Guilds of Ravnica Spoiler 8-28

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Happy Tuesday MTG peeps,

Although official Magic: the Gathering previews are still some time away for the next set, Guilds of Ravnica, there was an unintended release of the Buy-A-Box promo earlier today on the Wizards of the Coast website.  It appears that portions of the German language Guilds of Ravnica product splash page was accidentally promoted and incorporated into the existing Dominaria product page.  

Magic: the Gathering fans were treated to booster pack images (showing Vraska, Ral Zarek, and some other unidentified character).  Also revealed was a big splashy creature intended for the Guilds of Ravnica Buy-A-Box Promo card :

Impervious Greatwurm - 7GGG 

Creature - Wurm, Mythic Rare

Convoke  (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for 1 /colourless/ or one mana of that creature's color.)

Indestructible

16/16

The ultimate answer to intrigue and subtlety.
Selesyna watermark

While some MTG gaming fans may be convinced that the Convoke mechanic found on this buy-a-box promo may be returning with Guilds of Ravnica, this is certainly not a guarantee at this point until official previews start revealing other cards.
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Kaladesh Spoiler 8-26

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Happy Saturday MTG peeps,

We need to catch up with an important bit of Magic: the Gathering news from yesterday - a right proper spoiler for this fall's set, Kaladesh.  With Kaladesh prerelease events set for September 24–25, 2016, not very much is known about the Plane of Kaladesh so far other than what we know from when it was first introduced in Origins as the home plane of Chandra Nalaar.  Natural magic is scarce and denizens turn to create artifact devices fueled by aether.  
We have been introduced to Saheeli Rai is a human planeswalker from the the plane of Kaladesh and the below key art is used widely by Wizards of the Coast.

On Friday, redditor dafunkee had posted an image of the Kaladesh Launch Promo card featuring Saheeli.  Dafunkee indicates that a member of the local player's Facebook Group (likely in the Arizona area) had originally posted it to the group.  The image looks like it could be part of the regular Wizards of the Coast / Wizards Play Network mailer to a store for September as it looks to have the FNM promo for October 'Rise from the Tides' and a Kaladesh poster.

There is not much doubt this is real but we do, as always, warn you to only rely upon official WoTC previews.  Anywhoos, here it is -

Saheeli's Artistry, 4UU
Sorcery, Rare
Choose one or both —
* Create a token that's a copy of target artifact.
* Create a token that's a copy of target creature, except that it's an artifact in addition to its other types.
"From the first touch, I know exactly what the metal wants to be."

 
At first glance, it seems a bit over costed at a converted mana cost of 6.  Furthermore, a double-blue in this cost is suggesting a build heavily invested in blue.

Personally, we would cry if we cracked it open for sealed play - BUT - dang! - for Commander format, this looks to be on the road to a potentially epic play, especially when one would be able to pair it with an artifact creature, especially with a card such as Wurmcoil Engine to maximize both modal spells.

 

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Eldrtich Moon Spoilers 6-23

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Happy Thursday MTG peeps,

Today we have two proper Eldrtich Moon spoilers, smuggled out of Spain.  Many Bothans perished to bring us these Magic: the Gathering cards.  As such, the cards are of course in Spanish and our poor attempt at providing such translation should be realised.  Again, as always, please refer to only official previews on the mothersite for final card names and text.

Thalia, Heretic Cathar, 2W
Legendary Creature - Human soldier, Rare
First Strike.
Creatures and non-basic lands your opponents control come into play tapped.
The Lunarch Council cannot guarantee salvation. It must be earned; by the sword if necessary.
3/2
046/205 / Buy-A-Box Promo / Johannes Yoss

Thalia is back as a 3/2 for 3 CMC.  This is a rather powerful 'Blind Obedience' effect and a solid card all around.  We would imagine that players across multiple formats will have interest in this.  The Hatebears archetype will benefit, and players with a fetchland in hand will think twice about a lost advantage.  Those Human decklists that were all the rage at the beginning of the new standard format may also want to pick up on this.  The only downside is that of the legendary status.
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Identity Thief, 2UU (perhaps Supplant Identity?)
Creature - Shapeshifter, Rare
Whenever Identity Impersonator attacks, exile target nontoken creature. If you do, Identity Impersonator becomes a copy of that creature until the end of turn. Return the exiled card under to the battlefield under its owners control at the beginning of the next end step. 
0/3

This is an interesting one.  There are some possibilities when this card turns sideways.  Blinking an opponent's biggest threat and landing some solid damage is one.  Perhaps you want a second shot of a good 'enters the battlefield' effect with one of your own creatures - perhaps a Goblin Dark-Dwellers or something that brings along tokens.
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2016 MTG Gift Box Review

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Happy Saturday MTG peeps,
Last night (Friday the 13th) at our local gaming store, OMG! Games here in Barrie, Ontario was a blast.  About 40 players came out to Friday Night Magic to answer the Shadows Over Innistrad Triskaidekaphobia Challenge.  Quite specifically, about eight or so players were using the flavour-rich Triskaidekaphobia enchantment to be the one to accumulate the most Triskaidekaphobia kills (to opponent or self) to win 13 packs of Shadows Over Innistrad.  In addition to this MTG Realm provided some awesome Ultra PRO prizes (deck box, sleeves and playmat).

Anywhoos, moving on - we also picked up the recently-released Shadows Over Innistrad Gift Box, formerly known as the Holiday Gift Box.  We had not picked up the the previous year's Gift Box (Battle for Zendikar), because of the wide-spread complaints of the quality of the box itself.  When Wizards of the Coast WPN Community Manager, Michael Yichao and Global Brand Manager, Brian Trunk promised big changes last month, we listened and picked ours up - Here are our notes . . .

PRICE
• The Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price for the Shadows Over Innistrad Gift Box is $24.99 (USD).
• Here in Canada-Land, with the exchange rate, one could expect to pay about $32.30 (CDN).
• One should expect to pay a little more above this converted currency cost for various mysterious reasons including the application of Canadian Federal tariffs, transportation / supplier costs, and other reasons.
• In the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), a number of stores are retailing the Gift Box for exactly the MRSP.
• Here in Central Ontario, we were able to pick up our box for $30, which in our opinion is still reasonable.

CONTENTS
• 5 Shadows over Innistrad booster packs - The BFZ Box had 5 while previous ones had 4 packs
• Storage Box with capacity for over 2,000 Magic cards
• 20 Shadows over Innistrad basic lands
• 6 illustrated plastic dividers
• Sticker sheet for customizing the dividers
• 1 Alternate art Ravenous Bloodseeker (Shadows over Innistrad)

NOTES
• The construction of the Box is solid !  We would go so far as to suggest that this robust box may even stop a rampaging Thoctar.
• The disposable inside supporting brace did its job well.
• Boxboard outer shell, inner stiffener and inner divider secured well very.
• Plastic card dividers as good as previous ones with six great cryptolith illustrations
• Sticker sheet with black sticker page looks good with crisp graphics
• Ravenous Bloodseeker art is great but we feel that the foil detracts from it.
• Pretty much any other uncommon in the set would have been a better choice for a promo here.
• SIX rates pulled from five packs (WotC has 'auto-included' one double-faced card of any rarity. 
• Our pulls - Hanweir Militia Captain // Westvale Cult Leader, Ever After, Markov Dreadkinght, Diregraf Colossus, Falkenrath Gorger, Inexorable Blob.

OVERALL
Greatly improved box quality, five Shadows Over Innistrad packs, and the other goodies make this a good purchase.  We would recommend.

For reference, here are the previous gift box details and its promo card -
2012 Return to Ravnica, Dreg Mangler
2013 Theros, Karametra's Acolyte
2014 Khans of Tarkir, Sultai Charm
2015 Battle for Zendikar, Scythe Leopard
2016 Shadows over Innistrad, Ravenous Bloodseeker 

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2016 MTG Gift Box

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Happy Wednesday MTG peeps,

Wizards of the Coast have been producing a Holiday Gift Box since 2012, and while it was certainly a big hit with Magic: the Gathering fans when it was first released strategically just before the year end Holidays, the appeal did wane with the last two releases.  The most common complaint from consumers essentially distilled down to the durability of the box itself.  We've heard and / or seen damage to the card storage box through use as well as product shipping.  A number of fans had also registered irritation that last year's product, the Battle for Zendikar Holiday Gift Box included an image of highly desirable full-art lands whereas the product contained regular lands in the land pack.  In defense of WotC, there was a good measure of communication and apologies for this print error prior to the product's release.

It appears that Wizards of the Coast has addressed this now.  WotC has indicated in this Wizards Play Network video with WPN Community Manager, Michael Yichao and Global Brand Manager, Brian Trunk, that there are some siginificant changes coming to the design, as well as product release date.  

Firstly, the release date - the previous four Holiday Gift Boxes were released in November of each year and corresponded to the 'large' fall set.  This year, the product, now called 'The Magic: The Gathering Gift Box' is being released in May (just a month away from today's post).  

Secondly, the Gift Box design has changed to make it more robust than ever.  The supportive neck of the box has been made taller so that the lid sits on the neck, higher off the bottom lip. This prevents the lid from overlapping and causing potential splitting at the corners.  There is to be a disposable supporting brace designed to eliminate damage to the box and contents during shipping.  In addition to this, it is reported that with the taller box neck, design allowed an 'easy-access window' to allow one improved access to the three rows of cards.

Here is the video from Michael and Brian now - 


The Shadows over Innistrad Gift Box releases May 13, 2016 for a suggested retail price of $24.99 (USD).  Here is what you will find inside -

• 5 Shadows over Innistrad booster packs
• Storage Box with capacity for over 2,000 Magic cards
• 20 Shadows over Innistrad basic lands
• 6 illustrated plastic dividers
• Sticker sheet for customizing the dividers
• 1 Alternate art card from the Shadows over Innistrad set

For reference, here are the previous gift box details and its promo card -

2012 Return to Ravnica, Dreg Mangler
2013 Theros, Karametra's Acolyte
2014 Khans of Tarkir, Sultai Charm
2015 Battle for Zendikar, Scythe Leopard
2016 Shadows over Innistrad, Ravenous Bloodseeker (spring release)

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