Kaladesh Story Spoilers

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Happy Thursday MTG peeps,

In our spare time over the last few days we've been exploring the brave new world of Magic: the Gathering standard constructed.  As Kaladesh officially releases this very weekend and Magic Origins / Dragons of Tarkir rotate out, we fully expect to see many weird 'n' wonderful inventions at Friday Night Magic at our local gaming store, OMG! Games, here in Barrie, Ontario.  Leading in popularity it seems is Chandra, Torch of Defiance and Smuggler's Copter.

In fact, we think we'll be seeing many Copters -

To that end, may we suggest for your Side Board some copies of Fragmentize and/ or Natural State ?

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Anywhoos, onto today's spoilers - specifically Kaladesh Story spoilers.  SPOILER ALERT - Do not read on if you do not wish to discover the storyline of events unfolding on Kaladesh (and Aether Revolt).
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Still with us?  Alright then - to catch up on all the great stories to date, pop on over to the WotC page here.  At the time of this post, we have been treated to six episodes.

Posted to Reddit, Tumblr and elsewhere are storyline clips from the new Magic Duels game, updated with Kaladesh.  The new release adds 167 NEW unique earnable cards, NEW Story Quests, and NEW Skill Quests.  Here are the clips posted - 

We are definitely looking forward to the upcoming Kaladesh story episodes.  We've got questions that only the details of the stories will provide.  Kudos to the Wizards of the Coast team for yet again developing a great story background.

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MTG Weekend Wrap-Up

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Happy Monday MTG peeps,

Although it may be cold and raining here in Central Ontario, we are still basking in the light of this past weekend's Kaladesh PreRelease event at OMG! Games, here in Barrie.  Our pool was mediocre, and we lost more games than we won, but we certainly had a helluva good time playing with the very soon to be released Magic: the Gathering set.  For those interested, we played a Red / Blue build with the following rares pulled -

 Many Servo Tokens died to bring you this PreRelease -

Looking ahead to when Kaladesh is released come this weekend, we've not been head-over-heels to build a Commander deck with one of the seven new legendary creatures, just yet but do have a handful of new Kaladesh cards which will be replacing existing slots in some lists we have.  (Example - we'll want to swap out Ranger's Guile with the new Blossoming Defense in our secret Simic build).

As for Modern, we do have a much-loved Soul-Sisters decklist which may benefit with the addition of Authority of the Consuls.  Not only would this card benefit cards such as Serra Ascendant and Ajani's Pridemate, but may also be a contender for the spot taken by Blind Obedience in the sideboard. 

As for the new standard this Friday, we have no clue (no - not that artifact clue thingy) of what to build.  We do have that derpy mon-white humans thingy featuring Thalia's Lieutenant that did not take too much of a hit with the rotation, but after that, we are undecided.

What we do know for certain is that (most of) the Gearhulks are damn fine for standard and that a lot of players we've been talking to have been liking Smuggler's Copter and Fleetwheel Courier, but the other vehicles are not approaching the same popularity.  It's a brave new world  come this weekend and it will be an adventure as players invent new and fantastical strategies on the game tables.

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Kaladesh PreRelease Tips

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Happy Friday MTG peeps,

Tonight at midnight many gaming stores will stay open very late (or very early) for Magic: the Gathering players participating in this weekend's Kaladesh prerelease.  If you, like use are not fond of imitating a gaming zombie and stumbling home at four or five in the morning, then you'll likely be going when the sun is up.  Our local store, OMG! Games, here in Barrie, Ontario will be running a total of five events over the course of the weekend.

If you are new to the game and having second thoughts, we suggest you read this thread on Reddit.  In it, reddit user ITOverlord prepared a handy Kaladesh PreRelease guide and as importantly, the comments are filled with variety of good questions and great supportive answers from the pretty awesome MTG community on Reddit.  For a Kaladesh primer with a bit more than the basic foundations, pop on over to Channel Fireball and read Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa's article linked here.

For those who already know the game, WotC staffer Diego Fumagalli has a 'How to Kaladesh - In Graphics' post to the mothersite.  Here, Diego has a number of clever strategic plays which may not be all that obvious to some.  

We do not, by any stretch of one's imagination think ourselves good Magic: the Gathering players, especially in a limited environment such as Kaladesh sealed PreRelease.  We do however know enough to always include any copies of Filigree Familiar in a pool we get.  Anywhoos, we will instead direct our recommendations to Luis Scott-Vargas, whom we trust implicitly to float out the very best choices for limited.  You can see his top picks for Kaladesh limited over here on Channel Fireball - 

    White:
1    Revoke Privileges
2    Propeller Pioneer
3    Glint-Sleeve Artisan
4    Impeccable Timing
5    Skyswirl Harrier   

    Blue:
1    Aether Theorist
2    Malfunction
3    Gearseeker Serpent
4    Nimble Innovator
5    Wind Drake
   

    Black:
1    Tidy Conclusion
2    Die Young
3    Subtle Strike
4    Thriving Rats
5    Maulfist Squad
   

    Red:
1    Welding Sparks
2    Chandra's Pyrohelix
3    Thriving Grubs
4    Spontaneous Artist
5    Salivating Gremlins
   

    Green:
1    Peema Outrider
2    Riparian Tiger
3    Thriving Rhino
4    Hunt the Weak
5    Kujar Seedsculptor
   

    Artifact:
1    Sky Skiff
2    Renegade Freighter
3    Narnam Cobra
4    Dukhara Peacock
5    Inventor's Goggles

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Kaladesh PreRelease Preparation

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Happy Thursday MTG peeps,

This weekend, gaming stores around the world will be packed with Magic: the Gathering players anxious to get in on the Kaladesh PreRelease events taking place.  MTG Realm will be in at our local store, OMG! Games here in Barrie, Ontario, Canada to get our fun on.  As usual, they will be running events all weekend long starting with a midnight event on Friday and wrapping up with a Two-Headed Giant event on Sunday afternoon.  

For those new players who have not yet played at one of these fun and casual events, do not be intimidated.  We will suggest you read Gavin's great PreRelease Primer (linked over here) and please, please, please - if you happen to pull a 'Kaladesh Invention' card (it will have a very distictive border from the rest of the cards), make certain you use sleeves should you play it in your deck.  Failure to do so, will cause other veteran MTG players to swoon.

Anywhoos, here is the Kaladesh PreRelease Pack you will receive - 

Once you have cracked this very cool-designed box, you will find the following -
• 6 Kaladesh booster packs
• 1 Randomized, date-stamped, premium promo card, drawn from any rare or mythic in the set
• 1 Spindown life counter
• 1 Deck building advice insert
• 1 build your own awesome thopter

For the 40-card deck you create, try going with 17 lands to 23 spells.  Also try to stick to no more than two different colours.  We've heard from the Pros that when choosing creatures, there are advantages in this environment in having creatures with toughness of 3 or more.  As always, since this limited format typically sees a lot of creatures, removal is quite good.

For those interested, there are some very good guides out there which may assist you in selecting cards for instant speed tricks, which may be very useful in pushing past lethal damage for the win or using this combat trick in removing an opponent's threat.  Pop on over to the following for more - 

• Kaladesh Instant-Speed Tricks (MTG Goldfish)
and
• Kaladesh Instants and Flash Spells (Hipsters of the Coast)
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Kaladesh PW Decklists

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Happy Wednesday MTG peeps,

Kaladesh Planeswalker Decks

These two decks contain 10 exclusive cards with the collector numbers above 264 within the Kaladesh set.  Each deck contains:
• 1 foil premium Planeswalker card
• 1 Ready-to-play 60-card deck
• 2 Kaladesh booster packs
• 1 Strategy insert
• 1 Magic learn-to-play guide

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We suggest that if you are thinking of picking either (or both!), consider getting the very cool Ultra PRO card protector sleeves and deckboxes.

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Kaladesh FULL SPOILER

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Happy Friday MTG peeps,

As you may see from the title of today's post, the FULL Kaladesh card list is now up and the card image gallery over on the WotC Mothersite (linked here) has been updated. With today's offering of the full Magic: the Gathering set, is the Kaladesh Release Notes, which may be found over here.  We think most every player at tonight's Friday Night Magic Event at OMG! Games here in Barrie will be speaking of nothing more than this.

If you were looking for an Ornithopter reprint, then brace yourself walking down sad panda lane.  Be of good cheer!  There are many other lovely artifacts, and this set looks to have a great level of synergistic and fun cards.

Have a look at Gearseeker Serpent, the closest we may come to an 'Affinity for Artifacts' in Kaladesh but wow - colour us impressed.  This 5/6 fatty may be swinging out several turns ahead of when your opponents may least expect it.

We have a feeling that the Simic Combine may have sent a secret research group to Kaladesh - how else could one explain the odd Wily Bandar?  We do not want to impose our Binary sensibilities upon this but is it part feline, part primate (or just all trouble) ?

For those blue mages out there who were looking for an array of counter magic, you may not be overjoyed with the number of unconditional and efficient options available in this set, but take heart that we do have this spell to nerf non-artifact spells.  Sorry but cold-comfort there.

Anywhoos, here is the full text list which we will be going through over the course of the weekend !

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WHITE	BLUE
Acrobatic Maneuver	Aether Meltdown
Aerial Responder	Aether Theorist
Aetherstorm Roc	Aether Tradewinds
Angel of Invention	Aethersquall Ancient
Authority of the Consuls	Ceremonious Rejection
Aviary Mechanic	Confiscation Coup
Built to Last	Curio Vendor
Captured by the Consulate	Disappearing Act
Consulate Surveillance	Era of Innovation
Consul’s Shieldguard	Experimental Aviator
Eddytrail Hawk	Failed Inspection
Fairgrounds Warden	Gearseeker Serpent
Fragmentize	Glimmer of Genius
Fumigate	Glint-Nest Crane
Toolcraft Exemplar	Torrential Gearhulk
Trusty Companion	Vedalken Blademaster
Visionary Augmenter	Weldfast Wingsmith
Wispweaver Angel	Wind Drake
BLACK	RED
Aetherborn Marauder	Aethertorch Renegade
Ambitious Aetherborn	Brazen Scourge
Demon of Dark Schemes	Built to Smash
Dhund Operative	Cathartic Reunion
Diabolic Tutor	Chandra, Torch of Defiance
Die Young	Chandra’s Pyrohelix
Dukhara Scavenger	Combustible Gearhulk
Eliminate the Competition	Demolish
Essence Extraction	Furious Reprisal
Fortuitous Find	Giant Spectacle
Foundry Screecher	Harnessed Lightning
Fretwork Colony	Hijack
Gonti, Lord of Luxury	Incendiary Sabotage
Harsh Scrutiny	Inventor’s Apprentice
Thriving Rats	Terror of the Fairgrounds
Tidy Conclusion	Thriving Grubs
Underhanded Designs	Wayward Giant
Weaponcraft Enthusiast	Welding Sparks
GREEN	MULTICOLOUR
Appetite for the Unnatural	Cloudblazer
Arborback Stomper	Contraband Kingpin
Architect of the Untamed	Depala, Pilot Exemplar
Armorcraft Judge	Dovin Baan
Attune with Aether	Empyreal Voyager
Blossoming Defense	Engineered Might
Bristling Hydra	Hazardous Conditions
Commencement of Festivities	Kambal, Consul of Allocation
Creeping Mold	Restoration Gearsmith
Cultivator of Blades	Saheeli Rai
Dubious Challenge	Unlicensed Disintegration
Durable Handicraft	Veteran Motorist
Elegant Edgecrafters	Voltaic Brawler
Fairgrounds Trumpeter	Whirler Virtuoso
Verdurous Gearhulk
Wild Wanderer
Wildest Dreams
Wily Bandar
ARTIFACT	LAND
Accomplished Automaton	Aether Hub
Aetherflux Reservoir	Blooming Marsh
Aetherworks Marvel	Botanical Sanctum
Animation Module	Concealed Courtyard
Aradara Express	Inspiring Vantage
Ballista Charger	Inventors’ Fair
Bastion Mastodon	Sequestered Stash
Bomat Bazaar Barge	Spirebluff Canal
Chief of the Foundry
Cogworker’s Puzzleknot
Consulate Skygate
Cultivator’s Caravan
Deadlock Trap
Decoction Module
Metalwork Colossus
Multiform Wonder
Narnam Cobra
Ovalchase Dragster

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Kaladesh Previews 9-15

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Happy Thursday MTG peeps,

Week two of two for Kaladesh previews is quickly drawing to a close and Magic: the Gathering fans are now looking forward to the PreRelease Events taking place next weekend.  If your local gaming store is looking anything like ours (OMG! Games, here in Barrie, Ontario), then you will have taken note of all the very awesome Kaladesh mobiles hanging in the store.  Wizards of the Coast had done a great job in designing these.  One gaming store, Brute Force Games, had posted a short video featuring one of these Kaladesh Vehicle mobiles - and it is perhaps one of the funniest MTG videos we've seen for quite some time -

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Anywhoos, we should get on to today's news.  First up are the tokens in this new set.  Perhaps not suprising to some gamers, but very token one may generate on Kaladesh is an artifact of some type.  Kaladesh features 12 tokens / emblems -

Energy reserve card to place energy counters on.
001/012 - Colourless 6/6 Servo artifact creature
002/012 - Colourless */* Construct artifact creature
003/012 - Colourless */* Construct artifact creature
004/012 - Colourless 1/1 Beast artifact creature
005/012 - Colourless 1/1 Servo artifact creature
006/012 - Colourless 1/1 Servo artifact creature
007/012 - Colourless 1/1 Thopter artifact creature with flying
008/012 - Colourless 1/1 Thopter artifact creature with flying
009/012 - Colourless 1/1 Thopter artifact creature with flying
010/012 - Emblem for Chandra, Torch of Defiance
011/012 - Emblem for Nissa, Vital Force
012/012 - Emblem for Dovin Baan

Catching up with new Kaladesh previews since MTG Realm lost posted -

Chief of the Foundry
Era of Innovation
Fairgrounds Warden
Foundry Inspector
Fumigate
Insidious Will
Marionette Master
Self-Assembler
Syndicate Trafficker

Workshop Assistant

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Kaladesh Previews 9-14

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Happy Wednesday MTG peeps,

We suggest you make tracks on over to the Wizards of the Coast Articles homepage some time today to read the next Magic: the Gathering story installment, from Doug Beyer.  Titled 'Renegade Prime', we are finally introduced to the character Oviya Pashiri, which is to see print in the Kaladesh set as a legendary green creature.  You can read the biographical summary over here for Oviya.

Anywhoos, lets get to today's Kaladesh previews !

Some late-day previews over at io9 (~2PM) -
Ambitious Aetherborn
Aviary Mechanic
Highspire Artisan
Nimble Innovator
Reckless Fireweaver
Restoration Gearsmith
Weaponcraft Enthusiast

Weldfast Wingsmith

Brazen Scourge - Gawd those Gremlins are rather cute.  This one is a hasty 3/3 for 3 CMC.

Creative Spark - One red mana sorcery, exiling top card of library to shoot target creature for that cards CMC - not too shabby.

Demolish - because we need something in this block to blow up artifacts or lands.

Disappearing Trick - (or 'act'?) conditional hard counter bouncing a permanent back to your hand.

Experimental Aviator - 0/3 human artificer for 3UU with an etb effect of 2x thopters - nice.

Metalwork Colossus - A 10/10 construct critter for 11 CMC with a cost reduction of the total cmc of non-creature artifacts you control  Also with a sac clause for recursion.

Oviya Pashiri, Sage Lifecrafter - Green one-drop 1/2 legendary.  Creates a servo token for 3 or ana X/X construct based on the number of creatures you control.  Nice mana sink.

Perpetual Timepiece - Decent artifact utility to move cards from your library to graveyard or save yourself from a mill deck.

Prophetic Prism - Mana stone colour fixer, with the added benefit of etb card draw.

Refurbish - 4 Mana white sorcery to fetch an artifact back onto the battlefield.

Torch Gauntlet - Who doesn't want a torch gauntlet? Simple pump of +2/+0.

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Kaladesh Previews 9-13

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Happy  Tuesday MTG peeps,

Following up yesterday's post ('Masterpiece Monday', as coined by WotC staffers, we'll been rustling up some of those stunningly beautiful card illustrations for the Kaladesh Inventions over at MTG Realm on Tumblr, so pop on over to take in the crazy-good art.

Today's Magic: the Gathering news is the regular round-up of new Kaladesh previews from the mothersite as well as a number of fan/community media outlets.  WotC staffer Blake also has a few new cards previewed over on the big site, which are to be part of those new Kaladesh Planeswalker Decks.  Anywhoos, lets get along to those new Kaladesh spoilers 'n' preivews now -

Aetherborn Marauder - A 2/2 flying life-linker for 4 CMC kinda sucks - BUT - the ability to shuffle counters can make this a solid threat.  Is friends with new 'fabricate' ability.

Authority of the Consulate - Damn fine white one-drop providing a 'Blind Obedience' effect with a half-latte Soul Warden.

Bomat Courier - Bom-bad?  Perhaps not.

Dovin Baan - Awesome Azorious 'Walker is awesome.  Decent blue/white control and all decent abilities.

Eliminate the Competition - Someone needs a bandage.  Never will want to volunteer as a first aid responder at the Inventor's Fair.

Inspired Charge - Absolutely un-inspired by this.

Maulfist Squad - Potential 4/2 with menance - sounds good for a common.

Padeem, Consul of Innovation - protection for artifacts is decent we would imagine in this set.  Repeatable card-draw is also a rather decent ability.  No 'wow' factor howeveer with Padeem who fails to impress us.

Ruinous Gremlin - Great art, might be a pick in limited to considering the wave of artifacts we are getting.

Salivating Gremlins - Damn Gremlins eating all my inventions!  Decent conditional and relevant ability here.

Scrapheap Scrounger - We like 'yard recursion just as much as the next necromonger, but we are not quite sold on this card.


Whirler Virtuoso - Three Izzet mana for two creatures (2/3 and a 1/1 flying thopter) - we're calling this value.

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Masterpiece Monday

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Happy Monday MTG peeps,

Loads of Magic: the Gathering news out today - let's get to it !  First up is the new 'Masterpiece Series / Kaladesh Inventions' - 

Announced today on the mothersite - Every block will now have its own version of Expeditions, as part of the Masterpiece Series. Zendikar retroactively had Masterpiece Series: Zendikar Expeditions, and today, MaRo had elaborated on the Masterpiece Series: 'Kaladesh Inventions'. The copper border on the Invention cards will all be foil and may be played in any Limited format they're opened in and in any Constructed format in which the card is already legal.  The Masterpiece Series are to printed at a rarity higher than mythic rare. In Kaladesh, one can expect to open a Kaladesh Inventions card roughly 1 out of every 144 boosters, so expect to see a high value on the single card market.

The Kaladesh Inventions are Gauntlet of Power, Hangarback Walker, Mana Crypt, and Verdurous Gearhulk.  (To be updated later this evening)

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New Kaladesh previews out today -

Nerdist previews some very kewl Aetherborn cards -
• Lawless Broker
• Prakhta Club Secruity

• Contraband Kingpin

Blossoming Defense (MM Cast) - nice combat trick.

Glint-Nest Crane (Ian Duke) - draw and library manipulation is always welcome.

Cataclysmic Gearhulk - very decent control element.

Combustible Gearhulk - damn fine limited pick here with applications in other formats.

Consulate Surveilance and Electrostatic Pummeler - both decent choices should you wish to power up with the new energy mechanic.


Tool-Crafter Exemplar - At the beginning of combat on your turn, if you control an artifact, Tool-Crafter Exemplar gets +2/+1 until end of turn. If you control three or more artifacts, Tool-Crafter Exemplar gains first strike until end of turn.  Damn !  Awesome one-drop with solid synergy in the new format.

Also out today - Blake Rasmussen has previewed all of the Basic Lands for Kaladesh.  We've seen several of these illustrations already and we now have 'em all on the card frames - lovely art work!

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