Lelouch32
11-17-2010, 10:13 PM
Coloring a Deck
By: Corlando
Hello and welcome all to the latest edition of Cards n’Flux. My name is Corlando, you guide through the furies, aether, and planar cleasenings that exist in Magic the Gathering, the card game we all love. This week’s edition is a bit of a long one and I am sorry for that. I’m getting close to the lovely time known as crunch time where I have to write several papers, prepare for exams, and other final academic measures that seem to exist just to raise my blood pressure. Even as you read this I am writing a fifteen page paper comparing and contrasting China’s educational system and America’s. Really intense, world-altering stuff. Either that or I’ve gotten distracted by another YouTube video. Dang YouTube and its infinite vault of funny, but sometimes disturbing videos. As such, my weekly update schedule will no doubt be receiving two shotgun shells to the knees sometime soon, so do not be surprised if a disappear for a little while. Anyway, this week's topic is more of an observation about a previous set and how its flavor can be seen in mostly every card. Without further adieu, let’s begin.
Not very long ago, the world of Magic visited the plane of Alara, a shattered world where its inhabitants lost contact with all but three mana types. Thanks to this phenomena, each color combination was able to grow in power, becoming a very refined and society directing force. However, all separation eventually stops. The Shards of Alara soon collided, joining as one once more. Some inhabitants rejoiced in the joining while others barred their doors against it. The Shards descended into war and even still there are skirmishes as the five worlds try to exist together as one plane.
Now you all know this, so why am I bringing it up? Well first it’s to switch your brain into the Alara mode and get that archive of knowledge online again. The second is because we are going to be looking at a few cards from this block and see exactly how a few of the color combinations are flavored. Now I don’t just mean the main five combinations, no that would be far too boring. I mean… well, why don’t you just wait and read.
Our first stop on the Alara tour is to the plane of Bant, a plane I visited in one of my previous articles. This plane lost contact with both Black and Red mana meaning that Green, Blue, and most dominantly White were able to flourish. Looking through the Bant colors we see many cards that require all three mana colors to be played, however far more in number are cards involving just two of the colors. For example, Jhessian Balmgiver is a :mana1::manaw::manau: creature that has two tapping abilities. “:symtap:: Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn,” and, “:symtap:: Target creature is unblockable this turn.” Now this card is definitely cast in Bant with the image of a priestess looking over the wounds of a soldier. However, this card can also be run in an Esper deck because that shard also deals in White and Blue. The thing is, without the artwork guiding us to where this creature hails from, it could easily be seen that Jhessian Balmgiver was an Esper card. This is because making something unblockable is a very Blue ability, seen in the recent example of Neurok Invisimancer who not only is himself unblockable, but when he comes into play he makes something else unblockable. However, the negating damage ability is very much a White ability seen in Noble Vestige. Jhessian Balmgiver is a great example of not just a Bant or Esper card, but a Blue and White card.
I know what you’re thinking, “Corlando you arrogant, annoyin-“ … wait wrong page. “Corlando, you devilishly handsome man who could do no wrong and looks great in tight leather, Jhessian Balmgiver came into play with Conflux when the shards were colliding, of course there would be some crossing of abilities and ideas.” This is true, however let’s take a look at another card. Crossing the border into Grixis, we step into a land of the dead. Barely, if any new life has been born here ever since the splitting of the planes. Instead, the dead and half-dead walk and journey through this land, recycling the remaining life energy in an effort to survive this undead hell. To survive in such a place it is kill or be killed… then reanimated before being killed again. Such nessecity for survival spawned the truly powerful spell simply known as Terminate. Requiring only :manab::manar: to cast, this little spell can take down even the hardest to destroy creatures, even those with regenerative abilities. However, Grixis is not the only plane where survival is the name of the game. Many Jund natives have seen the same need for death on command as any Grixis necromancer, especially when the other option is the stomach of some dragon or giant leech. This spell is definitely a spell of two worlds and one that many others fear.
So why have I discussed these two cards? What was the point of it all? The simple answer is perspective. I just find it so interesting that one card, or nation, or world, can be interpreted in so many ways. Each of you has no doubt experienced this phenomenon in some small way in your lives. Two people look at something, or taste something, or hear something and have completely different reactions based on their perspective in life. For example, some might see Naya's true power in trampling over their opponent with 5 power creatures. However, another player might see the beauty of the smaller creatures, looking instead to pump up the small ones and have easily replaceable soldiers. That is the purpose of this article, to make you think just a little bit.
In the spirit of understanding different perspectives, here are two of the same deck… but they are different. The first deck is a Bant deck and the second is a Bant deck, however both are very different. How? Sure they’re different in the cards they use, but they also are different in how they play and operate. Let me show you.
The first deck is called Sword and Shield and it mainly operates around Wall of Denial/Wall of Omens and the use of sudden or unblockable damage to take the win. You block with the walls as you stall for time, waiting to swing your sword at the right moments as you wait for openings or for when you can make your own. Here’s the list:
Sword and Shield:
Creatures:
4x Bant Sureblade
4x Wall of Denial
4x Wall of Omens
1x Empyrial Archangel
2x Enlisted Wurm
4x Steward of Valeron
2x Jenara, Asura of War
4x Jhessian Balmgiver
4x Leonin Armorguard
Spells:
4x Crystallization
3x Kiss of the Amesha
Lands:
4x Forest
4x Glacial Fortress
4x Island
4x Plains
4x Seaside Citadel
4x Sunpetal Grove
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/sword-and-shield/
The second deck is called Divine Bant and it operates around Bant’s mechanic of exalted to allow for one creature to become a hero as he or she swings for more and more damage each turn. Helping out with this is the ever fun Behemoth Sledge, which gives the equipped creature Lifelink and Trample, truly formidable threat. Let’s take a look:
Creatures:
3x Ethercaste Knight
2x Giltspire Avenger
3x Jhessian Infiltrator
4x Knight of New Alara
3x Qasali Pridemage
2x Rafiq of the Many
4x Rhox War Monk
4x Stoic Angel
Spells:
4x Ardent Plea
3x Captured Sunlight
Artifacts:
4x Behemoth Sledge
Lands:
4x Forest
4x Glacial Fortress
4x Island
4x Plains
4x Seaside Citadel
4x Sunpetal Grove
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/divine-bant/
You see how two different decks can come from one idea and I am certain there are more deck types you can pull from this one set of colors… you know what that’s a good idea. Okay everyone, it’s time for the first ever Cards n’Flux Challenge. This week’s challenge is simple, take any one Shard of Alara and make two decks. The catch is that each deck must have at least 10-15 cards from the Alara block in them. This is just to avoid having people select just the new stuff and building a three-color deck. As for the two decks themselves, they must be different. For example if you decide to do Grixis, you can build a Grixis Control deck and a Grixis Aggro deck. You can’t build two Grixis control decks. Let’s have some fun with this challenge and if people enjoy it, I might decide to have more in the future.
Alright, now to close this article out with everyone’s favorite section, the Closing Question Section:
1. What was your favorite card from the set?
2. Each Shard of Alara had its own unique mechanic. Naya had creatures with 5 power of more, Jund had Devour, Bant had Exalted, etc. What was your favorite of these abilities and why?
3. Do you miss Alara and would you be glad to see Wizards do a revisit sometime eventually?
Well everyone, wish me luck as I dive headlong into my work and my papers. Hopefully I’ll be able to update sooner rather than later. Oh and before I forget, a Happy Thanksgiving to you all. And always remember, “Etherium is limited. Innovation is not.” This is Corlando signing out.
By: Corlando
Hello and welcome all to the latest edition of Cards n’Flux. My name is Corlando, you guide through the furies, aether, and planar cleasenings that exist in Magic the Gathering, the card game we all love. This week’s edition is a bit of a long one and I am sorry for that. I’m getting close to the lovely time known as crunch time where I have to write several papers, prepare for exams, and other final academic measures that seem to exist just to raise my blood pressure. Even as you read this I am writing a fifteen page paper comparing and contrasting China’s educational system and America’s. Really intense, world-altering stuff. Either that or I’ve gotten distracted by another YouTube video. Dang YouTube and its infinite vault of funny, but sometimes disturbing videos. As such, my weekly update schedule will no doubt be receiving two shotgun shells to the knees sometime soon, so do not be surprised if a disappear for a little while. Anyway, this week's topic is more of an observation about a previous set and how its flavor can be seen in mostly every card. Without further adieu, let’s begin.
Not very long ago, the world of Magic visited the plane of Alara, a shattered world where its inhabitants lost contact with all but three mana types. Thanks to this phenomena, each color combination was able to grow in power, becoming a very refined and society directing force. However, all separation eventually stops. The Shards of Alara soon collided, joining as one once more. Some inhabitants rejoiced in the joining while others barred their doors against it. The Shards descended into war and even still there are skirmishes as the five worlds try to exist together as one plane.
Now you all know this, so why am I bringing it up? Well first it’s to switch your brain into the Alara mode and get that archive of knowledge online again. The second is because we are going to be looking at a few cards from this block and see exactly how a few of the color combinations are flavored. Now I don’t just mean the main five combinations, no that would be far too boring. I mean… well, why don’t you just wait and read.
Our first stop on the Alara tour is to the plane of Bant, a plane I visited in one of my previous articles. This plane lost contact with both Black and Red mana meaning that Green, Blue, and most dominantly White were able to flourish. Looking through the Bant colors we see many cards that require all three mana colors to be played, however far more in number are cards involving just two of the colors. For example, Jhessian Balmgiver is a :mana1::manaw::manau: creature that has two tapping abilities. “:symtap:: Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn,” and, “:symtap:: Target creature is unblockable this turn.” Now this card is definitely cast in Bant with the image of a priestess looking over the wounds of a soldier. However, this card can also be run in an Esper deck because that shard also deals in White and Blue. The thing is, without the artwork guiding us to where this creature hails from, it could easily be seen that Jhessian Balmgiver was an Esper card. This is because making something unblockable is a very Blue ability, seen in the recent example of Neurok Invisimancer who not only is himself unblockable, but when he comes into play he makes something else unblockable. However, the negating damage ability is very much a White ability seen in Noble Vestige. Jhessian Balmgiver is a great example of not just a Bant or Esper card, but a Blue and White card.
I know what you’re thinking, “Corlando you arrogant, annoyin-“ … wait wrong page. “Corlando, you devilishly handsome man who could do no wrong and looks great in tight leather, Jhessian Balmgiver came into play with Conflux when the shards were colliding, of course there would be some crossing of abilities and ideas.” This is true, however let’s take a look at another card. Crossing the border into Grixis, we step into a land of the dead. Barely, if any new life has been born here ever since the splitting of the planes. Instead, the dead and half-dead walk and journey through this land, recycling the remaining life energy in an effort to survive this undead hell. To survive in such a place it is kill or be killed… then reanimated before being killed again. Such nessecity for survival spawned the truly powerful spell simply known as Terminate. Requiring only :manab::manar: to cast, this little spell can take down even the hardest to destroy creatures, even those with regenerative abilities. However, Grixis is not the only plane where survival is the name of the game. Many Jund natives have seen the same need for death on command as any Grixis necromancer, especially when the other option is the stomach of some dragon or giant leech. This spell is definitely a spell of two worlds and one that many others fear.
So why have I discussed these two cards? What was the point of it all? The simple answer is perspective. I just find it so interesting that one card, or nation, or world, can be interpreted in so many ways. Each of you has no doubt experienced this phenomenon in some small way in your lives. Two people look at something, or taste something, or hear something and have completely different reactions based on their perspective in life. For example, some might see Naya's true power in trampling over their opponent with 5 power creatures. However, another player might see the beauty of the smaller creatures, looking instead to pump up the small ones and have easily replaceable soldiers. That is the purpose of this article, to make you think just a little bit.
In the spirit of understanding different perspectives, here are two of the same deck… but they are different. The first deck is a Bant deck and the second is a Bant deck, however both are very different. How? Sure they’re different in the cards they use, but they also are different in how they play and operate. Let me show you.
The first deck is called Sword and Shield and it mainly operates around Wall of Denial/Wall of Omens and the use of sudden or unblockable damage to take the win. You block with the walls as you stall for time, waiting to swing your sword at the right moments as you wait for openings or for when you can make your own. Here’s the list:
Sword and Shield:
Creatures:
4x Bant Sureblade
4x Wall of Denial
4x Wall of Omens
1x Empyrial Archangel
2x Enlisted Wurm
4x Steward of Valeron
2x Jenara, Asura of War
4x Jhessian Balmgiver
4x Leonin Armorguard
Spells:
4x Crystallization
3x Kiss of the Amesha
Lands:
4x Forest
4x Glacial Fortress
4x Island
4x Plains
4x Seaside Citadel
4x Sunpetal Grove
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/sword-and-shield/
The second deck is called Divine Bant and it operates around Bant’s mechanic of exalted to allow for one creature to become a hero as he or she swings for more and more damage each turn. Helping out with this is the ever fun Behemoth Sledge, which gives the equipped creature Lifelink and Trample, truly formidable threat. Let’s take a look:
Creatures:
3x Ethercaste Knight
2x Giltspire Avenger
3x Jhessian Infiltrator
4x Knight of New Alara
3x Qasali Pridemage
2x Rafiq of the Many
4x Rhox War Monk
4x Stoic Angel
Spells:
4x Ardent Plea
3x Captured Sunlight
Artifacts:
4x Behemoth Sledge
Lands:
4x Forest
4x Glacial Fortress
4x Island
4x Plains
4x Seaside Citadel
4x Sunpetal Grove
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/divine-bant/
You see how two different decks can come from one idea and I am certain there are more deck types you can pull from this one set of colors… you know what that’s a good idea. Okay everyone, it’s time for the first ever Cards n’Flux Challenge. This week’s challenge is simple, take any one Shard of Alara and make two decks. The catch is that each deck must have at least 10-15 cards from the Alara block in them. This is just to avoid having people select just the new stuff and building a three-color deck. As for the two decks themselves, they must be different. For example if you decide to do Grixis, you can build a Grixis Control deck and a Grixis Aggro deck. You can’t build two Grixis control decks. Let’s have some fun with this challenge and if people enjoy it, I might decide to have more in the future.
Alright, now to close this article out with everyone’s favorite section, the Closing Question Section:
1. What was your favorite card from the set?
2. Each Shard of Alara had its own unique mechanic. Naya had creatures with 5 power of more, Jund had Devour, Bant had Exalted, etc. What was your favorite of these abilities and why?
3. Do you miss Alara and would you be glad to see Wizards do a revisit sometime eventually?
Well everyone, wish me luck as I dive headlong into my work and my papers. Hopefully I’ll be able to update sooner rather than later. Oh and before I forget, a Happy Thanksgiving to you all. And always remember, “Etherium is limited. Innovation is not.” This is Corlando signing out.