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 Magus of the Bazaar: On Deck Porting and Grixis Control
5/3/10 -
There are many approaches to deck building. It can start with an idea, a
card, an interaction between two cards, a theory-based strategy, an
exhaustive examination of a format’s card pool, or an extensive analysis
of the existing decks-to-beat in an established format. All of these
approaches, and many more besides, are valid. Today I’d like to further
consider the simple approach of converting a successful tournament deck
to the Merchant Magic format.
In previous
articles we’ve
done exactly that, particularly with our look at Jund. Today I’d like to
take a step back and consider the key factors in determining whether a
tournament deck list has potential to be ported to the format. In doing
so, we’ll look at some examples and examine the reasons that some of
these decks may or may not be good candidates - in some cases the
verdict may be initially surprising. We will then turn our attention to
one deck in particular that makes the transition and complete a Merchant
build. ~Amadeus~
Discuss here. |
 Magic
Deck Vortex is Moving! The move is in progress.
5/1/10 - I am very
excited to be announcing that MDV will be moving its new materials and
activities to the vB Publishing Suite, also known as the forum.
You can check out the new homepage here. This is going to take
some time and there is going to be a lot of dust, so please be patient
with me. I will be linking back to the old version of the site
until the transfer is complete. Thus you will still be able to
check out all of the deck database, the art catacombs, etc, etc. while
the move is in progress by going to the same URLs you are used to going.
Thanks for visiting Magic Deck Vortex!
~Streetz~
Discuss here. |
Ramblings of a Madman: Dumbing Down Creatures and What It Means for You
4/30/10 - I've been playing Magic since Alpha. Yep folks,
that is a LONG time. I've seen a lot of Evolution in the game. Also, I
have seen quite a devolution in the game as well. Nowhere is it more
prevalent than in creatures. There have been small ones like Benalish
Hero; gigantic ones like the upcoming [card]Emrakul, the Aeons
Torn[/card]; vanillas like [card]Grizzly Bears[/card]; and complex ones
like [card]Morphling[/card]. Now they are printing creatures who are
like getting something for little to no drawback. No need to work for
what you got. Let me tell you, it is frustrating, so I did some digging
to see if I have any reason to be frustrated with Magic creatures. Is
there any truth to the power creep* theory that runs here? ~Serra
Redeemer~
Discuss here. |
Featured Forum Discussion: ROE Prerelease - Tell your story...
4/19/10 - Did you attend the Rise of the Eldrazi
prerelease events? If you did, tell the MDV Community how you did
and what amazing booster pack pulls you made. Exchange stories,
enjoy the discussion and be a part of the MDV Community! Original
thread was started by YWN. ~Streetz~
Discuss here. |
Kozy's
Top Ten: White Removal Spells!
3/29/10 - Oh, who could forget the White removal? Who
could ignore its love-hate relationship with the world? Everyone is
either constantly annoyed by its feigned innocence or enthralled by its
swift devilishness. But while this battle rages between us and White
removal, an infinitely more chilling battle happens within it, taking
many dead. This civil war has left long the rotting corpses of such
archaic cards as Otherworldly Journey and Second Thoughts. An elite
caucus stands above the rest as the dominant soldiers, the Spartans
among the numerous Greek City States. No Hail of Arrows can stop these
valiant ones. No sir, these are here to stay, at least for now. Because,
as time has shown and as swiftly as time is changing now, it's anyone's
game. ~Kozy~
Discuss here. |
 Creature
Type Distribution - Worldwake.
3/17/10 - Like I've mentioned on previous circumstances,
I'm really liking the new turn Magic has made regarding underused
creature types. In other words, creature types that haven't been seen in
years are seeing the light of day again! Of course, it's still
impossible to make an Octopus tribal deck, for example, but it's a step
in the right direction and Wizards deserves a commendation for that.
But exactly how much is still left for such creature types to have the
least bit of sporting chance against creature types that never ever seen
to go away like Elves or Goblins? Exactly how unbalanced is the tribal
scene, a thematic Wizards never seems to want to let go? How many other
creature types are still sitting in the shadows, waiting for their turn
to shine?
After some investigation, I've compiled this short list. As of
Worldwake, the distribution of creature types in Magic (considering
solely actual creature cards, not counting token-producers or tribal
cards) is as follows... ~YWN~
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
Six Decks in Six
Weeks - Part 6.
3/5/10 - Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to week six of my
"Six Decks in Six Weeks" mini series! To those of you that have just
arrived, STOP READING THIS. Stop reading this right now. Go
here, then come back when you're up
to speed. To everyone else, I am very glad you've made it this far. As a
reward, I have a special treat planned for you today. Rather than
discuss a new deck that I came up with and tested in one week, I am
going to showcase my favorite deck of all time. This 60-card construct
is the first toolbox deck I've ever built and started its life as a
decent-sized multicolored contender. Over the years it has matured and
blossomed into a killing machine, and believe it or not, due to its
versatility, effectiveness, and overall casual nature, I've never gotten
tired of playing it. The way it's constructed also allows me to update
it whenever a new Blue Fattie shows up, ensuring its long life and
continuous success. So here, for the first time in its existence, I am
sharing the deck's list online with you, to show you how much I
appreciate you, dear reader. Also, you were kind enough to read five of
my articles, and I'd like to repay you for your suffering.~potatobrain~
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
What's Going on
with the Forums?!
2/27/10 - I’ve been working hard over the last two weeks
to upgrade the MDV Forums to the latest version of vBulletin and also to
add more features. All for the MDV community. While it may seem
awkwardly different to some, it is one thousand times better than every
previous version of the forum MDV has ever had. With the latest version
of vBulletin comes a sleek and polished look, less bugs, easier
navigation throughout, added security/defense against spam bots, and
side-bars in the main forum. (That’s just naming a few and not including
any of the modifications or plug-ins I’ve installed). ~Streetz~
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
First
Impressions: Worldwake - Green.
2/26/10 - Streetz: You know, Green is one of my favorite
colors. I think my old deck Ivy League really had an impact on my love
for Green Magic: the Gathering cards. Green over the years has been up
and down... up and down. Zendikar Green, while having quite a few great
cards in mechanics and artwork, was overall mediocre to slightly good
overall. Will Worldwake, the follow-up set to Zendikar, be as mediocre
to slightly good? I don't know yet. It's time for me to team up with the
legendary Drathro to find out.
No matter what our grades end of being, be sure and
chime in on your opinions of the cards in the forums. Agree or disagree,
Drathro and I want to know.
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
First
Impressions: Worldwake - Blue.
2/25/10 - Drathro: Blue. Traditionally the color of
Merfolk, Artifacts, and utter brokenness. How will the trickiest color
of them all fare in Worldwake? We're here again to throw out some First
Impressions of the latest Island-lovin' Magic cards!
Knuckles29: For those of you keeping track at home, after
the rotation of Lorwyn, Wizards (WotC) decided Blue needed to be
punished. Let's see if it is still in time-out, or if it has been given
some time off for its tragic 'whoopin'.
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
First
Impressions: Worldwake - Black.
2/24/10 - shaitan666: Recently, Zendikar brought a lot of
strong Black cards to the game. Even though the addition of Vampires as
a very cool and very strong tribe appealed to many old school players
(who loved Sengir Vampire), it also makes Magic: the Gathering players
worldwide wonder if the new tribe has anything to do with certain
strongly criticized and mainstream Vampire series and novels. In my
opinion, the vamps from Zendikar are cool; no matter what motivated
their creation as a big creature type, they were responsible for a lot
of flavor and played a large part in the first affirmation I made in
this article. Cards like Bloodchief Ascension, Gatekeeper of Malakir,
and Malakir Bloodwitch are good examples of that thought. So, we Black
magic fans simply hope the next set in the block continues with that
streak.Coldstone: Well, with Worldwake out in
full force, I think it's time for us kind MagicDeckVortex (MDV) writers
to bring you the typical set review, color by color. Today, shaitan666
and I will be bringing you the Black aligned cards of the set, so,
without further ado, here we go!
Discuss here. |
Duel
Decks: Phyrexians vs. Coalition. Decks revealed!!!
2/22/10 -
DarkRequiem has been kind enough to post the revealed/spoiled decklists
for the Duel Decks scheduled to hit stores in March 2010. There is
also a little debate about what cards should have been in the decks
along with discussion about why you think certain cards like the
Predator Flagship and Tahngarth were not in the decklists. Join
the discussion! Join the forum community! ~Streetz~
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
Six Decks in Six
Weeks - Part 5.
2/22/10 - Ladies and Gentlemen, we are now entering WEEK
FIVE of my amazing "Six Decks in Six Weeks" mini series! To those of you
that have just arrived, this is what's going on: you have just stumbled
upon the penultimate article of a six week deckbuilding workshop,
wherein I showcase a different deck progression every week and give
updates (if any) on the previous weeks' decks. ~potatobrain~
Discuss here. |
Support
Magic Deck Vortex!
2/19/10 - I want to remind everyone to
PLEASE support the advertisers of MDV. Currently
MTGFanatic
is MDV's major and only real advertiser. Check them out, buy some cards,
and know you are doing MDV a grand favor by doing so. They still have a
daily $75.00 give away promotion going on... Check out more information
in my blog. ~Streetz~
Discuss here. P.S. First Impressions will pick back up on Monday. |
Featured
Article:
First
Impressions: Worldwake - White.
2/18/10 - Streetz: From the Kor to the Allies to the
Landfall mechanic, Zendikar proved to be an excellent set. I can only
hope that Worldwake follows in the footsteps of not only the fantastic
cards and synergies, but also the amazing artwork. I don't think I'm
alone in noticing the quality of the art seems to improve with each and
every Magic: the Gathering set.For Zendikar
First Impressions, Potatobrain reviewed White, and overall the set got a
B-/C+ when you average up all of the card choices. Cards like Quest for
the Holy Relic; Luminarch Ascension; Kor Aeronaut; Kazandu Blademaster;
Kabira Evangel; Iona, Shield of Emeria; Felidar Sovereign; Day of
Judgment;and Armament Master all received A's. This time around Serra
Redeemer and I will be tag teaming the Worldwake White cards. Before we
get into the card by card commentaries, I think Serra Redeemer wants to
shed some light on his philosophy on White.
Serra Redeemer: White has been like a piece of chewing
gum. When you first start chewing it has the refreshing qualities you
want. Flavor beyond imagine. Than as you start chewing it more, it
starts losing its flavor. When it does that you just spit it out and put
in a new piece. Well, I want a new piece and a new flavor. Hopefully,
Worldwake white is the right flavor for me.
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
First
Impressions: Worldwake - Red.
2/17/10 - In a red, red wood there was a red, red path.
And up that red, red path there was a red, red battle arena. And in that
red, red battle arena, there were two mages flipping through Worldwake
cards and wondering which ones were worth flinging at each other in an
epic battle to the death and which ones were just fuel for the fire.
Listening in through the haze of volcano smoke, the following snippets
of conversation could be heard:potatobrain:
Dude, how you feeling?
Serra Redeemer: Red has me seeing red. It is my least
favorite color. It is also a color that in history has had cards that I
must admit are fun to play - mainly when drafting, but also some coin
flippers. So, I am excited to see if Worldwake can capture my interest
in Red. What about you...?
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
First
Impressions: Worldwake - Land, Artifact and Gold.
2/16/10 - Sliverking: Yay! Worldwake is here! And that
means a whole new set of cards to review and have fun play testing in
our decks! Alright, enough of that, let’s get down to the actual
reviewing of the cards presented here from Worldwake.
Knuckles29: Since this is First Impressions, I'll start
this by admitting I'm a pessimist. You, the reader, will see I convey
little excitement without logic to back it up. Let us know your own
opinions by discussing our first impressions in the forums. Just
click the 'discuss here' link to do so.
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
Six Decks in Six
Weeks - Part 4.
2/15/10 - Ladies and Gentlemen, we are now entering Week
FOUR of my amazing "Six Decks in Six Weeks" mini series! To those of you
that have just arrived, this is what's going on: we have just crossed
the halfway mark of a six week deckbuilding workshop, wherein I showcase
a different deck progression every week, and give updates (if any) on
the previous weeks' decks. ~potatobrain~
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
Merchant Magic:
On Learning and Vampyres.
2/10/10 - This game of ours is one that offers many of
the aspects that make traditional games enjoyable, but also provides an
intense intellectual outlet for those who love to study strategy and
solve problems. It does have one significant barrier though: it is
complex. There is no easy path to becoming good at most things in life,
and Magic is no exception. I’d like to share my thoughts on this aspect
as from one for whom serious tournament play is not a goal, but who
still has the desire to be a good Magic player. All that and a decklist
for you to look at are coming after the jump. ~Amadeus~
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
Six Decks in Six
Weeks - Part 3.
2/8/10 - Ladies and Gentlemen, we are now entering Week
THREE of my amazing "Six Decks in Six Weeks" mini series! To those of
you that have just arrived, this is what's going on: we are in the third
week of a six week deckbuilding workshop, wherein I showcase a different
deck progression every week, and give updates (if any) on the previous
weeks' decks.
Speaking of which, last week's deck is perfect. No
changes required, I'm extremely satisfied with my final build. For
reference though, here's where we left off... ~potatobrain~
Discuss here. |
MDV
Forum will be down most of Sunday.
2/7/10 - I am in process of trying to upgrade the forums
and thus the forums will be down most of the day today. I
apologize for the inconvenience. While you are waiting please
check out the land visual spoiler, the combo pages, old articles, the
art catacombs or any one of the many other facets of Magic Deck Vortex.
Thank you for visiting!!! ~Streetz~ |
Featured
Article:
Cards that make
me happy.
2/5/10 - "What
Cards Make You Happy?"
was a question posed by a forum mate who goes by the name of Drathro.
Then it morphed into a request by our illustrious leader Streetz to turn
forum responses into individual articles. I like happy things, so I had
to oblige. Here we go with my first article ever! ~Serra Redeemer~
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
Six Decks in Six
Weeks - Part 2.
2/1/10 - Hey folks, welcome to WEEK TWO of my ultimate "Six
Decks in Six Weeks" mini series! To those of you that
have just arrived, this is what's going on: we are in the second week of
a six week deckbuilding workshop, wherein I showcase a different deck
progression every week, and give updates (if any) on the previous weeks'
decks. Speaking of which, here's where we left off last week...
~potatobrain~
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
Magus of the
Bazaar: Jund on a Budget.
1/29/10 - At the time of writing, one of the premier
decks in the Standard environment was Jund. Built to leverage the
Cascade mechanic and other sources of card advantage, the deck is
powerful to play. Testing it the other day, it occurred to me that the
engine of the deck, and most of its other parts, would fit within a
reasonable budget. This inspired me to give the deck the
Merchant Magic treatment.
If you’re a competitive casual player, then you like
playing with good cards and decks that have powerful synergy. You also
probably don’t have a lot of money – at least not for spending on Magic
cards. That’s where I fit in the scheme of things. I love to play the
game, and I love to build decks that are good in a casual but
competitive environment. For me, that’s why the
Merchant Magic format works so well.
Not only does it work as a format on its own, I’ve found that decks
built to these rules are a good fit for match play in the casual rooms
on Magic: The Gathering Online (MTGO). You can build a deck that is
competitive with most decks you run across, and yet you aren’t just
preying on the sealed decks that some people bring into the casual room.
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, just click on
Merchant Magic and
find out. ~Amadeus~
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
Six Decks in Six
Weeks.
1/25/10 - Everyone has a favorite
thing. Seriously. This is fact. Ask someone around you if they have a
favorite song, movie, food, brand of socks, dwarf, smiley, dinosaur, or
martial art style, and chances are that person will give you an answer.
Heck, I'll give you mine right now: Straighten Up and Fly Right by Nat
King Cole, Drunken Master, Thai Food, Sorel's ultra thick winter socks
(those things are not only comfortable, they also keep your feet super
warm and toasty all winter long), Dopey, the green one, the stegosaurus,
and Five Animal Form Hung Gar Kung Fu. So, although you might be
surprised at some of the answers, you should not be surprised that I was
able to give them because, as I mentioned before, everyone has a
favorite thing. ~potatobrain~
Discuss here. |
Foum Discussion:
What cards make you happy?
1/21/10 - I was wondering what cards make you happy when
you get to use them? These don't have to be the best cards or even your
favorites, just cards that fill you with glee when you
play/activate/attack with them.
Here are some cards that make me happy. Darklit Gargoyle, Tidespout
Tyrant, Dystopia, Scourge of Kher Ridges... [click on the link to keep
reading]. Comment and/or post your own! ~Drathro~
Post your own here! |
Featured
Article:
Magus of the
Bazaar: Red All Over.
12/17/09 - In the new Standard environment there are a
number of mono-coloured decks that one can build. Last time we looked at
options in both Black and White. Another colour that looks strong out
the gate is Red. Let’s see what we can do to spice up this most caliente
of colours. ~Amadeus~
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
Endeavor: Joy and
Netdecking.
11/5/09 - "Maggot Carrier; good game." I smiled – proudly
– to affirm my only win, as I pored half-briskly through my teacher's
decks, to see each and miss no use. At once, I savored Magic – in
fervent and perfect impatience. At once, I was defeated and exalted by
its infinite facility of discovery and perfection. I hastened to a card
shop, where – overwhelmed – I bought the cheapest packs from sets I'd
never heard of and left. Magic enthralled me; but quite nearly, it
killed me. ~Mogg~
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
Magus of the
Bazaar: It's All There in Black and White.
10/29/09 - Recently I posted an article on
Merchant Magic, a new format that
allows casual players to build decks with a mix of cards at all
rarities, but with limits imposed at the higher end. If you haven’t had
a chance to read that article, check it out. What I’ll do in this
article, and likely in others, is approach the deck concepts from the
point of view of Merchant Magic as a casual starting point.
The release of the Magic 2010 Core Set (M10) and Zendikar
recently put two decks in particular in the forefront of many people’s
minds. While I’m keen to explore many of the possibilities that the
current Standard format holds, I find if there’s a deck that is begging
to be built, I’m best served by building it so that at the very least I
can get it out of my head. In addition, the first decks built help to
set the bar for future decks. Of particular interest for the budget and
casual player is that these decks are mono-coloured. The obvious
advantage of mono-coloured decks is that there is no need to spend loads
of money on rare dual lands, saving that money for cards that, you know,
actually do something.
With the Tribal theme of Lorwyn no longer around to
limit our deck building creativity, the field is wide open. So, let’s
start with...Tribal! Yes, the two most obvious decks involve tribes in
White and Black.
Let’s take a look. ~Amadeus~
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
Zendikar Limited
Guide.
10/20/09 - Disclaimer: This is a limited format guide. At
times it'll seem like I'm talking a lot about drafting and not at all
about sealed deck. It doesn't take a stretch to realize that when I say
XXXX is a good early pick, it also means that XXXX is a smart card to
put in your sealed deck. This is a limited guide to key cards that will
dominate or fall flat in all limited Zendikar formats. I'm not focusing
on deck construction as much as I am on key cards and deck strategies.
So please don't complain about me ignoring sealed decks, I'm not. It is
pure happenstance that I like drafting more.
~Cashew~
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
First
Impressions: Zendikar - Lands and Artifacts.
10/19/09 - Zendikar is full of delicious, decadent, and
delightful goodies for casual players and tournament players alike. In
particular, it has some phenomenal and diverse land cards that are sure
to propagate themselves naturally into all of my casual decks. For
instance, cards like Valakut and Emeria can fit very nicely into
pre-existing decks without a lot of thought, much like Kor Haven,
Volrath’s Stronghold and Yavimaya Hollow do. One-of lands that provide
variety to your deck but that fit into your mana base are awesome in my
book.Despite there only being a handful of
artifact cards in Zendikar, there are still some unique cards worth
talking about. Two such cards are Eternity Vessel and Eldrazi Monument.
We are also receiving some diverse equipment cards of which the best, in
my opinion, is an uncommon! Curious? I strongly encourage you to keep
reading! ~Streetz~
Discuss here. |
 Featured
Article:
Interested in Writing? Submit your articles to Magic Deck Vortex!
10/19/09 - If you are interested in writing and
seeing your unique perspective, opinion and/or writing style on the
front page of a Magic Deck Vortex, this blurb is a great place to start.
There are a lot of topic holes to fill within the Writers Guild of Magic
Deck Vortex including talking about the new cards in Zendikar and how
they affect various casual and tournament formats. Oh how about
some storytelling of how you beat your nine other people in a chaos
multiplayer game with one Triskelion and a bunch of elves. Or hows
about an editorial about the current state of Magic? There are
many options -- and you can help cover them!If
you think you have a knack at writing and want to get your opinion out
there on something other than a blog, let us know! I would love to see
your writings on MDV. Check out
this thread for more information. Thank you for visiting Magic
Deck Vortex! ~Streetz~
Discuss Here. |
Featured
Article:
First
Impressions: Zendikar - White.
10/16/09 - Hi there. Remember me? I'm the guy that wrote
about Zendikar Black a few days ago. I was awestruck by its
magnificence, and I am hoping that Zendikar White will be a match for
its evil counterpart. Just like Black, Zendikar White has a new tribe
too: the Kor. Sure, they've been around for a while, but they haven't
had a Kor lord until now, and I have to say he's pretty sweet. Check it
out, he's the first card on my list, then check back in with me at the
end to see how White did in the epic battle of good versus evil.
~potatobrain~
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
First
Impressions: Zendikar - Red.
10/15/09 - I know what you like about Zendikar. You like
the Vampires, don't you! You want to know if they crumble to dust, or do
they just sparkle in the sunlight? Are they expert brooders that fall
for petite blondes with super powers? Do they extract all the salt from
your body with their shape changing suckers? I bet you want to know if
there is a secret war raging on Zendikar between the Vampires and the
Werewolves. What accent do Zendikarian Vampires have? Do they say
Vampire like we do, or do they pronounce it "wom-PEER?" Well, today I'm
looking at Zendikar cards... ~Drathro~
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
First
Impressions: Zendikar - Blue.
10/14/09 - Hello my loyal fans, and welcome to another
exciting edition of First Impressions.
*Crickets chirp, and tumbleweeds tumble.*
Um okay?
*Aside* Who let the Cricket in here? Never mind.
Well, moving on. I'm your host AlasterEisaroh.
*Holds for applause. Cricket chirps again.*
O...K... Well, today with the help of...
*Looks for Co-Author*
Where's the Co-Author?
Some random crew guy:
You're doing this one by yourself AE.
AE: Son of a... ~AlasterEisaroh~
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
First
Impressions: Zendikar - Black.
10/13/09 - You know what I like? Black cards. You know
what set I really like? Torment. You know why? Because it has Black
cards that are CRAZY! Think about it: Nantuko Shade, Cabal Coffers (not
really Black, but you know what I mean), Mutilate, Chainer's Edict,
Ichorid... the list goes on. Torment also happened to be Sengir
Vampire's first reappearance since Beatdown, and he did so sporting a
new and sexy suit.So what does this have to do
with Zendikar? Well, let's face it, Black hasn't exactly been the cream
of the crop since the long lost days of the Odyssey Block, and I'd like
to hope that this set is Black's time to shine once again. Zendikar has
many great cards of the dark persuasion, some reminiscent of random
oldies, some as a throwback to Torment, as well as a creature type
that's been dying to be turned into a tribe since Alpha. But does it
have what it takes to dethrone its spooky predecessor?
That, ladies and gentlemen, is what we are here to
find out today, so without further ado, I present to you my First
Impressions of Zendikar Black. ~potatobrain~
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
First
Impressions: Zendikar - Green.
10/12/09 - Zendikar, Zendikar, Zendikar... how I love
thee. The beautiful landscapes, the full art land cards, the adventuring
motif found in card names, art and execution... all of it seems amazing
at a quick glance. Except for the "priceless treasures"... that's just
insane! Insanely amazing!It was an
intense rumor season, with cards coming from all over the internet. When
will Magic Deck Vortex get it's own Magic card to spoil? I mean, MDV has
been around for over seven years now. Is it not deserving? I think MDV
is intense enough for the challenge.
But even more intense are Zendikar's Green cards that
I get the pleasure of reviewing. And despite my attentive eye towards
cards spoiled this season, these really will be my first impressions. At
the time of writing this, I haven't even attended the prerelease or
midnight draft sessions! ~Streetz~
Discuss here. |
Featured
Article:
Sarpadian
Empires, Vol VII: Foreword.
10/9/09 - Come, sit down a spell. Take any seat you like;
today we're going to take a journey back in time. Make sure you open up
your mind and prepare to understand things you thought you already knew
or are learning for the first time. It's time to look back on a set long
since released, and today we're heading all the way back to November
1994, a time when America and the world were searching for identity,
having shed themselves fully from the 1980's. Generation X was declared
lost as Generation Y became the first generation to truly explore and
foster the Internet en masse. The mood of the nation as a whole was
gloomy—Kurt Cobain had ended his life, Ronald Reagan's fate was sealed
in Alzheimer’s and practically the entire nation was enamored with the
first media-extravaganza scandal: OJ Simpson.
In the world of Magic, the release of its fifth expansion and
the largest period of growth for the company were experienced. Scours of people
joined the devoted fans during the Revised to Ice Age period. The media even
likened it to the D&D trend of the 1980's. However, Magic was still young and
finding its footing. It made mistakes that angered the fans such as
under-printing sets and reprinting cards in a fake set called Chronicles. This
week a few special guests and I will take you through one of the sets of this
era: Fallen Empires. So sit back and enjoy a chapter from Sarpadian Empires, Vol
VII, only recently unearthed from the past. ~Cashew~
Discuss
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Forum
Profile Pages Updated!
10/7/09 - I updated a few things in the forums yesterday
which caused a chain reaction of events that finally fixed the user
profile pages and unlocked a plethora of new options for the forum
community. I posted a very quick blog about it (see link above).
If you are interested in blogging on Magic Deck Vortex, please let me
know in the discussion thread for that blog post. Thank you for
visiting Magic Deck Vortex! ~Streetz~
Discuss Here. |
Featured
Article:
The Science of
Magic: Genetic Engineering.
10/7/09 - We humans have always affected our environment,
shaping it according to our will in order to improve our chances of
survival. As a species, we have moved from hunters and gatherers to
herders and farmers, domesticating both plant and animal species that
had once lived out their lives in the wild. Unsatisfied with dominating
that which God deemed fit to populate the Earth, we unlocked the secrets
of genetics and DNA, creating plant species that produced greater yields
and animal species that produced more milk or wool or meat. But what if
this knowledge was used not for the good of the species? What if a
single species was created to dominate all others? ~Amadeus~
Discuss here.
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Featured
Article:
Reaper Kings
and Pretty Things!
10/6/09 - You know what I noticed recently? Everyone
needs a king. Wait, scratch that, wrong choice of words: everything
needs a king. Think about it for a second: countries have kings
(sometimes called the President), rock & roll has Elvis, the jungle has
the lion, fairytales have Old King Cole, mattresses have a King size,
and menus have Chicken à la King.
So why do I bring this up? Well, Magic also has a king like no other. A
SPECIAL king... a DARK king... a SCARECROW king, and his name is Reaper.
That's right boys and girls, you've guessed it, this article is all
about that special Scarecrow sovereign, the one you all know and revere:
the Reaper King. This new king is a wonderful card. He has a big body, a
crazy casting cost, a powerful ability, and is extremely hard to keep in
play (being an artifact, and thus vulnerable to Disenchant and friends).
That’s why this article is all about him. That’s right folks,
playtesting is over, and the deck is finally ready... But I’m getting
ahead of myself. Let’s go back to the beginning, to the fateful day when
my fascination with Scarecrows began: Shadowmoor. ~Potatobrain~
Discuss here.
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