It’s always tragic to watch the great ones lose it, but Father Time is undefeated. Some athletes realize this earlier than others and go out on top; others wait too long and become a shell of their former selves. They almost look like a different person because images of their peak are burned in our collective memory.
Should we tell him?
Every now and then, an aging athlete past their prime will show a glimpse of their former glory and nod with the crowd, acknowledging that what once was routine is now special. We cheer and clap louder for those moments, not knowing if they may be their last.
Should we tell him?
Magic isn’t like professional sports. No one’s body breaks down after 30 and stops them from competing, but we’d be lying if we didn’t admit that it’s a young man’s game. Practicing for twelve hours a day before tournaments, playing at the highest level for two days straight, low on sleep and high on caffeine, is a lot easier at twenty than it is at 30 or 35 or 40.
Should we tell him? It’s the humane thing to do, right?
Okay. I will.
Shaheen. Buddy. You put a bunch of red cards in your Esper deck. This is Mardu.
I mean, sure. This deck that went 5-0 in a competitive Magic Online League has all the trademarks of a Shaheen Soorani control deck: efficient removal, a bunch of planeswalkers as primary sources of card advantage, and high-impact finishers. It’s almost all expensive sorceries, but there’s no way Shaheen Soorani purposely built a Mardu deck. Something has gone horribly wrong here. The man needs help. His sideboard only has fourteen cards, for Pete’s sake!
Okay, Liliana, the Last Hope lets you upgrade your red removal spells against bigger creatures and Chandra, Torch of Defiance can use her mana-making ability to cast either Galvanic Bombardment or Harnessed Lightning as protection. That’s pretty cool, but he must’ve thought they were blue cards, right?
I hope he’s not too mad when he finds out. The deck is still cool. But someone had to tell him.
Creatures (7)
Planeswalkers (10)
- 1 Ob Nixilis Reignited
- 3 Nahiri, the Harbinger
- 1 Sorin, Grim Nemesis
- 3 Liliana, the Last Hope
- 2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
Lands (26)
Spells (17)
