Stack #36- Built Four Tough

Like your average Model T, some Magic Cards are also built with midrange resistance.

This week, the gang and I are saluting some of our favorite creatures with 4 toughness.

So without further ado, let's get to it. Your pokemon journey awaits!

THIS IS THE STACK!

VENSER'S JOURNALIST'S PICK

Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
When I first used this card in a deck, it was a kind of "gag" backup plan for Isperia. Although this card means nothing against most goblin and elf decks, it is still a fun card to pull out when some one pops off a Garruk Wurm-for-each-land move.

The Godhead of Awe for me represents the old riddle of "Would you rather have a button to make you fifteen percent stronger or one to make everyone else twenty five percent weaker?"

Uncle Landdrops-  THUMBS UP
I'm not an Azorius man, but this is a card that is on my radar. There are a lot of cool things that can be done with layer effects, and this is a very interesting card to combo with. If you're playing Humility, having another copy is solid, and it has some promising Azorius game-stall power with counter back up. If you want the only creatures on the battlefield, Godhead can team up with Elesh Norn.

Grandpa Growth- THUMBS DOWN
Haven't played it. Have played against it a limited amount. I don't generally build decks that want this. The previous information leads me to believe that this card just isn't that useful. It is powerful, for sure, but I don't know why I would rather have this than a more 'pure' form of board control like Wrath. Also, a restrictive casting cost that necessitates play in two-color decks, but makes it difficult to cast on time in three-color decks. Not as appealing as some other options from this cycle.

GRANDPA GROWTH'S PICK

Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
I am not sure this is my favorite, but it is certainly the one that I play the most in Commander. This is a kind of offbeat topic, so I went through the Gatherer list of all the four toughness creatures just to make sure I wasn't missing something obvious. Not much to say about this guy. Format staple, solid removal, solid threat, provides card advantage, and tempo, basically does it all.  I think my true favorite would probably be Penumbra Spider, but that is really only because of Pauper Cube...where it single-handedly defeats 95% of creatures and removal.

Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
Although I haven't used this card much, I will say that it is an excellent removal card. It's more annoying than a clone, but gives you more of an advantage, assuming you are the one playing the Duplicant. Mix with some flicker effects, and you have a pretty good removal engine!

Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
Ol' Dupey and Treasure Mage are buddies in most of the cases where I'm playing him, which is Braids and Animar, so I never actually cast him or drawn him, and it's been a long time since I actually hard cast this thing. Everything I do with this card is basically unfair, and I think the art properly foreshadows the criminality being able to tutor, cheat, and proceed to further card advantage atrocities on the board. Basically, Duplicant is one of the main platforms for my re-election campaign when my term is up as the Mayor of Value Town. I hope I can count on your vote.

UNCLE LANDDROPS' PICK 

Uncle Landdrops-  THUMBS UP
I love Wolf tokens. They've always been a favorite of mine, and Wolfbriar is one of the reasons why. This is a card that came out shortly after I started playing, and I love every part of it. The art is dope, even though it really doesn't show you how many actual wolves you're going to get, and it doesn't look like a creature. The power and curve that scales with multikicker is appropriate, exciting, and a fun card to play. Despite the fact that Avenger of Zendikar did outshine it, even in its own Limited environment, I still rock this card. It's also super cheap to buy if you're pinching pennies.

Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
This card is a pretty huge beating. Green decks have a pretty easy time making excess mana and it is awesome to be able to spend that on threats like this. I am a big fan of 'army in a can' creatures and of high mana efficiency. This is the perfect marriage of both and one of the cards that pulls me into playing Green, but is still somewhat under the radar. This doesn't get the same kind of recognition as Avenger of Zendikar, but is mostly just as good.

Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
Old Wolfie is one of my favorite "kicker" cards of all, because if you're playing Green properly, there is no reason for you not to have ten wolves on the field by turn six. The creature itself is not terribly impressive, but his pets make him a good one.

As always, feel free to tell us tales of great victories and zany experiences with the stuff we talk about here on The Stack.

Til next time!

-UL/GG/VJ

Card Corner: Noxious Revival

Heya Zoners! Landdrops here with a throwback retro edition of Card Corner.

Today's card is one of my favorites from New Phyrexia, Noxious Revival.

In three words, this card is Versatile Card Advantage. We'll start in the top right corner. The lone Phyrexian mana symbol represents a big part of this. My love of "free spells" knows no bounds. I am willing to pay 2 life in a tight spot for most things within the context of Magic, especially when it's in my favorite card type.

Again, versatility. Timing is always the game, and Noxious Revival has the best in town, and unless you're at 1 or 2 life, it's castable, no matter what.

So what are we doing with it? Well, it isn't going to get us the game right away without other cards. However, there are a few great tricks that can be played with this card. Aside from getting something back in your graveyard pre-draw step, one of the best ways to play this is defensively. Preventing an opponent from a reanimator target not only stops their plan this turn, but forces them to draw next turn and have to hard cast whatever it was they were trying to cheat into play, which also puts them a card down from the normal drawing pace of the game. White and Red decks that are skinny on draw power won't have reanimate targets, but probably wouldn't like to draw their most useless card from their graveyard again. Using it on your opponent after they've used a 6th Edition tutor like Worldly, Enlightened, Mirage, or Vampiric is also pretty rough.

On the offensive side, I tend to use it to grab more card advantage. Because it doesn't cost mana like Reclaim or Regrowth, chances are whatever you get can be cast in the same turn, if you cast it pre-draw step. Tutors, Solemn Simulacrum, Fetchlands, your best threat- all of these things are pretty good targets.

Overall, Noxious Revival completely outclasses these green graveyard-getter ancestors, acting in most cases as a poor man's Eternal Witness, or sometimes, better. There are a lot of moves that can be made with it. So give it a shot. It's dirt cheap. To play, and to purchase.

Until next time, drink Brawndo, the Thirst Mutilator. It's got electrolytes. Also, use it on your plants. It's got what they want too.

-UL

The First of Two Cents

Hello again. Grandpa here. This is in General. I am going to be taking a little detour, a field trip you might say. Because of our friendship and healthy level of respect for each other, Uncle Landdrops has awarded me more or less carte blanche here on the blog. I often treat this blog as my soap box. I share my opinions. I am proud and vocal about them. Even when they differ strongly from the other contributors that I share this space with or the community at large.

I am embarking on a two part series. In lieu of my weekly discussion of cards, or strategy, or psychology, or tangentially related nonsense, I will instead be talking about myself. About how I play the game. Now, if you have been reading my columns on TGZ for any length of time or peeked in at my set reviews you will have heard plenty of my opinions about how OTHER people play the game. To the savvy reader, this may have painted a very clear picture of who I am...or at least who you think I am. I am all business in the game, but as a person I am quite different. Today, I will share with you some personal philosophies. In next week's follow-up piece, I will give share some advice for players who are new to the game, to the format, or just entering a new play group.

Enjoy yourself.

I enjoy the game. It has been in my life for a long time. More than a decade, but there was a time when it wasn't in my life. I was into the competitive scene. I was juggling a lot of activities and balancing a variety of commitments on my time. Something had to give, and at that time, it was Magic. You see, I had become so engrossed in the struggle to be a strong competitive player that I had really stopped enjoying it, which was a primary factor in my decision to stop playing and pursue other endeavors. That's right, it was easy. At the time I didn't feel bad about stepping away from the game because I wasn't enjoying it.

Now I see the beauty of the casual game. It is still the same complex mental test I wanted, but now I share it with my friends. I do it in the comfort of my home, local stores, or online (when the events are actually firing I guess). This was a roundabout way of saying it, but remember to have fun. Enjoy the game. Enjoy learning. Enjoy being challenged. Enjoy yourself.

Play Optimally

I do the right thing. Not in some grandiose moral sense, but make the right play. I think things through. I don't miss the details and don't screw up easy stuff. I want to play to the best of my ability all the time. Regardless of how the game is progressing, I always make the play that I think gives me the best chance to win. I rarely get cute. I don't slow roll, I don't bluff often, I don't try to cheese my opponents either. I find that it is more fun for everyone involved if I just play optimally instead of worrying about hurting someone's feelings or coming off as a jerk. Which leads me to my next point...

Don't take it personally

I see far too many people become emotionally invested in the particulars. Of a game. Of their decks. Of their pet card. Don't be disappointed if your idea doesn't work out. Don't get angry if you lose. This is all pretty childish. There really isn't any room for this kind of behavior in a strategy game. Part of maintaining a friendly environment is not being a jerk...to yourself. If you combine this idea with the idea of playing optimally you will arrive at a central pillar of my philosophy. Don't play the deck that you like the most. Play the deck that you think gives you the best chance to win. I might have the most fun playing a whacky combo deck...and that is fine. I do not, however, delude myself into thinking that it is competitive. Read some decklists on TCGplayer or Tapped out. Take a look at the comments. You'll get an idea of how protective people get about their favorite things. When you get emotionally invested, you get defensive. You start skewing reality. Take criticism objectively and professionally. It's how I get better. It's how the pros went pro. It is just cardboard. You are a person. I believe that I can and should be above this. So I hold myself to a high standard of impartiality.

I play by the rules. 

I do my absolute best to know all I can about the rules and to abide by them at all times. Magic is a huge and complicated game. I get things wrong just like anyone else. UL can confirm that I am, in fact, not right 100% of the time, but I don't withhold knowledge of the rules for strategic reasons. Consequently, I also don't let my opponent's cheat. No peeking at your top card. No friendly mulligans. No giving away extra information. And most of all NO TAKESIES BACKSIES! Which is how, in my circle at least, we refer to changing your mind about something after you get new information. Announcement is a structured procedure within the game. There are rules about it. It is binding. If I make a mistake, I own up to it. I don't ask my opponent if I can have a redo. People will often say things like, 'you know what I meant to do!"...which is absolutely true. I usually know what the correct play is, but they obviously don't understand, otherwise they wouldn't have made such an error. To some people, this may seem cutthroat. It may seem like all I care about is winning, but that isn't true. This is only part of the story. I will further illustrate with this next point.

I am helpful and honest.

If you ask me how to make a certain play I will tell you. If you are confused about sequencing, or a peculiar rules interaction, or what layer Characteristic Defining Abilities fall in...well I can tell you that too. BUT YOU HAVE TO ASK! If you play crisp and quietly, I am going to assume you know what you're doing. If you put your hand on your chin and go super deep into the tank before making a play, I am going to assume you came up with the best answer you could. It can be strange and embarrassing to admit that you are confused or that you need help. Often people won't be helpful or receptive. Sometimes, Magic players can be real jerks. I DO NOT act like this. If you Thoughtseize me and ask me what I should take. I WILL TELL YOU.

That example may seem really strange and I will qualify it with this explanation: I know what I don't want you to take, but not what is in your hand. I know what is in my deck, but not yours. I will happily advise you on this choice, but I may not be able to fully explain it until the game ends without jeopardizing the integrity of the contest.  If you play with me enough though, you will see that I really do answer these requests honestly and in good faith. Alternatively, if you want that explanation of why right when it counts, I am also always willing to take this game 'face up' and have a "coaching moment." We can both honestly discuss our thoughts on the game state and our strategies in order for us to both learn from each other about how to better play this game we are sharing. It is even more fun then, when we begin a new game armed with new knowledge and superior skills. That just feels good and it breeds a bond of trust that helps our game and our skill grow. In keeping with the flow of this article, this is the jumping off point for my final thought.

Be friendly...for heaven's sake.

I want a competitive game. So I play competitively. I try to win. Makes sense, eh? If you want to make friends, then you need to play in a friendly manner. There is absolutely no excuse for being rude, ill-mannered, short-tempered, derisive, insulting, inconsiderate, selfish, cocky, or scummy. Not at my table. Not in my house. Not in earshot or eyesight. Unless of course you are ready to give a full explanation of your behavior and account for your antics in full view of the public. There is just no place for it in this game or this world. There is no need for it and no benefit to it. If your ego is inflated by demeaning others: You are not a predator. You are a parasite.

The people who know me, know that I can be an abrasive personality. They may not always comprehend my methods, but I think they understand that I like to egg people on. Get under their skin a bit to push them. Light a fire under them if you will. When I am out at events I try to leave my opponents with a positive image. Of me and themselves. If they play well, I will tell them. If I think I can help them improve I will do my best to inform them of that in a tactful way, although this is often tough. They may be disappointed for losing. They may be taking things personally. They may view me as an enemy instead of an opponent, but I try to avoid that and keeper a lighter atmosphere. This is super tough in the instance of children...

This has happened to all of us at one point I'd wager. You're at an event and you get paired against someone who is not just new to the game, but pretty new to the Earth. Basically anything under 18 makes me nervous to play against. I will admit...I am horrible with kids. My inner child isn't real, that's just a phrase people use when they want to justify still watching Disney movies at 30 years of age.....so I have a tough time relating. I want these little guys to succeed and learn and feel confident and have a blast doing it, but I don't always know the best way to make that happen. I don't have much advice about this except to say be careful. You never know what emotional state your next opponent will be in, so try to act like a decent human being, they might just need you to be one after all.

The Stack #35- Short Stack

As advertised, this week's installment will be brief.

Our picks are mostly things that have been on our mind- surprising results of Magic's strange and underestimated.

So let's get to it. THIS IS THE STACK!

VENSER'S JOURNALIST'S PICK

Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
Perhaps a stark departure from my usual picks for the stack, this Efreet has proven its worth to me. When I saw that Wizards reprinted this card for Commander 2013, I thought they were scrounging around the "What do we got" files. Then I saw it in play.

Although I admit it is not a terribly effective card at what it is supposed to do (which is break things and look mean and scary), it does have a certain charm. The very nature of Efreets and Djinns make them unreliable and could cost you dearly. But when they work to your advantage, there is no complaining.

What I like most about this card is that it's essentially a destruction engine. There's a 66.6% chance (coincidence? I think not, WotC...) that you can gain an upper hand each of your turns. But if you play a bunch of stuff that's supposed to die, then you should be happy either way. In a Kresh, the Bloodbraided deck, this is a great way to pump up your commander every turn. In a Sek'Kuar deck (another one that has been reprinted) you'll most likely prefer to have your own creatures die.

I think what really won me over was the flavor text. If you've ever seen the movie Bedazzled, you know how wishes can be wishy-washy.

Johnny Confidant- THUMBS UP
This guy has seen a rise in play in my group specifically in the decks that don't mind loosing a creature or two for the advantage of having someone else's permanent removed. Obviously, this guy is more or less a political creature in addition to chance Enchantment removal for mono Red decks willing to lose something in return.

Put this in a Krenko deck, with Eldrazi Monument and perhaps you won't make many friends.

Uncle Landdrops-  THUMBS UP 
I haven't ever played this card, but I can think of a lot of decks that would love this. I like the idea of bending the odds- targeting your indestructible creature, stealing your opponent's creature and making it the nonland permanent you control- even using Brion Stoutarm to fling your creature if you lose the random roll. This card is fun, and can create all-win scenarios for you. Might take a little bit of building around, but there are decks that can benefit. Also- nice non-Azorius card VJ!

Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
Bet you were surprised about that, huh? This is a card I never play, but I am happy that I don't have to play against. It is way better than it looks. It gives Red access to a recurring destruction affect that is significantly off-color. It present consistent card advantage with little downside and it has enough power to pressure your opponents life total while you get further ahead on board. If this had some sort of protection from removal it would be near perfect. A friend of mine has this in his cube...which I will admit is unconventional, but it IS good. When the format gets deeper, having access to powerful and flexible removal becomes that much more important.

GRANDPA GROWTH'S PICK

Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
UL said we get free reign on The Stack this week, so I am going to talk about Pauper Cube...in which this card is absolutely filthy. This got moved down to common with the release of Modern Masters some months ago so I decided to give it a try in my common cube. Strangely, it wasn't getting played, but I have a rule about cutting things before they have a chance to prove themselves. It had never been cast until this week...when I was blown out by it multiple times in the same match. My 3/3 blocks your 3/3. You cast this, my dude dies, and your guy becomes a 6/6? What is this ridiculousness...It's a pump spell that gives a permanent bonus. Ugh...how am I supposed to play around this? Never attack? Rest assured, this little guy has cemented his inclusion and has jumped way up the pick order. My play group is now aware of the power and the potential.

Uncle Landdrops- SURE
I like +1/+1 counters. I don't like the new "Tempt with White Mike's Ability" card, but this is a lot better. It's more likely to end up on a list of funny things I want to put on an Isochron Scepter than it is in one of my EDH decks, but maybe that's a deck I build. I try not to know what I'm doing next. Making unexpected decks and spontaneous card choices sometimes translates to nice in-game surprises, which leads to shocking my opponent, and I like that quality of my decks and my game quite a bit.

UNCLE LANDDROPS' PICK 

Uncle Landdrops-  THUMBS UP
Before Theros, I had a good-but-one-dimensional Greel deck solely focused on getting rid of your hand so that I could end the game with either the first or second resolution of Army of the Damned.

Well, the Gods were good to Greel, and brought some depth to my silly Horror Spellshaper deck. The deck received many obvious includes (Hythonia, Erebos, Hero's Downfall, Read the Bones), and some ones I didn't expect too, like Gray Merchant and the Whip

I severely underestimated it. In my deck, the card is almost Crypt Incursion, but a permanent. I've had at least three games now where I've been able to leverage serious value off of this card, whether it was Reanimate beats, getting devotion for Erebos or Gray Merchant, or just simply having Lifelink to recoup all the life I lose from silly sorcery-speed card draw spells. Yeah. I've abused everything from the text box this card's converted mana cost, and I'm not ashamed. It was awesome.

I went a whole game being the premier threat at the table, and still wound up winning and it was mostly because of this card and its friends. Play it if you got it, kill it quick if you don't.


Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
I think the people at Wizards severely underestimate how powerful Lifelink is. This just gains you so much life. You play this and it is like you started the game at around 60 or so. You can just dig creatures for so much value, including a ton of life, which gives you more time, TO DIG MORE STUFF.

I find it strange that some of the cards in the cycle were directly based on a previously printed Enchantments of the same color and some were not, but I am not complaining. This is a fresh, awesome new card and I am pumped about it. I think I was wrong in my set review. This is probably the best, probably. Haven't really had a chance to compare this to Bow of Nylea in a meaningful gameplay scenario. The fact that this always gives Lifelink, but Bow only gives attackers Deathtouch is kind of a knock on Bow.

-UL and the TGZ CREW

Johnny C's Command Zone OG's #1: Daxos, Darien, Sapling of Colfenor

Happy Thursday Zoners!

It's your favorite undercity connection, Johnny Confidant. Today marks the first episode of Command Zone OG's, a series featuring quick hits on Legendary Creatures
On the Rise, Under the Radar, or potentially Always Around a local playgroup.

No matter where you play, or who you play with, there's always going to be new Legends trending and old Legends re-surfacing to lead new designs into battle once more. And whichever it may be, we're going to keep you in the know.


ON THE RISE

Azorius Newcomer - Daxos of Meletis

Before Theros was even out, Daxos had a serious buzz on TappedOut and in the MTG Salvation forums for good reason. Like Thada Adel, he's cheap to cast, slips past big blockers in his mission to bring value.

Though he does come with a few obstacles to overcome, most of his problem is solved by handing him one pertinent static ability: Double Strike.

Because lands and library manipulation like Crystal Ball can really ruin your plan, Double Strike enablers like Fireshrieker, Steelblade Paladin, and True Conviction not only help net you stuff to play, but also help make this 2/2 shirtless Soldier a little more beefy and frightening. 

Speaking from experience, the Voltron-ing helps. So far, the best card I've exiled is Sanguine Bond. With life gain from Daxos and Drogskol Reaver, the combo-ing was incredible. Medomai the Ageless can also help support and finish off an opponent if you need a couple extra turns to get to 21.

Here's my list if you want to check it out:
Daxos of Mediocrity

ALWAYS AROUND

Mono White - Darien, King of Kjeldor

Darien here is a Human Lord (Errata Human Soldier) from way back in Coldsnap. He makes tokens, is semi-tribal and while not very fast at 6 mana, he makes up for it with lots of White utility.

Most Darien decks run heavy sorcery-speed board sweeps, especially if they don't destroy tokens. Austure Command, Martial Coup, and Hour of Reckoning with Global sweep all-stars like Wrath of God, Day of Judgment and Phyrexian Rebirth are all reasonable expectations in a Darien.

A piece of interesting tech about Darien is putting in Pain lands that help Darien pop out his soldier babies when your opponents won't. Tarnished Citadel, Grand Coliseum, and City of Brass to essentially read {t}: add any color mana to your mana pool, X deals 1 Damage to you then put a 1/1 Soldier into play. It's an odd way to get tokens out but it works well with Skullclamp, which creates a great draw engine.

This deck wins with assistance from some Elspeth love, and stuff like Cathar's Crusade, True Conviction, White Creature Buffs, Avacyn and Mirror Entity to push through with swarms of lethally strong soldier babies. 

UNDER THE RADAR

Golgari Goodies - Sapling of Colfenor

Sapling is a deck I have only seen once. Honestly I'd like to see more. An Indestructible creature with a reward for attacking is pretty nice.

What I like about her is that despite dodging the most common removal, 2 power is still not very threatening. Underestimating her is a real possibility if you're not careful.

Colfenor usually contains Pariah's Shield to buy time and take advantage of her abilities. Other strong includes are Lurking Predators and Shaman Tribal which has a strong and underrepresented presence at the kitchen table. Eternal Witness, Drana, Deathrite Shaman. They all sound good to me.

That's it for this week Zoners. Be sure to check back for the Stack on Saturday and GG on Sunday.

Have a good one.
-JC

Spin It Into Myth: Monstrous Results From The Theros Bargain Bin

Happy Tuesday Zoners-

I got pretty busy today, but I wanted to give you an update from our last installment of Spin. So let's get it started.

COLOSSUS OF AKROS

I'm not going to tell everyone to put this into their decks. Our big soldier Golem friend needs big mana, tutelage, potentially ways to cheat him into play.

In my Braids deck, Colossus really thrives. It's a defense when my opponents have a bigger fish to play, and it's another similar late gamer like its Brother from another Mirrodin, Darksteel Colossus.

Unlike it's kin though, CoA plays a lot more like Ulamog's Crusher once Monstrous. Its indestructibility and huge swing ensure that you're going to eat most of your opponent's biggest threats, putting your opponent on the defense.

All in all, it's a big, goofy fun card, which is an exception to most cards I like.

GIFT OF IMMORTALITY

Gift of Immortality was the initial inspiration for a Saffi Eriksdotter deck I just finished recently. I was looking at Theros spoils and thought I'd be able to create a way to make an infinite combo with this and her, but it wasn't the case.

Obvious flavor fouls and rules misinterpretations aside, this card is a house. We all know how good ETB triggers are, and how much card advantage is generated by the Black Reanimator decks.

GoI can actually be worse. In multiplayer, cards like Sakura-Tribe Elder can provide such an incredible mana advantage that it's almost insurmountable. Combined with useful sac outlets, this is a total house. With Greater Good and a big dude, it's extra cards on your opponent's turn.

It protects threats and forces so much removal if it doesn't. Seriously, you want to play this card. This Aura is too good to avoid.

PROGNOSTIC SPHINX

Last card on the docket today is another new Braids addition. Prognostic Sphinx.

One of the common issues I had in my deck was the space between Merfolk Looters and 6-cost flyers like Consecrated Sphinx. It wasn't necessarily a curve problem as much as it was trying to find something I'd want to hard cast in a worst-case situation.

I really liked this guy out of the gate. All of his abilities have been really handy in key situations with this deck. The card advantage has been really useful in tight situations later in the game where my deck is the threat and I need a counterspell to answer.

I've made some pretty nifty plays with him too. Cloning him with a Quicksilver Gargantuan has so far been my favorite. There's nothing like having a bigger version of this card, as well as multiple scry triggers.

Overall, solid card. Definitely a workhorse that can really mind the gap, if your deck needs one.

The cool thing about these cards is that they're all cheap, available, and probably looking for a good home. So if you find a few sitting in trade binders, snag 'em. These puppies deserve a good home.

Sorry about the mix-up last Thursday. Looks like Johnny's got his new segment ready to roll out, so be sure to check that out this week. I don't think it'll disappoint.

Until next time, don't let Nick Cage talk you into stealing the Declaration of Independence.

Choose your own Adventure.
-UL

In General: Another Cardnative Bias

Welcome to another In General. The column where I talk about whatever I feel like, when I am supposed to be talking about the game. I am your host Grandpa Growth and today I am actually going to do my job. We are going to revisit an idea from one of my previous pieces. Specifically, following up on the article about Confirmation Bias. I am going to give you a quick heads up on another cognitive bias that I see crop up in Magic quite often: the Gambler's Fallacy.

What It Is, What It Ain't

Here is a short definition for reference, sourced from Wikipedia:

The gambler's fallacy, also known as the Monte Carlo fallacy or the fallacy of the maturity of chances, is the mistaken belief that if something happens more frequently than normal during some period, then it will happen less frequently in the future (presumably as a means of balancing nature). 

I will rephrase it to focus more precisely on the part that actually trips people. Gambler's Fallacy, is the mistake of believing that the probabilities of two completely separate events are, in fact, linked. Although, it is not strictly speaking correct to do so, I also refer to making the opposite error using the same moniker. That is to say, to me at least, making a mistake about whether or not the probabilities of two events are linked is the essence of the Gambler's Fallacy. Let's look at an example both inside and outside of the game of Magic.

• You are playing Roulette. Standard wheel, no cheating or trickeration, or what have you. The last three spins have resulted in a Red, so you put your money on Black because you think that the 'Red streak' can't last forever. This is incorrect logic. The results of previous Roulette spins are not related in any scientifically valid way to the results of this spin. For all intents and purposes, that ball has an equal chance to land in any slot and that is true on every spin. 
• You are playing some kitchen table Commander. You have a fetch land in play that you would like to crack, but you also NEED to hit a land in your next couple draw steps in order to win. You should not crack your fetch land because it will then thin a land out of your deck, reducing the likelihood of drawing a land next turn by 1/the number of cards left in your library. In this case these two events ARE linked because your choice in the first affects the probability of a favorable outcome in the second event.  

And Now For Something Completely Different

Those examples were simple and left out a critical assumption be must make based on the context in which we play the game of Magic. That assumption being that the physical laws of our universe MUST apply and, in fact, do. Let's look at another example and I will stop to illustrate where I think people really commit to incorrect thought patterns.

You're playing a game of Magic. You have drawn three lands in a row, but you would really like to draw some action. What are the chances you're going to draw that crucial spell? Well, you are a savvy mathmagician so you know that drawing all those lands is increasing your chances of drawing action in the future because now there are fewer lands in your deck going forward. You might even know the exact proportional composition of your deck. Say you have 32 lands left in 70 cards so you know you have a roughly 50-50 shot of drawing a spell, with a slight edge favoring spell over land. Now aren't you smart? You figured out you have a 55% chance of drawing a spell, except you are wrong. Don't think so? Let's switch gears and talk about physics.

Once your deck is shuffled it just sits on the table. It is not in a random order, it is in a specific one. In the physical universe we occupy the deck is never going to be truly random. Moreover, according to the rules of the game, you draw the card from the top of your deck NOT a random card. The rules say that each time you shuffle your deck it must be sufficiently randomized such that no player has any knowledge about the specific position of any single card within the deck. 

Let's assume for the moment that you and your opponent are master shufflers and actually get a truly random shuffle every time. Then all of the possible orderings of the cards in the deck are equally likely, but only one of them actually gets chosen. Once you stop shuffling there is only one order in which you will draw those cards. As a result of this you can pull fifty lands in a row off the top, IT STILL DOESN'T CHANGE WHAT THE NEXT CARD IS. You can predict the probability, you can model it with numbers, you can cross your fingers and hope, but none of that changes the facts. Fallacy or not, fact is, no matter how you think about it the truth is immutable. The point is that you shouldn't let those pieces of false evidence affect your decisions in the game. 

The only thing you can do to change this is to shuffle your deck more often. You can't do it all willy-nilly because that is against the rules, but you can consciously include more shuffle effects in your decks which will make your draws more random...in a good way. See, when you use those probability models that assume your draws are random, your expectations will more closely match reality. You will draw better because shuffling frequently prevents you from having to play 10 turns with the same chunk of bad cards stuck on top. It refreshes the order in which your cards are physically stacked. You will also, and this is the important part, draw more closely to your expected results. If you are crunching the numbers and doing the predictions, then you will be playing the odds in your favor. Maximizing your shuffles per game maximizes the extent to which you can count on your draws truly being random. You will get a more normal distribution, a more even mix of your cards, which is what you generally want...if your deck is good at least. 

Try to think about the gambler's fallacy when you play. Do you catch yourself making mistakes like this? How often do unrealistic expectations about your draws cause you to lose games or, at the very least, be disappointed?

-GG 

The Stack #34- Playing the Blues

Saturdays, for most non-nerdy card players, is typically a day reserved for cavorting in parks with our friends, going on dates- you know, the usual hood rat rigamarole.

Originally, today was supposed to be a Stack episode dedicated to that proposition. The TGZ team and I were supposed to go cycling- as in, talking more about our favorite cards that cycle, or our favorite cards in our favorite cycle. None of us are gettin' our PEDs on with ol' Tour de France Lance, or anything like that.

All things fair, we did that, and it was supposed to be the theme(s) this week.

But little did I know I also said, "Make sure it's a blue card."

I promise you non-blue Zoners this was an accident. Sort of. In a world where we've told you all to go out and buy up your local game store's copies of Krosan Tusker and Eternal Dragon, this was inevitable, yet definitely an oversight by yours truly.

Anywho, I think you'll like what we've got this week. It's little slim on the diversity scale, but there's definitely something here for every kind of blue player that exists. We're at least good at that.

These are our picks, and THIS IS THE STACK!

VENSER'S JOURNALIST'S PICK

Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
Although I'm not a huge fan of cycling, it certainly has its benefits. Rather than simply discard a card to draw one, I want my cards to do things as well, and in most scenarios, I like the way Complicate thinks. It's not a great counterspell, and paying 3 to cycle might be steep for some; but I've seen the merits of this, and anyone should be able to appreciate that moment when your opponent taps out and could have had their crazy combo catalyst on the field if only they had one more open mana.

I admit that Mana Leak is a better counterspell on a cost level, but it only does one thing, and it sure is not the greatest. Like one of my colleagues told me, "If you're only going to do one thing, you better be the best at it."

Johnny Confidant- THUMBS UP
Honestly you can't go wrong with this spell, either it's (3) or (1) it's all about timing and that's what Counterspell veterans do. With Dismiss printed in Commander 2013 it isn't hard to choose between the hard counter and this. I'll admit though, when i run Mono blue i'll be looking at this card for potential.

Uncle Landdrops-  THUMBS UP
Most players not trying to walk right into traps won't play into double blue. What appeals to me most about Complicate is the ability to keep your opponents guessing and the game evolving. The "Poker" aspect of Magic is really underrated. Making your opponent have to decipher not only IF you have a counterspell, but WHAT counterspell you might have is pretty nice. I've been doing this with "free" spells, like Foil for a while. This is a great pick and a card I'm gonna start playing again.

Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
This card is great. People basically never stop utilizing all of their mana in Commander. Between the general unreasonably high casting costs of the cards people want to play and the multitude of scaling effects it is very easy to find uses for soft counters even late in the game. Hard cast, this almost always works as an expensive counter, but the potential for card advantage is real. I have definitely played this card, even in places that might surprise you. I would rather have this than Dismiss most of the time. The only real drawback to soft counterspells is how poor they are when your opponent gets information about your hand.

GRANDPA GROWTH'S PICK

Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
Speaking of unreasonably high casting costs, this is a biggun'. To be clear, this is definitely not my favorite card that cycles. That would be Krosan Tusker, but personally, and collectively, we talk about that card here on TGZ quite a bit. Decree of Silence is a strange and generally pretty unfair card. It basically gives you a turn, possibly more, off from having to think about or answer any of your opponent's moves. In tight games, this is almost always enough to win. You trade it for their worst THREE cards and a whole truck load of tempo. It is rare that a single player can actually cast three spells in a turn and even more rare that a player can still win after wasting time casting three spells that will do nothing. On the cycling mode this is really overcosted, but something had to give, I guess. This is a card that I would not ever play if it didn't cycle because the possibility of getting to eight mana with board control and resource parity all while having this stuck in your hand doing nothing would be just a little too real.

Johnny Confidant- THUMBS DOWN
I like Karona, and her Cycle of Decrees are some of the strongest cards used this day. D.O Justice gives us Angels, recently reprinted as Entreat the Angels for (2) less. D.O Annihilation is only played if you feel like Punishing the players. D.O. Savagery is not one I've ever seen played but seems good in the right spot. D.O Pain is probably the most beneficial wrath spell ever printed and D.O Silence here is just to buy time?

Honestly, if you need a 8 CMC enchantment to buy time your not playing control very well. The Only Enchantment I run that high is Omniscience just for the fun of playing my hand. Granted, I don't use Enter the Infinite, but I do own one.

Venser's Journalist- NOT SURE
This card is cool in theory. I honestly do like what Decree of Silence is getting at, and GG and JC both make good points for and against it. I'll jump on the bandwagon and say that the CMC is unsightly and that it is only a way to buy time. But I think that I'm leaning more towards GG's opinion when I say that time is incredibly important in MTG. If you're not popping out armies of weenies, hack and slash creatures, or getting a whole ton of land out on the field, what else can you be doing?

The answers are plentiful, but each of those answers more than likely requires some amount of tempo/control to make it work. If you're laying the groundwork for an artifact combo, it might be nice not to worry about Naturalize-like spells for a turn or two. I will say though, the card is really only effective if used for its main purpose, because cycling this seems like more of a waste than an good counterspell.

Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP 
At it's best, DoS is a big enchantment and a beating. I played this card a lot in Chisei, and it was a house. The ability to remove counters with Clockspinning made it a great investment and very difficult to deal with. People didn't know Chisei had claws.

Yet, one of the things most people (including myself) often forget about DoS and Complicate is that these are virtually uncounterable spells because they trigger as a result of cycling.

JOHNNY CONFIDANT'S PICK

Johnny Confidant-  THUMBS UP
The Primordial Cycle has been very common in EDH, from the detrimental Sylvan to the odd Luminate Primordial; all are involved in most deck construction.

My favorite is Diluvian. I'm a softie for playing spells in graveyards and my games are long enough to make use of my opponent's graveyard fairly easily. I've cast all the big spells and all the mana ramp I could dream of, but each interaction with him is as rewarding as it is fun. He may not be as feared as Sylvan is, but Diluvian is top in my book.

Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
JC's pick got pre-approved by me early this year in an article I wrote about some of the better blue creatures. The Primordial's ETB triggers scale exponentially in multiplayer, and that power is really absurd.

Grandpa Growth - THUMBS UP
At 8 mana I expect a card to win pretty much straight up. 90% or better. For some reason, I am much more lenient on 7 drops. Historically, they are much less powerful than more expensive plays, but the last few years have done a lot to change that. I'd say that, starting around Alara Block, big mana plays have become much more powerful as a whole and nowadays, the line has grown pretty thin. The primordial cycle, and by proxy the Titan cycle, adequately demonstrates that there is no longer a substantial difference in power level between things that cost 6 or more until you get to Eldrazi mana. You can cast this on 7 and immediately move the game to an unloseable state. This whole cycle is awesome, value packed, beatdowns. I can dig it.


Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
Definitely a solid card. I am a fan of ETB creatures and artifacts, and this one does not disappoint. Certainly, this would get the most use at a multiplayer game, but in certain one-on-one settings against cruel burn decks or destruction-based control, Diluvian can give your opponent a taste of their own medicine.


UNCLE LANDDROPS' PICK 

Uncle Landdrops-  THUMBS UP
What comes after Tusker and Eternal Dragon?

I didn't know until I started looking through old decks, but it is apparently the eclectic Vedalken AEthermage.

Much like my favorite cyclers, we don't ever play AEthermage if it's being played correctly. We're using its insane ability to tutor up other Wizards. In blue alone, this is very strong. My short list is Venser, Snapcaster, and Sower of Temptation. Those are the cards I go for most of the time. However, with more colors comes more creativity. Aven Mindcensor, your favorite Magus, Memnarch, Momir, Prime Speaker Zegana- the list goes on. It's better than a Harbinger, can't be countered, and basically an instant. Hidden Value, folks. It's all around you and you don't even know it.

Johnny Confidant- THUMBS UP
Futuresight was a weird set, So many Mechanics, Colorless spells. While we got to explore the science fiction of fantasy to come we got confusing types like Riggers and Contraptions, but we also got some of the most interesting cards with them.

Flash, Bounce a Sliver, and Cycling for Wizards is quite a lot for one creature. If you're playing Mono Blue Wizards tribal I can see the appeal of this card, but honestly I can't see myself running him even if I had Snapcaster and the like. For what he is I like him and I'd recommend to anyone in need.

Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
I have a friend who has a picture of Hagrid (is that how you spell it?) stuck over his Aethermage. Primarily so that he can use it to go find his Harry Potter Arcanis so he can combo out. I have never really used this card. Never really had a tribal deck. I don't like puppies or Christmas either. I don't understand any of that nonsense. What I do know, is that this card is pushed. Look at this monster from a design perspective. It is a two drop common with three abilities. Bouncing Slivers was only relevant in limited, but Flash is a straight up bonus at all points and being the only card that really Wizard cycles makes it a unique and powerful CREATURE tutor in Blue. It's a dude that can tutor for other dudes? And it isn't Green? I'd like to order ten more of these.

Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
At the risk of echoing my comrades, this unique card has two things going for it: wizardcycling (possibly the most mystical cycle) and a blue creature catcher. I love it. It's quirky. It kinda looks like a Hindu deity.

That's all we got for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for story time with Grandpa.

-UL and the TGZ Crew

UL's Buy or Sell: C13's Eternal Bargain (The Esper Deck)

We're back once again with a post-deck review of the new Commander 2013 products.

Today, I'm going to do a quick little walkthrough of my experience with Oloro (AKA Oreo) and his big cookie beatdown.

CONCERNING THE COOKIE MONSTER

Back in spoiler week, GG and I had a brief discussion via text about this big 'ol emo giant. The general consensus was that he wasn't particularly impressive. Even gaining 2 life a turn, the chances of his ability being relevant in lethal blows is not really game-changing. Good players are going to be able to "math" their way through resistance, and attritioning someone to death with Oloro's slow life drain is also slim.

However, I want to start my analysis by saying I believe I underestimated him. If Oreo is your Commander, you are essentially starting the game at 50 life. If you are a control player, or a big time durdler, this is your jam. Life as a resource in these colors not only enables the degenerate Exquisite Blood/Sanguine Bond combos, but also helps to make decisions with power cards like Necropotence, Phyrexian Arena, and Bitterblossom that much better.

This "unstoppable" life gain is ultimately what led me to believe that the out-of-the-box version of this deck had the most synergy of any of the Commander 2013 products- and it turned out I was right.

CREATURES

Grade: B+

Creature List

1x Ajani's Pridemate
1x Augury Adept
1x Azorius Herald
1x Disciple of Griselbrand
1x Diviner Spirit
1x Divinity of Pride
1x Filigree Angel
1x Hooded Horror
1x Kongming, "Sleeping Dragon"
1x Marrow Bats
1x Myr Battlesphere
1x Phyrexian Delver
1x Phyrexian Gargantua
1x Raven Familiar
1x Razor Hippogriff
1x Serene Master
1x Serra Avatar
1x Sharding Sphinx
1x Sharuum the Hegemon
1x Sphinx of the Steel Wind
1x Stormscape Battlemage
1x Sydri, Galvanic Genius
1x Tidal Force
1x Tidehollow Strix
1x Tower Gargoyle
1x Vizkopa Guildmage
1x Wall of Reverence

The team in charge of Eternal Bargain struck a really nice balance between goodies and playability in the creaturebase. Most of the cards interact well with Oloro, even if they aren't "strong" cards. There were some "forced" cards, like Kongming, Diviner Spirit, and Tower Gargoyle, but I think most of the other options are adequate.

Most of the big threats in this deck are legitimate threats people play in Esper decks, like Sharuum, Sphinx of the Steel Wind, Battleball, and Sharding Sphinx. Obviously, the artifact theme with these guys feels a little redundant for Sydri, but it's clear to me that she probably wouldn't be too good running the deck as is.

Two of the big all-stars I found in playing with and against this deck were actually the last two alphabetically. Vizkopa Guildmage and Wall of Reverence really help to solidify and establish the attrition style game this deck favors, and when supported by big 8-cost game enders, your chances are pretty good.

NONCREATURES

Grade: A

Noncreature Lists

Instants

1x Dromar's Charm
1x Lim-Dul's Vault
1x Reckless Spite
1x Spinal Embrace
The Instants, though lacking in quantity, are mostly quality cards that are playable. Lim-Dul's Vault will no longer be secret tech, and that's okay. It's a house, and I welcome the new art. Reckless Spite is another nice choice in the removal spell suite, and a great fit for a deck that has the life to spare.

Sorceries

1x Brilliant Plan
1x Death Grasp
1x Deep Analysis
1x Famine
1x Order of Succession
1x Survival Cache
1x Tempt with Immortality
1x Toxic Deluge

The Sorceries were impressive. A Brilliant Plan might be an exageration, but reprinting Brilliant Plan fits a little bit more organically with the card draw motif in this deck than its Portal 3 Kingdoms counterpart Kongming.

Order of Successions is probably the worst card in all of the noncreature spells, and that's something I can live with. I can knock it because I did cast it, and it was terrible. 

Enchantments

1x Act of Authority
1x Cradle of Vitality
1x Curse of Inertia
1x Curse of Shallow Graves
1x Curse of the Forsaken
1x Darksteel Mutation
1x Greed
1x Phyrexian Reclamation
1x Sanguine Bond

Curses are silly, but they aren't the worst here. All of them help to stall the board and sway politics in multiplayer.

The rest of the choices (save Darksteel Mutation) are super strong in conjunction with Oloro. This deck got all the card advantage, and the means to do it. 

Artifacts

1x Crawlspace
1x Nevinyrral's Disk
1x Nihil Spellbomb
1x Obelisk of Esper
1x Pristine Talisman
1x Sol Ring
1x Sun Droplet
1x Swiftfoot Boots
1x Thopter Foundry
1x Well of Lost Dreams

Overall, this is the kind of package I expected to see for each of the decks. The artifacts really reflect the balance of utility and good Magic cards that could fit in this deck. Everything here works toward that slow, steady life gain value trip that's this deck's path to victory. 

LANDS

Grade: B

Lands

1x Arcane Sanctum
1x Azorius Chancery
1x Azorius Guildgate
1x Barren Moor
1x Command Tower
1x Dimir Guildgate
1x Esper Panorama
1x Evolving Wilds
6x Island
1x Jwar Isle Refuge
1x Lonely Sandbar
1x Opal Palace
1x Orzhov Basilica
1x Orzhov Guildgate
9x Plains
1x Rupture Spire
1x Springjack Pasture
9x Swamp
1x Temple of the False God
1x Transguild Promenade

Let's start with the number 41. That's the number of lands they put in this deck, and it's a good set of digits. I can dig it.

Still, three color decks need to have great color access. For me, there's a little too much tapland, but I never saw me or my opponent have trouble casting spells because of the mana base. There are several double and triple symbols in this deck too. Unlike the Derevi deck, the mana here was an improvement.

Overall, this made the deck a lot easier to play and enjoy. 

Jim Cramer wasn't available for comment today, but he did say he would push this button.

Commander 2013's Eternal Bargain is mostly as advertised.

As a consumer, I enjoy it when things are properly self-described. Out of the box, this deck is super-playable, pretty fun, and can eventually be modified to be even better. 

Bring out the Seal of Approval. 

Be sure to tune in Thursday for JC's new segment. 

Until next time, set your clocks back an entire year. That way the Daylight will never again need saving. 

The night is better anyway. Because it's Batman. 

-Ya boi Landdrops

2013 Reprints

Hey Zoners, Grandpa here. Today I want to finish up my discussions of Commander 2013 by talking about a few of the sweet reprints. There were certainly a lot in the set, so I am going to limit it to just the cards that I think received a wholesale upgrade. Many cards were printed with new arts, some for the first time like Lim-Dul's Vault. Some however got art or flavor text that was less than appealing. Here are the cards that I think actually got improved through this exchange, based solely on my own opinions.

Right off the bat we have a spicy one. Check out this art. Look at it. Feel the creepiness. The disgusting, visceral liquid dynamics showed off in this piece. It's like we went to the menu in a game of Magic and turned the Gore levels up to EXTREME. It really showcases the power of fully digital art. The original printing had art that was specific to the ogres in the Sokenzan mountains of Kamigawa, this new pic is much more general fantasy/horror and more appropriate for a set that has no specific flavor of its own. I like how the flavor text ties together the brutality and callousness behind sacrificing your own soldiers just to harm your enemies. It feels like war. It feels like Red. This is an awesome update.



I have always been a big fan of this cycle and the Charm trope in Magic in general. I love options from a mechanical standpoint, but for design they give you tons of flexibility when exploring how the color pie can fit together onto multicolor cards. Each ability is iconic and evocative of its contributing color. The total package ties together nicely into archetypal answer card from one of control's best color combinations. The addition of sweet flavor text is just icing on the cake. It calls back to it's namesake card: Crosis, the Purger, whose combat damage trigger allowed you to 'Persecute' your opponent. This is a card that I actually play and I am excited to see it get re-imaged for a new generation.



I like cycles just as much as the next guy, but it does sometimes bother me when Wizards or others feel obligated to include all five in a given environment/deck. For this reason I am very excited that the design team on this product chose to only include the good cards from this cycle. Not all the modes of this card are created equal, but the ability to just straight up counter any spell is already extremely flexible and, obviously, worth having on a card all by itself. The original art for this card was always a little strange to me. In it, Dromar's open claw was holding a token with a Greek-style capital statue. There is no ancient Greece in Dominaria so it felt a little off. That art was good, but this is better. I am not the biggest fan of this new flavor text, but at least it is a quote from the character we are referencing with this card.

Such a sweet card. And such sweet stories have been crafted with it. This card one a world championship in the hands of Julien Nuitjen. Back in that day, E-Drag was hanging out with Wrath of God and Windswept Heath so...not much has changed. This card basically does it all for typical control decks. It ensures that you hit your land drops, provides card advantage in longer games, and gives you a recursive threat with which to win the game. I love the new art. A dragon biting it's own tail; a fascinating depiction of an ouroboros, a classic symbol of rebirth and the cyclical nature of life.

I have always been a fan of this card. Paying for cards with life appeals directly to my sensibilities as a player. I really do like this art, coughing up gold, choking on the riches that you sacrificed so much to get? I love it. It is awesome. It does bother me that basically every piece of art that this card has ever had features: 1. A pile of gold. 2. Somebody looking foolish. It can't be that tough for the creative team to come up with a new model for how to illustrate this concept, even if you don't want to change the 'flavor'. Prosperity isn't a sin. It is virtuous. Greed is a sin because it is costly. Show that in the art. Don't show the riches you obtain, show the sacrifice. The Blood Rites art did a great job of this, I think Greed would have been another fantastic opportunity to get gritty.



This new art is just gorgeous. This is a testament to how far the creative team has come in the last ten years. I complain about them a lot. I know I am a tough critic. But this is progress. Compare how this card looks to the original printing. The art is more complex, has better lighting, better focus. The flavor of the Azorius guild writing messages about law in the sky of Ravnica is executed so much more elegantly with the new RtR look. Now I am not a hundred percent sure how the law-mages scribbling edicts into the clouds relates to making people draw cards, but I will let them off the hook for this one.




That art. DAT ART. It's scary, it's awesome. It has both 'ew' and awe. The landscape in the background, Mirrodin's black sun, the spires of the Mephidross spewing ichor into the air. It calls back to both Smokestacks and Phyrexian tower. The imagery unites the old and new Phyrexia beautifully. As for the subject, the whole living machine idea is at its creepiest when you literally have a organic body grafted into a cybernetic shell. It looks like the living weapons we saw in Scars block, which is super sweet. I agree with leaving the flavor text intact. No need to change what works.

Finally, the return of a legend. This card has done so much work. Commander, Pauper, Cube, casual Tribal decks. And it is only a common! This card is a fan favorite and it deserves to have way more printings than it does. Awesome new art and flavor text that makes Thallids sound cool? That is a tall order, but the whole thing got delivered. I am very pleased to see this make a comeback and this card has truly found its home in the land of fat stacks.



....And that's about all I have to say about that. Some lighter fare than usual this week. I'll see you again next Sunday with another In General.

UL's Buy or Sell: C13's Evasive Maneuvers (The Bant Deck)

It's been eight days since Wizards released our favorite kinda product, so this installment of Buy or Sell might seem a little late.

However, we're twisting the routine with a hands-on assessment of the Commander 2013 product. This week, I had a chance to get in some games with a few of the new decks, so I thought it'd be nice to examine them from a perspective that was less theoretical and less about inherent value by looking at their straight out-of-the-box playability.

I'll be grading the deck's creatures, noncreatures, and mana base in order to answer our favorite question: Is it a buy or sell?

CREATURES

GRADE: B-

Creature List

1x Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
1x Acidic Slime
1x Aerie Mystics
1x Angel of Finality
1x Azami, Lady of Scrolls
1x Bane of Progress
1x Deceiver Exarch
1x Diviner Spirit
1x Djinn of Infinite Deceits
1x Dungeon Geists
1x Farhaven Elf
1x Fiend Hunter
1x Flickerwisp
1x Hada Spy Patrol
1x Karmic Guide
1x Kazandu Tuskcaller
1x Lu Xun, Scholar General
1x Mirror Entity
1x Mistmeadow Witch
1x Murkfiend Liege
1x Phantom Nantuko
1x Pilgrim's Eye
1x Roon of the Hidden Realm
1x Rubinia Soulsinger
1x Selesnya Guildmage
1x Skyward Eye Prophets
1x Stonecloaker
1x Thornwind Faeries
1x Winged Coatl
1x Wonder
This is a little generous. If we examine the 30 creatures in this deck, I really like half of them. Numerically, I feel like that's deserving of an average grade.

However, Derevi really deserves a little more credit. He turns a lot of these lemons into a tasty lemonade. Politically, there's not a whole lot of incentive to block janky chaff cards like the new Diviner Spirit or Hada Spy Patrol.

Playing with Derevi is a lot like casting a 4-cost Titan, which is basically what happens after he dies the first time. His enter the battlefield trigger is a serious tempo swing. Tapping down a creature and getting another helps the triggers really add up, which makes piloting the deck challenging. What I like the most about Derevi is that he doesn't give a crap about additional Commander costs, so wasting removal on him is pretty dumb. He also navigates around control decks very nicely too.

Bane of Progress is one of the newer cards I like from this set. The deck's pool of artifacts, as you'll soon find, are pretty expendable later on in the game. Having a big scalable threat is pretty nice, even if it doesn't have trample.

My biggest issue with the creature base is that a lot of the tap creatures aren't as successful as the design team could've hoped. Untuned, the deck's at its best when it's swinging its full force of 1 and 2 powered creatures at your opponents. Which is why Azami and Skyward Eye Prophets feel like really weird choices. Azami can't even deal damage, and it leaves these other guys particularly vulnerable if your opponent knows what to block.

The better creatures in this deck are the utility guys that can get out early, like Farhaven Elf and Pilgrim's Eye. Mistmeadow Witch, as you might guess, is pretty good utility as well. Not having to spend untap triggers on these guys really helps compensate for some of its other deficiencies.

NONCREATURES

GRADE: C-

Noncreature List

Instants
1x AEthermage's Touch
1x Arcane Denial
1x Blue Sun's Zenith
1x Krosan Grip
1x Selesnya Charm
1x Unexpectedly Absent

Sorceries
1x Borrowing 100,000 Arrows
1x Kirtar's Wrath
1x Restore
1x Tempt with Glory
1x Wash Out

Artifacts
1x Azorius Keyrune
1x Basalt Monolith
1x Conjurer's Closet
1x Darksteel Ingot
1x Leonin Bladetrap
1x Selesnya Signet
1x Simic Signet
1x Sol Ring
1x Surveyor's Scope
1x Swiftfoot Boots
1x Sword of the Paruns
1x Thousand-Year Elixir
1x Thunderstaff

Enchantments
1x Control Magic
1x Curse of Inertia
1x Curse of Predation
1x Curse of the Forsaken
1x Darksteel Mutation
1x Flickerform
1x Leafdrake Roost
1x Presence of Gond
There isn't a lot to like. Ironically, the best card also explains what happened to the good noncreature spells. They're Unexpectedly Absent. GG talked about this card in his review, and I am basically in full agreement. It is a house.

Meanwhile, the rest of this part of the deck is topsy-turvy. Even traditionally good cards like Control Magic and Basalt Monolith feel a little odd juxtaposed with the aforementioned Bane of Progress. Monolith is also part of another big problem, even though fans of Magical Christmas Land will love the free untap triggers.

In all honesty, the best target to untap in all of these is whatever creature that happens to be enchanted with Presence of Gond. The rest is a waste of time.

I did find a little value in Curse of Inertia, but it's really only marginal. Mediocre cards in bad decks are typically overrepresented.

My least favorite cards in here have been Leafdrake Roost and Borrowing 100,000 Arrows. Neither of these cards represent half the value they appear to be. Roost requires at least three untap triggers, while Borrowing really wants your opponent to have more creatures than you.

Still, Krosan Grip, Arcane Denial, and Restore offer some quality goodies. I'm pleased that they added K-Grip, and Restore is really underrated.

LANDS

GRADE: D

Lands

1x Azorius Chancery
1x Azorius Guildgate
1x Bant Panorama
1x Command Tower
1x Evolving Wilds
1x Faerie Conclave
6x Forest
7x Island
1x Opal Palace
7x Plains
1x Rupture Spire
1x Saltcrusted Steppe
1x Seaside Citadel
1x Secluded Steppe
1x Sejiri Refuge
1x Selesnya Guildgate
1x Selesnya Sanctuary
1x Simic Guildgate
1x Temple of the False God
1x Terramorphic Expanse
1x Transguild Promenade
Despite my heavy criticism of the spells, it's really the mana base that I can't stand the most. Tap Lands are the devil. Ravnica Dual Lands are the world's most risky Strip Mine targets. Even with untap triggers, it's a huge waste of time, and doesn't actually help to accelerate the deck.

With the heavy mana curve, 38 land just isn't enough. Even with the mana rocks. Getting good opening hands with this deck was really difficult. This deck wants to run 40-41 lands, and definitely more basics.

VERDICT

Overall, there were some frustrating moments. In multiplayer, it can hold its own, but not well. It's tricky to figure out, and involves some serious skill to navigate straight out of the box.

So after talking with Mad Money's Jim Kramer, him and I came up with a pretty decent verdict.

Even if you're not playing it right out of the box like I am, there's a nice little ball of clay to work with. Wizards did a solid job of putting solid Commander favorites in here. It's worth the money, and it's a player's deck that wants to be edited and played. New art Karmic Guide, Unexpectedly Absent, Derevi, Rubinia Soulsinger, and Restore provide some fresh cards and decent power to work with. It's not great immediately, but if you're looking to start, and have some access to decent cards right away, Derevi is a pretty strong choice.

That's all we got for today. Until tomorrow, the cake is a lie; but that shouldn't stop you from eating some anyway.

Treat yourself.
-UL

Sydri, Galvanic Genius, The New Queen of Combo?

Hello Zoners! Long time no see. It's your ol' pal Johnny C.

Now that the Commander decks are all 100% spoiled, we will be seeing fresh new deck-lists with these new commanders all over the internet exploring all the potential these legends bring to the table.

I'm sure you all have one you're digging. For me, it's Sydri.

Not your average hobbyist

This so-called Genius feels like a combo machine. I had a massive inspiration of card interactions soon after she was spoiled, and I want to share a few of those here today. With access to tutoring and control, this deck can be more than just a way to March your Machines to life and into battle.

For this build, I'm going to run a deck filled with win-cons that utilize Infinite mana combinations and other common combo shenanigans that I have previously fought against using. Why? In a format that allows near-limitless freedom of card choice there are those who enjoy "Going-Infinite" and combing out with sure wins to secure the game. The goal with Sydri is to break into the combo game and to take out the combo players like a charming assassin by being faster, and stronger than the rest. Some of these combos are well known grief-machines while some are possible only in rare and "dream-like" game states. Lets begin shall we?

Why Sydri, Galvanic Genius?

First because of her colors. The Esper Shard has a wide variety of artifact, tutor and draw cards to choose from as well as combo and control themes that already exist. 

The second reason is for her abilities. For U: making an artifact a creature then combining them with effects that apply to creatures that discount of boost abilities. While the second ability will be for more defensive measure, the combination of deathtouch and lifelink is a nice way to create value with our resources.

Compared to other Esper generals, she's probably not the clearest choice. Sharuum is a pretty competitive combo deck, and Sen Triplets is a very solid control strategy also. Still, what we're going to be doing mainly requires Sydri's skillset, not Sharuum's.

"Infinite" Possibilities.

The main way this deck will close the game is creating Infinite mana. 

Let's start with Basalt Monolith. Basalt Monolith is a well known generator of infinite mana when paired with Rings of Brighthearth by copying its "(3): Untap Basalt Monolith" ability. The combo works by having both on the field, tapping the Monolith for 3, using that three mana to untap itself and then stack its untap ability by paying 2 mana copying the untap effect. At this point you have 2 "Untap Basalt Monolith" effects on the stack and the infinite mana is generated by playing off the stack netting you 1 colorless each time you build the stack.

While that's one way to do it, Sydri can do better. Together with Sydri, T-Grounds and making Basalt Monolith a creature reduces it's untap ability to 1 and therefore allowing 2 mana to be produced without playing off the stack and less clunky to play with. A few other combinations that can be used when Sydri makes them a creature are:

-Grim Monolith(Creature) + Training Grounds = 1 mana each time (Infinite)

-Basalt Monolith(Creature) + Heartstone = 1 Mana each time (Infinite)

-Power Artifact (In place of Sydri) and above combos

-Gilded Lotus(Creature) + Voltaic Construct = 1 Colored mana each time (Infinite)

Phase 3 - Win Conditions

With infinite mana established common go to's for using it are;
 -Exsanguinate
-Debt to the Deathless
-Blue Sun's Zenith (1v1 without Laboratory Manic) 

Others may include:
-Mind Grind
-Psychic Drain
-Sands of Delirium 
-Whetwheel.

Sands of Delirium/Whetwheel are good ways to mill your opponent to death but won't end the game if you're playing Multiplayer. This is where Voltaic Construct can assist when Sydri or Power Artifact make these Creatures you can mill the table out.


Another combination that may seem risky and is possible turn 3 is Consume Spirit with Bond of Agony. With the right Swamp allocation or Dark Ritual casting Consume Spirit for 1 then following that up with Bond of agony for 40 ends the game pretty fast. Chances of this going off this early are fairly low but since it is so cheap cost wise to produce it's worth a shot.

The point of beating other Combo players is having what you need when you need it, Thankfully Black/Blue/White have everything we need.

The Final addition to the Win conditions is probably the most upsetting- Land Destruction.

Land Destruction with Sydri is ridiculous. Even without access to Armageddon, a well-timed Sydri teamed up with Mycosynth Lattice can destroy lands with only one blue mana activation! Obviously people are going to be searching up lattice as fast as possible because the fastest way to win is make people scoop or grind out a painful game of Landloss. For that reason alone, I will not be running Lattice in my build of her.

This is my ideal list right now. Be sure to check it out, and feel free to comment either below or on the list if you've got 'em.

JC's Sydri Combo Deck 

Until next time Zoners, Play nice and watch out for your Neighbor! 

-JC

(Bringin' It) Back From The Brink #3: The Pulse of Darksteel

Happy Tuesday Zoners!

So after a few weeks of doing everything from home remodeling to sipping pina coladas at a swim up bar at a resort in Cancun, your ol' Uncle's back from the brink to bring you an exciting new installment of (Bringin' It) Back From The Brink, my favorite way to talk about Magic's low-key horizontal card cycles.

Today I'm going back to our first tour of Mirrodin to re-visit the Pulse cycle. So let's get started.

PULSE OF THE FIELDS

Right off the bat, we have some serious life gain. If you're familiar with a lot of Cube Drafts and Limited from Mirrodin, this card is basically responsible for turning "Red Deck Wins" into "Red Deck Loses."

In our fun little format though, this is one of the better life white life gain spells. As you'll see with the rest of this cycle, the trick to casting these cards with value will be predicated upon you being behind.

What's nice about Pulse of the Fields is that you can leverage this effectively if you've set yourself up to be the threat early on. Mono-White Darien decks like quick little life gains because they help keep the Soldier factory going and it's not as gigantic of a spell as Beacon of Immortality. Slow and Steady life gain is underrated, particularly when you can keep up mana and use it as an Instant. If it were a Sorcery this would be terrible. Thank goodness it isn't.

PULSE OF THE FORGE

From experience, this card isn't really what you want to be playing in EDH. I tried this out for a while in Hidetsugu, thinking it would be great against Aggro decks that try to attack HH downhill.

It's a bit of a trap. There's not a lot of extra casting that is going to be done if your red deck is playing well, and if you're behind, chances are it isn't enough damage to get you back in the game, even in the late-late.

This is definitely a card that was made for Standard and Limited, and I think it should be left there to shine.

PULSE OF THE TANGLE

Pulse of the Tangle is probably the worst of the cycle. Sorcery speed creature tokens in a color that wants to either ramp or play bigger dudes seems like a better strategy.

That isn't to say this card is terrible. Sorcery speed is particularly crippling, but there is still a little appeal. Decks needing Chump Blockers and Sac Outlets could control their creature count well. Additionally, Rogue Control decks that splash Green could find some appeal too.

Pulse of the Tangle is the sketchiest card to try out of this cycle. It's silly, but there are plenty of deck designs that could benefit from having a creature token maker that is tougher to interact with.

PULSE OF THE DROSS

Pulse of the Dross is probably my favorite of the cycle, but it's a lot worse than it looks. It's not going to single-handedly ruin card draw heavy decks like Niv-Mizzet or Nin, but it will give you consistent disruption and hopefully a little extra information.

One of the different things about this card is that it's easy to defend if your opponent can out draw you and is able to remember the cards they've shown you.

Ideally, this card doesn't really want to be cast over and over again, I don't think. It's best in a place where you and your opponent are almost to top deck mode (around 3-4 cards each), which is a little too specific for my tastes.

I really do with they'd revisited this kind of card in Scars versus the Chancellor cycle.

PULSE OF THE GRID

Last up is the big blue beats. Recurrable Catalog is legitimate, even in a color where card draw is a thing.

Blue decks love cards that provide flexibility and card advantage. At Instant speed, PotG gives any blue deck the opportunity to game manage and dig for answers.

One of the biggest drawbacks to this card is that if you're looking to get too far ahead of your opponent, Pulse's ability prevents you from abusing it.

Still, this card thrives in non-control decks where blue is a splash color and spells are getting played. It is hands down the best Pulse.

The most obscure "V for Vendetta"
Reference I could make. 

Well, that's all we've got today. Tune in Thursday for the return of our resident comboing mad scientist Johnny Confidant as he talks about his design with some of the hot new Commander 2013 tech.

Until then, You Find Your Own Tree.

Happy Guy Fawkes Day. Make sure it's a 5th of November you'll never forget.

-UL