Guilds of Ravnica Double Double

~
Happy Wednesday MTG peeps,

The full Guilds of Ravnica set has now been dropped and uploaded by Wizards of the Coast's Card Image Gallery, linked right here for your perusal. Instead of penning a review of our opinions here at MTG Realm as to the merits of some choice cards in various play formats, we want to write to you today about one singular cycle of cards.  We want to call this the Canadian Cycle or better yet, the 'Double Double'.  Here's why -

“Peace, order and good government” are the words used in section 91 of the British North America Act of 1867 (now Constitution Act, 1867) to define the Canadian Parliament's lawmaking authority in relation to provincial authority.  If there is anything else on God's good green earth that Canadians love more than the above over-arching expression may be "Double - Double".  

This is a truly unique Canadian term, most often associated with Tim Horton's (once a National pride and joy).  Simply put, should you order this, the server will allocate to you a beverage with two portions of sugars and two portions of cream.  Canadians so love the double-double, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce even offers the CIBC Tim Hortons Double Double Visa credit card, which when used, will generate bonus points which may be used to purchase further coffee 'n' doughnuts from Tims.

As Canadian Magic: the Gathering players, our interpretation of double-double is somewhat tinted by the game we love.  To many at a local gaming store table, a double double is meant to indicate a spell with a mana cost of two of one colour and two of another - like two white mana and two blue mana, for a total of four.  Some perculiar geographic locutions may have this expressed as a 2-by-4 in lumber country, or a 2-4 in beer town.

In the newest Magic: the Gathering set, Guilds of Ravnica, to be released on October 4, there is a very Canadian Cycle of cards featuring the beloved double-double.  Specifically, these are Five powerful uncommon multicolored creatures, for a total converted mana cost of 4 which has two of each of the respective Guilds colour.  Here they are now -

• Selesnya - Conclave Cavalier (G/W) - you get a 4/4 vigilant creature for 4 - AND - it produces two 2/2's when it hits the yard.  We reckon that 8-power for 4 mana is a good deal, no mater which way you slice it.

• Boros -Truefire Captain (R/W) - another mentor critter, but the rub here is that this may well become the new Boros Reckoner in standard.

• Golgari - Golgari Findbroker (B/G) - 4/3 for four but that inescapable 'enter the battlefield' recursion ability is one sweet graveyard shenanigan enabler.

• Izzet - Crackling Drake (U/R) - not quite the the crisp, fatty skin of roast drake we had first thought of.  Apologies, we're quite hungry at the time of writing this.  Anywhoos, we suspect that this is the best thing since 'prowess' was a mechanic, and quite perfectly aligned in Izzet.


• Dimir - Nightveil Predator (U/B) - Flying, deathtouch and hexproof - no further comment is even warranted at how lovely this is.
~

Guilds of Ravnica Previews 9-14

~
Happy Friday MTG peeps,

Do get out to a Friday Magic Gathering event at your local gaming store this evening, for tomorrow is the Store Championship event.  Your chance of fame and fortune, where fortune is promo cards and a nice playmat.  MTG Realm will be at OMG! Games here in Barrie to game with some of our older decks we have a spot of nostalgia for before they rotate out of standard.

Also this weekend is Grand Prix Hong Kong, which may be adversely effected by Typhoon Mangkhut, which is expected to make landfall neat Hong Kong between Saturday and Sunday.  This Category 5 has been measured to have sustain wind speed of approximately 240 km/hour, which may very well make Hurrican Florence, now battering our East Coast look like a ( wet 'n' rainy ) walk in a park.  Please do exercise caution.

Anywhoos, we are now wrapping up Week 1 of 2 of Magic: the Gathering official previews for the upcoming set of Guilds of Ravnica.  There may have not been much in the way of content posts here on the blog, but we have been rabid and raving about the Return to Return to Ravnica on our MTG Realm Tumblr blog, so do drop in.  We now have all five mythic rare Guild Leaders, 3 of the Guild Champions, and all 5 of the Guildmage cycle.  For now, here are the Tokens and Emblems previews last evening on the WotC Weekly MTG Twitch show :

• {W} 4/4 Angel creature with flying and vigilance, for (unknown card)
• {W} 1/1 Soldier creature with lifelink, for Emmara, Soul of the Accord, March of the Multitudes, and Ledev Patrol.
• {U} 1/1 Bird Illusion creature with flying, for Murmuring Mystic.
• {R} 1/1 Goblin creature, for Legion Warboss.
• {B/G} 1/1 Insect creature, for Izoni, Thousand-Eyed.
• {G/W} 2/2 Elf Knight creature with vigilance, for Conclave Guildmage and Conclave Cavalry.

• Emblem for Ral, Izzet Viceroy.
~

Guilds of Ravnica Spoilers Monday

~
Happy Monday MTG peeps,

Official Magic: the Gathering previews for Guilds of Ravnica are under way today with contributions from Wizards of the Coast as well as a host of other exclusive previews from content creators around the world.  If your local gaming store is like ours, OMG! Games here in Barrie, Ontario, then you would well know the excited anticipation from fans for another return to the Plane of Ravnica.  One item of note is the return of 'split cards', which your neck may or may not be a fan of . . .

We will summarise and rattle off all of today's new cards here collected from Wizards and around the web.  Just click to embiggen the below images.

The legendary Izzet guild leader is returned as Niv-Mizzet, Parun which looks great for card draw and fun pings.  That casting cost though may be better suited to the 'Devotion' mechanic.  Assassin's Trophy is simply off-the-hook crazy good - we want a full deck-set.

Dream Eater has no particular interest for us but moving to Izzet, Goblin Electromancer should be a welcome reprint.  We love the name Hypothesizzle and suspect WotC had design input from Snoop Dogg.  Split cards previewed included one for Boros 'Response // Resurgence' and one for Golgari 'Find // Finality'.  Each are great with solid spell effects on split number one and a decent effect on split number two when mana should be more plentiful later game.
~

Guilds of Ravnica Mechanics

~
Happy Wednesday MTG peeps,

We hope all have returned safe and well rested after the Labour Day long weekend and were ready for the start of official Magic: the Gathering previews which kicked off at PAX West and drew into Matt Tabak's Guilds of Ravnica Mechanics article yesterday.  

We recommend that you click on over to MTG Realm on Tumblr (now over 17,000 followers!), where we provide frequent updates / posts during the preview season, including 'within the hour' updates during the PAX West Magic Panel.  Also of note over at the Tumblr pages, we did post all the very lovely Guilds of Ravnica gaming accessories from Ultra PRO which appears to have the game's fans very excited about.

Anywhoos, back on topic - as some consider 'seeing is believing' or hold to the school of thought that things are more easily understood and assimilated visually, we do want to draw your attention to the great 'Spotlight' videos that Wizards of the Coast provide to orientate you with the mechanics associated with each new set - here they are now conveniently linked below - Just click the image ::

Guilds of Ravnica Spotlight: Undergrowth

The Golgari believe that nothing dies forever, so put the dead to good use with Undergrowth.

Guilds of Ravnica Spotlight: Mentor

The Boros are training up their finest warriors for the coming conflict. Mentor your army up to an elite fighting force - For the Legion.

Guilds of Ravnica Spotlight: Convoke

The harmonious Selesnya Conclave is working together in Guilds of Ravnica with Convoke. Grow stronger by combining your creatures to make something massive.

Guilds of Ravnica Spotlight: Jump-Start

Get a jump-start on your next zany invention with the new Izzet mechanics, well, Jump-Start.

Guilds of Ravnica Spotlight: Surveil

What are the Dimir up to in Guilds of Ravnica? Find out how they're spying on everyone with Surveil.

~