Blog Elemental – Up All Night
I think I like theme decks more than the average fellow. In fact, here’s a quick recap of my first year of Magic…
I think I like theme decks more than the average fellow. In fact, here’s a quick recap of my first year of Magic…
The Jon Kaus article about what he learned about Wizards R&D was filled with sweeping generalities and impossible recommendations. It is clear to me that he doesn’t understand the phenomenon that is playtesting for a game on the scale of Magic: the Gathering. But rather than try to summarize it all at once, I want to address each of his points, and show the mistakes one at a time.
This time we’ll talk about Red and Black. I’ll go card by card in pick order and talk about them, and how my evaluation of these cards has changed over time
Last time we published an article by Gadiel, our forums erupted like someone had lit them on fire (though it was mostly with hatemail.) Well, he’s back again to tell you how he finished in the money in San Diego. Yeah, it’s late, but we all know that you want to keep up with the continuing adventures of the most precocious (yes, there are other descriptions one could use) fifteen-year-old on the Pro Tour.
A continuing look at the trends of Type I, and some observations about what to expect for the Summer Convention Season.
I’m just going to jump in with both feet and get the ol’ fire stoked. Okay, that line is a horribly mixed metaphor because, barring some sort of Far Eastern mind trick, your feet would be burned in the most disgusting manner, leaving you with useless chunks of charred flesh and a sticky sweet stench that will haunt your nostrils forever. You should get my drift, though, because I contend that: The DCI did not need to ban Skullclamp.
Today, for no reason whatsoever, I’m continuing my Fifth Dawn menu with a look at the Black cards.
You are covered head-to-toe in welts and bruises, lice, and bodily wastes. Worse: you are bound hand and foot, your limbs are stretched to the four winds on the rack, and your captor stands above you mocking your every breath. You can’t move, you can hardly breath, and every time you try to sleep or escape into the recesses of your mind your captor turns the wheel yet another notch. There is absolutely nothing you can do but suffer… and, eventually, die. Welcome to the hell that is Krark-Clan Ironworks.
Sometime before Regionals a friend of mine got very excited about a mono-Blue combo deck that worked post-Darksteel. He referred to as”Teen Titans.” I’m told the deck is well known, and was considered to be a pretty good deck locally, although I don’t know exactly who came up with it or where the deck’s exact origins are. I could probably say something like”The Japanese came up with it” and that would satisfy everyone. The better name for the deck is probably simply”Retract-storm combo.” Here’s how it works…
In part one we looked at some of the combo decks of Vintage. In part two we looked at mostly Control and Aggro-Control decks. In this article, we look primarily at the various Mishra’s Workshop-based decks that Type One has spawned.
Auriok Salvagers
Okay, Ben Bleiweiss told us that this is a stupendous two-card, infinite mana combo with Black Lotus (or Lion’s Eye Diamond, actually), so we should get off our stagnant Type I asses and innovate up a Salvagers deck.
Knut: Mike, this article has no strategy. I can’t run you at the top of the page.
Flores: But I’m the greatest. You have to run me at the top of the page.
Knut: Okay, maybe you’re the greatest. And the article really is quite wonderful. But I’m sticking this in”Issues” where it belongs.
Flores: I will have my revenge!
Knut: Just Kidding.
Whenever a new set comes out, two things happen. First, people look at the direct impact on existing decks in a given format. What Fifth Dawn cards might go into Tooth and Nail? What does Ravager get to replace Skullclamp? Second, people start building the obvious decks, like Krark-Clan Ironworks combo or mono-Black control. In my opinion, both of these activities are premature. First should come the brainstorming.