Farewell Duel Decks

After ten years Duel Deck series go into retirement and the last edition of DD will be Elves vs Inventors. It's hard to believe that Wizards have run out of ideas. But there is no vacuum. We will get a new product instead. I'm speaking of Challanger Decks, which will be available 6th April for 29.99 USD. Ten dollars more than old Duel Decks and we are getting only one deck. Each Challenger Deck comes with a complete 60-card main deck and a 15-card sideboard and is intended to be playable and competitive at a local level right out of the box. Wizards ensured, that decks will be strong and feature many rares, as well as at least two mythic rares. All cards will have been previously printed in Standard and are Standard-legal. Additionally, each Challenger Deck will contain the following:
a box capable of holding 75 sleeved cards,
a spindown life counter,
a quick reference guide.


These decks are not going to come to MTGO. The online cost of all the cards in past precons has been much, much lower than MSRP. But paper market is a totally different story. We must wait and see. In the worst case, we'll get Intro Packs. At best, something like Event Decks

Holiday Promo Card

With the holidays coming up, it is time to reveal the Wizards of the Coast Holiday Promo Card. The Holiday Promo Card is given to Wizard's partners, contractors and employees with a fun treat to say thank you.

It is silver bordered card, legal in EDH.

Silver-bordered cards legal in EDH!

A week ago I wrote about Un-set finance and we came to conclusion, that only basic lands are keeping any value and rest of cards is worthless. However, within a week a lot can change. Wizards only have to announce revolutionary rules change, that silver-bordered cards are legal in EDH and Un-set finance are turned upside down. No, it is not a joke. Silver-bordered cards are legal in Commander until January 15th (the date of the next banned and restricted announcement). It is not a surpise, that prices spiked. Some cards are banned from the start: Ashnod's Coupon, Double Cross, Double Deal, Double Dip, Double Play, Double Take, Enter the Dungeon, Magical Hacker, Mox Lotus, Once More With Feeling, R&Ds Secret Lair, Richard Garfield, Staying Power, Time Machine. And some are recommended not to use: Ach! Hans, Run!, Collector Protector, Incoming, Infernal Spawn of Infernal Spawn of Evil, Johnny, Combo Player, Mirror, Mirror Topsy Turvy, Yet Another Aether Vortex and Gotcha wording cards.

Un-lands

A few days ago a full Unstable set was spoilered. I took a look at pricelist of previous Un sets: Unglued and Unhinged and I drew some conclusiones, that I want to share with you. Among all rares only just five are worth something and by something I mean several dollars. To ilustrate the amount we are talking about the most expensive is Mox Lotus for 9 USD. We may assume, that prices of Unstable rares will go the same way as their predecessors and be worthless. Responisble for all this is barely no demand for Un cards. However, there is one exception - basic lands. Over course of time Unhinged lands are reaching even 10 USD and Unglued 6 USD now. We get a basic land every single pack. Unstable basic lands are priced now for around 1,5 USD. It looks like a good long-term investment. The art is beautiful. The borderless basic land is unique for this moment. Some may say that there are many full art basic lands already to choose from. But, was it really a obstacle for Unhinged lands to go as high as they are now? It is just matter of time, when Unstable basic land will gain on value.

Sideboarding mastery

Few tips on sideboarding:

1. It matters a lot if you are on play or draw. When you are on the draw, you are behind in the tempo and damage race from the start. However, you do have one extra card instead. As a result, you can safely cut a land and shave a few cheap threats. Meanwhile, you should add efficient answers and catch-up cards. Fatal Push and Radiant Flames are examples of spells that are better when you’re on the draw, as they allow you to steal back tempo.

2. Sideboard against post-sideboard deck. Bringing in cards that would have been good in game 1 is a common mistake. Try to predict a gameplane of your opponent in game 2 and adjust.

3. Don't oversideboard situational answers. Sideboarding a card, that blocks only up to 4 opponnent's cards it is not a good decision. Your card will too often be a dead card. It should have a least 8 targets.

4. Don't oversideboard in general. Sometimes, by bringing in too many sideboard cards, especially reactive ones like removal spells or counterspells, we run the risk of simply diluting our deck’s core strategy so much that we hurt our chance of winning the gam

4. If you are not familiar with deck your are playing, becasue you copied someone's else deck list, you should prepare your sideboard plan before tournament. It is legal to have notes what you should cut and what add in specific matchup. 

Play Points for sale

Wizards store is now offering Play Points for sale. Three bundles to choose from:

• 240 Play Points for $24 (regular price)
• 480 Play Points for $45
• 1200 Play Points for $100.

Let's do some math. We can buy Event Tickets from players at classifieds for around $0.95 each. So, we are able to get 105,26 Event Tickets for $100 or 47,37 Event Tickets for $45. I'm not taking into consideration buying Event Tickets directly from Wizards, because it always costs $1 each and we want to get them as cheap as possible. Remembering, that 10 Play Points are considered as 1 Event Ticket we are coming to conculsion as follows. If we want to save some money it is the most reasonable to buy 1200 Play Points bundle. We must transfer Play Points into Events Tickets for the analysis to see it clear. Spending $100 at Wizards store gives us 120 Event Tickets, in comparizon to 105 Event Tickets bought from sellers in classifieds for the same amount of money. To wrap up, buying direclty from Wizards gives us extra 15 Event Tickets.


These Bundles are only available through the holidays and will disappear from the store when Rivals of Ixalan releases on January 19, 2018.

From the Vault: Transform

Starting November 24 From the Vault: Transform hits the shelves. What could be found inside FtV?

• Huntmaster of the Fells - New art
• Garruk Relentless - New art
• Delver of Secrets - New art
• Archangel Avacyn
• Arguel's Blood Fast
• Arlinn Kord
• Bloodline Keeper
• Bruna, the Fading Light
• Gisela, the Broken Blade
• Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh
• Elbrus, the Binding Blade
• Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
• Kytheon, Hero of Akros
• Liliana, Heretical Healer
• Nissa, Vastwood Seer

Grand Prix changes

Starting with January 2018, the number of rounds on Day One of any Grand Prix is changing, as is the cut to make Day Two. All Constructed events will have eight rounds on Day One and you need to go at least 6-2 in order to qualify to Day Two where you will play next seven rounds. As a reminder not long ago we needed 7-2 result and later it was shifted to 6-3.

For individual Limited events, Day One will still be nine rounds played with Sealed decks. However, there will be a cut after round 8. All players that didn't score at least 6-2 are eliminated. Then, all remaining players will play round 9 with their Sealed deck and continue competition in Day Two.

The participation promo card at GPs for the first half of 2018 will be Mutavault.

In my opinion, cutting one round is good move. Day One will be shorter. Staying focus and performing at your best level for nine rounds was a tough task.

Unban candidate

The October 17 banlist announcement brought no changes to Modern format. However, Wizards dropped some juicy announcement. 

In the course of discussing options for this announcement, we did discuss unbanning in Modern. However, given the current healthy state of the format and the upcoming Modern Pro Tour, we plan to wait for the results of Pro Tour Rivals of Ixalan to evaluate any potential changes for the format. We anticipate making an announcement in February after the results from that tournament come in.

So, if I have to name a one card, which is a safe unban it will be Stoneforge Mystic. Let's find out why. First of all, we need to understand why this card have never been legal in Modern. I firmly believe that Stoneforge being banned had a lot to do with the fact that it was banned in Standard two months prior to the announcement of Modern format. It allows you to cheat out Batterskull on turn three. Raw power. But, is there anything to be afraid of? Is it so broken that it will shake the format up?

In fact, equipments in general see very little play in Modern right now (except from Cranial Plating). They are too slow for Modern format. But, which decks could benefit from Stoneforge? For sure, W/X controls, Abzan and Hatebears. However, Stoneforge is easier to kill now than ever thanks to lately printed Fatal Push, Collective Brutality, and of course Kolaghan’s Command. Commonly played is also Lightning Bolt and Path to Exile. Each deck has an answer to kill this Squire with upside. As long as, Jitte and Skullclamp remains banned Stoneforge is a safe unban.

We will see in February.

New MTG logo

Since 1993, Magic the Gathering has had almost the same logo. There were some updates, but they were slight. However, this time changes are noticeable. The new logo is a fraternal twin of the Magic: The Gathering Arena logo. But see how it compares to the previous logos. Pay attention only to text Magic the Gathering, not picture as a whole.

March 2018 -

2015-2018

 1999-2015

 1993-1999

Rules changes

- Cards will be checking in what state they are coming on the battlefield, while old rules ignored cards played before. Example: Blood Moon and Shocklands (Sacred Ground). It will always come as untapped Mountain. In the past you could take a 2 dmg hit to have tapped Mountain in play.

- Now, if a spell or ability you play gives an opponent a choice, you must get confirmation from them that they aren’t doing the optional thing. Example: Path of Exile.

- The build times in sealed deck events on the launch weekend of a set (including GPs) have been extended by fifteen minutes.

- You are obliged to place creatures above lands in all feature matches during GP.

- Cards with no borders, for instance Unstable basic lands, are legal in tournaments.

MTG Arena: some news

There was a Q&A on Twitch regarding MTG Arena last week. You may watch the Twitch video here. Here are some highlights:

• MTG Arena will not allow trading. The game will be a collectible card game, not a trading game. 
• MTG Arena will be totally free to play, buy you can pay to accelerate some unlocks.
• MTG Arena enables you to draft the latest set and play the Standard format. Developers haven't decided yet what happens with cards when a set rotates out of Standard. 
• MTG Arena will not feature multiplayer, only player vs player.
• Animations cannot be turned off. However the developer stressed that they will not let the animations interfere with game play much. 

We may deduce, that Standard format players will move from MtGO to Arena. MtGO will be kept alive just for older constructed formats. But, in my opinion Standard is just for the start, the rest will come along gradually.

Ixalan: archetypes

The most representative cards for these archetypes are:

U/B Pirates
Deadeye Plunderers, Blight Keeper, Deadeye Plunderers, Storm Fleet Aerialist, Prosperous Pirates, Ruthless Knave, Dire Fleet Hoarder, Contract Killing, Air Elemental, Dark Nourishment, Wind Strider, Depths of Desire, Costly Plunder

B/R Pirates
Dire Fleet Captain, Fathom Fleet Firebrand, Headstrong Brute, Rigging Runner, Skulduggery, Dire Fleet Hoarder,

U/R Pirates
Marauding Looter, Pirate’s Cutlass Shop Now , Storm Fleet Aerialist, Siren Stormtamer, Lightning-Rig Crew, Storm Fleet Pyromancer, Storm Fleet Spy.

R/G Dinosaurs
Ranging Raptors, Colossal Dreadmaw, Charging Monstrosaur, Raging Swordtooth, Otepec Huntmaster, Drover of the Mighty, Blossom Dryad, New Horizons, Snapping Sailback, Thundering Spineback.

W/G Dinosaurs
Looming Altisaur, Kinjalli's Caller, Ancient Brontodon, Belligerent Brontodon, Atzocan Archer

W/R Dinosaurs
Territorial Hammerskull, Bonded Horncrest, Sky Terror, Tilonalli’s Knight, Raptor Companion, Nest Robber, Imperial Aerosaur, Charging Monstrosaur

W/B Vampires
Anointed Deacon, Bishop of the Bloodstained, Call to the Feast, Glorifier of Dusk, Legion Conquistador

U/G Merfolk
River Heralds' Boon, Vineshaper Mystic, Shaper Apprentice, Shapers of Nature, Deeproot Warrior, Tempest Caller

U/W Skies
Air Elemental, Pious Interdiction, Territorial Hammerskull, Run Aground, Favorable Winds, Shining Aerosaur, Skyblade of the Legion, Siren Lookout, Wind Strider, Imperial Aerosaur.

B/G Explore
Wildgrowth Walker Shop Now , Tishana’s Wayfinder, Seekers' Squire, Lurking Chupacabra

How to draft Ixalan?

Bombs:
black: -
blue: -
white: -
red: Burning Sun's Avatar, Vance's Blasting Cannons
green: Ripjaw Raptor, Waker of the Wilds
multi: Hostage Taker, Regisaur Alpha, Vona, Butcher of Magan, Vraska, Relic Seeker

Very good cards:
black: Sanctum Seeker, Vraska’s Contempt, Walk the Plank
blue: Dreamcaller Siren, Entrancing Melody,
white: -
red: Captivating Crew, Repeating Barrage
green: Carnage Tyrant, Savage Stomp
multi: Gishath, Sun's Avatar, Huatli, Warrior Poet

Best commons:
black: Dire Fleet Interloper, Skulduggery, Skymarch Bloodletter, Vanquish the Weak, Contract Killing.
blue: Prosperous Pirates, Opt, Run Aground, Watertrap Weaver, Siren Lookout
white: Raptor Companion, Paladin of the Bloodstained, Legion’s Judgment, Territorial Hammerskull, Pious Interdiction.
red: Storm Fleet Pyromancer, Thrash of Raptors, Headstrong Brute, Unfriendly Fire, Firecannon Blast
green: Deeproot Warrior, River Heralds’ Boon, Grazing Whiptail, Tishana’s Wayfinder, Pounce

Magic the Gathering: Arena

Last week, Wizards of the Coast officially unveiled its latest game: Magic the Gathering: Arena. The Arena will not replace or compete with Magic Online - the target audience is beginner players, people playing budget or casual. The game will be released in the form of free to play with optional micro payments. It will focus on Standard legal cards only.

MTG Arena is still in the Pre-Alpha version, but even at this early stage, the developers have big plans and ambitions for its development. On the stream, we had the opportunity to see the prototype of this new digital vision of MTG, in which streamers Amaz and Gaby Spartz played a few matches in front of the spectators with a decks containing some previously unspoilered cards from the upcoming expansion - Ixalan. Game modes that are currently predicted are constructed, ranked and draft. The gameplay will be melding of Magic Online and Magic Duels. The game is designed in Unity, so sooner or later it will appear on tablets and other mobile devices. However, the beta will only be available on PC.


You may sign up for the Closed Beta at PlayMTGArena.com

Iconic Masters

The Iconic Masters set was spoilered today. Notable Reprints wrap up:

Mana Drain, Channel, Primeval Titan, Thoughtseize, Ancestral Vision, Auriok Champion, Glimpse the Unthinkable, Oblivion Stone, Mishra's Bauble, Grove of the Burnwillows, Horizon Canopy, Aether Vial, Restoration Angel, Flusterstorm, Bloodghast

That’s the second time Mana Drain has been printed in a paper set. The first was in Legends twenty-three years ago. Some of you may be surprised, but it wasn't on the Reserved List, because somehow it was uncommon in Legends.

The release date for Iconic Masters is November 17th, 2017

Ixalan: mechanics

Ixalan set is on the way, hence it is high time to introduce new mechanics:

• Explore — Reveal the top card of your library. Put that card into your hand if it's a land. Otherwise, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature, then put the card back on top or into your graveyard. Most creatures explore while entering the battlefield.
• Enrage — Whenever a creature with this ability word is dealt damage, it triggers and has some consequences. This is the signature mechanic of the Dinosaurs.

Returning mechanics: 

• Raid. If you attacked with a creature this turn, it triggers.
• Crew. Vehicles in the form of pirate ships.
• Double-faced cards. Instead of creatures transforming into another version of itself, the double-faced cards of this set highlight the tales and tools of discovery.

The "planeswalker uniqueness rule" is going away, so you may control Liliana of the Veil and Liliana, the Last Hope in the same time.

Practice

Everyone wants to win a Grand Prix or become World Champion, but only a very small minority will achieve it. What discern them from majority? Among other things - practice.
“Practice makes perfect”. The more you play, the better you get. It is as corny as it is true. When you will put innumerable hours into Constructed format, you will notice that games often play out in a similar manner. You start to recognize situations and patterns. As a result, they and a game as a whole become much easier to deal with. If you faced with such situations enough times, you know what is and isn’t a good play or how the game may develop. However, while practicing it is crucial that you are analytic and reflective and you are all the time analysing what you can be doing better. Be quality oriented, not quantity. Sometimes less means more. Try to find out why a deck is losing or why this play led to an unfavorable outcome. Sometimes you are going to make a good play and lose and you are going to play the right deck and lose, but to know that you made a good play you need to practice a lot first.

Magic RPG

Perfect World Entertainment and Cryptic Studios announced the development of a brand new RPG based on Magic: The Gathering. MtG has been adapted for PC and consoles several times. So far, however, the main concept of the game - playing card games, was brought into the digital world. The newest game, a big-budget AAA RPG, based on the Magic universe is supposed to be totally different.

“It’s Magic: The Gathering like you’ve never experienced before,” said Bryan Huang, CEO of Perfect World Entertainment. “We are ecstatic about the direction of the game Cryptic has been shaping. It’s always been a dream of ours to bring Magic’s Planeswalkers to a modern RPG.”

Publishers Perfect World, developers Cryptic and Wizards of the Coast have teamed up before for Neverwinter, a game that now boasts over 15 million players.

 And while it's unclear what character the game will be, whether it's going to be massively multiplayer, Neverwinter-style or just going to be more like in old-fashioned RPG style. One thing is certain - fans of the most popular card game have got something to look foward to.

Unstable

After 13 years of waiting, we are finally returning to the world of Silver-bordered cards. Unstable, which is a new Unset, will be released on December 8. It is worth mentioning, that Unhinged had been considered as a commercial failure. However, Mark Rosewater argues this wasn't because of poor sales, but because of overprinting. We must hope, that Wizards will not do the same mistake and Unstable will boost their sales, because next chance may not be given.

What do we know about Unstable so far?
- the expansion symbol is a a wrench with an acorn shaped hole. Not accidentally, because a non-legendary Squirrel lord and enough support to build a deck around the acorn-loving tribe will be in.
- full-art black-bordered lands, like its predecessors they will be amazing. Who knows maybe they will be the most popular basic land arts seen in tournament play.
- Steamflogger Boss will be printed on the land sheet to retain its black border. Contraptions, an artifact subtype, are part of the set. All creatures that make them are Riggers.
- foil tokens, even for popular tribes which do not appear in this set
- five ally-colored factions:
UW: Order of the Widget; cyborgs that use technology to constantly improve themselves with nonsensical inventions. They have no self control.
UB: Agents of S.N.E.A.K.; really bad spies with cool toys.
BR: League of Dastardly Doom; super villains scheming to take over the world. Rosewater describes the members of this faction as your typical death ray building, weather control device wielding, Saturday morning cartoon villains.
RG: Goblin Explosioneers; steamfloggers and tinkerers that experiment with lots of crazy ideas, many of which explode. They breed fast enough to not wipe out their race.
WG: Crossbreed Labs; fraction that believe true harmony can be found by altering biology and embodying the concept of unity.

MOPR changes

Every month, Magic Online players who have opted in to Magic Online Player Rewards (MOPR) can receive promo cards based on their participation in events and their purchases in the Magic Online store. Starting with August 30, a promo cards given to participants will be replaced by Player Reward Packs, which can be traded or opened. They contain a single promo card.

If you've participated in at least one League, scheduled event you play in, or 8+ player queue, you'll receive a Player Rewards Pack. If you've played in five qualifying events, you'll get two more Player Rewards Packs, so you can earn up to three through event participation. Additonally, if you've spent $20 or more (excluding coupons, shipping fees, or taxes) in the Magic Online Store, you'll receive a Player Rewards Pack. If you've spend $40 (with the same exclusions), you'll get two more Player Rewards Packs, so you can earn up to three through store purchases. This means you can earn up to six Player Rewards packs each month. What can be found? For instance, Cuombajj Witches, Path to Exile, Stoneforge Mystic and many, many more.

Wizards restricting metagame data

By now, ten of the top-performing decklists from Leagues were chosen at random and revealed to the public. However, Wizards decided to reduce the total number of decklists being presented per day from ten to five, and each of these decklists will be randomly selected with the caveat that each list will be at least ten cards different from every other list. In fact you will see five different archetypes, it does not even matter if a deck is the most popular in a league — it will show up a maximum of one time.

Wizards cited a couple of reasons for this change. First and foremost, Wizards believes that publishing too many deck lists from Magic Online causes the format to become stale and solved too quickly. Wizards stated: "Under this system, new and unique decks are far more likely to appear, and it is W goal to foster that creativity and innovation rather than stifle it." and added: "Since we have been presenting a random selection of top-performing decks, even if a deck doesn't have a particularly high win rate, it can appear to be extremely dominant if it's widely played. With only this information, it's not possible to disentangle win percentage and metagame percentage. This can lead, and at times has led, to feedback cycles where a deck appears more dominant than it would otherwise, which leads to an even greater percentage of play."

Changes

Some changes:

• No more Game Days. We get a Store Championship at the end of the set's season, instead. Each participant will receive a promo card from next set. Additionally, store champion playmats and program-exclusive deck boxes await those who emerge victorious.
• FNM promos are replaced with foil double-sided tokens from the current set.
• Starting with Ixalan, the Standard Showdown booster prizes now come with a foil promo land in each booster. Those lands will feature new or highly desirable art from Magic's history.
• A new event - Magic Open House, you will get a foil full-art promo card from the upcoming set there. For instance, you will get an Ixalan card a week prior to the Prerelease, on September 16–17.
• Promo cards given to participants of Leagues. First one along with Ixalan.

Hour of Devastation: draft archetypes

U/R Spells
Bloodwater Entity, Enigma Drake, Cryptic Serpent, Warfire Javelineer, Firebrand Archer, Blur of Blades, Unsummon, Spellweaver Eternal, Aerial Guide, Riddleform, Thormed Moloch, Magmaroth, Strategic Planning, Supreme Will, Tragic Lesson, Crash Through, Kindled Fury, Galestrike, Magma Spray, Winds of Rebuke, Censor, Essence Scatter, Hieroglyphic Illumination,

B/G -1/-1 counters
Obelisk Spider, Decimator Beetle, Lethal Sting, Torment of Venom, Ifnir Deadlands, Baleful Ammit, Soulstinger, Cartouche of Ambition, Festering Mummy, Ruthless Sniper, Splendid Agony, Crocodile of the Crossing, Defiant Greatmaw, Exemplar of Strength, Ornery Kudu, Stinging Shot, Grasping Dunes, Banewhip Punisher, Tenacious Hunter, Nest of Scarabs, Hapatra's Mark, Quarry Hauler, Shed Weakness

R/W Aggro Exert
Honored Crop-Captain, Resolute Survivors, Gust Walker, Rhet-Crop Spearmaster, Tah-Crop Elite, Ahn-Crop Crasher, Battlefield Scavenger, Emberhorn Minotaur, Nef-Crop Entangler, Trueheart Twins, Dauntless Aven, Mummy Paramount, Burning-Fist Minotaur, Defiant Khenra, Firebrand Archer, Bloodrage Brawler, Act of Heroism, Djeru's Renunciation, Blur of Blades, Kindled Fury, Might Leap, Trial of Solidarity.

U/G Ramp
River Hoopoe, Weaver of Currents, ramp spells, Bitterbow Sharpshooters, Devotee of Strength, Quarry Beetle, Rampaging Hippo, Sifter Wurm, Ominous Sphinx, Striped Riverwidner,
in a ramp deck you easilly may splash third color if you opened a bomb

W/B Zombies
Unravelling Mummy, Wayward Servant, Accursed Horde, Marauding Boneslasher, Mummy Paramount, Unconventional Tactics, Binding Mummy, In Okertra's Name, Time to Reflect, Lord of Accursed, Embalmer's Tools, Merciless Eternal, Lurking Rotbeast, Khenra Eternal, Carrion Screecher, Sunscourge Champion, Disposal Mummy, Dutiful Servants, Wretched Camel, Blighted Bat, Cursed Minotaur, Doomed Dissenter, Festering Mummy, Gravedigger, Stir the Sands, Fan Bearer,

UW Embalm/Eternalize
Aven Wind Guide, Farm/Market, Steadfast Sentinel, Sunscourge Champion, Proven Combatant, Sinuous Striker, Oketra's Attendant, Sacred Cat, Trueheart Duelist, Unwavering Initiate, Aven Initiate, Tah-Crop Skrimisher, Labyrinth Guardian,


U/B Cycling/Prowess
Shadowstorm Vizier, Vile Manifestation, Consign/Manifestation, Cunning Survivor, Ominous Sphinx, Grisly Survivor, Faith of the Devouted, Horror of the Broken Lands, Pitiless Vizier, Ruthless Sniper, Hekma Sentinels, Sacred Excavation, Zenith Seeker, Countervalling Winds, Imaginery Threats, Sinuous Striker, Striped Riverwinder, Tragic Lesson, Lurching Rotbeast, Merciless Eternal, Razeketh's Rite, Scarab Feast, Stir the Sands, Unburden, Wander in Death, Censor, Wasteland Scorpion, Compelling Argument, Floodwaters, Lay Claim, Shimmerscale Drake, Vizier of Trumbling Sands, River Serpent

B/R Discard
Merciless Javelineer, Claim/Fame, Grisly Sruvivor, Faith of the Devouted, Horror of the Broken Lands, Pitiless Vizier, Grim Strider, Ruthless Sniper, Flameblade Adept, Thresher Lizard, Miasmic Mummy, Scarab Feast, Stir the Sands, Unburden, Wander in Death, Battlefield Scavenger, Bloodrage Brawler, Deem Worthy, Wasteland Scorpion, Desert Cerodon, Limits of Solidarity, Pursue Glory, Hazoret's Monument

W/G Aggro
Ahn-Crop Champion, Appeal/Authority, Oketra's Avenger, Steward of Solidarity, Vizier of the True, Rhona's Stalwart, Oasis Ritualist, Hope Tender, Bitterblade Warrior, Hooded Brawler, Watchful Naga, Devoted Crop-Mate, Gust Walker, Rhet-Crop Spearmaster, Tah-Crop Elitte, Act of Heroism, Dauntless Aven, Djeru's Resolve, Sparring Mummy, Trial of Solidarity, Initiate's Champion, Spidery Grasp, Synchronized Strike,

R/G Aggro
Khenra Charioteer, Strugle/Survive, Burning-Fire Minotaur, Defiant Khenra, Firebrand Archer, Khenra's Scrapper, Ferwent Paincaster, Frilled Sandwalla, Harrier Naga, Hope Tender, Rhona's Stalwart, Granitic Titan, Manticore Eternal, Bitterbow Sharpshooter, Quarry Beetle, Rampaging Hippo, Sifter Wurm, Dune Diviner, Sidewinder Naga, Gilded Cerodon, Sand Strangler.

How to draft Hour of Devestation?

I'm going to present you the list of cards, starting from the best pick during the draft and ending on the least desirable card. For instance, if you don't have any card from "2nd pick" card pool you look for cards in "3rd pick". Cards not mentioned below shouldn't rather appear in your deck.

1st pick:
black: -
red: -
white: Angel of Condemnation
blue: Kefnet's Last Word
green: Pride Sovereign

multi: The Locust God,The Scarab God, The Scorpion God

artifact: -

2nd pick:
black: -
red: Chaos Maw
white: -

blue: Ominous Sphinx, Unesh, Criosphinx Sovereign

green: Majestic Myriarch, Overcome, Ramunap Hydra,Rhonas’s Last Stand

multi: Obelisk Spider, Grind // Dust

artifact: -

3rd pick:

black: Accursed Horde, Ammit Eternal, Banewhip Punisher, Bontu’s Last Reckoning, Doomfall, Dreamstealer, Hour of Glory, Lethal Sting, Liliana’s Defeat, Marauding Boneslasher, Merciless Eternal, Torment of Venom

red: Abrade, Burning-Fist Minotaur, Chandra's Defeat, Earthshaker Khenra, Fervent Paincaster, Frontline Devastator, Hour of Devastation, Khenra Scrapper, Manticore Eternal, Neheb, the Eternal, Open Fire, Puncturing Blow, Sand Strangler, Wildfire Eternal

white: Angel of the God-Pharaoh, Aven of Enduring Hope, Crested Sunmare, Dauntless Aven, Desert’s Hold, Gideon’s Defeat, Oketra’s Avenger, Steward of Solidarity, Sunscourge Champion, Vizier of the True

blue: Aerial Guide, Champion of Wits, Imaginary Threats, Nimble Obstructionist, Sinuous Striker, Supreme Will, Unsummon, Vizier of the Anointed

green: Ambuscade, Bitterbow Sharpshooters, Devotee of Strength, Harrier Naga, Hope Tender, Resilient Khenra, Rhonas’s Stalwart, Sifter Wurm, Tenacious Hunter

multi: Nicol Bolas, God-Pharoah, Resolute Survivors, River Hoopoe, Samut, the Tested, Unraveling Mummy, Farm // Table, Consign // Oblivion, Struggle // Survive, God-Pharaoh’s Gift

artifact: -

Hour of Devastation: mechanics

Hour of Devastation set is on the way, hence it is high time to introduce mechanics:

• Eternalize — a keyword ability which is very similar to Embalm. Eternalize can only be activated if the creature is in the graveyard. When activated, the card is exiled and creates a token copy of itself, except that it is a zombie in addition to its other creature types and monocolored black. Its power/toughness becomes 4/4. You can eternalize any time you could cast a sorcery. Many creatures with eternalize have abilities that get better because of their increased power. Each creature with eternalize has a corresponding token, that can be found in booster pack.
• Afflict — whenever a creature with this ability becomes blocked, defending player loses life equal to the Afflict value. It doesn't matter how many creatures block a creature with afflict; afflict triggers only once per combat at most.

Masterpieces

A full list of new Masterpieces: Armageddon, Boil, Capsize, Forbid, Omniscience, Sunder, Opposition, Threads of Disloyalty, Avatar of Woe, Damnation, Desolation Angel, Diabolic Edict, Doomsday, Blood Moon, No Mercy, Slaughter Pact, Thoughtseize, Shatterstorm, Through the Breach, Choke.


Wizards announced that Masterpieces series are suspended. They will still appear again, but not in each set. We will get them when they have some reason - like in Battle for Zendikar, not like in Amonkhet, where Wizards admitted that they have pushed it in.

Good value in the Fifteenth Anniversary Leagues starting today

I am very excited for the Magic Online 15 year annniversary.

First there was the Battle of the Planes. I was not very excited about that but I know some people were, like my buddy Binkabi.



What I am excited for is the added Treasure Chests for anyone who does a 5-0, 4-1 or a 3-2 in the friendly leagues on Magic Online during June 21-28. That is what I am excited for. I am reluctant to play Leagues as I make a living doing internet content and the value in the leagues is not very good ... but now it is !

I will be taking RG Ponza into a Modern Friendly League and if I do well I might even try some Pauper. I think you should join me.


Full details here: http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-digital/magic-onlines-fifteenth-anniversary-2017-06-07

New products

Jul 14th - Hour of Devasatation

Aug 25th - Commander 2017

Sep 29th - Ixalan. All we know so far is that Pirate Vraska battles Dinosaurs.

Nov 10th - Duel decks: Merfolk vs Goblins

Nov 17th - Iconic Masters

Nov 24th - FTV: Transform and Explorers of Ixalan. Explorers of Ixalan will be a new board game and has the following: 4x 60-card decks, 20 double-sided tokens, 50 game tiles, 40 counter pieces, 4 deck boxes.

Dec 8th - Unstable: silver-bordered card set

Jan 19th - Rivals of Ixalan

Mar 16th - 25th Magic's anniversary: 25th anniversary–edition Masters set

Apr 28th - We return to Dominaria with next large set

Jul 20th, 2018 - core sets are back into Magic

Mulligan decisions

There are a few common traps that are easy to fall into when it comes to mulligan decisions.

You drew four spells and three lands so you think 'easy keep'. Wrong. Don’t keep a hand just because it wasn't mana flooded or screwed. Look at what the hand does and then only keep it if it is good enough.

Speaking of too many land in opening hand, you cannot assume that if you drew five lands you will draw only spells now. This is a fallacy. It is about math. True that the probability of drawing a spell is slightly higher if you keep a land heavy hand, but it is not that much higher. I’m not saying it’s never correct to keep a five-lander. I’m saying you shouldn’t base your decisions on the mistaken belief that you will draw only spells now.

The odds of winning on a double mulligan are low. That's fact, but convincing yourself that your current hand is better than it is in order to justify keeping is a bad decision. With no hesitation take second mulligan if it is necesery. In some formats, such as Legacy, the right start can easily outclass your opponent. You are still able to reanimate Griselbrand on turn 2 or do any other sick things. Give yourself a chance to get totally new five cards, instead of keeping six cards with no possibility to engange.

Let's try a deck - Modern Affinity

In my quest to try out different Modern decks I now take on Affinity, the great beast of the format.

This deck is so powerful that it feels broken ... until it doesn't. Sometimes it just defeats itself or can be stopped dead in its track by a card such as Stony Silence.

Main deck
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
4 Cranial Plating
4 Ornithopter
2 Etched Champion
4 Galvanic Blast
4 Inkmoth Nexus
4 Mox Opal
2 Memnite
1 Mountain
4 Signal Pest
4 Spire of Industry
4 Darksteel Citadel
4 Steel Overseer
4 Vault Skirge
4 Springleaf Drum
3 Master of Etherium

Sideboard
2 Etched Champion
2 Ancient Grudge
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Rule of Law
3 Whipflare
2 Thoughtseize



Initial video
 


Match against GB Midrange


Match against RG Ponza


More Let's try a deck articles:

Let's try a deck - RG Ponza: http://mtgolibrary.blogspot.se/2017/06/lets-try-deck-modern-rg-ponza.html

Let's try a deck - Living End. http://mtgolibrary.blogspot.se/2017/05/lets-try-deck-modern-living-end.html

Let's try a deck - Modern RG Ponza

In my quest to try different Modern decks I am now testing RG Ponza - Red Green ramp with land destruction. I have a soft spot in my heart for this kind of deck as I once won entry on the Pro Tour playing a similar deck. Blood Moon might be my favorite magic card.

Here is the current deck list I am using:

4 Arbor Elf
1 Beast Within
2 Birds of Paradise
4 Bonfire of the Damned
4 Inferno Titan
1 Chandra, Pyromaster
4 Stone Rain
1 Kessig Wolf Run
3 Stomping Ground
4 Mwonvuli Acid-Moss
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
2 Primal Command
1 Mountain
8 Forest
2 Stormbreath Dragon
2 Thragtusk
4 Utopia Sprawl
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Blood Moon

4 Ancient Grudge
2 Anger of the Gods
2 Kitchen Finks
2 Sudden Shock
3 Relic of Progenitus
2 Lightning Bolt


The initial video


Match against Mono White Humans


Match against Bant Eldrazi




More Let's try a deck articles:

Let's try a deck Modern Living End: http://mtgolibrary.blogspot.se/2017/05/lets-try-deck-modern-living-end.html

Draft: missing rarities

Do you check for the missing rarities while drafting? Propably not. You will find out soon, why you should pay attention even to pick four or five in booster packs. One of the best commons in Amonkhet is Final Reward. If a rare and 2 uncommons are missing from a pack the signals you are getting are cloudy, because there are many uncommons and rares more powerful than Final Reward. But let's say you get Final Reward and eleven other cards. However, a rare and 2 commons are missing. The slight chance that there were a foil card always remains, but irrespective you are getting a strong signal. Final Reward is one of the most desirable common to any player in the draft, meaning it should be picked early. So, the fact that 2 commons have been taken over Final Reward means that players on the right are taking worse quality cards to force a color. If a person is willing to fight so hard over a color, the same person will be very unlikely to switch colors later in the draft. Find the open color and go that path. Paying attention to the finer details rewards.

Let's try a deck - Modern Living End

I have started a new series called "Lets try a deck". The four first entries are all Modern decks. Today I am going to talk about Modern Living End that got a few new toys in Amonkhet.

Living End is still a rather cheap deck in Modern and plays very differently from anything else. I am still a noob in playing the deck but if I like it I might go deeper into the strategy.



Here is the deck list used in the videos

Main deck
4 Archfiend of Ifnir
1 Simian Spirit Guide
3 Verdant Catacombs
1 Blood Crypt
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Demonic Dread
4 Desert Cerodon
2 Faerie Macabre
1 Swamp
1 Stomping Ground
2 Overgrown Tomb
4 Horror of the Broken Lands
3 Living End
4 Monstrous Carabid
4 Grove of the Burnwillows
3 Fulminator Mage
4 Street Wraith
1 Forest
1 Mountain
4 Violent Outburst
4 Architects of Will
1 Beast Within

Sideboard
3 Blood Moon
1 Dismember
2 Faerie Macabre
4 Ingot Chewer
2 Brindle Boar
1 Fulminator Mage
2 Shriekmaw

In my first match I took on Red Deck Wins.




More discussion on Living End after Amonkhet here: http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/developing-competitive-modern/220258-living-end?page=251

Not conceding

Holding out for hope, even when your deck doesn’t contain any ways out, is understandable, but not conceding is a strategic misplay. A round of Magic has 50 minutes and you are suppoused to determine winner within this amount of time. At the end of the time limit, if you are still playing, then you get a few extra turns. At the end of those turns, the player who won more games in the match will emerge victorious and if it is tied 1:1, the game is a draw. We may almost treat draw as a loss in a tournament play.

When is it right to give up? First, think of your odds for winning the game. Even if they are really low it doesn't mean that you should concede straight away. It is always possible to topdeck 3 times in a row, but when you are far behind and even topdecks won't change the state of board it is time to think of moving on to the next game. Except for saving time it prevents from giving your opponent more information about your deck.
Secondly, follow the clock. You exactly know how much time your deck recquires to win a single game. Bear in mind, that your opponent will probably not act as fast as you wish while he won the first game and there is no much time left. Give yourself at least 10 minutes for a game.

Don't fall into trap of thinking that conceding is weak and not a good sportsmanship. It's about winning the match, not winning a specific game