Hello!
I know, I know… it’s been a while. As Ted alluded, the curse of Real Life infringed upon my Sealed Revealed series. For a start, I moved house: this meant that packing things into boxes (and then taking them out of boxes) became more important than writing.
But I’m back, and with a vengeance!
I’ll spare you the sordid details and rambling introductions: after all, I’ve plenty more articles in the pipeline to use them tactics.
Instead, a brief recap for the uninitiated:
- Six articles (this is the third)
- One starter (Champions)
- Two boosters (Betrayers)
- One idiot (me)
- The forums (you)
- Builds, and builds, and discussion, and fun.
Roll up, roll up! Come marvel at the sights,
Wade through the banality and please ignore the fights!
Now, for your entertainment pleasure, I’ll dive right into the latest cardpool. Let’s see what y’all think…
…
White
Cage of Hands
Call to Glory
Ethereal Haze
Indomitable Will
Kabuto Moth
Kami of Old Stone
Nagao, Bound By Honor
Quiet Purity
Genju of the Fields
Kami of False Hope
Oyobi, Who Split the Heavens
2 Takeno’s Cavalry
Waxmane Baku
Blue
Consuming Vortex
Jushi Apprentice
Lifted by Clouds
River Kaijin
Reach Through Mists
Soratami Cloudskater
Thoughtbind
Wandering Ones
Mistblade Shinobi
Phantom Wings
Quillmane Baku
Veil of Secrecy
Black
Bloodthirsty Ogre
Cruel Deceiver
Dance of Shadows
Devouring Greed
Midnight Covenant
Nezumi Cutthroat
Nezumi Ronin
Numai Outcast
Ragged Veins
Scuttling Death
Blessing of Leeches
Nezumi Shadow-Watcher
Psychic Spear
Skullsnatcher
Stir the Grave
Takenuma Bleeder
Three Tragedies
Red
Crushing Pain
Devouring Rage
Ember-Fist Zubera
Hearth Kami
Kami of Fire’s Roar
Pain Kami
Uncontrollable Anger
Yamabushi’s Flame
Blademane Baku
First Volley
Goblin Cohort
Kumano’s Blessing
Torrent of Stone
Green
Humble Budoka
Lure
Orbweaver Kumo
Order of the Sacred Bell
Orochi Ranger
Soilshaper
Thousand-legged Kami
Venerable Kumo
Wear Away
Body of Jukai
Gnarled Mass
Lifespinner
Matsu-Tribe Sniper
Nourishing Shoal
Roar of Jukai
Splinter
Vital Surge
Artifact
Hair-Strung Koto
Land
Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
…
There we have it. Another seventy-five select to while away your morning and divert your mind from work.
What would you do with these cards? Would you build a strong deck, full of synergy and delight, able to crush all comers in your relentless ascendance to PT greatness? Or would you fashion them into a Magic-themed tunic, don it with a grin and run through the streets with your bits flapping in the breeze while screaming “I have a big, powerful stack, imbued with a Blessing of Leeches!”
The decision is yours. Personally, I’d go for the first idea.
Go build!
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…
…
…
Are we done? Good. I hope the earth moved for you.
My take on the cards? Well, if you insist…
White
We’ll start, as always, with the delicious White offering. And there are some tasty nuggets on this plate, I can tell you.
To begin, the a la carte creatures:
- Out of the traps like a greased whippet, I’ll begin with the most expensive creature. At a whopping seven mana, Oyobi, Who Split the Heavens, is a fine creature. He’s a 3/6, which puts him out of the range of almost all red removal. And he flies, which must’ve come in handy when he was splitting the Heavens. I can’t imagine him getting very far with this splitting-the-Heavens plan if he couldn’t get off the ground. But best of all… he creates his own friends. Spirit and Arcane triggered 3/3 flyers. Yes, he’s good. Yes, you play him. Just beware the Rend Spirit, is all.
- Sliding down the mana mountain somewhat, we have the other bona-fide bomb in this White pool: Nagao, Bound by Honor. Mr Magoo is a formidable foe, even if there are few samurai options (as in this pool). He’s an auto-include. I do wish he’d smile, though. His stern visage makes him look more egg-bound than honor-bound.
- At three mana, there are two creatures I like to see. One is my live-in lover, Kitsune Blademaster. Sadly, he’s not here today. We do have, however, his wing-tastic counterpart Kabuto Moth. This little guy is wondrous fun, and useful to boot. Perhaps the best common White creature.
- Betrayers brings a new three-drop dynamo to the ball park. Waxmane Baku, the candle-clad tap-tastic tearaway, is a playable spod even without his neat-o ability. With it, he can turn a mid-game stall into an Alpha-Strike faster than a jet-propelled cheetah. Even so, I bet he’s royally pissed-off when it rains.
- Four mana, one fat-assed Spirit. Kami of Old Stone does a job, and may well play a part in this deck should I go with White. After all, he triggers both Oyobi and the Candle Canine, and he happily stalls the ground until such bombs arrive. Yes, the walking turd has his uses.
- At the shallow-end of the mana-pool, we have the Kami of False Hope. White gets a Spore Frog. Yay White. I may play him, but the surprise factor of Fog is lost when people can see it. He works with Ninjas and the like, and he triggers spiritcraft, so he ain’t useless… just a little limited.
- Takeno’s Cavalry, at four mana, is rubbish. Methinks Takeno should invest in some new troops.
The White guys look pretty cool, if you ask me. But then I suppose I’m genetically programmed to say that, right?
Supporting these brave troops…
- Cage of HAAAAAANDS! Oh, we love to see the forum-christened “Shackifism.” It stops the beats and blocks as early as turn 3, and can be sprung and re-deployed on more pertinent threats as the game progresses. We love it. Yes we do. We love it.
- Another fine aide to combat is Indomitable Will. For a simple two mana, we can clad our guys in a pair of insta-pants! There’s nothing more useful than an armor-plated arse, especially if you’re a big fan of curry.
- Betrayers brings us the most talked-about of the Genju, the Genju of the Fields. While all the Genju are playable, there have been some heated discussions over the ability to activate this particular life-gain trick more than once per turn. The swings available with this monster could be legendary.
- Two mana brings us the Samurai Salve, the tricky combat-meddling Call to Glory. While it can spring surprises on the ill-informed, I believe any deck playing this needs a strong Samurai backbone. This pool has no such thing.
- One mana, and we’re bringing up the rear with Ethereal Haze (for the worthless and weak) and Quiet Purity. The enchantment-killing ability is maybe maindeck-worthy nowadays, with both Genju and Honden doing the rounds… time will tell on whether this stays in the sideboard.
Okay then, put your hands up.
How many people think that White is playable as a main color?
That’s everybody, isn’t it? Good.
Not just me, then. That makes a change.
Let’s see if we can find some good stuff to pair with it…
Blue
It saddens me that Blue is naturally second on the color-wheel. After checking out the glory of White, we mush immediately plunge into the feculent depths of the Blue bottom-feeding scumwad cards.
Let’s see… Teller of Tales?
No?
How about Keiga, or Meloku?
Still nothing?
Do we have a Blue rare?
Jushi Apprentice? What does he do?
Draws you cards…. *sigh*
*hurls Blue cards into bin*
Starting, as is my wont, with the Blue support staff:
- Let’s face it… it all looks a bit poor, doesn’t it? I mean, if the best we have to offer is a Consuming Vortex then we’re really reaching. The Vortex is playable, for sure… but you’ll not sing Hosannahs when you draw it.
- Adding his strength to the original bad boy of bounce, we have the Phantom Wings. These do double duty, granting your guy precious evasion while serving as temporary removal in a pinch. They’re passable, but nothing stellar.
- This pool contains a Lifted by Clouds. To play it, you’ll need to be high on something.
- At three mana, we have Thoughtbind, the cheap-cc counterspell. I am not a fan of countermagic in Limited, as I much prefer to develop my board with threats rather than fall behind while holding situational answers. However, I do realize that, say, Hisoka’s Defiance has a place, as it can counter their unassailable threat (such as a dragon). But this? I’ll wager you’ll only be truly pleased if you net a Devouring Greed. Therefore, sideboard only, and probably not even then.
- Reach Through Mists? Only if I’m reaching through mists to deposit this card in a bin.
- Finally, we have the Veil of Secrecy. I’m not allowed to tell you what I think of this card, as it’s a secret. Would you play it? It has applications…
Surprise surprise! It’s time for guys!
- Why am I bothering? There’s nothing of any interest here, save a few new cards I can make a joke about. I know you all think I hate Blue without rhyme or reason… but even Blue Billy McBlue (the Blueberry Baker from Blueville) would have trouble cranking out a sweat over these fellas… Instead of in-depth analysis, here are some sound-bytes. Hell, it beats working, that’s for sure.
- Jushi Apprentice: Draws you a card, but he’s fragile and slow. His flip-ability can be an alternate win-condition. He’s the best of a very bad bunch.
- Actually, River Kaijin is the best of a bad bunch. And if you’re best card is basically a 1/4 wall, you’re screwed like the prom queen on spring break.
- Wandering Ones? The only wandering these should do is a brisk ‘wander’ to the local soup kitchen. Wandering what? Wandering Hands?
- The Soratami Cloudskater is a decent enough. He’s not quite a Merfolk Looter, but if he gets going he can fairly race through your deck like a dose of hot salts.
- Aha! We have our first Blue Ninja! The Mistblade Shinobi isn’t very good, to be honest. Although the ninjitsu cost is low, there is still a vital loss of tempo with this fella. And as he’s a tempo-based card, he’s not likely potent. He’s not impotent, mind… just not potent.
- Finally in Blue, we have the final Baku. This guy is a Quillmane Baku, meaning he’s probably made of pens or something. On examination, it seems he’s made of darts. How very peculiar. A 3/3 for 5 mana had better fly, or he’s not really worth playing. And this guy has a special ability that’s not too special. Back in the Baku paddock, chum.
Okay, so we see that Blue is absolute toss in this pool. Which, frankly, makes me a happy camper.
Actually, for all my bluff and bluster, I don’t generally shun Blue in Limited. After all, it’s not as if Blue sealed decks pack eighteen counterspells and a single win-condition. No, it’s Constructed Blue that sticks in my gullet like an under-chewed hot-dog.
But it doesn’t matter. Because for this pool at least, the Blue is outta here!
Black
So far, we have decent White. While White traditionally supplies combat muscle, we’ll need a darker companion to clear the path for our Spirit and Samurai armies.
Does Black deliver such a removal-topped pizza?
Frankly, no.
But there are some nice things to be said about the Black cards…
- Starting, as is my preference, with the Black support, we see little to inspire confidence. Perhaps the best of the bunch is Stir the Grave. This x-powered reanimation spell is solid enough, as it can return early drops at the outset and big ball-crushing bombs should the game drag on. But let’s face it, it’s hardly the Pope’s pecker. I want to see my Black cards killing things, if it’s all the same to you.
- We have a two-fist punch of discard in the Psychic Spear and Three Tragedies. Now, Three Tragedies seems a decent investment (if a little slow), especially since it’s Arcane in nature. And the artwork is wonderful. As for Psychic Spear… situational at best. Methinks it’ll see play in Block, maybe. But the artwork… that’s some seriously f**ked-up s**t. I thought only ’70s funk bassists had flashbacks like that.
- At three mana, we have the controversial Blessing of Leeches. Me, I like this card. Instant, cost-less regeneration with a largely manageable drawback. Of course, it’s better when coupled with big fat Green men rather than anaemic White soldier-boys… and against Blue and White the drawback can be a curse. And as for the lady on the picture… she’ll catch her death of cold if she doesn’t put some wellies on.
- Dance of Shadows is a card that is wasted in this block. Fear and a universal pump? Count me in! I truly believe it’s an out-and-out game-winner. However, I can’t maindeck it, simply because everyone plays Black. That’s everyone, in case you missed it. Seriously. EVERYONE in Sealed plays the Black cards, as the depth is pretty terrific. Hell, at the last tourney I attended I even saw some guys playing Black who weren’t even playing Magic.
- As usual, we have two Black cards snuffling up the rear like randy mongrels. Ragged Veins is exactly that- ragged. And Midnight Covenant is exactly that- midnight. … … *cough*… … Ah, sod you. I’m out of practice.
Black hasn’t exactly screamed at us thus far. Of course, the Dark Side of Kamigawa is the usual repository for mid-range beef, so maybe it’s just clearing its throat. Let’s see what the Black guys bring to the fight…
- As usual, Black supplies us with playable low-to-mid range musculature. We’ve three playable two-drops and three playable three-drops. But I’m going to start with the mighty one-drop Nezumi Shadow-Watcher. Sure, he’s strictly sideboard stuff… but he has the coolest-sounding ability ever. “Sacrifice Nezumi Shadow-Watcher: Destroy target Ninja.” Now that’s totally sweet.
- Up to two mana, we have Skullsnatcher, a.k.a. Pointless Ninja. I mean, has anyone used his ninjitsu and/or graveyard ability with any relevance? Surely he’s a simple 2/1 for two? It seems like a shocking waste of taxpayer’s money to put this guy through Ninja College. Still… playable.
- Two mana also delivers the Cruel Deceiver. Again, a 2/1 for two… but this time his ability will see play and be relevant. The true question is… just how cruel is he? Is he “doesn’t-phone-his-mum” cruel, or is he “kitten-and-cement-and-hosepipe” cruel?
- Rounding out the two-drop slot is the rat-daddy-pimp, the Nezumi Cutthroat. Sure, he’s a fine early drop… except everybody plays Black. You’ll make him on turn two and he’ll inevitably be held off by a Ashen-Skin Zubera or a bloody Bile Urchin. The pesky rat bastard.
- Ramping up to a formidable three mana, we have the unstoppable powerhouse that is the Bloodthirsty Ogre! Fear him, and his unimportant ability! Of course, he’s a guy, and a 3/1 guy at that. His ability can be useful in the right pool, if a tad slow. Play him, and remember to pile on those devotion counters as he may draw some removal.
- Another 3/1 guy, again for three mana, is the Bushido Boy Nezumi Ronin. Again, he has a decent power-to-cot ratio. Again, he has but one toughness. If any color feared the Yamabushi’s Storm, then this pool of Black is it. He’s playable, especially in a deck backed by decent depth in removal. Sadly, there’s nothing like that thus far in these cards.
- Three mana is rounded off with the relatively fat-assed Takenuma Bleeder. He’s a beatstick that hits play early, therefore he’s golden. His drawback is negligible at best. However, his humpback is far from negligible. I prescribe a visit to a chiropractor.
- Sliding our fingers further into the mana mittens, we have the four-mana Numai Outcast. Hey ya, he’s diabolical. Having said that, I’ve played a few games recently where my opponent cast him, and he delivered the killing blow. I’d still rather play an extra land in his place.
- Finally, fatally, we have the five-mana Scuttling Death. He’s a beater, he’s removal, he Soulshifts… the only thing he doesn’t do is vacuum your lounge. Even in this pool, where the Soulshift targets seem few and far between, he has a myriad of playable uses. Yup, you can do worse than play Scuttling Jeff
So the men are playable, to a point. As predicted, they swim in the shallow end of the mana pool, and may well be the only playable guys to fit our curve. As usual, time will tell on the relevance of the Black cards…
Red
No, let us climb into bed with Red. As Black let us down spectacularly in the removal stakes, let’s hope the color of honest fire can bring down the burn.
- Thankfully, there are options here. Yeah, there’s no Glacial Ray, but good ol’ Raymond is a busy guy these days. We do have his common brother, Yamabushi’s Flame. While not as dynamic as Ray, the Flame is solid. And the “remove-from-game” ability is useful at the most surprising times.
- We also have the four mana, four damage Torrent of Stone. This card is fabulous. Apparently, it can be spliced onto other spells by sacrificing two mountains. Don’t let this fool you or make you do silly things: this card still rules when cast once.
- Filling in the final spot of true removal we have the playable First Volley. One damage to a creature and one to the creature’s controller… this is useful. It can be a finisher in a pinch, and can take out Mirror-Guards, Cutthroats and most of the Black cards in this friggin’ pool. It’s an arcane trigger and a cheeky combat trick. Definite possibilities.
- As usual with Red, the other support spells are largely pointless. At four mana, we have Uncontrollable Anger. While it’s a fat-ass boost, and can be cast as an instant, it screams “two-for-one” at foghorn volumes. And sometimes, sometimes… you just need a bloody blocker.
- Two mana gives us Crushing Pain, the unplayable six damage big-hitter. No matter how you look at it, this card is simple disadvantage. It gets a job done, but at what price? Maybe, maybe, if my opponent had a dragon and I had two Frostwielders.
- Five mana gives us Devouring Rage. Can anyone else spot a trend in the naming convention of the Red cards? Uncontrollable Anger, Crushing Pain, Devouring Rage… how very negative. How about some cards that highlight the positive aspects of flame and chaos? Cards like ‘Disco Inferno,’ ‘Red Adair’ or ‘Pensioner’s Three-Bar Electric Heater.’ Dan Paskins would play them, even if no-one else did. As for the Rage… if you’ve got the spirits, it can be a gamebreaker. Just beware the spot-removal.
- Kumano’s Blessing: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHH!
So that’s the spells. Some goodly gems, I’m sure you agree. But has Red the cred to stop us from being dead? Or will we take repeated boots to the head? With… erm… bread… and… sleds… or something.
Men!!
- We begin with the littlest hobo, our friend the Goblin Cohort. Of course, he’s not an Akki. Why? Because he’ll probably see play in goblin Constructed decks. As for Sealed… meh. In the right deck, with many quick beats and some sound removal… then probably. More for Draft that Sealed, I’d wager.
- The Red in this pool is awash with two-drops. To begin, we have the Ember-Fist Zubera. He blocks, and swings, and sometimes punches outside his weight. He’s a shoe-in for a Red-based deck. Though how he picks up anything with those hands is a mystery. And I’ll bet that phoning his Zubera chums on his cellphone ain’t no picnic either. At least he’d be invited to a Zubera picnic: he’d be good at warming the chicken wings. The poor Dripping-Tongue Zubera wouldn’t be allowed to attend, as he’d obviously drool on the food.
- Two mana, Hearth Kami. It doesn’t get much easier. Yes, he sees play. His ability, though in the wrong block, can be randomly useful.
- Two mana, Blademane Baku. This guy is one of the stronger Baku boys, even if the artwork is completely ludicrous. A body made of knives? How bizarre! In the right deck, this fella can swing for huge amounts. He’s particularly good with his buddy Waxmane Baku, or the Kami of the Waning Moon.
- In fact, he’s pretty decent with this guy: the four-mana Kami of Fire’s Roar. He’s a potent blocker and a Falter-bloke, and his third point of toughness is startlingly important in this field of 2/1 spods. He’s a spirit, and he’s also on fire. No wonder he looks so aggrieved.
- To round out the Red menace, I’ve saved the best until last… Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present, at three mana… the incomparable Pain Kami! If you untap with this guy in play, he’ll usually be a two-for-one in your favor. And he’s the perfect target for Soulshift. As for the artwork… this is yet another example of acid-addled conception. Spikes, spines and chains… he’s the original Bondage Starfish. Play him play him play him.
Overall, Red brings much-needed removal to this pool. And yes, some of the creatures are nice. But are they enough to warrant Red as a main color? There are gaps, such as Frostwielder, Houndmaster and Deceiver…
And we haven’t examined the Green cards yet. Ay caramba!
Green
As we all know, Green means Guys. If we don’t pack beef, we’re gonna face grief. So how does the brackish Green pond fare today?
- Starting low, we have a veritable smorgasbord of two-mana delights to sink our crooked teeth into. For a start, there’s the highly playable Matsu-Tribe Sniper. He may be a measly 1/1, but he can hold off an army of flyers. And he’s anathema to those pesky moonbeam critters. By the way, did you know that Sylvester Stallone’s son has the name “Sage Moonblood.” Now that’s a Magic card! I didn’t expect Rocky to be a hippy.
- Also two mana, and also 1/1, is the fantastic Soilshaper. With the right cards, this guy is a house. And not a house made of straw or twigs, like the houses in the fairy tales… this house is forty storeys high. Of course, whether this pool is the ideal home for this… house… remains to be seen.
- If Soilshaper is a house, then Orochi Ranger is a caravan. At best, a Winnebago. Two mana, two power… meh. Playable.
- We round out the two-drops with the Humble Budoka. He looks like such a kindly chap, with his tattoos and self-piercings. I’ll bet his mother is soooo proud of him. He’s two mana, he’s a 2/2… and he can’t be the target of spells… or… (wait for it)… abilities! Yay! Not just spells, but abilities too!
- Three mana, we have the Trained Armadon- stroke – Gnarled Mass. A vanilla 3/3 that triggers spiritcraft… he makes the team. And he has a lackey to clean his kit after the game.
- Four mana gives us the Lime Twins… Order of the Sacred Bell. These muscle-bound freaks must stock up on their proteins. When they eat out, I’m sure that… *drumroll*… the Sacred Bell ‘Order’ a couple of healthy portions of chicken! Thank you, thank you. You’ve been wonderful.
- Also at four mana is the serviceable Lifespinner. He’s a Hill Giant more often than not, but his ability could come in useful on occasion. He works well with Oyobi, but if the fetched fella gets whacked pretty quickly, then it can be such a tempo swing that it may be hard to recover. In summary: Breezes.
- Moving on up, we have two Kumo to deal with. The first, the Venerable Kumo for five mana, should be a 3/4. Sadly, it’s a simple 2/3, and thus has little place. Yes, it Soulshifts and blocks flyers… but it is far too fragile to serve its purpose. If you need it… you’re in trouble already.
- The second Kumo is the Orbweaver Kumo. At six mana, it should be 3/5 or a 4/5… sadly, it’s a 3/4. Can you see a pattern emerging here. Again, it does a job, but not particularly well. It can break through in a stall, which is worth remembering… and it can also weave orbs, which is a bonus.
- Onwards and upwards we climb the mana meringue, stopping at the nutty nugget of eight-mana goodness that is the Thousand-Legged Kami. One thousand legs. That’s a lot of damn legs. There’d be no arguments around the dining-room table if you roasted one of these for your Christmas feast. But let’s face it. A 6/6 with no evasion, for eight mana?! I don’t care how many points of Soulshift it has, this guy is a benchwarmer.
- If the Thousand-Legged Kami wasn’t big enough for ya… how about the monstrous Body of Jukai! Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiine Mana! RARG! Behave yourselves people. Don’t make me smack you with a rolled-up newspaper, like a dog who’s soiled the carpet. But wait! The Body has Soulshift Eight! You can return your Thousand-Legged Kami! Combo!
Lordy lord, that’s a lot of brutes for your buck, Chuck. Do the support tricks keep the light shining in our eyes?
In the first series of Sealed Revealed, I was lucky to pull a foil chase rare from Champions: the mighty Cranial Extraction. Boy, was I pleased. This set, the arguable chase rares are the Shoals. And, like the luck-sack I am, I pull a foil one. A foil Nourishing Shoal. Damn, sooooo close. As for its playablility… it’s a bomb. No wait, sorry… it’s a crock. My mistake.
At four mana, we have another foil card: Splinter. Firstly, this card is a block too late. And even then it’s three mana too slow. However, the Jitte is a constant threat, so it could be useful from the sideboard if the pool has no Wear Away.
- Of course, this pool has a Wear Away. So that’s Splinter buggered. Serves the card right for being named after a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles character. Anyway… Wear Away. Is this main-deck worthy nowadays? After all, there’s the Genjus and the Honden, not to mention Cage of Hands and Mystic Restraints. And random Equipment. And the Jitte! What do folk think? Enchantment/artifact removal: Yay or Nay? Come to the forums to find out.
- Two mana gives us another arcane life-gain spell, the Vital Surge. To be frank, this card does not give me a surge to my vitals. Some cards have been known to, I admit. Strangely enough, Life Burst was one of them. Whoever she is, she’s gorgeous.
- Three mana gives us two cards. The first, Lure, has fallen on hard times. When this game was younger, Lure was a staple green trick. Nowadays, people generally shun it, opting for more versatile combat tricks that are less likely to backfire. Play it if you need a way to win. And bring it in from the board if game one stalls on the ground.
- And finally, for three mana, we have the mundane Roar of Jukai. In the right situation, this card can be a one-sided Wrath of God… but then again, so can Defensive Maneuvres, and that was rubbish. To be honest, this is less of a roar and more of a whimper.
Here, the Green has definite promise, especially in the Gentlemen department. However, the support spells are cocks-in-a-box. Oh, for a Kodama’s Might, or Kodama’s Reach… or something useful.
Will Green make the team? Who can tell?
Artifact
Hair-Strung Koto.
Six Mana.
Weird Constructed-style ability.
Rebecca Guay artwork.
Trade folder.
Land
There’s one land to discuss, and it’s a basic Mountain with a useful ability. If the Red makes it in, then so does the land.
So that’s yer lot. Seventy-five pices of cardboard, described and derided. And sorted into neat little piles.
So how did you do? Did you make a killer deck?
You all chose White, I take it? But what did you pair it with?
Me? Oh, go on then…
…
White (9):
Kami of False Hope
Waxmane Baku
Kabuto Moth
Kami of Old Stone
Nagao, Bound by Honor
Oyobi, Who Split the Heavens
Genju of the Fields
Indomitable Will
Cage of Hands
Black (9):
Cruel Deceiver
Nezumi Cutthroat
Skullsnatcher
Bloodthirsty Ogre
Nezumi Ronin
Takenuma Bleeder
Scuttling Death
Three Tragedies
Stir the Grave
Red (4):
Pain Kami
First Volley
Torrent of Stone
Yamabushi’s Flame
Land (18):
7 Plains
7 Swamp
3 Mountain
1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
Creatures: 14 (15)
0cc = 0
1cc = 1 (2)
2cc = 3
3cc = 6
4cc = 2
5cc = 1
6cc = 0
7cc = 1
8cc = 0
…
As usual, there are things I like about the build. And as usual, there are things I hate. Here’s the beef:
LIKES
- I like the curve. Sure, the three-drop slot seems a little heavy, but they’re all solid-enough guys. And the removal seems well curved to complement the drops. Without the Black, the three-dop slot looked a little anaemic.
- We have bombs. Oyobi can split the Heavens for me whenever he damn well pleases. And Nagao? Wow!
- We have a decent amount of removal, with the Red splash and the Cage of Hands.
- There is a reasonable beatdown draw, with many two-power two-drops and three-power three-drops.
DISLIKES
- Have I undervalued the Red? Should I have ignored the Black and plumped for R/W or R/W/x? I’ve a feeling that there’s something amiss with my choices?
- While the Red Splash is manageable, I do miss some of the Red cards. Kami of Fire’s Roar especially.
- I feel there is probably a more elegant way to maximize the strength of Oyobi.
- And what about the Green stuff? It has decent two, three and four-drop men… am I undervaluing that?
Geez, what a pool to come back with!
I’m sure you all have your builds, and I’m sure they differ to mine. I need help with my Sealed building skills… come to the forums, share your knowledge and weave your wisdom.
Who knows, maybe I’ll listen to you this time.
Until the next pile…
Thanks for listening.
Craig Stevenson
[email protected]
Scouseboy on MTGO