Alara Reborn Spoiler 1

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Welcome to the first of many Alara Reborn Spoilers. Today on Magic Arcana, Wizards dropped quite a bomb that now has the fan community is quite a buzz. We will have a look at this visual spoiler and what this may mean for the 3rd set in the Shards of Alara block.

Ardent Plea, 1WU

Enchantment - Uncommon
Chippy
1 / 145
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Card set history indicates that the first card in a set " 1 / XXX " is ALWAYS White, followed by blue, black, red, and green. Given that this is the first card and it is multi-coloured, we have every reason to believe that there are no mono-coloured cards in this set . . . yep - that's right - Alara Reborn is a completely multi-coloured set. To this end, you may wish to re-evaluate your mana generating strategies / produces and perhaps not trade away your Ancient Ziggurat, Armilary Sphere, Exotic Orchard, Grixis Illusionist, Obelisks, Shardlands, Panoramas, Rupture Spire, or Unstable Frontier.

There is further speculation that since this may be a multi-coloured set, it begs the question about any spell with a converted mana cost of just one. Speculators are betting heavy that this is addressed with hybrid mana costs. Furthermore, it is speculated that 3/4 of the set is multi-coloured with the remaining 1/4 being hybrid. This new development also lends credence to the speculation that there may be a five-coloured Planeswalker in the works (possibly 'Asha' ?).

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Of important note is a mysterious and cryptic clue which was directed to Ron Vitale of Magic Sock fame. He received a package in the mail last Thursday from Wizards of the Coast. It included a message to watch for the Magic Arcana posting today as well as 10 chocolate GOLD coins. Oh man . . . this spoiler season is heating up to be a weird (and entaining one). Read what you may into this but on the surface, I think that this is a cryptic confirmation of a all gold-coloured set. Why 10 coins ? Perhaps a reference to the bible (Luke 15 : 8) ?

Ou quelle femme, si elle a dix drachmes, et qu'elle en perde une, n'allume une lampe, ne balaie la maison, et ne cherche avec soin, jusqu'à ce qu'elle la retrouve?

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Anywho . . . Suffice to say, the art in Ardent Plea is set in a Bant landscape. A woman, most definitely Elspeth (our Bant Planeswalker) is posed within the ruins of what may be an Esper spire. To whom is pleading with is anyone's guess . . . some say Nicol Bolas, others say the new 5-coloured Planeswalker, perhaps the Angel Asha.

We may have yet another clue as this was revealed during 'Timmy' week.

My kick at the speculative can - -

Whenever you are damage, put a 1/1 Angel Spirit token with flying into play.

Please guess away and post your own speculation to the comments !

What I'm Playing - 1

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What I'm Playing - Part 1

It's not uncommon to hear Magic Players tell you just how kick-butt their particular constructed deck is. In fact, this just about dominates the banter in between games during Friday Night Magic. I'm usually the one listening and occasionally piping in with a 'that's nice' or similar non-committal contribution.

I rarely detail to others exactly what cards or combos I have available to unleash upon my opponent. There are two-fold reasons for this . . .

1. I am always evolving my deck - either dropping or picking up cards for my line-up and adjusting their numbers, and

2. I would rather not have the person I am blathering to know all the tricks up my sleeve lest they know exactly what to side-board before our very first match game.

Anywho, today is the day I lift the hood off the engine, as it were, and lay bare all the ugliness that is my deck.

As I typically rotate two decks in and out of my casual games during FNM, this will be a two-part post.

Let me first introduce to you the unimaginatively-named 'Deathbringer' deck . .
(click to enlarge)

This deck currently consists of 61 cards mostly from Eventide with a dash of Shards of Alara thrown in >

Lands
11 x Swamps
11 s Plains

Creatures (in order of casting cost)
4 x Nip Gwyllion
4 x Tidehollow Sculler
4 x Nightsky Mimic
2 x Restless Apparition
2 x Stillmoon Cavalier
3 x Voracious Hatchling
1 x Divinity of Pride
4 x Deathbringer Leige

Other Spells (in order of casting cost)
3 x Beckon Apparition
4 x Edge of Divinity
4 x Batwing Brume
4 x Unmake

Sideboard
I am embarrassed to mention as it is currently a mess.

Before you start lobbing me with eMails concerning my choices, just know that I do not have that slippery creature known as 'Disposable Income' - I have had to feed it to my three kids and use its skin to clothe them.

Anywho, I'm fairly happy with the construction so far.











By turn two, I usually have an Edge of Divinity attached to a Nip Gwyllion giving me a decent 4/4 with lifelink. I try to get the Nightsky Mimic out as early as possible in order to start flying sorties with a pumped-up 4/4. As Tidehollow Sculler is a recent edition, the jury is still out - the plan here is to steal my opponent's best card be it removal or bomb and try to have the Sculler evade capture. Mr. Tidehollow also shares and lends in the benefits of all that is White and Black in this deck as well.











Speaking of removal, I rather enjoy the use of unmake. In my opinion, this card is much more satisfactory (and permanent) than Oblivion Ring. The only draw-back - it only works on my opponent's critters and leaves the rest of those pesky permanents. Also in the three-drop column is the very versatile Apparition Stillmoon Cavalier and it's not-so-superb Restless Apparition.













The four-drop column is a relatively lonely place - and for good reason - I cannot imagine any other critter willing to share space with a lion that has snakes for a mane. I will also attempt to get out the Voracious Hatchling as early on as possible and typically within the next turn, I have the four -1/-1 counters off of it.

In the last column, the five-drop creatures are a deck-set of Deathbringer Liege and a lone Divinity of Pride. Did I mention Deathbringer? This card is freaking fantastic. I cannot even begin to describe the swath of devastation it brings to the opponent's board. When this jolly, most tentacled of Horrors crashes the party, he also drops a +2/+2 for each of my other participating critters . . . it is then that the party is in full swing.













If you have any constructive criticism for this deck or suggestions for a sideboard, please leave a comment . . . just remember, I do not own a golden goose.

Stay tuned for my second 'What I'm Playing' installment.

Shadowmoor Rules Primer 2

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Some very good Shadowmoor Rules Primer material was provided by Brandon Bozzi (Creative Coordinator/Associate Developer at Wizards) who walks us through the key mechanics in the new MTG Shadowmoor set.

The material of which I speak of is in the form of 5 short videos for those attention deficit players such as myself. I would like to imagine that Wizards took this instructional video idea from Mike Lopez of Expert Village.

These videos were posted to YouTube on 4/15/2008 and on Wizards today.

1. Hybrid
2. Wither
3. Persist
4. Conspire, and
5. Untap

Throughout the videos, Brandon kindly lets us have a peek at some Shadowmoor cards not yet officially spoiled on Wizards . . .


Power of Fire 1{R}
Enchantment - Aura Common
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has "{T}: This creature deals 1 damage to target creature or player."


Giantbaiting 2{RG}
Sorcery Common
Put a 4/4 red and green Giant Warrior creature token with haste into play. Remove it from the game at end of turn.
Conspire


Safehold Elite 1{WG}
Creature - Elf Scout Common
Persist


Parapet Watchers 2U
Creature - Kithkin Soldier Common
{WU}: Parapet Watchers gets +0/+1 until end of turn.


Happy and Safe Gaming,
and don't forget to 'burn a trail' to the Prerelease.

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.