Magic: the Gathering: the Thread

[gunner_recall]

What are you guys expecting out of Dragon's Maze? I'm thinking either

A) Ally guilds(i.e., Azorious and Boros team up or Azorious and Orzhov)
B) Four color guilds(i.e., Azorious and Golgari, etc.)
C) Cards with two keywords(i.e., a GU spell that has both overload/detain/cipher and populate/evolve/bloodrush)

[Dontrike]

What are you guys expecting out of Dragon's Maze? I'm thinking either

A) Ally guilds(i.e., Azorious and Boros team up or Azorious and Orzhov)
B) Four color guilds(i.e., Azorious and Golgari, etc.)
C) Cards with two keywords(i.e., a GU spell that has both overload/detain/cipher and populate/evolve/bloodrush)

Guilds becoming allies will probably happen in some form if whatever is going on in the plane is going to do something evil or if they want to help that. I could see some cards having part hybrid costs to show some sort of allegiance like a Selesnya/Azorious team up card being (U/G)W. Split cards may also be possible.

If they bring back the Nephilim I could see them being 4 color hybrid, but you only need 3 colors to cast them something like (U/G)(G/B)(B/R)(R/U) for example would keep the Nephilims 4 colors without them being close to impossible to cast in limited.

It would be interesting to see if we get two keywords.

What the Dragon's Maze is and what that has to do with the plane I am definitely waiting to see, plus we will probably get some more focus of the Gateless.

I am betting we see guild champions, just a rare legendary creature for each guild, much like in the original Ravnica.

Things are bound to be interesting.

[Kalyyn]

Somebody explain to me why this guy is good. I have three of them, and it seems they are worth a pretty decent amount. I understand how they could be strong in certain situations, but how on earth is this a $10 card?

[Pendulous]

It's just like Dark Confidant http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Ca...iverseid=83771

I don't get it. You pull a big demon from the top, there goes half your life. Way too risky, even for black.

[Dontrike]

Somebody explain to me why this guy is good. I have three of them, and it seems they are worth a pretty decent amount. I understand how they could be strong in certain situations, but how on earth is this a $10 card?

Much like Dark Confidant it will get you extra cards to use and it could hose your opponent at the same time if they use a higher curve. Why it's over $10 I have no idea, but $5 wouldn't seem to insane for this card. Right now people are banking on the fact it's a 4/4 for 4 that can deal more damage to your opponent. If it will actually be useful I have no idea

It's just like Dark Confidant http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Ca...iverseid=83771

I don't get it. You pull a big demon from the top, there goes half your life. Way too risky, even for black.

You would basically want this card to be the top of your curve. If we had any good library manipulation you would see why this card's price would be what it is, but without cards like preordain, ponder, or brainstorm it really is a wonder.

Of course you can also mess with your opponent and send their high costing creatures back to the library with Azorious Charm or use Dimir Charm to make sure their 6+ cmc bomb get's drawn off of it's effect, dealing a possible 10+ damage from the Seer.

[Snorkle]

Somebody explain to me why this guy is good. I have three of them, and it seems they are worth a pretty decent amount. I understand how they could be strong in certain situations, but how on earth is this a $10 card?

Well, let's see step by step...

Is a 4/4 with evasion for 4 a good card? Yes.
Is a card that provides you more cards good? Yes.

This is no dark confident, make no mistake (And for the person who mentioned confident, it's considered the strongest black creature in the game for a reason... ), but it can be good. If your deck is built with mostly 1-3 casting cost cards and this tops your curve, you'll have a great advantage versus the 5-6 CMC packing decks such as naya, bant and UW. The fact that if the opponent gets rid of him he doesn't get an extra card is also nice and an improvement over other similar cards in the past. It won't trigger miracle for your opponent and in some decks might just be the card that can punch out the most damage in the least amount of time.

Does anyone remember old favorites such as juzam djinn and the like? Or heck, vampiric tutor, etc... Anything where you have to spend life will trick newer players into thinking it's a bad card, when in fact it can be a GREAT card.

You could imagine playing this on the 4th turn (assuming no acceleration) and if he survives a turn, your opponent might take 6 from a terminus which can't be miracled, plus you attack for 4 which makes it 10. If you for example drew a gerralf's messenger losing 3, that's 2 or 4 more health your opponent loses in a single turn. Versus the heavy CMC decks, this could be a 2 turn clock, and could be a great idea for a tempo-oriented deck.

However, it can simply be relegated to 2nd spot with no real interest we'll see how it goes. I wouldn't mind trying to build something with him!

[Pendulous]

I use Sign in Blood all the time on myself, and stick it in any black deck that I can. However, a card like Dark Confidant basically puts a timer on your game, which I don't like. At least with Phyrexian Arena, it's one life a turn, so you don't have to worry about pulling a card like another Duskmantle Seer. And really, maybe I'm just being ignorant here, but what legitimate decks can your run that doesn't feature any cards costing more than three (other than the Seer)?

[Snorkle]

BUg delver, UBx zombies, etc. And this is only in standard

[Dontrike]

I use Sign in Blood all the time on myself, and stick it in any black deck that I can. However, a card like Dark Confidant basically puts a timer on your game, which I don't like. At least with Phyrexian Arena, it's one life a turn, so you don't have to worry about pulling a card like another Duskmantle Seer. And really, maybe I'm just being ignorant here, but what legitimate decks can your run that doesn't feature any cards costing more than three (other than the Seer)?

Much akin to Dark Tutelage, using it on a low curve or when Scry, Preordain, and Ponder was running around, it allowed you to get extra draws for no pain.

It depends on the type of deck that will form. Dark Confidant is basically used in anything with black in it. Dark Tutelage was used in B/R Vampires. Seer is bound to find a home somewhere.

[Dontrike]

Well it looks like I am buying at least 2 of the Boros Gatecrash event decks.

[Kalyyn]

Well it looks like I am buying at least 2 of the Boros Gatecrash event decks.

Damn, that's got some pretty baller stuff in it. I guess we're going to see Champion of the Parish and Silverblade Paladin drop in price now, though.

[jvbastel]

It's just like Dark Confidant http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Ca...iverseid=83771

I don't get it. You pull a big demon from the top, there goes half your life. Way too risky, even for black.

You usually don't pla dark confidant in a deck with big demons. Decks that play it (modern/legacy jund), bug decks usually top out at 3-4 mana (4 being only a few cards like jace,bloodbraid). Add to that the fact that 1-3rd or more of your deck is lands (losing no life on flip) and your average casting cost should be around 1.3-1.6.

I'ld happily pay 1.5 life for an extra card every turn.

Sure, bob loses a lot of value once you're at 5-6 life, but he gives you such an advantage every turn, that it's well worth the small risk.

[Pendulous]

The links aren't broken and you don't even have to click them. http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazin...ly/arcana/1161

So it's a sideboard now instead of a booster pack. Interesting.

[Dontrike]

The links aren't broken and you don't even have to click them. http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazin...ly/arcana/1161

So it's a sideboard now instead of a booster pack. Interesting.

These are event decks, not intro decks, that is why there is a sideboard. These have been coming out since Mirrodin Besieged. The Simic one is close to god awful, the only reason I would get it is so I can trade a Silverheart and Thragtusk for a shockland and keep the Rancors. There are many other problems for the Simic one, but I won't be getting into those.

The Boros event deck is playable at an FNM for how good it is, but you still won't be winning that night of course. There are a great amount of money cards like the dual land and Thalia, not too mention the others, and I will be getting at least two for the Silverblade Paladin, Thalia, and dual land alone, the rest is just money.

[Skarsguard]

Can't believe they put that much good stuff in one of those decks It reminds me of the Ninja deck that you could never find because it had Jit in it.

[Dontrike]

Event Decks usually have value cards in them to make sure you can play them at FNM, which is their purpose, although some have a much harder time of being anything close to competitive, this Simic one has those problems especially.

Intro decks are the ones which have always been hit or miss, usually miss, but sometimes you get one with a money card like Jitte or Blade Splicer.

[Rollo]

Opened a box with my gf yesterday. Haven't actually gone through all of the cards yet, just checked out the rares and some uncommon. We each split the box in half and she still pulled all 5 mythics >.<

Borb - Enter the Infinite - Master Biomancer - Aurelia's Fury - Giant Ephage

I did pull most of the shocklands though, so I guess that's a plus.

[Kalyyn]

Opened a box with my gf yesterday. Haven't actually gone through all of the cards yet, just checked out the rares and some uncommon. We each split the box in half and she still pulled all 5 mythics >.<

Borb - Enter the Infinite - Master Biomancer - Aurelia's Fury - Giant Ephage

I did pull most of the shocklands though, so I guess that's a plus.

Here's what I do when I split a box with somebody:

Place every rare and mythic on the table. Sort them according to approximate cost. Then, try to split them as evenly as possible according to value. Once that is done, split the rest of the cards (commons and uncommons) in to two piles. Name an owner of each pile. Then give each pile to the person who does not own it. Both people go through one another's piles, and pull out the cards they want. Then you work out a trade agreement, and take your own pile back.

This way, both people leave relatively happy.

[Rollo]

Here's what I do when I split a box with somebody:

Place every rare and mythic on the table. Sort them according to approximate cost. Then, try to split them as evenly as possible according to value. Once that is done, split the rest of the cards (commons and uncommons) in to two piles. Name an owner of each pile. Then give each pile to the person who does not own it. Both people go through one another's piles, and pull out the cards they want. Then you work out a trade agreement, and take your own pile back.

This way, both people leave relatively happy.

Yeah I've been thinking of doing something like that. I actually did get a few decent rares, and a couple that worked better for what she was trying to build so we worked something out, but that's not a bad idea either.

[Skarsguard]

Opened a box with my gf yesterday. Haven't actually gone through all of the cards yet, just checked out the rares and some uncommon. We each split the box in half and she still pulled all 5 mythics >.<

Borb - Enter the Infinite - Master Biomancer - Aurelia's Fury - Giant Ephage

I did pull most of the shocklands though, so I guess that's a plus.

Man that Fury is going to be a money card for so long.