Not so long back, I wrote a series of articles called “Sealed Revealed.”
The aim then, as it is now, was to take some “Sealed,” and, well… “Reveal” it.
Each article saw me crack a tourney pack and two boosters, sort the cards into relevant color-piles, chat a little about individual strengths and weaknesses, make a few lame jokes about card-names or art, and then build the best deck I could with the tools provided.
But of course it didn’t stop there.
When reading my advice in Sealed Revealed, people could determine how to build a correct sealed deck, albeit by largely doing the exact opposite of myself. At that time, I was a self-confessed Limited catastrophe. Although happy with my general level of play-skill, I was sorely lacking in the deck-building arena. The forums sang with folk eager to help me learn the error of my card-evaluation ways. Most were constructive comments, but some seemed written in the cyberspace equivalent of human blood. All were gladly received, discussed and assimilated.
At the beginning of the Sealed PTQ season for Kamigawa block, I qualified for Pro Tour: London at my first attempt. That victory can be directly attributed to the fun and feedback of Sealed Revealed.
So where are we today?
At the time of writing, I am sat by the pool in a Floridian villa, enjoying a two-week vacation. It is the day after the Ravnica Prerelease. Yesterday, I entered a 100+ player “Mega Flight,” as my first (and so far only) foray onto the playing fields of the Shiny New Set. I have my prerelease card pool on the table by the laptop, and I’m up for a little deck-building discussion.
I present you my prerelease card-pool in all its glory. Let’s get the ball rolling in an old-school Sealed Revealed style. Consider the following article a preview, as a series of six Sealed Revealed for Ravnica is just around the corner.
After all, I’m still rubbish at Limited. You’ll see why when you get to my build.
…
So here are the cards I received, in all their glory… I was hoping to pull some money rares, but alas it was not to be.
You know the drill, guys. Go build a deck. I’ve done it, so I don’t see why you should get to slack off.
Cards cards cards!
White:
Benevolent Ancestor
Boros Fury-Shield
Caregiver
Conclave Equenaut
Gate Hound
Leave No Trace
Three Dreams
Veteran Armorer
Votary of the Conclave
Blue:
Drake Familiar
Drift of Phantasms
Followed Footsteps
Flight of Fancy
Snapping Drake
Tattered Drake
Telling Time
Tidewater Minion
Vedalken Dismisser
Vedalken Entrancer
Black:
2 Dimir House Guard
Dimir Machinations
2 Disembowel
Golgari Thug
Keening Banshee
Mausoleum Turnkey
Netherborn Phalanx
Nightmare Void
Roofstalker Wight
Sewerdreg
Shred Memory
Stinkweed Imp
Strands of Undeath
Red:
Barbarian Riftcutter
Char
Coalhauler Swine
Fiery Conclusion
Rain of Embers
Reroute
2 Sabertooth Alley Cat
Seismic Spike
Surge of Zeal
Viashino Fangtail
Viashino Slasher
Green:
Bramble Elemental
Cavern Caryatid
Civic Wayfarer
Dryad’s Caress
Gather Courage
Golgari Brownscale
Moldervine Cloak
2 Stone-Seeder Hierophant
Transluminant
Multi-Colored:
Congregation at Dawn
2 Consult the Necrosages
Flame-Kin Zealot
Perplex
Pollenbright Wings
Psychic Drain
Sisters of Stone Death
Thundersong Trumpeter
Twisted Justice
Hybrid:
Gaze of the Gorgon
Lurking Informant
Artifacts:
Crown of Convergence
Dimir Signet
Golgari Signet
Selesnya Signet
Terrarion
Land:
Duskmantle, House of Shadow
Golgari Rot Farm
So… much… new… information… brain… can’t… take… it…
Hell, this had better get easier.
I don’t know about you, but get so confused when a new set comes out. There’s just so much to process. We can only thank the funk that the wonderful guys at StarCityGames.com provide us with linkage for card names and descriptions.
It’s time to build, folks. You have fifteen dots in which to make a deck.
Ready, set… wait for it, you at the back… GO!
…
…
…
…
…
Pencils down!
So how did it go? Did you answer all the questions? Or did you just go “ah, sod it, I’ll pretend I’ve built a deck and scroll on down, no-one will know…”?
If so, see me after class.
Here’s my take on the new cards. I want you all to take stock of my words and come correct them in the forums, because frankly, I haven’t a clue,
White:
As usual, we’ll start with the White cards. Traditionally, this is the color of efficient beats and cheeky combat tricks. In the Kamigawa block, time proved cards such as Kabuto Moth and Waxmane Baku to be the ultra-desirable staple cards. Without any play-time under my belt, such knowledge of the Ravnica must-have commons is impossible. I’ll do my best:
- At one mana, this pool coughs out two little winkies. The first is the Caregiver, a 1/1 that prevents one damage to creature or player for the payment of one White and a sacrificed guy. To me, that’s a bit steep. Sure, it ain’t a tap ability so it can be activated many times in the face of mass removal… but even so, this can’t be good. Caregiver is a definite Don’t-Care-Giver.
- The second mana munchkin is the Votary of the Conclave, a 1/1 that regenerates for 2-and-a-Green. Regeneration is a nice ability, but this is again expensive. It’s guild-based, which makes it color-restrictive, and it has the ponciest name for a 1/1 dork I’ve ever seen. You can’t call a 1/1 “Votary of the Conclave”. It’s like calling the guy who unblocks the loo “Ombudsman of the Revered Senate.”
- At two mana, we’re introduced to the 2/2 Veteran Armorer, who grants +0/+1 to all your other spods. As a bear he’s playable, and his ability is a nice one. He also sports a fine Lemmy moustache, so he gets my vote. He’ll not break the game, but he’ll serve a purpose.
- Benevolent Ancestor is also a nice addition to the pool, especially for those planning the old stall-and-fly winning tactic that is ever-popular. A 0/4 wall for three mana isn’t stellar, but the added healing property gives it a definite boost. Like a granny with a fat purse and a bag of toffees, this ancestor is indeed benevolent.
- Three mana, 1/1, grants vigilance to all guys if enchanted? Do me a favor. Gate Hound is a Bad Dog, and should be sent to his basket without supper.
- Sadly, this pool is drained of any four or five drop options. Our remaining creature is Ravnica’s take on the 3/3 flyer for five mana. Bung another mana on the cost and slap on Convoke, and there we go. Playable? Sure. Convoke does lead to possible over-commitment, but this guy will generally always appear for five mana, and sometimes less, so he’ll always be the value. The thing is, he’s a flying horse… so why isn’t he a Pegasus?
There we have the guys. Nothing broken, some playable, some poo-pellets. What about the spells? Are they special, or are they smelly?
- We have three to choose from, which seems weak compared with previous blocks (but surely understandable in the new multicolored environment). The first, at two mana, is Leave No Trace, which is such a great name for what is essentially a Limited sideboard card. It destroys enchantments. Wow. Surely this name would be much better suited to a mass-removal wrath-style effect?
- Next up, we have the Boros Fury-Shield, which I can’t help but read as “Furry Shield”. It’s a three mana spot combat-damage prevention spell…nothing too exciting so far. However, the ‘spend a red mana to smack up your opponent’ clause gives it a little more playability, even if it has no actual effect on the board. It’s not Shining Shoal, but it seems to have some value. I’m voting for “yes”, but I could be mistaken. What do you think, forum folk? Come and discuss.
- Five mana, Three Dreams. It contains the words “Search” and “Auras”, so frankly it’s a wasted slot in Limited. And it’s rare! Boo! Where are my Birds of Paradise? Also, I’ve a problem with the art. Yes, the three shimmering “objects” represent dreams, but what the Dickens are they? As far as I can make out they are (from right to left) a toaster wearing goggles, a dentistry tool/torture device, and Dr. Robotnik. Three Dreams? Cheese Dreams more like.
Now, traditionally, I’ve been accused of licking White in all available crevices, so well-documented is my love for pale people. This time, however, I just don’t see it. Yes, things may change when we add any multicolored and hybrid cards to the mix… but for now, I’d say this pool has sub-par White and move on.
That felt strangely refreshing.
Next!
Blue:
With Blue, the first thing we must do is the traditional Teller of Tales check. If the pool doesn’t contain the Blue tip-tapping spirit in the sky, then we can discard it.
There is no Teller of Tales here. Yay!
*sigh*
If only life were so simple…
The Blue creatures in Kamigawa often seemed cheap and thin-on-the-ground. However, this pool of Bluey Kablooie sees us with seven straight Blue options… and that’s without taking the multicolored and hybrid cards into account. Yowzers!:
- A 2/1 flyer for two mana? Where do I sign? *signs* What’s this small-print here? *reads* comes… into…play… sac… return… enchantment… *throws card into fire* I’ve been duped! Seriously, this card is one of those that I remain unsure about. Historically, I doubt Drake Familiar would cut the proverbial mustard, but in a set with Auras that have comes-into-play effects? I don’t know. Ideas gratefully accepted in the forums.
- Three mana, 0/5 flying wall. For Blue, this is a fine card. The Drift of Phantasms also transmutes into another three-mana spell at the drop of a hat. Don’t leave home without it.
- One up the mana ladder brings us the 3/2 flyer Snapping Drake. I don’t know what he’s snapping at, because he’s lovely. Four mana for a 3/2 flyer? That’s a mighty fine hill of beans. I can see this guy being a perennial beatstick in Ravnica block Limited.
- Four mana also gives us the 1/4 Millsone guy, the Vedalken Entrancer. Sure, he’s got a fat ass, but he’s hardly your private dancer. He serves the ground-stall purpose, and his ability might be relevant in the days of Dredge and the like… again, I’m unsure. Thoughts? [He’s really good as in “instrumental to a whole archetype strategy” good. – Knut, assuming you will read Aaron Cutler’s article after this]
- Five mana, 2/2 regenerating flyer, Tattered Drake. I think this guy passes muster…barely. I prefer my five-mana flyers to be 3/3, but regeneration is a fine ability (albeit off-color). However, there are a number of -x/-x effects in Ravnica, so he devalues a little. And he’s so tatty! If I’d just bought him from a pet shop I’d take him straight back to complain…*
- Also at the five mana gate is the Tidewater Minion, a 4/4 sometime-Wall with a largely irrelevant “untap taget thing” ability. He blocks, I suppose, but his attack cost of four seems a little steep. I’ll leave this one to simmer awhile before I fully commit.
- Last, we have the 2/2 Vedalken Dismisser. For six mana. He has an ability, but for six mana it needs to read “When Vedalken Dismisser comes into play, it slips under the table and gives you a foot massage” before I’d consider it playable. And yes, “foot massage” was the second thing I thought of when typing that sentence.
In this pool, the Blue guys seem decent in spots. We’ve the Snapping Drake, and maybe his Tattered cousin, and of course we have the always-relevant Drift of Phantasms… but then we seem to break down. Thankfully, the Blue goodness is generally reserved for the spells, so maybe we’re in for a little more depth here.
- We’ve only three contenders here, which is a bit of a let-down… but they are all good. We’re yet to visit the multicolored arena either, which promises to cough out some beauties. Anyway, we’ll start the cake baking with the fantastic Telling Time. At two mana, and instant speed, it promises a decent quality of draw if not strictly offering card advantage. In the forty-card world of Limited play, that quality is sometimes all that’s required. I like the card, and love the art. Next!
- Four mana gives us the flight-granting Aura Flight of Fancy. The evasion is nice, but the true value comes with the appended “Draw Two Cards” clause. Sure, you’ve to beware the cheeky removal spell in response, but I think this one has legs. And wings, of course.
- At five mana, we have a rare Aura: the possible bomb Followed Footsteps. If this thing lasts a turn, you’re laughing. However, it paints a huge target on whatever you’re choosing to cast it on…so be careful if enchanting one of the home eam. As a removal spell for an annoying guy of their own, it serves an excellent purpose. Put it on their most potent guy, and they’ll either be forced to nuke it or suffer under a barrage of their own design. And remember, folks… it deals with legends too.
On examination, we see that Blue presents us with dilemmas. We’d like to play Blue main for the Followed Footsteps, but the creature base doesn’t seem deep enough to support it. Maybe the multicolored and Hybrid cards will help in this regard.
Okay, so that’s the Evil Blue deal with. Let’s attack Black.
Black:
Blaaaaaaaaaaack..
The color of the niiiiiiiiiiiight…
The color of despaaaaaaaaaaair…
The color of dooooooooooooooooooom…
What glorious horror have we in store today?
- The first of the nine is Golgari Thug, a two-mana recursion engine. When he dies, our best guy comes back for a second outing. And the little Thugee Wonder dredges too! I like him, as he presents us with options.
- Second, also for two mana, is the 2/1 sometime-flyer Roofstalker Wight. So he stalks roofs, does he? How does he stalk them? Does he follow them to the shops, spying on them with his little binoculars? I doubt it. He should stalk something worth stalking, like Jennifer Aniston. Overall, this guy is fine. He attacks early for two, and possibly flies later on. Approved. NB: please don’t start stalking Jennifer Aniston. It’s neither big nor clever. Believe me, she’s not worth it: her curtains are always drawn.
- Three mana gives us the Stinkweed Imp. At first, I wasn’t sure, but he is recursive removal (albeit at a steep Dredge cost). He’s great at dissuading attacks, and he can fly for the win if required. An all-purpose beauty, if a little smelly.
- It appears that the shining jewel in this particular Black crown sits at four mana. To begin, there’s a double-dip of Dimir House Guards, the 2/3 fear regenerators. These guys are solid enough without their appreciated transmute ability. They are a bit thin, though. They may be good guards, but I bet they suck if attacked by dogs.
- Four mana also springs the wonderful Keening Banshee upon us. A 2/2 flyer that acts as a mini- Flametongue Kavu? What’s not to love? Sure, she’s no exactly a gorgeous stunner, but even wizened mingers have their good sides. I wouldn’t kick her out of bed.
- Also for four is the 3/2 Shrek-alike Mausoleum Turnkey. When he comes into play, he brings a guy from your graveyard to your hand. So what if your opponent chooses the guy? If you play it right, there’ll be no choice to make. This lad is terrific.
- If we add another notch to the mana bedpost we spot the Sewerdreg, the five-mana, swamp-walking, Coffin Purging 3/3 beater. Now, I don’t know about you, but the unpleasant name “Sewerdreg” conjures up a particular image, an image of something rather brown and squishy… but this card is far from “Sewerdreggy.” While he’ll not set the world alight, his evasion is appreciated, and his anti-Dredge technology will make him maindeckable.
- Finally, we have a six-mana 2/4 monkey that does something. To be honest, I can’t be bothered reading the card. Netherborn Phalanx transmutes, thus fetching other six-mana failures if needed. I don’t think I’d bother. I may side him in against a saproling nightmare, but other that that? Bum grapes.
The Black guys give us the tastiest options of the pool thus far. Of course, we need removal to elevate Black from slack to whack. How do we fare?
In all honesty? Not too great. Yes, we have two of the excellent spell Disembowel, with its wonderfully gory artwork, but removal in depth? No chance.
- The other support spells in Black are mixed. Two mana brings us the Dredge-hosing Shred Memory, a strictly sideboard card that may see play thanks to its transmute function. Time will tell on the relevance (and prevalence) of Dredge, and this card’s importance therein.
- At three mana, we have the Dimir Machinations. Frankly, I feel this is more a Constructed card, as in Limited the effect is strictly hit-and-miss. Any spell with transmute has possibility, however… what do people think, of this card and of transmute in general? Am I overrating the ability for Limited? I’m sure the forums will show us the way.
- The four mana slot has two cards for perusal, the first being the Zvi-championed dredgable spot-discard Nightmare Void. Again, I think this card is a little slow and mana-intensive for Limited play, and it doesn’t provide safeguards against the topdeck…
- … for discards, I think I’d prefer the Aura Strands of Undeath. Four mana, granting regeneration to an important guy, and causing your opponent to discard two cards? Great stuff! If you’re a fan of discard in Limited, you could do far worse.
Overall, Black opens the pool with some actual direction. We have fine creatures and usable support spells, even if the removal is a little shallow. I’ve seen worse Black cards, believe me. Let’s hope the Red cards can lend a hand in this department.
Red:
I love the Red spells. In fact, put a dress on me and call me Paskins. Red is the only color with balls.
How sad, then, that this particular pool of fire has been somewhat neutered.
- Starting with the tiny guys, we have the two-mana Viashino Slasher. He has a toughness greater than his power, therefore he is not Red. He’s Blue. I don’t care that we can spend mana to change that. Close, but no cigar.
- Three mana sees us swinging with a quintessential Red Guy, the always-attacking Sabertooth Alley Cat. Spend a little mana, and he can only be blocked by Walls (sorry, “Defenders”). He’s playable, but only slightly so. Surely there are better options that this tame tabby?
- Four mana does indeed present us with such an option. The 3/3 Tim, Viashino Fangtail, is everything a Red mage could ask for. A pinging Hill Giant for a 2RR? Excellent. He removes, beats and provides combat tricks aplenty. Approved!
- Also five mana, we have the Barbarian Riftcutter. 3/3, one Red and sacrifice: destroy target land. Thanks, but no thanks. Hardly a Limited trait, land destruction… still, he might be a sideboard option against anyone with that Boros double-strike land thing.
- And finally, at the very nipple of the mana mammary, there’s the six mana Coalhauler Swine, the bastard child of a Jackal Pup and an elephant. Again, I’m unsure of his worth. In a heavy Red offering, he may be good… but many a time he’ll be nothing but a dead draw. I think he can remain down in the furnace. Are we agreed on this?
Red brings us the Fangtail (with it’s double-Red commitment) and the possible Alley Cat (with the same). Weak foundations, to be sure… nothing to build a house on. Of course, we largely don’t care about the Red men, as it’s the removal that greases our pigs. Let’s see how we fare…
- I must begin with Char. Three mana, four damage, instant speed. Excellent stuff. A definite Constructed card, and an excellent Limited one. I remember reading an article on card naming which stated that R&D saved the shorter, snappier names for strong cards that would see obvious play. Hello Char, and goodbye Votary of the bloody Conclave.
- Moving along, there’s the Surge of Zeal, radiating haste for a single mana! Save it for your squirrel deck, Timmy. One for the waste-bin, methinks.
- At two mana, we have the Fiery Conclusion. On face value, it enables the lowliest chump to bring down the mightiest oak, which is card disadvantage but acceptable nonetheless. Couple this with the obvious stack-damage two-for-one tricks available, and we have a winner.
- Also for two, we have Yamabushi’s Storm, a.k.a. Rain of Embers. This guy also takes down pesky flyers, and even damages players, so it has its uses. It can hurt you too, so remember to pack an umbrella.
- Reroute is a Shunt for activate abilities, also serving as a cantrip, and is therefore excellent sideboard fodder. I love the art on this card: anything that sees a Nazi Elf get his comeuppance is just fine by me.
- We round off the Red offering with Ravnica’s staple Stone Rain variant, the four mana Seismic Spike. It destroys a land, and gives you mana, Yeah, whatever. Bring on the dancing girls!
This pool’s Red has “splash” written all over it. In fact, most of the creatures have “gash” written on them, they’re so poor. Removal is paramount, however, and both Char and Fiery Conclusion are excellent options. If Viashino Fangtail was not double-Red, we’d be jelly-set in our third color before we could blink. As things stand, the jury is still out…
Green:
To round off our mono-colored menagerie, we’ll tackle the Green Machine. Historically, the strength of this color lies with its creatures. If we’ve been reading our Wakefield, however, it seems that Green is now a pointless color bereft of playable cards. If we wish to play Green, it appears we’d be wiser to choose cards of other colors and touch them up with paint.
Nevertheless, it behooves me to proceed, so proceed I most certainly shall.
- Transluminant is a 2/2 for two mana. She fills a hole in the mana-curve, and has an ability that may be relevant. Also, she has an excellent rack. Indeed, her flavor text is incomplete. It should read thusly: Forget yourself. Forget your city. Forget your homes, your families, the debts and obligations that hold you to this world. Forget all this, and just look at my breasts. Feel better now? Good.
- Three mana sees the deep end of our pool of Green cards: we have three goodies up for grabs. How can I not begin with the All New Wall of Blossoms, the Carven Caryatid? Excellent stuff for Green there. She’ll shore the ground while stocking your hand. Obviously playable.
- The Civic Wayfinder is also a fine card, a 2/2 for three that fetches a basic land. This is superb in the all new multicolored society of Ravnica. But creature type: Elf Warrior Druid? Behave yourself. What’s next, creature type: Robot Monkey Ninja Wizard?
- Rounding out the three-drop guys in the Dredge 2 Golgari Brownscale, a 2/3 Rodent of Unusual Size. His Dredge is cheap, and his lifegain a mere cherry… I’d play him, as I think Dredge to be the mutt’s nuts. Do you agree?
- Four mana gives us our first puny Green weakling, doing double time: the Stone-Seeder Heirophant. A 1/1 for four that taps and untaps and taps and untaps and taps and untaps… it screams Combo to me. Leave it in the greenhouse and move on.
- Just as White and Blue receive a staple 3/3 flyer for four, Green receives a 4/4 ground-pounder for the same cost. This week, it’s the turn of the Bramble Elemental. Bramble Elemental! There’s no such element as “Bramble.” What’s next, Thistle Elemental? Avatar of Nettles? Earth, Wind, and Blackberries? Anyway, this 4/4 for five is absolutely fine, especially if you can take advantage of its special saproling-creation ability. With Ravnica populated by decent Auras, it shouldn’t be too hard to achieve.
Traditionally, the Green spells are outshone by their creature counterparts. However, this pool has a few surprises still…
- It’s not often that a creature enchantment can be described as a Bomb. There was Rancor, of course, and Armadillo Cloak, and Elephant Guide was none too shabby… but these Equipment-centric days have changed things. In Moldervine Cloak, we have a fantastic Aura to rival anything that has gone before. The cheap Dredge cost elevates the card from a simple nuisance to a recursive nightmare. Everything becomes a threat, and evasion creatures become a super-fast clock. This card is excellent. First pick material.
- The Giant Growth of the set, Gather Courage, is another fine addition to the Green mage armory. Anything that can mess with combat math is more than worthy, and this spell can spring an extra surprise by coming while its caster is tapped out. Again, another obvious choice.
- Finally, we have the Dryad’s Caress, which lets the side down something chronic. Six mana, gain some life, possible untap some guys, definitely die through sheer boredom. If that’s indicative of a dryad’s caress, I doubt they get much action.
The Green guys are strong in depth, and have interesting abilities. Much like the Black guys, they seem to have decent power/toughness ratios compared to cost, and they do exactly what it says on the tin. I sense a spine here…
Let’s see if we can clear things up with a little multicolored magic…
Multicolored:
Multicolored cards were statistically unimportant in Kamigawa block. Ravnica, as we know, changes this. I’ve a new “multicolored” section for this series of Sealed Revealed, so you readers can be sure you’re getting your money’s worth.
Predictably, I’ve split the section into the appropriate guild colors.
Blue-Black:
- What do we do if we’re stuck for draw and discard options? We consult… the Necrosages! This is a fine utility card, bringing options to any stage of play. Two of them may be a little overkill, but I’d rather have too many options than too few.
- Next up, we have the situational, transmuting counterspell Perplex. I think this is a fine card for Constructed, but I believe that it’s wasted in Limited. To begin with, it’ll never touch the true game-breaking spell, as by the time such a beauty hits play then your opponent’s hand will either be depleted or sufficiently worthless as to be discounted. But again, the spell has transmute… is it worth playing? Does the transmute make it so? Come to the forums and find out.
- Psychic Drain is a Blue/Black “X” spell that combines a mill effect and lifegain. Strictly filler, with possible Constructed applications.
- Finally for the Dimir dancers, there’s the six-mana Twisted Justice. Yes, the card sounds like TV movie starring Brian Dennehy, and to be honest it’s probably just as good. Read into that as much as you like. In Limited, this seems too expensive for its cost. Sure, it’ll draw you a couple of cards when they sac their stalled 2/2 bear, but you’re still getting slapped by the 4/4 flyer all the while. Thoughts?
Green-Black:
- Green/Black brings us one simple sweetmeat: the eight-mana Sisters of Stone Death! Rrrrrrraaaaaaarg! Beware the deadly Gorgon Legend! Three excellent abilities, 7/5 beatdown stats… but eight freakin’ mana? Let your conscience be your guide here. She gets Putrefied, but she avoids the majority of the common removal you’re likely to see. Sure, she gets Disemboweled, but if they’re tapping nine to do so, they deserve it. Me? I think she’s too big to be counted. Whaddaya reckon, guys?
Green-White:
- Congregation at Dawn is reminiscent of Eladamri’s Call. It conjures up three guys for your next three draws, at instant speed. It has intense color commitments, but can reap rewards. Worth it in Limited? Probably not, but maybe. Again, I’m unsure. What do people think?
- Next, there’s the hugely overpriced Pollenbright Wings. Six mana for an Aura, such danger involved with a heavy investment. If it hits and sticks, fair play to you. The ability it grants is strong. Personally, I’ll leave it behind, but I’m prone to hayfever.
Red-White:
- Red and white, the color of speed and damage. Did I get a Lightning Helix? No chance. Instead, I get a 2/1 for R/W that makes things temporarily pacified. I quite like him, the Thundersong Trumpeter. Sadly, it’ll be strange to see him hit on turn 2, and he’s prone to all removal ever created, but he has uses.
- The last nugget of gold is the Flame-Kin Zealot. As a 2/2 for four, with three of them being specific colors, he’s hardly inspiring. But then again, he’s entirely inspiring, in that he inspires his allies to be speedy and strong. Hell, he even inspires himself, he’s so good. Sure, I’d play him. He’s not great, but he helps.
The golden cards here are pretty cool. I think I’d’ve appreciated some more marquee cards, such as Lightning Helix or Putrefy, but I have options. Especially in the Blue/Black Dimir guild. Black seems to be a lock-in for main-color play, as does Green. Their running-mate, if any, is yet to be decided.
Hybrid:
Ah, Hybrid cards… now this is where the excitement arrives! We’ve all been lusting for a taste of Hybrid goodness ever since they were announced. Let’s take a sip o’ that funky milk…
Two bloody cards?
I feel let down.
- The first is Gaze of the Gorgon. Four mana, with a single Black or Green as color commitment, to turn a one-sided combat situation completely on its head. I think it has uses, but it isn’t quite as strong as it first appears. Yes, it should generally trade for their best attacker, and maybe pick up a decent two-for-one (or better) when they multi-chump your problem guy…but is it really that special? Hmm… after re-reading what I’ve just written, I’d say it is. I was going to claim that it wouldn’t really have much impact, but now I’m no sure. Oh, I don’t know! Come and help in the forums, tell us what you think of the Gaze of Gordon.
- The second on the hybrid list is the Lurking Informant. This 1/2 guy for one-and-a-Blue/Black has an interesting effect. He’s fragile, but if left untampered he can mill folk to death while bumming their draw quality. I think I’d run him, but he’s hardly Hulk Hogan. And he appears to be followed by a bearded wedding cake.
Two bloody cards… I was expecting so much more.
Artifacts:
This pool vomits up five artifacts for consideration. Five? That’s a bit much. What is this, bloody Mirrodin all over again?
- While I claim there are five, there are actually three: over half of the artifact content here are signets. Dimir, Golgari, Selesnya, each has its own signet to produce relevant colors when required. I say play with these if your colors dictate, and maybe even if they don’t. After all, off-color myrs were popular back in the day. They provide acceleration, which can’t be bad.
- One mana brings us Terrarion, the mana-washing cantrip. Why the hell not? It’ll find a number of uses in this multicolored block, and it draws a card. Approved!
- Finally, we have a rare artifact. Plague Boiler? Nah, something far less tasty. Crown of Convergence is a cheap, situational Glorious Anthem. As such, I wouldn’t bother. However, it does allow those pesky Selesnya members to cycle through their deck, so maybe it ain’t all bad. Again, I ask you forum fairies for advice on this one. Currently, I think I’d rather just play another guy.
Land:
We have two, and neither of them is a rare money-pull. Ah well, I suppose I’d better order them as singles like the rest of the planet.
- First up, we have Duskmantle, House of Shadow. I can see this having a place in a Blue/Black control Constructed deck… but for Limited? Maybe if we grow to find games stall out frequently. Then again, Blue and Black are hardly your traditional stall colors.
- The other land we have is the common Golgari Rot Farm. Surely a farm that specializes in Rot is not going to drum up much business. I think turnips would be a much safer bet. Golgari Turnip Farm… for all your vegetable needs. Anyway, what do people think about these lands? I’m unsure as they seem to be a lack of tempo unless played on turn two. I wouldn’t play this, but I saw many folk who were running the on-color equivalents. What do you guys think?
So there we go. That’s what I think of the cards in my Prerelease pool. Did you agree with my assessments? Did you think I was talking rubbish?
Either way, the forums are here for us. Take advantage of the opportunity, and join in the fun.
Without further ado, I present my Prerelease decklist. Please bear in mind that it was my first attempt at a Ravnica sealed build… so go easy, folks.
Blue (5):
Drift of Phantasms
Snapping Drake
Flight of Fancy
Followed Footsteps
Telling Time
Black (9):
2 Dimir House Guard
Golgari Thug
Keening Banshee
Mausoleum Turnkey
Roofstalker Wight
Sewerdreg
2 Disembowel
Green (6):
Bramble Elemental
Cavern Caryatid
Civic Wayfinder
Golgari Brownscale
Gather Courage
Moldervine Cloak
Multi-Colored (1):
Sisters of Stone Death
Artifacts (2):
Dimir Signet
Terrarion
Land (17):
7 Forest
6 Swamp
4 Island
1cc: S A
2cc: CC S A
3cc: CCCC S
4cc: CCCCC S
5cc: CC S
6cc: –
7cc: –
8cc: C
Xcc: SS
Hahaha, look at that! Eight mana! Right up there in the clouds! Sisters of the Stone Death… what the hell was I thinking?
Three colors, all requiring double commitment… wrong wrong wrong. I don’t care how multicolored Ravnica is, I was nothing more that a miserable Sinner.
I am such a glutton. I couldn’t even heed my own advice there.
In each of my seven matches at the pre-release, I made three sideboard changes. Before I go through the deck’s good and bad points, I’ll present it how I think I should’ve built it…
Blue (4):
Drift of Phantasms
Snapping Drake
Flight of Fancy
Telling Time
Black (10):
Dimir House Guard
Golgari Thug
Keening Banshee
Mausoleum Turnkey
Roofstalker Wight
Sewerdreg
Stinkweek Imp
2 Disembowel
Strands of Undeath
Green (7):
Bramble Elemental
Cavern Caryatid
Civic Wayfinder
Golgari Brownscale
Transluminant
Gather Courage
Moldervine Cloak
Artifacts (2):
Dimir Signet
Terrarion
Land (17):
7 Forest
7 Swamp
3 Island
1cc: S A
2cc: CCC S A
3cc: CCCCC S
4cc: CCCC SS
5cc: CC
6cc: –
7cc: –
8cc: –
Xcc: SS
Much better.
Onto the strengths of the deck, then we’ll hit the weaknesses.
- While I had minimal dredge options, there was a fair amount of funky graveyard recursion. The Stinkweed Imp was nice enough, but the Golgari Thug was wonderful, as was the Mausoleum Turnkey. If played correctly, he’s a superior Gravedigger.
- In general, I found Dredge to be strictly broken. Moldervine Cloak was a recursive pain in the rear for all my opponents. A definite first-pick bomb, that one. Also, the ability to recurse some problem creatures via the Golgari Thug was appreciated.
- With Transmute cards at three and four mana, the deck had a number of fetch options at its disposal. The Drift of Phantasms found itself becoming a Moldervine Cloak nine times out of ten, and the Dimir House Guard became a Flight of Fancy or a Strands of Undeath whenever the situation dictated.
- While low on removal, the Disembowels were wonderful. Gotta love the Keening Banshee too, especially with the recursion available.
- This build, with its fear and flyers and swampwalk, gives us a fair amount of evasion, which is always good to have.
Moving onto the weaknesses…
- I feel, as I always seem to, that I’ve simply not made the best choices available to me. For example, I know that the Strands of Undeath is good, but is it better than Gaze of the Gorgon? And I know that the Blue splash is nice, but does it outweigh a Red or White equivalent? I’m anxious to hear from you in the forums on this one…
- Even with the removal of the Following Footsteps, there are still color issues. The double-Blue transmute cost for the Drift of Phantasms was particularly hard to come by, as was (bizarrely) the double Green: I’d either have loads of Forests, or none at all. Thank heavens for the Terrarion.
- While the removal I had was good, it was hardly deep. I found that most of my opponents either had scadloads of removal backed up with weedy idiot-guys, or Big Bad Behemoths unable to deal with the tiniest of evading bloke. I found myself riding my luck a little at times, saving my removal for threats that often didn’t show… but I suppose that’s what the Good Players do automatically, so I shouldn’t complain.
So there we are. Good stuff, bad stuff, and a little debate thrown in. I hope to see the forums flowing.
I think the deck I built is solid enough, but without more knowledge and practice with the cards, I’m not sure I missed some vital opportunities. Some of the Green/White options open to me seem nice, such as Congregation at Dawn, and there are some funky Red spells to boot. I’m keen to hear how you’d differ from my choices.
As for my own performance… I can’t say I was disappointed.
I lost my first round to a guy who showed me the true power of Dredge. He seemed to cast all his key spells at least three times apiece. Indeed, his play (and deck) helped me re-evaluate a lot of my choices and led directly to my subsequent sideboarding plan for the remainder of the match.
My second round saw me sat at the bottom table. My opponent didn’t show. I was pissed off, as even though it was three points, I was on vacation and wanted to play. I very nearly dropped there and then in order to lounge around the pool back at the villa. With hindsight, I’m glad I persisted.
I won round three.
And round four, and five.
And round six.
And round seven.
After going the true definition of the Swiss Gambit, I finished 6-1, on 18 points, comfortably in 4th position. As the Top 4 each received a box of Ravnica boosters as their prize, I can say I won the tournament.
I’ll reserve true judgment on this pool of cards until I’ve seen a few more offerings… but I don’t think they were especially strong on first inspection. Still, they must be more powerful than I thought, as they did the job required. Time will show us the way, I’m sure.
I’ll be back with more Sealed Revealed when Ravnica hits its official release. I’ll be bringing you six articles in total, two a week for three weeks, and I am currently in negotiation with another writer over the possibility that he takes the reigns for a couple of these. I hope he’ll agree, but his boat is currently under an unexplained radio silence and therefore he’s difficult to contact. I’ll say more when I have more to say.
So, to the forums! Come show me your builds, and correct mine. I’ll do my best to reply to your posts, but I’ll admit that, this time, I may not get much opportunity. I’m on vacation in Orlando, and the call of Mickey Mouse is a strong one. If I don’t chime up, I hope you’ll understand and forgive me.
After all, Leeds is great… but it ain’t Florida.
Until the next pile,
Thanks for listening.
Craig Stevenson.
[email protected]
Scouseboy on MTGO
…
* “I wish to register a complaint! It’s about this drake which I bought not half an hour ago from this very boutique.”
“Sure mate, what’s wrong with it?”
“What’s wrong with it? It’s dead, that’s what wrong with it!”
“Nah, mate, it’s just regeneratin’.”
“Regeneratin’?! It’s gone to meet its maker! It has ceased to be! It has joined the Choir Invisibule! This is an Ex-Drake!”
etc, etc…