Much as I did when the Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty set was fully revealed, I eagerly took a look at what new clerics and giants might potentially make their way into my BO1 Orzhov Clerics and Izzet Giants decks.
First, the bad news. Sadly but not unexpected, there are no new giants. Hopefully we will see some when we land in Dominaria but the life expectancy of this deck is getting shorter by the day!
On a slightly more positive note, New Capenna offers up a single new cleric (one of the new Commander cards). Inspiring Overseer is a common Angel Cleric who comes with Flying and gains you 1 life and draws you a card when it enters the battlefield.
Will it fit into my Orzhov Clerics deck? Probably not but I’ll give it a whirl if and when I can figure out what card to but to make way for it. My first impression is that it’s an underwhelming card that will not offer enough to earn its way into the deck.
As far as other cards go, my first pass through them did not reveal anything that caught my attention immediately.
On the Izzet side, there might be a few interesting supporting options. Undercover Operative might be one of those. For example, another Calamity Bearer on the board might be enough to push enough damage through to wrap up the game. Unlike Giant’s Grasp, it does not require a Giant to be on the battlefield and does not see the creature return to my opponent should my enchanted giant die. And the shield counter is a nice little extra.
As far as lands go, there is nothing that will necessarily help these decks specifically although I will likely pick up some of the new Triomes for some of my physical card decks. I’ll also keep an eye out for Luxior, Giada’s Gift, the new equipment that can attach to planeswalkers.
In the end, it appears that my Selesnya enchantments deck might see more changes than these two. I’ll need to take a look!
Over the March break, the family headed up to Ottawa for a few days. The main objective was to do some university campus reconnaissance for Christian but it was also a chance to catch up with some friends that had moved up there just as Covid broke out (they sold their old house the day before the first shut down began!).
Their oldest is now 7 (the same age as Noah when he began playing Magic) and has been an avid Pokemon collector & general fan for a few years. He also had dabbled in Magic some time before our visit. So I reached out ahead of our trip to see if he was still interested in the game as I had some bulk cards (and a few more interesting ones) that I would be happy to give him if he was still interested in the game. It turned out that the interest had died down due to lack of people to play with and a general lack of cards. But his father was sure that he would be happy to get new cards. So, a few hundred cards made the trek to Ottawa with us.
Not only was the little boy happy but having my own two boys sit down with him and build out some decks out of the pile of new cards seemed to be even more exciting. Unfortunately, my own contribution was limited to giving him the cards as I might have upset a few people by ignoring the non-Magic players in the room!
By the end of the evening, there were Magic cards strewn across the solarium and plenty of discussions had taken place about what cards went well together and general game play. Better yet, our latest Magic player also had a Blue White flyers deck and a Red Gremlin Burn deck ready to go (I clearly see the influence of my boys given the distinct lack of any Green).
I may have lost a few brownie points with his parents when he exclaimed at dinner that one of the cards was “quite gruesome.” Some kind of vampire, I gathered, so there may be some parental audit of said “gift” to ensure that the cards are somewhat appropriate for him.
It remains to be seen if these new decks will be enough to rekindle the Magic flame for a longer period of time. Then again, does it ever go out completely? We’ll have to see the next time we visit.
Two of my favourite Arena BO1 decks are my UR Giants and my WB Cleric decks. With Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty spoilers now done, I took a look to see what new cards might help me improve those decks. At first glance, it does not look like either deck will unfortunately see a lot of updates.
On the creature front, the new set comes does not come with any new Giants or Clerics. This is less of a concern for my Clerics deck but does keep my Giants deck saddled with a few creature cards that would be easy cuts (I’m looking at you Zalto, Giant Fire Duke).
On the lands side of things, the very intriguing and likely breakout card of the set, Boseiju, Who Endures, fits into neither of the decks with the current mana bases. The other Legendary Lands also don’t stand out as automatic additions.
The two Legendary Lands that could go into my Clerics deck each come with downsides. Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire could replace an existing removal spell and give my mana fixing a small boost. Could be worth an inclusion to test it out.
Takenuma, Abandoned Mire’s Channel cost is quite high but could help put some clerics into the graveyard for a dying Orah, Skyclave Hierophant to bring back to the battlefield. My first thought is that it’s simply not worth it though. – Too many hoops to jump through.
Only one Legendary Land could be useful in my giants deck. Otawara, Soaring City, could help protect my costly giants should they come under threat. Rather than losing them, they would return to my hand. The downside is the high Channel cost that would likely prevent me from playing another giant during my turn.
One new land inclusion for my Clerics deck could be Scoured Barrens. The life gain would work well with Cleric of Life’s Bond and Voice of the Blessed. For my giants, the Izzet Swiftwater Cliffs comes in tapped and its life gain would not trigger if Quakebringer was in play. That one is a pass.
Where things could get more interesting is with the new equipment cards that double as creatures. For example, reconfiguring Lizard Blades onto Quakebringer would definitely be a sweet play – Especially if Calamity Bearer is on the battlefield as well. The Reality Chip could also be an interesting addition – If nothing else, worth a try.
Could my Clerics deck benefit from Blade of the Oni, the Equipment Demon? I suspect that its ability to turn an equipped creature into one with base power and toughness 5/5 and menace and still remain a Cleric would be a powerful combination. But that assumes it can stay on the board long enough given that it comes in as a creature with only 1 toughness. Leech Gauntlet with Lifelink also has potential and Lion Sash just looks like it could be a strong include (too bad it does not have lifegain like good old Scavenging Ooze).
Lastly, the sagas that turn into creatures are definitely intriguing but none of them leaped out at me. Except maybe for Behold the Unspeakable for my giants deck but do I really need another 5 CMC card in my deck, especially if I have to give up a giant for it?
Finally, there may be some opportunities to replace a few cards with new Instant and Sorcery cards. Unquenchable Fury could be interesting in my Giants deck and there are a few possibilities for the Clerics as well. For example, could Lethal Exploit replace Baleful Mastery? I definitely need to spend a bit more time on these cards.
All in all, Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty is shaping up to be an interesting set but I suspect it will take me in new directions rather than helping me with my existing Arena BO1 decks.
I was getting ready to go bed last night when I noticed that Noah’s light was still on in his room as I walked by. The door was closed but the light spilled out from under it. I knocked and asked if everything was okay. Noah answered “One sec!” and opened the door shortly after.
He had Magic cards in hand, a number of cards were on his bed along with a number of dice. He apparently could not sleep and was testing an old deck that he had come across earlier (we had spent a portion of the afternoon sorting some of his older cards).
What to do? The parent in me knew that it was well past his bedtime but the Magic player in me wanted to ask what deck it was and whether he wanted a quick game. I tried to sneak a look at the cards while I mulled this decision over but Noah seemed to know which way it would go and put his deck away.
And I still don’t know what deck it was that he was testing…
Leaving aside for a moment the question of whether Standard is a good play format or not, what happens to all those old decks when rotation occurs? Are they packed off to a dark and musty box to be mocked by the chaff and bulk cards that never even made it into a standard deck? Are they unceremoniously unsleeved and shipped off to the local game store to be traded in for pennies on the dollar for the shiny and new top Standard cards? Did they do enough to earn a special spot next to other favourite decks and to trigger a happy memory every once in a while?
A happier fate could be looming on the horizon for at least some of those decks. A recent post on the MagicTCG subreddit proposes a new format specifically for those old Standard decks that are no longer so standard. Proposed by DefCat (aka Jay Natale), the format called Amber is described as a casual format meant “for people to take their favorite old standard deck and play it against other previously standard legal magic, the gathering decks.”
Looking up the best deck or finding the best possible block to play is discouraged. This is merely a way to play an old deck that rotated out and still have reasonable amounts of fun. Overtime, you will collect many of these decks and be able to have tons to play from with your group of friends.
While the idea of re-using old Standard decks is not new and has existed for a long time at many game tables across the world (many even called it Bring Your Own Standard), this is the first time that I think the format has been somewhat formalized with a basic set of rules.
There is nothing over the top but it does provide guidelines that are more than enough for a casual format. And there is nothing preventing individual groups from refining them further for their own purposes.
The rules:
Deck construction:
A minimum of 60 cards with no more than 4 of each card besides basic lands
Card pool consists of a block of EIGHT standard legal sets that were once a full block. Examples:
Sets from Throne of Eldraine to Adventures in the Forgotten Realms (Standard before the September 2021 rotation)
Sets from Ixalan to Core Set 2020
Sets from Innistrad to Core Set 2014 (September 2013 rotation)
Optional sideboard of up to 15 cards with maximum of 4 of each card
Ban List
Casual play – None
Competitive play – Any card that was once banned in standard (eg, Oko, Thief of Crowns, in 2019, Stoneforge Mystic in 2011 or Tolarian Academy all the way back in 1998)
Best of all, Standard rotations will ensure that there is a regular influx of new decks into the format.
As for me, I’m going to suggest this to the boys and to our LGS and see if perhaps Amber can find a spot on the event calendar, perhaps replacing the Standard events that have disappeared due to low turnouts.
And just maybe there will be fewer mournful looks every September now when rotation comes around!
I’ll update the list down as far back as Battle for Zendikar at the very least as this was the first set that we played with. I will likely work my way down further given that we do own older cards but let’s get through this first phase first.
I will also eventually add more information including the release date of the set and the total number of cards.
Hopefully you find this information as useful as I do.
The Christmas break has kicked off. With COVID-19 back with a vengeance (again?), there will be less opportunity to do things like see friends and go to movies but it will mean more time for games, including Magic.
Goblin Sleigh Ride
So far, the Magic-playing family members have squeezed in three rounds of Commander. Let’s see how far we can keep it going.
On the first day of Christmas Commander, Atraxa, Praetors’ Voice, lost to Athreos, God of Passage.
On the second day of Christmas Commander, Talrand, Sky Summoner, beat Kenrith, the Returned King, and Xanathar, Guild Kingpin. Then it got pummeled by the tag team of Krark, the Thumbless and Sakashima of a Thousand Faces.
On the third day of Christmas Commander, Jazal Goldmane under the command of Arahbo, Roar of the World crushed Lathril, Blade of the Elves, but forgot to leave troops to defend against Jeska and Kamahl, Heart of Krosa. While Kamahl never made it out of the command zone, Jeska was able to administer over 60 points of Commander damage in one fell swoop thanks to that 11/11 ooze token on the board.
In a second game, both Arahbo and Talrand were walloped by Osgir, the Reconstructor, who was flanked by two Bronze Guardians and two Combustible Gearhulks. Turn one Sol Ring into turn two Osgir will do that…
On the fourth day of Christmas Commander, I was out running final Christmas errands while Xanathar and Kenrith battled it out. Kenrith won the first game but lost the second. No word yet on when the deciding game will take place.
On the fifth day of Christmas Commander, I unveiled my new Kaalia of the Vast deck. Noah had bought me this new commander for my birthday so this introduction was much overdue. Things did not start well for Noah. After repeated mulligans, a shortage of lands left him on the back foot. I started relatively well but things turned once Xanathar landed. Noah conceded and despite my most valiant attempts, not being able to remove Xanathar meant an inevitable end.
On the sith day, Kenrith built up an army that gave him an impenetrable defensive shield. Windborne Muse (which Noah copied a number of times making it nearly impossible to mount any sort of attack against him), Aegis of the Gods, and Saryth, the Viper’s Fang, along with mana-generating cards like Ramos, Dragon Engine and Incubation Druid, turned the game in his favour. Lathril, Blade of the Elves and Kaalia of the Vast could do little and eventually succumbed.
As a result of the Kenrith win, we have instituted a new family rule. The winning commander cannot make a return to the table for at least the next game.
On the seventh day, Osgir, the Reconstructor battled against Kaalia of the Vast (piloted by Noah this time) and Animar, Soul of Elements. I’m not sure why but poor Osgir got most of the attention early in the game, leaving Christian unable to mount much of an attack. A few board wipes did set Animar back but the mana ramp (thank you Zendikar Resurgent) allowed me to rebuild quickly and Terror of the Peaks and Skarrgan Hellkite proved to be a lethal combination. In one massive turn, I was able to kill them both. Unfortunately, due to our new rule, Animar will be sitting out the next game.
In the meantime, we had also talked about some kind of house-baked Commander format like pauper Commander (only the Commander would be of a rarity higher than Common). Although someone with an odd sense of humour is pushing Kamigawa Tiny Leaders despite the fact that we have almost no Kamigawa cards. That did not come to fruition this holiday season.
I’ll update this post as we continue to play through the holidays…
Final update: And that’s all the Commander we managed to squeeze in during the break. Good fun and hopefully a new family tradition.
Much digital ink has already been spilled since WOTC announced the new Alchemy format for MTG Arena earlier this month. Without getting into the topic of whether this is a good thing or not for Magic, I do want to share at least one reason why I’m not a fan of the format.
For those who do not play Arena or have missed the news, Alchemy is a new digital only format. It is a rotating format that is comprised of the sets currently in Standard as well as supplemental digital-only mechanics and cards. 63 Alchemy-only cards were unveiled with the launch and we can expect more as new sets are launched. Alchemy will also include rebalanced (ie, nerfed) cards. While it will not impact the Standard format itself on Arena, it will impact other formats such as Historic where Alchemy cards will be supported – something that is not going down well with many Historic players.
Where I think that Alchemy is doing its greatest disservice to Magic is the fact that two cards with the same identical name may now work differently depending on the format you are playing. For example, if you play Luminarch Aspirant, it allows you to put a +1/+1 counter on a creature you control. Playing in Standard, this happens at the beginning of the combat phase. But if you’re playing the new Alchemy format, the counters are only added at the beginning of your end step. It’s a relatively simple change but one that can significantly alter the outcome of combat and the overall turn.
Here are the two cards: The regular card on the left and the Alchemy one on the right with its Arena designation to the left of the name. Same art, same nearly everything except for the text.
New players getting into the game are already overwhelmed by the number of ways that Magic can be played and the breadth of cards available (even before getting to bans and errata). There is now an extra hurdle for those players, particularly when they come across from Alchemy to paper formats (Going the other way should be easier if no less confusing since Arena tracks so much of the interaction for the player). Suddenly, the cards that they are familiar with may behave differently in certain circumstances. But only some and without much discernible rhyme or reason as to why.
Even more experienced players may get caught out by the changing rules. Imagine being at a tournament and forgetting to put that Luminarch Aspirant +1/+1 counter on your creature at the start of combat. It could alter the outcome of the game and perhaps even result in a call to a judge later when that player then tries to add it at the beginning of the end step.
Our trusty ‘read the card explains the card’ rule becomes a little muddled now. Yes, you can argue that it still holds but we all memorize cards and often recognize them based on the name alone. Now, that name is not enough to remember what that card does.
WOTC has in the past banned cards or updated them with errata. A recent and drastic example would be the Companion cards and mechanic. One card was banned from Commander even before the new set was released. Not long after, the Companion mechanic itself was revamped as well. It forced us to readjust our decks and our strategies but the rules applied consistently across formats. But I’m not aware of a single case in Magic’s history where a card or mechanic was modified in such a way that it was different across different formats. Until Alchemy that is.
Hasbro, WOTC’s parent company, will continue to “enhance” Arena in ways that allow it to make more money from it. We should expect to see new sets, new formats and new events continue to appear. It will also continue to adjust cards when they are found to be overpowered and skewing the meta too far in a single direction (for better or worse, this is sometimes needed for the good of the game after all). And some of those decisions will go down better than others with players. None of that is very much different from paper Magic, albeit the pace of change seems to be faster.
Alchemy, and the fact that it is a digital-only format, allows WOTC to do things that it cannot do in paper. I’m not a fan of this digital-only strategy but I can understand the need to appeal to a broader base than just paper players. I see Alchemy as a poorly thought out way to adjust the game to encourage more digital play (and spending) but others may like this new format. After all, playing against an overpowered Alrund’s Epiphany for the umpteenth time is tiresome.
Ultimately, I will adjust how I play Arena. I will focus more on Standard, despite knowing that Alrund lurks around almost every corner, and eschew the use of modified Alchemy cards as much as I can. I’ll still dabble in events like the Midweek one but will play with unmodified cards where I can. I certainly won’t be using wild cards for new Alchemy cards.
Let’s see how this plays out. If the reaction from players impacts the bottom line negatively, expect WOTC to respond quickly. But if it translates to more sales, we’ll have to get used to Alchemy being around.
With each new Magic set, the boys and I typically buy a booster box and split it. Most of the time, it is purely an excuse to crack packs of the new cards. Rarely have we tried to draft (3 is not a good number for draft as anyone will tell you) and a few times we have set aside some packs for some limited play. But it really is about the new cards.
This time around, Christian opted out of the box to save his money for some upcoming video games. Noah still wanted to go ahead so we ordered a Set Booster box. Today, we picked it up at our LGS and shortly after settled in at the games table for the traditional pack opening frenzy.
We opened the box and we each in turn picked packs until we each had fifteen in front of us. My first pack yielded a Henrika Domnathi, a card I was keen on pulling. It was a good start! Shortly after, I hit the pack of packs: It yielded a Sorin the Mirthless, a Cemetery Desecrator and a Niv-Mizzet Reborn in The List slot. And that was not quite all as there were an additional two rares, a Thundering Mightmare and a Voldaren Bloodcaster in the pack as well.
Maybe not the highest value pulls ever but definitely a pack that will be remembered for a long time!
While Noah is normally the one with the luck, Crimson Vow will go down as one of my luckiest boxes ever. By the time the table was covered in pack wrappers, I had a total of eight mythics. The other standout cards were Necroduality, a showcase art Jacob Hauken, Inspector (which I traded to Noah for his Vampires and Blood tokens deck), a Chandra, Dressed to Kill, and a Savior of Ollenbock.
Among the rares, the highlights were the Sundown Pass, an Ascendant Packleader, an Ulvenwald Oddity, and a Voldaren Estate (traded to Noah). All possible options for my Commander decks.
Noah will probably not remember this box with quite the same fondness. He came away with but a single Mythic, a Wedding Ring (which got traded for my Jacob Hauken). But, as per our box opening rules, the one with the fewest mythics gets the Buy-a-Box promos so Noah picked up the Castle Dracula as well as a Harker’s Journal.
Now Christian is circling as there are a few cards he’s looking to add to his Scarab God Commander deck…
Mono White has been quite strong in MTG: Arena BO1 for a while. My latest iteration (not completely my own invention) features great synergy around the Exile mechanic.
The mana curve works well with Stonebinder’s Familiar able to come down on the first turn, followed by Sungold Sentinel and then a number of options depending on the board state. They allow you to exile both cards on the board as well as in hand.
Here is the full deck:
17 Snow-Covered Plains (KHM)
2 Cave of the Frost Dragon (AFR)
1 Legion Angel (ZNR)
4 Luminarch Aspirant (ZNR)
4 Skyclave Apparition (ZNR)
2 Fateful Absence (MID)
4 Usher of the Fallen (KHM)
4 Faceless Haven (KHM)
4 Elite Spellbinder (STX)
2 Expel (STX)
4 Brutal Cathar (MID)
2 Intrepid Adversary (MID)
4 Stonebinder’s Familiar (STX)
3 Maul of the Skyclaves (ZNR)
3 Sungold Sentinel (MID)
Sideboard:
3 Legion Angel (ZNR)
2 Sungold Barrage (MID)
1 Vanquish the Horde (MID)
While featuring potent removal, the deck itself suffers from being easy prey to removal. This is less of an issue in BO1 but would need to be addressed for BO3 matches.
One card that I see played often in this deck but cut early in mine is Adeline, Resplendent Cathar. I’ve not found it to be as synergistic and the 1/1 Human token it generates upon attack does not materialize much as Adeline is often the target of a quick removal spell. Likely a better fit in Commander.
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