“The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.” With those words, Stephen King started his magnum opus in 1978. The series would take decades to complete and, while Gunslinger was not the strongest of the books, it laid the foundation for what would be one of King’s greatest works.

Gunslinger is the shortest of the seven books and lays the basis of the world(s) it inhabits. Roland Deschain is the titular gunslinger, an old fashioned knight of a dying world, chasing who he thinks to be his nemesis, the man in black. Along the way the reader gets both backstory into Roland and his chase through a story told to a farmer, and introduced to another major character, Jake, who hails from New York (yes, that New York) and tags along as Roland continues his quest for the Dark Tower.

There is a surprising amount of information dumped in this opening book, but also a lot that is missing. When Roland finally converses with the man in black, his information is both useful and useless, giving tantalizing hints as to what is to come, but never really saying things that make much sense. And that might be one of the biggest hurdles to The Dark Tower series. Getting into it requires a large leap of faith that things will not only get easier to read, but more enjoyable as well. They do, but getting through Gunslinger is a slog of a read, even for the most die-hard King fans.

That’s not to say that there is not interesting scenes in the book; there are a fair few of them. But they are few and far between as Roland plods along the desert with few people to talk to and fewer to keep with him.

Overall, I would recommend The Gunslinger to anyone that likes Steven King and his work (by the end of the series, you’ll probably run into a few people you recognize from other books, too.) Gunslinger itself is harder to read, but once the series gets rolling, you will be hard pressed to put it away.

Justin Lado

Justin enjoys most games. He is currently learning the ins and outs of competitive modern Magic while enjoying all sorts of other gaming mediums, assuming he can find the spare time.

While one may think the Selesnya Conclave as peace loving, nature protecting, “hippies” (for lack of a better word) their history does tie back to some hypocritical and sinister dealings (Editors Note: Sort of. They were almost taken over by Savra so that Szadek could kill Mat’Selesnya, the ancient parun of the Guild by using the Selesnyans’ Quietmen to do so). Fortunately recent years have put into place leadership that protects Ravnica for the benefit of everyone, and the Conclave leads that charge.

The Selesnya Conclave

This white and green guild is filled with anything a fan of fantasy RPGs would want. Elves (the Silhana), Clerics, Archers, Druids, Shamans, Centaur, and more! These different races, and classes, have learned to work together in harmony for the good of all. While the other guilds have boasted new mechanics this guild brings back a fan favorite with Convoke. Sadly we don’t get a Chord of Calling reprint which would have been awesome!

Conclave Tribunal was one of the first cards to be revealed during PAX weekend at the beginning of the month. While you have to use some of your creatures to use this for cheap it can put a hole in the opposing defense allowing your other creatures to get through. This card is quite powerful especially if your forces have Vigilance.

Convoke plus a permanent buff? Venerated Loxodon is a really strong card. Imagine casting this for one white mana, and then using it plus your remaining mana to cast another one, in the same turn. Unless you can answer some of the threats you could be dead the next turn. I’m glad this does not have Trample, or it would be super powerful.

Elf? Check. Draws cards when you play a creature? Check. Has green mana? Check. Beast Whisperer is quite strong in an aggro or a creature heavy mid-range deck. It has three toughness, but keep in mind that Elvish Clancaller exists to keep it out of Lightning Strike range. I would keep an eye on this card as drawing cards by following your plan only helps you achieve victory.

Gate? Heck yes. However while Circuitous Route is not going to find Maze’s End in Standard perhaps we can in Modern. While it would be an FNM deck it is something we could try. Ramp spells are also beneficial for EDH decks, although green sure does have a ton of them already. I could see this in a Standard deck looking to use a lot of the split cards, or perhaps a card I’ll be talking about in a moment, but not as a four of.

Civic Wayfinder, and Borderland Ranger each saw competitive play, and I’m sure District Guide will as well. It’s also an Elf which is beneficial in the new Standard as Elf tribal could be an archetype. This also can get Gates which could use this creature as a blocker in a casual Maze’s End Modern deck too. Unlike this previous card this is definitely a four of in the decks it will be played in as it fixes your mana (even if you use it to get a Gate).

This card is sweet. While it is odd that she produced 1/1 white Soldier tokens (instead of Elves) Emmara, Soul of the Accord showcases how this guild works together, collectively, in it’s pursuits regardless of race or class. Very on theme. Did you know she can be part of an infinite mana combo in Modern too? Here’s what you need.

• Cryptolith Rites
• Intruder Alarm
• Emmara, Soul of the Accord

Infinite mana.

What can you get with that much mana? A giant Walking Ballista? A huge Banefire? What about more creatures at INSTANT speed?

Sure. I miss Sphinx’s Revelation (a lot), but March of the Multitudes is somewhat close. You really only need to cast this on your opponent’s end step to begin to turn the corner. I see this as another Secure the Wastes, but your other creatures will allow you to cast this card. This is also a good card to use when your board is getting wiped away. Do not sleep on this card!

The Selesnya Conclave is full of strategies for those who enjoy go wide aggro, and mid-range decks. If you enjoy getting the maximum value out of your cards then this guild is right up your alley. Make sure you have enough cards to increase the power and toughness of your creatures to avoid problems with Goblin Chainwhirler as it’s a bane to all token decks currently in Standard.

We have reached the end. The five guilds have been revealed, and I have covered them all as much as I can. Are there cards from other sets in Standard that you want to couple with those in the Selesnya colors for Standard? Do you want to try Maze’s End in Modern now too? Make sure to comment below, and to follow me on both Facebook as well as Twitter.

Until next week when I return to weekly Monday articles…

TAP MORE MANA!!!

Scott Campbell

Scott Campbell, better known as MTGPackFoils, has been playing Magic since he was 17 (which was in 1993). He’s known for loving decks such as Azorius Control, Jund, and others (especially in Modern). He is a husband, father, and a former nightclub DJ.

http://www.twitter.com/MTGPackFoils

Honorable Mention – Circuitous Route

As there are so many great cards in the set, I’ll start by cheating and including a virtual number eleven, which we’ll call my Honorable Mention.  This honor goes to Circuitous Route.  This card easily qualifies as one of the best mana ramp and color-fixing cards for budget decks.  Easily slotted into three, four, and five color decks playing budget duals, specifically Gates.  This card compares well with Skyshroud Claim, itself one of the best mana ramp and fixing cards ever printed.  Circuitous Route can even fetch up two gates which contain no green at all!  

Number Ten – Discovery and Dispersal:

In a Ravnica set, it’s practically a requirement that a hybrid card and split card be included on a top-ten list.  In this case, we’re lucky enough to be able to include both in one card, Discovery and Dispersal.  This versatile card allows you to cantrip early in the game, while fixing the top of the top of the library and stocking the graveyard, all for two mana.  Discovery is like format staples Preordain and Ponder, but with incredible upside; and that is just the first half of the card.  Then, Dispersal adds an incredible removal option, hitting each opponent much like Crackling Doom.  It works as permanent removal for opponents who may be empty handed, and works at instant speed!  

Number Nine – Crush Contraband:

Commander is really a format of threats, answers, and resources.  To end up on top at the end, you need to ensure that you preserve your resources with your answers.  This is a roundabout way of saying that two for ones, three for ones, etc. allow you to stay ahead on resources, while dealing with your opponents’ threats.  Crush Contraband splashes into multicolored decks better than Return to Dust, while allowing you to hit two targets at any time, removing the timing restriction of the latter card. 

Number Eight – Citywide Bust:

Citywide Bust, the new Retribution of the Meek, gives low-lying decks a new option for creating an asymmetrical board sweeper.  At only three mana, it’s as aggressively costed as possible, and even has an advantage over Retribution.  Using power boosting buffs, like Cranial Plating, Sword of Vengeance, and Hammer of Nazahn, you can make Citywide Bust vastly superior to Retribution of the Meek.

Number Seven – Bounty Agent:

I’m beginning to wonder if the rest of the list will be all white cards – Editor

Not to worry, we’ll be taking a break from white for a bit after this.  Bounty Agent is a unique bear, which allows you to remove opposing commanders, while also targeting some of the best artifacts and enchantments in the game.  Feel free to target classics like Umezawa’s Jitte and Akroma’s Memorial, as well as new favorites like Helm of the Host and the two full cycles of Legendary Enchantments from Ixalan block.   This little two-drop works like a Mangara of Corondor “light.”  While the colon is in the wrong place for the crazy shenanigans that are possible with Mangara, Bounty Agent does not exile itself. In the right deck it can act as recursive removal.

Number Six – Omnispell Adept:

Cheating mana costs is among the most powerful things you can do in the game of Magic.  Omnispell Adept allows for an incredible rate on casting instants and sorceries (without timing restrictions).  You even get to cast massive spells like Apex of Power from your hand for the mana bonus, while also capitalizing on the trigger from Sunbird’s Invocation.  The possibilities are truly endless.  Pair the adept with the likes of Rings of Brighthearth, Illusionist Bracers, Training Grounds, and Thousand-Year Elixir to really go crazy.

Number Five– Assassin’s Trophy

Like a few of the other cards on our list, it’s difficult to explain how amazing you’re about to find Assassin’s Trophy.  Much has been said about how Assassin’s Trophy will impact Standard, Modern, and even Legacy, as possibly the best removal spell ever printed.  A card with that kind of pedigree will likely leave an impact on Commander as well.  Unlike the recently printed premier removal spell, Fatal Push, Assassin’s Trophy is not hampered by a drawback uniquely unsuited for Commander play.  Assassin’s Trophy is simply the best single target removal in this format, trimming off a mana from Vindicate, while accelerating to instant speed.

Number Four – Mausoleum Secrets

Rather than explain how Mausoleum Secrets is better than cards currently in the format, I want to point out that of the two best tutors ever printed in Magic’s history, neither is strictly better than this card.  Mausoleum Secrets plays like a combination of the best aspects of Demonic Tutor and Vampiric Tutor, adding two drawbacks that are hardly drawbacks in Commander.  Mausoleum Secrets can tutor, at instant speed, Countersquall, Assassin’s Trophy (!), various combo pieces, and my personal favorite options, Notion Thief and Tainted Strike. 

Number Three – Mission Briefing

Mission Briefing will most likely be slotted into decks a somewhat budget version of Snapcaster Mage.  Rather than detailing how similar it is to one of the best two-drop creatures of all time, I’m going to focus on the reasons it is better than Snapcaster.  First, surveil allows you to add to the options of spells to copy.  This allows you to dig for answers, even if you do not have one available.  Second, in a spell-focused deck, Mission Briefing allows you to build towards your critical mass of spells, add counters to Primal Amulet, get copied by Fork, and even be flashbacked by Snapcaster Mage … seriously.  Third, and the coolest advantage that Mission Briefing provides, is hidden in the wording.  Since one of the two cards you can mill over with the surveil ability are available for casting, the spell itself does not target like Snapcaster Mage.  This means that by the time you name the card you intend to flash back, you can retain priority and cast the spell, preventing an opponent from using their Deathrite Shaman, or other targeted graveyard hate to fizzle your spell. 

Number Two – Divine Visitation

Divine Visitation single handedly adds a new win condition to every white based token deck.  Multicolored commanders that include white and create token creatures include Edgar Markov, Ghave, Guru of Spores, and Rhys the Redeemed. These guys are already top-tier commanders.  Changing their text to creating Serra Angels as their tokens is just silly.  Serra Angel is not a playable card in commander, but if you can efficiently create four or more of them per turn, you will win plenty of games.

Number One – Doom Whisperer

If Lilliana signed a contract with five demons, I would be talking about Ugtharod, and how he is almost as game breaking as Razaketh, the Foulblooded.  The craziest part of Doom Whisperer is at only five mana, it will likely be cast from hand more often than reanimated from the graveyard, and without the assistance of Cabal Coffers.  Now, I’m not saying that Doom Whisperer is better than Razaketh, but it does have its advantages.  Doom Whisperer fixes the top of your deck and fills your graveyard. It does not even need a second creature in play to sacrifice for the cost.  That ability, combined with a 6/6 flying, trampling demon, at only five mana, makes it my favorite card of Guilds of Ravnica.

Last Thoughts

I am beyond excited about the new additions to my favorite format.  As always, we never know the precise impact of the new cards we add to our decks until we get to play them, but I have a feeling several cards from Guilds of Ravnica will make a lasting impact on my decks and on our format as a whole.  Let me know below which cards are your favorite from the new set.  I did not even mention popular and exciting cards including Underrealm Lich, Thousand-Year Storm, and Beast Whisperer, so let me hear your worst.

Joshua Sabet

Joshua is a family man and EDH player.  He started playing during fourth edition, and after a long hiatus, returned during Innistrad block.  EDH quickly became his favorite format.

The Izzet League

Followed by those who seek greater knowledge, or those who choose to become part of an experiment, the Izzet League are the inventors on Ravnica. Led, until recently, by the Dracogenius Niv-Mizzet this blue and red mana guild is currently being ran by Ral Zarek.

The mechanic this time around for these inventors is Jump-start. While this is a name better suited for the Kaladesh setting this mechanic feels like a take on the Flashback and Retrace mechanics blended together. In order to cast a spell with Jump-start from your graveyard you have to discard a card, and in the late game when you draw an unnecessary land this could be beneficial.

When a new set enters Standard one thing we look for are replacements for cards that have rotated out of the format. So as Glimmer of Genius leaves a replacement is warranted, and in this case it’s Chemister’s Insight. In recent years Wizards of the Coast has tried to provide players a card like Inspiration feeling that drawing two cards for four mana at instant speed is fair (and in Standard it is), but they have juiced it up a bit this time. Allowing you to draw four cards for eight mana, and discarding a card, will make this a card for us control players to use. I can’t wait to play this card.

Punisher cards, where you give your opponent a choice on how the spell resolves, are a topic of strategy that has happened for many years. In the case of the Jump-start mechanic Risk Factor puts the advantage slightly back into your favor. If you play with multiples of these your chances of the opponent taking four damage is minimized over time. This card is a better version of Browbeat, and is my pick for FNM card from this guild.

This card seems interesting. While walls in control strategies are sometimes needed in aggressive metagames they usually provide something upon coming into play. This card provides an advantage the longer it remains in play with a control deck. Those decks usually play a lot of instants in the form of counterspells or spot removal, and even in the event you have to cast a sweeper at sorcery speed you still get the trigger from this upon casting before the spell resolves. Having two of these in play can really pressure your opponent. I wouldn’t mind trying this card.

Runaway Steam-Kin is the most hyped card in red, and honestly I can see applications for this in Modern. As people look at this card they think primarily of burn spells, and rightfully so. However I am thinking of other cards that have red in their casting cost, especially in Modern:

• Terminate
• Kolaghan’s Command
• Atarka’s Command

That’s just to name a few. Those cards can do things other than burn your opponent, which can be more beneficial in a game, and can help grow the Steam-Kin. Speaking of grow couple this with the following cards, and you may have a sweet aggressive Jund aggro deck:

• Quirion Dryad
• Winding Constrictor
• Hardened Scales
• Walking Ballista

This might be one to watch.

Of any card in this set to make me play Jeskai it is Ionize. Having a card that only costs a single blue in it’s cost be able to counter a spell is pretty strong, and the fact this card is in Standard tells me that there should be plenty of ways to counter a spell for anyone wishing to play a control deck. If you look at this card close enough it’s an Instant speed Blightning. The card you are countering is essentially discarded, and the 2 damage is nothing to sneeze at either. This card will be seen a lot in Standard, and some mages may play it in Modern as well.

All control decks need a finisher, and Niv-Mizzet, Parun is indeed just that. A creature that can’t be countered the only downside to this card is that it ties up your available mana. However if you untap with him anytime you draw a card you are doing damage. Dealing more than five damage a turn can help end games quickly, and this guy partners with Teferi, Hero of Dominaria quite well.

Now we arrive at the other planeswalker in the set in Ral, Izzet Viceroy. A very main character in the story, and minion of Nicol Bolas. While this card has the same template many planeswalker cards have had before it the second ability is quite interesting as it counts cards in exile, Those in exile may be the ones you cast with the Jump-start ability giving them a use beyond their second casting. Otherwise he is competing for a spot currently occupied by the time mage Teferi, Hero of Dominaria.

The Izzet League always has something up it’s sleeve, and this time it’s no different. Their designs are usually simplistic, and straight to the point (draw cards, do damage to something, etc), but that efficiency is where their guild shines. For them the only way to succeed is through trial and error, even if that means dealing with a lot of errors.

Was this article quick? You bet. Izzet mages waste no time so neither should I when covering them. Are you also sad the charm cycle did not come back in this set? Izzet Charm was a sweet card. Leave a comment below, and make sure to follow me on both Facebook as well as Twitter. Tomorrow I will cover the last guild the Selesnya Conclave.

Until then…

TAP MORE MANA!!!

Scott Campbell

Scott Campbell, better known as MTGPackFoils, has been playing Magic since he was 17 (which was in 1993). He’s known for loving decks such as Azorius Control, Jund, and others (especially in Modern). He is a husband, father, and a former nightclub DJ.

http://www.twitter.com/MTGPackFoils

The Way of Kings is Brandon Sanderson’s first book in a planned ten book series known as the Stormlight Archives. It introduces us to Roshar, a new world in Sanderson’s Cosmere; just like the Mistborn series and Elantris, it is lightly connected to his other stories. No external knowledge is required to enjoy these books – Editor

As is normal for these types of books, Kings is rife with new terminology and taxonomy, not to mention characters, locations and backstory. One thing Sanderson does to break this up, besides having multiple main characters, is introduce interludes on the backstory of only one main character per book. Kings focuses on Kaladin Stormblessed and his ‘origin story.’ Kaladin learned how to be a surgeon by working alongside his father, before fighting in the army to protect his brother and his Brightlord. Finally, through a startling turn of events, he becomes a slave.

Another main character is a young woman named Shallan Davar, on a desperate quest to save her family; unsurprisingly, there are several deviations along the way. She introduces us to another key player in the Stormlight Archives, Jasnah Kholin. Sister to a king, renowned scholar, avowed atheist in a religion-steeped culture. Their place in the story gives broad form to the backstory of the world in Kings. They initially focus on scholarship and learning, versus what is considered the masculine arts of war and fighting.

Overlaid on all this is the war for vengeance against the Parshendi, a barbaric people group. While both men are fully engaged in the success of the Vengeance Pact, there is a brewing conflict between Dalinar Kholin (brother to Jasnah, and our third main character) and Torol Sadeas (Dalinar’s peer, and a real piece of work – Editor). Their approaches to success are firmly at odds, which leads to some major waves within the Alethi court.

Kings is an engaging opening book to a series, smoothly teaching readers about a brand new world while still allowing for engrossing battles and plenty of new things around the corner. It ends on a high note for the heroes, but not without great cost.

This is my favorite series; expect plenty of interjections in this set of reviews. As a heads-up, I’ve been told by several friends that Kings is a slow starter. I didn’t experience that myself, but I’d love to hear about your journey – Editor

Justin Lado

Justin enjoys most games. He is currently learning the ins and outs of competitive modern Magic while enjoying all sorts of other gaming mediums, assuming he can find the spare time.

The Golgari Swarm

The largest guild on Ravnica, the Golgari Swarm is host to many necromancers as well as undead. However the guild is not solely focused on such things. They also tend to the land itself as they embrace both life and death as one continuous natural cycle. Hosting members of many tribes (including Trolls, Gorgons, and even Oozes) (Editors Note: In the story, creatures that aren’t Elvish are referred to as Teratogens!) a large part of their population are either Devkarin (a race of Elves) or Human(ish). Recently the guild has a new leader in Vraska who recently returned from Ixalan in addition to an increased presence by the Kraul (a race of hive mind-like insects), and will play a pivotal role in the upcoming story.

In Guilds of Ravnica Undergrowth is the new mechanic. Not as powerful as Dredge, but a lot better than Scavenge (the two previous mechanics respectfully), Undergrowth allows for effects to happen depending on how many creatures are in your graveyard. For a guild based on the enemy colors of black and green mana it might seem this mechanic would work at cross purposes with the colors involved, but you may be surprised with what tricks this guild has up its collective sleeve.

Lotleth Troll is a perfect example of a big payoff using Undergrowth. A 6/5 creature with no abilities seems a little weak, but it would be hard to efficiently trade with this creature if it’s attacking with others so it does have some advantage beyond just the card itself. Decks that utilize the graveyard, most namely Dredge, will often have several creatures in the graveyard to deal damage to the opponent. This card will be a lot of fun to play with, but we need a way to resurrect it from the graveyard instead of paying full retail for it. I will try to make room for this in my Meren of Clan Nel Toth EDH deck.

Another card for my Meren EDH deck will be Plaguecrafter. A better version of Fleshbag Marauder  this card is sweet! While a 3/2 is nothing to sneeze at one thing that’s missed on this card is it’s subtype: Human. I expect a non-zero number of copies of this card to appear in sideboards of Humans Modern decks as against Azorius Control is can cause the opponent to sacrifice their Gideon Jura allowing the Humans to swing in freely.

My sleeper pick for the guild is Pilfering Imp. Placed along with the discard spells already in Standard this card can help keep your opponent off tempo by sacrificing itself allowing you to utilize cards with the keyword Undergrowth while interacting with your opponent. Having this come down on your first turn it can be useful to use its ability when your opponent has a flying blocker, or the turn after you have already seen their hand but lack a discard spell.

What’s better than fueling Undergrowth though? Bringing your creatures back of course! Gruesome Menagerie does exactly that. Allowing you to get back the top two cards I mentioned to use again allows you to use your graveyard as an extension of your hand, and provides additional bodies to block if needed. I can see this card somewhere in the Abzan Company deck, affectionately called “Faux Pod” since the banning of Birthing Pod years ago. Also another addition to my Meren EDH deck this card will have it’s uses.

This is the card I want to build with the most. Mausoleum Secrets is an instant speed TUTOR!!! Holy cow! It allows you to get anything from your library based on how many creatures are in your graveyard. I want you to take a moment and look at Collective Brutality. Come back here when you’re done.

Done? Okay go back and re-read it.

Done? Sweet. These two cards pair so well together it’s absurd. Granted in Standard this will be used with the Surveil mechanic that I talked about yesterday, but I feel it’s use may be primarily to go get our next card out of Standard decks.

Yes. We have finally reached the point where we talk about the card that many have asked me about. Assassin’s Trophy has taken over nearly all conversation about Guilds of Ravnica, and rightfully so. An instant speed version of a cheaper Vindicate this allows Jund to have a weapon against Tron decks during game one. It takes care of anything (Yes. ANYTHING!), but unlike Abrupt Decay it can be countered by many cards in the format so you have to pick your targets wisely. While the deckbuilding restrictions of needing to be in a deck with black and green does limit it some I would not be surprised to see this as THE removal spell in Standard, and one of the strongest cards in Modern. However with all of that said I would not start with more than three in your Modern Jund decks. Doing this still provides you game against problematic decks, but versus decks where it’s only “ok” against having three gives you space to make appropriate changes going to game two. You will still want four Lightning Bolts as that’s often times better removal against early creatures, and Assassin’s Trophy even makes Fatal Push better. It will be played against you, and trigger Revolt off of Fatal Push allowing you to remove one of your opponent’s creatures during that same turn (so not necessarily immediately). I would also run a pair of Swamps and Forests, and make adjustments from there depending on how many of these are showing up against you.

The Queen has taken her throne. After making a deal with Nicol Bolas, Vraska has become the master of the Golgari Swarm. This powerful Gorgon is on full display on the card Vraska, Golgari Queen, and this card is quite solid. While not able to get to full loyalty with the help of Doubling Season on the turn you cast her the abilities she possesses are quite good. Her first ability should be targeting cards who either only have a use when the come into play so you can get them back later, or target a card like Stitcher Supplier from Core Set 2019. You could also target a land of yours if you need to cast another spell on your main phase, and have a replacement land in hand.

Her second ability can remove smaller permanents on the board that may be in the way of your attackers. This can also remove any other permanent that’s not a creature as well so keep an eye out on what your opponent plays.

Her third ability is pretty sweet. If you have a creature that will go unblocked (one with flying or trample) you win the game. While I don’t expect this to happen often in Standard it can help get around potential board stalls so make sure to prepare properly when using her abilities.

Wow, what a lot of powerful cards! Grave-Shell Scarab was one of the first Golgari cards I ever played, and we have come a long way since those days. Are there any Golgari cards I missed that you think will be great? (Editors Note: Hint hint Necrotic Wound) Share your thoughts below, and make sure to follow me on both Facebook as well as Twitter.

Until Tomorrow when we blow up the Izzet League (Editors Note: Niv might not be too happy about that)…

TAP MORE MANA!!!

Scott Campbell

Scott Campbell, better known as MTGPackFoils, has been playing Magic since he was 17 (which was in 1993). He’s known for loving decks such as Azorius Control, Jund, and others (especially in Modern). He is a husband, father, and a former nightclub DJ.

http://www.twitter.com/MTGPackFoils

The House Dimir

If I were to play a Rogue or a Sorcerer in the upcoming Guildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica Dungeons & Dragons supplement my character would be from House Dimir. This guild reminds me a lot of The Night Masks which were running Westgate until they were found, and driven out. With the guild being tied to blue and black mana the colors are well represented here. Obtaining knowledge, and power at any cost are the two hallmarks of those colors which this guild represents quite well in the new set.

Surveil is the mechanic of the guild this time around, and it allows you to look at cards from the top of your library. and put any number of them into your graveyard with the rest going back on top. While it’s not quite Scry I think this mechanic will be quite powerful in the new Standard at the very least.

Thief of Sanity reminds me a lot of Nightveil Specter from the previous Ravnica set, but this is definitely different. Outside of the mana cost the card you get to select when you connect with this you will be able to cast even after this creature has been removed. The fact the card is face down, and you can cast it by using mana of any color fits the theme of the guild. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this come out of sideboards.

While no Thoughtseize, casting Thought Erasure early (or even a turn after casting Duress) could still really put your opponent behind, and if the card on top of your deck is one you can’t cast soon it can help you sculpt your hand a little. The fact you can pluck any card can help you take cards that may be difficult to handle (such as cards with Hexproof), or nonland permanents that could also be problematic (Planeswalkers for example). I could see this card played in Modern at FNMs to supplement other discard spells.

Control decks always need some type of evasive finisher, and Nightveil Predator is absolutely solid in that role. The only keyword it’s missing is Lifelink, but even without that your opponent may not want to block due to it having Deathtouch. As long as you have removal spells for your opponent’s creatures a few swings of this can put you ahead. This is also not Legendary, and if you want to play a Tribal deck this could support the Vampires from the Ixalan sets.

Control decks also want to draw cards, and while we do have Divination in Standard Notion Rain does a lot more. If the top two cards of your deck are not good you can put them into the graveyard, and draw two cards. For anyone who remembers Read The Bones that card was great for the quality of cards it could draw you, and outside of the mana cost this card is a little better. What this, and other Surveil cards also do, is fuel your Search for Azcanta. In the case of Notion Rain can add three cards to your graveyard getting you closer to finding Azcanta.

Now we get to the card that will be played the most in Standard. Sinister Sabotage, a very thematical card for the guild, comes from a long line of counterspells with similars costs. Cancel, Dissolve, and Disallow are all cards that have a similar cost, and this particular card may be the best among them all. A clean answer to any spell being cast, and the Surveil mechanic helps you fill your graveyard to transform Search For Azcanta as early as possible. For us Azorius Control players we will have to use this Dimir card until this coming winter, and hope we can cleanse our deck of influences from other guilds.

This card is crazy. Unmoored Ego is quite strong, and is another card I expect to see at Modern FNMs at the very least. Here we have a card where you can name ANY CARD. Yes. Even LANDS. So against Tron you can name Urza’s Tower, and get them all. Against multicolored decks that only have a few basics of a certain color you can try to deny that color that way as well. This will be quite a powerful card to watch.

This card may not look like much, but at four mana you can cast Connive, and take your opponent’s Aurelia, Exemplar of Justice as she is a 2/5. However Concoct is the card I’m looking at, even if it’s only a single card. This card can Surveil an Obzedat, Ghost Council to the graveyard, and put it into play for five mana. No granted Obzedat also costs five mana overall, but the Esper deck running Goryo’s Vengeance is mostly a Dimir based deck with a splash of white. Keep in mind in that you can cast one side, and then later on cast the other side with a card like a transformed Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy.

House Dimir has a lot it can offer, and it’s ability to manipulate the top of your library can unlock spells for you to cast when you need them. However unlike Boros this looks to be more of a support guild, but that also seems to fit the guild’s theme as it always tries to infiltrate some of the guilds to force it’s agenda.

There’s a look at the cards from House Dimir. Tomorrow I’ll take a look at the Golgari Swarm, and I’m sure there is a certain card you all are looking for my thoughts on. Until then are there any secrets that the Dimir gave us that I missed? Leave a comment below, and make sure to follow me on both Facebook as well as Twitter.

Until tomorrow…

TAP MORE MANA!!!

Scott Campbell

Scott Campbell, better known as MTGPackFoils, has been playing Magic since he was 17 (which was in 1993). He’s known for loving decks such as Azorius Control, Jund, and others (especially in Modern). He is a husband, father, and a former nightclub DJ.

http://www.twitter.com/MTGPackFoils

Today let’s take a look at Boros.

The Boros Legion

The standing army of Ravnica, the Boros Legion boasts a large number within their ranks (though the Golgari Swarm are the largest guild in Ravnica). They fight with a righteous nature enforcing the laws created by the Azorius Senate (yeah baby!). Without them chaos may just wash over the entire plane so their importance should not be understated.

Being a guild based on the mana colors of white and red, this is a guild for those who want to attack with creatures every turn. While there hasn’t been much synergy from a game mechanics point of view in previous iterations of Boros cards, this time around we do have a fitting mechanic: Mentor.

Here is an example of a card with the Mentor mechanic. Sunhome Stalwart is a really good soldier with both First Strike, the Mentor ability, and a 2/2 for two mana. When he attacks he can provide another attacking creature a +1/+1 counter if it’s smaller than him (so it would have to be a 1/1 or 0/1 for example). This is a card you would want to pair with either a card you cast on turn one (assuming you cast this on turn two), or a card that can make a token.

Legion Warboss is a perfect example of a card you would want to play after Sunhome Stalwart. When you go to the beginning of combat, but before you declare attackers, the Stalwart sees the 1/1 Goblin made by the Warboss, and will boost it’s power and toughness when both are declared as attackers. Keep in mind the counters from the Mentor mechanic are permanent and not just until the end of turn. You’ll need to find larger creatures to continue using this mechanic.

Tajic, Legion’s Edge is a perfect example of a creature with Mentor that has more power to keep the mechanic going. Having Haste allows it to go into combat right away, and providing a +1/+1 counter to a previously played creature that is also attacking. He can also get First Strike as long as you have open mana, and in an archetype that is all about the red zone you want First Strike on as many creatures as possible.

Where this mechanic, and the guild really shines though, is through it’s leader: Aurelia.

Aurelia, Exemplar of Justice may not look like much at first glance, but where she shines is her ability that happens before Mentor triggers when you stack it properly. While she does not have Haste herself she can give another creature with Mentor, say a previously played Legion Warboss, +2/+0 and Trample (because the Warboss is red) until end of turn. The Warboss will trigger it’s Mentor ability (say on a previously played Stalwart) giving that a +1/+1 counter.

This Mentor ability can snowball if the creatures are played in the right sequence. Let’s say we have played Aurelia on the fourth turn, and already have a Warboss on the field, along with a Stalwart, and two Goblin tokens. That provides us:

• a 2/5 flyer
• a 2/2 (Warboss)
• a 3/3 (Stalwart)
• a 2/2 Goblin token
• a 1/1 Goblin token

On the next turn Aurelia gives the +2/+0 and Vigilance (because Stalwart is a white creature) to Sunhome Stalwart . His Mentor ability will trigger to give Aurelia a +1/+1 counter. Aurelia can then use her Mentor ability to put a +1/+1 counter on a 1/1 Goblin token created by the Warboss. Legion Warboss can then put his +1/+1 counter from Mentor onto another 1/1 Goblin token.

This seems quite powerful. However what else can we do in this guild?

The split cards are back in this set, and while we can’t Fuse them anymore these cards do provide a choice. In this case Integrity allows us to temporarily increase a creature’s power and toughness to make sure your Mentor ability triggers off of it, and then receives the Mentor the next turn (just like in my example above) if you have more than one creature with Mentor on the field. Later in the game if you need to remove a blocker, or finish your opponent, Intervention acts as a Lightning Helix (Helix being the most famous card ever printed for this guild).

One problem that aggro decks have is that sometimes they can not survive the attack back by the opponent. Some players may be able to take an attack unblocked if they know they can win on their turn. Deafening Clarion can help here by giving your army Lifelink until end of turn, and with several Mentor triggers happening you could be gaining an arbitrarily large amount of life. In the instance that your opponent blocks you can also reset the board by doing 3 damage to every creature, and using this in your second main phase can cause your opponent to lose their army after combat is over if those creatures took any damage during combat.

The Boros Legion looks pretty strong coming out of the (Guild)gate, and there might be a really good deck with these cards in just this set alone. Do I see any of them making the break into Modern? Probably not; however the more Soldiers that are printed the more a Soldier stompy deck can truly be viable for FNM play.

However there is one card that caught my eye: Demotion.

One mana removal spells have always been strong, and while this still allows the creature to attack I can see this being added to a creature like The Scarab God, or even a mana producing creature like Elvish Archdruid. Imagine sticking this onto an already tapped Steel Overseer against the Hardened Scales Affinity deck? Sure the opponent may sacrifice the artifact you target to their Arcbound Ravager, but Demotion is an Enchantment, and it would grow your Tarmogoyf if the enchantment lands in the graveyard.

Overall this guild looks solid, and if you’re on a budget, or just want to play an aggro deck at your FNM, you can’t go wrong with this guild.

That’s all I have for today. Tomorrow we’re going to look at the cards from House Dimir. In the meantime are there any cards I missed? Are you also sad that Assemble the Legion was not reprinted? Leave a comment, and make sure to follow me on both Facebook as well as Twitter.

Until tomorrow…

TAP MORE MANA!!!

Scott Campbell

Scott Campbell, better known as MTGPackFoils, has been playing Magic since he was 17 (which was in 1993). He’s known for loving decks such as Azorius Control, Jund, and others (especially in Modern). He is a husband, father, and a former nightclub DJ.

http://www.twitter.com/MTGPackFoils

A Memory of Light is the final chapter of the enormous saga by Robert Jordan with posthumous help from Brandon Sanderson. It ties up the story of Rand al’Thor and company and their fight with the Shadow and does so with epic battles and grandiose stages.

As one would expect, this book leaves no one out. The three main ta’veren are present and doing all sorts of mischief, with Rand not only forging peace throughout the world, but confronting his ancient foe. Mat does things only Mat could get away with, both before and during Tarmon Gai’don and Perrin is his normal meticulous self, doing what needs to be done despite personal desires or cares.

But this is not only the boys’ story. While Nynaeve plays a smaller role than you’d initially think, Egwene is center stage early and often. Even Min has important things to do. Elayne is a boisterous addition to the ladies’ ranks, earning her spot in the finale with a brashness that is now expected of her.

And looming over everything is Tarmon Gai’don: The Last Battle. While there are a number of physical battles going on throughout the book (more on those in a moment), Tarmon Gai’don is the culmination of the shepherd becoming the savior. Rand’s battle with the Dark One, while not what people might have expected, is a fascinating read that allows people to truly grasp who and what the Dragon represents for the world. His is the story of second chances, of the glory of doing not only the right thing, but the right thing correctly. Ultimately, Rand does what he does because, even at the end of things, he retains his ability to learn from his mistakes.

While Rand does his dance with the Shai’tan, everyone else is busy fighting a more normal war against the forces of the Shadow. In any war, there are costs, and there are no punches pulled here by our authors. There are deaths that will surprise you, and deaths that might make you surprisingly emotional, considering to whom they happen (stupid horse. It’s a horse. Why should that make me so sad?). The heroes fight an impossible battle, led by a degenerate gambler who swears he is no hero despite all his heroic actions.

A Memory of Light is the apex of writing, to me, of both Jordan and Sanderson. It shows that they are capable of not only making huge, sprawling battles engaging, but the niggling details as well. Rand’s encounter is as captivating as Egwene’s duels with M’Hael, Perrin’s hunt for Slayer and even Faile’s insane trek through the Wastes. The book shines as a beacon of what a culmination of such massive proportions should be and will have you coming back to the series time and again as there are no beginnings or endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But this was an ending, and a damn good one.

Justin Lado

Justin enjoys most games. He is currently learning the ins and outs of competitive modern Magic while enjoying all sorts of other gaming mediums, assuming he can find the spare time.

Towers of Midnight is the second addition by Brandon Sanderson into the Wheel of Time saga after Robert Jordan’s death. This proves to be the penultimate book in the series and Sanderson uses almost 1300 pages to wrap up a number of storylines before Tarmon Gai’don and bring others to the forefront.

As such, this is largely Mat and Perrin’s book. Egwene also plays a large roll, but the two other ta’veren and their stories need to get them to where they need to be and with whom quickly, because both are long overdue for some major happenings (plus, Mat is married now, and he hasn’t seen his wife since the nuptials.)

Perrin’s part in this book deals largely with finishing his story with the Whitecloaks and finally getting back to Andor. He is hampered by Graendal and Slayer, who are ordered to trap and kill the Wolfbrother. In his path are the Whitecloaks led by Galad Damodred, who is the first of the trio of kin to reunite with their mother, Morgase. The former queen upends Damodred’s world a little and sets him on a path to see more than white or black, if only in small increments, which corrects one of his biggest flaws as a character, (somewhat).

But Perrin has to deal with Slayer by and large on his own. The man with two souls destroys an old friend (literally) and adds to Perrin’s burdens before finally being driven off and allowing Perrin to escape the trap. After some consternation from the women in his life, Perrin comes back to a pitched battle between Trollocs and the Whitecloaks to save the very people that have hounded him from the first book.

Egwene is consolidating her power as Amyrlin Seat, but is fighting with a murderer hiding in the tower in Mesaana. Gawyn is an on-again off-again thorn in her plans for all the right reasons, regardless of her desires, so she drives him away for a bit. Her fight with the Shadow takes place in the World of Dreams, while he comes back and fights off the very thing that he warned Egwene about in the waking world. Egwene’s battle is intense and involved, but would have come out very different if not for her soon-to-be warder’s constant interference.

Mat’s tale is less battle focused, but more enlightening. He’s stuck in Caemlyn because of his word to Verin, but runs into the gholam and is determined to see it dealt with. He also finagles his way into seeing Elayne and getting Aludra’s Dragons in production, much to Elayne’s delight and Brigitte’s dismay. Mat ends the golem with some help from the Kinswomen, then, at the end of the book, finally gets to go to the lair of the snakes and foxes and deal with the Moiraine problem. Wandering the halls of another world, Mat, Thom and Noel find the woman who has been missing since way back in book four and, with a little sacrifice, bring the woman who started the boys on their journey back to their world.

Overall, Towers might seem like a lot of fluff, but it is all things needed to get people where they need to be in the grand scheme of things before Sanderson can wrap up this large story. He does a good job pacing the book, switching between characters enough to keep the reader interested in all the story lines. Rand’s mostly lack of appearance in the book doesn’t detract from it, since he’ll be a large focus for obvious reasons in the next one. Towers is a solid read and will keep you turning pages, if only to get you through to the grand finale.

Justin Lado

Justin enjoys most games. He is currently learning the ins and outs of competitive modern Magic while enjoying all sorts of other gaming mediums, assuming he can find the spare time.