The Worst Color(s) In EDH?

You hear all kinds of things playing Commander at the kitchen table.

Of these, one of the longest running debates between players seems to be which color is just the worst, as in bad, as in not good(not "cool"), in EDH.

So, let's do like I do and Rank 'Em!

5. RED


Red, with only Land Destruction, Haste, and Burn, on paper looks like the worst- but that's not what totally makes it the low man on the totem here.

In my experience, what makes this color bad in Commander is the inconsistency. Whereas most other colors can find "happy mediums" and create an aggregate game amidst the EDH chaos, Red always has one plan of attack, and it's downhill. You're racing.

The problem with that is you're either drawing into what you need to end the game, or you aren't. You're not trying to find ways to stay alive, and you're not passing GO every turn for those beige Monopoly bills. You're either gonna get a Monopoly and slam Hotels on that bitch or you're filing for bankruptcy.

If you don't get board game humor, think Thor when he has his hammer. If he were an EDH deck, we're looking at Turn 5-7 wins. Now think about Thor when he doesn't. He's getting run over multiple times by Natalie Portman, and not in the way that anyone wants to be run over, even by Natalie Effing Portman.

4. BLACK

Yeah, I know it's a bit of a shocker. Most people would probably put White here.

Don't get me wrong. Cause this ain't a prejudice thing. I don't roll that way, hombres. 

It has become increasingly apparent to me that Black should be in talks for worst color because of 2 major weaknesses.

The first is utility dudes. I realized that in my mono black deck, often my curve starts at 3 or 4. Again, this isn't bad when you have all the Tutors in the world, and all the Entomb/Reanimate things.

But isn't that just it? You're just slamming Cabal Coffers + All The Tutors + Threats into a deck and hoping for the best?

Sorry to say, but all the creature tutors and all the Doom Blades in the world still won't stop relevant Artifacts and Enchantments from holding Swamp players hostage.

3. WHITE

White's got everything except decent card draw (Yeah, I know about Armistice), which can be solved with a little help from Stoneforge Mystic and his artifact-finding friends. Worst case, you draw Temple Bell or a Font of Mythos. That's worst case.

To prove my point, I currently have a deck predicated on white card advantage. My Kiyomaro, First To Stand EDH is all about that. And it wins.

I think whoever says White is the worst clearly has never heard of Land Tax, Endless Horizons, Weathered Wayfarer, Tithe, and Gift of Estates. Resolving these in a game will often be enough to get something going, so you can find all your Wraths and Paths.

 2. BLUE

Of course blue has that same Artifact/Enchantment weakness that black has, but they can be a little more proactive about it.








For a while, Blue was the unquestioned #1 leading-leader of all Commander color pies. 

 Though counterspells and the life total still make this a relevant and resilient deck all the way till the late-late game, I can't justify this on the top of the totem due to the flooding of decent Green spells.




1. GREEN
Green's rise to power begins, in my mind, with Cultivate. Second copies of Kodama's Reach, aka "Koko-Baby" are the death of anyone who truly knows the meaning of playing land and making your library look skinny.

Add Landfall, Omnath, Mimic Vat, Nim Deathmantle, The colorless Vindicate, Beast Within, Prime Time pre-banning, the token army-in-a-can stuff, more creature tutors, Thragtusk, and the Overwhelming Stampede, and we have just that. Green, overwhelming everyone with dudes.

I also heard Cavern of Souls stops blue decks, and green wrote the book on finding that card. Green's also home to the #1 Doctor Recommended TOP ASSASSIN.

While it may not be able to find the Skullclamps and card draw as easy, pulling land out of your deck is kinda the same thing. 


There's just not enough Wraths, not enough Counterspells, and not enough removal to contain Green- and honestly, though I love this color, it's getting out of hand.

In fact, I'd say that green sets the curve for most playgroups. Moreso than Blue, because of blue's preexisting apprehensions. Truth is Green is a whole lot more trouble.

If the game is all about card advantage, it'll go Green's way. If it's all about creature power, it'll go Green's way. If it's all about life gain, or noncreature permanents, it'll go Green's way.

Unlike Adele, Green does have it all, and it's rolling pretty deep at this point in the Magic Timeline.

That's the word. We'll be right back with something irrelevant that Stephen Colbert has to say, but first a word from Ovaltine, who's not so much a sponsor as much as the best healthy morning breakfast option that all the kids in 1950's America love.

Pass.

-UL

UL's Card Corner: The Flops

As I've said before, not all cards are created equal.

Today, I'd like to talk about some of those cards.The ones I didn't like, or probably more accurate, I couldn't pilot properly.

If you've been following the Animar deck series over the past few weeks, you know this guy was in there as a way to get haste.

Before that though, Sarkhan was originally part of my bad Intet deck, my slightly more successful Kresh deck, and a few build-and-immediately broken Naya decks.

Believe me when I say I've been trying to make this guy relevant. He's a table favorite, though everyone knows what five 4/4 dragons can do to a table.

Unfortunately, ol' Sarky's never been a game-changer. I've maybe won 1 or 2 games in all the decks he's been in, and I've never wanted to tutor him, or even be happy to draw him.

So after years of testing, I think it's time for him to fly.



Yeah. I'm probably gonna get some funny looks for this one. I know all the combos and all the fun-time people in my playgroup and the internet has to break this card.

So I thought I'd try my own luck, using this card to leverage value in relevant-but-not-so-broken ways. After being in Hidetsugu and a short-lived Rasputin Dreamweaver deck, this card was a hugely disappointing draw. Every time. No joke.

It basically became fodder for Trading Post in HH. It was slow, and really irrelevant unless you had stuff already on the board.

After hearing Grandpa Growth and some of the CommanderCast folks talk highly of this card, I decided to give it a spin, and found it to not be so good.

Sure, Undying makes it good- but the truth is, triggering on attack makes it bad. Without haste, this wolf, to me, at least, like you're gonna get owned.

Drawing it made me feel like I was down a card at any point, and since then, I've increasingly grown to dislike the art for this card. It likes a t-shirt I had when I was 6.






That's it for today. If any of you guys have had success with these and would like to share, always remember there's comment space below.

Remember, when it comes to tech, you're your own pilot.

Only the penitent cards shall pass.

And me. Cause I'm saying Pass.

-UL

Super Secret Sunday 16: Investichanments Part 1

Aaaaannnnd we're back, after a two week hiatus. I'm Grandpa Growth. This is Super Secret Sunday. That special time of the week when we sit down to discuss underplayed cards, under the radar strategies, and under-thought thoughts. This week's topic is a sensitive subject for me: investichantments. Cards that just sit in play and don't have much impact on the board, but with the proper amount of support they can generate a huge advantage. Cards like this typically change the rules of the game somehow; mostly by letting you do something you couldn't normally do or by stopping your opponent from doing something they want to do.

Let's start things off with simple example. Forsaken Wastes has fallen pretty far out of favor, being completely blanked by Sulfuric Vortex. Cards like this are at their weakest in Commander because life totals are already so high. It is tough to see aggressive decks wanting this at all, but it does have applications in concert with the next card.

Interestingly enough, the Enchant World card type is still supported under the current rules. It is unlikely to come up in a typical game, but you should check out the Gatherer rulings anyway. Comprehensive knowledge of the game is a reward all its own you little whipper-snappers.


Okay, so I promised you a combo with Forsaken Wastes...and now I have fulfilled that promise. With these two pieces in play, you cannot lose the game for basically any reason related to your life total. Forsaken Wastes continues to kill your opponent, but you don't care because Transcendence ensures that you aren't going away any time soon. These permanents have to stay in play obviously so you should protect them with something like Greater Auramancy

W/B is a pretty restrictive color combination, but is a great place to try and set up combos. Enlightened tutor and Idyllic Tutor will help fetch enchantments and you have access to any number of black tutor effects to search for anything else you need. Playing into a three color strategy also adds as well.






So I may not recommend playing these cards in a competitive decklist, but they can at least be fun. This is a card can see doing actual work in Commander. It is a late-late game card draw engine and you probably need to set it up with a large milling effect to ensure it will be effective, but it also has the potential to randomly hose your opponent. Effectively gaining life equal the number of cards in your graveyard can be useful and probably expensive. Compare to something like Invincible Hymn. This card gets very Interesting with recurring mill effects that can generate value like Mirror Mad Phantasm. Think, Guild Feud or Heretic's Punishment.






I am a huge fan of this last card. It is a bit on the expensive side, but it has always been worth the investment in my experience. This is definitely a skill-testing card; it requires your opponent to be able to efficiently manage his resources for the future and accurately predict your game plan. How many cards will he be able to pitch to this before you just bury him in card advantage? How many times can he take the punishment before you can set up a lethal attack? My favorite thing about Quandry is that it recovers the card investment so quickly. Every time they choose not to discard, you get to draw a free Lava Axe. That may not seem like much value, but if you get two or three of them for free you'll start to see the pain accumulate. This card encourages good strategy habits: constantly pressure your opponents resources and attack them on multiple axes. The best part? It is almost impossible to trade 1-for-1 for this card. If they go to Disenchant it, you will get another card or a bunch of damage. That is what I call interaction advantage.



Well, that's enough for today, but come back next week for the conclusion of the super secret investichantments!

Draw. Go.

Last Words On Animar

I solemnly swear this will be my last hurrah.

In my final Animar piece, I want to talk about building your own successful Animar deck, name some of my disappointing adds/future cuts, and show you some of the cool digital renders/proxies I've put in to replace some of the not-so-aesthetic art.

So we're gonna go a little all over the place. But in a good way I hope.

The cards that have disappointed me have a sort of interesting theme, because it's honestly not what the card does for the deck per se, but how I'm playing them in the deck. Often, this is particularly more important.

So really, I've got no hard feelings, no bad blood- I'll just have to find slots for them in other decks.

The first of these cards is Taurean Mauler. I was looking for a 3-cost red creature that would be useful, and I thought "Hey! There's no better creature than Mr. Mauler! He gets bigger like Animar, and I can cast him on the cheap."

What I didn't realize is that in multiplayer, when I have so many guys out on the battlefield, following Mauler triggers are kinda difficult. It's not that I'm incapable of doing this, I just feel like Mauler might as well be Rhystic Study, considering how many times I have to announce the triggers on his ability. And we all know that if a new Magic-related serial killer were to somehow emerge in our midsts, people who are constantly asking about their Rhystic Study trigger would be a good Boondock-Saints-Style M.O.

So adios, Taurean Mauler! You're awesome- just not in a deck where I have to deal with a bunch of other triggers, and I've got miles to go before I sleep.

The next card I've been pretty disappointed with is Sarkhan Vol. Having haste, though relevant, often just feels disappointing because I have to actually pay its mana cost in a deck where I don't do this unless I'm ready to cast a Genesis Wave or one of the other two "Win Target Game" sorceries I have in the deck.


I have yet to find him relevant in most decks, which is a tragedy- cause everyone at the table likes Sarkhan and wants to see him spitting out dragons. He's like elusive Dratini in the Safari Zone, for you uber-nerds who like Pokemon namedrops.

Cascade into Sarkhan hasn't been so bad- however, if I can get another dude in here, it'll probably just be better.

Garruk's Packleader has been another card with underwhelming tendencies. I think maybe it goes better in that Mayael the Anima deck where all you're drawing is 5+ power dudes, and maybe that's really is only home. Cause with all my goofy utility dorks, I have to scheme how I'm going to cast and draw, and it disrupts the natural flow of this deck, trying to make relevant-but-not decisions about adding value. Again, more semantics- but if you're not conforming your deck to your specifications, it isn't gonna drive quite right.

PROXY SPOILZ! I LOVADUH RHINO ON FIRE!

The last card I've been disappointed with is Maelstrom Wanderer. Not because he isn't awesome. He's the Fires of Yavimaya that I really needed in this deck, and Cascading twice is relevant.

The trouble is that I have wayy too many little guys to play that often, I'm casting Wanderer for less than 8 to get only 10-12 mana worth of creatures or spells. It's not exactly ideal unless I'm hitting at least one 6 cost dude- or something that the Metal Minotaur can't cast. So I think I'm going to end up cutting it. My butler Alfred told me there might be a day where I would have to cut Wanderer. Today he gets to say I told you so, even though he probably doesn't want to.

Now there are many other ways to play Animar than with just cascade and cheap dudes.

Obviously, the better versions will be playing dudes.

To me, the best incarnations of Animar involve dudes with midrange costs and a good curve, similar to the way someone might construct a deck with Birthing Pod.

The big difference though is that you're looking for dudes with single-colored mana costs. Multicolored creatures are also fairly optimal, as are Artifact dudes and Eldrazi.

These are good places to start in any generic Animar build.

The next step is mechanics. I like Cascade. With 50+ dudes, the odds of hitting something unfortunate is pretty slim.

However, Cascade isn't the only decent mechanic here.

Graft and the the new Evolve seem very good with Animar. Outside of Cytoplast Manipulator and Llanowar Reborn, you might play Sporeback Troll- but that's about it.

As far as Evolve is concerned, I'm testing Fathom Mage in this deck, but I haven't drawn it, so it's just been another card at this point. I do think it'll be better than Packleader though.

As Grandpa Growth mentioned in his Gatecrash review, Evolve overall should really help Animar in the same way he mentioned that this set helped Momir Vig become relevant.

Animar decks with only 25-30 dudes seem like they'd be okay- I just don't know why you'd want to waste time countering stuff or playing other things when you should just be focused on doing the one thing this deck does well. Beating down with Animar. The protection is just too relevant.

Of all the builds though, my favorite version of this deck that I've heard about is the "AniMorphs" deck, predicated on the combo of casting Morph creatures for 3 colorless.

I haven't seen this deck in action, but it seems awesome. Having to only cast 3 creatures before you start throwing down dudes for free seems relevant for sending Animar into the red zone.

Also, getting to keep your mana untapped seems really cool if you have cards in your hand and face-down dudes on the table.

I'm pretty up on this deck. It fits my "right card, right place" EDH deckbuilding mantra, and would inhibit an otherwise bizarre and unused Magic mechanic as a real thing.

Plus, any chance to use this Ixidor alter seems cool.




Speaking of alters, we're going to close with some of the stuff I've found on the MTG Salvation Digital Rendering thread and in other little proxy hovels.

Not necessarily a fan of the bordlessness, but black borders can be added. NBD.

Enjoy!

Peace, Love, Land Drops

-UL

Animar So Sexy Now.

The ongoing revision article saga continues.

In my Better Deckbuilding article, I actually had wanted to venture a little further into some of the cool things this deck does with creatures that normally seem fairly irrelevant in other decks. 

The first card that's been super-sick in this deck is Etherium Horn-Sorcerer. I talked about how cool he is when Animar's out and has counters. But what makes him great is that the deck can get him out in most games. Fierce Empath and a freshly added Treasure Mage allow me to get the 6-cost Artifact Minotaur Wizard into my hand and in play a lot.

I can also protect him from Wraths, which has been one of the huge weaknesses for this deck. So much that I'm considering an Eldrazi Monument.

One of the other unlikely unsung heroes has been Garruk's Horde. This card is bananas in this deck- especially with Oracle of Mul Day out at the same time. I can sift through the top of my library and and power up Animar, which I recently discovered is one of the biggest meta-threats in my playgroup because apparently everyone either plays black, white, or both at any given time.

Garruk's Horde on his own is a pretty sizeable dude and definitely value with Animar. I pretty much don't play him unless he costs 1GG or less. 

He honestly makes me wish Magus of the Future weren't triple U. In a deck of 53 dudes, It's not uncommon to see him power out 4 guys in a turn to get Animar to swing for a bunch. 

As far as Animar protection, now I don't have a lot for he/she/it, but the one thing I do have is pretty nifty tech- Elgaud Shieldmate.

This little blue creature is the cat's pajamas of hot tech. It's essentially a soulbonding Diplomatic Immunity, but better. Cause hexproof. It's pretty devastating when people can't Beast Within or Bolt Animar.

Honestly, I think that any blue deck trying to make get the most out of their dudes and counterspells should be finding a slot for the Shield Wench. She's really really good in Animar, and would probably be a lot better everywhere else.




There's a lot of goofy ramp dudes in this deck, but often I've found only two of them have been really relevant.

The first one is Birds of Paradise. If I get a Myr out before I cast Animar, one of the best ways to protect him is to start throwing counters on him. As Birds is the only 1-drop I felt was going to be any good in this deck, getting him out immediately after Animar has saved me from opponents who forget about their Staff of Nin for a second too long.

Even better though is Bloom Tender. This card is three extra mana on Turn 3, AFTER I cast Animar, which usually means I'm getting 1 or 2 more guys out if I'm lucky.

One of the big surprises has been Hunting Moa. The funny part is I had him as part of a goofy Skullbriar deck I built from my Dark Ages of Deckbuilding. However, this guy is pure, unadulterated Animar tech. In the span of two turns, the Bird Beast (his creature type was errated for MORE awesome tribal fun) nets Animar three counters, which is super sweet in most situations, whether you're getting in the red zone or looking for a topdeck answer. He's great to have in the late after you've cast Animar and a bunch of dead dudes are in the bin. I can't talk enough about how funny and cool this card is in the deck.

Speaking of funny and cool- Llanowar Reborn. I finally got a chance to slam this land down last night, and people were like, "WTF is that?!?!?"

Believe me, so was I when I found it in my nonbasic binder last week. Cause I'm not quite sure where I got it from. Perhaps it was also old Skullbriar tech. That's the only reasonable explanation.

Anyway, this card is another pretty thrifty way to slam more counters on Animar, working best before he's cast or in the rebuild process. It's a uniquely optimal situation for the ridiculous flavor this land seems to have, but I like to be rewarded for playing lands in a deck where I'm supposed to be rewarded for playing creatures. That seems really good.

The last sweet card I'm going to talk about is Instigator Gang.

I was looking for something single red, and I'd actually forgotten I'd thrown this in on a recent order because Andy was pretty up on this card over at CommanderCast.

But I wanted to see for myself just exactly how thug this card was.

I wasn't really impressed in sample draws here at home. I figured that the only way it was gonna flip in my deck was if an opponent decided not to tap out. Cause I have to play guys every turn.

The Gang is one of those cards that you don't really recognize its value until it's in the game. In this deck with so many dudes, it's a killing blow. I even copied the gang with Metamorph to get an extra bonus.

Though definitely a downhill card, this card is pretty solid. I was considering taking it out of my deck, but I've since changed my position completely, since I don't have a whole of Overrunning going on, and I refuse to put other noncreature spells in here. This is the next-next best thing.

Alright, well, this article turned out to be a lot more than I thought. In the meantime I'm going to continue to make cuts and tune this deck a little bit more.

Next time, we'll talk about the cards I'm cutting and why. I think you'll probably be surprised.

Til then, Be Excellent To Each Other,

And Party On Dudes!

-UL

Building Rogue In Commander

Haven't done a big picture post in a little while, so I thought I'd get there this week with one of my favorite topics- Rogue decks.

I like to define this archetype a little different.

Most people I talk with seem to have opposing views on what Rogue decks are, so I'd like to clear up some of the misconceptions.

Unlike Voltron, Control, or Group Hug/Slug, Rogue decks aren't defined by what's been proven to be effective strategy. Instead, they tend to go off grid, which offers less predictability.

Because its primary measure, predictability, is more of a perception and experience level question, defining Rogue decks can be difficult.

Ultimately, I think that when you see a successful Rogue deck though, you will know it, and you will then be able to successfully understand what it is, what they do, and how to build your own.

Put simply, I think Rogue decks will strike a balance between being effective and successfully implementing a certain consistency of cards within your deck, the kind which most people can't predict or expect perhaps the first time they play against it.

What I mean by this is that they won't be able to predict what you're going to do based solely on your general, and as the game progresses, the head scratching will generally continue. Some might believe this to be gimmicky- and part of that is true. But hey, out of gimmicks, come themes, happy accidents, strange all-stars.

The whole idea of building Rogue is to subvert the expectations people have about your playing styles at the table, managing a deck that makes people dread the cards in your hand and the ones left in your deck. In this way, it's sort of like control, except instead of counterspells, they don't know what kinds of cards are gonna hit the table.

My first successful Rogue deck wasn't actually a pure Rogue build. It was an Oros, the Avenger deck designed with the intent to recover quickly from its Land Destruction spells. The deck played some goofy tech, including Myr and a slightly above-average count of mana rocks to ramp into LD spells so that your opponents were constantly taking damage and you were kicking them in the face while they were trying to recover from gutting their resources.

It was a pretty cool deck, and the first one that I was ever truly "proud of," really. This is mostly because it was hard to predict. Even when you knew what the deck was going to do, there was really not a whole lot people could do to stop it once an LD spell got cast. And even now, I haven't really seen a lot people try to do anything with Oros, before or after he got two new Commanders in his colors.

Now, I know I've been fairly "loosey goosey" with the definition of Rogue decks. Maybe some will argue that this isn't necessarily Rogue.

However, I don't think playing Rogue means you have to play bad cards intentionally. It's true that you are intentionally swaying yourself from playing some obviously powerful cards at times. But this is seen more as a sacrifice, for both fun and the challenge of making less optimal cards better. To me, that is definitely part of the spirit of Rogue EDH.

This is definitely the quality that draws me to Rogue decks. I like challenges, subverting expectations, and happy accidents.

So how do we do this?

Research! To me that's the beginning. Cause it doesn't matter how many cards you know or you don't know. It's all about finding the right cards at the right time.

Through research, we find a point where a few cards and our Commander intersect in a nice Venn Diagram sort of way. This is the Inspiration for the deck.

I know I've used this word before, but I just believe it to always be universally true- If you're not inspired to build an EDH deck, then don't waste your time. Don't force a bunch of cards together just to play. Cause then you look like an asshole with a pile of cards in your hand.

Just take it from Liam Neeson. Pun intended.

At this point, the only real difference between building a normal generic strategy deck and going Rogue is that you've found cards off the grid, and they don't feel forced into the deck because they're "Staples" or whatever.

These cards will be perhaps from a less popular angle, or lesser knowledgeable place, while also serving to fit your needs effectively in your local metagame. In order to find your Rogue build successful, it HAS to be precise in this regard, or else it won't work.

Most Rogue decks will more than likely be one-trick ponies. Especially cause it's new to you, and because you'll be concentrating more resources into areas that probably you wouldn't normally put into your decks otherwise.

My best advice here is to perceive it as a testing phase with the deck. Try to practice with as few people as possible if you need to want to keep your friends surprised. Maybe play some goofy Brazilian dudes on Cockatrice.

This way you can better gauge what's working and what isn't. For example, when I built Oros, I wanted to ensure that my opponents had no ways of saving themselves from the LD, so I made the majority of my LD spells sacrifice effects. One of the best parts of the deck was that cards like Hokori, Dust Drinker and Stoneshaker Shaman were creatures that gave them the feel-bads when they had to spend a Doom Blade or a Wrath to get rid of them. And no one was looking to really kill the Myrs.



These cards that were effective parts of my plan but annoying to play around were really great because they could clear the way for late-game Oros, Inferno Titan, or Desolation Angel.

Since this is new ground, these are the kinds of things you have to consider. Asking yourself, "Well, if I'm not playing draw spells, or my deck doesn't draw that many cards, how do I stop an opponent who does?"

These questions always have an answer. Magic, though some may criticize for being poorly designed, especially as far as Commander goes, really does provide ways for you to control your opponent. You've just got to find them.

To me, that's what Rogue is all about.

My Oros, the Avenger deck list can be found under our decks tab if you're looking to see what I mean. Also, if you'd like help with building decks under the radar, or you want to angrily debate what I think the definition of Rogue is, that's what the comment section's for. So do it.

I always welcome constructive shitstorms.

Pass.

-UL



 

Hidetsugu's A Multiplayer Deck, And Now I Know

I don't really have a lot to talk about in the ways of new stuff quite yet, so I thought I'd continue to talk about the Heartless Hidetsugu deck I mentioned last week.

My Heartless Hidetsugu Deck Article

Though I'm sure somewhere a dead horse is getting smacked with rocks and sticks, I'm trying to talk about what's relevant to my recent Magic endeavors here, and this is it.

A lot can change in a week, and that's perhaps pretty good for the ol' red deck.

So I must be doing something right.

One of the biggest things I noticed was how well this deck can function in the multiplayer environment. Some of my disappointment with the deck has stemmed from its inadequacies in typical 1v1 situations, which I've always felt were pretty indicative of a deck's performance in the bigger games. Just makes sense. If you can handle one person you'll be better able to handle multiple people. After all, if you're doing things right in multiplayer, you're probably devoting damage to one person.

However, HH doesn't want to be a 1v1 deck. He's a pimp remember? He's got all kinds of tricks to turn, and not a whole lot of time to do it. Why waste time with one person?

Pimp Smackin's What I Do Doe.

Heartless Hidetsugu's an equal-opportunity offender, and for all the right reasons, more people means more fun for the Ogre Shaman.

And obviously, less fun for your opponents when you can get HH his favorite bling, the Basilisk Collar or his pimp cane, which is what I affectionately call his Loxodon Warhammer. Either of these cards make the game pretty sadistic. You know, pleasure in other people's pain, and all that.

Anyway, because this deck is significantly more successful in multiplayer, I wanted to talk a little bit about why.

The first answer to me is something I've already been talking about. HH interacts with all players, including you. Not many Legends, or even creatures outside of Red Ashling and the Pestilence Demon are capable of getting really far with this tech.

The second was actually pretty revealing for my metagame. No one, outside of me, apparently runs single removal. One of the players even called it a waste of card space.

Not an idea I can get behind, but hey- it only takes one Blightsteel or one non-Emrakul Eldrazi to make you a believer in Path to Exile. You've gotta run it. Or else you'll be pretending the airplanes in the night sky are shooting stars, or whatever.

Also, we don't run a whole lot of counterspells. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm the lone policeman a majority of the time on the board.

Another reason this deck has a chance is because he doesn't need a whole lot of draw power to get online. HH gets loose fairly consistently before or around turn 5, at which time most people are still durdling in multiplayer, and gets a nice blast before someone tries to get rid of him.

Although this week was the first real detrimental experience my opponents had with Hidetsugu, I think it will continue to stay a viable deck. Mostly because haste means HH can come into play and do his thing with little-to-no way for them to respond if the meta stays constant and the counter-wars stay dormant.

Also, I can play around their expectations with various haste outlets. If they expect me to cast HH at a certain point in the game because I have a Greaves chillin on my board or a Fervor, I can wait to play these things until the moment I'm ready to play HH next game. The best card for this situation is Mark of Fury, which isn't as good because a Doom Blade can come down while it's on the stack, which is rough. Though HH might now have to come out later, I'm fine with that if I've got a Wheel of Fortune or a nice creature to play like the recently tested and rather successful Thundermaw Hellkite. Sometimes you've gotta play risky.

At most, I need HH to do two Shiva-Blasts a game, which isn't a lot of work if they let him stay alive until my next turn. At three Shiva-Blasts and no life gain, it's pretty much Good Game for my opponents because of all the burn spells I run, or their negligible fetch land/shock land damage. Hopefully, I'm not in the danger zone either.

Anyway, this deck has been a nice surprise and a particularly fun challenge for me as a non-red player trying to experience the red deck in EDH culture. I highly suggest this deck to people who are sick of their opponents complaining about game-length, or to people who are like that jewel thief from Burma that simply "just want to watch the world burn."

If you're looking for something a little less risky, I might suggest playing Kaervek, which is what I feel this deck is bound to become at some point. Kaervek's even quicker with access to tutors, infect, Havoc Festival, and Everlasting Torment. The true Punisher, really.


As always, talk to me in the comments if you want.
Or if you believe in reverse-psychology, don't talk to me cause I think you're an idiot.

Hope you learned something, I guess?

...The following is an unpaid Shiva-Blast.

SHIVA KAMINI SOMA KANDA KRAM!

-UL

Ill-Gotten Games: The 10 Ticket Challenge

Grandpa Growth here! Back with some more Ill-Gotten Games action. In this video set I am playing MTGO Commander with a budget Edric, Spymaster of Trest decklist. The idea is to build a deck that costs 10 tickets or less....and it is supposed to be good?! Let's find out how my budget brew fares in the casual room of Magic Online!

Check out the rest of the videos on the Youtube playlist here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU8wVeONA5Ha2dcM5txQG9TDfIEyj81rN

Make sure you subscribe to Grandpa Growth on Youtube to see new videos as soon as they are uploaded!

UL's Better Deckbuilding: Animar, Soul of Elements

Yo Zoners!

Last week, when I was busy not posting, I was actually building and testing a bunch of new stuff.

My new Animar deck is one of the new EDH decks I've decided to roll out here.

The inspiration was nonsense. Utter nonsense. And out of crack in the primordial blatherings of the Earth's Crust, my Animar deck got put together.

 We've got gimmicks, as always, and Animar's is pretty simple.

 No Frills, No Complications- Just Dudes.

Look Ma! NO INSTANTS! I can already imagine the angry stare I'm getting from Grandpa Growth, because he'll be very disappointed, but I can't win 'em all.

And like girls, Animar just wants to have fun. 

So with bad Cynid Lauper lyrics in our heads, let's pop the hood on this bad mamma-jamma.

Dudes
1    Acidic Slime
1    Archwing Dragon
1    Azure Mage
1    Birds of Paradise
1    Bloodbraid Elf
1    Bloom Tender
1    Brutalizer Exarch
1    Civic Wayfinder
1    Clone
1    Copper Myr
1    Deadeye Navigator
1    Duplicant
1    Elgaud Shieldmate
1    Elvish Visionary
1    Eternal Witness
1    Etherium-Horn Sorcerer
1    Farhaven Elf
1    Fathom Mage
1    Fertilid
1    Fierce Empath
1    Garruk's Horde
1    Garruk's Packleader
1    Indrik Stomphowler
1    Inferno Titan
1    Instigator Gang
1    Iron Myr
1    Krosan Tusker
1    Lotus Cobra
1    Mercurial Chemister
1    Merfolk Looter
1    Mold Shambler
1    Maelstrom Wanderer
1    Mulldrifter
1    Oracle of Mul Daya
1    Phyrexian Ingester
1    Phyrexian Metamorph
1    Pyreheart Wolf
1    Sakashima the Impostor
1    Sakura-Tribe Elder
1    Shardless Agent
1    Silver Myr
1    Solemn Simulacrum
1    Sphinx of Uthuun
1    Steel Hellkite
1    Sylvan Ranger
1    Sylvok Replica
1    Taurean Mauler
1    Thought Courier
1    Tidespout Tyrant
1    Trygon Predator
1    Voidmage Husher
1    Woodfall Primus

Obviously, we have a lot of different kinds of creatures in this deck, which makes this deck pretty hilarious. The thing I find funny is that I get to play mana dorks because they provide additional value with Animar in play, basically providing ramp and making creatures cheaper.

A few of my favorites in the deck so far have been Tidespout Tyrant, Shardless Agent, Etherium Horn-Sorcerer, Voidmage Husher, and Archwing Dragon. With any one of these cards, you're getting a lot of value on the table, the most punishing being Tidespout.

Voidmage and Archwing are great because you can cast them and cast them to pump Animar, or you can use them to get utility or damage through the air.

And as a result of the number of dudes that are in this deck, Cascade becomes incredibly absurd. Etherium Horn-Sorcerer, once bounced and re-casted, can put up to 4 counters on Animar, making him basically 5 to bounce and cast.

Land
1    Ancient Ziggurat
1    Arid Mesa
1    Breeding Pool
1    Cascade Bluffs
1    Desolate Lighthouse
1    Evolving Wilds
1    Fire-Lit Thicket
1    Flooded Grove
7    Forest
1    Gemstone Caverns
1    Hinterland Harbor
8    Island
1    Llanowar Reborn
1    Misty Rainforest
7    Mountain
1    Rootbound Crag
1    Scalding Tarn
1    Steam Vents
1    Stomping Ground
1    Sulfur Falls
1    Terramorphic Expanse
1    Verdant Catacombs

Mana base is pretty simple here. Ancient Ziggy and Gemstone Caverns are about the only surprises, and I've already made my case for Gemstone. Ancient Ziggy's basically a Command Tower in this deck.

Artifact
1    Conjurer's Closet

So only one artifact. The fucking Closet. Cause we're real OGs here. I had Cloudstone Curio, but didn't like it because I have too many artifact dudes. 

Enchantment
1    Fires of Yavimaya

Fires could come out, but I've never really seen a better place for it to be, so it's here for now. Haste could be relevant in this deck at some point, and now that I have a Wanderer in the deck, I'm curious to see how good it is.

Sorcery
1    Genesis Wave
1    Praetor's Counsel
1    Primal Surge

So I've only got a couple non-permy spells here, but they're game-winners. Primal Surge is made possible my the 97% composition of permanents in this deck, and Praetor's Counsel lets me get back my Genesis Wave after I've cast it into oblivion. Super-sick.

Planeswalker
1    Sarkhan Vol

I've never really had decent success with this card, though I really like it. Again, it's like Fires of Yavimaya. I get haste, and that's relevant, maybe.


So the plan with this deck.

The way that I like to play it is pretty simple. You want to cast Animar Turn 3, so do what you gotta do. Sometimes that means casting an Iron Myr or a Birds of Paradise beforehand- but don't do that unless you have another little guy to cast once Animar's in play.

The key is value. The best opening hands have 3 different color lands (you know what I mean- I know all lands are colorless) and 4 dudes that are five CMC or less.

Eventually, you want to find some of the dudes I previously mentioned. The more dudes you can cast with Animar, the faster you can get through the deck.

Obviously, this deck doesn't like Wraths, but that's okay. it can rebuild. Unless you're playing a serious game, which I don't recommend with this deck, you still have Praetor's Counsel as an out, and Eternal Witness to get back G-Wave or a relevant utility guy.

Honestly though, with Gatecrash, this deck actually got quite a bit of power, and it might even be better than Vig, cause it's quicker.

Then again, Vig's probably playing a Counter or two.

All in all, this deck is still in progress, but it's already a lot more fleshed out than Hidetsugu, so I don't expect much change here.

As always, I'm sure there will be someone asking me why I'm not playing Avenger of Zendikar or Palinchron or whatever, but that's still a relevant question, so feel free to comment and ask me what's up. I'm good at getting back to people. And I don't bite.

Until then,
May the topdeck be ever in your favor.

-UL

Super Secret Sunday 15: New Tech

Well hello! Welcome to Super Secret Sunday! The space/time continuum event wherein we talk about under played cards, under the radar strategies, and under-thought thoughts! I am Grandpa Growth and today we are going to talk about new tech. Instead of secret tech, you see. I have, over the last couple weeks since the prerelease, been playing against the new Gatecrash cards and I have two standouts that I would like to share with you.

So among in the post-Gatecrash EDH scene, Momir Vig has made out like a bandit. I raved in the set review about many of the new cards and how they fit into this archetype, but one in particular has really grabbed my attention.

This piece of junk may have the ugliest art and the wonkiest flavor, but dadgummit...it sure is powerful. Winged Coatl and Mystic Snake had long stood as the staple instant speed tutor effects in this archetype. Both of which are insanely powerful in there own right. In a vacuum you might even think that both of these cards are superior to Shambleshark. The Commander format isn't a vacuum though. It is defined by consistency, powerful threats, and advantageous interaction. Momir Vig has these qualities in spades. Consistency? How about 20-30 tutor effects in your deck. Power? How about having access to format defining threats AND counter magic. Interacting favorably with your opponent? Well, that tends to be easy when you can search for whatever you need out of your deck. So...what am I hinting at exactly? That El Shamblerino here is better in Vig decks than Mystic Snake or Winged Coatl (the archetype STAPLES)? You bet. This only costs two. It is the actual instant speed DT. Better yet, Flash usually generates card advantage. Ambush their attackers, protect your threat from counter magic, leave up counters of your own. It is really easy to win when your creatures have this level of versatility and power. Those qualities are all true of Coatl and Snake though. So what is the difference? Evolve. Shambleshark presents the threat of a reasonable clock. In Vig decks, you play creatures on nearly every turn. Pumping Shambleshark is easy when you have easy access to a constant stream of bigger and bigger threats. This is a tutor that puts a legitimate threat into play and generates immediate card advantage. I cannot understate how incredible this is.

So, for a while, I was living in the past. RTR didn't bring to many fun cards to the Commander tables. Most of the good stuff was niche archetype playables like Deathrite Shaman or Sphinx's revelation. I stand by my earlier prediction that instantly winning by having 20+ artifacts is a pipe dream. However, winning through the immediate card advantage of stealing relevant permanents and consistently pressuring with a reasonable clock? That is real game. I made a serious mistake in a recent game against a friend. I forgot to play around this card. In my defense, I didn't expect it to be played, since it is so new. I learned my lesson. This card, with the unexpected bonus of Haste, is a serious beating. Losing track of your shoes? Gut-wrenching. Losing control of a Sword or a Jitte? Game ending.

On a somewhat related note, hellkite is another in a long list of reasons why I CANNOT, in good conscience, promote playing mana producing artifacts in Commander. Sol Ring is obligatory. Grim is recommended. Bathsalts MonolithBathsalts monolith is acceptable, but if you are going deep (shallow) for something like Mind Stone (as I am oft to do), you are now BEGGING to be punished.

I severely underestimated this card. This has legitimate implications in every constructed format. In aggressive decks: you're opponent is denied at least one turn of locking opportunities. In control: Haste is irrelevant. The best part: Extort is relevant in both archetypes. Gaining 4-6 life a game is a tangible bonus. Doming your opponent for 4-6 life a game is often a whole turn off of your clock. This kind of reach is tough to find, even without relevant abilities attached AND the flexibility to use it whenever you want. Unfortunately, this card has few implications for or against combo decks, but you cant get everything you want for two mana. This is enough card for me and I am a harsh critic.

Alright, well that is all for this week children. I hope all you Zoners are having a good time experimenting with the new cards; trying them out in all sorts of formats. I will be back soon with more content, so look forward to new Ill-Gotten Games action as well as a special video playlist about the 10 ticket challenge on MTGO!

Pass it up.

UL's Card Corner: Gemstone Caverns

Zoners, I take what I can get in EDH- which usually isn't much.

I even lose a majority of dice rolls. Yeah, I'm a bit of a scrub, I guess. Call me what you will.

However, when such is the case, and I mean losing dice rolls, one must learn to adapt- and though I haven't really adapted that much, Gemstone Caverns is a start.

There's a lot of text here, which is perhaps one of the reasons I don't see this card get played in EDH.

But it's not that hard. Go slow, take your time, or whatever. Cause it's worth the time and worth a slot in your deck.

For me, this card is good and scales at getting better. For non-green decks, this is a pretty great way to get out ahead of the curve. In multiplayer, this card is bananas because the odds of you playing first decrease, and it doesn't have much blowback other than sending a card away that you're gonna draw on your turn anyway.

I had a copy of this card a long time ago. Recently, I stumbled on it again, looking for Hidetsugu Stuff, but I decided that the extra card was way more necessary than having a land in play, so it isn't for every deck. By that, I guess I just mean red decks. Cause they can't draw cards or benefit the way other colors can.

Currently though, The Cave is in my Animar Deck, and a future Captain Sisay brew that is happening when I retire Chorus of the Conclave soon. Cause there just isn't room in town for two 40+ Dude Decks. More spoils on Animar soon.

The Caverns is definitely the best in decks where you want to pump something out quick. A Phyrexian Arena, Turn 1 Rampant Growth, Sol Ring into whatever you want.


The key to the Caverns though is secrecy. Remember- the more your opponents know about it, the more likely they are to put it in their decks and use theirs as removal or spite.

It is Legendary, after all.

But to me, the luck counters are worth it.

Well that's all I got for today.

Tomorrow, Grandpa Growth's S^3 article will mark TGZ's 100th article since I began this little journey last August. I've been really fortunate to have Venser's Journalist and Grandpa and a place for you readers to enjoy our little corner of the Internet, and I'm grateful for that.

Thanks for reading, and here's to 100 more.

Four More Years!

-UL

UL's Better Deckbuilding: Heartless Hidetsugu

Hey Zoners-

Sorry about the long-delayed postings. Hopefully, today's lengthy deck primer will remedy your EDH fix.

The past couple weeks I've been toying around with Hidetsugu, who's a pimp, because this art I found suggests as much.

In reality, the deck hasn't been so good to me. Perhaps because I'm not a traditional red player. It takes a completely different side of the brain to find the road map through the chaos- to take bigger risks with the top of the library.

This isn't because the deck is inconsistent- just hard to play because you're in topdeck mode from the beginning of the game, which is a result of trying to make it fast.
This deck is pretty similar to the Ashling and 99 Mountains deck in that regard, because both are trying to go downhill with life totals.

The big difference though is that Ashling, as the gimmicky name of the deck both disguises and suggests, doesn't really need as many resources to do its damage.
 
In true red deck fashion, HH has a pretty obvious strategy:

1. Find Haste Outlet
2. Keep Life Totals Close
3. Drop Hidetsugu
4. Shiva-Blast!

Artifacts
1    Armillary Sphere
1    Basilisk Collar
1    Basalt Monolith
1    Darksteel Ingot
1    Duplicant
1    Elixir of Immortality
1    Expedition Map
1    Extraplanar Lens
1    Grim Monolith
1    Lightning Greaves
1    Loxodon Warhammer
1    Mind Stone
1    Oblivion Stone
1    Ring of Valkas
1    Sculpting Steel
1    Sensei's Divining Top
1    Sol Ring
1    Swiftfoot Boots
1    Temple Bell
1    Thousand-Year Elixir
1    Trading Post
1    Venser's Journal



Creatures
1    Godo, Bandit Warlord
1    Hellrider
1    Inferno Titan
1    Jaya Ballard, Task Mage
1    Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
1    Lightning Mauler
1    Siege-Gang Commander
1    Solemn Simulacrum
1    Stigma Lasher
1    Stingscourger
1    Thundermaw Hellkite
1    Vexing Devil
1    Zealous Conscripts

Enchantment
1    Fervor
1    Mark of Fury 

Instant
1    Chaos Warp
1    Comet Storm
1    Dead/Gone
1    Mages' Contest
1    Molten Influence
1    Parallectric Feedback
1    Price of Progress
1    Reiterate
1    Reverberate
1    Seething Song
1    Shattering Pulse
1    Skullcrack
1    Soul's Fire

Land
1    Bloodstained Mire
1    Evolving Wilds
1    Glacial Chasm
1    Kher Keep
1    Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
31  Mountain
1    Shivan Gorge
1    Temple of the False God
1    Terrain Generator
1    Terramorphic Expanse 

Planeswalker
1    Chandra Ablaze
1    Chandra, the Firebrand
1    Koth of the Hammer  

Sorcery
1    Acidic Soil
1    Browbeat
1    Faithless Looting
1    Heat Shimmer
1    Red Sun's Zenith
1    Wheel of Fortune 

I've mentioned a few of the All-Stars, but there are a few here that have been pretty crucial to deck success.

 Thousand-Year Elixir has been one of my favorite cards in this deck. With the elixir in play, I can double blast people with Hidetsugu on Turn 6.

The Elixir also has pretty great synergy with Kiki-Jiki and Jaya, in terms of untapping.  At worst it's a way to have vigilance.






 


Venser's Journal has actually been a bit of a surprise. I was looking through my binder for something to help me stay alive, and I decided to give it a whirl.


It doesn't seem like much, but getting 4 life a turn nets me 2 extra life after a Shiva-Blast, which is still pretty good. I'm probably never gonna have more than 7 cards in hand, but if I do what a bonus.

This card might come out for something a little more useful like Druidic Satchel, but it's saved my life a couple times already.

Stigma Lasher was in this deck's past life as Fumiko, and I saw no reason to take it out. It's the only way I can keep opponents from gaining life, but it's pretty good to have in the early game. One of the few cheap red guys I've found useful- particularly in this deck.












This deck has come a long way in two weeks, and therefore I've made a whole lot of cuts.

And I'm still not done.

Here's a list of a bunch of stuff that I cut so far.

Magus of the Moon
Blasphemous Act
Rings of Brighthearth
Mad Prophet
Grim Lavamancer
Lich's Mirror
Hoarding Dragon
Leyline of Punishment
Ashling the Extinguisher
Aether Membrane
Lightning Bolt
Pulse of the Forge
Volcanic Fallout
Cinder Cloud
Fissure
Aftershock
Chandra Nalaar
Chain Reaction
Skullclamp
General's Regalia

A majority of the cuts have resulted as part of an effort to make the deck a turn or two faster.
I realized as a result of the narrow mana curve that I need to maximize certain turns as part of a more tempo, opportunistic approach.

Anyway, it's still a work in progress- but it's fun, quick, makes games interesting, and super-sad when you lose the close ones. That's how you know it's good. 60% of the time, it doesn't work every time. 

What keeps me going though is the idea of Shiva-Blasting on the rare occasion that I do win.

Alright. Enough goofy humor.

Peace, Love, Land Drops.

-UL

Saving the Spoils For Tomorrow

Hey Zoners-

Been busy with life and I didn't get my Gatecrash preorder stuff until today.

That said, I'm planning on getting some games in tonight. So I'll hopefully I'll have some good stuff to write about.



So check back tomorrow for a special issue. In the meantime, here's a few fun alt arts I've found or designed myself with help from the interwebz.



















Cause sometimes you've gotta say "Draw, Go," ya know?
Pass.

-UL

In General: Gatecrash Reprints

Hey Zoners. GG here to talk about some non-Commander stuff. When the full Gatecrash spoiler went up, I was very surprised. This set has more reprints than you can shake a stick at. It feels like there are maybe 10% new cards and everything else is just a rehash of some previous nonsense card. This happens in many sets because of the need to create a balanced limited environment. Gatecrash is the worst offender in recent memory; it is quite possible that it has the highest number of reprints for any non-core set release in the history of the game. Considering the amount of time RTR block was in design/development you would expect that they could come up with some new ways to fill these slots, but I guess not. Join me as I take a look at some of the reprints and near-reprints in the set and air my complaints about each one! This is what the blogosphere is all about right?

It is true, I did a fair amount of ranting about this card in the set review, but all of the things I mentioned there are important. This is a functional reprint, a card that that is exactly the same as a previous card from a design standpoint, but has a new name and new flavor. Except this card doesn't have new flavor. It is still an angel getting upset and banishing some dude forever. This new iteration has a better name, that will be usable in future sets, but has way worse flavor. Why would you build a prison in the sky to lock up enchantments? That's not even a...thing right? You can't cage magic and it wouldn't do anything even if you did. Stupid. Bad reprint.

Well well well Snapping Drake...we meet again. I love me a Snapper. I was even pretty happy when this card was first printed in White. It is a simple design that fits well in both colors. I would have like to see Snapping Drake get reprinted in RTR block because it was a staple card in the original Ravnica block limited environment and it is a balanced design that has existed for years. It is a little lame that they couldn't come up with any new Boros or Orzhov flavored card that could fill the same role as Assault Griffin in limited, but I don't mind this reprint. The biggest knock I have on this card is the flavor text, which is not only silly, but also innaccurate. Just look at Drakewing Krasis. If these two fought, they both die. That is pretty evenly matched I would say. Do I get a prize? No. This griffin even has armor on. It is like it's flavor has built in equipment. You could suit up a Krasis in armor and probably give it at least +1 toughness. Flavor. This is why it doesn't ever make any sense.

Wizards has been sneaking Portal cards into 'real' sets for a while now. They have distributed them pretty well and have done a good job of keeping the flavor intact while positioning the cards in an environment where they can be powerful. This is a great reprint for Gatecrash because of the powerful interaction with Battalion. This is perhaps my favorite reprint of the set, save for the shocklands.

I like that this was moved up to uncommon. I think it is appropriate for this to be a sorcery instead of an instant because there are already several iterations of this effect at common (including the Starter '99 printing of Righteous Charge). I don't like it when 'team pumps' get slotted at common, it really lessens the playability of the card, which is awkward because you usually have 1-2 in your White draft decks, but people are used to playing around them more effectively, so they tend not to be as good.

What is this card doing here? It has notable impact for hosing Bloodrush, but so does every instant speed removal effect. This is not the card I like for common White removal. In Stronghold, it was really not that great. I have been playing long enough to remember this card when it first came out. Since then it has been put into sets where it can have a much bigger mechanical impact. Killing Eldrazi and Gruul beaters is important, but it kind of cheapens the role of fatties in limited when you just get blown out by a cmc 1 removal spell.

As far as the flavor changes go on this card it only ever gets worse. In Stronghold, the flavor was perfect. This card lets your smaller monster 'kill' a bigger monster. Which was perfect when Gerrard defeated Volrath, Evincar of Rath. The flavor text was put on the card to help tell the story of the set. WHICH IS HOW IT SHOULD BE! This printing has no flavor. The creatures in the art aren't even in combat. They are not fighting anyone. The guy just spontaneously combusts. That is Red. Not White. And the flavor text. Good god. DAT TEXT. I just can't...please make it go away.

This card is nearly as old as the game itself. It has been in several different colors, had several different names, different costs, and it always works slightly different, but basically the same. You tap their squad. Either to kill them or to stop them from killing you.

This is an important example of when the flavor on a card works PERFECTLY. It is a Dimir card, mechanically not so much, but the flavor makes perfect sense and this is backed up by the actual flavor text. The Dimir work in secret and strange ways. Subtlety is the key to their organization's success. The art shows an Azorius controlled district, made obvious by the rooftop fountains. Of all the guilds, the Azorius would have the slowest response to an event like this. It would literally take hours for them to resolve. This card is hinting at a nefarious purpose for a simple act. What are they trying to delay, what are they trying to cover up? This card tells a story that is worth listening to. It isn't cheeky, it isn't silly. Cards like this make the game move, awkwardly enough.

Jeez. Temporal Spring has really fallen a few rungs down the ladder lately. This card is more expensive and it can't hit lands. That is pretty substantial. I talk about power creep often. Some people say it doesn't even exist. I think it is a really strange subject and often confused. A popular counterargument is that power creep is circular and that eventually the game will shift back around until cards we thought were too good are in fact not very good. I think some of that is happening, but not really. Look at Legacy these days. It is heavily populated by cards that have been printed in the last 5-6 years. There are of course, still many older cards that see a ton of play like Lightning Bolt or Counterspell, but these cards are long standing fixtures of the game that have been present at many moments in the history of the game. They are simple and timeless and thus will always be good. There will be dudes to zap and spells to counter no matter what happens.

The kind of power creep that concerns me the most is the widening gap between rarities. Mythics are about 40% broken and 60% just regular rares in disguise. Uncommons and commons are pretty much only playable in limited except for the occasional breakout like Delver of Secrets. What happens to the game if rares get better and commons get worse. The price for competitive decks rises substantially because you have to crack tons of packs to get to just a few cards. The value of the other 14 cards in the pack tanks because the market is completely over-saturated. Two years from now, cards that were staples in their Standard environment would barely be playable in the new Standard. What it boils down to is higher gains for the game maker and lower gains for the collector of the product. You don't think that all this evil grows out of printing weak commons? Think again.

Final thought: What is your Doorkeeper doing out in the street? Go home Doorkeeper, you are drunk.

Yet another awful reprint. This card has been in tons of sets and never been any good. This might be the most useful printing yet. In limited, this card pretty much breaks the Orzhov mirror. It cuts off access to White and will save you 3-4 life off of missed Extort triggers. Outside of that....it sucks. Spreading Seas was used to great effect to hose Jund in 2008-09 Standard, but that was different. Jund had bad mana and Seas drew you a card, which is just huge. "Draw a card" turns pieces of cardboard into Magic cards. I don't think this is going to to see any sideboard play in Standard. The mana is just too good right now. Midrange control decks don't care about waiting a turn to play their spells. That might not even happen since there is so much life gain in the format. I would happily pay two life for another card of Sphinx's Revelation.



Disembowel was a cool card in the original Ravnica format. Again, like Snapping Drake, I would have like to just see either a straight reprint for nostalgia's sake or a new version that interacts with the Guild mechanics. This just doesn't hit any trope that I care about. I think cards that feature planeswalkers from a flavor perspective can be cool and I like that this has a name that doesn't suck. Overall, this card is pretty reasonable. I like that it plays better against the new Evolve cards, but only if you time it correctly and hit them early. A bit of a skill tester, but that is no reason for this card to be uncommon.









Alley Grifters!!! I use to love this card as a kid. Before I was good at the game, I use to play it for fun. Imagine that. Well back then I loved disruption, just like I do now, but less on the counters more on the discard. I am happy to see an update of this card that has a more appropriate costs and different creature type. The only problem is that this card's name will stop it from getting reprinted in future sets. Which sucks and is a real bummer. Also. Flavor text. What? What does having psychosis have to do with making other people lose their minds? Is it contageous? I wasn't aware of that. If it was I think a lot more psychotics would be gainfully employed.





Oh man. Get ready for another tirade. I HATE this card. I don't who at R&D loves these effects, but they don't need to print one in every set. It isn't even all that great in limited and the last time someone cast this in constructed it was stealing Primeval Titan, which is just like...THE MAXIMUM possible value to be achieved by this card. It's not just this kind of effect either. Horned Turtles, Cancels, Shocks, Bears; they are getting whored around and bastardized, dressing up in new names and putting on silly 'new' mechanics. I understand that these are the basic building blocks of the limited game, but their absence can sometimes be a stronger signal than their presence. These cards are starting to show up so much that it is stifling design and making every limited environment run together. The game doesn't need a new Grizzly Bear, even if it is black.

Secondly, let's talk flavor. This card is telling an important part of the Gatecrash story. The New Guildpact is starting to unravel as people lose faith in the guilds. More people are becoming independent or, as shown in this art, moving to different guilds. That is cool, just like it was cool on Gridlock, but let's take a step back from these two cards. The game is about two super powerful wizards casting spells to kill each other. Breaking a wagon wheel isn't exactly a magic spell. It has intrigue and subterfuge written all over it and it is certainly powerful in the right context, but it isn't magical. One of your opponent's supporters leaving him because of a propaganda campaign or poor management is equally useful, but also not really a spell. Let''s go back in time. THREATEN has just been printed. Temporarily stealing a dude has been shifted from Blue to Red. A good switch if you ask some folks. It diversifies the color pie and redistributes powerful mechanics more evenly. The problem? Threatening your opponents body guard ISN'T A SPELL. Ray of Command was a spell. It is literally a wizard mind controlling some dork and making him switch sides. This kind of stuff just drives me nuts. Why do they even bother faking flavor? Stop giving cards bad names. Stop giving them silly flavor text. Tell a story...or don't. I don't care. Just don't make flavor that doesn't make sense.


Again, I have to ask myself. What is this guy doing here? Why reprint this card? What is the point? There is no elemental theme in the set. No spellshaping theme. No sacrifice theme. There isn't even a strong burn component. This just seems so out of place. I like the card fine and it is sure to be good in limited, I just don't get why they wouldn't make a new card that had something to do with Ravnica. Is that too much to ask?











Momentum is sick. Momentum that never stops growing is super sick. I like the update. It is sure to see play and it interacts beautifully with the Evolve mechanic and all the cards that move counters around. Super cool.















A slight oversight on my part, I left out Fog on the list of cards that gets over-printed. Not every set needs Fog. This is how you end up with wonky deck like Turbo Fog that just plays 35 copies of the same card and never interacts with their opponent. That might be a fun novelty, but is more the realm of casual nonsense than tier 1 constructed. It isn't healthy for any format when it gets too much of a 'good' thing and it doesn't really add anything new to the game. It is just lame and lacking in creativity.










Every block does actually need Naturalize, but not necessarily ACTUAL naturalize. These are starting to show up way too often as well. They are never main deck material. Which is fine, but you don't need 40 hammers when one will do. There are so many side board cards available, but you are only ever going to use one. Why print so many? Why print them so often? Make something new, damnit.













Okay, cool. Another update of an original Ravnica block card. I like that this saw print without the Hexproof aspect that Silhanna Ledgewalker had, because that card is already kind of snapped in Pauper. We have another killer piece of flavor text here. Guess what morons, cartographers on Earth also 'chart the vertical'. Where do they find these people?













I think this card is super sweet. I loved Agony Warp. It was good in limited. It sees play in Pauper and it is even in the MTGO cube. This card is obviously not as good as Agony Warp is, but the symmetry is evident and this is still a very strong card. The ability to kill your opponent quicker than they expect cannot be overrated. Doing so in a way that gains you card advantage is something special.












One of the most iconic Boros cards from original Ravnica block. One of the best common air threats of the Modern era. A beautifully designed and costed card. Perfectly balanced. I am Grandpa Growth and I approve of this reprint.
















Surprise! I don't like this reprint. It is a great multicolor enabler and Gatecrash definitely needed something to take the place of Transguild Promenade. I am excited that this card is going to be in the set, but again, running theme here, I want NEW IDEAS that result in NEW CARDS.

Obligatory flavor text rant: HOW THE EFFF DOES LOOKING THROUGH A PRISM HELP YOU UNDERSTAND HOW THE GUILDS STABILIZE RAVNICA!

I would like to finish by talking about the reprinting of the shocklands. Obviously, as an avid EDH player, I was simultaneously rejoicing and cursing the decision to reprint shocklands. Financially, my collection is worthless, but it will be cheaper to pick up additional copies of ubiquitous cards. As a fan of singleton fomats like Commander and Cube, I was hoping to see dual lands with searchable basic lands types, but a different drawback mechanic. Having your opponent gain life, having some kind of Milling or Delving costs, just anything new really. I think that having new cards that fill the same role as popular old cards is better than just getting a reprint of what you already knew you liked.

I absolutely hate that the shock lands were reprinted with flavor text. Considering that 90% of flavor text never gets read I think they should just do away the idea in general. Of the few instances of flavor text that do get read, most of them are just puns. It's shameless, albeit occasionally funny. That is okay, but having a snarky line at the end of a magic card doesn't really enhance the magic card. It is distracting, silly, and unnecessary. As far as the new arts are concerned. I did not like the new arts from RTR. I think Hallowed Fountain got an upgrade, but the other lands just looked worse. This is not the case in Gatecrash. All of the arts are good. All of the new arts except for Breeding Pool are actually improved in my opinion. This is noteworthy becuase four of the five most popular and expensive shocklands are coming in Gatecrash, so it was important for Wizards to really nail this.

Well that's it. Those are the cards I felt like talking about anyway. If you feel like discussing any of the other reprints in the set or just want to share your opinion on the cards mentioned here make sure to leave a comment. Until next time zoners...

P-p-p-p-p-passin' the turn.