The Kitchen Table #365 - Ten-Year Anniversary Special!

Heya! Welcome! On October 8, 2001, my first article was published for SCG. That’s ten years ago today! In a celebration of this occasion, I thought it would be fun to have a bit of a retrospective and then write about Magic: The Role-Playing Game.

Ten years! Whew! That’s crazy. It feels more like three. During that time, I have written 365 weekly articles and 59 daily articles for just this site. If you were to read one weekly article I wrote a day, it would take you a year to read them all. I doubt there is anyone (other than me) who has actually read all of my articles, so allow me to invite you to my own personal top ten list. What are the best articles I’ve ever written? Sometimes I choose an article because of the content, and sometimes because of the writing. Here they are:

Honorable Mention – You CAN Play Type 1 #129: Revisiting Countermagic – This is an April Fool’s article written in the style of Oscar Tan. I had a lot of joke articles for AFD that I really like, and if you ever read Oscar Tan stuff, then you know that I really hit it on the head here. If not, then skip this, because you may not find it as funny.

10 – #344, 26 Islands – This is a great article that I refer to again and again in my own deckbuilding. It’s a great resource for casual deck builders of various stripes, and a good theory article.

9 – #246, Multiplayer Theory: The Density of Creatures – It’s very short for one of my articles and one of my best theory articles as well. It’s a game changer for many of my later articles. Friends and opponents have picked up on it as well.

8 – #127, Joey’s Ice Deck – In this article, I try to rebuild a kid’s deck based on his description. It’s a lot of fun with a neat deck at the end.

7 – #164, The Complete Equinaut Primer – My banner deck finally with its own article about the finer workings of the deck. It’s very useful for anybody trying to build an Equinaut deck.

6 – #170, Secret Alliances -This is one of my favorite multiplayer variants, and it’s easy to learn and a blast to play. Lots of people have told me that they’ve played it and loved it after reading this article.

5 – #209, The Magic Role-Playing Game – This is one of my greatest contributions to Magic, and we’ll talk about it later. The updated version of this is found here. These rules are the ones we’ll discuss, and the one I’d read today if you are unfamiliar with it.

4 – #237, Why Some Tournament Players Just Don’t Get It – I like my issue articles. I like to write about stuff others aren’t, and this was very necessary after some major issues. The points are quite valid, but it’s not the best written thing ever, and as I reread it, I can see how I’d change it for the better. It’s still pertinent today.

3 – Tied with Neo-Fires, an Excursion into Type Two and The Twin Fires: OBC and Type 2 G/R at Origins. They are sequels to each other, written before I was a featured writer, and it was largely on the strength of them that I was offered a featured writer spot. On the backbone of tournament articles. A great irony, I know. In one, I play and lose to Craig Wescoe in the 4th round of a tournament, so if you want to read about what happened, you can.

2 – Revelations of a Magic Writer – There is nothing I can say about this article that hasn’t already been said. There is no preamble sufficient enough to chart it. It’s not a long read, and if you are unfamiliar with it, just hit it up and check it out.

1 – #130, The Quest for the Perfect Token – This is my best-written and most enjoyable article to date. I like writing new things, and satirical articles like Your Smart Phone is not a Poison Counter, from a few weeks ago, is another in this line of articles that try and continue the essence of this article. It’s total fun!

It’s been a humbling blast to write for you! There are a lot of articles that I considered for this list, including Bad Rare Decks, Deck Challenges, Underused Hall of Fame, a few entries in the Compendium of Alternate Formats, and many others. My rant on red was very close on making the cut too.

After I wrote my first article on The Magic Role-Playing Game, I got a lot of compliments from casual players everywhere. A ton of people embraced the idea, and people sent me e-mails and forum posts that literally said that it changed the way they played the game. It was very humbling to think that one of my creations was behind that. I wrote some future articles that added new options to the game, and then, in March of 2010, I wrote a new edition, with some options becoming official rules, and streamlining it. I pulled some of the crazy traits, fixed things up, and make it much leaner and meaner.

Today I want to look at the Magic RPG, and build some Planeswalkers and decks for it! Sound like fun? I hope so!

Let’s start by creating a Planeswalker character:

Antara, Savior of Gesh – After her plane of Gesh was attacked by a large invasion of Pan-Planar monstrosities, this elf was able to single handedly fend them off after she discovered her spark when they destroyed her hometown. Using her innate abilities to kill, teleport and transform the monstrosities, they left Gesh for easier prey. Swearing an oath of Blood Vengeance, Antara began searching the planes for more signs of them, and to find others of her kind to assist in their struggles against the monstrosities. (Not all characters require a background, but I thought a nice paragraph on each would be fun)

We begin Antara with 15 Mage Points. We know that we want a starting life of 20 and hand of 7, so that’s 11 points in stats immediately. We don’t want any more right now. We do want some consistency in our deck, so we spend a point in Recall to enable us to have two of each card in our deck. It’s not necessary, but I like to start with at least one point there. As of right now, we have at least a 100-card deck, 2 of each card, access to Standard commons, with 7 cards in our hand and 20 life.

We put one point into the skill Memory. This gives us access to cards going back to Time Spiral. We want additional access, so Antara purchases Adept for Lorwyn Block. She now has access to all uncommons from Lorwyn and Morningtide.

With her final point, she purchases Totemic Shaman for Elves. Now, all of her elves get +1/+1. Here is her character sheet:

Antara, Savior of Gesh

Experience: 0
Level: 1

Mage Points (MP): 0

Mental Fortitude: 7
Physical Fortitude: 4
Recall: 1
Constraint:

Skills and Traits:

Memory: 1

Adept: Lorwyn (and Morningtide)

Totemic Shaman: Elves

And here is her first deck:

Antara Level One

Abe Sargent

Test deck on 10-09-2011

Casual

Creatures (42)

Lands (40)

Spells (18)

This is clearly an elf deck, with a ton of elves and a few spells for surprises. Everybody else Antara faces will be similarly youthful, and have decks that also face these consistency issues. You can’t expect brand new ‘Walkers to be as good as more experienced ones. After playing with Antara and her deck in a few multiplayer games Saturday night, she has gained 11 XP, and now is level 2.

She decides to add one Recall and takes two Constraint. That will enable her to decrease the size of her deck by 20 cards and to have 3 of each card. She understands that she’ll miss out on some good skills and traits for her, but she wants more consistency. She edits her previous deck:

Antara Level Two

Abe Sargent

Test deck on 10-09-2011

Casual

Creatures (33)

Lands (29)

Spells (18)

This is a much more streamlined version of the deck. Sleekness wins! This week, the pilot manages to win a few multiplayer games, but manages only 19 XP total – not enough for level 3. A quick duel in a car on the way back home gets a win and that precious two more XP that it takes to hit level 3.

Now Antara wants to expand. With such a large number of creatures, she decides to take Tactician, First Strike. Now all of her creatures have first strike. She also takes Sage: Elvish Champion, to be able to add another lord to her deck. Sage allows her to play four of it, no matter the Recall. Finally, she wants a bit more life, so she adds one to her physical fortitude. Here is her at level 2, which is where we will leave the story of Antara.

Antara, Savior of Gesh

Experience: 21
Level: 3

Mage Points (MP): 0

Mental Fortitude: 7
Physical Fortitude: 5
Recall: 2
Constraint: 2

Skills and Traits:

Memory: 1

Adept: Lorwyn (and Morningtide)

Totemic Shaman: Elves

Sage: Elvish Champion

Tactician: First Strike

Her final deck just replaces 3 Gilt-Leaf Ambush and 1 Plummet with 4 Elvish Champion. (Note that Antara could play different decks, you could have an elf control deck and a elf aggro deck and a combo deck with her – you are not necessarily tied to one deck with your character).

By level 5, Antara will have a 60 card deck with four of each card allowed, and probably have added at least one more tactician ability to her creatures. Perhaps she will also have added access to another elf lord.

Now, let’s look at another ‘Walker:

Raglit, The Fallen Scholar – After spending more than three decades of his life in research at the College of Wizardly Arts and developing his skills, Raglit finally developed the ultimate spell. Using his knowledge of death and the dead, he discovered how to animate life, not simply as a mindless minion, but full life! When he revealed his discovery to the Council of Mages, he expected to be praised! They would acknowledge that he had done something they never thought possible. All of those years of ridicule, but he would have the last laugh. When he presented his findings, instead of being praised, they inquired about his methods. Those fools! What matter is it that he had to kill people in order to discover the spark of life? The results justify everything. In a fit of rage, unshackled by decades of pent up persecution, he found the spark alright, but it wasn’t the spark of life, but that of being a planeswalker. With his powers he slew many of the mages, and then left to explore his newfound appreciation for death.

Raglit wants to focus on options and access. He puts four points in physical fortitude, and eight into mental. His max and starting handsize is 8, and he will begin with 20 life. With his three other points, he puts one into Recall, and two into Memory. He has access to commons going back to Kamigawa Block and 9th Edition.

Raglit, the Fallen Scholar

Experience: 0
Level: 1

Mage Points (MP): 0

Mental Fortitude: 8
Physical Fortitude: 4
Recall: 1
Constraint: 0

Skills and Traits:

Memory: 2

Here is his first deck:

Raglit Level One

Abe Sargent

Test deck on 10-09-2011

Casual

Creatures (24)

Lands (36)

Spells (40)

12 removal spells, 12 counters, and some bounce, card drawing and 26 creatures of value. I had to remove the artifact mana because I didn’t have room (DImir Signet, Mistvein Borderpost) with a benefit of not having mana weaknesses to artifact removal.

With this control deck ready and raring to go, Reglit brutalizes his foes at the card shop and the kitchen table and gains 13 XP one Sunday night.

He wants to give himself another card when he draws, so he gives himself a Mental Fortitude of 9. He also uses Adept on Invasion Block and has access to those uncommon. Finally, he wants Mythical: Magic 2012. He gains access to the mythic cards from it, but he can only use one copy of each in his deck, no matter his Recall. That’s okay, because he thinks it will really help his deck:

The cards he adds from Invasion Block are Fact or Fiction, Salt Marsh, Annihilate, Spite / Malice, Phyrexian Gargantua and Wash Out. Add to that one each of Grave Titan, Frost Titan, Jace, Memory Adept, Sorin Markhov and you have some power getting added to the deck.

With this great injection of quality to his deck, he again handles his foes and now has 25 XP after another day of playing games at the local card shop.

He would like a little more consistency, and puts a point in Recall. He also drops another in Mental fortitude, so he now draws and keeps a grip of ten. Finally, he puts a point in Guile to give him more consistency. Each upkeep he can Scry: 1. This is where we leave him:

Raglit, the Fallen Scholar

Experience: 25
Level: 3

Mage Points (MP): 0

Mental Fortitude: 10
Physical Fortitude: 4
Recall: 2
Constraint: 0

Skills and Traits:

Memory: 2

Adept: Invasion Block

Mythical: M12

Guild: 1

Here is his final deck:

Raglit Level Three

Abe Sargent

Test deck on 10-09-2011

Casual

Creatures (26)

Planeswalkers (2)

Lands (36)

Spells (38)

By emphasizing the best cards in the theme, we have a much more powerful control deck being wrought. Remember that Raglit is now drawing 10 cards on the first turn, so the value of cards like Ponder and Preordain or land cycles like Traumatic Visions is reduced. We still have Jhessian Zombies due to a need for bodies and the landcycling is still useful. Every single creature has a reason to be bounced, so using the ninjutsu of the Ninja of the Deep Hours has become quite good. Then add the bounce of AEther Adept, Deny reality, Wash Out, and you have enough bounce to start getting dangerous. This is a nice little deck, and you can see what Raglit will keep doing.

By level 5, I believe Raglit will be drawing a grip of 12 and have bumped his Recall to 4 of each card. Don’t be surprised if he goes Sage: Damnation for some serious power. After that, he may begin to shrink the deck size with Constraint.

Let’s do another:

Hagat, Slayer of Embresh – The bow is perfection. No weapon approximates its beauty, its grandeur or its lethality. I can fire an arrow farther and more accurately than anyone on my plane. I discovered my spark in a contest with the bow, when my competition had launched a shot dead center of the target, 300 paces down field. I breathed normally and drew back my arrow to aim it. The peaceful moment of oneness with the bow overcame me, and I realized my spark. The arrow flung outwards with a grace and speed that belied sight. It embedded itself inside of my foe’s arrow and split it. I won the contest, but now I was using my spark to enhance my arrows. My arrows were of fire and ice, of blindness and deafness, and of sound and fury. Meanwhile, an enclave of dark clerics began their chants and brought onto our place the great demon Embresh. He broke their puny bonds and destroyed their building before moving towards the local town, destroying farms and people in his wake. The town guard rallied but were unable to piece his skin. I heard the commotion from my watchtower and dashed down the stairs. Embresh was tearing through buildings near the center of the town. I got on one knee and drew my bow and arrow in one sweeping motion. I knocked the arrow, and let the magic flow through me and into the arrow. I aimed for where I believed his heart was and let fly. The arrow glisten every color of the rainbow as it flied straight and true into the breast of the demon. Soundlessly, Embresh died instantly, without even realizing its death.

Hagat wants to build a nice white deck with both aggro and control elements and perhaps a bit of a soldier theme. He puts 4 points into Physical Fortitude to start with 25 life, and 7 into Mental. He also rocks a point in Recall, and then purchases three Memory in order to reach commons all the way back to Onslaught and 8th

Hagat, Slayer of Embresh

Experience: 0
Level: 1

Mage Points (MP): 0

Mental Fortitude: 7
Physical Fortitude: 4
Recall: 1
Constraint: 0

Skills and Traits:

Memory: 3

Hagat Level One

Abe Sargent

Test deck on 10-09-2011

Casual

Creatures (40)

Lands (34)

Spells (26)

With removal and cheap creatures, this deck tries to be the aggro-control deck at the table. It emphasizes tappers, a decent soldier theme, and a bit of equipment for flavor. Getting Memory: 3 allows cycling lands from Onslaughts, and that’s a nice bonus for a deck with no raw card advantage.

Hagat’s controller heads to the nightly card game. He wins two duels, loses three, and wins and places second in two multiplayer game – 12 XP and easily level 2. He wants Adept: Onslaught Block and Mirrodin Block, which gives him a lord in Daru Warchief and lots of great cards. He also considers Pet: Isamaru, Hound of Konda, but he has to spend at least one Mage Point at each level on a stat. He puts a point in Physical Fortitude, so he will start with 25 life.

The cards he adds to his deck from Onslaught Block are Daru Warchief, Daru Encampment, Wing Shards,

Whipcorder, and Catapult Squad. From Mirrodin Block he gets the amazing Taj-Nar Swordsmith, Steelshaper’s Gift, Lightning Greaves, Loxodon Warhammer and Skullclamp. This deck had problems with card drawing, so we are going to fix that!

After taking his new machine and defeating most of his enemies, he gets another 10 XP and is now level 3. Now he wants Recall increased to 2, Mythical: New Phyrexia, and another point physical fortitude. He now begins the game with 30 life and 7 cards.

Hagat, Slayer of Embresh

Experience: 0
Level: 1

Mage Points (MP): 0

Mental Fortitude: 7
Physical Fortitude: 6
Recall: 2

Constraint: 0

Skills and Traits:

Memory: 3

Adept: Mirrodin Block, Onslaught Block

Mythical: New Phyrexia

Hagat Level Three

Abe Sargent

Test deck on 10-09-2011

Casual

Creatures (36)

Planeswalkers (1)

1 Karn Liberated

Lands (36)

Spells (29)

This deck features the fun equipment section with much better equipment and now has 6 tutors in the deck to fetch them. The creature base is more soldier-focused with jettisoned cards like Kor Cartographer and Kami of Ancient Law. The only non-solider in the deck is Kor Sanctifiers. Gone are fun tricks that cost too much mana like Aven Liberator and Deftblade Elite. We still have a powerful removal suite in addition to useful creatures.

At level 5, I would expect Hagat to have grabbed Sage: Mentor to the Meek, and perhaps increased his Constraint to start bringing his deck size down. He may also consider Speed of Thought, which allows you to equip at instant speed, or Mythical other sets from Scars block for more Swords. Maybe he’ll move towards an equipment deck, or decide to slide into something like Sage: Martial Coup and Sage: Decree of Justice.

And this is where we’ll leave Hagat, Slayer of Embresh.

Unfortunately, this is also where I leave you, for we have reached the end of the article. I hope you enjoyed seeing some Planeswalkers and decks made with Magic the RPG, and I hope you check out the fun articles I linked to earlier. Thank you so very much for taking the time out of your day to read my articles, it is always humbling.

Until Later,
Abe Sargent