A friend of mine came home from the US for a short visit and he paid me the highest compliment when he said that I had done a good job organizing tournaments because he saw plenty of new faces.  He was also amazed that we ended five rounds of play before it got dark.  Lastly, he liked that I was there teaching the game to a girl who wandered in and wanted to learn.

     His comments helped affirm what I believe is necessary for Magic to survive and thrive in this country.  The first is the infusion of new blood.  The game is inherently fun but unless we show and share it with others who don't know then the playing populace will shrink to the point that even heavily invested fanatics will walk away.  The second is to provide a casual, family atmosphere so that people can enjoy themselves even when they're not winning, that passersby see and immediately want to be a part of because it stems from human beings' innate need to belong.  Magic shouldn't be a chore or a job even if it is that to some members of the community.  The third and last is to be professional in delivering products and services to the customers.  Being on time is my pet peeve which is why I want to make a reliable promise that we will end the event before nightfall so that clients can go home earlier and have dinner together with their families.

     I still have a long way to go before I can say that I've done everything possible to hold an event that matches my vision for what a Magic occasion ought to be.  In the meantime, I'm willing to learn whatever is necessary and to perform those roles a self-respecting tournament organizer must occupy. If my friend's remark is any indication, then I am already on my way.

How Kaalia Got Her Groove Back

For several weeks now I've been using Pyroblast and Reverberate to great effect against the mostly blue metagame in SM North.  Pyroblast can counter Lazav and kill Consecrated Sphinx with just one red mana while Reverberate can copy an overloaded Cyclonic Rift and deal with countermagic with two.  Both are very efficient and I have won scores of games because of how they are unexpected and powerful. 

    

      But now I'm going to be rocking these two new cards:

     Rise of the Dark Realms is going to give me a stronger mid to late game.  All I have to do is wait for people to summon their creatures to the battlefield before someone decides it's too dangerous and casts a mass removal spell.  That's the time to spring this beauty!  Typically, there won't be a follow-up sweeper so I can wreak havoc for several turns, possibly ending the lives of my opponents by my next combat step.  In the case that someone does have an answer for my reanimated army before I could attack with it, I can reasonably assume that most of the creatures had abilities that triggered upon coming into play which still puts me ahead by a wide margin in terms of board position.

     To illustrate what can be done with this card, I will cite what I did earlier today when I used this spell.  In one game, I was able to bring back from the grave more than a dozen creatures including an Aurelia and Grand Abolisher.  I had planned for this happening so there was a Fervor when this occurred which gave everybody haste.  Upon declaring combat, I entwined Savage Beating to garner three attack phases (including one from Aurelia) and grant double strike to all my troops.  In one fell swoop, I massacred five opponents.

     I don't know if this is a solid card moving forward but I will test it extensively for a month or so.  My guess is that it's a bomb in the same vein as Insurrection.  For now, I know it is something that has Kaalia excited again.   

     Strionic Resonator, on the other hand, is effective anytime it hits the table.  In fact, Kaalia will deploy two creatures from my hand if it copies her triggered ability.  Imagine playing Iona and naming two colors.  Fantastic and brutal, right?  I guess it was for this reason that my friend Austin destroyed it immediately.  Thus, I wasn't able to explore its full potential in the same game where I won with Rise from the Dark Realms.  The only benefit I squeezed out of it was searching for a second basic land with Solemn Simulacrum which was actually not too shabby.  

     I believe that this card has the makings of a Commander staple.  It can imprint two creatures inside Mimic Vat.  You can extort twice.  Or return two creatures to the battlefield with Sheoldred's ability.  The possibilities are numerous.  This is why it will probably only take a short time for me to confirm its place in the deck as opposed to Rise of the Dark Realms.  In fact, it has me wanting to get a Sun Titan and Grave Titan.  Those giants work extremely well with the Resonator.  Seriously, it will only be a matter of time before this artifact becomes a must-kill item.  I mean, it's just begging/screaming to be abused.

     And with these additions, Kaalia has become a joy to pilot again.  She has gotten her groove back.  And that is bad news to those who want to ruin her fun.

The Prerelease I'll Always Remember

     Last Sunday I played in the Mindstorm Hobbies M14 Prerelease Party held at Padi's Point in SM North.  While I wanted to open money rares I was also secretly hoping to go 4-0 and bring home a free t-shirt for doing so.  I had never achieved it, always ending up with a 3-1 record despite having great sealed (my favorite format!) decks.  Either I would mulligan to oblivion or be blown out of the water by an opponent who curved perfectly.

     I ripped the packs in anticipation and didn't get anything valuable other than a Jace, Memory Adept and Imposing Sovereign.  It looked like I had to earn back the 1,200 peso-entry fee by winning all my matches.  Even though there were support cards to try and play the blue planeswalker and thus deplete libraries left and right, it didn't appeal to me not when there were six slivers begging to be played in a Naya shell.  So I built that instead.  My deck was packed tight with eighteen 2 or 3-power creatures and five spells, mostly burn and pump spells to push damage through.

     Sweeping three opponents in a row gave me hope that I might finally achieve my goal of being unbeaten and donning the Prerelease shirt.  I received a bashing in the first game of the last round, however, and doubt crept in.  There was a minute that seemed like an eternity while I wondered if I would fail again.  Miraculously I found a reservoir of faith after that moment of despair and proceeded to steal the next two games to attain my objective.

     People around me stopped playing to gawk in shock and amusement as I shouted like a maniac in pure joy.  I had finally done it!  It felt awesome to cross off an item in my Magic bucket list.  Bazinga!

A Kaiju in Standard

     It looks like Kalonian Hydra is the real deal.  When it gets featured in Gavin Varhey's column, you know the guys at Wizards designed the card to be impactful.  It just might be the new five-mana green creature from a core set that will dominate Standard for some time.

Where dem robots at?

     Mr. Varhey's article focuses on a Jund build that wants to use Exava to haste this badass green monster into the battlefield.  While that is a fine proposition indeed, I can see this in a Simic or BUG shell.  Simic is all about +1/+1 counters as well as countermagic.  Those two things alone indicate that the hydra will fit in, boosting stuff like Experiment One and Gyre Sage.  Adding black to Duress away answers or to reanimate the many-headed snake from Kalonia is also an option in a BUG deck.  Lotleth Troll also gets to join the fray and Jarad can fling this mother for bonus fun.

     With so much potential, the card seems poised to become the chase rare of the set.  It also continues the story of Green becoming the top dog of the five colors of Magic.  That said, may you open this in your packs on Friday. 

30 Cards from M14 That May Impact Standard

     When something new is on the horizon people get confused, frightened, and delusional.  Some exhibit all three.  It is the case with M14 as many people have outright dismissed it as failing to shake up Standard or have gone the other extreme by touting every shiny new card as powerful.  Here is my take on some of the offerings from the latest core set and what they might do to our favorite format come July 19.

White:

Slivers.  Never thought I'd see them again much less be the returning mechanic in a core set but here they are with a new wrinkle: they only affect your slivers.  What do they bode?  Well if Bonescythe Sliver is any indication, Wizards wants the Borg er the slivers to become part of the metagame.  Four mana for a 2/2 with double strike is par for the course but when every chitinous alien-like being gets that combat ability, opponents start falling like trees.  This is the creature lord that matters if you're interested in sleeving up this race of deadly and fun critters in the future.

Prediction: Staple

M14 is a hateful set.  Color hosers have returned with a vengeance.  Fiendslayer Paladin is white's and this human knight will make any black or red mage wince in pain.  His "enemy color"-proof ability defends from pinpoint removal spells, ensuring that the beatdown marches on.  Pair with a Silverblade Paladin.  Check.  Pair with a Wolfir Silverheart.  Check.  Oh, and the lifelink and first strike aren't too shabby either.  These two abilities defuse and stop any creature onrush by zombies and/or goblins

Prediction: Sideboard

Just in case you're not clear about white being the color of weenies, here's another human with an impressive ability for two mana.  Turning off haste and preventing opposing creatures from blocking combines white's excellent command of the two facets of combat.  You have offense and defense in one tidy, neat package.  Apparently putting half of Blind Obedience on a 2/1 stick is good.  Scary good.  If you're still unconvinced, remember Thalia, Guardian of Thraben.  Imposing Sovereign is made from the same mold and will certainly go into all sorts of decks mainboard and sideboard.

Prediction: Staple

Yet another variation on Crusade, an enchantment that "pumps" the power of all your creatures by +1/+1.  There are plenty of things to like about this version.  One it costs three mana.  This feels more natural to cast as most of white's shock troopers come down on the second turn.  Two, it encourages attacking with an army as you gain life for every soldier who goes to war.  Really ideal for racing.  And the "limitation" really isn't one since you're always in the red zone.  This and Legion's Initiative make a White/X beatdown deck more than viable.

Prediction: Staple

I'm speechless.  Just kidding.

This is the card that swarm strategies have been salivating for since you can cast this during a control player's upkeep and prevent him or her from Supreme Verdict-ing away your battalions.  A perfect reprint that's now less expensive to acquire the second (or is third?) time around.

Prediction: Staple

 Blue:

Flying has always been the best evasion ability.  Giving this to all your men means the enemy is hard pressed to defend himself.  It also bears mentioning that this cheap flyer for 1/1 will usually be splashed in a Naya Sliver shell and cast when the time is right.  I liken it to Wonder in the U/G Madness deck.

Prediction: Staple

Do you want to stymie a fast red or green deck?  Then this blue bear, a 2/2 for 2 mana, is the deal for you.  It will lock down those pesky animals from the mountains and forests easily.  Someone harassing you with a Loxodon Smiter?  Well, summon Tidebinder Mage and solve your problem albeit temporarily, that is, until you draw Terminus or some other mass removal spell.  Lastly, you can even blink this for more shenanigans.

Prediction: Sideboard

Six mana for a 4/4 flyer is average.  In this age of superb creatures, you want more.  How about milling and casting free spells?  You smile because those things make a blue player giggle like a schoolgirl.  It also spells doom to your opponent as his key cards are sent directly to the graveyard and any useful instant or sorcery is used against him. This is also a bulky defender for any Jace you might have on the battlefield.

Prediction: Sideboard

There's a reason some spells are sorceries.  This card does away with it.  Do you want to kill creatures mid-combat with Supreme Verdict?  No problem.  Just leave a blue mana source untapped and you're on your way to ruining your opponent's day.  Oh, and you draw a card to boot.  What's not to like?

Prediction: Sideboard

Isochron Scepter on a stick?  Not quite but it's a pretty damn good impression.  I'd put Quicken under this guy every time or any counterspell or creature removal.  The low toughness is an issue but if you have a Negate and can activate the Arcanist's ability, then you've locked your opponent out.

Prediction: Staple

Black:

Anyone want Necropotence?  The casting cost is the same and the effects are the same: lose 1 life per card you draw.  The only difference is that a creature needs to die for you to enjoy the benefits.  If you can set up a recurring sacrifice engine this card is gravy all the way.  Definitely not something to overlook as the original Necropotence got banned and subsequent variations were considered broken as well.



Prediction: Staple

Nabbing a Supreme Verdict or Thragtusk isn't bad.  Tack on the three-power and intimidate and you got yourself a bargain at three-mana.  This basically answers your opponent's hate cards against you and is thus doubly useful.






Prediction: Sideboard

Nine mana is a lot but if you have Crypt Ghast and Liliana fetching swamps for you this will be easily achievable.  Great card in reanimator decks and demands an answer right away, preferably a mass removal spell.  Otherwise this is game over.






Prediction: Staple

This is one half of a combo in Standard.  The other is Exquisite Blood.  Put these two enchantments on the battlefield and gain a measly life to send your opponent to heaven.  Or hell.






Prediction: Staple

Red:

Four mana for a 7/7 with haste? Sign me up.  The thing is that you need an untapped Mountain so this basically requires five lands available if you want to see your opponent cringe in fear and pain.  While it's true that a removal spell will not only kill it but also destroy your land, the chance to smack the enemy for seven is not to be underestimated especially after they've used something like a Day of Judgment on their fourth turn.



Prediction: Staple

The 0 or Elkin Bottle ability is controversial and powerful.  Mono-red beatdown decks typically empty their hands quickly so having this card-advantage machine on the board means that cheap burn spells lying on top of the library will get cast.  And opponents will die like flies.





Prediction: Staple

Standard right now enjoys dual lands galore.  This punishes players who need colored mana via their nonbasic lands.  This is basically like the two-of Manabarbs in the early builds of Sligh decks back when it was unknown.  Attack with small critters and aim direct damage to the face before putting this down.  Your opponent will squirm and think about flipping the board in frustration.  A gotcha card like no other.



Prediction: Staple

Slivers love attacking.  Give them haste and have this "lord" join in the fun and the game is indeed beyond saving.  You can either wipe the board clean of blockers or render your foe helpless with this sliver version of Hellrider.






Prediction: Staple 

First strike and three power is pretty good.  Add the ability to shock people messing around with white or blue instants and sorceries and you have yourself a winner.






Prediction: Sideboard

Green:

For one extra green mana your creatures become uncounterable and they get a small power and toughness boost so that they can either block from out of nowhere.  Or you can do this at the end of an opponent's turn and watch in glee as your monster walks over there and wreaks all sorts of destruction.





Prediction: Sideboard

Hexproof is the bane of many decks and pairing this with a Wolfir Silverheart or Silverblade Paladin is nice.  A follow up Increasing Savagery is also sexy as hell.  If this had come out earlier, then I wouldn't have sold my werewolf deck. Rawr.






Prediction: Sideboard 

6/6 for six mana is boring but when all your slivers gets giant growthed permanently, then it's time to take this race of aliens seriously.  With Manaweft Sliver around, this can come down as early as the fourth turn as long as you keep deploying slivers every turn.  With a single Muscle Sliver (sorry I don't remember the new name it has now), +4/+4 is a beating your opponents will never forget.




Prediction: Staple

I'm going to go ahead and say it: this card is bonkers.  If it lives, then the opponent won't.  This is a constructed card and no longer a newbie's pet project that won't get anywhere.  There's a reason it's mythic because you will soon be telling stories of how you got beaten by this card or smashed someone's face with it.





Prediction: Staple

It seems like the worst Garruk at six mana but it's -3 ability means you're getting this planeswalker on your side and a green creature that requires more than seven mana to cast.  Savings!    The newly deployed guardian will defend Garruk as well as causing your opponent to bite his nails out of nervousness.





Prediction: Staple

Lands and Artifacts:

With so many hate cards having protection, this is the answer.  Oh, and it also massacres tokens and little armies like a Swiss knife.  Good reprint for the emerging metagame.






Prediction: Sideboard

There are tribes everywhere from Innistrad to M14.  Yup, slivers can also use the Door to buff themselves up some more.  But the most probable home for this card is in a human deck.  But I'm willing to be proven wrong.






Prediction: Staple

Some people just want to see the world burn and this is the card that lets them do it.  Rather hefty at five mana but the results are hot, hot, hot!  This further cements M14 as the Red set.

Prediction: Staple

This is the real deal.  With so many creatures having an enters the battlefield trigger, this artifact lets you double the pleasure you're getting.  Do you want Kalonian Hydra to really go berserk?  Use this!  You want Thragtusk to gain you ten life?  Use this.  The possibilities are endless.





Prediction: Staple

This is going to change the landscape.  Decks will be two colored to take advantage of this.  Aggro and control will both employ it.  Just a really solid manland to complement your tribal decks.






Prediction: Staple

     In conclusion, these are the thirty cards that I expect to see this coming Friday en masse.  There will be hits and misses in my predictions as is the case in something as unpredictable as a Magic metagame.  Even the people who make these cards don't know which of their babies will make the most splash.  But the fun is in exploring, making bold pronouncements, and hearing what other people think.  So go ahead and write in your comments.  I'm eager to learn from you all and thanks for reading.

M14 is Changing the Standard Landscape

     Yesterday it was revealed in Sam Stoddard's article that the core dual lands first unveiled in M10 were not returning.  While many were dreading their reprinting for two reasons, namely, boredom and low price, the announcement still came as a shock because it meant that changes are looming in the horizon.  For instance, it might not be as easy to build a three-color deck come October if the cycle of mana-fixing lands in Theros always enter the battlefield tapped.

 "So long, farewell, I hate to say goodbye."

     I was one of those taken aback by the decision to leave off the signature lands in M14.  While it wasn't bad per se, it boded ill of the days ahead, which Mr. Stoddard termed the end of something good.  He added that players would soon be reduced to two-color decks because assembling a decent manabase in Standard post-rotation wouldn't be a cakewalk. 

     After learning of this major development, I resolved to appreciate the embarrassment of riches in mana at this point in time as you should, too.  We might never experience something like this again for a long time so it behooves us to enjoy our three to five-color concoctions while we still can.

Muta-game

I like how Wizards has been changing the game subtly and adroitly over the last couple of years.  One of the things they've done is to insert cards in core sets that affect the metagame for a couple of months before everything rotates in October.  This year, they've reprinted Mutavault, a card that came out during Lorwyn block.

Yes, I know it is meant for Modern but I can't help think that it was always designed to be in Innistrad block. Placing it in M14 allowed other cards to shine temporarily but it also fleshes out the theme of a tribal set by having the premier man-land appear at the most appropriate time.  Now I can add this to a human or zombie deck for more fun and power.  It'll give control decks fits and allow for more innovations to surface.  Goblin deck anyone?