Scars of Mirrodin Factions

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With all the rumours about watermarks (confirmed with the SoM spoiler card Sword of Body and Mind) and the like with the upcoming Scars of Mirrodin release, it stands to reason that there could very well be something to it. Well look no further, this announcement from Wizards to Tournament Organisers pretty much confirms Phyrexia and Mirrodin factions as we had posted about in one of the forums last month.

Here is the announcement of interest . . .

In Wizards of the Coast's continuing global efforts to build strong Magic player communities in hobby stores and offer great gaming experiences, we are pleased to announce the following changes to Magic Game Day:
* Scars of Mirrodin Game Day (October 30-31) features special rules allowing players to align their Standard decks with one of the factions featured in the set. Players that align their decks are eligible to win exclusive preview cards from the February 2011 Magic set, Mirrodin Besieged! This change is part of a marketing campaign that will kick off in September, themed around the factions presented in the Scars of Mirrodin block. For more information on Game Day, check out www.magicthegathering.com.
* To make Magic Game Day accessible to even more players, Game Day will become a Core-level benefit in the Wizards Play Network (WPN). This change will take effect with Scars of Mirrodin Game Day, which begins scheduling on August 12th, 2010. WPN Core-level locations will be able to schedule one Game Day and Advanced-level locations can schedule two. For details on the WPN and its levels, see www.wizards.com/wpn.

WPN Advanced-level locations will also get access to the following new benefits:
* An Advanced Support Kit starting with Scars of Mirrodin. These kits are identical to a Gateway Support Kit, but with ten additional exclusive prize cards.
* The most active Advanced locations will have the opportunity to run WPN Premium Tournaments. This ongoing benefit recognizes the biggest and best-run tournament circuits that our Advanced locations run, giving them enhanced K-values and calling them out on our online Event Locator!

How is the Scars of Mirrodin Game Day going to work?
Magic Game Days will take advantage of the new settings and mechanics in the latest set. For Scars of Mirrodin Game Day, players can build a Standard deck that affiliates with one of the two factions in Scars of Mirrodin. (While having an affiliated deck is not required for Game Day, it will add a unique and significant element of excitement to the tournament.) The top 2 finishers affiliated with each faction receive a preview card from the February 2011 Magic set, Mirrodin Besieged! This is in addition to any top 8 prize cards they might win for their overall event finish.

What does it mean to "affiliate" your Standard deck?
All cards in Scars of Mirrodin are affiliated with one of the two factions in the set. An affiliated deck must have at least ten main-deck cards from the chosen faction, and none in the main deck or sideboard from the opposing faction. The deck must still be Standard legal.
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News from MTG Mint Card as to the Top 10 Selling Cards August, 2010 !
Three weeks after the M11 releases, the titans are out of the top ten selling list. Half of the top ten cards are from M11 and the remainder are from Rise of the Eldrazi and Zendikar. From the numbers, it appears that Rise of the Eldrazi is as popular as Magic 2011. Here's the low down -

1. Ajani Goldmane
2. Leyline of Sanctity
3. Coralhelm Commander
4. Destructive Force
5. Guul Draz Assassin
6. Jace Beleren
7. Nissa Revane
8. Eldrazi Temple
9. Awakening Zone
10. Liliana's Caress

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Next up - Playtesting a mono-white life-gain deck which is in need of your input.
Then we start building a deck, we chuck a mess of cards together that we've deemed to work and then play the ever-luv'n cr@p outta it to start thinning out cards which do not work. Have a look at the following list and tell us how to improve - just remember that we do not have piles of cash around the house to buy WalletSlayer Angels.

Big A$$ 64 card life deck

42 Spells
2 x Elixir of Immortality
3 x Goldenglow Moth
1 x Brave the Elements
1 x Emerge Unscathed
3 x Serra Ascendant
2 x Soul Warden
2 x Soul's Attendant
3 x Honor of the Pure
3 x Wall of Omens
3 x Ajani's Pridemate
2 x Scepter of Dominance
3 x Survival Cache
3 x Wall of Reverence
2 x Cradle of Vitality
2 x Ajani Goldmane
2 x Sun Titan
2 x Celestial Mantle
3 x Felidar Sovereign

22 Lands
20 x Plains
2 x Serjiri Steppe


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