Life... Successfully
  • Life Successfully
  • INTENT-SIVE NATURE
    • Business Success Services
      • Intent to Read Publishing
    • Healing Jewelry & Talismans
      • What is the Meaning Behind Intent-sive Nature Healing Jewelry?
    • Custom Healing Products & Services
    • Essential Oil, Spiritual Oils, & Aromatherapy
    • Bath, Beauty, & Self-Care
    • Rituals, Herbs, & Altar Supplies
    • Original Artwork
    • Protection
    • Orgone Or Orgonite
    • Wands
    • Yoga & Meditation
    • Crystals & Gemstones
    • Books & Media
    • Education & Homeschool Resources
    • Clothing
    • Decor And Home Accents
    • RV, Camping, And Auto
  • BUSINESS, MARKETING, & CONTENT SERVICES
  • Writing, Web, Business, & Tech
    • Brand Shamans Brand Healing Journal
    • Write W.A.V.E. Media Thought Leadership & Tech Journal
    • Writing Tips Journal
    • The One-and-Only Internet Money Making Guide!
    • Writer's Resumes
      • Lyn Lomasi
        • Ask Lyn
      • Get Your FREE Writer's Profile & Online Resume
    • Be a Writer!
    • Submission Guidelines
  • About & Contact
    • Become an Affiliate!
    • Promotional Banners
    • Disclosure, TOU, Dislaimer, & Privacy
  • SUBMIT GUEST POSTS
  • Family & Home
    • Your Soul Flame Journal
    • FLOW-Key Parenting Journal
      • The Pregnancy & Baby Care Guide EVERY Parent Needs!
      • The ONLY Potty Training Guide You'll Ever Need
      • Elementary Learning Supplies...
      • 10 Safe Toys
      • Soothe Crying Baby
      • Playing Cards With Kids
    • Life & Home Journal
    • Mekai's Branches ~ Family Adventure Journal
    • Kymani's Travels ~ Family Travel Journal
    • The Nova Skye Story ~ Family Journal
    • Momtrepreneur Moments ~ A Business Mom's Journal
    • Successful Relationships; A Heart-Focused Journal
    • Better Plumbing Blog
      • Hire Better Plumbing - Your Denver Plumber
  • Education
    • Heart 'N Mind Homeschool Journal
    • Free Learning Education Journal
      • Two Affordable And Fun Toys For Teaching Kids To Read
      • Elementary Learning Supplies You Can Find At The Dollar Store
      • Free Counting Fun For Toddlers And Preschoolers
      • Why School Choice is Important in High School
      • Choosing Childen's Books That Create Smart Readers
    • Free Homeschool Worksheets
    • The Bibliophile's Library Journal - Book News, Reviews, & Info
    • Penning Your World ~ A Creative Writing Journal
    • Monsters Within Us ~ An Otherworldly Journal of Monstrous Incantations
      • A Lighter Shade of Green
  • Health & Beauty
    • Whole Body Health, Healing, & Medicine Journal
    • Good Eats For The Soul ~ Vegan Diet, Recipes, & Food Journal
      • Recipe Books By Lyn Lomasi
    • Fash Diva ~ A Clothing, Shoes, & Fashion Journal
    • Naturally Simple ~ A Self-Care & Beauty Journal
    • Senior Living
    • Disabilities Articles
    • Green Living Articles
  • Causes
    • Causes We Support
    • Speak Up!; A Homelessness & Social Justice Journal
    • Animal Advocacy
      • Pet Resources
        • Heart 'N Mind Paw Rescue
          • Pawsitive Parenting Pet Rescue Journal
        • Sounds of Nature
      • Animal Advocacy & Healthy Pet Parenting Journal
      • Positive Pet Parenting Journal
      • Raising Pet Positive Kids
      • Supermom ...Kind Of
      • Pawsitively Adventurous Pets
      • Purrely Pawsitive And Barkably Amazing Pet Training Tips
      • Dog Praising
      • Spirit of the Wild Lands and Animals
    • Motivational Friends Inspirational Journal
    • Inner Healing & Spirituality Journal
    • Naturally Connected Journey - Views On Life, Passions, & Interests
  • News
    • News Articles
    • Travel
      • RV'ing Successfully ~ A Family Roadschooling & Travel Journal
      • Hometown Love ~ A Local Journal
    • Science and Nature Articles
    • Sports Break Journal
      • NFL 2019 Squares
  • Fun
    • Gaming Successfully
    • Luna Starlight Comics
    • Crafting Successfully Arts & Crafts Journal
    • Culture Carnival; A Festival, Tradition, & Holiday Journal
    • Mouthy Momtrepreneur Journal
    • Clowning Around
    • Music Articles Journal
    • Entertainment Articles Journal
    • Humor Treasure Trove; A Funny Comedy Journal
  • Life Successfully
  • INTENT-SIVE NATURE
    • Business Success Services
      • Intent to Read Publishing
    • Healing Jewelry & Talismans
      • What is the Meaning Behind Intent-sive Nature Healing Jewelry?
    • Custom Healing Products & Services
    • Essential Oil, Spiritual Oils, & Aromatherapy
    • Bath, Beauty, & Self-Care
    • Rituals, Herbs, & Altar Supplies
    • Original Artwork
    • Protection
    • Orgone Or Orgonite
    • Wands
    • Yoga & Meditation
    • Crystals & Gemstones
    • Books & Media
    • Education & Homeschool Resources
    • Clothing
    • Decor And Home Accents
    • RV, Camping, And Auto
  • BUSINESS, MARKETING, & CONTENT SERVICES
  • Writing, Web, Business, & Tech
    • Brand Shamans Brand Healing Journal
    • Write W.A.V.E. Media Thought Leadership & Tech Journal
    • Writing Tips Journal
    • The One-and-Only Internet Money Making Guide!
    • Writer's Resumes
      • Lyn Lomasi
        • Ask Lyn
      • Get Your FREE Writer's Profile & Online Resume
    • Be a Writer!
    • Submission Guidelines
  • About & Contact
    • Become an Affiliate!
    • Promotional Banners
    • Disclosure, TOU, Dislaimer, & Privacy
  • SUBMIT GUEST POSTS
  • Family & Home
    • Your Soul Flame Journal
    • FLOW-Key Parenting Journal
      • The Pregnancy & Baby Care Guide EVERY Parent Needs!
      • The ONLY Potty Training Guide You'll Ever Need
      • Elementary Learning Supplies...
      • 10 Safe Toys
      • Soothe Crying Baby
      • Playing Cards With Kids
    • Life & Home Journal
    • Mekai's Branches ~ Family Adventure Journal
    • Kymani's Travels ~ Family Travel Journal
    • The Nova Skye Story ~ Family Journal
    • Momtrepreneur Moments ~ A Business Mom's Journal
    • Successful Relationships; A Heart-Focused Journal
    • Better Plumbing Blog
      • Hire Better Plumbing - Your Denver Plumber
  • Education
    • Heart 'N Mind Homeschool Journal
    • Free Learning Education Journal
      • Two Affordable And Fun Toys For Teaching Kids To Read
      • Elementary Learning Supplies You Can Find At The Dollar Store
      • Free Counting Fun For Toddlers And Preschoolers
      • Why School Choice is Important in High School
      • Choosing Childen's Books That Create Smart Readers
    • Free Homeschool Worksheets
    • The Bibliophile's Library Journal - Book News, Reviews, & Info
    • Penning Your World ~ A Creative Writing Journal
    • Monsters Within Us ~ An Otherworldly Journal of Monstrous Incantations
      • A Lighter Shade of Green
  • Health & Beauty
    • Whole Body Health, Healing, & Medicine Journal
    • Good Eats For The Soul ~ Vegan Diet, Recipes, & Food Journal
      • Recipe Books By Lyn Lomasi
    • Fash Diva ~ A Clothing, Shoes, & Fashion Journal
    • Naturally Simple ~ A Self-Care & Beauty Journal
    • Senior Living
    • Disabilities Articles
    • Green Living Articles
  • Causes
    • Causes We Support
    • Speak Up!; A Homelessness & Social Justice Journal
    • Animal Advocacy
      • Pet Resources
        • Heart 'N Mind Paw Rescue
          • Pawsitive Parenting Pet Rescue Journal
        • Sounds of Nature
      • Animal Advocacy & Healthy Pet Parenting Journal
      • Positive Pet Parenting Journal
      • Raising Pet Positive Kids
      • Supermom ...Kind Of
      • Pawsitively Adventurous Pets
      • Purrely Pawsitive And Barkably Amazing Pet Training Tips
      • Dog Praising
      • Spirit of the Wild Lands and Animals
    • Motivational Friends Inspirational Journal
    • Inner Healing & Spirituality Journal
    • Naturally Connected Journey - Views On Life, Passions, & Interests
  • News
    • News Articles
    • Travel
      • RV'ing Successfully ~ A Family Roadschooling & Travel Journal
      • Hometown Love ~ A Local Journal
    • Science and Nature Articles
    • Sports Break Journal
      • NFL 2019 Squares
  • Fun
    • Gaming Successfully
    • Luna Starlight Comics
    • Crafting Successfully Arts & Crafts Journal
    • Culture Carnival; A Festival, Tradition, & Holiday Journal
    • Mouthy Momtrepreneur Journal
    • Clowning Around
    • Music Articles Journal
    • Entertainment Articles Journal
    • Humor Treasure Trove; A Funny Comedy Journal

Magic the Gathering - Austere Command NOT in Modern Masters 2015 (MM2)

4/27/2015

0 Comments

 
by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist
Picture
With the release of Modern Masters 2015, it was originally believed that Magic players will get to acquire several cards from the Command cycle from Lorwyn. Not only was the set supposed to include the extremely popular Cryptic Command, but also includes Austere Command, Incendiary Command, Primal Command, and Profane Command. In particular, Austere Command would have been an important reprint, not so much for the Modern format, but for Commander. Alas, only Cryptic Command and Profane Command ended up being reprinted.

Austere Command is an extremely powerful board-wipe in the Commander format. Because of this, it was included in one of the Commander 2011 pre-constructed decks. But outside of its original Lorwyn printing, that was the only other time that it was released. Because of its popularity in the Commander format, both printings run more than $7 a copy.

Why is it so good in Commander? It gives you options. 6 mana seems like a lot to pay for a boardwipe, but you get to choose 2 of 4 options. You can destroy all artifacts, all enchantments, creatures with converted mana cost 3 or less, or creatures with converted mana cost 4 or more. Considering all of these options, it can be extremely one-sided depending on who's playing it.

While players are definitely happy that Cryptic Command was reprinted, it turned out that Incendiary Command and Austere Command would not be reprinted at all. Primal Command, however, would be reprinted in the Duel Decks: Zendikar vs Eldrazi. It was hoped that a new supply of non-foil and foil versions would make Austere Command much more affordable. Cryptic Command saw a price dip even due to everyone wanting four copies of it.  With Austere Command you'll probably ever only need one, but since no new copies have entered the market, its price is only going to continue to rise for some time.

0 Comments

Magic the Gathering - Fulminator Mage Reprint in Modern Masters 2015 (MM2)

4/27/2015

0 Comments

 
by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist
Picture
Fulminator Mage is a nasty card. There's no worse feeling than having one of your dual lands blown up without warning. It's been a popular sideboard card in Modern for quite some time, although its overall play has seen a decline since the banning of Birthing Pod. It still sees play in Junk and Jund decks.

Because it's not a popular four-of (sideboards tend to contain 2 or 3 copies), it's very likely that Fulminator Mage won't keep a $35-40 price tag. Being previously only printed in Shadowmoor has made this useful card very expensive for some players to acquire. That will no longer be a problem with its MM2 reprint.

For Legacy, Cube, and Commander players that want foil copies of the Mage, Modern Masters 2015 has a foil in every pack, so Fulminator Mages in foil are now quite obtainable.


0 Comments

Magic the Gathering - Noble Hierarch Reprint in Modern Masters 2015 (MM2)

4/27/2015

0 Comments

 
by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist
Picture
Of all the cards being reprinted in Modern Masters 2015, Noble Hierarch is perhaps the number one card that people wanted to see. Long a staple in Legacy, Hierarch is also very valuable in a wide array of Modern decks. Being able to provide Green, White, or Blue mana is a big deal. The Exalted trigger also comes into play quite often. Noble Hierarch has always been a good card, but as it was only ever printed in Conflux, supply of a card that is played primarily as a four-of has been dwindling.

Noble Hierarch has been a $45+ card for a long time, but with this reprint, that price should come down significantly.. The reprinting in Modern Masters also means that the foil copies of Hierarch will see a noticeable dip in value, as every Modern Masters pack comes with a foil. However, players looking to build Bant Control or Green/White decks will be quite happy to see Hierarchs in far greater supply. This is a very important reprint for the Modern format.


0 Comments

Magic the Gathering - Splinter Twin Reprint in Modern Masters 2015 (MM2)

4/27/2015

0 Comments

 
by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist
Picture
Modern Masters 2015 is full of some very valuable reprints. With supply being greatly outstripped by the rapidly growing demand for the Modern format, these reprints are more needed than ever.

Splinter Twin is one of many Rise of the Eldrazi cards being reprinted in Modern Masters 2015. As of the announcement, it's been a $25 card. Other expensive Rise cards like All is Dust, Kozilek, Butcher of Truth, and Ulamog the Infinite Gyre are being reprinted at their original mythic rare status. Twin is only a rare, so it's likely going to see a noticeable dip in value.

To be fair, however, Splinter Twin a four-of in any Twin combo deck. Even though the supply will grow sharply, and the price may plummet at first, it should be a good long term value as the Modern Masters 2015 copies are swept up.

0 Comments

Magic Online (MTGO) Tempest Remastered - Grindstone Reprint

4/16/2015

0 Comments

 
by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist
Picture
Grindstone is a powerful card,and the primary engine for the popular Imperial Painter deck in Legacy. The deck plays Imperial Recruiter and Painter's Servant. When it enters the battlefield, the Recruiter grabs the Painter's Servant (or any creature with power 2 or less) from your deck to your hand.  Painter's Servant makes all cards not in play, any spells and any permanents a chosen color in addition to their other colors.

The combination of
Grindstone and Painter's Servant means that once Grindstone is activated, you can "deck" a player in one shot., since every card in a player's deck will be the same color (yes, even lands). This makes it a rather nasty win condition. The only way to stop an effect like this once it resolves is to play a card that would shuffle itself and that player's entire graveyard back into their deck (like one of the major Eldrazi such as Emrakul). Barring that sort of shuffle effect, Grindstone/Painter's Servant is a viable strategy that has been a profitable deck for many Magic players over the years.

The Imperial Painter deck is much more popular online due to the fact that its overall cost is so much less. Imperial Recruiter is a $200 card in paper due to its rarity from being only printed in Portal Three Kingdoms. As the Recruiter was a rare in the widely drafted Master's Edition II set on Magic Online, copies are only about $13 a piece.. Painter's Servants are also about 1/5th of their paper price (roughly $2 vs $9). Grindstone isn't exactly expensive, though, only about $8-9 online vs $15 or so in paper.

But with the Tempest Remastered reprint on the horizon, there will soon be some more supply of Grindstone. It is being reprinted at mythic rare, however, so it will not be opened as nearly as much were it still printed at rare. This rarity decision was based on its power level in the draft format, as any "mill" cards like this are powerful in limited formats. In any case, there will be new copies on the market which should lower the acquisition card of this powerful Legacy card considerably


0 Comments

Magic Online (MTGO) Tempest Remastered - Humility Reprint

4/16/2015

0 Comments

 
by ElspethFTW,  Old School Duelist
Picture
Humility is a card originally printed in Tempest that has seen some play in lock-down decks in Legacy over the years. On Magic Online, however, it will be receiving a reprint in the limited edition online-only set, Tempest Remastered. Like some other powerful cards being reprinted in this draft set, Humility will be reprinted at mythic rare. This is mostly due to the fact that Humility is an extremely powerful card. But as this is currently about a $10 card on line, even with the more limited supply because of mythic rare printing, the price will still drop.

This Enchantment costs 2WW (2 colorless, 2 White) to cast and makes all creatures into vanilla 1/1 creatures. Making creatures lose all abilities is especially important, as many creatures in Legacy have powerful abilities. Nerfing creature abilities and making them into like 1/1's is one of the most powerful control strategies in the history of Magic. However, over the years, playing a 4-drop Enchantment has become harder and harder as the format has sped up. Also a card like Humility does nothing against a lot of popular combo strategies that exist in the game today. Resource deprivation decks such as Stax have out-moded decks that would use cards like Humlity.

All that being said, Humility doesn't see a bunch of Magic Online play any more. However, one of its best friends in the lock-down deck, Grindstone, is also being reprinted in Tempest Remastered at mythic rare, as well. These two key cards seeing greater supply on Magic Online may bring interest back to that nasty Icy Manipulator/Winter Orb deck, even if not back into any meaningful competition. At the very least, there will be a dip in value for old Tempest copies of Humility. If this is a card you've considered picking up online, May 2015 will be a good time to watch for it as many people will be selling copies to fund their Tempest Remastered drafts.

0 Comments

Magic the Gathering - Dragons of Tarkir Furious Forces Intro Pack Deck Review

4/11/2015

0 Comments

 
by  ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist
Picture
Furious Forces, the red/green Intro Pack for Dragons of Tarkir, features Harbinger of the Hunt and the Formidable mechanic. These Formidable abilities only activate when the total power of creatures you control is 8 or more. Let's see how this deck introduces this mechanic, and if it does it well.


Creatures (21)

1 Dragonlord's Servant
2 Atarka Beastbreaker
2 Glade Watcher
2 Colossodon Yearling
2 Hardened Berserker
2 Sabertooth Outrider
1 Summit Prowler
2 Lurking Arynx
2 Stampeding Elk Herd
1 Harbinger of the Hunt
1 Scion of Ugin
2 Savage Ventmaw
1 Dragonloft Idol


Sorceries (5)

1 Roast
1 Epic Confrontation
1 Dragon Fodder
1 Magmatic Chasm
1 Seismic Rupture

Instants (7)

1 Draconic Roar
1 Tread Upon
2 Tail Slash
1 Press the Advantage
2 Sarkhan's Rage

Artifact (1)

1 Atarka Monument

Enchantment (1)

1 Berserkers' Onslaught

Land (25)

1 Evolving Wilds
12 Forest
12 Mountain



Harbinger of the Hunt is one of the better of the five Dragons from the cycle featured in the Intro Packs. His ability to do damage across the board can come mighty in handy when dealing with 1 toughness creatures. In the late game, he can ensure that your forces will be able to overpower your opponents. Since you're going to be running fairly large creatures in a Red/Green aggro strategy anyway, your creatures should be easily able to absorb the damage they would take from the Harbinger's abilities.


The best creature in the deck, however, is very likely Savage Ventmaw. He pays for himself as soon as he attacks, and the longer he goes unchecked, the more you can do in your second main phases. Together, Harbinger of the Hunt and Savage Ventmaw do some work at the top end of the mana curve..

Trouble is, the creature line-up in this deck isn't all that impressive., even if its parts look pretty good on their own Atarka Beastbreaker is a fine common creature, though, with the Formidable mechanic. If you have a total power of 8 or more on board, he can gain +4/+4 until end of turn for only 1G. Glade Watcher is a 3/3 with Defender, with the Formidable ability to lose defender until end of turn for 1 Green mana. Colossodon Yearling is a vanilla 2/4 creature.

Hardened Berserker is an odd sort of "ramp" card. Whenever he attacks, the next spell you cast costs 1 colorless mana less. Sabertooth Outrider is a 4/2 that can gain first strike if you can activate Formidable. Summit Prowler is a vanilla 4/3.  Lurking Arnyx is a 3/5 that can force a creature to block. Stampeding Elk Herd is a 5/5 that can give all your creatures trample until end of turn if you have Formidable. Scion of Ugin is a colorless Dragon that costs 6 mana and is a 4/4 flyer. Lastly, Dragonloft Idol is a 3/3 for 4 that gains +1/+1, flying and trample if you control a Dragon.

Obviously, Formidable isn't too hard to activate in this deck. But the Beastbreaker is the only creature that really stands out as actually good. The one thing that R/G Aggro decks really need is to stay ahead of the curve, and this deck doesn't really do that at all. Hardened Berserker does help a little bit, but not enough to consistently make any sort of difference.

Also, Formidable can be countered by one of your creatures being destroyed by removal before they can resolve. If you go to activate a Formidable ability, and one of your creatures is meanwhile destroyed, bringing your total power under 8, that ability will fizzle. This probably shouldn't be a huge deal, but it's something to keep in mind.

Non-Creature Spells

The most interesting cards in the deck lie in the non-creature spells. Berserkers' Onslaught is a lesser version of an older card called Rage Reflection. Whereas Rage Reflection gave all of your creatures double strike at all times, for one less mana to cast, Berserker's Onslaught only gives your creatures double strike when they attack. To be fair, this won't matter much of the time, as you don't really want to play conservatively in this type of deck. But it does make a difference.. It's good for an Intro Pack, though.


Roast is a very good removal card, dealing 5 damage to a creature without flying. Dragon Fodder is a card that works well in most red decks, but is awkward as a one-of. Draconic Roar is great if you have a Dragon in hand or one on board.
The rest of the non-creature spells are good in a Limited environment, but not really in Constructed.


Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Improving the Deck

To say that Dragonlord Atarka would be a good addition to this deck pretty much goes without saying. Atarka has made noise in Standard in the early going and while 7 mana seems like a lot, it's well worth an 8/8 with flying and trample that can take creatures and planeswalkers down upon entering. Surrak the Hunt Caller is easily the best of the Formidable creatures, and being a 5/4, is most likely going to activate Formidable on his own. Giving a creature haste during each of your combats is very powerful and makes cards like Savage Ventmaw and the aforementioned Dragonlord that much more dangerous.

To really get the most out of Formidable, you should perhaps consider Shaman of the Great Hunt and Savage Knuckleblade. You'll have to splash blue to play the Knuckleblade, but both are 4 power creatures that offer great value. The new planeswalker, Sarkhan Unbroken, also helps you gain advantage with extra mana and card draw, but also needs the blue mana. Playing a ramp creature like Rattleclaw Mystic should speed up the deck a bit, too.

The deck could also use more consistent removal and quicker creatures like Flamewake Phoenix. With the Ferocious ability, which only requires you control a creature with power 4 or more, Heir of the Wilds is a much stronger card than Glade Watcher. The only Formidable creatures that will likely remain after changes would be the Beastbreakers and one or two copies of Surrak. Ferocious is a much more consistent ability, but the power of the Beastbreakers can't be overlooked. Also, Atarka's Command is a flexible non-creature spell this deck probably shouldn't go without.

This Intro Pack tries to do something cool. In a casual setting against another Intro Pack, it could hold the line and probably push through a few wins. But it really needs to focus on really being a R/G Aggro deck to succeed. You could also morph this list into a Temur (Red/Green/Blue) deck to really achieve consistent results.



0 Comments

Master of Pearls from Khans of Tarkir - A  Magic the Gathering Card Review

4/10/2015

0 Comments

 
by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist
Picture
I'm not sure how exactly one becomes a Master of Pearls. But on the surface, it's hard to see what the advantage of becoming one really is. The "Master" is pretty much just a 2/2 bear for 1W that has a Morph cost of 3WW. Yes, when he’s turned face-up, you get a Sanctified Charge effect – creatures you control get +2/+2 until end of turn. This does also make him a 4/4 until end of turn.

While this is a fair effect in Limited., for a 3WW mana investment, you’re better off flashing in Dictate of Heliod for a permanent +2/+2 boost for all of your creatures. So why you would ever play the "Master of Pearls" outside of a Limited environment?


Picture
Here's the reason: Mastery of the Unseen., This is a card that has broken out in a big way in combination with Whisperwood Elemental. With the coming of decent Megamorph creatures like Den Protector and Hidden Dragonslayer in Dragons of Tarkir, Master of Pearls seems like a decent creature if flipped with Mastery of the Unseen.

If Master of Pearls is manifested by the Mastery or Whisperwood Elemental, you get a chance to flip it for 1W and gain its effect, instead of having to pay 3WW. Not having to play it first face-down for 3 colorless really improves this creature's effect. Of course, if you end up with Master of Pearls in hand, you're still going to have to pay its full cost.

Even with the possibility of getting lots of value out of Master of Pearls if it gets manifested, the potential drawback of drawing into it may not be worth including it. The potential of creating a Manifested army and swinging for the fences with a +2/+2 boost is pretty cool, though. While Master of Pearls may never be more than a bulk rare, at least there is potential now for it to potentially help a Manifest deck land a crippling blow out of nowhere.


0 Comments

Magic the Gathering - Dragons of Tarkir Cruel Plots Intro Pack Deck Review

4/4/2015

0 Comments

 
by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist
Picture
The Cruel Plots Intro Pack from Dragons of Tarkir is all about the Exploit mechanic. Exploit is an optional ability allows you to sacrifice a creature in order to gain an effect. As many creatures also have a "when it dies" effect, this makes Exploiting a creature doubly useful.

The Deck List:

Creatures (26)

2 Shambling Goblin
1 Hand of Silumgar
2 Palace Familiar
2 Dutiful Attendant
1 Minister of Pain
1 Gurmag Drowner
2 Youthful Scholar
2 Rakshasa Gravecaller
2 Sidisi's Faithful
2 Qarsi Sadist
1 Ukud Cobra
1 Vulturous Aven
1 Wandering Tombshell
1 Profaner of the Dead
2 Silumgar Butcher
1 Necromaster Dragon
2 Ruthless Deathfang

Instants (6)

1 Negate
1 Silumgar's Scorn
1 Coat with Venom
1 Ultimate Price
1 Gravepurge
1 Death Wind

Artifact (1)

1 Silumgar Monument

Sorcery (1)

1 Mind Rot

Enchantment (1)

1 Reduce in Stature

Land (25)

1 Evolving Wilds
13 Swamp
11 Island


Picture
Picture
Creatures

Necromaster Dragon is the cover card of the deck, but he has nothing to do at all with the Exploit mechanic. His ability activates when he deals combat damage to a player, and it costs 2 colorless mana to activate. That ability both gives you a 2/2 Zombie creature token and each opponent puts the top 2 cards of his or her library into the graveyard. You can use these tokens as Exploit fuel, of course. He's a 4/4 flyer for 5 mana, so it's possible he'll connect fairly often. "Milling" opponents is not really what this deck is about, so you're playing him mostly to get the tokens.

Ruthless Deathfang, however, makes a lot more sense for this deck's purposes. He's a 4/4 flyer for 4UB, and each time you sacrifice a creature, a target opponent must sacrifice a creature as well. It's sort of like a worse version of Dictate of Erebos. It's really good with Exploit.

So what nifty Exploit creatures do we have? We actually have a pretty good one in Profaner of the Dead. While he's not a "money" card in the set, the Profaner is quite playable. He costs 3U to cast and is a 3/3 Naga Wizard. His exploit abiity is quite powerful. When the Profaner exploits a creature, any of your opponents' creatures with toughness less than the exploited creature's toughness return to their owners' hands. With Exploit, the creature can in fact sacrifice itself to its own Exploit ability. This would mean any of your opponents' creatures with two or less toughness would be "bounced." A creature like Profaner is the answer to aggressive decks that really don't want their creatures going back to the hand.


Sidisi's Faithful is a one-drop Blue Exploit creature, and its ability is to bounce a creature to its owner's hand. Otherwise it's just a 0/4, which can be useful for defensive purposes. Qarsi Sadist is a 1/3 for 1B that has an Exploit ability of gaining you 2 life and costing an opponent 2 life. Vulturous Aven is a 2/3 flyer for 3B that Exploits for two cards at the cost of 2 life.

Minister of Pain is another Exploit creature, and his ability is to give opponents' creatures -1/-1 until end of turn. This is really good against decks that play a lot of tokens or otherwise small aggressive creatures. Gurmag Drowner's Exploit ability lets you look at the top 4 cards of your deck, choose one, and throw the rest in the graveyard. Rakshasa Gravecaller Exploits for two 2/2 Zombie tokens. Silumgar Butcher is a 3/3 for 4B that Exploits to give a target creature -3/-3.

There are some creatures in the deck that also actually benefit you by being sacrificed. Shambling Goblin gives a target creature -1/-1 when it dies. Palace Familiar draws you a card when it dies. Dutiful Attendant gives you a creature back from your graveyard to your hand. Youthful Scholar gives you two cards.

The other creatures in the deck are mainly defensive. Hand of Silumgar is a 2/1 with Deathtouch, Ukul Cobra a 2/5 with Deathtouch, and Wandering Tombshell is a 1/6. (Note: the Cobra and Tombshell are excellent Exploit targets for Profaner of the Dead.)


Non-Creature Spells

As far as Intro Packs go, there is quite a fascinating assortment of non-creature spells, primarily so with the instants. There's one artifact, the obligatory Monument for this deck, which is in this case Silumgar. Having the ability to fix for blue or black mana and get a 4/4 Dragon when you need it isn't bad. The lone Enchantment in the deck is Reduce in Stature, an Aura that enchants a creature, turning it into a 0/2. Mind Rot is the only Sorcery in the deck, a card seen in many sets, that makes a player discard 2 cards. Its inclusion here seems a bit odd, as there's no other discard component to this deck.

The Instants are where these spells get interesting. Negate is a simple counter-spell for non-creature spells. Silumgar's Scorn can counter any spell unless its controller pays an additional 1 mana, but counters that spell completely if you reveal a Dragon card from your hand or have a Dragon in play as you cast it. Coat with Venom is an interesting spell that gives a target creature +1/+2 and deathtouch until end of turn for only a single Black mana. It's a very defensive spell, and seems better suited for a Theros block Heroic deck than this Intro Pack – but it is good.

Ultimate Price is a reprint from Return to Ravnica, which destroys a mono-colored creature for 1B. It was a card that was very popular in its days in Standard, and should be quite good again. While there are plenty of strong multi-colored creatures, there are also many mono-colored creatures that you'd want to hit with this card.

Gravepurge is another reprint, this one from Dark Ascension. It allows you to put up any number of creature cards from your graveyard to the top of your deck, then draw a card, for 2B. Being Instant speed, it's probably best played at the end of an opponent's turn. Optimally you'd want to do so in order to draw one creature right away and have another one at the beginning of your next turn. You can stack as many as you wish, allowing you to reuse Exploit effects over and over. It's not a card you would typically see in competitive decks, but it's good in this case for an Intro Pack.

The last non-creature spell, Death Wind, is also a reprint, this one originally being printed at common in Avacyn Restored. It was bumped up to uncommon for Dragons of Tarkir. Death Wind is an X cost spell, and for X and a single Black mana, target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn. Because it's -X/-X indestructible abilities do not apply if the creatures toughness becomes 0 – it still dies. Not only can it be a useful removal spell, but even as a combat trick, as well.


Picture
Improving the Deck

The best Exploit creature in the Dragons of Tarkir set is easily Sidisi, Undead Vizier. Her Exploit ability allows you to add any card from your deck to your hand. On top of that, she's a 4/6 creature with Deathtouch. Not much can get around that. Some decks in Standard played two copies of her as soon as she was released.

Dragonlord Silumgar saw some Standard play upon release, as well, and his ability to steal an opponent's creature or planeswalker is extremely powerful. Speaking of planeswalkers, until he rotates out of Standard, Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver is a great candidate for this deck. Not only does he exile cards from your opponent's deck but also allows you to play any creatures you exile with Ashiok's ability.

Silumgar Sorcerer is another very good creature with Exploit. It's a bit surprising that no copies of him were included in this Intro Pack. He's another Exploit creature that has seen Standard play in Mono-Blue Devotion. He costs 1UU to cast and has Flash, meaning you can play him on an opponent's turn. He is a 2/1 flyer and his exploit ability counters a target creature spell. He's a creature you'll want a full playset of in a deck.

The deck probably also wants a bit more removal and another copy of Ultimate Price could replace the seemingly random Mind Rot. An extra copy of Silumgar's Scorn in place of Reduce in Stature seems like a good plan, too.

Of the Dragons of Tarkir Intro Packs, this one has a pretty solid strategy. It may not have a chase rare like Myth Realized or Secure the Wastes, but it's a solid introduction to the Exploit strategy.

0 Comments

Magic the Gathering (MTG) - Dragons of Tarkir Enlightened Mastery Intro Pack Review

4/4/2015

0 Comments

 
by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist
Picture
The Enlightened Mastery Intro Pack for Dragons of Tarkir features a defensive tempo strategy built around the dragon Pristine Skywise. The deck also features some very useful cards including Anticipate, Myth Realized, and Silkwrap. There are also seven different cards (10 total copies) with Rebound in the deck, which allow you to get two casts from one card.

Here's the list:

Creatures (17)

2 Zephyr Scribe
1 Dragon's Eye Sentry
3 Elusive Spellfist
1 Orator of Ojutai
2 Updraft Elemental
2 Student of Ojutai
1 Ancient Carp
2 Strongarm Monk
2 Cunning Breezedancer
1 Pristine Skywise

Instants (6)

2 Anticipate
2 Artful Maneuver
2 Ojutai's Breath

Enchantments (4)

1 Myth Realized
2 Silkwrap
1 Skywise Teachings

Artifact (1)

1 Ojutai Monument

Sorceries (7)

1 Mystic Meditation
1 Sight Beyond Sight
1 Taigam's Strike
1 Great Teacher's Decree
1 Void Squall
2 Ojutai's Summons

Land (25)

1 Evolving Wilds
13 Island
11 Plains



Picture
Picture
First, we'll take a look at Pristine Skywise, the cover card for this deck. It's a 6/4 flying Dragon that costs 6 mana (4WU) to cast. Whenever you cast a non-creature spell, you untap Pristine Skywise and it gains protection from the color of your choice until end of turn. There are several ways to use this protection to your advantage. You can use it defensively, untapping Pristine Skywise and giving it protection from the creature it's going to block. It can be used in response to removal, as well, by choosing the color (or one of the colors) of the offending removal spell. You can also use this ability while attacking to make it so Pristine Skywise remains untapped even after attacking and force through an attack by choosing the color of any potential blockers for protection.

In addition, you have two copies of Cunning Breezedancer, which is only a 4/4 for 4WU, but gains +2/+2 until end of turn whenever you cast a non-creature spell. With all of the cards with Rebound in this deck, you'll get some extra triggers for sure.

None of the other creatures in the deck are incredibly exciting, but there are some interactions with non-creature spells that are at least interesting. Zephyr Scribe provides a way to card filter for a single Blue mana and a tap. But whenever you cast a non-creature spell, you untap the Scribe. The most interesting creature, however, is probably the Elusive Spellfists. They cost 1U to cast and begin as 1/3 creatures that can gain +1/+0 and can't be blocked until end of turn for each non-creature spell you cast. Strongarm Monk gives your creatures +1/+1 until end of turn for each noncreature spell you cast, but as base 3/3 creatures for 4W, they're a bit underwhelming.

Picture
Picture
Non-Creature Spells

Since the creature lineup is rather light on the offensive side, the noncreature spells need to make up for it. First, we'll take a look at the valuable rare in the deck, Myth Realized.

The hope with Myth Realized is that you can drop it on turn one. With each non creature spell you cast, it gains a lore counter. For only a single White mana, it can become a creature until end of turn with power and toughness equal to the number of lore counters on it. The Myth has its own ability to have lore counters added onto it for 2W. These lore counters can be added at any time, too, so they can be added during your opponent's end step if you have open mana.

Another interesting Enchantment in this deck is Skywise Teachings. For a casting cost of 3U, you get an Enchantment that gives you the ability to create 2/2 flying Djinns for 1U whenever you cast a non-creature spell. On paper this seems pretty good, but can become quite a mana sink. On the other hand, Silkwrap is a nice efficient removal spell for 1W that deals with your opponents' creatures that cost 3 mana or less. Eliminating your opponents' early threats is pretty useful, especially as they trigger the non-creature spell effects.


Picture
Picture
The gameplan of this deck mostly revolves around the Rebound spells. The first is the Instant speed Artful Manuever, which for 1W gives a target creature +2/+2 until end of turn. With Rebound, the spell is exiled, and you then get to cast it again for free from exile. Oftentimes, you may find yourself casting it on your turn so that you can use it again on your next turn. To get the full effect, it seems best to use this offensively, rather than defensively.

Ojutai's Breath is another Instant speed Rebound spell. This one costs 2U and taps down a creature. That creature then can't untap during its controllers next untap spell. It's definitely a defensive tempo play that's probably better used later in the game to tap down any opposing flyers (or creatures with reach) to get your Cunning Breezedancers and Pristine Skywise through for landing game-winning hits.

The remaining Rebound cards are all at Sorcery speed. Sight Beyond Sight is simply a worse Anticipate, although you get two casts from it, and it triggers the effects of several of your creatures. Taigam's Strike costs 3U but gives a creature both +2/+0 and unblockable. Getting that effect twice from one card is pretty good. Great Teachers Decree gives all of your creatures +2/+1 until end of turn for 3W, and again, you get that effect again during your next turn. Void Squall is a bounce spell for 4U, which is a bit pricey, even being able to cast it twice. Lastly, there's Ojutai's Summons which puts a 2/2 flyer into play for 3UU. Getting two 2/2 flyers for 5 mana isn't all that bad, but there's more efficient ways to spend mana.


Picture
Picture
Improving the Deck

The creature that this deck would benefit the most from using is Seeker of the Way, which has seen a lot of play in Standard, as not only does his Prowess ability give him +1/+1 for each noncreature spell cast, but Lifelink as well. The other creature that would greatly benefit you is Monastery Mentor, which not only has Prowess, but creates 1/1 tokens as well. Playing the popular Soulfire Grand Master here doesn't make a ton of sense, since he doesn't interact well with Rebound spells, as they exile themselves.

Dragonlord Ojutai is awesome in this particular deck. Being a 5 drop dragon that can't be targeted by your opponents as long as it's untapped, you also get an Anticipate effect whenever it deals combat damage.

The new creature line-up would look something like this, including a more aggressive one-drop.

3 Dragon Hunter
4 Seeker of the Way
4 Elusive Spellfist
4 Monastery Mentor
1 Dragonlord Ojutai
2 Cunning Breezedancer
1 Pristine Skywise

That's 19 creatures, dropping the Ojutai Monument (not terribly necessary in this deck) and one of the sorcery spells, probably Mystic Meditation or Void Squall. Skywise Teachings could be replaced by another copy of Myth Realized. With this revamped lineup, you want to focus on offense. That being said, the two copies of Ojutai's Breath are probably a bit too slow. Two more copies of Artful Manuever would probably be better suited to the more offensive shift in the deck. You could also go for a more control-based deck, although the Rebound spells may not be quite as good in that case.

Overall, Enlightened Mastery isn't exciting at first glance. However, given a good number of creatures on board with the right Rebound spells played at the right time, this deck can get the job done with better creatures added into the mix.



0 Comments

Magic the Gathering - A Guide to the Ravnica Shocklands

4/4/2015

0 Comments

 
 by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist

The Ravnica "Shocklands" are among the most valuable land cards in Magic: the Gathering, serving as a major part of the Modern format's mana base.

Picture
Is Ravnica Block the Best Magic: the Gathering Set Block Ever?

Let's be honest. Ravnica: City of Guilds is one of the best Magic the Gathering sets of all time. Not only do the cards have great artwork, a very good back story behind the cards, and some very fascinating cycles of cards, but it also has some of the most sought after, and therefore, most expensive cards in all of Magic.

But when you think of Ravnica, besides some cool legendary creatures, Dark Confidant, and Doubling Season, you have the most important Modern format staples ever: the shocklands.

Perhaps one of the most clever things Magic has ever done is build sets around specific color combinations, and spread those out across an entire block of three sets. Focusing on a group of guilds that abide by certain color combinations in each set provided a lot of flavor for the cards within it. This makes each set in the block have its own unique flavor, and no color combination went without some very interesting cards during this era in Magic.

However, this also means that the shocklands were spread over the three sets, as well. So without further ado, here is a guide to the ten shocklands of the classic Ravnica block.


Why are the Ravnica Dual Lands called Shocklands?

This is a fairly simple question to answer: when one of these Ravnica dual lands come into play, you can choose to pay 2 life. If you don't, the land comes into play tapped. With how popular three color and even four color decks are today, having these lands with dual combinations of mana is more important than ever.

Granted, Legacy has the original dual lands without this drawback, but they are also incredibly expensive because they can't be reprinted due to their inclusion on the Reserved List. Without any chance of reprint, the demand far outweighs the supply for Magic's best dual lands. So the shocklands are a reasonable, far less pricey alternative, albeit considerably inferior.

Also, the Modern format requires a bit more speed than the check-lands of the Core Sets, and the “fast” lands of Scars of Mirrodin & Innistrad have provided. Paying that 2 life to guarantee the land coming into play untapped is preferable to just having lands that are going to simply come into play tapped because the conditions aren’t met.

More importantly, you can search shock lands with the fetch lands from Zendikar and Onslaught/Khans of Tarkir. If you’re playing Legacy, you can use these shock lands as a cheaper alternative to the Alpha-Beta-Unlimited dual lands. Granted, you still have to pay the 2 life to have them come into play untapped, but you can’t search ordinary tap lands with fetches, so this is a major advantage.

In 2012, it was decided by Wizards of the Coast to reprint these wonderful mana fixers in the Return to Ravnica block, starting with the five used by the guilds featured in the set: Blood Crypt,
Hallowed Fountain, Overgrown Tomb, Steam Vents, and Temple Garden. Next in Gatecrash, Wizards reprinted the other five shock lands: Breeding Pool, Godless Shrine, Sacred Foundry, Stomping Ground, and Watery Grave.

With the shock lands once again in Standard until October 2014, they became more valuable than ever! Going forward, they continue to be the premier land cycle in the rapidly expanding Modern format - the competitive format that uses all cards printed in expansion sets from Eighth Edition on - the first set that was printed in the modern card border.

In 2018, the Guilds of Ravnica set reprinted five shock lands:
Temple Garden, Sacred Foundry, Overgrown Tomb, Steam Vents, and Watery Grave. This reprinting not only brought the cards back into Standard, but also greatly increased the supply of these popular dual lands.

Picture
Picture
Overgrown Tomb from Ravnica & Return to Ravnica
Black/Green Shock Land

One of the more popular of the shock lands is
Overgrown Tomb. It can be found in the first set of the block, Ravnica City of Guilds, as well as in Return to Ravnica with alternate artwork.

The other major perk about shock lands that I have not previously mentioned is that not only do they provide two types of mana, but they also count as both types of land that typically produce those colors of mana. In this case, this means Swamp and Forest. Therefore, any cards that build off of how many Swamps or Forests you have in play benefit from this duality. This is certainly true of many good cards in both Green and Black, which get more powerful with each Forest or Swamp you have in play..

Picture
Picture
Sacred Foundry from Ravnica: City of Guilds & Gatecrash
White/Red Shock Land

With red/white burn decks becoming extremely popular in Modern and Legacy, the Sacred Foundry of the Boros guild (red/white) is today one of the more expensive shock lands available. It's also a necessity for Modern Zoo decks, which typically run Red, White, and Green. Boros decks became quite a force in Standard, too, and most people never gave up their copies even after rotation. This is why it still maintains a high status among shock lands as far as price is concerned.



Picture
Picture
Temple Garden from Ravnica & Return to Ravnica
Green/White Shock Land

There was a time where this card was highly sought after. But after the banning of Green Sun’s Zenith in Modern, Temple Garden does not see nearly the competitive play it once did. Today, it’s one of the cheaper shock lands as far as price is concerned. With how relevant green/white decks became in the Return to Ravnica Standard metagame, however, Temple Garden rebounded in value. There are also some fairly competitive Modern decks still using Temple Garden, such as Green/White Hatebears and Bogles, so its value has remained fairly stable even after rotating from Standard.


Picture
Picture
Watery Grave (Ravnica: City of Guilds & Gatecrash)
Blue/Black Shock Land

The final shock land available from the first Ravnica set is Watery Grave, the blue/black shock land. Even though blue/black is a very popular combination for control decks, this is only the third most expensive of the quartet available from this set. Like with its Green/Black counterpart, Overgrown Tomb, the fact that this card doubles as an Island and a Swamp helps those several cards in Blue that benefit from the number of Islands present on your side of the board. This card also has some of the best artwork of the shock lands.


Picture
Picture
Godless Shrine (Guildpact & Gatecrash)
White/Black Shock Land

We move ahead to the second set of the Ravnica block, Guildpact, and we begin with one of the more popular of the Shock Lands,
Godless Shrine. White and black at first seems like an odd combination, until you consider that having a land that doubles as a Plains and a Swamp actually makes said color combination more playable than ever.

Isolated Chapel, the white/black dual land from Innistrad, turned white and black from being opposite, disparate elements into complementary pieces of a competitive Magic deck. In Modern, the Chapel and the Shrine form a solid mana-base for W/B/X strategies. The artwork on these cards also continues to get better and better. The artist Rob Alexander actually worked on the entire original shock land cycle of cards. They’re all fine artworks, but this is one of my personal favorites.


Picture
Picture
Steam Vents (Guildpact & Return to Ravnica)
Blue/Red Shock Land


Steam Vents covers blue and red, one of the most popular color combinations in the game right now. It's also  often been the most expensive of the ten shock lands. There’s not much else to say about it other than it helps complement the aggressive nature of Red with the control aspects of Blue. This combination allows deck builders to create very balanced, potent combos. Steam Vents was reprinted in Return to Ravnica, alongside a great deal of red/blue support courtesy of the Izzet guild.



Picture
Picture
Stomping Ground (Guildpact & Gatecrash)
Red/Green Shock Land


A favorite of Zoo players, Stomping Ground is aptly named for the beast-oriented decks that Red/Green facilitates. While to me it sounds a bit corny to be the name of a land, the flavor behind the name choice makes sense. It’s another mid-range priced shock land that makes a fine addition to any Magic collection. It’s also very good in mid-range Naya decks.

Picture
Picture
Blood Crypt (Dissension & Return to Ravnica)
Red/Black Shock Land

We now move forward to the final set of the Ravnica block, Dissension.  For some time,
Blood Crypt was one of the more expensive shock lands. Red/Black Zombies did quite well in the Return to Ravnica/Gatecrash Standard meta-game, and Jund Pod was long a force in Modern.  However, since the shock lands' rotation from Standard, even with Jund still holding a place in the Modern metagame, Blood Crypt has become the cheapest of the shocks. Still, because of Commander demand, this is definitely one of those shock lands you’ll want to hold onto long-term.



Picture
Picture
Breeding Pool (Dissension & Gatecrash)
Blue/Green Shock Land


Breeding Pool covers as both an Island and a Forest, giving Green decks the control element they need without having to invest too many land slots to Islands. It's a key piece of the mana-base for the “BUG” (Black/Blue/Green) or "Sultai" control decks becoming increasingly popular in Modern, as well as Bant and 4-color decks. It's also an important part of the mana base for RUG (Red, Blue, Green) decks. Understandably, this card is one of the most sought after from both Dissension and Gatecrash.

Picture
Picture
Hallowed Fountain (Dissension & Return to Ravnica)
White/Blue Shock Land


There is a reason why dual lands like Seachrome Coast were expensive during their times in Standard. White/Blue is one of the strongest control combinations in Magic, so Hallowed Fountain covers one of the most potent color combos in the game. It was at one time the most expensive of all of the shock lands mainly because of its prevalence in the competitive Magic scene. This made it one of the more difficult shock lands to obtain and therefore. With this white/blue Modern staple also available in Return to Ravnica with brand new artwork and even flavor text, it's now in the middle of the pack in value.

Picture
The Future of the "Shock" Lands

With the release of Battle for Zendikar, the shocklands were reprinted in full-art foil versions as part of the extremely rare Expeditions subset. Still, all ten of the Ravnica shock lands are great pick-ups. Foils are especially valuable as Modern players are foiling out their decks much like Legacy players tend to do, being an eternal format where cards never rotate.

Even with the new alternate full-art foils, shock lands are a permanent part of the Modern meta-game, and their values have really nowhere to go but up. If you're looking for a safe investment in Magic cards, the Ravnica shock lands, especially in foil, are the way to go.



0 Comments

Magic the Gathering - Dragons of Tarkir Massed Ranks Intro Pack Deck Review

4/3/2015

0 Comments

 
by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist
Picture
While the Massed Ranks Intro Pack for Dragons of Tarkir may feature the least interesting of the five Dragons, it does feature a solid rare in Secure the Wastes. Beyond that very playable token generating instant, is there anything else worthy of attention in this deck?

Here's the list:

Creatures (23)

1 Dromoka Dunecaster
2 Servant of the Scale
2 Dromoka Warrior
3 Lightwalker
1 Territorial Roc
1 Scaleguard Sentinels
2 Sandcrafter Mage
2 Salt Road Quartermasters
2 Champion of Arashin
2 Aven Tactician

2 Sandsteppe Scavenger
2 Enduring Scalelord
1 Arashin Sovereign

Enchantments (3)

2 Pacifism
1 Sheltered Aerie

Artifact (1)

1 Dromoka Monument

Instants (8)

2 Inspiring Call
2 Scale Blessing
1 Enduring Victory
2 Dromoka's Gift
1 Secure the Wastes

Land (25)

1 Evolving Wilds
13 Plains
11 Forest



Picture
The cover card Arashin Sovereign is big, but beyond that not incredibly exciting. It's a 6/6 flyer for 5GW (7 total mana) and when it dies you can choose to put it on the top or the bottom of your library. You can either choose to get it back for your next turn or put it to the bottom to potentially draw again later. For a rare dragon, though, that's really underwhelming. You don't really want this as your best creature.

Bolster is the main mechanic of this deck. This ability gives you the chance to put a +1/+1 counter on a creature with the least toughness among creatures you control. Unfortunately, most of the Bolster cards occupy the higher end of the mana curve in this particular deck.


Still there are some cool cards of note. Servant of the Scale is a useful one-drop common creature that enters with a +1/+1 counter. When it dies, you get to put any counters it has onto another creature. Scaleguard Sentinels is a good creature if you happen to have a Dragon in hand or in play as you cast it.


Sandcrafter Mage
is a good creature with Bolster – in Limited. Enduring Scalelord is pretty cool as an uncommon Dragon in a deck that has lots of +1/+1 counters flying around. Having both on the battlefield at the same time allows you to "go infinite" and stack as many counters as you want which is pretty much a win condition.



Picture
Picture
On the non-creature side, Inspiring Call is really good for both card draw and helping your Bolstered creatures to become indestructible. Scale Blessing is a 4 drop instant (3W) but as the game goes on, its effect becomes far more relevant. Not only do you get to Bolster 1, but any creature that already has a +1/+1 counter gets another one.

The best card in this deck, however, is clearly Secure the Wastes. An Instant speed Warrior token generator for only a single White plus X is just really, really good. It's one of the most useful cards of the entire Dragons of Tarkir set. But even its inclusion probably isn't enough to make what's a pretty mediocre Intro Pack deck worth buying.


Picture
Picture
A better "boss" creature for this deck would be Dromoka, the Eternal, who bolsters whenever she or another Dragon attacks. Dragonlord Dromoka is really good here, too. The other Dragon to consider for this deck is Sunscorch Regent. Two copies of that is far better than Enduring Scalelord, as the Regent gains a +1/+1 counter any time your opponent casts a spell.

Dragonscale General is a great way to ensure you get plenty of Bolstering done, too. Perhaps the best creature for this deck, though, is Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit. Her Bolster ability activates whenever another non-token creature enters the battlefield under your control. Optimizing the mana-curve towards more efficient creatures should make her even better.

The Massed Ranks Intro Pack is probably still worth buying at its original price  just for the Secure the Wastes and two Booster Packs. Still, it's certainly not the strongest choice of the five decks for Dragons of Tarkir. It's also getting pretty hard to find in sealed form. It does at least introduce the Bolster mechanic to newer players and is a fairly easy deck archetype to upgrade quickly.

Updated 2/21/2018


0 Comments

Heroes' Podium from Born of the Gods - A  Magic the Gathering Card Review

4/3/2015

0 Comments

 
by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist
Picture
Talk about an interesting Legendary Artifact. This card has always screamed Commander-playable, as it’s a format loaded with Legendary Creatures. Heroes' Podium gives each legendary creature you control gets +1/+1 for each other legendary creature you control. That’s pretty solid, especially if you run a deck that runs a good deal of them.

This card isn’t really breakable in any major way, but it’s going to provide an extra few points of power and toughness, and those always mean something. The Podium also gives you the ability to dig for and search out other legendary creatures. It’s an X ability, meaning you’d have to pay a good deal of mana to dig deeply enough to make the effect worth it unless you run a good deal of top-deck manipulation. But it's a solid utility card in a Commander deck heavy on Legendary Creatures.

As far as Constructed play-ability is concerned, there aren't enough Legendary creatures that will be main-boarded to make this card worth running. It’s one of those cards created first and foremost for flavor, possibly created with an eye for being played in Commander. In Commander, there are Legendary Creature heavy builds, especially led by Captain Sisay that benefit with this card. Decks that feature a great many Kamigawa Legends or some far-out 5-color deck that runs the best legends from all around the color pie can use it to great advantage, as well. Otherwise, it's just a bulk rare with a splashy cool ability.

0 Comments

Hero of Leina Tower from Born of the Gods - A Magic the Gathering Card Review

4/3/2015

0 Comments

 
by  ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist
Picture
When Hero of Leina Tower was first spoiled, it was believed that of all the Heroic cards in the set, she would see the most play. People were super excited about her best case scenario. Being able to pay X any time that the Hero is targeted to add +1/+1 counters may not sound incredible at first, but this Hero could get super big in a hurry. The problem was that the Heroic decks that emerged never wanted to use the mana to dump into her.

The Hero was a very solid first pick in Theros block Limited, as she was a one-drop that could easily become a 3/3 or greater quickly. But in Constructed, she proved to just be too slow for a deck that needed to rely on speed and mana efficiency. She was simply was too inefficient for Constructed Heroic purposes.

As it would turn out, Lagonna-Band Trailblazer from Journey into Nyx would prove to be a better one-drop creature as a 0/4 with Heroic for Constructed purposes. Also G/X Heroic proved to not be terribly competitive as U/W (blue/white) Heroic would. The best card G/X Heroic had to offer was Aspect of Hydra, which was played in Mono-Green and R/G Devotion instead (and still sees some play in Modern). Had there been more efficient Heroic creatures in Green, then this Hero could have had a good day.

Clearly, the designers of Theros block decided that Green Heroic creatures would start out inefficient, but gain multiple +1/+1 counters as they were targeted. This was fine in Limited, and this was even fun and very playable. (Setessan Oathsworn, for example, could become threatening in a hurry at common.) But in Constructed, creatures like Centaur Battlemaster and Staunch-Hearted Warrior were just too darned slow to be worth playing.


Hero of Leina Tower is a victim of not having the proper support, part of a case study in design creating an archetype that works well in Limited, but not in Constructed. The warrior was part of a feasible draft strategy that simply never functioned outside of draft and sealed play. When it came to building competitive Heroic decks, there were simply better options than the poor Hero.

0 Comments

Hua Tuo, Honored Physician from Commander 2013 - A  Magic the Gathering Card Review

4/2/2015

0 Comments

 
by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist
Picture
With the release of the Commander 2013 decks, Wizards of the Coasts apparently decided that the time was ripe to reprint a whole bunch of Portal: Three Kingdoms cards. They made some wise choices, such as Lu Xun and  Borrowing 100,000 Arrows. Hua Tuo, Honored Physician, however, is a fine reprint. He is included in the Power Hungry deck, which features the popular commander Prossh, Skyraider of Kher and a lot of underwhelming cards.

Basically, Hua Tuo allows you to recycle creatures from your graveyard by putting a target creature back on top of your deck. You must use this ability only on your turn and before attackers are declared. It’s still a great effect, as there are plenty of creatures that you’ll want to reuse during the course of a game, especially if you can grab that creature back without having to draw it for turn. The timing on this card is important, since it has to be on your turn, but there are ways to make it a valuable asset in some decks. No longer being a $60 card from Portal Three Kingdoms, Hua Tuo could now see far more Commander play. In fact, he's now become a bulk rare.

However, Hua Tuo's effect makes cards that manipulate the top card of your library much more powerful. Library of Leng, Scroll Rack, and Sensei's Divining Top are the first that come to mind. But there are some other crazy cards that benefit from top-deck manipulation as well, such as Elkin Bottle and Timesifter. The Enchantment Call of the Wild is especially good for putting creatures from the top of your library straight into play for 2GG.

This Hua Tuo Commander list from 2010 is a great list to glean ideas from, although plenty of cards that work well with the famous Chinese physician have been printed since then. Here's another list from 2013 based around a combo with Squirrel Nest. And if you're into Tiny Leaders, the Commander variant with only 3 CMC or less cards, here's a cool Hua Tuo Aggro list.

All told, Hua Tuo's cool ability may actually be pretty underrated, especially as a Commander. The Commander 2013 copies are probably never going to be worth much, so he's a fun cheap card that you can play with.


0 Comments

Bosium Strip from Weatherlight - A Magic the Gathering Card Review

4/2/2015

0 Comments

 
by  ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist
Picture
Back in April 2015, Bosium Strip was one of several speculation targets that saw an absolute explosion in price. Being a rare from Weatherlight, an old set that has many cards on the reserve list (meaning they can't be reprinted), the supply of this unique artifact is drying up quickly. It was a bulk rare as recently as the last week of March 2015, and as of April 2nd approached $8 a copy if you're looking for it in a lightly played or near-mint condition.

So is Bosium Strip any good? It could be, as what it does is pretty unique. The Strip has a casting cost of 3 colorless mana and has a tap ability that costs 3 colorless mana. Until the end of the turn, if at any time the top card in your graveayrd is an instant or sorcery card, you can play it as if it were in your hand. If you decide to do so, you exile that card from the game. It's a sort of flashback, similar to what the highly popular Snapcaster Mage does.

Three mana for that ability isn't really that bad when you consider Snapcaster Mage costs 1U (1 colorless, 1 Blue) to cast. Also, because it's colorless, you can play it in any color. While there isn't any Commander deck that plays it on a regular basis, it can fit into a wide variety of combo strategies in red, blue, and black. If you have any way to untap artifacts every turn (something very familiar in Commander with cards like Voltaic Key) then Bosium Strip can help you to recycle cards that would otherwise never have a chance to be recast.

With an infinite mana combo, the Strip becomes extremely powerful. It's even better when an Enchantment like Omniscience is involved, reducing all of your casting costs to zero.. While the Strip itself doesn't immediately lend itself to combos, it can serve as a useful utility piece to do things you may not have otherwise had the chance to do. Just keep in mind that the order of your graveyard is extremely important. With all of the Delve cards that exist in the game now, however, selecting what to keep in your graveyard is easier than ever..

Will Bosium Strip soon become one of the most valuable cards in Weatherlight? There are plenty of damaged and heavily played copies still available for fairly cheap if you're looking to play it in a deck. But as it's on the Reserved List, finding a very good condition copy is going to become harder and harder with the recent buyout. If you happen to have any copies or can find them in bulk rare binders or bins, definitely pick them up as they should have at least some Commander value in the future.

Also, Weatherlight is not one of the most valuable sets in Magic. The most expensive card in the set until Bosium Strip's sudden spike was Winding Canyons at about $7. Null Rod, Gemstone Mine (which was reprinted in Time Spiral), and Firestorm, were the only others over $5. Lotus Vale and Mana Web are about $3-5. The Strip is one of a handful of rares from this set to see a sudden leap in price, but ended up settling around the $3 mark long-term. It shouldn't ever see massive demand unless it sees play in an extremely popular Commander deck.

There are some Commander decks that have played with it, including some led by Jace, Vryn's Prodigy, Melek, Izzet Paragon, and Mizzix of the Izmagnus. But it's a staple for none of those Commanders. It will keep some value simply due to the fact it should never see a reprint because of its unusual mechanic (concerning graveyard order) and of course being on the Reserve List.


0 Comments

    RSS Feed

    Gaming Successfully mini logo
    Keep up with the latest Magic the Gathering and other gaming articles by subscribing below:

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS

    Stephanie Laursen-Nolan
    Crystal S. Kauffman
    Jeanne Frost

    OWNER

    Lyn Lomasi
    Picture
    Lyn Lomasi is founder and owner of the Brand Shamans Content Community. Services include ordained soul therapy and healing ministry, business success coaching, business success services, handcrafted healing jewelry, ethereal and anointing oils, altar and spiritual supplies and services, handcrafted healing beauty products, and more!

    Lyn is your brand healing, soul healing, marketing & content superhero to the rescue! While rescuing civilians from boring business practices and energy vampires, this awesomely crazy family conquers evil and creates change.

    They live among tigers, dragons, mermaids, unicorns, and other fantastic energies, teaching others to claim their own power and do the same.

    By supporting us, you support a dedicated parent, healer,  and minority small business that donates to several causes. Profits from our all-inclusive store, Intent-sive Nature support these causes and our beautiful family!

    HIRE OR SHOP WITH LYN  |  CONTACT LYN

    Archives

    August 2022
    February 2022
    December 2020
    November 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    October 2019
    June 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    February 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    February 2012
    July 2011
    May 2011

    Categories

    All
    1v1 Commander
    2D Shooters
    Aether Revolt
    Alara Reborn
    Amonkhet
    Amonkhet Spoilers
    Anatomy Of A Bulk Rare
    Arabian Nights
    Avacyn Restored
    Battle For Zendikar
    Born Of The Gods
    Budget Magic Decks
    Building The Collection
    Card Reviews
    Car Games
    Cheap MTG Cards
    Commander
    Commander 2013
    Commander 2014
    Commander 2015
    Commander 2016
    Commander Legends
    Commanding Opinion
    Computer Games
    Conspiracy
    Conspiracy: Take The Crown
    D2R
    Dark Ascension
    Dark Saviors
    David Rowell
    Deck Profiles
    Deck Reviews
    Diablo
    Diablo II
    Diablo II: Resurrected
    Dragons Of Tarkir
    Duel Decks
    EDH
    Eldritch Moon
    Eternal Masters
    Event Decks
    Fate Reforged
    Friday Night Magic Promos
    From The Vault
    Frontier
    Game Daze
    Game Reviews
    Games
    Games And Mechanics
    Gatecrash
    Goat Format
    Guilds Of Ravnica
    Homelands
    Hour Of Devastation
    How To Get Mostly Free Magic Cards
    Ice Age
    Innistrad
    Ixalan
    John Grgurich
    Joshua Packard
    Journey Into Nyx
    Kai Chang
    Kaladesh
    Kaladesh Inventions
    Kaldheim
    Khans Of Tarkir
    Kitchen Table Magic
    Lyn Lomasi
    Mages Of The Guild
    Magic 2012 Core Set
    Magic 2013 Core Set
    Magic 2014 Core Set
    Magic 2015 Core Set
    Magic 2019 Core Set
    Magic Digital Next
    Magic Online
    Magic Origins
    Magic The Gathering
    Magic The Gathering Online
    Magic The Gathering Q And A
    Mirrodin
    Modern
    Modern Masters
    Modern Masters 2015
    Modern Masters 2017
    MODO
    Most Expensive Cards
    MTG Combos
    MTG Finance
    MTG News
    MTGO
    MTG Reserved List
    New Phyrexia
    Nintendo DS
    Oath Of The Gatewatch
    Old School MTG
    Old School YuGiOh
    Online MMORPG
    Pauper
    Pauper Commander
    PC Games
    PDH
    Penny Dreadful
    Phoenix Desertsong
    Planeswalker Decks
    Pokemon
    Pokemon Cards
    Pokemon Go
    Pokemon GX Cards
    Pokemon Red And Blue
    Pokemon Sun And Moon
    Pokemon TCG
    Pokemon TCG Reviews
    Pokemon X And Y
    PSA Graded Pokemon Cards
    Retro Gaming
    Retro Magic
    Return To Ravnica
    Rise Of The Eldrazi
    Road Trip Games
    Scars Of Mirrodin
    Selling Magic Cards
    Selling Stuff Online
    Shadows Over Innistrad
    Shawn Leonardo
    Steam Games
    Tempest Remastered
    Theros
    Tiny Leaders
    Trading Card Games
    Video Games
    Wild Wild West
    Xbox 360
    YuGiOh
    YuGiOh Decks
    YuGiOh Finance
    YuGiOh TCG
    Yugioh Toons
    Zendikar

COMPANY & SUPPORT

About Us & Contact
Brand Healing Journal
Become an Affiliate!
Disclosure, TOU, Disclaimer, & Privacy Policy
Write For Our Sites!
Picture

ALL SITES

Brand Shamans
Life Successfully
Intent-sive Nature
Write W.A.V.E. Media
Pawsitive Parenting

Guest Post Writers

GoSteady.me
Poverty And Homelessness
Parent Successfully
Article Writer For Hire
Heart 'N Mind Homeschool    
Pre-K Yoga

Souls Within

Heart 'N Mind Paw Rescue
Lyn Lomasi
Better Plumbing (Partner Site)
Daily Cashouts
Picture
The Brand Shamans market jewelry, crystals, authors, books, healing products, ritual supplies, content and content services, brands, branding, marketing, business success, all businesses (with preferences and specialties in small businesses, disadvantaged businesses, minority businesses, family, women, and more), and much more. CONTACT US for questions or to get your business noticed!

Brand Shamans Content Community is your top source for quality content. Whether you need content or are looking to publish your best work, we have you covered. We are a community of content superstars saving the web from crap content daily! We're also a full-circle consulting firm for marketing, publishing, and content. We use branding experience & Earth's energy to better your brand. Our expert natural-born intuitive healers are also industry experts that have been helping others succeed for years. We believe that everything is connected, but as humans, we can't always see what's in front of us. Our mission is to help your potential customers, audience, team members, and other key players find you and stay connected!

ABOUT THE OWNER

Picture
Lyn Lomasi is founder and owner of the Brand Shamans Content Community. Services include ordained soul therapy and healing ministry, business success coaching, business success services, handcrafted healing jewelry, ethereal and anointing oils, altar and spiritual supplies and services, handcrafted healing beauty products, and more!

Lyn is your brand healing, soul healing, marketing & content superhero to the rescue! While rescuing civilians from boring business practices and energy vampires, this awesomely crazy family conquers evil and creates change.

They live among tigers, dragons, mermaids, unicorns, and other fantastic energies, teaching others to claim their own power and do the same.

By supporting us, you support a dedicated parent, healer,  and minority small business that donates to several causes. Profits from our all-inclusive store, Intent-sive Nature support these causes and our beautiful family!

HIRE OR SHOP WITH LYN  |  CONTACT LYN


© 2005-2023 Life... Successfully by  Brand Shamans
Photo used under Creative Commons from Parker Knight
  • Life Successfully
  • INTENT-SIVE NATURE
    • Business Success Services
      • Intent to Read Publishing
    • Healing Jewelry & Talismans
      • What is the Meaning Behind Intent-sive Nature Healing Jewelry?
    • Custom Healing Products & Services
    • Essential Oil, Spiritual Oils, & Aromatherapy
    • Bath, Beauty, & Self-Care
    • Rituals, Herbs, & Altar Supplies
    • Original Artwork
    • Protection
    • Orgone Or Orgonite
    • Wands
    • Yoga & Meditation
    • Crystals & Gemstones
    • Books & Media
    • Education & Homeschool Resources
    • Clothing
    • Decor And Home Accents
    • RV, Camping, And Auto
  • BUSINESS, MARKETING, & CONTENT SERVICES
  • Writing, Web, Business, & Tech
    • Brand Shamans Brand Healing Journal
    • Write W.A.V.E. Media Thought Leadership & Tech Journal
    • Writing Tips Journal
    • The One-and-Only Internet Money Making Guide!
    • Writer's Resumes
      • Lyn Lomasi
        • Ask Lyn
      • Get Your FREE Writer's Profile & Online Resume
    • Be a Writer!
    • Submission Guidelines
  • About & Contact
    • Become an Affiliate!
    • Promotional Banners
    • Disclosure, TOU, Dislaimer, & Privacy
  • SUBMIT GUEST POSTS
  • Family & Home
    • Your Soul Flame Journal
    • FLOW-Key Parenting Journal
      • The Pregnancy & Baby Care Guide EVERY Parent Needs!
      • The ONLY Potty Training Guide You'll Ever Need
      • Elementary Learning Supplies...
      • 10 Safe Toys
      • Soothe Crying Baby
      • Playing Cards With Kids
    • Life & Home Journal
    • Mekai's Branches ~ Family Adventure Journal
    • Kymani's Travels ~ Family Travel Journal
    • The Nova Skye Story ~ Family Journal
    • Momtrepreneur Moments ~ A Business Mom's Journal
    • Successful Relationships; A Heart-Focused Journal
    • Better Plumbing Blog
      • Hire Better Plumbing - Your Denver Plumber
  • Education
    • Heart 'N Mind Homeschool Journal
    • Free Learning Education Journal
      • Two Affordable And Fun Toys For Teaching Kids To Read
      • Elementary Learning Supplies You Can Find At The Dollar Store
      • Free Counting Fun For Toddlers And Preschoolers
      • Why School Choice is Important in High School
      • Choosing Childen's Books That Create Smart Readers
    • Free Homeschool Worksheets
    • The Bibliophile's Library Journal - Book News, Reviews, & Info
    • Penning Your World ~ A Creative Writing Journal
    • Monsters Within Us ~ An Otherworldly Journal of Monstrous Incantations
      • A Lighter Shade of Green
  • Health & Beauty
    • Whole Body Health, Healing, & Medicine Journal
    • Good Eats For The Soul ~ Vegan Diet, Recipes, & Food Journal
      • Recipe Books By Lyn Lomasi
    • Fash Diva ~ A Clothing, Shoes, & Fashion Journal
    • Naturally Simple ~ A Self-Care & Beauty Journal
    • Senior Living
    • Disabilities Articles
    • Green Living Articles
  • Causes
    • Causes We Support
    • Speak Up!; A Homelessness & Social Justice Journal
    • Animal Advocacy
      • Pet Resources
        • Heart 'N Mind Paw Rescue
          • Pawsitive Parenting Pet Rescue Journal
        • Sounds of Nature
      • Animal Advocacy & Healthy Pet Parenting Journal
      • Positive Pet Parenting Journal
      • Raising Pet Positive Kids
      • Supermom ...Kind Of
      • Pawsitively Adventurous Pets
      • Purrely Pawsitive And Barkably Amazing Pet Training Tips
      • Dog Praising
      • Spirit of the Wild Lands and Animals
    • Motivational Friends Inspirational Journal
    • Inner Healing & Spirituality Journal
    • Naturally Connected Journey - Views On Life, Passions, & Interests
  • News
    • News Articles
    • Travel
      • RV'ing Successfully ~ A Family Roadschooling & Travel Journal
      • Hometown Love ~ A Local Journal
    • Science and Nature Articles
    • Sports Break Journal
      • NFL 2019 Squares
  • Fun
    • Gaming Successfully
    • Luna Starlight Comics
    • Crafting Successfully Arts & Crafts Journal
    • Culture Carnival; A Festival, Tradition, & Holiday Journal
    • Mouthy Momtrepreneur Journal
    • Clowning Around
    • Music Articles Journal
    • Entertainment Articles Journal
    • Humor Treasure Trove; A Funny Comedy Journal