Category Archives: magic

magic

Mtg Guilds of Ravnica Open House This Weekend

magic, MtG, news

This weekend coming sees the start of the Guilds of Ravnica season kick off with the MtG Guilds of Ravnica Open House.

Yep it’s that time once more to pop along to your FLGS, grab a FREE welcome deck and learn to play Magic the Gathering, and play some games of MtG with your free deck.

Your reward for participating in this is a FREE 60 card deck (the welcome deck you were given), plus the following promo card.

The Open House events are aimed at new and returning players. But you will also find seasoned players there too more than willing to teach you how to play the game, and then play a few games with you also.

My FLGS The Hobbit Hole are holding their Open House this Saturday. Hope to see you there.

Some thoughts on GoR Spoilers So Far

magic, MtG

How have you enjoyed a week without Magic posts? Sadly that all ends with this post.

The spoiler season has just started for the next MtG set to hit us at the start of October, Guilds of Ravnica (GoR).

For me like the other times when I see these spoilers I’m looking at the cards for whether they will go in an existing deck (Which cards they replace is a whole different problem), or do they inspire brewing a new deck?


This wurm is apparently according to others with far superior knowledge on this sort of thing, the biggest creature WotC have printed in the history of MtG. I think it’s obvious why I like the new buy a box promo. I happen to have a big green stompy Commander deck. Which plays big green stompy creatures. This looks exactly like a big green stompy creatures to me.

There are some interesting mechanics in GoR that also fit in very nicely with one or two of my decks.

  • Jump-start – which allows a card to be cast from the graveyard by paying the cards casting costs and discarding a card. The card is then exiled. – I think this mechanic will fit nicely with my Kess spell casting deck.
  • Surveil – look at the top of your deck, leave the card there or put it into your graveyard. Yeah this mechanic will be so sweat in my Muldrotha deck. It wants cards in the graveyard.
  • Mentor – when creature attacks put a +1/+1 counter on a target attacking creature with a weaker strength. – this potentially will fit with the Atraxa deck and proliferate mechanic, doubling season would also be nice with it.

Hopefully there will be some great cards with these mechanics that just have to go in my decks. But there are hints that graveyard shenanigans will be a thing in GoR, which means hopefully lots of toys to go in my Muldrotha deck.

Talking of toys these bad boys are back…

Yep shock lands. I’m hoping fetch lands will be reprinted soon. But these will hold me over until then. I don’t care about Standard, I want these Commander staples dropping in price. That means reprints. This is a good start.

Dual cards are also back, along with dual mana. I can see this particular one going in to a deck. This might go in the dino, or dragon deck. Like these because it’s a two for one. You just need a good combo to choose between to justify using the card.

These next 3 cards are strong Muldrotha contenders, whilst Sinister Sabotage could go into Kess and the horrors from the deep.


I do have a bit of confusion with Sinister Sabotage though. A few MtG content creatures are saying this card is better than Disallow that it will obviously replace in standard. Ok Disallow doesn’t have the Surveil mechanic, but Disallow counters activated abilities. Which in this age of Planeswalkers would be of more use. Being able to stop a Teferi ultimating seems more useful to me. But hey I’m a relative noob what do I know?

Talking of Planeswalkers, this guy looks like a good fit for my Kess deck.


I love the atmospheric art on this next card, but I can also once again see it as potential Muldrotha material.


I have been toying with the idea of a goblin tribal deck, so this next spoilt card looks like I should be considering adding it.

So thats my picks from the current crop of spoilers. What cards have caught your interest?

Sunday Sunday Sunday

Commander, magic, miniatures painting, MtG, MtG Deck Building

Sunday morning was a very relaxed start, especially after listening to Radio 5 Live for a couple of hours in the middle of the night (loved the choice of the Star Wars theme by a listener for the sound of their generation). Supernatural season 11 on Netflix, choc chip brioche and a mug of my latest coffee from Pact Coffee, their Kayon Mountain Guji Washed bean.

That’s my morning routine each day. Amazing freshly brewed coffee (I use a V60 drip to brew mine) in my favourite mug and the brioche on my favourite plate, while watching usually the latest tv from the states. I’m a creature of habit. The mug and plate were gifts from friends I worked with. So they kinda remind me each day of those friends I no longer see on a daily basis.

This morning I followed it up with a little deck building. Using Nature’s Vengeance and Adaptive Enchantment from Commander 2018 I added cards to the ones I’d already gotten in for the 2 decks I’ve been slowly brewing. Which means the horrors from the deep and Muldrotha decks are nearly complete and ready for testing/playing.

I did look through the Exquisite Invention deck, which is the Saheeli artifacts deck. It kinda got me wanting to build an artifacts deck. But I want a splash of black, and Saheeli is red/blue. So I may have to go to Breya as the Commander. Which gives me access to Revel in Riches. Maybe I’ll try Breya after building a Saheeli deck. But while looking for cards I started putting goblins aside. So I guess a goblin deck could be thrown together also.

Here is the newest list of deck ideas.

  • Muldrotha, the gravetide
  • Infect/wither deck (Atraxa as the commander possibly)
  • Atraxa deck upgraded
  • Death and Taxes
  • Care bear
  • Abuse etb – Brago, King Eternal as the commander (possibly)
  • Saproling and fungus (go wide or go home!) possible Commander Slimefoot, the Stowaway
  • Goblin tribal
  • Artifacts with Saheeli
  • Ninja tribal

Yep it’s just getting longer (at the moment).

After a relaxed morning of brewing it was time to let lose with my inner Picasso and paint some zombies.


This afternoon I painted the base colour on 6 of the zombie horde. I’m not overly chuffed with the heads. But there is time to save them so that I have something I can live with.

I know one thing that will really upset/wind up more experience painters. I haven’t got rid of the lines from the mold/casting on the figures before painting.

I do like the colours that Army Painter chose for the Zombicide zombies, especially the wasted jeans.

Next I think I’m going to apply a shader/wash to get some depth on the figures. I’ve seen a friends painting and it has no depth, it’s solid colour, too bright as well. I’m a much more subdued colour person. I like that worn, faded look. So you are going to see that look a lot in my stuff, or an attempt at it anyway.

Well I’m spent now, I’ve had that flurry of activity painting. Time to chill out watching more Supernatural. I’ve been playing a mega catch up on that front.

Heavenly hosts of Nico Bolas

Game day, magic, MtG

Today I went over to Huntingdon to play some Magic the Gathering and Commander. On the way I picked up my “break up for the cards” copies of the 3 2018 precons I had put aside at my FLGS The Hobbit Hole. They didn’t have any Subjective Reality decks left (had to order one online), plus a pot of grey paint and a couple of fine tip paint brushes. The later is for when the dire wolf model arrives.

The first game of the afternoon was a 4 player game which saw my Scarab God zombie horde deck get me to first loser. It didn’t really start to kick in, and do its stuff. It looked like it was going to start doing its thing, but a board wipe put an end to that idea.

By the end of the first game 2 others had turned up and we split into 2 groups of 3 to play.

The second game saw my Harry Potter Wizards deck get its butt kicked by a Giants deck. The deck didn’t really start to do anything, so yeah.

Zombie hordes over ran my big green stompy deck, despite me having a nice big stompy hydra on the board. Pumped up 2/2 zombie tokens, that became 4/4 with death touch after some abilities and enchantments, have 19 of those swing in not a lot you can do.

The fourth and final saw my angels come down from high.

“These words he speaks are true,
We’re all humanary stew,
If we don’t pledge allegiance to
Nico Bolas

The horror that he brings,
The horror of his teeth,
The unholiest of kings,
Nico Bolas.

Our minds will be his toy,
And every girl and boy
Will learn to be employed by
Nico Bolas.”

[lyrics poorly changed a little from Alice Coopers Black Widow]

Playing the angel deck it felt like I was the heavenly host for Nico Bolas. And that’s despite stopping the Nicol Bolas legendary dragon (core 2019 version) from transforming into its Planeswalker version.

I think when I played my first board wipe (Hour of Devastation) I did say as casting it “you have angered our Lord Nico Bolas, for the hour of devastation has arrived” or words very similar to these. Luckily my Commander was indestructible so I was able to keep her on the battlefield. In fact I was able to perform the same trick for my second board wipe (Wrath of God) too. It really does feel like you delivering Nico Bolas’s judgement upon the unclean when playing these cards.

I had lots of mana, so when I cast Helm of Hosts and equipped onto my Commander, it was game over more or less. And so it was.

A great afternoon of Commander.


Ok I guess after the two clues one or two might be remotely interested in the answer.

Well the “Secret theme” of the deck I’m going to brew is Ninja. The commander will be Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow from the 2018 Commander precon Subjective Reality.

The first clue was the tune Wastelands by Ben Daglish from the C64 game The Last Ninja. And the second clue was a bit of art from the advert for the game.

Painting tomorrow.

Muldrotha Graveyard Shenanigans Early Look Update

Commander, Deck tech, magic, MtG, MtG Deck Building

After sharing with you in the earlier post today an early look at the cards potentially going into the Horrors from the Deep deck, I’d also share with you an updated look at the cards going into the Muldrotha Graveyard Shenanigans deck.

I’m unsure about [card]Magistrate’s Scepter[/card], and that may be out by the next time you see another post about this deck.

I’ve still got to go through the lands matter Commander precon and see what cards would fit in here. So this list will be changing again pretty soon. If I remember from playing the deck there are a few that would fit in nicely. I just need to pick up that second copy.

Here is the updated early look list with the new additions highlighted.

Creatures:14

1 [card]Azusa, Lost but Seeking[/card]
1 [card]Eternal Witness[/card]
1 [card]Isareth the Awakener[/card]
1 [card]Gravedigger[/card]
1 [card]Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord[/card]
1 [card]World Shaper[/card]
1 [card]Ob Nixilis, the Fallen[/card]
1 [card]Tatyova, Benthic Druid[/card]
1 [card]The Gitrog Monster[/card]
1 [card]Titania, Protector of Argoth[/card] NEW ADDITION
1 [card]Muldrotha, the Gravetide[/card]
1 [card]Multani, Yavimaya’s Avatar[/card]
1 [card]Protean Hulk[/card]
1 [card]Torgaar, Famine Incarnate[/card]

Spells:18

1 [card]Crop Rotation[/card]
1 [card]Elixir of Immortality[/card] NEW ADDITION
1 [card]Vessel of Nascency[/card]
1 [card]Grisly Salvage[/card]
1 [card]Millstone[/card] NEW ADDITION
1 [card]Perpetual Timepiece[/card] NEW ADDITION
1 [card]Crucible of Worlds[/card]
1 [card]Faith of the Devoted[/card] NEW ADDITION
1 [card]Harrow[/card]
1 [card]Krosan Grip[/card]
1 [card]Magistrate’s Scepter[/card] NEW ADDITION
1 [card]Sultai Charm[/card]
1 [card]Fact or Fiction[/card]
1 [card]Scapeshift[/card]
1 [card]Black Market[/card] NEW ADDITION
1 [card]Nissa, Vital Force[/card] NEW ADDITION
1 [card]The Mending of Dominaria[/card]
1 [card]Worm Harvest[/card]

Lands:1

1 [card]Reliquary Tower[/card] NEW ADDITION

I hope people are liking the change to the deck listings I’m trying out in this and the previous post. It almost makes these types of post seem professional or something. Let me know what you think about this tweak in the comments below. While you are typing away why not also suggest cards you think should be going in to this deck?

Horrors from the Deep Early Look

Deck tech, magic, MtG, MtG Deck Building

I currently have 3 decks brewing at the moment. It was 2 until yesterday, then a secret third deck was started. So I thought I’d do an early look at one of the known decks I’m working on, the Horrors from the Deep.

So this deck will be a familiar tactic for my decks so far, and that is swing in with big creatures for the win. Except these big creatures will be round the theme of big sea creatures such as leviathan, krakens, fish, serpents, elder dinosaur and octopuses.

Below is a list of early cards I want in the deck. Although this may change. You will notice that my commander isn’t currently on the list. It’s because outside of the Commander 2018 precon deck I currently don’t have the card. So I’m not including it until I have the card.

Currently there are some counter spells in, but there will also be some ramp and fog spells added too. Oh and there needs to be some board wipes. I think that there will only be another 8 creatures added to the deck. I’m thinking about 25 will be about the sweet spot for this deck. Which is about what I’m going with for the Muldrotha deck also.

Creatures:17

1 [card]Kraken Hatchling[/card]
1 [card]Shore Keeper[/card]
1 [card]Fog Bank[/card]
1 [card]Thing in the Ice[/card]
1 [card]Wall of Mist[/card]
1 [card]Reef Worm[/card]
1 [card]Segovian Leviathan[/card]
1 [card]Archetype of Imagination[/card]
1 [card]Shipbreaker Kraken[/card]
1 [card]Fleet Swallower[/card]
1 [card]Nezahal, Primal Tide[/card]
1 [card]Scourge of Fleets[/card]
1 [card]Simic Sky Swallower[/card]
1 [card]Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep[/card]
1 [card]Stormtide Leviathan[/card]
1 [card]Inkwell Leviathan[/card]
1 [card]Deep-Sea Kraken[/card]

Spells:11

1 [card]Opt[/card]
1 [card]Stifle[/card]
1 [card]Anticipate[/card]
1 [card]Call to Heel[/card]
1 [card]Counterspell[/card]
1 [card]Search for Azcanta[/card]
1 [card]Disallow[/card]
1 [card]Drag Under[/card]
1 [card]Helm of the Host[/card]
1 [card]Time of Ice[/card]
1 [card]Crush of Tentacles[/card]

Lands:1

1 [card]Evolving Wilds[/card]

That’s the early look.

King of the Hill

magic, MtG


Sometimes you just have to put cards in your deck for the lol’s. Sometimes like Custodi Lich to spice up the game.

I’ve written in the past about spicing up games of Commander. This card from Conspiracy: Take the Crown once in my Scarab God Deck will introduce the monarch mechanic to any game it’s played it.

When I become the monarch I get the above token. As you can see being the monarch has it’s advantages, extra card draw (at your end step). But there is a draw back. It puts a big fat target on your back. An attacking player gets rewarded for hitting you with a creature. They become the monarch, and get a target on their back. And so the monarch will move around the table from player to player.

Now I’ve not played with the monarch mechanic yet. But I’m pretty sure I’ll like it. I do know if there is a card which introduces the monarch mechanic to the game in the colours I’m playing and it fits any theme I’m going with. Then it will be in the deck.

Digging up the undead

Deck tech, magic, MtG, MtG Deck Building

I started to writing a short message to the MtG group of some friends and realised by the end of it I was writing the start of a blog post. So here goes…

After watching the latest episode of The Command Zone with the dreaded return of SJW Jimmy Wong with the deck tech of his for a Zombie Tribal deck around the new legendary creature from M19 (that’s Core Set 2019 for regular folks) Varina, Lich Queen. Which allows for the first time the ability to build a zombie deck that uses the white zombies from the Amonkhet block, and more importantly Anointed Procession, along side the good ol’ black zombies. However I won’t be building a zombie tribal deck around this commander because I prefer my Scarab God as it’s Commander. Although Jimmy demotes Scarab God to just one of the 99. Another reason to dislike him.

So in the cards they talk about there are some cards I could squeeze into my current version of the deck, and also make use in an up coming deck in the planning. And it’s these cards I will start off with in this post.

As sufferers will remember I plan to build a Muldrotha deck where the graveyard is basically an extension of my hand. I actually want cards in my graveyard. So these two cards that Jimmy uses in his zombie deck actually looked pretty good in helping to protect my graveyard in the Muldrotha deck from being exiled. Leave a couple of mana open, and crack the abilities off in response to any exiling nastiness.


These next 2 cards I like rather a lot, casting my zombies for free or cheaper is nice. Even better the Warchief buffs them up as well, it means the 2/2 zombie tokens would come in as 4/3 tokens. Which is cool. Any buff to the tokens particularly (because my deck can generate a lot of them) to keep them on the battlefield longer is good. Plus if the Scarab God tactic isn’t working, it means I can at least start swinging in with these buffed up undead.

What’s better than having the Scarab God on the battle field with a load of zombies? Having him on the battlefield with these next 2 creatures.

Wow, cards that replicate the upkeep ability of the Scarab God in some way. These out with the Scarab God and a few zombies is a scary thought. Potentially game winning combo. Although opponents would have a turn to try and disrupt it and take me out.

I’m not sure about the following card. Probably wouldn’t play the first ability. But the card draw might be useful. It’s not as if I do anything with all the zombie tokens.


So despite Jimmy being annoying, and not as likeable as the temporary host that covered for him (who I thought had a better rapport with Josh), I have to begrudgingly admit there were some nice cards in his zombie tribal deck that I could use in mine, despite our battle plans being different.

Ultra rare QOTD

magic, MtG, qot

A very rare question of the day for here that I’m nicking from long time stalker, full time big brother and thought police WotC and their twitter feed.

I have an answer, which one or two also responded with on the WotC timeline. It has to be the really awesome Cat Dragon that I first saw in last years 2017 Dragon precon Commander Deck.


I like cats. And I have shared a space with some in the past. But I have to admit I fall more into the dog camp.

However this cat dragon token was super cute, and who wouldn’t want one of these for a pet? The art is very reminiscent of Toothless from How to train your dragon. Cute but super deadly.

But if this card hadn’t been printed, I’d have a hard time choosing between these two from Ixalan.


Both of these are “loved” and by that I mean hated by my ex-students. Ferocidon was so “loved” that I named him the “people’s champion”. Which it still gets referred by, by myself and ex-students. Raptor Hatchling also built up a bit of a fan club. His appearance would stop opponents attacking, because they knew I’d chump block with him and get that 3/3 dino upgrade.

So I have a fondness for these 2 dinos. And who wouldn’t want a pet dino? Every kid has at some time or or other wanted a pet dino.

Which creature would you choose?

Kess – Wizards 2017 Precon Upgrade v2

Commander, Deck tech, magic, MtG, MtG Deck Building

Thought I might share my new and improved (that’s going to be a subjective thing I know) Kess Commander deck, which sufferers will remember is based on last years 2017 Wizards Tribal precon Deck and the $20 MtgGoldfish upgrade (original deck list HERE). I also did an post highlighting cards that were begging to put into the deck. So did any of those cards make it into the deck? Too bloody right or we wouldn’t be here with this new deck list, and my poorly written ramblings.

Still not overly sure of the win condition, I’ve added the additional turns to the deck. There are more counter spells, and cards that give me card draw. Naturally I’ve tweaked the creatures, Guttersnipe had to be added to give me a bit more offensive capability from just doing my thing. The deck is still all about recurring spells from the graveyard.

When I remember I like to include the stats that the deck builder app gives me for the deck. The mana curve has dropped a tad, well hardly at all. So I’m relatively happy that it’s not got worse.


I also like to for a laugh have the app tell me how much the deck would cost me to replace if some mishap would occur to it. The app wasn’t able to give me a price for the Nexus of Fate. Which after the recent pro tour where it was part of the Turbo Fog deck that swept all before it, is going for between $25 – $40 at the moment.


As you can see the deck has got a bit more expensive to buy.

Ok here is the updated deck list that you have been patiently waiting for.

Creatures:15

1 Timestream Navigator
1 Young Pyromancer
1 Guttersnipe
1 Izzet Chemister
1 Sea Gate Oracle
1 Archaeomancer
1 Kess, Dissident Mage
1 Talrand, Sky Summoner
1 Bloodline Necromancer
1 Body Double
1 Izzet Chronarch
1 Mercurial Chemister
1 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
1 Arcanis the Omnipotent
1 Torrential Gearhulk

Spells:47

1 Brainstorm
1 By Force
1 Dark Ritual
1 Faithless Looting
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Sensei’s Divining Top
1 Sol Ring
1 Cabal Ritual
1 Comet Storm
1 Counterspell
1 Dimir Signet
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Go for the Throat
1 Helm of Awakening
1 Into the Roil
1 Izzet Signet
1 Rakdos Charm
1 Rakdos Signet
1 Search for Azcanta
1 Terminate
1 Commander’s Sphere
1 Crosis’s Charm
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Disallow
1 Cyclonic Rift (1 Frantic Search, if you can’t get or don’t have CR)
1 Rhystic Study
1 To the Slaughter
1 Unstable Obelisk
1 Worn Powerstone
1 Cryptic Command
1 Diabolic Tutor
1 Jace’s Sanctum
1 Memory Plunder
1 Primal Amulet
1 Dark Petition
1 Increasing Ambition
1 Mana Geyser
1 Silumgar’s Command
1 The Mirari Conjecture
1 Time Warp
1 Game Plan
1 Spelltwine
1 The Immortal Sun
1 Kindred Dominance
1 Necromantic Selection
1 Nexus of Fate
1 Decree of Pain

Lands:38

1 Arcane Lighthouse
1 Command Tower
1 Crumbling Necropolis
1 Dimir Aqueduct
1 Dismal Backwater
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Grixis Panorama
10 Island
1 Izzet Boilerworks
1 Jwar Isle Refuge
4 Mountain
1 Mystifying Maze
1 Rakdos Carnarium
1 Scavenger Grounds
6 Swamp
1 Swiftwater Cliffs
1 Temple of the False God
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Vivid Crag
1 Vivid Creek
1 Vivid Marsh