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Damnation - Modern Masters 2017 Reprints (MTG)

2/27/2017

by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist

Many Magic the Gathering players have been clamoring for a reprint of the black board-wipe Damnation for years. It’s become an ongoing meme that with each upcoming set, players would speculate that Damnation would somehow be in the set. Some speculated Wizards was saving Damnation as a chase card for Amonkhet or be featured in an upcoming Modern Masters release. In fact, Wizards saved Damnation for all these years to include it in Modern Masters 2017.

Damnation is essentially just a 4-mana Black version of Wrath of God. The only difference is that it is in Black, a color-shifted variant from Planar Chaos. The reason that Damnation is so good is that it can be played in non-White Modern decks such as Grixis Delver, Grixis Control, and most often Jund. It also sees play in Abzan decks, despite having access to White, since Black is an easier color to fix for in those decks. Interestingly, Damnation is rarely seen in competitive Modern mainboards, and usually relegated to a single copy in the sideboard for certain matchups. In any case, it’s still a valuable card to have around.

Damnation is particularly popular in Commander, where Black decks are quite rampant. In a singleton format, those decks that can will play both Wrath of God and Damnation. What makes Damnation better than a boardwipe like Day of Judgment is that creatures can’t be regenerated. While Thrun, the Last Troll, Troll Ascetic, and other creatures with regenerate aren’t rampant in Modern, they do see play in the format. Affinity, a very popular and powerful Modern deck, also has ways to regenerate some of their artifact creatures. Damnation takes care of those corner cases.

Since Damnation is so good in Modern, this is a great reprint to help players invest more in the format. But since Damnation is such a staple in Commander, this will also be of great use to those players, as well. Pretty much everyone is going to want this card, so get your hands on them while you can! This reprint cut the $50 price tag for this card in half, but it's certainly going to be in demand for the foreseeable future.

Goblin Guide - Modern Masters 2017 Reprints (MTG)

2/27/2017

by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist

Of all the creatures to need a reprint, Goblin Guide was definitely towards the top of the list. In Modern Masters 2017, Goblin Guide is indeed present along with new artwork. A staple in both Modern Burn and even Legacy Burn decks, the Goblin Scout had hit $25 to $35 per copy and needed fresh supply to keep up with demand.

The Goblin Guide reprint will be of help to many players that couldn’t afford their playset previously. The new artwork is cool, too. While there was previously a promotional reprint of Goblin Guide available, with great artwork, it wasn’t nearly enough extra supply to keep up with the massive demand for this card.

Goblin Tribal is a popular casual deck, as is Burn. Keeping this in mind, there will be both competitive and casual demand for this card. So, it's important to pick up your copies of Goblin Guide at the best price that you can when you need it. This isn't a card that is going to ever not be in demand unless something strictly better is printed - which is unlikely.

Fetch Lands, Tri Lands, and Guildgates, Oh My! - Modern Masters 2017 Reprints (MTG)

2/27/2017

by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist

When three land cycles were released in Modern Masters 2017 spoilers, few players were probably surprised to see land cycles each at the common, uncommon, and rare rarities. What may have surprised some players is that the rare cycle of lands were the enemy-colored fetch lands from Zendikar!

That’s right. Arid Mesa, Marsh Flats, Misty Rainforest, Scalding Tarn, and Verdant Catacombs are a part of the Modern Masters 2017 set. They’ve been awaiting reprints for years now, and considering that they are staples in the Modern format, it makes sense that a Modern Masters set finally contains them. Without a doubt, these are going to be five of the chase cards in the entire set (plus, a little Black sorcery called Damnation!)

Obviously, this reprint will put a huge dent in the prices of the original Zendikar printings of these five lands. At the time of the announcement, Arid Mesa was $50, Marsh Flats was $35, Misty Rainforest was $45, Scalding Tarn about $75, and Verdant Catacombs around $60. The supply of these was getting low due to pretty much every Magic player wanting at least four copies of each. They’re playable, and very good, in every format outside of Standard. Fetch lands not only fix mana quickly at the cost of only a single point of life, but shorten the number of lands that you draw, as well.

Still, we should not overlook that the five Shards of Alara tri lands are also included in the set. These are Arcane Sanctum, Crumbling Necropolis, Jungle Shrine, Savage Lands, and Seaside Citadel. While they don’t see much in the way of Constructed play anymore, they do see considerable play in Commander. The tri lands are also quite popular among casual players for mana fixing, as we’ve seen with the Khans of Tarkir tri lands. They do come into play tapped, but having access to three different colors of mana is worth the drawback. Even though these lands were reprinted in both the Commander 2013 and Commander 2016 product, there’s still a lot of demand for these.

The Return to Ravnica and Gatecrash Guildgates aren’t exciting, but they too see some play in the various Maze’s End decks that still roam at the fringes of Modern. They are also very popular among budget casual players and do indeed see play in Commander. While they come into play tapped, they are so easily obtainable that many players will use them as filler lands until they acquire more efficient mana sources.

These are some great lands to open not only for drafting and sealed deck purposes. These lands will be good to open for collection purposes and deck building, as well. The fetch lands themselves sell sets.

Magister Sphinx - A Magic the Gathering (MTG) Card Review

2/24/2017

EDH favorite Magister Sphinx is seeing its price on the rise.

by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist

Magister Sphinx has been a favorite of EDH players for quite some time. When he comes into play, he makes a target player's life total go directly to 10. This is extremely powerful in a format where players start with 40 life. In February 2017, the Sphinx has been seeing a steady rise in price, including a 40% jump in its low-supply Archenemy printing within a week.

The Magister Sphinx has always seen a lot of play alongside Sharuum the Hegemon and Oloro, Ageless Ascetic. The price jump may have to do with new copies being bought to slot into Breya, Etherium Shaper decks. The 4-color Legendary Creature from Commander 2016 is very artifact friendly, so its not a surprise that the Sphinx has become a good member of her 99. Breya's ability to deal 3 damage to a target player by sacrificing 2 artifacts becomes a lot more relevant when you can put a player down to just 10 life!

With Amazon's price on Magister Sphinx shooting over $6, it's clear that there's a real casual demand for this card. There aren't a ton of copies of the original Conflux printing of Magister Sphinx left on the Internet, either. If you're looking for this card, you'll want to get it while it's still $2 or less!

Stoic Angel - Modern Masters 2017 Reprints (MTG)

2/21/2017

by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist

When the packaging artwork for Modern Masters 2017 was revealed, most people were fine with Domri Rade and Griselbrand being two out of the three cards featured as the first spoilers for the set. But the third choice caused some Magic the Gathering players to scratch their heads, a rare originally from Shards of Alara called Stoic Angel.

Besides having some really nice artwork, Stoic Angel actually has a really good ability. Whenever she is on the battlefield, each player can only untap one creature during each turn’s untap phase. She’s also a 3 / 4 flyer with vigilance for only 4 mana, although her casting cost is 1WUG (1 colorless, 1 white, 1 blue, 1 green).

Being in three colors obviously limits her playability, especially in Limited. Still, this Angel is a good creature. It just seems strange to feature her so prominently, isn’t it? That art, though, with a beautiful angel holding an hourglass, is really pretty.

From a players’ standpoint, some were understandably upset to have a $2 card who really only sees play in EDH as a featured card for the set. However, Angels are among the more popular tribes in Magic the Gathering. From a marketing perspective, Wizards clearly felt this was a good card to feature. This is Stoic Angel’s first reprint, after all. It’s also worth pointing out that foil copies were rising in price, due to demand from EDH players looking to foil out their decks.

Stoic Angel is actually a very strong card in EDH, since her ability becomes much more relevant in a multiplayer game. She’s particularly important in decks with Rafiq of the Many as a Commander. By making it very difficult for opponents to keep their creatures untapped, the powerful Soldier Commander can attack undeterred much more often.

Derevi, Empyrial Tactician decks also make good use of Stoic Angel as Derevi’s ability allows you to untap more often than your opponent’s will be able to. Jenara, Asura of War is another Commander that typically plays Stoic Angel alongside, as Jenara is all about stacking up on +1/+1 counters and taking out players with Commander damage.

In any case, Stoic Angel doesn’t have to tap to attack, since she has vigilance. This means that you can easily have two creatures untapped and ready to attack whereas other players will only be able to untap one per turn. In Limited, she’s actually quite powerful. In 60-card Constructed formats, she's not nearly as much. Still, Stoic Angel is a cool card, just not one worth opening as a rare in a $10 Modern Masters 2017 booster pack. Still, this was a card probably overdue for a reprint.

Domri Rade - Modern Masters 2017 Reprints (MTG)

2/21/2017

by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist

Domri Rade was a strong Magic the Gathering card during his days in Standard. At one time, when Birthing Pod was still legal in Modern, Domri Rade saw a lot of play in some dominant Pod decks. Nowadays, Domri only sees play in Modern Zoo decks here and there, as well as the occasional Kiki-Chord or Naya Company deck. Still, being a planeswalker that’s cheap to cast with decent abilities, Domri Rade was selected for reprint in Modern Masters 2017.

While hardly a staple in Modern, Domri does see tons of play in Commander. This is especially the case in creature-heavy decks led by Commanders such as Xenagos, God of Revels, Animar, Soul of Elements, Surrak Dragonclaw, Mayael the Anima, and many more. There’s plenty of demand for the Gruul-colored planeswalker from the EDH crowd and he’s sought after by casual players, as well.

Domri isn’t a big player in Modern right now, but he’s definitely playable in the format. There is one deck in Modern called Domri Zoo that is primarily a Bloodbraid Elf aggro deck, but plays one copy of Domri Rade. That's partly because he's a 3 mana planeswalker, so he's a great target to hit with Bloodbraid Elf's cascade ability. Who doesn't want to cast a Bloodbraid Elf into a Domri Rade?

In a creature-heavy deck, Domri's +1 loyalty ability can essentially draw you a card by putting a creature in your hand - although he can whiff. His -2 is a form of removal that’s decent enough if you control a creature larger than the one that you’re fighting (unless you’re playing creatures with Undying or Persist). Domri’s emblem is quite good, but in a fast-moving competitive format like Modern, it’s rare that Domri will ever get to 7 counters.

While he may not be a card with a high price tag, Domri Rade is still a decent mythic rare to pull from a Modern Masters 2017 pack. He could reemerge in the format if Domri Zoo or a similar deck becomes more prevalent in the format at some point in the future. Even if he doesn’t, Domri Rade is still a good planeswalker to have in your collection.

Griselbrand - Modern Masters 2017 Reprints (MTG)

2/20/2017

by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist

Griselbrand was quite the powerhouse when he was in Standard. One of the major chase cards from Avacyn Restored, Griselbrand proved to have such raw power that he became banned in Commander, and appears in several Modern, Legacy, and even Vintage decks! Now the massive powerhouse of a Demon gets a reprint in Modern Masters 2017!

Some players argue that perhaps Griselbrand didn't really need another reprint after being a Grand Prix promo. But as Griselbrand is a fan favorite, it's not really a surprise that Wizards of the Coast decided to feature him on the set's packaging and as one of the chase mythic rares of the set. They know that this powerful Demon will help sell the set.

As far as Modern is concerned, Griselbrand is part of only really one competitive Modern deck right now. That deck is Goryo's Vengeance, a deck that utilizes the deck's namesake card, Goryo's Vengeance, and Through the Breach to cheat out Borborygmos Enraged, Worldspine Wurm, and of course, Griselbrand.

In Legacy, Griselbrand is featured in multiple decks, including Sneak and Show and Black-Red Reanimator, as well as other decks. Even in Vintage, Griselbrand is a part of a powerful deck archetype called Bomberman Oath, which utilizes the powerful Enchantment, Oath of Druids.

While Griselbrand isn't nearly as expensive as he once was, Magic players will always be happy to open copies of the Demon in their Modern Masters 2017 packs!

Will Magic Digital Next Replace Magic Duels or Magic Online... Or Neither?

2/19/2017

by ElspethFTW, Gaming Successfully Staff

Back in November 2015, Hasbro's CEO Brian Goldner revealed plans for a new digital Magic the Gathering platform called Magic Digital Next. This announcement led to a great deal of speculation from players who think that it may threaten the health Magic the Gathering Online or replace Magic Duels. In fact, at one time, it was actually touted on Reddit as an all-encompassing digital experience to replace Magic Online and Duels. But that does not appear to be the case now.

From the comments that Goldner made, however, it doesn't appear that Magic Digital Next is meant to replace either platform. As Goldner says, "Magic Online is for the highest level players and we have Duels as an entry experience." So it would seem that Magic Digital Next is meant to be developed for those somewhere in between, which is the vast majority of Magic players. The TouchArcade article, "'Magic Digital Next' Aims to Bridge the Divide Between 'Magic Online' and 'Magic Duels'" seems to back up this idea.

While I feel that Magic Digital Next is a strange name for a game, the concept is a good one. There is thinking among Magic players that they will be adopting a code redemption system similar to the Pokemon Trading Card Game Online platform. While I've personally found this system a bit awkward in building a collection strong enough to build competitive decks, it has quite a following. Considering that the codes come with every Pokemon TCG product, it seems like a good act for Magic to follow if that's the direction that they decide to go.

At Toy Fair 2017, Hasbro finally revealed a screen capture of Magic Digital Next:

Indeed, from this screenshot, Magic Digital Next looks like an upgraded version of Magic Duels. On February 17, Wizards also promised Magic players these three things:

Upgrading to state-of-the-art back-end technology and systems to sustain and constantly improve digital and tabletop experiences;
Improving and expanding the way you play the Magic trading card game digitally;
Dreams of delivering deep gameplay experiences in Magic worlds and fiction on diverse gaming platforms and genres.

So it would seem that you'll be able to play Digital Next on your PC, Xbox, Playstation, and mobile phone, which is a good thing. I like that they seem to be pushing immersing players in worlds much like Magic Duels tries to do. From the looks of this, it looks like Hasbro is going head-to-head with Magic's primary competition, Hearthstone. That makes sense. From what I'm seeing, this looks more like a stepping stone to the highly-competitive Magic Online. But will they eventually merge the two?

I'm not really one to speculate without more facts, but right now, it looks like Magic Digital Next targets the audience that doesn't already play either Magic Duels or Magic Online. If that's what it's intended for, this should be a great development for Magic, and perhaps steal back some players from Hearthstone. Magic Duels is a nice introductory experience, but Magic Online is too much for some people to invest in if they don't plan on being competitive. Magic Digital Next should provide a solid middle ground. I'm definitely looking forward to future developments for this "state-of-the-art" Magic the Gathering experience.

Thousand Winds - A Magic the Gathering (MTG) Card Review

2/3/2017

by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist

When the Speed vs Cunning Duel Decks were first revealed, it included several preview cards from the upcoming set at the time, Khans of Tarkir. At the time, it was known that Morph would be returning as a mechanic in that set. One of the rare preview cards from the deck, Thousand Winds, was the first new Morph card we had seen in quite a while.

Thousand Winds is a 5/6 flyer for 4UU. Those are fair stats for a 6 mana creature. It also has a morph cost of 5UU. The way Morph works is that you play it face-down as a 2/2 creature for 3 colorless mana. Then, you can pay its Morph cost to flip it face-up. Oftentimes, when it is flipped face-up, Morph cards have an effect. That is the case with Thousand Winds. When it is flipped face-up, you return all other tapped creatures to their owners' hands.

At the time, it was clear that this flyer would be an interesting card that should play well in the Arcanis the Omnipotent deck included in the Speed vs Cunning Duel Decks. But because of the large mana investment, it wouldn't see much play outside of Limited. It's also an underwhelming creature unless it's able to be flipped face-up. And as good as the effect is, it's extremely situational.

However, Thousand Winds does see some play in EDH. Commanders that have utilized the Morph creature include Animar, Soul of Elements, (who can cast it for much less with his effect) and Ixidor, Reality Sculptor (who is all about the Morph creatures). Unless you're building a Morph themed deck, however, Thousand Winds is a flavorful but not very efficient creature.

Magic the Gathering - Drana, Liberator of Malakir Finds a Home... in Frontier CoCo Counters!

2/3/2017

by ElspethFTW, Gaming Successfully Staff

Drana, Liberator of Malakir has been one of my favorite Battle for Zendikar cards since her release. She just never really found a home in Standard. While she sees some play in EDH, it appears that Drana has found a new competitive home... in the fledgling Frontier format! Actually, copies of Drana have been seen in two Frontier decks, CoCo Counters (also known as BG Aggro), and Hardened Scales.

The CoCo Counters / BG Aggro deck only runs a single copy of Drana, Liberator of Malakir. But the Collected Company-fueled deck has a good reason to include her. The deck is based around Winding Constrictor, a creature that adds an additional counter whenever you, an artifact, or creature you control would get one. The deck is loaded with creatures that create +1/+1 counters such as Longtusk Cub, Rishka, Peema Renegade, Tireless Tracker, and Verdurous Gearhulk. Drana's ability can give your creatures two or more +1/+1 counters depending on how many copies of Winding Constrictor you have on your board.

The Hardened Scales deck is also based around the Winding Constrictor, but also around an enchantment called Hardened Scales. It does the same thing as the Constrictor, but only for creatures. However, being a one-drop Enchantment, it can come down on turn one and proliferate counters much more quickly. The deck hasn't had a super strong showing just yet, but Hardened Scales decks were very good in their time in Standard and have been popping up here and there in Modern, as well. We'll see how well they hold up in Frontier.

The BG Aggro deck is performing fairly well on Magic Online in unofficial tournaments. Whether this deck becomes a fairly good deck in the Frontier format or not remains to be seen. At the very least, players are now interested in Drana again outside of having a copy for casual Vampire decks and EDH.