Zendikar Spoiler 4

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Wizards of the Coast just posted a great Zendikar spoiler. Today on Magic Arcana we now have a bunch of Zendikar Booster Packs images. Although we cannot glean too much from these typical Magic the Gathering spoilers, we can start speculating . . . but first to the booster packs.


Top image :

Demon dude on the left. Is is just me or does the thingy on it's forehead kind of look similar to the Worldwake expansion symbol. (Worldwake is the second / next set in the Zendikar block).

Second dude looks like a typical human warrior or shaman. Background colours suggest red mana at work perhaps.

The creepy suckhead on the right is indeed Sorin Sengir, the vampire. (yeah ! - support for vampires in this block!) Anywho - we are still uncertain if Sorin is a legendary creature or a Planeswalker at this time.
(EDIT : Good catch by Eric - Sorin confirmed as a Planeswalker - You can check out the slow spoiling at WoTC HERE.)

Bottom image:

Planeswalkers Chandra Flamedancer and the new Nissa Revane, touted to be the black / green Elf planeswalker.

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Also newsworthy are two Zendikar Intro Pack images found on the web.

Rise of the Vampires / Black
Foil Rare - Blood sorceress of Malakir
(Pack d'Intro / noir / Ascenscion des Vampires / Sorcière de sang de Malakir)

Unstable Terrain
Blue - Green
Foil Rare - Sphinx of Jwar Isle

Stay tuned for more Zendikar spoilers and other news.

ARB 'Power' Packs

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Intro Packs are the perfect way to introduce new players to Magic: the Gathering. Each Alara Reborn Intro Pack contains a ready-to-play 41 card deck, 1 Alara Reborn Booster Pack, an Alara Reborn strategy guide, and a Magic: the Gathering rules insert for new players.

I have a love / hate relationship with Booster Packs - Although I love tearing into the packs to see what rare or uncommons I got, I am often disappointed when I get a handfull of jank that I can't even trade if I wanted to. To this end, I often look at Intro Packs . . . this avenue has little surprise and I am guaranteed to obtain exactly what I expected in these pre-constructed decks (with the exception of the one booster pack).

Many folks on the forums had been asking which is the 'best' Intro Pack to get . . . one way to determine this is thet value of the cards inside the pack - bear with me. As with many things in the world of the fickle consumer, I will determine the 'Return On Investment' or R.O.I. With this information, I am best able to determine which is the best product to purchase.

Up here in desolate and barren reaches of Central Ontario, Intro Packs are going for just under $15 (US). If you are state-side, expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $13, depending upon where you are. I looked at the card value in each Intro pack and determined the value of the product if you were able to sell each card as a single.

Eternal Siege (GW) - Worth $18
Rare : Dauntless Escort ($7), Knight of New Alara ($4)
Uncommon : Path to Exile ($5), Drumhunter, Enlisted Wurm, Sunseed Nurturer, Vagrant Plowbeasts, Mighty Emergence, Reborn Hope


Eternal Siege Alara Reborn Intro Pack - 41 cards

18 lands : 8 Forest, 8 Plains, 2 Terramorphic Expanse

15 creatures : 1 Beacon Behemoth, 1 Dauntless Escort, 1 Drumhunter, 1 Enlisted Wurm, 1 Godtoucher, 2 Grizzled Leotau, 1 Knight of New Alara, 1 Mosstodon, 2 Pale Recluse, 1 Qasali Pridemage, 1 Sigiled Behemoth, 1 Sunseed Nurturer, 1 Vagrant Plowbeasts

8 other spells : 1 Captured Sunlight, 2 Excommunicate, 1 Mighty Emergence, 1 Path to Exile, 1 Reborn Hope, 1 Sigil Blessing, 1 Sigil of the Nayan Gods


Legion Aloft (WU) - Worth $13
Rare : Aven Mimeomancer ($2), Filigree Angel ($2)
Uncommon : Path to Exile ($5), Wall of Denial, Bottle Gnomes, Metallurgeon, Kiss of the Amesha, Protomatter Powder, Whispersilk Cloak

Legion Aloft Alara Reborn Intro Pack - 41 cards

18 lands : 8 Island, 8 Plains, 2 Terramorphic Expanse

15 creatures : 2 Arsenal Thresher, 1 Aven Mimeomancer, 1 Bottle Gnomes, 1 Esper Cormorants, 2 Ethercaste Knight, 1 Etherium Sculptor, 1 Filigree Angel, 2 Glassdust Hulk, 1 Metallurgeon, 2 Sanctum Plowbeast, 1 Wall of Denial

8 other spells : 1 Kiss of the Amesha, 1 Offering to Asha, 2 Pacifism, 1 Path to Exile, 1 Protomatter Powder, 1 Stormcaller's Boon, 1 Whispersilk Cloak


Unnatural Schemes (UB) - Worth $10
Rare : Lich Lord of Unx ($3), Nemesis of Reason ($3)
Uncommon : Fatestitcher, 2 x Grixis Slavedriver, 2 x Nantuko Husk, Phantom Warrior, Countersquall

Unnatural Schemes Alara Reborn Intro Pack - 41 cards

18 lands : 8 Island, 8 Swamp, 2 Terramorphic Expanse

15 creatures : 2 Architects of Will, 1 Fatestitcher, 2 Grixis Slavedriver, 2 Jhessian Zombies, 1 Lich Lord of Unx, 2 Nantuko Husk, 1 Nemesis of Reason, 1 Phantom Warrior, 2 Tidehollow Strix, 1 Vedalken Ghoul

8 other spells : 2 Agony Warp, 1 Brainbite, 1 Countersquall, 1 Deny Reality, 2 Essence Drain, 1 Soul Manipulation


Dead Ahead (BR) - Worth $11
Rare : Deathbringer Thoctar ($3), Lightning Reaver ($3)
Uncommon : Blood Cultist, Bog Wraith, Sanity Gnawers, Bituminous Blast, Cruel Edict, Leonin Scimitar

Dead Ahead Alara Reborn Intro Pack - 41 cards

18 lands : 8 Mountain, 8 Swamp, 2 Terramorphic Expanse

16 creatures : 1 Blister Beetle, 1 Blood Cultist, 1 Bog Wraith, 1 Deathbringer Thoctar, 1 Dreg Reaver, 2 Dregscape Zombie, 2 Igneous Pouncer, 1 Lightning Reaver, 1 Monstrous Carabid, 2 Sanity Gnawers, 1 Singe-Mind Ogre, 1 Viashino Skeleton, 1 Viscera Dragger

7 other spells : 1 Bituminous Blast, 1 Blightning, 1 Breath of Malfegor, 1 Cruel Edict, 1 Leonin Scimitar, 2 Terminate


Rumbler (RG) - Worth $13
Rare : Blitz Hellion ($3), Spellbreaker Behemoth ($4)
Uncommon : Algae Gharial, Bloodbraid Elf, Gluttonous Slime, Rockslide Elemental, Thunder-Thrash Elder, Sangrite Surge, Vengeful Rebirth

Rumbler Alara Reborn Intro Pack - 41 cards

18 lands : 8 Forest, 8 Mountain, 2 Terramorphic Expanse

16 creatures : 1 Algae Gharial, 1 Blitz Hellion, 1 Bloodbraid Elf, 2 Dragon Fodder, 1 Elvish Visionary, 1 Gluttonous Slime, 1 Godtracker of Jund, 1 Gorger Wurm, 1 Rhox Brute, 1 Rockslide Elemental, 1 Spellbreaker Behemoth, 1 Thunder-Thrash Elder, 1 Tukatongue Thallid, 2 Valley Rannet

7 other spells : 1 Colossal Might, 2 Incinerate, 1 Sangrite Surge, 2 Shock, 1 Vengeful Rebirth

Given this, I have a rough idea which not only be the better deck but also the best price based on the contents.

ARB Booster Packs

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Happy Saturday morning to all. Hope your FNM or other Friday night activities were fun and without incident. I tossed a coin and went with a Naya stompy / Realm Razor build over the Fae / Fish last night and went 2-1 to Top 8 where I was crushed - still, considering a good turnout of close to almost 30, I guess I cannot complain.

Anywho - We have for you yet another Alara Reborn spoiler treat today . . . Magic: The Gathering Alara Reborn Booster Packs ! Let's have a look -

Right - Are you thinking what I'm thinking ? Yep - Perhaps they should have installed full windows at the Boa Constrictor Zoo display. Other than that, it appears to be some odd union with a Naya serpent and a Grixis Zombie. The Zombie almost does look to have the appearence of a Vedelkan mage however . . . what's your guess here ?

Here is the next Booster Pack - in this image, we can clearly see a Bant Knight who shuned the conventional Leotau Mount for a larger Naya beast. This perhaps may be prudent given the conflux of shards and ensuing battles with hoards seeking out new mana sources.

We have seen this Angel before - check out the previous MTG Realm post on MTG iGoogle Themes. This image still has the community scratching their collective head. One popular speculation is that this is Asha freshly returned after many years of planeswalking / self-exile (?).

Enjoy - stay tuned for more hot spoiler action and wild speculations (hopefully some more news on Zendikar is forthcomming).

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