2008 FNM Foils

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Although I do rather enjoy playing MTG at home, I rather relish going out to Friday Night Magic to see how my deck stacks up against other players. I also am keenly interested in seeing other card synergies that I had not yet fully realised. One thing I do appreciate about FNM is the casual play style. More than once have I goofed up big-time by not being fully caffeinated and playing a second legendary creature. Since it is FNM, I simply get to say 'whoops!', or 'sorry', and safely return said card back to my hand.

I also enjoy getting a chance not only to build up my Magic Player Rewards points but also have an opportunity to get my hands on a FNM foil promotional card. That being said, I think I only brought home only two FNM DCI cards home with me this year so far (Tormod's Crypt and Pendelhaven) . . . waahh !

Four prize cards are provided by Wizards to the organizer for each event. Two of the four cards are to be awarded each week are available to anyone in the tournament; specifically the tournament organizer will randomly award the remaining two prize cards to two players that did not place first or second. The other two are awarded to the top finishers for 1st and 2nd place.

Here is a look at the 2008 FNM Foil goodness ->
Each FNM foil card features Alternate Art (with the exception of the March card, Eternal Witness)


January : Remand
Illus. Hideaki Takamura

February : Tormod's Crypt
Illus. Lars Grant-West

March : Eternal Witness
Illus. Terese Nielsen

April : Tendrils of Agony
Illus. Volkan Baga

May : Pendelhaven
Illus. Philip Straub

June : Resurrection
Illus. Michael Komarck

July : Wall of Roots
Illus. Matt Stewart


August : Desert
Illus. Glen Angus


September : Thirst for Knowledge
Illus. Bud Cook

October : Serrated Arrows
Illus. John Avon

November : Isochron Scepter
Illus. Brian Despain

December : Shrapnel Blast
Illus. Hideaki Takamura

For previous FNM, and a load other promotional cards including tokens, check out this Japanese LINK.

To find a local store near you hosting a Friday Night Magic event, check out this LINK from Wizards.

Player Rewards Promo

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I have been enrolled in the Magic 'Player Rewards' program since December, 2007 and frankly I simply forgot all about it until recently. Now I am completely hyped (keep reading to find out). Due to an electronic error somewhere on the Wizards end, my enrollment did not take. The excellent staff corrected it promptly and professionally and now I am looking at a letter stuffed with 6 token sets and 1 foil. You can log in and check out your player rewards here.

Here are the details - For every 20 sanctioned events you participat in, you qualify for one foil textless card. Some past cards were Wrath of God and Damnation.
Also, for every 5 sanctioned events you participate in, you also qualify for one "token set," which consists of two textless cards (one in the current rotation and one old one). This reward stacks with the 20 events mentioned previously. So the long and short of it is if you play in 20 events, expect to get four token sets and one foil in the mail courtesy of Wizards. For more information on this program, click HERE.

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Now speaking of player rewards, Mr. Orange Guy (aka Evan Erwin), star of the popular 'Magic Show' spoiled us in the latest episode (HERE) with what can expect for the Fall 2008 Magic Players Reward textless foil card . . .
One can expect to sell these beauties (if you really want to sell them) for about 20 to 25 clams.



Cryptic Command
Instant

Choose two - Counter target spell; or return target permanent to its owner's hand; or tap all creatures your opponents control; or draw a card.





One word . . . w0w ! This is awesome art and also a solid win of a card. Cryptica command is Blue's answer for White's Wrath of God, and Black's 'Damnation'. I'm not an overly religious person, but I will pray that I get this card (after praying for world peace / prosperity, and the end to election campaign season).

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Also a quick note of what we have seen recently in previewed cards from the soon to be released Shards of Alara set.


Sedraxis Specter {U}{B}{R}
Creature - Specter, Flying

Whenever Sedraxis Specter deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card. Unearth 1{B} : Return this card from your graveyard to play. It gains haste. Remove it from the game at end of turn or if it would leave play. Unearth only as a sorcery.)

First off, this is one of the better cards released so far. I rather like that once this flier takes a dirt nap, it will come back for just one more turn to take another bow . . . or is that deliver another blow.

Also - we have no image yet but some details about a card that is sure to be quite a head turner . . .

Lich's Mirror 5
Artifact, Mythic Rare
If you would lose the game, instead shuffle your hand, your graveyard and all permanents you own into your library, then draw seven cards and your life total becomes 20.

Since I don't have an image for you yet, I have dug up something else with the name Lich on it . . .

For some reason, this fellow Lich reminds me of the unseen long-lived character in the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.


Stay tuned for more Alara art, spoilers and previews.

New MTG.com

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Scott Johns, Editor in Chief of the website, provided us with a sneak peak at the new look and new features coming with the website redesign in an article today titled The New MagicTheGathering.com.

The organisation of materials are to fall into catorigories such as
The Multiverse : contains a new flavour-based section,
Trading Card Game : provides product information and other materials formerly hosted as 'minisites'),
Daily MTG : contains the familiar Ask Wizards, Card of the Day, Magic Arcana, all of the current columns, and event coverage content. Will also include a new Booster Draft Simulator (which will provide card pools updated weekly), AND
Digital Games : ( ), and Publishing (currently the information contained within the 'Books' section).
In addition, a new public beta-version of the card database, Gatherer, is set to go live shortly. The new application is promised to provide a streamlined simple search, the option for advanced search with a whole menu of options (including Boolean operators), the chance to rate and comment on every Magic card ever made, the ability to view any search as a visual spoiler, and more.
The screen shots of the new & improved website also provided us with a few more spoilers of Shards of Alara art as well as flavour . . .

"Alara was whole once. But that was millennia ago. Where once there was a plane, now there are five: the Shards. The plane of Alara was a world rich with mana, a world in balance . . . until the Sundering. In a cataclysm of unimaginable proportions, alara was rent asunder in five separate worlds, each a refraction of the others."

First of all, this is awesome art.
Secondly, what the heck is that monster breathing thunderbolts ?

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We were also provided with a glimpse of two other Alara denizens -

Wings, sword, and all white and gold

. . . I will hazard a guess that this may be an angel .

Another image from the screen shots show this soldier of Knight of Jund . . . very nice.

This banner, however, was a bit more difficult to make out . . . It shows how the (old) minisites will incorporate into the new site design. This image shows the expected categories of flavour exploration, puzzle activities, visual spoilers as well as product information. The visual spoiler image provides 3 Alara cards with traditionally coloured subjects in white, red and blue. The product information thumb also possibly shows booster box packaging and a new intro-pack packaging.

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Lastly, a quick look at an image provided at the recent GenCon gaming convention in Indiana.

You will certainly recall the Esper wallpaper posted last week at MTG.
Did you get a close look at winged-creature lurking in the mists behind the Esper denizens ?

I am thinking that this is the same beast that was shown at GenCon. Wings, tail, hooves ?


It appears that Esper has a flier as well as wizards.

Until next time, Happy & Safe Gaming everyone !

Shadowmoor Speculations

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Not exactly a spoiler, but Wizards has just released a preview of some 15 cards we can expect in the new Shadowmoor set to be released on May 4th, 2008. From the images, it appears that 'Hybrid' is to return. Hybrid mana (also known as half-half mana) is a type of mana first introduced in Ravnica: City of Guilds. Each hybrid mana symbol represents a cost
which can be paid with one of two colors.

Already, the resourceful Magic Community is hard at work in the forums developing speculations for the new Shadowmoor set. There is a very decent summary of the speculation discussions to be found at 'The Fugitive Wizard's' Blog which has been summarised here for your convenience. Please remember - these are still just speculations.

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Sickle Ripper - 1B. Creature-Elemental Shaman. 2/1.

Loamdragger Giant - 4(G/R),(G/R),(G/R). Creature-Giant Warrior. When Loamdragger Giant CIP, you may return up to two target lands from your graveyard to your hand. 6/6.


Torpor Dust - 2(U/B). Instant. Destroy target Non-Faerie creature.

Boggart Arsonists - 2R. Possibly a Creature-Goblin. 2R, Sacrifice Boggart Arsonists: Boggart Arsonists does 3 damage to target creature or player. 2/2.

Kinscaer Harpoonist - 3U. Creature-Kithkin Archer. U, T: Kinscaer Harpoonist does damage to attacking or blocking creature equal to the number of merfolk and kithkin you control. 2/2

Wanderbrine Rootcutters - 2(U/B),(U/B). Creature-Merfolk. When Wanderbrine Root-cutters CIP, destroy target treefolk. 3/2

Scar - (R/B). Instant. Put 2 -1/-1 counters on target creature.



Ballynock Cohort - 2W. Kithkin Rogue. First Strike. 2/2

Juvenile Gloomwidow - GG. Creature-Spider. Reach. Deathtouch. 2/2

Turn to Mist - 1(W/U). Instant. Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to and dealt by target creature this turn.

Blistering Dieflyn - 3R. Creature-Elemental. When Blistering Dieflyn becomes blocked, it deals 2 damage to each creature blocking it. 2/2.


Beseech the Queen - (2/B), (2/B), (2/B) - Sorcery. This appears to be another new mana symbol. It looks like that the symbol '2/B' may give you the option to pay 1 Black or 2 colorless mana.

Lurebound Scarecrow - 3. Artifact Creature-Construct. Lurebound Scarecrow must attack each turn, if able.

Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers - (G/W),(G/W),(G/W). Creature-Elf Warrior. First Strike. Vigilance. 4/4.

Demigod of Revenge - (B/R), (B/R), (B/R), (B/R), (B/R). Creature-Demon Wizard. Flying, Trample. Whenever a creature deals damage to Demigod of Revenge, destroy that creature at end of combat. 5/5.