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Fighting Infection

So Scars of Mirrodin has been released for quite a while now and you’ve probably been trying out all the new cards. Like any new set Scars of Mirrodin introduces a few new abilities to the mix and this time some of them are quite nasty. Metalcraft gives yours cards bonuses for having other artifacts on the field and Proliferate adds more counters to things, but this week I’d like to talk about the most terrifying new ability in this set: Infect.

Infect is one of three new abilities to premiere in Scars of Mirrodin, but it may seem familiar to longtime players of Magic: The Gathering. A creature with infect deals damage to other creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters, much like Wither from Shadowmoor. I’ve always been a little wary when fighting against someone that can put these counters on my creatures. -1/-1 counters are permanent and once a creatures hits 0 toughness, there is no way to save them. A creature with 0 toughness is put right into the graveyard. Not even indestructible or regenerating creatures can stand up to the poisonous effects of -1/-1 counters. Infect is a threat to everyone’s biggest creatures and some may choose to just take the damage rather than weaken their biggest threats.

Taking damage from creatures with Infect is a whole new threat because the poisonous effects of these creatures can now be spread to you as a player. Poison counters were a relic of the ancient game of Magic: The Gathering last played over 10 years ago! They made a brief return in Future Sight’s time-shifted cards and their predictions are now coming to pass with Infect. While creatures with Infect deal damage to other creatures with -1/-1 counters, if they manage to deal damage to a player, they deal damage in the form of poison counters. A player with 10 poison counters loses the game, so be careful! It’s important to keep an eye on your poison counters because poison counters can never be removed.

So Infect seems like a pretty scary ability, how do you fight against it? Well the first thing to keep in mind is that Infect replaces normal damage with -1/-1 or poison counters. So if your opponent is playing with only a couple creatures with Infect then you can probably take some poison counters for a couple turns until you find an appropriate response to get rid of them. This also means that if your opponent’s deck is made up of tons of infect creatures, there probably isn’t a whole lot in their deck that can damage your life total.

But no matter how many creatures with Infect are in the deck, there will reach a point where you have to put your creatures up against them. The best way to get rid of Infect creatures, other than destroying them yourself, is to pit them against creatures with First Strike or Double Strike. These creatures can attack before their enemy gets a chance to get a swipe at them, allowing them to stay nice and healthy.

There are few ways to get around Infect without causing some damage to yourself, so what are some simple strategies to keep Infect creatures from poisoning you? You are going to lose creatures: you want as few creatures with Infect on their side of the board as possible and to do that you need to block, a lot. The early game can be crucial against a player with Infect because if you let their 1/1 keep at it from the third turn those poison counters are going to add up. Realize that Infect creatures will not be as big as regular creatures, and in the late game should have something big that can deal with two or more of their little guys at a time. My last tip can apply to any situation, but you want to try to have an answer for the occasional trick your opponent will pull. There are cards that can cause a card to gain Infect at instant speed or they may just beef up an Infect creature with something as simple as Giant Growth. Against Infect kill spells can be real handy because if they don’t have creatures, they don’t have anything that can Infect you!

With these tips in mind I hope you have a better understanding of Infect and how to deal with it. Again, don’t be afraid to block these creatures, yours are probably bigger anyway. They will eventually succumb to death by -1/-1 counters but only at great cost to your opponent. It is their noble sacrifice that will lead to victory against the Infected hordes of Phyrexia!

November 24, 2010
The Misadventures of TCP at the Eldrazi Prerelease

We came, we saw, we…got shafted?

Find out why we were disappointed, but still managed to have a blast and win some packs at the Rise of the Eldrazi Prerelease events!

April 23, 2010
Eldrazi Pre-Release Anticipation

We’re stoked about the Rise of the Eldrazi Prerelease event. Listen up as we tell you why!

April 16, 2010
Our Salute to Fatties!

This week we’re going to talk about how Fatties – our favorite huge creatures are going to be influencing the game over the next cycle and some of our favorite old school fatties as well.

Like these guys:

So crank up your flux capacitor, get up to 88mph, and join us for the ride!

April 8, 2010
Your Journey Begins… Here

Welcome to the first of many posts on Magic: The Gathering with your new source for what’s hot, Josh. Together we will uncover the hot, the not-so-hot, and the downright newsworthy things happening in the Multiverse. I imagine that most people here have found this site thanks to a deep appreciation of Magic and its ability to offer hours of endless fun and enjoyment with like-minded individuals. That is, like minded assuming that you aren’t the only Timmy playing in a group of Spikes. In that case I weep for you and my soul reaches out to you. My advice? Find some new friends (just kidding… sort of).

I have been mulling back and forth between topics to enter the blogging community (it’s no easy task deciding how to enter a new world), and I found inspiration from Mark Rosewater’s two part series, Fun-Off part 1 and part 2 from a few weeks ago. The theme of those articles reminded me of the ideals on which The Casual Planesalker was founded. Good times with good friends (and of course some caffeinated beverages and pizza). This blog will be focusing on things that we at The Casual Planeswalker find fun and interesting for not only you and your playgroup but us as well. I sincerely hope that you enjoy making the journey with us. We are growing fast so be sure to check back soon for all sorts of fun new things from your new source for casual Magic: The Gathering pleasure!

April 5, 2010
Podcast – Leveling Up, The Maddest Planeswalker in Town, and The Absurdity of Eldrazi

This week we’re looking at more of the flavor of the upcoming “Rise of the Eldrazi” set.

We’ve got new mechanics, new creatures and *gasp* a new Planeswalker!

At a glance,

Just heaps of awesome in store, so hold on to your hats!

Here it is:

April 1, 2010
Podcast Episode 2: Phyrexia Vs. Coalition, Eldrazi Spoilers, And Pauper Magic

Here’s the newest installment of TCP’s weekly podcast!

We talk about the new Phyrexia Vs. Coalition Duel Deck, cover some more Eldrazi spoilers, and talk about an interesting way to play Magic..the Pauper format!

-Enjoy 🙂

March 18, 2010
The Casual Planeswalker Podcast – First Episode

March 2, 2010

Needing a little something more for your magic game? The Casual Planeswalker unveils the podcast that will amp up your meta with a fun and interesting weekly chat with Nick, Brad and Josh. Jump onto iTunes and subscribe to our podcast or click below to listen to it now.

Episode 01

Meet Brad, Josh and Nick as your hosts of The Casual Planeswalker Podcast. Listen as we discuss our thoughts on some card mechanics and creature types introduced in the latest block of Magic: The Gathering. Hear the discussion of how Kozilek, Butcher of Truth and Eye of Ugin will soon be teaming up to offer a new and exciting combo to Timmy’s arsenal – and even catch a handy tip on maintaining your magic collection.

March 2, 2010
Ten Reasons to be Excited about Zendikar Part 2

So lets continue the countdown with another power player that many people are happy about…

6. Harrow

This one card alone deserves its own recognition. Harrow has been around the block before but this is the first time that I can think of where it can be used not only as accel but as a trick too. The landfall mechanic only cares that you play lands, not where you played them from, which makes the dudes who get bigger with lands happy when you have Harrow mana open. Oh, did I forget to mention it’s an Instant, meaning you don’t have to cast it on your turn alone? That makes a huge difference when you consider how much land means in Zendikar. Not only that but the lands come in untapped so you could potentially chain more spells, maybe even another Harrow. The amount of acceleration this card provides is just nuts. Be sure to keep an eye out for this in standard, I’m sure it will make an impact.

7. The Explorers Cards

Let’s play Simon Says. Simon Says have some creatures die. Done? Here’s a big dude for you. That’s pretty much what happens when you play Quest for the Gravelord, one of the cards from the five color cycles of Explorer cards. Each Explorer Card, from the common Expeditions, the uncommon Quests and the rare Ascensions has a specific trigger to gain counters.

Some are easy to attain like playing lands, some are not so easy like not losing life. Once these cards are online however they delivery some serious power, except for maybe the blue Explorer cards, which are seriously lacking when compared to the other colors. The flavor that they each represent is also phenomenal, so let’s pack up the gear and get to exploring!

8. The Uber Spells

This cycle of cards is rightly called Uber because of the effects they attain when they reach the kickers they have. Each color’s Uber spell is just right for those colors. Conqueror’s Pledge is great white token making, and game breaking if kicked. Rite of Replication is essentially a Clone until kicked where it becomes 5, all at the low mana cost of 9. Sadistic Sacrament is just that, sadistic. Lobotomy Effects can hurt a strategy but if you hit kicker on this one you can rip every possible threat the opponent has left. Elemental Appeal is typical red, creating a Ball Lightning with an extra boost in power but gives it a HUGE leap if kicked. Gigantiform is probably the only one of the spells that doesn’t have to be kicked to be hurtful, turning a lowly dork into an 8/8 trampling nightmare, and if kicked allows you to share the love with another dork. All of the Ubers are good but each are brutal when you hit them late game.

9. The Mythics

Now when Mythics were introduced many people started nay saying them, making the argument that they would eventually print utility cards at mythic thus driving up prices for single cards. While I do think it’s still possible for them to do this, so far Wizards have kept their word. That’s not to say that the cards they have printed aren’t incredibly strong, some bordering on utility but they still require some kind of dedication to the card itself.

The legendary creatures are huge, from Iona who says NO to a specified color, Lorthos who can tap down so many things its nearly impossible to block him or Kalitas who as a vampire lord can kill other creatures and make you vampires to serve you. The baddest legend though is definitly Ob Nixilis, who not only sucks life from your opponents when a land comes into play but also gets bigger by doing it.

The three planeswalkers we’ve received this time around each embody its colors perfectly. Sorin is a vampire so he sucks away life and manipulates the mind so he can control you, just a black mage’s cup of tea. Chandra on a bad day will do everything she can to blow you away, just what any angry red mage would do. Nissa is about the Elves, so it’s only fitting that she benefits from them, gaining you life or searching down her brethren to serve your cause.

White got an interesting alternate win condition attached to a very nasty body with Felidar Sovereign. There’s also the flavorful Obsidian Fireheart, who makes lands themselves burn their controller. Eldrazi Monument is another mythic which just overflows with flavor and power, making your creatures into Supermen just by martyring another one each turn.

Lastly there’s green, with Rampaging Baloths and Lotus Cobra, who have landfalls triggers that are so amazing it’s possible for green to be the best color in standard. Cracking open one of these cards is not only a good thing for your collection but possibly even for your own deck.

10. Full Frame Lands

The last thing I want to talk about is the full frame basic land cards that every single booster pack and Fat Pack provide. Those familiar with the joke sets Unglued and Unhinged know how beautiful having no text box is, and these ones are no exception. The lands are stunning, from the floating geode bowls of an Island or the levitating trees of a Forest. I personally would draft the land before one of the set’s filler cards. If you get the chance to acquire these lands do so, it will be worth your time.

Well that’s it, my ten reasons to be excited about Zendikar. I’m sure each of you has your own reasons to purchase this wonderful set, whether it’s to get those powerhouse cards or just to admire the sheer loveliness of the art. One thing is for sure; Zendikar is here, so buckle up, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.

October 9, 2009
Ten Reasons to Be Excited About Zendikar (Part 1)
By Alex McLaughlin

So we are fresh into a new set, one filled with so much it’s really hard to process this much awesome. I personally think this set is on the power level of the Urza Saga, which if any of you who are reading this are familiar with the set know how much it impacted the game. So let’s start off with the most obvious thing we are all chirping about…

1. Enemy-colored Fetchlands

At long last we have the other half of that oh-so-loved cycle from Onslaught. Both seasoned veterans and new players alike can appreciate the importance of a good land base, and these lands provide not only the land you need but act as what I call “hollow” cards, which means essentially that you are running a smaller deck because it automatically replaces itself with a land from your deck.

This also makes it so you don’t have to run as many copies of different land cards to cover a multicolored deck, making turn one plays of mono-color cards easier. If only to get these lands you should get Zendikar, especially since they are twice as common as the original fetches with the new Mythic card rarity.

2. Vampires

Oh the Twilight jokes that were said at the release events about the “vampire” players. Joking aside however Vampires in Zendikar do so much more than many of the vamps we’ve seen in the past, and across all the rarities. In the commons we got Vampire Lacerator and Guul Draz Vampire, two extremely potent cards for the low mana cost of a single black mana.

At uncommon we have 4 heavy hitters, three of which are dudes and the last is the most awesome “tribal” removal I’ve ever seen.Vampire Nighthawk and Gatekeeper of Malakir do what black wants to do, force someone to make a bad decision. Vampire Hexmage is the best answer I’ve seen yet to deal with planeswalkers as well as being a first striker. Lastly, Feast of Blood is great removal for the Vampire tribe since it not only nukes any creature but also gains you life. There will rarely be a time in a dedicated Vampire deck where you could not cast it. The all-star of the Vampires however has to be Malakir Bloodwitch, which is immune to a lot of removal because:
- It’s black so most of its own removal can’t hit it
- It’s pro-white so no Path or Oblivion Ring, and
- It has four toughness, so burn is usually a 2 for 1 situation in your favor.
All that, combined with 4 power, a triggered effect that brings the end game that much closer and all at the easily attained cost of 3bb is everything this tribe needs to be top dog.

3. Traps

When the Trap card type was first revealed many players tried to say that this was Wizards trying to be more like a certain anime-inspired card game. I disagreed from the beginning and have been proven right. Traps in this set function no differently than any other spell you could cast, but with some very potent results if the trap’s “snare” cost is reached.

Three really come to mind when I think about the strength of Traps: Mindbreak Trap, Summoner’s Trap and Needlebite Trap. Mindbreak Trap is THE solution to storm and cascade. Even decks that can’t run blue could effectively run this in the board just to deal with those decks. Not only that but it can deal with uncounterable things like Great Sable Stag and Volcanic Fallout. Summoner’s Trap is green’s revenge for all the years that blue has been keeping it down, both digging and putting a dude into play at a reasonable cost to begin with but with an alternate cost that makes the blue mage think twice about countering.

Needlebite Trap just oozes with flavor and with power. An instant speed ten point swing for a converted cost of 7 is ok, but if your opponent gains even 1 life then you can punish them severely for practically no drawback. With the amount of lifelink that is running around I wouldn’t be surprised to see this card in the sideboard or main deck of any black mage’s arsenal.

4. Kicker

The return of this mechanic is a godsend in the current meta, where it’s either the aggro deck wins right away or the control deck wins after a long while. By giving a deck the flexibility of having one card hitting two spots on the mana curve you give yourself more options thus it allows the control player to have some aggression while allowing the aggro player a chance to combat back with a powerful play. So lace up those cleats, let’s get to kickin’!

5. Landfall

Probably one of the best mechanics I have had a chance to experience. Landfall rewards you for doing what practically every deck has to do; play lands. It’s that simple. Play lands, make profit. There are creatures that benefit from it, enchantments that help you for doing it and even equipment that makes dudes bigger just play dropping a land into play. Combined with the fetches and the next reason in the list Landfall will definitely rock the formats old and new.

Come back next time for Part 2!
October 7, 2009