I want to talk a bit about what makes a card broken, and what makes a format healthy. As the StarCityGames.com writer with more articles about combos that don’t work than anyone else, I am also going to talk about combo decks and their impact on the format.
The deck started out as a Bloodshot Cyclops deck, but that proved too slow with all of the Skullclamps and Arcbound Ravagers running rampant. Now it’s more of a Synod Sanctum deck than anything else. Stealing, hiding, and then keeping an opponent’s creatures has held my interest for a long time, but I personally can’t wait for banning and Fifth Dawn to shake up people’s decklists.
Today’s Ask Ken is handled by the inimitable, unstoppable, untouchable Gary”MF” Talim.
I’m positively giddy about the possibilities that will Fifth Dawn bring to Constructed Magic. I mean, I’m giddier than Osyp in the vicinity of Playboy bunnies, and that’s pretty damned giddy, let me tell you. On this day though, I must temper my enthusiasm for the many sick decks cooking in my brain to talk about the effect that the new set will have on the two top decks in the format – you know, the stuff people actually care about. What’s that? You’re sick of hearing about Ravager and Goblins, you say? Me too, kids. But when the editor steps out of the dugout and puts the ball in my hand, I can’t refuse the man – no matter how badly he’s trying to suck me into a seemy underworld of flamboyant costumes and super villainy.
Oscar riffs on Bleiweiss, Knut, Vedalken Orrery, and why some cards belong together like chocolate and peanut butter, and why other cards, while seemingly a solid combo, are simply a bad idea.
Thank Goodness. I don’t know if it was a collective whoop or sigh that passed through the competitive Magic community yesterday with the DCI Banned and Restricted Announcement. For me, the announcement signaled that it may be safe to start creative deckbuilding again in the Casual Constructed room of Magic Online.
This story begins way back when Darksteel first came out, when a little Artificer that goes by the name Vedalken Engineer caught my eye. He said to me, in the same crooning voice that he used to speak to so many others, one thing:”Turn 2 Gilded Lotus.” Yes, this little man, with an assist from Chrome Mox, could put a Gilded Lotus on the table just about as fast as a Tinker and leave you with more mana on the next turn than you would know what to do with. I had to have it.
Rather than rehash information about a deck most are already familiar with, I would like to examine Fifth Dawn’s impact on Tooth And Nail and what benefits other decks in the field could receive that might affect it. Regionals didn’t reveal much about Tooth And Nail that most of us didn’t already know. Elf And Nail has only now made an impact on the tournament scene, although it did make successful appearances at Regionals across the U.S. A series of strong showings and solid matchups seem to be causing an upswing in popularity of the deck, and many feel that Elf And Nail could be the answer to a field infested with Affinity decks. So it has proven to be a good deck, but that’s all about to change. Or is it?
Ah, Fifth Dawn is here, and I have finally decided to return myself to writing. How could I resist? Crystal Quarry will finally see some real casual use, no longer fueling the one-in-a-million Sliver Queen, since no one really uses Cromat. The Sunburst mechanic will see to that. Amongst the dozens of set reviews there, I want to cover the odds and ends of these cards – play quirks, rules interests, and of course, the multiplayer and casual aspects of the best new ideas from R&D.
One of Magic’s favorite mad geniuses has decided to experiment with a daily column, and we’ve decided to let him. Take a peek inside for all the goings on.
Engineered Explosives
Single card in search of home. Likes decks with lots of different colors of mana, and few small casting cost permanents. Does not enjoy being related to cousins Pernicious Deed and Powder Keg. Instead likes to stand on its own. If you have a place in your deck for such a card, call us at 1-900-HOT-MACHINE-LOVE tonight. Don’t delay!
The pre-Fifth Dawn metagame was cornered by a trio of Ravager Affinity, Goblin Bidding, and Tooth and Nail. Those three decks aren’t going anywhere until the next rotation, but will undoubtedly evolve with the new environment. While other writers will be focusing on updated versions of these decks later in the week, I’m going to take a look at what MWC gains from the new set and deliver a modified build of the deck that’s hopefully ready to compete in the new environment.
Welcome to the last part of my look at Fifth Dawn across the various Constructed formats. On Tuesday we looked at Type One. On Wednesday, we moved forward towards Extended, and yesterday was a peek at Fifth Dawn in a post-Skullclamp Standard. This leaves only one format of note left to explore (sorry guys, not touching 1.5 or 5 Color) – Mirrodin Block Constructed.
Last time, I discussed the appearance rates of the cards currently on the restricted list, and took the opportunity to explain why some of them don’t belong there. This week, I’m going to look at a lot of noteworthy unrestricted cards and discuss their fluctuations over the last seven and a half months. For the people who’ve been paying close attention to Type One over that whole time, there won’t be many surprises here, but for the relatively un-hardcore reader, you can catch up on a lot of conventional wisdom all at once.
