The Casual Planeswalker

Tag: Magic

  • Paying Tribute to become Inspired

    Paying Tribute to become Inspired

    So Born of the Gods has been out for a week now, and people have gotten to try out the new mechanics that were printed and those are Tribute and Inspired. The keyword Tribute is an ability that comes into effect as the creature is cast, allowing the opponent to choose whether to place + 1+1 counters on your creature, or let that creature do something, usually pretty nasty. A couple of good examples are Siren of the Fanged Coast and Fanatic of Xenagos.

    fanticofxenagos

    Fanatic of Xenagos

    I really like the tribute mechanic, but I felt that it was not implemented very well except for a couple of cards. That 3 drop trampler that’s swinging for 4 one way or another is nice, as is the Flame-Wreathed Pheonix, and the siren isn’t terrible, but none of them were exceptional. Oracle of Bones has potential but I was really honestly expecting a demon to have tribute in this set and the closest we got was a hydra that fights something unless you make it a 12/12. Overall I was disappointed in this mechanic, but I am really looking forward to them abusing it in the future. On a side note, tribute is a great way to go in drafts and sealed and  could win you some free cards, so keep a look for it in the Limited formats.

    On the other side of Born of the Gods, we have Inspired, which is a little keyword that says whenever this creature untaps, do X. This mechanic was very underwhelming as there are only 3 usable cards with this ability, and even they aren’t all that good. You have God-Favored General, which isn’t too bad, Oreskos Sun Guide which was useful in Limited and Siren of the Silent Song which I could see being played next to Ashiok. other than that they are all too expensive, or their abilities cost more mana than it is worth. This is just one of those abilities that might be nice to work in with Spingleaf drum and kiora’s follower, if only there were better effects to them. In EDH if you can get one of those nifty untap chains going one of them might be useful but otherwise, I hope this ability really gets majorly buffed or just done away with in Journey into Nyx.

    Image

    Siren of the Silent Coast

    A couple of mechanics from Theros return in Born of the Gods where we see multiple cards with Bestow and Heroic, and I was impressed with most of these. Hero of Iroas and Hero of Leina Tower really do the Heroic keyword a lot of good, and while that Hero of Iroas also helps out by making bestow creatures cheaper, Eidolon of Countless Battles, Herald of Torment, and Spiteful Returned can all do some nasty things to your opponents all on their own. I really like what they did with these creatures and while I still remain disappointed by no demon with tribute (it’s just too perfect) and no angels with Heroic, all in all, Born of the Gods wasn’t too bad at all.

    Image (1)Image (3)

    A nasty combo, resulting in a turn 3 5/5

    For those of you wanting to make some themed decks looking to run tribute or inspired, I’ve got a couple things for you. Running Corpsejack Menace turns every tribute into a huge threat, and running the Archetype of Aggression makes them regret every decision they have to make. For maximum meanness run a couple monstrous creatures and bioshifts to move those counters around to double them again with corpsejack or save them from a kill spell.

    If you’re running inspired try getting there with hidden strings, kiora’s follower, spingleaf drum and prophet of kruphix for a constant stream of tapping and untapping while still having blockers.

    Prophet of Kruphix Image (2)

    A couple of fun cards for those casual themed decks

    Finally, as to what I’m expecting from Journey Into Nyx, I’m really hoping for at least one demon with tribute, something that makes the inspired mechanic worth having been printed, and I would love for them to finally print a green white planeswalker. I’m also quite looking forward to seeing what Kruphix (the blue green god) is going to do and I’m excited for the commander potential for Keranos (the red blue god).

    What is it you liked most about Born of the Gods and what are you looking forward to in the next set? Feel free to leave comments! join me next week for some amusing rogue decks ideas just in time for the SGC Qualifiers on the 22nd in Tallahassee!

    James

  • Just for Fun – Webcomics

    Just for Fun – Webcomics

    Playing casual is a lifestyle. As a casual player, you think less about sideboards and more about Fatties. You spend less time following the big decks from last week’s Grand Prix, and more time innovating combos that will rock your playgroup.

    Most of what you do is “Just for Fun” and we think that’s awesome. So, in our effort to always make you smile and to deliver content that players like you will love, we give you

    Our Top 5

    Magic: The Gathering Webcomics


    1. Top Dorks/Casual Crew – Since I know you already salivate at the idea of your bi-weekly dose of the Top Dorks webcomic, created by our own Nick Roelofs, I’ll just consider this a reminder. They’re new every Tuesday and Thursday and they’re only getting better!

     

    2. Inkwell Looter – This is my favorite new source of great MTG parody and satire. There is about a year’s worth of archive to check out, and, though the posts aren’t regular, the art and humor is second to none. Be sure to support him by following him on Twitter and “Like”ing his Facebook page.

    Below is a lovely homage to the Stoneforge/Squadron Hawk combo that has been so prominent in Standard for what seems like years…


    3. Tales from the Pit – Created by Mark Rosewater, Magic’s head designer, these comics center on the misadventures and productivity issues of the R&D department at Wizards of the Coast.

    They’re pretty funny even if you don’t always understand the finer points of R&D which are being mocked. In the past month they’ve also been a source of spoiler-esque information on upcoming sets, like the victory of Giant Spider over Giant Growth.

    4. Lotus Cobra is Evil – Have you ever had the sneaking suspicion that a card wasn’t just “mythic” or “in need of nerfing”, but actually downright evil? If so, the folks at ColorPie.com share your paranoia.

    In this webcomic, Lotus Cobra is depicted not as merely evil, but as the harbinger of hatred, death, and disease in this world – the very snake that tempted Adam and Eve. Basically, if you could imagine what it would be like if Storm Crow used his power for evil instead of good, that would be Lotus Cobra.


    5. Manascrewed – This is the only webcomic to make our list that isn’t actually being produced any longer. Manascrewed was a great comic and the entire archive is still available on the site.

    As you can see from the announcements on the mainpage, the artist just ran into that too-typical problem of having something he loved doing conflict with his “real life” obligations. This is one more reason to support the small-businesses in your cultural niche.

     

     

    So, that’s the quick and dirty list of our favorite webcomics. Do you have some favorites that didn’t make the list? We are always looking to support artists, writers, and other creative minds involved in the MTG sub-culture, so let us know about your favorite comics, blogs, etc.

     

  • Top Dorks – Followed Footsteps

    Top Dorks – Followed Footsteps


    [button text=”Click the Comic to Enlarge” link=”https://casualplaneswalker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/TCP-TOP-DORKS-COMIC-2.jpg.jpg”]

  • The Changing Plane

    The Changing Plane

    Over the course of the set a lot of things have changed in Mirrodin. The Phyrexians, hidden within the core of the plane, have invaded and transformed it into New Phyrexia. The plane of Mirrodin has been corrupted and many of its inhabitants can be seen in these forms in the new sets. New Phyrexia in particular is pretty cool with the number of cards that go back to classic Mirrodin and Phyrexian cards. Here are a few of the cards that have their roots in previous Magic sets.

    Compleated Elves

    The Elves were the first to fall to the invasion and green has become one of the main colors of the Phyrexians. Many of the elves that have been compleated are reminiscent of the elves as seen in the previous set of Mirrodin. These elves were particularly good against artifacts and they retain that trait in their new forms. For some of these creatures the addition of Infect is the only major change.

    Viridian Shamanphyrexian_symbolViridian Corrupter

    Classic Phyrexian Designs

    The Phyrexians that took over Mirrodin are not the same that served under Yawgmoth, but there are some designs still within their memory. The Phyrexian Hulk
    Phyrexian Hulk     is the most obvious example in this set, being a reprint. Mortis Dogs and Hollow Dogs are different cards but it is easy to see the inspiration. Cards like these show that there is some identity to Phyrexia even though it corrupts every other creature with its oil.

    Hollow Dogsphyrexian_symbolMortis Dogs

    Perfected Phyrexians

    There are some Phyrexian creatures that have returned to the new plane with some changes. The Priest of Urabrask
    Priest of Urabrask     is a red Priest of Gix
    Priest of Gix    . The priest in red will certainly be a welcome addition as a “free” creature that can keep a red deck burning. However the coolest creature that has been improved is sure to be the Phyrexian Obliterator. This new Phyrexian Negator has definitely reached perfection. No longer do you have to weigh risks when playing the Phyrexian Negator, for only 1 extra black mana you can have your opponents sacrificing permanents instead!

    Phyrexian Negatorphyrexian_symbolPhyrexian Obliterator

    Corrupted Mirran Artifacts

    The Phyrexian have lent their touch of perfection both to their own designs as well as classic Mirran artifacts. Golems have received a huge boost in power thanks to the splicers that are in white, green, and blue. These creatures come into play with some 3/3 golems and also power up all golems you control. These Phyrexians can further improve even one of their grandest artifacts: Blightsteel Colossus
    Blightsteel Colossus    . For specific cards that have been compleated in New Phyrexia, you can look toward the Etched Monstrosity. This guy has been beefed up from the uncommon Etched Oracle from Mirrodin into a card at the mythic rare level. What was once a little 4/4 at max that would probably die to draw 3 cards is now a 5/5 that can become a 10/10 if you use it to draw those 3 cards. The Phyrexians have added some awesome new twists to these antiquated Mirran artifacts.

    Etched Oraclephyrexian_symbol Etched Monstrosity

    Iconic Lands now Tainted

    Remember the artifact lands from Mirrodin? Well now they’re back, but maybe not as you would have hoped. Now they’re back as basic lands corrupted by the Phyrexians. We have received new basic lands from each set in this block, showing us just how much the terrain has changed and the return to these unique lands show that even the great centers of power for the Mirrans have been lost to the Phyrexians. This corruption leads all the way to the very core of the plane. Mirrodin’s Core
    Mirrodin’s Core     was once a land that allowed you to charge up colored mana but the new Phyrexia’s Core instead eats artifacts for a bit of life. While it is a bit of an odd twist in its mechanics, the name Phyrexia’s Core
    Phyrexia’s Core     establishes that the plane has been forever changed.

    Seat of the Synodphyrexian_symbolIsland

    These are some of the cards I found that go back into Magic’s past and bring back what we associated with the planes of both Mirrodin and Phyrexia. There are reimagined forms of these classic cards as well as some cool combinations of what both planes do best resulting from the invasion of Mirrodin. Try to look through your old collection of Mirran or Phyrexian cards and see if you can spot any links between then and now.

  • Fighting Infection

    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!

     

     

  • Your Journey Begins… Here

    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!

  • 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 🙂

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download

  • 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.

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download