, though it didn't stop her from ascending. I guess this had something to do with there being no forbidden knowledge in the original Tarkir? The shocking revelation that Ojutai was kind of a dick in his youth was enough to help Narset ascend, and Ojutai entrusting her with the knowledge, and teaching Narset that the search for knowledge, even forbidden knowledge, is not a bad thing helped finally quell the impulsive part of Narset's personality... somehow.
Zurgo went from hulking boss to scrawny cowbell player. Two coats of wax, Biff.
Sidisi died and was brought back to unlife due to her usefulness. The rakshasha's influence has decreased, the naga are forced into the background, and zombies and lazy humans are everywhere. Not the change in management folks were hoping for, fatass.
Surrak, while still in a position of some prominance among the Temur, is not a big as he was. He's devoted to Atarka, but his people are starving as their Dragonlord eats everything and melts the glaciers. The Temur have perhaps the most complete history of Tarkir at this point, thanks to their secret shamans, but how this information will come into play remains to be seen.
As for the Ugin side of things, Sorin does the same stuff he did when he arrived, including find a guide, kill a few guys, and climb a mountain. All the lore he learns is about dragons rather than khans, and sees a series of hedrons rather than Ugin's glowy skeleton. He somehow knows the spell to free Ugin, and does so.
As you'd expect, Ugin has no idea what the hell is going on. Sorin lies to him a bunch, and Ugin dismisses him. Notably, Ugin is likely not aware of the Mending, and will likely attribute his diminished abilities to him waking up from a coma. Sorin also heavily implies that he's responsible for something bad that happened to or with Nahiri, and now has to go fix it. There's a lot of speculation on what this is, from "Nahiri is Avacyn" to "Sorin turned her into a vampire because kor aren't immortal." I do hope we find out soon, since our next stop lore-wise is back to Zenidkar (hype!).
Overall, at least Sarkhan saved Ugin. Perhaps at the ultimate cost of his own plane, but that remains to be seen.
Ahem.
PLAY UGIN.
Thank you.
Seriously. I try to avoid throwing the word "staple" around, on the grounds that there are tens of thousands of cards, and the vast, vast majority are legal in Commander. Sure, there are cards that probably deserve the term, and I feel that there are decks that can't maximize Ugin's full potential, but it is really hard to lose when you land Ugin. Play Ugin, use his second ability to maximize the hurt for your opponent, and then Ghostfire the bad guys until they die. His ultimate can be backbreaking, but as with any planeswalker, you ought to avoid running him for his ultimate. He's a removal machine, and that's how he should be played.
The new set, Dragons of Tarkir, has a number of cards that I'm excited about for Commander. In addition to nine new legendary creatures that can serve as commanders, we've got two new planeswalkers, an awesome new Clone variant, a new Command cycle, and a Biorythm on legs (that the Rules Committee likely won't ban!). It's a lot to take in, so let's go into a few of the highlights.
Legendary Creatures:
Dragonlord Ojutai: I'm not usually a fan of guys that come into play and have to wait to make an impact. Half-hexproof helps, but there's very little stopping your opponent from making our illustrious dragon philosopher eat instant-speed removal before combat damage. Only costing 5 is an advantage, but I don't expect this version of Ojutai to see too much play as a Commander.
Dragonlord Silumgar: Silumgar misses the hexproof he had in his younger days, but for six mana you get a hell of a flying blocker and you get to steal their best creature or a planeswalker (bonus points if it's ready for its ultimate!). All said, it's a pretty good deal, and bonus points for making this wheezing fatass actually do something.
Dragonlord Kolaghan: This... is not a good card for Commander, because textbox. Move along.
Dragonlord Atarka: 8 power for 7 mana, with flying (obviously) and trample. Not bad. As for its ETB ability, it's a bit worse than Bogardan Hellkite, but still useable. There are better RG Commanders, but Atarka is probably fine.
Dragonlord Dromoka: Here we have possibly the best of the five Elder Dragons. Comes in as a Draconic Baneslayer that bad guys can't counter, and limits your opponents to casting spells on their turn. All for only 6 mana! While I'm unsure that Dromoka will be a popular Commander, I can see her going into Captain Sisay toolbox decks, Mayael decks, hell; I have a Bant list that'd probably use her. Very solid card.
Anafenza, Kin-tree Spirit: Well, she's no Foremost, but still a reasonable card for fast white weenie strategies. Maybe in a GW Hatebears-style deck?
Sidisi, Undead Vizier: Okay, this is pretty cool. With Lifeline and another creature, this turns into a Demonic Tutor every turn. Plays extremely well with creatures that net you some benefit when they die, and is a 4/6 for 5, which is a good size for the cost. Not sure if she's general material, but a pretty neat combo piece.
Zurgo Bellstriker: Tarkir's own Biff Tannen. Of some value given that it appears you can raid him from the command zone. Could be cool. He'd better put two coats of wax on Sarkhan's car. Lazy orc motherfucker.
Surrak, the Hunt Caller: Our old friend Surrak is back, and with a pretty powerful win-more ability. You're likely better of with Xenagos, God of Revels, but Surrak does curve nicely onto a Hero's Blade for self-haste, and 8 damage. For only 4 mana. Christmasland? Perhaps. But mono-green can surprise people.
Planeswalkers:
Sarkhan Unbroken: I have issues with Sarkhan as a character, but this card is awesome. It does everything I love to do- draw cards, ramp, and make guys. Flying blockers are, like Switzerland's flag, a big plus, and while I don't really run dragons, the -8 will be of some use to someone out there. I'm most excited for this card.
Narset Transcendant: Ah, the [Name] [Adjective] formula. Classic. Narset will likely see play in Commander, where I feel her best use will be in Narset decks, which tend to cast a bunch of noncreature spells anyway. Doubling down on said spells is pretty good, as is kind-of drawing a card. She doesn't defend herself, which is actually a flavour win, as it's a reference to her Ben Kenobi manoeuvre that enabled Sarkhan to go back in time. Instead, she counts on her high loyalty to stick around, but that might not be enough as she has a particularly nasty ultimate. The vaguest threat of not being able to cast noncreature spells at all will attract a lot of hate.
Other Awesome Spells:
Damnable Pact: Here's how I imagine this card's creation:
WotC: Whatchu want, fool?
Player: My group doesn't hate Nekusar enough.
WotC: Say no more, fam.
Shaman of the Forgotten Ways: A lot of people were upset when this card was spoiled, due to it's Formidable ability. Nevermind that it cost eleven and requiresa creature with 8 power, which puts it on roughly the same level as Door to Nothingness, and doesn't even guarantee the win. This isn't Biorythm; this is a Somberwald Sage that can, given a huge amount of resources, possibly, maybe win the game. Did I mention that the damn card has three toughness? It won't die to Elesh Norn, but it dies to almost anything else.
Secure the Wastes: Well, that's efficient. And it's an instant. Damn.
Assault Formation:
WotC: What'll it be?
Player: My Doran got tucked!
WotC: I got you.
Clone Legion: Well, it DOES cost nine, but I imagine that it'll see play in Riku decks.
So those are some of my Commander picks from DTK, so let's talk briefly about Sarkhan's trip back to the past.
For those that follow the story each week, we know that in the original timeline the clans didn't exactly have it made. Each clan save for maybe the Sultai had perks for membership, and life for humans was good overall. Surrak could could take down a goddamn rhino. Anafenza was, well, alive and badass. Narset was fun and well-adjusted.
And then Sarkhan kind of wrecked things.
To be fair, it wasn't entirely his fault. After Narset pulled a Ben Kenobi, Sarkhan was sent back in time, where he had the good fortune to meet Yasova, Khan of the Temur. Bewitched by Nicol Bolas, Yasova saved the Elder Dragon's ass by turning Ugin's posse againt him. Sarkhan KO'd Yasova, and somehow used the hedron shard from Zendikar to put Ugin into some kind of stasis.
Seems good.
And then Sarkhan is sent back to the alternate present to find that he'd never been born at all (wat), and that because the dragons emerged from the storms unchecked for ~1000 years, they now ran shit. Sarkhan, being Sarkhan, thinks this is great, and flies off to do... something. His only goal was to silence the voice in his head, and he did. Job done!
Meanwhile...
Anafenza, Khan of the Abzan in another timeline, is now a ghost. Rather than acquiesce to Dromoka's ban on ancestor worship, Anafenza practiced in secret. Once she was found out, she was tortured and executed. It's admittedly kind of cool to see a little more of the dark side of GW as a colour combo, but Anafenza was a well-liked character that successfully lead the Abzan, and the Dromoka are worse off for her loss.
Narset had the passion taught out of her by the UW Dragonlord, Ojutai. The impact on her character is a little harder to assess. Doug Beyer recently revealed on his Tumblr that Narset is canonically on the autism spectrum. This doesn't come as a surprise, but whereas in the original timeline she had the freedom to do whatever she pleased and grow in whatever way she chose, she spent her youth in this timeline under strict tutelage from Ojutai. This tempered her somewhat, though it didn't stop her from ascending. I guess this had something to do with there being no forbidden knowledge in the original Tarkir? The shocking revelation that Ojutai was kind of a dick in his youth was enough to help Narset ascend, and Ojutai entrusting her with the knowledge, and teaching Narset that the search for knowledge, even forbidden knowledge, is not a bad thing helped finally quell the impulsive part of Narset's personality... somehow.
Zurgo went from hulking boss to scrawny cowbell player. Two coats of wax, Biff.
Sidisi died and was brought back to unlife due to her usefulness. The rakshasha's influence has decreased, the naga are forced into the background, and zombies and lazy humans are everywhere. Not the change in management folks were hoping for, fatass.
Surrak, while still in a position of some prominance among the Temur, is not a big as he was. He's devoted to Atarka, but his people are starving as their Dragonlord eats everything and melts the glaciers. The Temur have perhaps the most complete history of Tarkir at this point, thanks to their secret shamans, but how this information will come into play remains to be seen.
As for the Ugin side of things, Sorin does the same stuff he did when he arrived, including find a guide, kill a few guys, and climb a mountain. All the lore he learns is about dragons rather than khans, and sees a series of hedrons rather than Ugin's glowy skeleton. He somehow knows the spell to free Ugin, and does so.
As you'd expect, Ugin has no idea what the hell is going on. Sorin lies to him a bunch, and Ugin dismisses him. Notably, Ugin is likely not aware of the Mending, and will likely attribute his diminished abilities to him waking up from a coma. Sorin also heavily implies that he's responsible for something bad that happened to or with Nahiri, and now has to go fix it. There's a lot of speculation on what this is, from "Nahiri is Avacyn" to "Sorin turned her into a vampire because kor aren't immortal." I do hope we find out soon, since our next stop lore-wise is back to Zenidkar (hype!).
Overall, at least Sarkhan saved Ugin. Perhaps at the ultimate cost of his own plane, but that remains to be seen.
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
Realism on the Battlefields of Imagination
There are a lot of
misconceptions about the concept of realism.
Often, folks tend to
think of realism in terms of the observed, as the concept of receiving reality.
It can be a tough concept to fully articulate, but you might be surprised that
almost every decision you make while playing a game of Magic can be considered
realistic in nature.
For students of
history, philosophy, and politics, you might know of realism as a school of
thought in international relations. Some of the same concepts that you
unconsciously recognize and base gameplay decisions on can be found in Hobbes’ Leviathan, or in Machiavelli’s The Prince. Without necessarily being cognizant of the fact, we apply a framework first articulated nearly 400 years ago to help us make decisions while playing Magic, particularly multiplayer varients.
Think back to a game
of Magic you’ve played recently, particular a multiplayer game. I’m a Commander
player, and so most of my own examples will be drawn from such games, but
ultimately, the format doesn’t matter.
Can you recall an
instance where you managed to convince someone not to attack you? Maybe a
bluff, maybe misdirection, maybe convincing someone that another player was a
bigger threat. While I’d argue that the method in which we approach doing these
things can matter, all of the begging, pleading, bluffing, eyebrow-raising, and
knuckle-cracking we do comes from a basic understanding of realism, and the
four beliefs that exist at its heart.
These are:
1. The world exists in a state of chaos, or
anarchy.
This one is pretty
straightforward. The game of Magic contains a set of rules, and so the argument
can be made that a game of multiplayer Commander isn’t pure chaos, but I’d liken the game rules of Magic to the physical
laws of the universe (gravity, relativity, cause and effect, etc.). Earth obeys
the laws of physics, but the nations of the world go to war, oppress their
subjects, or attempt to improve the world in which we all reside. So while
we’re all bound by the physical laws of reality, each part of the world tends to perceive the world
differently. So we have natural order, but people add a layer of chaos to a game. This segues nicely into the next point:
2. States are the actors.
If a game of Magic is
“the world,” and the rules (“the laws of the universe”) apply, then each player
is a sovereign “state.” Each player has their own reason for playing, their own
philosophy for deck construction, their own definition of “fun” (a hotly
debated topic). They also bring things to the table that aren’t Magic-related
per se. Some people are quiet, and others have a tenuous grasp on the rules.
Others still are confrontational and openly hostile, and some people can adapt
the way in which they’re perceived to great effect and greater benefit. Others bank on their reputation in a given "meta," a metaphor here for the international community. Each player is unique.
While the game's rules apply, the format is determined,
and everyone is playing with legal cards, we sometimes cannot adequately
prepare for our opponents themselves. And for the unprepared, differences in
conduct and perception can impact how effectively we can play Magic together.
3. States are self-interested and pragmatic.
This is what players
tend to forget, in my experience, often after losing a game. “Why did you
attack me and not him?” is a common line. The person who asks often forgets
that they had no creatures, or a suspended Kozilek with one time counter, or
had antagonized the winner the entire game. That individual would often make the same
decision you did, and yet criticizes you for making it. Players can forget that
all players tend to act, wherever
possible, in their own best interests.
4. The number one goal of states is to survive.
Survival is often in
one’s best interest. If convincing the active player that attacking a third
player is a better choice than attacking me, then I’d certainly consider it, if it kept
me alive. Now, as I mentioned before, the way in which we approach influencing
others can matter, as we don’t want to hurt feelings. Intimidating somebody
over a card game is going too far. But if we can keep these four points in
mind, all of us, then losing might not hurt so badly. It’s worth remembering that it’s just as okay for your opponent to try to win as it is for you to try to win. I’ve played against some people that focused so hard on their own enjoyment that when I countered a key spell or flashed in a blocker they reacted poorly. The spectrum is a broad one, and ultimately doesn’t matter, but the game is interactive, and it’s worth keeping in mind.
So, with all of this
in mind, how do we use this knowledge for our gain?
Well, I’d suggest
remembering that people come from different backgrounds, learned to play in
different ways and at different speeds, and have different ideas of what “fun” and
“fair” are. While this sounds obvious, it can be easy to forget. For years, I
played Commander with the same 5 guys. We had our unspoken rules, and had a
mutual understanding for what was okay (giant boss monsters, ramp, spot
removal) and what was not okay
(Sundering Titan. He’s gone now, and good riddance). Now, we recognized that
removal of lands is necessary, but going overboard was unnecessary. And we had
established what “overboard” meant. Going from this group to another group
(across Canada, even!) was a bit of an eye opener. It wasn’t a huge shock, but it really drove home
that different people, and playgroups, have their own views. I ended up fitting
in, after a while, but understanding this concept helps keep you flexible. If a deck is poorly received, then you can switch it up for the next game. If you're too aggressive, you can adjust. While it's unfair to constantly be the only one to adapt, on a short-term basis this flexibility will enable you to at least play Magic.
Of these 4 core concepts, it’s the last of the
four beliefs that I’ve personally struggled with. More accurately, my fiancée
struggled with this, and I didn’t know how to rationalize it in a way that
helped, so it bothered me, too.
The ultimate goal of
states, or players, is survival. We’ve talked about convincing players who to
attack; this, and “peace-offerings” (allowing players to draw cards, untapping the occasional creature, etc.) are the two most often-cited examples
of tabletop politics. Politics is generally considered a part of multiplayer
Magic, and rightly so. Subtly suggesting to Player A that Player B has larger
creatures than you, or that Player C just tutored for a hand of answers with
Conflux is fine, and a good laugh can be shared over such antics. Allowing a
player in a good position to draw a card with Jace Beleren’s second ability?
Maybe you just convinced them to attack someone else.
I hope this piece
helped to shed a little light on why players make certain decisions, and
pointed out things you can remember to put player behaviour into context.
Everyone’s trying to win, so if we’re all on the same page, we can keep the
salt to a minimum. At least, up until the point someone crosses a line in the
name of winning. Realism shouldn't be used to rationalize unacceptable behavior, but understanding one's opponents is the first step in defeating them, and so should be consciously understood.
Monday, 2 March 2015
Gottacon!
Gottacon took place this past weekend in Victoria, BC, and my fiancee and I got to go and check it out. Here are some things we noticed:
1. People are actually buying promo Ugin for $200. Wut.
2. Magic judges put up with a LOT of abuse. For no discernible reason.
3. Ironically, those that preach diversity in gaming do not appreciate "non-minorities" supporting the cause.
4. Going to a convention where vendors can set up shop is a potentially bad thing for a collector of foils.
5. Less honest vendors will overcharge for said foils by upwards of 50%. Fuck those people. $240 for the Onslaught foil Windswept Heath I need? Even I have limits.
6. It's not a bad plan to have a diverse sales plan. For example, a guy there to sell a board game he created himself made more money selling hand-knit wrist warmers his mother made than he did convincing people his game was awesome. Gotta make that bank.
7. Wait, wrist warmers? WTF?
8. Apparently, we're buying a pair of wrist warmers. FML.
9. It's important to inform the police that your group is doing a "medieval skill-at-arms competition" on public property. Before you repeatedly hit a guy with a mace.
10. Finding a treasure trove of inexpensive foils for all your Commander decks = ballin'.
11. Acquiring a sealed box of Lorwyn or Shards of Alara may be much easier than we thought!
12. Associates will Facebook you with offers of amazing Eternal cards. They will do this at some ungodly hour.
13. The Spectator pass is the better deal by far. BY FAR.
1. People are actually buying promo Ugin for $200. Wut.
2. Magic judges put up with a LOT of abuse. For no discernible reason.
3. Ironically, those that preach diversity in gaming do not appreciate "non-minorities" supporting the cause.
4. Going to a convention where vendors can set up shop is a potentially bad thing for a collector of foils.
5. Less honest vendors will overcharge for said foils by upwards of 50%. Fuck those people. $240 for the Onslaught foil Windswept Heath I need? Even I have limits.
6. It's not a bad plan to have a diverse sales plan. For example, a guy there to sell a board game he created himself made more money selling hand-knit wrist warmers his mother made than he did convincing people his game was awesome. Gotta make that bank.
7. Wait, wrist warmers? WTF?
8. Apparently, we're buying a pair of wrist warmers. FML.
9. It's important to inform the police that your group is doing a "medieval skill-at-arms competition" on public property. Before you repeatedly hit a guy with a mace.
10. Finding a treasure trove of inexpensive foils for all your Commander decks = ballin'.
11. Acquiring a sealed box of Lorwyn or Shards of Alara may be much easier than we thought!
12. Associates will Facebook you with offers of amazing Eternal cards. They will do this at some ungodly hour.
13. The Spectator pass is the better deal by far. BY FAR.
Monday, 16 February 2015
Styx is so Underrated
For those that don't know, FTV: Angels was announced today. While the last couple From the Vaults sets have been all over the place, I can't help but feel some excitement for this one.
There have been some broken angels, and while it wouldn't be great for the game (or for the wallet of the average player) to reprint all of them in one box, I think we can expect them to follow the usual FTV formula of:
One chase card (Jace, Grove of the Burnwillows, Ulamog, etc.), one or two reprints to please the EDH players (Urborg, Rafiq, Sun Quan, Sol Ring), and then chaff (Fyndhorn Elves, Desert, Dragon Whelp).
Here are some brainstorms I had:
Either Linvala, Iona, or Avacyn (new art)
Red or White Akroma (likely not both, and my money would be on red; new art)
Twilight Shepherd (new art; most likely the teaser art with the announcment)
Angel of Depair
Jenara, Asura of War
Serra Angel (new art)
Empyrial Archangel or Stoic Angel (have to get green and blue on the list somehow)
Lightning Angel (in need of an art update, too)
Restoration Angel
Serra Avenger
Fuck yeah! Give me all of the reprints! But, this isn't realistic, unless we're after an MSRP of ~$150. If I had to narrow it down, based on the fact that most of the best angels are either Mythic or too damn expensive, I'd bet the list looks something like:
Empyrial Archangel
Akroma, Angel of Fury (new art; Wrath has other art already) - the chase card
Twilight Shepherd (with its gorgeous new art)
Angel of Despair
Serra Angel (new art)
Tariel, Reckoner of Souls
Lightning Angel (new art)
Maelstrom Archangel (new art)
Shepherd of the Lost
Exalted Angel
Angel's Grace (new art)
Baneslayer Angel (could be the chase card, if they brought back Greg Staples to do another art)
Archangel (with original art as a tribute to deceased artist Quinton Hoover)
Platinum Angel
Angel of Finality
My reasoning?
- Red Akroma has one foil printing, and while her art is one of the driving forces of her demand, she's long overdue for a reprint.
- Tariel will get her first foil treatment, and she is a somewhat popular Mardu Commander, especially as she's a fraction of the cost of Kaalia from the same 2011 deck.
- Serra Angel is the OG, she's a shoo-in.
- Angel of Despair is your token Commander reprint. Archangel and Shepherd of the Lost are your token filler cards.
- Selenia's been gone a long time, and is a character from Magic's now-distant past that meets the criteria.
- Platinum Angel and Exalted Angel are great casual cards.
- Baneslayer is always good. She's not the house she used to be, and the FTV foil will likely fall to what a non-foil from m10 or m11 is now. But I wouldn't be surprised to see her.
- Angel's Grace. Such a troll card, but it's effect is very powerful, and demonstrates what an angel can do in the lore.
As an added bonus, my picks roughly balance the angels among the colours, with green losing out, but it's pretty representative of the dispersion of angels in the game without cherry-picking awful ones to meet a quota. This list leaves us with a mix of the awesome (Angel of Despair, red Akroma, Baneslayer), powerful, angelic effects (Empyrial Archangel, Platinum Angel, Maelstrom Archangel), some throwbacks to Magic's past (Exalted Angel, Lightning Angel), a first-time foil for Tariel, and a couple random ones just because. Follows the derived formula fairly closely, though angels are a tough tribe to do a FTV box for due to their heavy casual appeal. That's evident when examining the prices of some foil angels online- Linvala at $160? It's not just scarcity- Riseof the Eldrazi was very widely opened as a result of it being a great limited environment, and as a large set, was opened on its own. She's an amazing card (trolls Kraj EDH so hard), but her appeal to collectors is a part of her pricetag, too.
Don't believe me? Check out reddit- r/magictcg sees almost a post every week about someone's angel collection. They're right up there with dragons (Magic's most popular tribe) in terms of appeal.
This FTV could easily be one of the good ones, but I expect the breakdown will be similar to my prediction. Which, like most of the sets, could be alright.
Let me know what you guys think, and we'll see who's right on release day.
There have been some broken angels, and while it wouldn't be great for the game (or for the wallet of the average player) to reprint all of them in one box, I think we can expect them to follow the usual FTV formula of:
One chase card (Jace, Grove of the Burnwillows, Ulamog, etc.), one or two reprints to please the EDH players (Urborg, Rafiq, Sun Quan, Sol Ring), and then chaff (Fyndhorn Elves, Desert, Dragon Whelp).
Here are some brainstorms I had:
Either Linvala, Iona, or Avacyn (new art)
Red or White Akroma (likely not both, and my money would be on red; new art)
Twilight Shepherd (new art; most likely the teaser art with the announcment)
Angel of Depair
Jenara, Asura of War
Serra Angel (new art)
Empyrial Archangel or Stoic Angel (have to get green and blue on the list somehow)
Lightning Angel (in need of an art update, too)
Restoration Angel
Serra Avenger
Fuck yeah! Give me all of the reprints! But, this isn't realistic, unless we're after an MSRP of ~$150. If I had to narrow it down, based on the fact that most of the best angels are either Mythic or too damn expensive, I'd bet the list looks something like:
Empyrial Archangel
Akroma, Angel of Fury (new art; Wrath has other art already) - the chase card
Twilight Shepherd (with its gorgeous new art)
Angel of Despair
Serra Angel (new art)
Tariel, Reckoner of Souls
Lightning Angel (new art)
Maelstrom Archangel (new art)
Shepherd of the Lost
Exalted Angel
Angel's Grace (new art)
Baneslayer Angel (could be the chase card, if they brought back Greg Staples to do another art)
Archangel (with original art as a tribute to deceased artist Quinton Hoover)
Platinum Angel
Angel of Finality
My reasoning?
- Red Akroma has one foil printing, and while her art is one of the driving forces of her demand, she's long overdue for a reprint.
- Tariel will get her first foil treatment, and she is a somewhat popular Mardu Commander, especially as she's a fraction of the cost of Kaalia from the same 2011 deck.
- Serra Angel is the OG, she's a shoo-in.
- Angel of Despair is your token Commander reprint. Archangel and Shepherd of the Lost are your token filler cards.
- Selenia's been gone a long time, and is a character from Magic's now-distant past that meets the criteria.
- Platinum Angel and Exalted Angel are great casual cards.
- Baneslayer is always good. She's not the house she used to be, and the FTV foil will likely fall to what a non-foil from m10 or m11 is now. But I wouldn't be surprised to see her.
- Angel's Grace. Such a troll card, but it's effect is very powerful, and demonstrates what an angel can do in the lore.
As an added bonus, my picks roughly balance the angels among the colours, with green losing out, but it's pretty representative of the dispersion of angels in the game without cherry-picking awful ones to meet a quota. This list leaves us with a mix of the awesome (Angel of Despair, red Akroma, Baneslayer), powerful, angelic effects (Empyrial Archangel, Platinum Angel, Maelstrom Archangel), some throwbacks to Magic's past (Exalted Angel, Lightning Angel), a first-time foil for Tariel, and a couple random ones just because. Follows the derived formula fairly closely, though angels are a tough tribe to do a FTV box for due to their heavy casual appeal. That's evident when examining the prices of some foil angels online- Linvala at $160? It's not just scarcity- Riseof the Eldrazi was very widely opened as a result of it being a great limited environment, and as a large set, was opened on its own. She's an amazing card (trolls Kraj EDH so hard), but her appeal to collectors is a part of her pricetag, too.
Don't believe me? Check out reddit- r/magictcg sees almost a post every week about someone's angel collection. They're right up there with dragons (Magic's most popular tribe) in terms of appeal.
This FTV could easily be one of the good ones, but I expect the breakdown will be similar to my prediction. Which, like most of the sets, could be alright.
Let me know what you guys think, and we'll see who's right on release day.
Monday, 19 January 2015
An Update!
So, it's been a bit since I've worked on this thing. That's been due to a hearty blend of laziness, being on leave, and working through some stuff. But I'm back now, and I've got more to say (obviously).
Christmas happened. I got to go back to Alberta to visit my folks, which was nice. It had been too long since I'd seen them last, almost a year. We got a few days back home, after which DK arrived. It was a good visit, if probably boring for him, but we got in some Magic, some boardgaming, and even some 40k, which I dusted off after ~5 years away from the game. So, I think it was a good time.
Man, 40k. For most of junior high and high school, that was my main hobby. I introduced it to the RMC crew, and most of them are probably better at it than I ever was. Still, I enjoy the lore to this day, and I remember writing some "fluff" for the last big campaign I was a part of. Those were some good times. BP, a guy I've known for years, is actually in my neck of the woods. He's big into 40k now, maybe he and I will head down to Games Workshop while he's here.
Flipping through the new Space Marines Codex, it seems they fixed a good chunk of what I disliked about the army from when I last played. High Marshal Helbrecht still kinda sucks, but maybe that's his thing? I don't know. But getting the occasional game in downtown might not be too bad.
On the Magic front, the holidays were good to us; with the acquisition of a Phyrexian Elesh Norn, a Judge foil Imperial Recruiter, and some other awesome cards, including an English Revised Volcanic Island that my fiancee got me as an early birthday gift. The deck looks so nice. Yesterday, I even managed to pick up a promo Ugin, the Spirit Dragon. He seems like he does everything you could possibly want a planeswalker to do, and his mana cost, while high, isn't at all restrictive. I have another one coming for another deck, but I could see running him in most, if not all, of the decks I have built. I added Ugin to my 5-Colour deck in lieu of my SDCC 2013 Chandra, Pyromaster. I love her 0 ability, but Ugin is just... better, pimp factor notwithstanding. I might still try to run a Chandra, as some redundancy for my Chain Veil combo would be good, but Chandra Nalaar might be a better call. It's hard to say. Red is by far the worst represented colour in the deck. Sarkhan might just do the job better, and Tibalt isn't really an option.
EDIT: Likely going to cut Momir Vig from the deck, will add something cool in his place. Vig deserves his own deck, and it will be glorious.
The last little bit of news would be that I'm building a Zur the Enchanter deck. The aim isn't to have the deck be super oppressive, but to have a good time tutoring out more obscure enchantments. I love tutoring, it's one of my favorite things to do in Magic, and he does it for attacking, which I also love to do. I'd love to run Maralen in my 5-Colour deck, as she herself can be grabbed by Imperial Recruiter, but the price is probably too high for her ability. I might still do it; the aim of the deck after all is to run whatever I want, with the self-imposed restriction of the creatures and planeswalkers being "good" aligned, and the cards being foil/pimp. So, who knows?
Christmas happened. I got to go back to Alberta to visit my folks, which was nice. It had been too long since I'd seen them last, almost a year. We got a few days back home, after which DK arrived. It was a good visit, if probably boring for him, but we got in some Magic, some boardgaming, and even some 40k, which I dusted off after ~5 years away from the game. So, I think it was a good time.
Man, 40k. For most of junior high and high school, that was my main hobby. I introduced it to the RMC crew, and most of them are probably better at it than I ever was. Still, I enjoy the lore to this day, and I remember writing some "fluff" for the last big campaign I was a part of. Those were some good times. BP, a guy I've known for years, is actually in my neck of the woods. He's big into 40k now, maybe he and I will head down to Games Workshop while he's here.
Flipping through the new Space Marines Codex, it seems they fixed a good chunk of what I disliked about the army from when I last played. High Marshal Helbrecht still kinda sucks, but maybe that's his thing? I don't know. But getting the occasional game in downtown might not be too bad.
On the Magic front, the holidays were good to us; with the acquisition of a Phyrexian Elesh Norn, a Judge foil Imperial Recruiter, and some other awesome cards, including an English Revised Volcanic Island that my fiancee got me as an early birthday gift. The deck looks so nice. Yesterday, I even managed to pick up a promo Ugin, the Spirit Dragon. He seems like he does everything you could possibly want a planeswalker to do, and his mana cost, while high, isn't at all restrictive. I have another one coming for another deck, but I could see running him in most, if not all, of the decks I have built. I added Ugin to my 5-Colour deck in lieu of my SDCC 2013 Chandra, Pyromaster. I love her 0 ability, but Ugin is just... better, pimp factor notwithstanding. I might still try to run a Chandra, as some redundancy for my Chain Veil combo would be good, but Chandra Nalaar might be a better call. It's hard to say. Red is by far the worst represented colour in the deck. Sarkhan might just do the job better, and Tibalt isn't really an option.
EDIT: Likely going to cut Momir Vig from the deck, will add something cool in his place. Vig deserves his own deck, and it will be glorious.
The last little bit of news would be that I'm building a Zur the Enchanter deck. The aim isn't to have the deck be super oppressive, but to have a good time tutoring out more obscure enchantments. I love tutoring, it's one of my favorite things to do in Magic, and he does it for attacking, which I also love to do. I'd love to run Maralen in my 5-Colour deck, as she herself can be grabbed by Imperial Recruiter, but the price is probably too high for her ability. I might still do it; the aim of the deck after all is to run whatever I want, with the self-imposed restriction of the creatures and planeswalkers being "good" aligned, and the cards being foil/pimp. So, who knows?
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