Magic, and it's roundabouts.

Playing Magic in Australia is TOUGH. Capital T, tough. You don't have a PTQ everywhere, you don't have an unswimable amount of players, and you don't have infinite chances to get there.

You get a few groups around the place, and top players who do very well amongst themselves, and the same small circle of rotating greats. They all have their own personalitiy, and you love them or you hate them. For the most part I love them, because they're hilarious, there's always a case where you wish the person never played Magic. It makes players from your area look bad, simply by association. HE'S repping Australian Magic right now? For shame, why not X?

Regardless, having the chance to play regular Magic (weekly FNM is as close as I've gotten to regular playing) and then having that taken away (work puts me on friday and saturday) I find I can't really play this game I love. So it's hard to obtain particular cards, build the decks, test a lot and play FNM to crush. I find I gravitate towards a deck that speaks to my style of play, which is Wrathing then bashing with tons of guys anyway. Good times, right?

So to say I'm happy with Magic at the moment isn't correct, nor is it Magic's fault. I just haven't had the time. Plus Return to Ravnica has been a big disappointment. I thought we'd get the guilds we fell in love with, but we've more or less gotten their immature younger cousin, who's too excited and all they want to do is bash. Seriously, all the mechanics of all the guilds just want you to bash, it seems.

Battalion, bloodrush, DEFINITELY Cyper, scavange wants to you trade in combat for +1/+1 counter fun, Evolve wants you to play more creatures (usually to bash, some to draw cards), detain allows you to easily dawdle across the red zone, and Unleash? Did anyone need that one explained?

Compare the mechanics (I'm sure I forgot one) to the first lot we were given. They definitely had "hit and miss" to them as well. Forecast? How the hell is that Azorious at all? But then again, Dredge was such a huge mechanic, it's spawned it's own deck and no has a name amongst all the decks in any format that use the graveyard. Sure, nurf it, but not this much!

Also the colour fixing was very different this time around. Any artifact or land will give you EITHER colour, not both. Last time we had Signets, which we were cheaper, and Bouncelands, which we stronger. So they've slowed down the colour fixing while ramping up the creatures. So don't worry about colour fixing, just player creatures, that all want to bash, and kill your opponent before they establish anything.

What if your opponent is on the same plan? Just be the more aggressive guilds. To whit: Orzhoz, Boros, Gruul.

It also feels like it's missing a lot of flavour, too. Maybe it's because the world of Ravnica only allows for one real story: ten guilds having a fight. You couldn't make it that only "six of Ravnica's guilds are pissed off," that's just stupid. Or if they teamed up, you've already got Shards of Alara, which was also another cool set (giving friend triangle colours a proper name, but enemy wedges are left wanting) but straight after another multi colour set (Shadowmoor and friends).

I'm thinking in particular cards that stood on their own, and just happened to be a guilds colours. Things like Tin Street Hooligan (a naughty red Goblin who'd run along the sales stalls and knock things over, breaking them!) or Rumbling Slum (the Gruul were so damn angry their magic made the very buildings and ground itself rise up amongst them, an ally!)

I think that's missing, and we're simply expected to "buy into" all that stuff again, without it really being here. Everybody knew how good Mirrodin was (every time it's been in Standard, cards have been banned. It's also got the most entries on Moderns Banned list) but it was much easier to communicate "a plane filled with Artifacts." Half of every booster pack was Artifacts, and there was oodles are Common! This compares favourably to reproducing Ravnica, because you can just make every booster pack shares colours, because there is TEN minute worlds to describe within the bigger ultra-megopolis that is Ravnica. You've got 11 things to tell the audience there, as opposed to 1 Major thing.

So I don't blame them, but I do feel like we haven't really been given Ravnica 2. It was a bit like the 3D revolution in video games. Some games transfered very well (Mario64, Zelda Ocarina of Time) while others just didn't do anything like they used to (Sonic on the Sega Dreamcast).

It's all just left me without much inspiration to play Magic lately, although I do read the odd article. Not being able to play, and seeing an old friend who was best unvisited.

Ironically we're about to be treated to ANOTHER friend, we're all VERY FAMILIAR with: The Core set! There is nothing like a nip of coffee between drinks, because it's a most wonderful thing. A palette cleanser. Didn't like Avacyn? No worries! Upset with Ravnica 2? Boo hoo, go play the core set!!

I'm especially happy that Slivers are returning. The last time I had a chance was Time Spiral block, when EVERY mechanic was something you could take or leave as you desired. This time? They're something to address, oh my.

Sphinx's Deprecation

Well I haven't been inspired lately to do much with Magic. There was always a glimmer, some hope for the future of being a really good player, doing great at tournaments and earning the esteem and ear of my fellow Magicians, but it's just shambles atm.

James/Ammy are doing great, living with one another and hammering the MTGO. That sounds like fun. iRony and myself live together too, but we're both far too poor/time constrained to make that jump into the pool, especially one that looks so deep (read: expensive). If it's hard to do in RL, why would MTGO be a better alternative? Surely Magic Workstation or else would provide better.

My own plan was to spend the year only playing Magic when I'd made money from selling old cards -- so far I've maintained that. Though I moved Murdoch Monthly to the local store Mega Games, from the old crew at Good Games, who I'm not sure have even noticed my absence. But first, Petr's blog:

He's a great and hilarious writer, but only Magic players will appreciate the humour:

http://nyxathidgoestotown.com/

He's been doing great, getting links all over the place, so kudos to him!

Plugs aside, I am the only person from the team planning to go to the GP up in Canberra later in the year, but it looks like right this second I'm not interested. If PV and our own Australian pro Dan Unwin both say Modern isn't that interesting a format, I'm glad to breath a sigh of relief and agree aloud with them. It just seems TOO undefined. Nothing is strong unless it's nerfed, at which points it's obviously too strong and time to look for another deck.

It also doesn't help that selling $X00 worth of cards might not cut it. There's still plenty of time to get a better job that pays many more hours and throw away the "only pay with money made from Magic sales" idea, but what-evs. If I was really serious, it'd take way more than I'm doing now.

This is only March and I have until November, so plenty of time to change. I'll likely miss the WMQC too, seeing everybody seems to be everywhere that I'd like to be, such as "free" and "able to attend Magic" while I'm actually 'Stuck at work.' Them's the breaks!

The recent good news is that (hinted above) I've moved out. So now there's no crazy household full of ppl, just myself, iRony and his crazy cats. One's skitzophrenic and the other adorable. Plus I'm sure I've spelt that wrong.

Stay tuned, there was a recent sharp spike in people visiting my page from this random Russian blog: http://lepak.my/blog/page/5/, I really don't know why.

A thought beyond.

If I was ever fortunate enough to write a series for a proper big money-paying website, I'd call my column "a thought beyond". It would be all about the stella decks that really smack a format for 2, and end up with all the Top 8 players.

Sealed formats are quickly "understood" because the Commons that really rock show up in winning decks, or sometimes the 'problem' cards like Madcap Skills. It's a problem that you can be so dead so quick, either taking damage or trading for more mana and perhaps the same cards.

That's not the case for constructed though, seeing the top decks show up, and present themselves very well and then are WIDE-LY spread around. What's the key thing? What's the thought beyond all the other decks, that lead to great players having the greatest deck to make day 2, top 8, win?

I'd like to bring up the magical number, after the obvious "bargain" cards. Sphinx's Revelation is the best thing you can do in Standard at the moment. Melisa DeTora and Ben Stark both played decks that took great advantage of this, using different key cards to really punish the opponent.

Ben Stark played a very clever set up, with no permanents that 3 or less and very few creatures that weren't brilliant value on their own. Augur of Bolas: draw a card. The 1/3 is what's extra. Resto Angel? Reloads on Augur or Snapcaster, the 3/4 is just a bonus, or and instant creature-based lightning bolt in the air. Snapcaster Mage? The 2/1 is highly forgetable, as instead you can rebuy ANY SPELL you want, or even bait out that counter spell from the opponent (I'll Snapcaster and possibly replay that Sphinx's Revelation. Counter it?).

The exciting card here, that was only a 2-of, was Planar Cleansing. It clears away all the problem cards, anything not indestructible, and most importantly any Garruks and Lilys hanging around. Included is the deck's own built-in self resilience, winning with nonBasic Nephalia Drownyards. No problem. Got more spells? Here's another 4 wraths and a Cleansing. Still alive? 2 Snapcasters make it 8 total.

The exciting thing about Melisa's deck is that it plays the same 2-of, being drawn very easily off bigger and bigger Sphinx's Revelations and allowing the deck to transform. It goes from being basic Bant, which plays against itself all the time, and turn into a trampling madhouse, where all your lands get to attack for +1! Trampling Thragtusk's change the game and play against expectation.

So my point was that the magical number is 2, if you're playing with Sphinx's Revelation. It's allowed these two decks to play single, out-of-the-ordinary cards to gain a really good advantage.

Just a thought.

Bloodhall Snooze?

Hello. The latest new involves a round hole, and a square. Peg "what to play instead of Bloodbraid Elf." Not really, I'm interested in Modern but never had a feeling that I should play Jund. I have the colours, bringing Seismic Loam wherever I go, but never wanted to play the Jund.

I did see one small red drop, Bloodhall Ooze. I like these tiny creatures that unimpressive at very first, or entirely on their own, but with a simple deck constructing premise, say, being black green and red, they're utter monsters. Wild Nacatl no longer legal? Bloodhall Ooze is a 1/1 upon entry, and then after very quickly a 2/2 and then 4/4, permanently. And if they spend cards and mana to deal with it they can only ever match it, or spend more than it, so that's awfully nice. And on a developed board that +2/+2 is rather gaurenteed.

It's these clever small cards that I find, and imagine I'd play myself if I were piloting those decks. I'm sure lots of people have had the thought, but opted for the "common sense" or consensus better choice, but the truth is both work. Not only that, but whatever is better has differing characteristics from #2, and who's to say that fighting option 1 fights number 2 just as easily?

Nacatl was a 3/3 attacking on turn 2, while Bloodhall Ooze can't get that quick. On the other hand though, it just keeps growing. Pay R, once, for an eventual 5/5 monster. And if dealt with your whole turn wasn't spent on just one card! I could see this being adapted moreso everywhere, but I also feel a tiny sting of pride.

Because I thought so, CPal90. I thought so too! It's a bit like being a cheerleader for a certain card, and when it shows up Woo you cheer. You knew it was potentially good, and that everyone would know that -- it's not like you're the first person to ever do anything. But to see it played, to a 4-0 finish, you're happy inside.

My little red drop that could.

Reworkin', y'all?

So in the latest few articles I've been reading, the best one is usually a PV article, because that man is just so damned good at thinking completely outside of Magic. He's not a good player, he's a good thinker, and Magic just happens to be what he's doing when he beats you.

The article in question is this one: http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/pvs-playhouse-the-core-resources/http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/pvs-playhouse-the-core-resources/

It talks a good deal about time, life and cards, and which resource is more important in which types of match ups, the three mains being Combo, Control and Aggro. I wont bore you with my bastardisation of the article, go and read it for yourself. He puts it better than anyone else could have.

Having read it though, I remembered another age-old article about how a burn deck burns. If they can play enough 3 damage, R costed spells, they only need 7 spells to win. The problem is so many cards can get around it, such as Control's plethora of counters, card draw, etc, or Combo simply not caring and waiting until the last chance to go off.

This lead me to the idea of counting cards for damage. Char and Psychic Blast deal 4 apiece, and that means you'd only need 5 to kill an opponent. Not only that, but the 3 cost 4 damage spell enjoys the Flames of the Bloodhand type spell, which is really 4 damage plus life, or in some cases Flame Javalin, though at RRR it'll be hardest to cast.

I'm also a big fan of blue red white, because it seems to be my natural go-to. If you give me a sealed pool, I'll try and build blue white flyers with red sweepers. I wont always get it, but I'm happiest playing it. So to that end, we're thinking of a Modern deck, WUR, and something different from those that have gone before.

I'm sure I'm not the first, but it's the first I've seen of it. So here's the list, I imagine.

4 Steam Vents
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Arid Mesa
2 Mountains
1 Island
1 Plains
X xxx
---
22+ lands

4 Goblin Guide
---
4 creatures

4 Mana Leak
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Path to Exile
4 Char
4 Psychic Blast
3 Pulse of the Forge
4 Terminus
4 Supreme Verdict
2 Planar Cleansing
2-3 Demon's Play
X Chandra, the Firebrand
---
34+ others

I don't believe the deck would have mana base problems, and it responds well to every kind of threat. Planar Cleansing deals with trouble PWs, while Mana Leak plays permission and Bolt/Path both control the creature world. We're not worried about accelerating their lands for a creature, because it means they've paid 1GW for a Land, not a Knight of the Reliquary, etc.

All the sweepers simply eat up aggro decks, while against Control... we simply race them with Chandra doubling up on Devil's Play, which also acts double as creature removal and then finisher (double X damage with a Chandra's -2).

The sideboard has the right colours to allow us some real fun, by which I mean cards that nail archetypes. We've got Rest in Peace for any graveyard, and blue tricks for the combo dance, namely Commandeer to steal their key permanent. We're not worried about giving up three cards if we steal their only piece needed to complete a Combo, we're trading cards for time enough to kill them.

Gather Specimens and Volition Reins allows us to steal very good PWs or late game giant monsters, like a topdecked Broodmate Dragon/Armada Wurm against the aggro decks.

Against aggro, we'll assume Naya Zoo, we pack in the Terminus and sweep.

It's true Psychic Blast and Char hurts us as well, but it's the flexibility of colours that make us play it over a straight red burn deck, and we also don't fold to a turn 0 Leyline. That's key to this deck---we are burn, but not "stupid" burn. But to my point, where does the damage leave us? Probably weaker against the opponent, so that Pulse of the Forge can come back! We may experiment with other cards that want our life for tricks, but maybe not. If we're playing key creatures Spellskite is always an option, as we can save our repeatable damage source Goblin Guide with the additional safety of Spellskite's ability, plus we throw away our life in 2 point chunks until we're able to burn twice end of turn and again in our main. Is 12 outta nowhere OK with you?

The deck needs testing, but this is the main ideas so far. I'd love to point out that France, Australia, New Zealand and England all have red white and blue EXCLUSIVELY in their flags, so I'm gonna call it Australian Revolution.

PS, I fixed the land!

Here's a list, lately. It's edited from the GP New Zealand deck run by Walker MacMurdo with minor tweaks, to suit my meta and to accomodate my lack of a fourth Angel. What do you think, and be honest.



Main Deck
60 cards

4  Blood Crypt
3  Clifftop Retreat
4  Overgrown Tomb
2  Rootbound Crag
1  Slayers' Stronghold
3  Sunpetal Grove
4  Temple Garden
2  Woodland Cemetery
23 lands

1  Acidic Slime
3  Angel of Serenity
1 Gisella, Blade of Goldnight
2 Deathrite Shaman
1  Centaur Healer
1  Craterhoof Behemoth
1  Griselbrand
4  Thragtusk
14 creatures

2  Dreadbore
4  Faithless Looting
4  Grisly Salvage
3  Lingering Souls
4  Mulch
2 Terminus
4  Unburial Rites
23 other spells

Sideboard
1  Abrupt Decay
3  Centaur Healer
1 Oblivion Ring
2 Sever the Bloodlime
2 Terminus
1  Mizzium Mortars
2  Rolling Temblor
1  Sever the Bloodline
2  Slaughter Games
1  Zealous Conscripts

The lands are exactly the same, though Godless Shrine and Sacred Foundry are now Standard. I figure we don't want 8 more lands they pain us to come into play, and considering how quick this deck can (wants to?) win the more lands that come into play untapped the better... Having said that, the previous few will almost always come into play untapped, assuming I'm at 3+, but we don't need that much hurt while we're setting up super revival combo.

There is certainly space for monsters fresh from Gatecrash, in particular the Sepulchral Primordial looks delish for the MIRROR. My god, revive my hulk AND your Craterhoof? Geniusness. For the moment though I'm just trying to iron out numbers.

2 Terminus main/SB. This is because monsters are everywhere, and having no chance game 1 is trite, and I want the full four when the S hits the F.
2 Deathrite Shaman main. These started in the board, but seeing how many lands I put into the bin via Faithless Looting/Grisly Salvage they're practically birds that survive 1 damage pokes. Plus the colour fixing. With a perfect turn 1 Faithless Looting we dump fatty and and Unburial Rites, turn 2 we have a Shaman and some land enter the big, then flashback turn 3. That is QUICK. The Centaur Healers went to the sideboard for the Deathrites. They're good critters in general, but "in general" is not how Standard seems to be at the moment. Against the decks that'll obviously have graveyard hate they make good drops, especially if spat out turn 2 by an active Shaman from turn 1.
O Ring and 1 Sever moved to sideboard because they're still useful against some creature decks, but Terminus deals with all creatures for just W. I lose my creatures yes, but I'm assuming until I go off that's not really an issue.
The 4th Angel of Serenity could have been many things, but I opted for the Gisella. There's plenty of signs drawn from an opponent's mouth when she shows up, as they realise 1 damage is halved to 0, and they're going to take lots of damage if they can't deal with her. Doubled with Slayers Stronghold we can revive via flashback'd Unburial Rites, then haste and Vigilance Gisella in the same turn. Fancy 12 damage and a 10 power first striking blocker?

Apart from those differences, the deck remains the same. Dump fatty into bin, revive and beat. We only have the one Craterhoof, but we can dig like mad with 12 spells and a variety of creatures.

I'll let you know how it goes friday.

Changing of the Guard!!

Something kind of big, yet still micro in terms of the wider world of Magic. I'm writing my last article for Good Games, and after that, will be writing exclusively for Mega Games! They're my local (no JD or Ammonium or Matt's) and I'm well known at the store, and sure to get better coverage. So that in itself is a bonus. Plus at the same rate, what's not to love?

I imagine the title will stay the same, simply "Murdoch Monthly", but be on the Mega Games website, http://www.megagames.com.au, and posted all over their Facebook page, as well as my own and that Magic the Gathering: Untapped group. So that's good.

I've been writing for the past three years for GG, and they've been good with the payment and I'm relatively well known amongst the peoples, but the lack of response I got usually doesn't help write better, or even let me know how my articles were received. I usually asked people myself, and that was it.

I imagine too that I'll add a regular answers section at the bottom of each article, because Mega Games has a very casual/relaxed scene, and plenty of questions, so that'll be fun. I've always wanted my own rules Q article!

In other news, we're split on the GPs coming up in the year. It seems like the team will split on GP Hongkong and GP Brisbane, with the other three going overseas, and me going interstate. Wee! More later.

Thoughts n other trappings

Hello readers! Good news on the GP front, our own JDNoice went 7-0-1 on day 1 of GP Sydney, coming 5th at the end of the day! That is TREMENDOUS considering his humble deck, with consistent numbers of power-commons, as opposed to ANY outrageous obvious bombs (Rat Pack, we hate you).

Though I'm here to post a look into my thoughts when digging through cards. It started as a way to simply look over creatures from standard, to see what decks didn't present themselves. It basically involved going through Gatherer (great resource) and writing down all the cards that stood out, that WEREN'T obvious (so don't bother listing Snapcaster, we know he's good) and including a small note on the deck or idea that jumps out at you. So I'll give you the list, skim over it, and see what I mean. Then I'll highlight a silly card that's actually bloody strong.


12 mana dorks (deathrite needs a land
4 denial mans (judge's familiar)

Ash Zealot gets in there
Augur draws you a spell (info revealed)
Blood artist wrath-bombs (soft to Terminus)
Dawntreader as slow bad rampart growth
Deadly Recluse (GREAT answer to dragons)
Deranged assistant (milling and biger mana dork == potential for blue Rites)
Flinthoof Boar (gets in there, green gruul version
Fog Bank holds the fort but no against ETB dragons
Goblin Electromancer saves 1mana a turn (5 turns, 5 mana) check out spells
Mayor of Avabruck (turn 2 aggro play, esp for junk Rites with Grsly Salvage for

instant OPs EOT casting
Mindshriker (cast Azoriouis Charm on their Wurm, then activate)
New prahv guildmage eats a long game (detain until team fly for win)
Precinct captain ( set up 2 drop, allows 2/1 griffin to attak, then turn 3

Goblin with THREE ATATCKERS ability
vhitu-ghazi guildmage (team up Bant mages)

arctic aven (forgotten good racing threew drop u/w
armored skaab (blue/white rites)
axebane guardian (standard guardians)
Fiend Hunter ('target creature, soft to removal)
guttersnipe (u/r goblin spells deck)
harbor bandit (u/b finisher)
hover barrier
Immerwolf (+Magehunter hardish lock)
loxodon smiter (turn 2 4/4, with mana dorks)
lyev skynight (get there until bant takes over)
mwonvuli beast tracker
thraben doomsayer (drop after successful terminus, hurts hey?)

krenko? no goblinds deck in standard
yeva

acidic slime
azors elocutors
bitterheart witch (mwonvuli onto deck, grisly/mulch, block kill curse of deaths

hold
bloodgift demon
Fiend of the Shadows (mirror breaker, play THEIR deck for YOU
geist-honored monk
hypersonic dragon
rakdos ragemutt (break mirror for win, otherwise great)
silklash spider (in mirror v junk reanimator)
voidwielder
vorapede (too Green)

Bruna? deck
captain of the watch (geist-honored monk fuel)
goldnight redeemer (token deck keepaliver
isperia
markov warlord (finisher in any deck, red splash easy)
mikaus the unhallowed
necropolis regent (better in Modern off of scout's warning passage blockers
sphinx of chimes

eldarscale wurm
gisella, blade of goldnight

stormtide in u/w reanimator as finisher n giggles

So that's it order of cost. No mention on the only 11 drop Worldspine Wurm, because there's no Instant speed ressurection in standard (though Modern enjoys some Makeshift Mannequin).

Two cards popped out, and one newish deck idea. Mwonvuli Beast Tracker was always an interesting card, and very forboding. Get a huge range of creatures, but put them on top of your deck. Well, that's not normally very good, because I'm sure most ppl want their creatures now. I assume the waiting a turn is what made the card unplayable in the first place, but when you put MBT into the already popular (and mostly fun) Junk Reanimator it becomes quite palatable.

For starters, we can suddenly play a bunch of one-of's that are really good in certain situations. Silk Lash Spider is great at eating the sky and holding off 5/6 Angel beats, then nuking the skies. Acidic Slime is good at dealing with problem permanents. Etc etc, just click on this link: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?action=advanced&type=+[%22Creature%22]&format=|[%22Standard%22]&text=|[reach]|[deathtouch]|[trample]+![soulbond]|[hexproof]&name=+![%22mwonvuli%20beast%20tracker%22] or copy and paste if that doesn't work.

Once you've got the critter you want, you need to Mulch or Grisly Salvage it into the bin. That's quite easy enough, because both allow you to miss, unless you flip no creatures BUT your target. Then reanimate as usual.

This gives the deck an amount of consistency QUICKER than all the rest. Sure, you can play varying versions. There are 8 milling spells as default, being the playset each of Mulch (look at 4, keep the lands) and Grisly Salvage (revealed 5, keep 1 land/critter). Those splashing for red also get Faithless Looting, which I agree with entirely. It only looks 2 deep when you cast the first half, but the ability to keep "Fatty hands" really improves the deck, and it's very easy to turn 1 Faithless Looting and set up an Unburial Rites and FATTY OF CHOICE on the first time! Do they have the Rest in Peace now, or not? The second casting gets you another two, but seeing there's four Faithless Looting that's PLENTY of secondary casting during each turn of the game that you can't reanimate for the win.

So you've got the normal 8, the red splashed 12, or the Mwonvuli Beast Tracker Exactsies. This can act as searches 13-16 in the right build (hell, the mana cost is NOT a problem) and with the right set up you can get your turn 5 into turn 6 Rites win pretty nice. It can even play mini-Brainstorm, allowing you to safely hide your most desired fatty on top on your deck, while your clever opponent Rakdos Charms your graveyard away (not knowing your plans to EOT Grisly Salvage, dumping in Critter X, and casting Rites from hand next turn.

Sweet. Potentially strong, and DIRECT. That thing we like in Magic, yeah?

Peace all, happy new years.

GP Sydney WORK UP

Work up, work out. Same thing! Today I have posted another article to Good Games Sydney, but that takes too long! Here is my break down of how to build for Sealed, and in particular a run down of the Commons for Ravnica.

Team You Don't Say will definately be there, and we will rip a new arse into the fabric of Magic/space/time in Sydney. Aside from that, my mate Petr (hilarious writer and only artist over at http://nyxathidgoestotown.com/) plans on ambushing the ChannelFireball.com crew and asking for a writing post. Good luck to him!

Aside from that, have at you!

This IS just a preview, the full article will only be on Good Games site.

Aerial Predation will stop everyone’s plans, if they’re after a flying attack. If you see any big slow flyers bring it in, considering Isperia, Desecration Demon, etc etc, are all game finishers if left unchecked. As for whether you could maindeck it, I’d say “definitely” but still with some caution. If you had Thoughtflare and a flightless opponent, you could gain some value of a AP with no target by having it ready to discard.

Annihilating Fire exiles a creature, so bring it in against scavenge opponents or someone playing recursion ala Treasured Find. Although “bring it in” sounds kind of stupid, don’t forget it’s a hard splash because of the RR in its cost. If it’s not in your main colours try another piece of removal that’s not so tight.

Augur Spree kills a lot of things, considering it deals with 4 toughness. Be clever and smart, and do NOT cast on your opponent’s turn. I’ve seen entire games swing hugely in one players favour after they attacked with a mere Daggerdrome Imp. A 2/2 from scavenge, the Imp attacked and was killed with Augur Spree. Well, nearly. Giant Growth made the Imp a 9 power lifelink, and that was game. Cast it on your turn, and do note it kills regenerators/indestructible critters dead.

Avenging Arrow has a “cute” damage dealt application. Izzet Staticaster can be killed after it’s dealt damage. Niv-Mizzet shooting you pre-combat can be killed by it. On the other hand, Rix Maadi Guildmage isn’t a target after using it’s -1/-1 ability. Exercise caution and read cards you’re hoping to kill with it. Does it actually say “damage”?

Axebane Guardian is an archetype all its own. It blocks. They might have more Defenders. It provides a LOT of mana in multiples and fixes mana too. A turn 3 Axebane Guardian can mean a turn 4 Armada Wurm. The potential here is incredible, so I’d suggest killing one on-sight games 2/3 if you’re seen anything scary, and in game 1? Do you think their plays thus far mean they have ‘that bomb’ in hand, or is it simply a blocker to help them survive?

Axebane Stag is huge, and easy to splash, and if games go long you can expect one. Ideal for Ultimate Price or Stab Wound, perhaps.

Catacomb Slug is brilliant, and wonderful, and no one knows about it. It’s just our secret tech, OK? For five mana you get 6 toughness, which HOLDS OFF half an Armada Wurm all day. And 2 power to boot, that kills a lot of would-be attackers. The SECOND this guy hits the field your opponent is going to need prompt removal, or consider shuffling.

Centaur Healer will be played all day by all manner of players. It’s a good on-curve 3/3, and gaining three life can undo the first two turns beatings.

Chorus of Might might just win the game. +X/+X and trample is always huge, and if you suspect it from the opponent, trade where possible. If your opponent has creatures that look good for beating but they aren’t attacking, also be concerned. They might just be scared of your removal, but there’s also a chance they’re saving body-count for a big ‘Might or Collective Blessing.

Common Bond is a great card, because it ticks a lot of the above. It’s a spell that kills a creature (surprise, mine is bigger!) while also advancing your clock (+2 power should do that in many cases). It’s cheap, but it’s also so good that it’s obvious. If you suspect it, keep a trick handy.

Cremate is a cute answer to graveyard shinanigans. If you saw HORRIBLE GIANT SCAVENGE CREATURE game 1, or Treasured Find, bring this in. Even if you never need to use it, it cycles for B.

Daggerdrome Imp can come down turn 2 and keep going all game. With any pump he’s ridiculous, without he can level the very earliest turns of a game before blocking to save you alota pain and gain a final point of life.

Dead Reveler is your standard Rakdos bash deck frontliner, seeing he’s common and a 3/4 at just three mana. As with all Unleash creatures, you can force them into “can’t block” mode if you’re able to put a +1/+1 counter on them somehow (scavenge, Common Bond). That’ll be relevant at some point, believe me.

Deviant Glee is good because it’s quick, but great because it grants trample. So Rakdos has the best time with this Aura of dangerousness! Having said that, it isn’t another creature, so you can kill the creature it is on and ride to card advantage victory! Beware of Deviant Glee on Daggerdrome Imp for early lifelink beatdowns.

Dispel is worthy of noting, because there is a great chance you spent more on your Instant then Dispel. Unless you Dispel Dispel, but whatever. Make sure you read your cards type line when killing your opponent’s stuff. Rites of Reaping is a Sorcery, right? Launch Party is an Instant, right? Also beware the untapped Transguild Promenade.

Doorkeeper might be just a blocker and very slow plan Z for winning, or a sign that the opponent is Defenders.dec. That might indicate more Axebane Guardians and Lobber Crews.

Dramatic Rescue kills a token, bounces a huge monster that took until turn 7 (and a turn’s worth of mana) to show up, and otherwise saves your guys. It’s good, but not a reason itself to play blue/white.

Druid’s Deliverance is shocking when you don’t expect it. Especially when it’ll populate another 8/8 into play. You can apply pressure forcing the opponent to fog early, or simply have a killspell for their biggest token when it comes about. Do note – 8/8 vigilance tokens aren’t mono coloured.

Dynacharge is another small version of the “keep your creature count high” type cards, like Collective Blessing. You can lose outta nowhere if you don’t count the possibility of another +2 per attacker.

Electrickery is the only common that kills a turn 2 Rat Pack. 1 damage can do massive things against the blue/white flyers deck, or the white/green aggro ground pounders deck, so it’s worth maindeck inclusion. Also if you’re lucky enough to open Rat Pack wait til turn 5 when you can drop and activate in the one turn. No reason to give your opponent the chance to Electrickery it, right?

Essence Backlash. The only note here is that it’s based on POWER, not casting cost. Hilarious against the Worldspine Wurm player.

Explosive Impact has an explosive impact in any game. Every one of your opponents can go Mountain, Impact for the win. Or deal five damage wherever they like! The card is easily splashable, will always do something good for you and shouldn’t be in your sideboard, ever. Unless you got zero red sources in your mana pool, and even then simply adding two Mountains to your land base could be worth it.

Eyes in the Skies is another reason why breakneck aggro isn’t great. By breakneck I mean any and all creatures that have power = casting cost, meaning a lot of 1 toughness guys. Eyes in the Skies reads “populate”, not “get two Birds”, which is something to note. Centaurs outta nowhere are scarier than 1/1 Birds.

Frostburn Weird is everyone’s nightmare. It blocks super well early, it wears a Deviant Glee very well, it bashes aggressively late game, can even kill itself if enchanted with a Stab Wound and dodges an Ultimate Price pretty easily. He’s great.

Gatecreeper Vine isn’t necessarily a sign of the Defender deck, because it’s flexible fixing no matter your deck. Might just be getting your Gate so your Ogre Jailbreaker can attack, for example.

Giant Growth is pretty scary. It saves a creature while it kills theirs, or simply pumps them to death. Works great with Wild Beastmaster.

Goblin Electromancer will save you a mana or two before it might die, but Explosive Impact for only five mana is really nuts, and Mizzium Mortars becomes Flame Slash with overload. Or it’s just a 2/2 to block for one turn while you see if you don’t draw that wrath you need.

Golgari Longlegs should show up everywhere he can. Seeing he’s hybrid he’s practically colorless in Golgari decks, so a 5/4 anytime is great.

Gorehouse Chainwalker is scary. Allows for racing.

Horncaller’s Chant I’m actually against. I liked it when I first saw it, but 8 mana is CRAZY to pay. Granted, this is the format where a stalled board is bound to occur, and having 8 trampling power can deal with that, but drawing it any time before you reach 8 mana is really bad beats.

Hussar Patrol, expect it every turn 4.

Inaction Injunction can be great against the early Rakdos beats, but against other decks that aren’t ready to go to town that early, it can be just a cycler.

Inspiration you know I love. Play it if you’re blue.

Keening Apparition is quite funny, because it’s the first time I’ve thought this ability was an auto include in Sealed. Stab Wound, Knightly Valor at common, Detention Sphere and Collective Blessing at rare, there is plenty of Enchantments to beware. Otherwise it’s a turn two 2/2 that beats!

Knightly Valor is an apex predator. When it comes down, if it sticks, it’s really bad for whoever didn’t play it. It makes an attacker into a lethal attacker, and comes with an extra 2 power that can attack and defend. What’s not to love? It’s splashable, though it seems quite out of sorts if it suddenly pops up in a Rakdos build. Think of any typical Rakdos opening hand, then add this. Still strong though, but imagine a Thrill-Kill Assassin, unleashed with this on? 4/5 vigilance deathtouch with buddy? I think the main point is, this makes anything into a proper threat, BUT beware all the usual rules for playing Auras. If they kill the target, you don’t get even a 2/2 and spent all your mana!

Korozda Monitor is a fine 3/3 trample for 4. And if it dies, the scavenge is totally relevant, at some point in the future. As with Daggerdrome Imp any kind of pump will make it ever scarier, but towards late game he can play blocker than pump next turn and really swing things around. You Lizard fans should be proud.

Launch Party kills everything, even one of your guys. The two life can be relevant, and maybe you want someone to die, maybe someone your opponent has targeted with Stab Wound when you’re on very low life? It loses plenty of potential when you don’t have any creatures that play nice with the graveyard.

Lobbercrew should kill you at some point during an entire GP. One damage a turn with 4 blocking toughness, as well as a free ping for every multi-coloured spell! Beware the sloppy playing opponent, if they say “Do you mind?” you do mind! Don’t let them have damage triggers they missed.

Mind Rot is something to be aware of against the black players. Keep extra lands in hand, or if you’re both in topdeck mode it’s worth playing the first land you draw, then keeping the second one to bait out a suspected Mind Rot. Seeing you play the first one your opponent will think you’re playing them all out, until you keep a card back, which clearly isn’t a Land. Right?

Mizzium Skin may counter spells, watch out. Also +0/+1 toughness is quite underrated as a combat trick.

Pursuit of Flight is pretty much the same as Deviant Glee. Flight over trample closes more games out, but blue/red seems to be a wonky combination in most cases anyway.

Rakdos Shred-Freak. You’d need a lot of guys like this to make the aggro deck and make it well, but if you can then you’re at a real advantage because it’s certainly not expected. Just imagine how you’ll feel when the board is stalled, and you need to break through, drawing this :/.

Rootborn Defenses is the same as Druid’s Deliverance. Win a combat, get a 3/3 or 8/8 or 4/4 trample. Indestructible is relevant, it usually means your own tricks will only save your guys, not kill theirs.

Rubbleback Rhino should not be underestimated. Much like the days of Hexproof Magic 2012 this guy is where you plant your Auras that you need to resolve. Not only that, he’s a gaurenteed blocker. As a 3/4 for five he’s power and toughness ain’t the brilliantest, but that’s not what you’re playing him for.

Runewing is great for block n trade. You’re not down a card, and probably killed an X/2 on the way.

Seller of Songbirds is irritating for sure. Do you know how many bird token populates this card has been responsible for? We asked MODO to calculate the number and it rebooted the system.

Sewer Shambler’s benefit of having Swampwalk comes at the cost of playing Swamps yourself! It’s possible to splash without a single Swamp, but those deck building acrobatics are up to you.

Skull Rend is good as long as the opponent has cards in hand. Not great against Mr Graveyard. Two damage can be redirected to Planeswalkers, but hitting two pieces of removal and leaving the opponent with Land, Land in hand is a bit like a four for one. Of course you won’t know that’s what happened, unless your opponent’s face looks like this:

[image: you don’t say]

Sluiceway Scorpion blocks anyone, like an 8/8, then pumps someone else. Great!

Stab Wound. Splash it. Enchants anything, kills the opponent a bit, kills off quite a few creatures.

Stealer of Secrets really wants a Rogue’s Passage to dominate a game, but occasionally an opponent just won’t have a turn 3 blocker.

Sundering Growth is good all-round removal for troublesome cards, but feels more for the combo populate player. With a Detention Sphere, you can drop the Sphere, target their anything, but before that resolves cast Sundering Growth on it! You get another 8/8 token, then Sphere is destroyed, returning NOTHING to play (nothing’s been exiled yet). Then the original target of Detention Sphere is gone forever. Nice, hey?

Swift Justice is just as potentially devastating, and therefore just as obvious, as Giant Growth. The lifelink will throw a spanner in many a beatdown players plans, but not if they plan for it accordingly.

Syncopate means play your Lands before you cast your spells, OR have your own Dispel ready. It can target any spell however, so that’s good.

“David Tenement” Crasher here means you can’t be resting easy against the red opponents. You may just have to leave back TWO blockers.

Towering Indrik is quite a good blocker, and stops flyers too, but if you’re looking at a hand full of creatures and can’t choose which one, drop this one first. Your other “flavoured” animals can do better work later in the game, as TI simply makes it hard for their early attack to get there.

Trained Caracal says no. Probably a teensy bit less than Bellows Lizard, who you’ll notice never even got a mention. Friends don’t let friends play Trained Caracal/Bellows Lizard.

Traitorous Instinct is bound to be in the decks that do get aggro, and have red. There’s nothing better than a solid 5/5 blocker on the opponents side, so you can turn it into a 7/5 attacker for you. Swing them down to Just About Dead with Explosive Impact to finish the game. This is another reason why Rubbleback Rhino isn’t a bad card.

Transguild Promenade is better in Sealed than Draft, because as we said earlier it’s not so fast a format. If you need fixing, play it. It’s “keep guessing” value should also be pretty good. With just one of any mana available, you can Giant Growth, Dispel, Swift Justice or Electrickery. What do?

Trestle Troll will stop a lot of attacks, and regenerates, so while he’s a good indicator you’re against the Defenders deck, he’s not a lock. He’s always a good blocker, but certainly horrible as a splash because you need to save your mana for regenerating every turn.

Trostani’s Judgment is probably the most powerful removal spell in the set, seeing nothing can really dodge it save hexproof, and populate once again allows you to really swing the game in your favour. Especially at instant. It’s well worth the six mana.

Voidwielder kills a token and blocks whoever’s left, so he’ll show up in blue defensive decks, and I don’t imagine he’d be a bad splash in nonblue decks against tokens, for example. He has an immediate impact when he shows up, and can continue to block for many good turns thereafter.