Friday Post Potpourri

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Happy Friday MTG peeps,

Today, being Friday, MTG Realm brings to you another ad-hoc collection of updates for you the Magic the Gathering Player. Right off the hop, don't miss out on the opportunity to rub shoulders with like-minded geeks 'n' gamers of every variety at the Toronto Comic Con 2011 / Wizard World Convention this weekend March 18 / 19 /20. If you get any Magic-related pics from the show, eMail us and we'll post 'em. Make sure, if you have not, review this week's posts to ensure you've not missed anything -

• Japan in Crisis (Mar 17, 2011) and what MTG Mint Card is doing to help,
  
• CCG House Interview (Mar 16, 2011) we find Shane is a stand-up decent store owner and online retailer,
  
• Action Packed (Mar 15, 2011) images of Mirrodin Pure / New Phyrexia packaging, and
  
• Innistrad Announcement (Mar 14, 2011) a name and an art for the first set of the next block leaves us to speculate players may see vampires, werewolves and monsters in future games.

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Time now for some sweet Magic the Gathering wallpaper from the next set 'Acation' to refresh your stale electronic background . ..

Brutalizer Exarch Wallpaper
illustrated by Mark Zug

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Ravarshi from the forums pointed out that the staff being used by this toothy lil' munster appears similar to that of Chimeric Staff (an artifact / construct from Tenth Edition) - good call. Still just an art.
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Alloy Myr Wallpaper
illustrated by Matt Cavotta

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!! Cuteness Overload !! We can imagine Veruca Salt of Willy Wonka fame shouting 'Daddy, I want that Myr right NOW!'. Anywhoos - loads going on with the art - check out the multitude of colours - we're hoping for an Etched Champion / Myr hybrid here.
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Darksteel Relic (wallpaper)
illustrated by Daniel Ljunggren

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Flavour text from site :

It is said that once a trinket was created by a curious man of silver, come into the fullness of his powers and beginning to refine his craft. Though the least of his treasures it was among his most valued. Held close to his chest it had a centering influence on his thoughts, and in the eternal play of light around it and the whirring sound that followed he found a useful meditation. No more constant companion did he have. But in due course he faced another wielding powers like unto his, and in the exchange of terrible magic that followed it slipped by the wayside. There among the razorgrass it lay hidden for a time, ever whirring softly.

Another man of silver rose to prominence, though this one was much unlike the first. While fleeing from the forces he sent to level her home a frightened young leonine stumbled upon it, kicking it with her foot. No omen so unusual could be ignored. Taken in hand, it exerted a calming influence. Everything was going to be okay. The world was not going to end, not today – surely this ancient thing had endured worse. That girl would grow and become a brave warrior, and then a kha among her kind, ever certain in purpose and unyielding in courage. She would not break before a mere trinket would. In this way her clan became famous, and the trinket was handed down – mother to daughter, daughter to son, until its wielder was pulled from the world entirely and it dropped to the ground to roll into a hole. There it nestled in the earth for a time, ever whirring softly.

A dark blight now slips its coils about the shining world, and the hope and strength its erstwhile masters once cherished begins to wither. But now another has found it, another holds it, another hears the comfortable hum cradling their mind. Ages it has endured, and still it is untarnished, still the ring of light orbits close about it. The world has not ended yet, or the trinket would not be here. And in that its wielder can draw strength, inspired by a symbol, ever whirring softly.
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And finally - from Wizards - a minor update to the Comprehensive rules :

As of April 1, 2HG teams get poison counters as a team, rather than individually, and the number of poison counters required for you to lose in 2HG is bumped Effective April 1, the rules for poison counters in Two-Headed Giant games are changing. Players will no longer get poison counters individually. Rather, teams will get poison counters. In addition, a team loses the game when it has 15, not 10, poison counters. The Comprehensive Rules will be updated to reflect these changes.

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