General play

Can The Last Avatar help our B01 Standard Orzhov Cleric Deck?

/ Jerome / Leave a comment

The record pace at which WOTC releases sets means that we are constantly in preview season. Doing so has eroded the excitement for new sets, especially when you combine this with the proliferation of Universes Beyond sets. Where am I going with this, you ask? Well, previews for Magic’s latest set, The Last Avatar, pretty much went unnoticed here. To the point where none of us here even went to the Pre-Release. We also skipped the usual box purchase.

Having said that, I still took a look to see how I might use the cards in Arena for my decks B01 Standard Orzhov Cleric deck. After the disappointment that Spider-Man was, both as a source of new cleric cards and as a set in general, any clerics in the new set would be a win. Well, there are three new clerics, two of which can be played in Standard and one in Eternal formats.

Let’s take a look. We’re immediately down to only one candidate given that Loyal Fire Sage is not legal in Standard and Fire Sages is a Red card – not exactly a good fit for an Orzhov deck.

We’re down to a simple question: Is there room in my B01 Standard Orzhov Cleric deck for Compassionate Healer?

Here is the current version of my deck:

  • 3 Murder (J25) 467
  • 4 Essence Channeler (BLB) 12
  • 2 Grand Abolisher (BIG) 2
  • 2 Authority of the Consuls (FDN) 137
  • 4 Preacher of the Schism (LCI) 113
  • 3 Rosa, Resolute White Mage (FIN) 555
  • 3 Starscape Cleric (BLB) 116
  • 2 Minwu, White Mage (FIN) 26
  • 3 Aerith Gainsborough (FIN) 4
  • 3 Sheltered by Ghosts (DSK) 30
  • 2 Get Lost (LCI) 14
  • 2 Bitter Triumph (LCI) 91
  • 3 Elegy Acolyte (EOE) 97
  • 2 Cavern of Souls (LCI) 269
  • 2 Fabled Passage (ELD) 244
  • 9 Plains (THB) 250
  • 3 Scoured Barrens (IKO) 254
  • 7 Swamp (THB) 252
  • 1 Valgavoth’s Lair (DSK) 271

Sideboard

  • 1 Sanguine Evangelist (LCI) 34
  • 1 Zoraline, Cosmos Caller (BLB) 242
  • 1 Pest Control (BIG) 22
  • 1 The Witch’s Vanity (WOE) 119
  • 1 Moonrise Cleric (BLB) 226
  • 1 Krumar Initiate (TDM) 84
  • 1 Roaming Throne (LCI) 258
  • 1 Virtue of Persistence (WOE) 115

The simple answer is, yes, there is. I’m going to replace the Starscape Clerics with this card. I’ll lose the flying capability but build lifegain with a scry as a bonus. If things don’t pan out, I can always fall back to Starscape Cleric later.

So, here is the updated version of my deck:

  • 3 Murder (J25) 467
  • 4 Essence Channeler (BLB) 12
  • 2 Grand Abolisher (BIG) 2
  • 2 Authority of the Consuls (FDN) 137
  • 4 Preacher of the Schism (LCI) 113
  • 3 Rosa, Resolute White Mage (FIN) 555
  • 3 Compassionate Healer (TLA) 13
  • 3 Starscape Cleric (BLB) 116
  • 2 Minwu, White Mage (FIN) 26
  • 3 Aerith Gainsborough (FIN) 4
  • 3 Sheltered by Ghosts (DSK) 30
  • 2 Get Lost (LCI) 14
  • 2 Bitter Triumph (LCI) 91
  • 3 Elegy Acolyte (EOE) 97
  • 2 Cavern of Souls (LCI) 269
  • 2 Fabled Passage (ELD) 244
  • 9 Plains (THB) 250
  • 3 Scoured Barrens (IKO) 254
  • 7 Swamp (THB) 252
  • 1 Valgavoth’s Lair (DSK) 271

Looking at Instant and Sorcery spells, nothing really leaped out but I might try one of these below to see if they prove useful. If not, it will be back to the deck above. More to come on how these cards work out.

Let’s hope that Lorwyn Eclipsed brings with it more Clerics as this deck continues to suffer since rotation. But I won’t hold my breath – The original Lorwyn set only had three clerics.

Reflections on My Spider-Man Pre-Release Event

/ Jerome / Leave a comment

There is a lot to catch up on since my last post. So let’s dive without further ado.

Edge of Eternities was the first pre-release that I missed in a very long time. Another weekend-long commitment just made it impossible to catch any of the events (it was still a good weekend!). In the meantime, Christian could not make it because of work commitments and other social events. It was down to Noah to defend the family honour. He did so at a Two-headed Giant event where he and his friend went 3-0.

Edge of Eternities was also the last pre-release that we might have been able to attend together as Noah headed off to university out of town at the end of August. I am proud of him for choosing this path forward but I will admit to being sad, knowing that pre-releases that all three of us could attend will now be fewer and farther apart.

The Spider-Man pre-release was upon us quickly after that. Noah skipped his while Christian again missed out due to work commitments. It was up to me this time so I signed up for a Sunday morning event at my LGS. It is still strange to be there without the boys and weirder to attend an unusually quiet pre-release (Sunday morning effect or uninspiring set? Not sure).

I cracked my packs and laid out my cards as I normally do: By colour and separated into creatures and other spells. I also keep my Rares and Mythics separate to see what might be worth building around.

While I pulled no Mythics in my pool, I found that I had enough arachnids to build a spider-loving Gruul deck. I did not think it was a particularly powerful deck but it seemed to have good synergy. Spider-Punk certainly promised to be fun.

In my first game, I got off a good start by winning my first match. I lost the second. In the third, things started evenly but a mana flood sealed my fate as I could no longer keep up with the growing board across from me. Nonetheless, a fun start to the day.

My second game started with a loss. I managed to win the second after my opponent milled down to four cards but it was still too close for comfort. The third was sealed in my favour by the simple fact that my opponent drew nothing but white mana while holding only black spells. That is not a fun way to lose!

My third game reminded me that not all decks need to be built around spiders despite the name of the set. My opponent built a fun deck full of villains and nary a spider. And I found out the hard way that when you pair The Clone Saga with Mysterio, Master of Illusion, you can crank out a lot of 3/3 tokens! And why not throw in a Vulture, Scheming Scavenger to all of them flying? Two quick games and it was a wrap.

The Clone Saga
Mysterio, Master of Illusion

When I got home, Christian asked how I did. “1 and 2,” I told him.
“Ah, your usual then!” he responded with a smirk!

Spider-Man shows no love for B01 Standard Orzhov Cleric Decks

/ Jerome / Leave a comment

If I needed evidence that the gaming gods sometimes listen, it came through pretty loud and clear with the full reveal of the Marvel’s Spider-Man set for Magic: The Gathering. Remember how I complained that sets were coming out too fast? Well, they have not slowed down any but I will definitely be able to catch my breath when it comes to my B01 Standard Orzhov Cleric deck. Why, you ask. Simply because there are no Clerics at all in the new set. Absolutely none. Nary a one. Zilch.

A quick aside: You may have noticed that posts on this site have slowed down. I can confirm that this is the case because I’ve started playing Dungeons & Dragons and have foolishly agreed to recap each session. It’s taking me longer to do these than I had anticipated. With that, back to our normal programming.

When Edge of Eternities came out (and rotation hit), I landed on the following deck to resume the Standard journey.

Sunstar Chaplain
Rosa, Resolute White Mage

Deck

  • 3 Murder (J25) 467
  • 2 Bitter Triumph (LXI) 91
  • 2 Sanguine Savior (MKM) 230
  • 4 Essence Channeler (BLB) 12
  • 2 Grand Abolisher (BIG) 2
  • 2 Authority of the Consuls (FDN) 137
  • 3 Preacher of the Schism (LCI) 113
  • 3 Rosa, Resolute White Mage (FIN) 555
  • 3 Starscape Cleric (BLB) 116
  • 2 Minwu, White Mage (FIN) 26
  • 3 Aerith Gainsborough (FIN) 4
  • 2 Sheltered by Ghosts (DSK) 30
  • 3 Sunstar Chaplain (EOE) 40
  • 2 Get Lost (LCI) 14
  • 8 Plains (THB) 250
  • 6 Swamp (THB) 252
  • 1 Susur Secundi, Void Altar (EOE) 259
  • 1 Adagia, Windswept Bastion (EOE) 250
  • 3 Scoured Barrens (IKO) 254
  • 1 Valgavoth’s Lair (DSK) 271
  • 2 Cavern of Souls (LCI) 269
  • 2 Fabled Passage (ELD) 244

Sideboard

  • 1 Pest Control (BIG) 22
  • 1 The Witch’s Vanity (WOE) 119
  • 1 Starscape Cleric (BLB) 116
  • 1 Krumar Initiate (TDM) 84
  • 1 Sanguine Evangelist (LCI) 34
  • 1 Zoraline, Cosmos Caller (BLB) 242
  • 1 Virtue of Persistence (WOE) 115
  • 1 Moonrise Cleric (BLB) 226
  • 1 Roaming Throne (LCI) 258

Since then, the deck has evolved into the following after some small tweaks, primarily around removal. As for the creatures, Sunstar Chaplain has worked better than I thought but the real star after rotation continues to be Preacher of the Schism and Rosa, Resolute White Mage.

Deck

  • 3 Murder (J25) 467
  • 2 Bitter Triumph (LCI) 91
  • 4 Essence Channeler (BLB) 12
  • 2 Grand Abolisher (BIG) 2
  • 2 Authority of the Consuls (FDN) 137
  • 4 Preacher of the Schism (LCI) 113
  • 3 Rosa, Resolute White Mage (FIN) 555
  • 3 Starscape Cleric (BLB) 116
  • 3 Minwu, White Mage (FIN) 26
  • 3 Aerith Gainsborough (FIN) 4
  • 2 Sheltered by Ghosts (DSK) 30
  • 3 Sunstar Chaplain (EOE) 40
  • 2 Get Lost (LCI) 14
  • 2 Cavern of Souls (LCI) 269
  • 2 Fabled Passage (ELD) 244
  • 9 Plains (THB) 250
  • 7 Swamp (THB) 252
  • 3 Scoured Barrens (IKO) 254
  • 1 Valgavoth’s Lair (DSK) 271

Sideboard

  • 1 Sanguine Evangelist (LCI) 34
  • 1 Zoraline, Cosmos Caller (BLB) 242
  • 1 Pest Control (BIG) 22
  • 1 The Witch’s Vanity (WOE) 119
  • 1 Moonrise Cleric (BLB) 226
  • 1 Krumar Initiate (TDM) 84
  • 1 Roaming Throne (LCI) 258
  • 1 Virtue of Persistence (WOE) 115

Looking through what else the Spider-Man (aka Through the Omenpath) set offers, I’ve not seen anything yet that makes me want to make further alterations to the deck. I did consider the following:

  • The Soul Stone (The Terminus of Return) – Harnessing it is just too expensive!
  • Spectacular Tactics – Perhaps instead of Get Lost?
  • Clandestine Work – Card draw is never a bad thing but what do I give up for it?
  • Villainous Wrath – I like it until the last sentence: “Then destroy all creatures.” That does not help my creature focused deck.

In the end, I don’t think that there is much that I can do except experiment a bit with these cards and perhaps go back to older sets to see how I can improve the deck a bit but it looks like consistent wins are going to be a while away still.

With Avatar up next, we’ll have to see if there are real improvements to be found. I’m not familiar with the lore so not sure that there are any clerics but I will be disappointed if we have two sets in a row without any.

Enhancing a B01 Standard Orzhov Cleric Deck with Final Fantasy

/ Jerome / Leave a comment

Magic’s latest set, Final Fantasy, has now been out for three weeks. As with every other Standard set, let’s take a look and see what new cards I may be able to add to my typal Standard B01 Orzhov Cleric deck in a bid to finally transform it into a first tier deck. The first Universes Beyond set to be Standard legal brings six new Clerics to the table.

As always, a number of them can be immediately skipped over as they don’t fit into the Orzhov colours. That does not mean that they don’t have potential. Yuna, Hope of Spira, in particular, could fit nicely into a Selesnya enchantments deck.

Back to our deck, we have three Clerics that could fit into the deck. Let’s take a closer look at these.

Aerith Gainsborough certainly could be a good fit. Lifelink helps power some of the other Clerics in the deck. Any tokens it gains can be saved when she dies if I have a legendary creature on the board. Without any protection, I have a feeling that Aerith is simply too vulnerable. And the limited number of legendary creatures means that I may not be able to save those counters to make it worthwhile. I may swap out two Annex Sentries to see how she would fare in its place.

Aerith Gainsborough
Rosa, Resolute White Mage
Minwu, White Mage

Rosa, Resolute White Mage, is another card that seems decent at first glance Giving creatures a +1/+1 counter and lifelink until end of turn fits well into the deck. At a cost of Colorless 3 pipWhite pip, I’m not sure I want to cut Roaming Throne for this card. Then again, it might be time for some experimentation. Let’s try it!

Finally, here is a card that I have been excited about since I first saw it. Minwu, White Mage, is definitely going into the deck so that I can see if she is as good as she seems to be. Right out of the gate, she comes with vigilance and lifelink. So far, so good but whenever I gain life, she allows me to put a +1/+1 counter on each Cleric I control. That could end some games. The only downside is her cost. At Colorless 3 pipWhite pipWhite pip, this is not a cheap card to cast.

Final Fantasy comes with another goodie for Clerics. There are two equipment spells that can turn any creature into a Cleric. While only one fits an Orzhov deck, this is definitely an interesting development. Both White Mage’s Staff and Sage’s Nouliths turn creatures into Clerics while they are equipped. The job select mechanic means that both enter already attached to a Hero Cleric and both have nice upside when they attack.

My first instinct is to not include White Mage’s Staff simply because so many of the other Clerics already have lifelink. But again, this may need to be validated in the lab of gameplay first.

One other change I made to the deck was to remove Fell in favour of Exorcise. Both work at Sorcery speed but the latter gives me more options to target.

Krumar Initiate

One last change: I cut the Krumar Initiates in favour of Authority of the Consuls. It should slow my opponent down a bit and give my Clerics deck a bit more time for the pieces to fall into place and hopefully take control of the game.

Here is the latest version of my Standard B01 Orzhov Cleric deck:

Deck

  • 2 Go for the Throat (BRO) 102
  • 3 Evolved Sleeper (DMU) 93
  • 3 Shadow-Rite Priest (DMU) 106
  • 2 Loran’s Escape (BRO) 14
  • 3 Essence Channeler (BLB) 12
  • 3 Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim (DMU) 198
  • 3 Phyrexian Missionary (DMU) 27
  • 2 Authority of the Consuls (FDN) 137
  • 3 Preacher of the Schism (LCI) 113
  • 2 Rosa, Resolute White Mage (FIN) 555
  • 2 Cut Down (DMU) 89
  • 2 Minwu, White Mage (FIN) 26
  • 2 Anointed Peacekeeper (DMU) 2
  • 2 Exorcise (DSK) 8
  • 2 Aerith Gainsborough (FIN) 4
  • 2 Cavern of Souls (LCI) 269
  • 1 The Dross Pits (ONE) 251
  • 1 Fabled Passage (ELD) 244
  • 1 The Fair Basilica (ONE) 252
  • 8 Plains (THB) 250
  • 3 Scoured Barrens (IKO) 254
  • 6 Swamp (THB) 252
  • 2 Valgavoth’s Lair (DSK) 271

Sideboard (or cards I may want to bring back into the deck later)

  • 1 Grand Abolisher (BIG) 2
  • 1 Skrelv, Defector Mite (ONE) 33
  • 1 Pest Control (BIG) 22
  • 1 Lay Down Arms (BRO) 11
  • 1 The Witch’s Vanity (WOE) 119
  • 1 Starscape Cleric (BLB) 116
  • 1 Krumar Initiate (TDM) 84
  • 1 Sanguine Evangelist (LCI) 34
  • 1 Zoraline, Cosmos Caller (BLB) 242
  • 1 Leyline Binding (DMU) 24
  • 1 Liliana of the Veil (DMU) 97
  • 1 Virtue of Persistence (WOE) 115
  • 1 Moonrise Cleric (BLB) 226
  • 2 Roaming Throne (LCI) 258

Playing some Family Magic in The Bahamas

/ Jerome / Leave a comment

A deck of Magic cards is never too far when the family travels. Our latest family trip, minus Christian as his schedule prevented him from joining us, was no exception. It got me to thinking that I should maybe list out where our Magic decks have been.

Our latest vacation took us to the Bahamas. I won’t bore you with all the details but it was a lovely trip. The beach where we stayed was stunning. Unfortunately, strong winds over the ocean meant that we could not go swimming in the sea for two of the days we were there due to the strong undertows.

As happened with another recent trip, bringing Magic cards with you does mean that you should prepare for a little extra scrutiny when going through airport security. I guess that a Commander deck into an Ultimate Guard Boulder looks quite unusual when going through the scanning machine. And so our bags got pulled for a closer look. This also happened on a skiing trip Noah and I did to Whistler a couple of years back. Interestingly, the same did not happen when we left the Bahamas. Maybe the person manning the scanning machine was a Magic player himself and recognized the odd black square on the screen as a Commander deck.

While the opportunities to play were limited, Noah and I did manage to squeeze in one game one evening. His upgraded Warhammer 40K Necrons deck, led by Imotekh the Stormlord, went up against my unmodified Zinnia, Valley’s Voice deck from Bloomburrow.

Noah wisely took out his (there is a story there for another time) Mana Crypt before the trip, recognizing not only that it was a pricy card but also that it was now banned in Commander.

It was a closely fought affair but the Necrons prevailed as they have so often done in the past thanks to the ever-growing wave of Necron Warrior artifact creature tokens. I had started strong but not being able to shut down his token generating engine meant that I soon lost my early advantage. It was at least not the crushing rout Ruhan suffered during our last trip!

Magic in the Bahamas
Bahamas trip

Sadly, there was no opportunity for other games as the trip was quite short and there were too many other things to do.

Our decks have travelled with us on a few other trips but I have not really tracked our world Magic experiences in the past. I will try to do a better job of it going forward.

Transform Your B01 Standard Orzhov Cleric Deck with Tarkir: Dragonstorm Cards

/ Jerome / Leave a comment

Pre-release events for Tarkir: Dragonstorm start next Friday! That means that previews for the newest set are done and it is once again time to take a look a closer look at the set and see if my kindred Standard B01 Orzhov Cleric deck will transform into a first tier deck.

Last time round, Aetherdrift only brought two new Clerics to the table. Tarkir: Dragonstorm will easily outdo that, offering up six new Cleric cards for consideration. So let’s see what we have to work with. One, Severance Priest, is immediately out because of the Green pip pip in its mana costs. That leaves us with five to review.

Abzan Devotee
Unrooted Ancestor
Krumar Initiate

Abzan Devotee is a common that could prove useful when it comes to mana fixing. For , we can add either a White pip or Black pip to the mana pool (you could tap for Green pip but it would not be not very useful in this deck).

Unrooted Ancestor is a card that I may try to get into the deck. The challenge is that the current deck is not built around sacrifice. Add Krumar Initiate to the mix and there is now a way to generate cheap Spirits that could power this card. It does require both cards and only generates one spirit per turn.

Maybe I should add Krumar Initiate to the deck and skip Unrooted Ancestor for now. I can use the Spirits for offence and defense instead of sacrificing them. I’ll start there and see if the card cranks out enough Spirits that I could then consider sacrificing some of them. Krumar Initiate also has a bit of synergy with Essence Channeler, giving it flying and vigilance as I lose life.

Loxodon Battle Priest
Venerated Stormsinger
Essence Channeler

If you’ve followed this blog long enough, you know I like big creatures. Loxodon Battle Priest is not only one of those but it also can help me grow other Clerics into bigger ones. Is there anything better than a beefy Cleric swinging at your opponent? It is pricey though.

At first glance, Venerated Stormsinger looked like an automatic add. Then I re-read the card a bit more carefully. Sure it generates a 1/1 red Warrior each turn; but it’s only one per turn and it gets sacrificed at the next end step. So, that 1/1 will start to lose value as the game goes on and bigger threats emerge. The additional life trigger is not bad but still feels like less than it promises.

Time to see what I can cut to see if Krumar Initiate and Loxodon Battle Priest. My first choices are Metropolis Reformer and Infernal Vessel. That gives me four slots to work with. I think it will be a straight swap.

As far as non-creature spells, I will take a closer look and see what makes sense. Smile at Death caught my attention as I took a first glance through the list. It would let me return my Clerics to the battlefield given that I don’t have a lot of protection and they tend to die quickly. But two other cards caught my attention despite not going into this deck. Elspeth, Storm Slayer and Ugin, Eye of the Storms, definitely look like good fun. Ugin in particular could finally convince me to look at a colourless Commander deck. But that’s a topic for a future post.

As far as lands are concerned, nothing really jumps out. Many are focused on the three-colour combinations aligned to the Dragonstorm clan wedges. I may look at Dalkovan Encampment and Great Arashin City as they do give me an advantage over regular lands but at the cost of entering tapped. Not exactly a strong proposition!

So here is the deck that I will start to play with as soon as Tarkir: Dragonstorm cards are in my hands or on Arena!

Deck:

Deck:

  • 2 Go for the Throat (BRO) 102
  • 2 Anointed Peacekeeper (DMU) 2
  • 2 Fell (BLB) 95
  • 3 Evolved Sleeper (DMU) 93
  • 3 Shadow-Rite Priest (DMU) 106
  • 2 Loran’s Escape (BRO) 14
  • 3 Essence Channeler (BLB) 12
  • 2 Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim (DMU) 198
  • 3 Phyrexian Missionary (DMU) 27
  • 3 Annex Sentry (ONE) 2
  • 3 Preacher of the Schism (LCI) 113
  • 2 Roaming Throne (LCI) 258
  • 2 Cut Down (DMU) 89
  • 2 Krumar Initiate (TDM) 84
  • 2 Loxodon Battle Priest (TDM) 15

Lands:

  • 2 Cavern of Souls (LCI) 269
  • 1 The Dross Pits (ONE) 251
  • 2 Fabled Passage (ELD) 244
  • 1 Forlorn Flats (OTJ) 258
  • 1 The Fair Basilica (ONE) 252
  • 2 Scoured Barrens (NEO) 274
  • 1 Valgavoth’s Lair (DSK) 271
  • 8 Plains (THB) 250
  • 6 Swamp (THB) 252

Sideboard

  • 2 Grand Abolisher (BIG) 2
  • 1 Skrelv, Defector Mite (ONE) 33
  • 1 Pest Control (BIG) 22
  • 2 Lay Down Arms (BRO) 11
  • 1 The Witch’s Vanity (WOE) 119
  • 1 Sanguine Evangelist (LCI) 34
  • 1 Zoraline, Cosmos Caller (BLB) 242
  • 1 Leyline Binding (DMU) 24
  • 2 Liliana of the Veil (DMU) 97
  • 2 Virtue of Persistence (WOE) 115
  • 1 Moonrise Cleric (BLB) 226

Duel Commander: Commander for Two

/ Jerome / Leave a comment

I am primarily a casual Magic: The Gathering player. The great majority of my games are played with my sons at home. We do love our pre-releases but only play a few games a year at the LGS beyond those, especially since North of Exile closed. As I’ve noted in the past, our family Magic games have slowed down as the boys get older and start to establish their own lives.

We most frequently play Commander at home as you may have gathered from many past posts. It’s always been somewhat awkward playing with only three of us but it gets even more challenging when there are only two of us up for a game. Case in point: A recent family trip.

But it does appear that I may have discovered the solution; one that does not require us to move to a completely different format. Have you heard of Duel Commander? It’s a two-player version of EDH where you play with 100 cards, including your Commander and 99 different cards that share the same colour identity. Sounds like Commander, right? Well, there are some differences focused on improving the game for a two-player format. For example:

  • The game has its own curated ban list managed by the format’s community
  • You have two win two of three games for the match win
  • You can swap your commander with another as long as it is already in your deck
  • There are no sideboards.

About that ban list: A number of cards are banned as Commanders only. For example, you can have Arahbo, Roar of the World, Edgar Markov or Winota, Joiner of Forces in your deck but none can be your Commander (There goes my Arahbo deck unless I modify it for another cat).

As with other two-player Magic formats, Duel Commander does not rely on politics and negotiations for you to win the game. Much as in other two-player formats, your deck either has it or it does not – no amount of wheeling and dealing is going to save you here. Whether that’s a plus or a minus is up to you to decide.

Duel Commander has been around for some time. Early versions date back to the early 2000s and the Duel Commander Rules Committee (all volunteers) was established in 2007. It has since then overseen the format, providing regular updates, including the bans as needed. The format may not be somewhat obscure but it is actively supported with the last update coming as recently as January 2025 with regular updates being announced every two months or more frequently if needed.

As far as events, I did not find many but if you’re in France in May, you may want to check out the Team Duel Commander French Cup (Coupe De France Duel Commander en Equipe). It takes place in Saint Aunès, France (near Montpellier) from May 31st to June 1st.

I’ve shared details about Duel Commander with the boys and we are looking at trying it out. The main concern right now seems to be avoiding building more decks as this household is already over-run with regular Commander decks. Given that most of our decks should work as they are, I expect that this will be how our first games will go. If it works and we want to play more, I expect that our competitive spirits will push us to look at decks more optimized to this two-player format.

Lastly, if Two-Headed Giant is your jam, they have rules about how to play it as a non-sanctioned variant. And for those playing online, Duel Commander is officially supported on MTGO (Note: I don’t play MTGO at this time).

More information: Duel Commander official site

More Dungeons & Dragons in 2025

/ Jerome / Leave a comment

If you follow this blog, you have read how the boys are growing up and more and more doing their own thing. As much as I miss the days where it was Magic all the time, this is how it should be. Still, I do miss the game and have been slow to get into going to the LGS on my own (maybe that should have been my New Year’s resolution).

One thing that I have been doing once in a while is play some Dungeons and Dragons. As far back as 2022, I have played a couple of events a year through TorontoDnD, a local organization that runs a variety of events, mostly one-shots, at various locations through the city. In fact, I just signed up for my first event for the year and am hoping to play more often than I have in the past. It always makes for a fun evening.

Dungeons & Dragons party facing a dragon

I first played Dungeons and Dragons when I was a teenager. To date myself a bit (or a lot), most of my time playing was with the books that had the orange spine (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons) although my very first campaigns were run using the basic rules (the red box first released in 1983, I think). Along with the Player’s Handbook and Dungeon Master’s Guide, I had the Monster Manual, the Fiend Folio, and the Oriental Adventures book. I unfortunately let them go before having kids (the good old “I don’t play anymore and don’t think I ever will again”)” story).

Both boys got into the game a few years back. I remember one notable campaign that Christian ran for us one summer at a cottage. Along with the three of us, we had the two cousins. Sitting at the picnic table on a hot summer day between swims at the lake, it was definitely good fun!

Noah in particular got into the game at school and owns many of the 5th edition books. He loves the settings books but I don’t think he’s ever run any campaigns using them. He still plays with a school group where he is the DM. And I’ve borrowed his Player’s Handbook from the time I got back into the game to create characters and relearn the game for my outings.

With the new 5.5 edition that launched last year, I took the plunge and bought the new Player’s Handbook as TorontoDnD is making the switch over to the updated rules next month. I got it on Boxing Day when there was a bit of sale on the books.

More recently, while visiting some friends, I mentioned that I was getting back into the game and one of my friends mentioned that he used to play when he was younger. While he unfortunately does not live close by, we have talked about running a small game the next time he comes to visit. Between him and another friend who sometimes joins me at the TorontoDnD events, we have the start of a group. Maybe I can interest the boys to join us as well. Or I can try to convince one of the boys to run a campaign for us. I should also put more effort into finding a more permanent group to play with so that we can start some longer campaigns.

This is all to say that you may see some Dungeons & Dragons content start to pop up on the site as our gaming diversifies a bit more this year. Don’t worry though, more Magic is on the way!

Christmas Commander 2024

/ Jerome / Leave a comment

A tradition has kicked off for another year. The boys and I had our first Commander game of the 2024 Christmas holiday season after a trip down to the market in preparation for Christmas Eve tomorrow. This afternoon, it was all about slinging spells.

In our first match, I brought a retooled Talrand deck to the fray. Christian brought his Lathril and elves deck while Noah introduced us to Teysa Karlov.

Talrand, Sky Summoner

Christian had the strongest start but a couple of counter spells slowed him down. Noah struggled with a lack of black mana while I focused on simply playing lands and laying low. Knowing that Talrand is susceptible to removal, I simply refrained from playing him while I built up enough mana to protect him. Between Noah and I, Christian did not have a chance to really build up much of board presence. Things changed when I lay down Nezahal, Primal Tide. Despite Christian’s urging to remove it, Noah instead continued to focus on his brother.

It was all going to plan until the boys finally decided to work together and Noah played Kaya’s Wrath to wipe the board. I made the mistake of not saving Nezahal (read the card!) and had to discard a number of good cards.

Mindsplice Apparatus

Fortunately, I had enough in hand to quickly rebuild thanks to my Mindsplice Apparatus, Baral, Chief of Compliance and Haughty Djinn. Flyers do win the game when your opponents don’t have any of their own.

So, Talrand will need to sit out the next game, not that I mind as playing Blue is not exactly how I like to play Magic.

Update #1: The boys each found six packs of the Foundations set under the tree. As a result, our Commander games have been interrupted by a sealed event.

Christian did well, pulling three Mythics: Doubling Season, Rite of the Dragoncaller and Ajani, Caller of the Pride. Noah pulled a single Mythic, while I pulled none. Deck building went quickly; the boys are always good at that while I hum and haw a while before I settle on my deck strategy. In this case, I decided on Sultai with Lathril thanks in part to some relatively decent land cards to help with the mana.

Christian and Noah led off. Noah struggled in his first game with too many lands (and not enough shuffling after building his deck). Christian for his part landed both Ajani and Doubling Season quickly. Their second game was much closer but Christian still won.

Christian then faced me. The first game was a quick one with none of my threats really making any difference as Christian’s flyers simply wore me down. In the second game, it was much closer and I ended up taking it. In the third game, it all came down to the final turn but those pesky flyers once again did me in despite my being able to deal with Ajani quickly and ensuring that he did not become a threat.

One more sealed game to come – Noah and I.

Update: We sadly never did have a chance to play any additional games (it’s late February as I write this). I think it’s the first time that the boys and I did not even finish our mini sealed tournament. Christmas went by quickly and I thought we might be able to wrap up in the first few days of January but school and work started up quite fast and we never found the chance to squeeze in that last game. Something we will look to rectify for the next sealed game.

Standard Lethal Combo in mono-Black

/ Jerome / Leave a comment

Since the mechanic Crime was introduced in Outlaws of Thunder Junction, I have off and on been playing a mono-black deck in Standard B01. I used the launch of the following sets, Bloomburrow, Duskmourn and Foundations, to see if I could improve on the deck as it is not, despite being fun to play, a Tier 1 deck by any stretch of the imagination.

Since its inception, I have tweaked the deck only a little bit. Among the recent additions are Fell and Bandits’ Talent. The first is a decent creature removal spell and the second fits nicely into the theme of the deck. Another key addition is Unstoppable Slasher from Duskmourn, a card that many decks have a hard time removing permanently.

Fell
Bandit's Talent
Unstoppable Slasher

With Foundations, I again went back to see if there was something I could again add to the deck. While nothing leaped out, I did decide to pair up Unstoppable Slasher with Bloodletter of Aclazotz. I will not claim credit for this impressive combo but will definitely vouch for its effectiveness after feeling its effects first hand.

Why is this combo so powerful? When Unstoppable Slasher deals combat damage to your opponent, they lose half of their life, rounded up. Then, Bloodletter of Aclazotz does its thing and doubles that damage. Between the two of them, that’s fatal damage! Granted it does require that both cards be on the battlefield and that Unstoppable Slasher deal player damage, but it’s not hard to line this up.

Other core pieces like Tinybones, the Pickpocket, Deep-Cavern Bat and Hopeless Nightmare remain in the deck. I’ve also started looking at sideboard additions to see if I can move this deck up to B03.

Tinybones, the Pickpocket
Hopeless Nightmare

Here is my latest mono-Black B01 Standard ‘Crime Does Pay’ deck:

Deck

  • 1 The Dross Pits (ONE) 251
  • 16 Swamp (MH3) 315
  • 2 Tinybones Joins Up (OTJ) 108
  • 2 Tinybones, the Pickpocket (OTJ) 109
  • 1 Mirrex (ONE) 254
  • 4 Deep-Cavern Bat (LCI) 102
  • 2 Demolition Field (BRO) 260
  • 2 Vadmir, New Blood (OTJ) 113
  • 2 Kaervek, the Punisher (OTJ) 92
  • 3 Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor (BRO) 95
  • 2 Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal (LCI) 88
  • 3 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse (DMU) 107
  • 2 Sheoldred’s Edict (ONE) 108
  • 2 Fell (BLB) 95
  • 3 Bitter Triumph (LCI) 91
  • 2 Skullcap Snail (LCI) 119
  • 3 Hopeless Nightmare (WOE) 95
  • 1 Hidden Necropolis (LCI) 275
  • 2 Bandit’s Talent (BLB) 83
  • 1 Vein Ripper (MKM) 110
  • 2 Unstoppable Slasher (DSK) 119
  • 2 Hostile Investigator (BIG) 10

Sideboard

  • 2 Gix’s Command (BRO) 97
  • 2 Liliana of the Veil (DMU) 97
  • 2 Gisa, the Hellraiser (OTJ) 89
  • 2 Duress (STA) 29
  • 2 Ruthless Negotiation (BLB) 108
  • 2 Callous Sell-Sword (WOE) 221
  • 2 Go for the Throat (BRO) 102
  • 1 Virtue of Persistence (WOE) 115