Monday, March 23, 2015

Dragons of Tarkir Spoilers: Part 3

Here with some more Dragons of Tarkir Spoilers. So many awesome cards!

image courtesy of Mythic Spoiler
Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit is a 2/2 Spirit Soldier that casts for two white. She has whenever another nontoken creature enters the battlefield under your control, bolster 1. The new anafenza is super good. Getting counters on creatures whenever a creature enters the battlefield is pure value. This card is really good in decks that flood the board with a bunch of small creatures. Her flavor text is also super cool. Martyred for worshiping her ancestors , she now walks among them. I guess that's what you get for not obeying your dragon lords.

image courtesy of Mythic Spoiler
Sarkhan Unbroken is a 4 loyalty planeswalker that casts two colorless, one green, one blue, and one red. His +1 is, "Draw a card, then add one mana of any color to your mana pool." His -2 is, "Put a 4/4 red dragon creature token with flying onto the battlefield." His -8 is, "Search your library for any number of Dragon creature cards and put them onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library. This card is definitely good, but it is just a little boring. All of his abilities are super good. A draw card as a +1 is already good, the extra mana is just nice. A 4/4 flyer for a -2 is really good. Sorin's -2 only makes a 2/2 flyer. His ult just wins you the game if he is in the right deck. Sarkhan is super good, just wish he had some more interesting abilities.

image courtesy of Mythic Spoiler
Assault Formation is an enchantment that casts for one colorless and one green. It has, "Each creature you control assigns combat damage equal to its toughness rather than its power," "One green: Target creature with defender can attack this turn as though it didn't have defender," and, "Two coloress and one Green: Creatures you control get +0/+1 until end of turn." This card is really cool. The most important ability on this card is to give your whole team +1/+1 (since your creatures deal damage equal to their toughness). I have a deck that I have been play testing with that revolves around creatures with high toughness. This card could make that deck into a decent standard deck. Super cool card that might create some unique standard decks.
image courtesy of Mythic Spoiler

Icefall Regent is a 4/3 Dragon with flying that casts for three colorless and two blue. It has, "When Icefall Regent enters the battlefield, tap target creature an opponent controls. That creature doesn't untap during its controllers untap step for as long as you control Icefall Regent," and, "Spells your opponents cast that target Icefall Regent cost two more to cast." Being able to lock down a creature and get a creature with good stats for only five mana is amazing. Play this thing out, lock down their biggest creature, and then have a huge flyer bash in for 4 every turn. The last ability just makes it harder for your opponent to kill it. An awesome blue tempo dragon.

What do you guys think about Dragons of Tarkir? I think that it is going to be a super awesome draft format. I'll publish another Dragons of Tarkir Spoilers post and a post on the Dragons of Tarkir prerealese. Thanks for reading everyone!


Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Dragons of Tarkir Spoilers: Part 2

It's time to look at some more awesome cards from Dragons of Tarkir. This set it looking to be a blast!

image courtesy of Mythic Spoiler
Dragon Whisper is a 2/2 Human Shaman that casts for two red. He has "One red: Dragon whisper gains flying until end of turn," "One colorless and one red: Dragon whisper gets +1/+0 until end of turn," and a formidable ability that gives you a 4/4 red dragon creature token with flying if you pay four colorless and two red (you can only use a formidable ability if the total power among creatures you control is at least 8). This card is a really good card. It is definitely a little bit clunky but it can be pretty awesome. If making a bunch of dragons isn't enough, you can get in with a bunch of damage late game if you have the mana for it. Dragon whisper is a very interesting card but probably won't see that much constructed play.

image courtesy of Mythic Spoiler
Deathmist Raptor is a 3/3 Lizard Beast (ITS A DINOSAUR!) with deathtouch that casts for one colorless and two green. It has "whenever a permanent you control is turned face up, you may return Deathmist Raptor from the graveyard to the battlefield face up or face down" and megamorph for four colorless and one green. This card is super good! A 3/3 for three mana with a totally relevant keyword is good already. Its other abilities just make it never able to really die (unless it is exiled). Definitely an amazing card in limited and standard if a morph/manifest deck ever shows up.

image courtesy of Mythic Spoiler
Arashin Foremost is a 2/2 Human Warrior with doublestrike that casts for one colorless and two white. She (I think) has "Whenever Arashin Foremost enters the battlefield or attacks, another target warrior gains doublestrike until end of turn." This card is so gross. If you don't already know about the insane warrior tribal deck, this card would fit in perfectly. My friend (his blog here) has a standard warrior deck and this would fit in perfectly. Warriors always have huge power, so giving one doublestrike can make a devastating blow. This card will be played in every warrior tribal deck for forever.

image courtesy of Mythic Spoiler
Sidisi undead vis... wait a minute... SHE'S BACK!?!?!? NO! I  HATED YOU SIDISI GO BACK TO KHANS OF TARKIR NO ONE WANTS YOU HERE.

Anyways...

Sunscorch Regent is a 4/3 Dragon with flying that casts for three colorless and two white. It has "Whenever an opponent casts a spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Sucscorch Regent. This cards is super amazing in commander. Play this thing out and it will be bigger faster than your opponents can cast all of their spells. Even in a 1 vs. 1 match, it can still get big and fly over all of your opponents blockers. A good card overall.

All of the cards in Dragons of Tarkir are super good. Looks like I'm going to be drafting a ton of this. I'll be back soon with even more spoilers. Thanks for watching!


Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Dragons of Tarkir Spoilers: Part 1

SO MANY DRAGONS!!!!! Dragons of Tarkir spoilers are finished and there is a ton of super sweet rares and a bunch of dragons. I'm going to look at some of the cards spoiled and see how awesome they are.

image courtesy of Channel Fireball
Narset Transcendent is a six loyalty planeswalker for two colorless, one white, and one blue. Her +1 is look at the top card of your library. If it is a nonland, noncreature card, you may reveal it and put into your hand. Her -2 is the next time you cast an instant or sorcery spell, it gains rebound. Her -9 gives you an emblem that doesn't allow your opponents to cast noncreature spells. When I looked at this card, I wanted to puke. IS SO GOOD. No matter what format she is in, she is super good. Getting six loyalty for only four mana is amazing for a planeswalker. Her abilities are just gross. Even if you can't get her ult off (which is amazing) her -2 and +1 are good on their own. Giving a spell like Dig Through Time rebound will make your opponents cry and concede. This is definitely one of the better planeswalker that wizards has released.

image courtesy of Channel Fireball
Dragonlord Silumgar is a 3/5 Elder Dragon with flying and deathtouch that casts for four colorless, one blue, and one black. He has "Whenever Dragonlord Silumgar enters the battlefield, you may gain control of target creature or planeswalker card until Dragonlord Silumgar leaves the battlefield. Did I read that right? Lets see... takes over target creature or PLANESWALKER! This card is totally insane. Being able to take over any creature or planeswalker can totally turn around any game. The dream is to steal a planeswalker right before they can activate their ult. This card has a strong chance of being played in both modern and standard.

image courtesy of Magic: The Gathering
Ojutai's Command is an instant that casts for two colorless, one white, and one blue. It has choose two - Return target creature with converted mana cost 2 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield - You gain 4 life - Counter target creature spell and - Draw a card. This card is definitely one of my favorite cards spoiled so far. Just like the charms from khans, the command has so much versatility. Even if you don't need to use it for the conditional options (counter target creature and return a creature with converted mana cost 2 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield) drawing a card and gaining a card for 4 mana is fine by me. Some might say that the price is a little high, but I think its just right for what the card is doing.

All of the new spoilers from Dragons of Tarkir are totally amazing. These cards will bring a lot of different decks to standard (cough cough-blue white control-cough cough) and a very fun limited format. I'll have even more awesome spoilers on Dragons of Tarkir soon. Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Dech Tech - Temur Ascendancy Combo

With Fate Reforged out, I wanted to see what type of cool new decks could be made. One of the most popular decks that have emerged from Fate Reforged is the Temur Ascendancy combo deck. Just like the Jeskai Ascendancy combo deck, it uses an Ascendancy to create an awesome infinite combos. This one makes infinite mana that combos with some interesting creatures. Time to see how the Temur Ascendancy Combo deck works.
Image courtesy of Magic: the Gathering

The Temur Ascendancy Combo deck needs five pieces to fire off the combo.
1. 1 Voyaging Satyr
2. 1 Temur Sabertooth
3. 1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
4. 1 Temur Ascendancy
5. At least 7 devotion to green

The first step of the combo is to tap your nykthos to get seven mana (or more, depending on your devotion). Then you use voyaging satyr to untap nykthos to get another seven mana. Now you have 14 mana floating. You use this mana to return the satyr to your hand with the sabertooth's ability. You then play out the voyaging satyr again and since it has haste from temur ascendency, you untap nykthos paying two and getting seven more mana. You keep repeating this process until you get millions and millions of mana!

The deck has different ways to win when you have all of this mana. One way is to monstrous a polukranos you just cast (it has haste) and kill all of your opponents creatures then swing in and hit them for a million. Another way to win is to craters claws them for 1,000,000. The last way to win is to use nylea (gives them all trample and a buff on a stick) to buff all of your creatures and swing in for a ton of damage.

Although the deck is a combo deck, that is not the only way to win. It is more of a green devotion deck with a combo, rather then a combo deck with green devotion. If you don't have the combo, you can just bash in with your massive creatures. The deck runs a lot of ramp and big fatties so you can overwhelm your opponent. The deck is very consistent and it's super fun when you finally pull off your awesome combo!

Hope you guys enjoyed this deck tech. Next time I'll be looking into some Dragons of Tarkir spoilers. HYPE!

Deck List:
Creature (32)
2x Arbor Colossus
2x Boon Satyr
4x Courser of Kruphix
3x Eidolon of Blossoms
4x Elvish Mystic
4x Genesis Hydra
1x Hornet Queen
1x Nylea, God of the Hunt
2x Polukranos, World Eater
4x Temur Sabertooth
4x Voyaging Satyr
1x Whisperwood Elemental

Land (23)
4x Forest
4x Frontier Bivouac
1x Mana Confluence
1x Mountain
4x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1x Temple of Mystery
4x Wooded Foothills
4x Yavimaya Coast

Instant (1)
1x Chord of Calling

Sorcery (1)
1x Crater's Claws

Enchantment (3)
3x Temur Ascendancy

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Fate Reforged Reviews Part 2

It's time for some more Fate Reforged! I'm going to review and look at some awesome new cards from Fate Reforged.

image courtesy of Mythic Spoiler
Alesha, who smiles at death is the khan for the mardu clan. Alesha is a 3/2 legnedary human warrior that casts for two colorless and one red. She has first strike and whenever Alesha attacks,  you may pay two hybrid white black. If you do, return target creature with power two or less from your graveyard onto the battlefield tapped and attacking. Although Alesha is already a 3/2 for three with first strike, its that second ability that really makes her amazing. Being able to bring back creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield is already good. Making them attack on the turn that they are brought back is stupid good! Also, this ability is only two mana, so you can bring back almost all of your creatures straight to the battlefield! The obvious downside to this card it that the creature you bring back has to have two or less power. This can prevent you from bringing back a huge amount of creatures. A very good card overall.

image courtesy of Mythic Spoiler
The next card on my list is hilarious. Ghastly Conscription is a sorcery that casts for five colorless and two black and exiles all creatures from target player's graveyard in a face-down pile. You shuffle that pile and then manifest those cards. You pretty much take all of your opponent's dead creatures ( or your dead creatures) and put them all face down as 2/2 creatures on your side of the board. This card is very silly but also good. It gives you insane board presence right away. Also, all of the creatures can be turned face up at any time, if you have the mana. You get to use all of your opponents creatures against them! A very funny and good card.
image courtesy of Mythic Spoiler

Next up we have
Shaman of the Great Hunt. Shaman of the Great Hunt is a 4/2 orc shaman that casts for three colorless and one red. He has haste, whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, put a +1/+1 counter on it, and a ferocious ability that allows you to pay two colorless and two hybrid green blue to draw a card for each creature you control with power 4 or greater. This card screams Temur. First off it has 4 power, giving you that fercious trigger. It also has a way to get your other creatures to 4 power for even more ferocious triggers. His last ability is just gravy. Green never gets card draw so this really helps you to fill up your hand. This card belongs in Temur decks.

Well, there are some cards that I love from Fate Reforged. I'll be doing some more reviews on cards when the set comes out. I'll see you guys next time and have fun at the prerelease!

Monday, January 12, 2015

Fate Reforged Review Part 1

It's finally here. After waiting day and night its finally her. FATE REFORGED! All the cards have been spoiled and they're all awesome! I'm going to pick some cards to show you and see how good this set really is.

image courtesy of MTG Salvation
Ugin, the Spirit Dragon is the only planeswalker in Fate Reforged. Ugin casts for eight colorless mana and starts out with 7 loyalty. Ugin has a +2 that can deal three damage to target creature or player. He has a -X that exiles each permanent with converted mana cost X or less that is one or more colors (No colorless permanents get exiled). Ugin's last ability is a -10 that gains you 7 life, draws you 7 cards and allows you to put seven permanents from your hand onto the battlefield. Ugin has some awesome abilities. If a lightning strike on a stick and a board wipe isn't enough, his ult is absolutely absurd. It can stabilize you from almost any position by getting your health up, getting card draw and securing your board state. Although he casts for a high eight mana, he starts our with 7 loyalty making it easier to get his ult off, and harder for your opponents to kill him. The best part is that his ult is the exact opposite of Nicol Bolas' ult.

image courtesy of MTG Salvation
This next card is my favorite card in the whole set. Warden of the First Tree is a 1/1 human that casts for one green . He has three abilities that upgrade him. His first ability costs one colorless and one hybrid white black and turns him into a 3/3 human warrior. His second ability costs two colorless and two hybrid white black. If he is a warrior he becomes a human spirit warrior and gets trample and lifelink. His third ability costs three colorless and three hybrid white black mana. If he is a spirit, you put five +1/+1 counters on him. Warden of the First Tree is a lot like Figure of Destiny, he is able to upgrade himself into a bigger creature with new abilities. One reason Warden of the First Tree is better than Figure of Destiny is that you can continue to upgrade him after he's has become a spirit. Another bonus is that he is a warrior so he can get buffs from Chief of the Scale and Chief of the Edge.

image courtesy of MTG Salvation
Last but defiantly not least is Soulfire Grand Master. Soulfire Grand Master is a 2/2 Human Monk with lifelink that casts for one colorless and one white. If you pay two colorless and two hybrid blue and red, the next spell you cast will go to your hand instead of going to the graveyard. She also has instant and sorcery spells you control have lifelink... WHAT! Okay everyone it looks like Jeskai burn is going to destroy everything. But really though, this card is insane. Even if you don't like her abilities she is a 2/2 liflink for 2! That's Insane! This card could very well see standard play.

That's our first part for Fate Reforged reviews. I hope you guys enjoyed and I'll see you guys next time!

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Review the Pulls, Ep. 1

Happy New Years Everyone! I hope you all had a good holiday season. Today I am going to be starting a little series called Review the Pulls. I'm going to open some packs and then review random cards from the packs. Today I opened some Journey Into Nyx packs. Lets see what I got!

Eagle of the Watch is my first card. Eagle of the Watch is a 2/1 bird with flying and vigilance that casts for two colorless and one white. Eagle of the Watch in a basic flyer with some cool abilities. Any flyer that has vigilance is good in my book. You can swing from the sky but also have a blocker just in case. One problem with eagle of the watch is that he only has one toughness, so if you do end up blocking with him he will probably trade. Eagle of the Watch is good but vigilance is much more suited for creatures with a bit higher toughness.

image courtesy of  Magic The Gathering
The next card is Nyx-Fleece Ram. Nyx-Fleece Ram is a 0/5 sheep with "at the beginning of your upkeep, you gain 1 life." that casts for one colorless and one white. Nyx-Fleece ram is just a big defender. Like all defenders, Nyx-Fleece Ram just sits there and prevents a lot of early game agro. Unlike other defenders, Nyx-Fleece Ram gains you as he blocks those ealry game creatures. Another bonus is that he does not have defender, so if you buff him he has the option to attack.

Next up we have Nature's Panoply. Nature's Panoply is an instant that casts for one green and has strive for two colorless and one green. Nature's Panoply puts a +1/+1 counter on any number of target creatures. Natures Panoply is a great way to buff up all of your creatures. Even if you don't have a lot of mana for the strive cost, you can still buff up one creature for only one mana. This card also works very well with heroic and outlast.

image courtesy of  Magic The Gathering
For our fourth card we have Returned Reveler. Returned Reveler is a 1/3 zombie satyr with "When Returned Reveler dies, each player puts the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyards." that casts for one colorless and one black. This is card is... meh. Although a 1/3 for two is decent, its ability really brings its power level down, One upside is you could use this card to your advantage if your playing Sultai or a graveyard oriented strategy but other than that, not the best card.

And last but not least we have Triton Shorestalker. Triton Shorestalker is a 1/1 merfolk rouge that can't be blocked and casts for one blue. Triton Shorestalker is an amazing one drop, especially for blue. Any creature that can't be blocked is already amazing, especially if you can get it out early. Triton Shorestalker is one of the best one drops in Journey into Nyx by far. GO MERFOLK!

Well that was our first episode of Review the Pulls. I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you guys next time!