Yesterday was the Ravnica Allegiance Open House at my FLGS The Hobbit Hole. Yep free Welcome deck, promo card, learn and play MtG. For a new and returning player doesn’t get better than that. For an existing player there is still a lot on offer as well.

You get to teach the game to new players, and share in the start of their journey into addiction and madness. The sweet sweet promo card. Playing with unsleeved cards. It’s so rare that we get to play with unsleeved cards. Tournament play requires sleeved cards, sleeves protect your more valuable cards while playing, and insert any other reasons you sleeve here. So it’s refreshing to play with cards in their natural state.

I took my spellslinger decks with me (to teach with) and last years 2018 Commander decks (in case of any new players wanting to try Commander also). Plus I had my Muldrotha and my dinosaur Commander decks.

I went with the red deck box, that was a red/blue or Izzet deck if we are going with the Guilds theme of the current and the imminent set.

Games 1 & 2 – Paul (white/blue aka Azorius)

I’ve played Paul before at Standard Showdown. Paul is an experienced but casual MtG player, and always fun to play against.

Our first game I was able with the blue side of my deck to delay the inevitable of the game with cards like Uncomfortable Chill, Waterknot and Sleep. But unable to get any real presence out. I did some direct damage with a lightning strike and shock, and used them to remove a couple of threats. My Hostile Minotaur hit once then became the victim of Paul’s Waterknot. I held on for as long as I could but Paul built up a formidable flying attack of angels and sphinxes that did me in.

The second game was better for me. For starters Paul was only putting out plains, so I knew there was no blue shenanigans coming my way. I was also getting my creatures out like the Hostile Minotaur, while being able to stop Paul building up any real threat. I don’t think I took any damage in this game at all.

Result: 1 – 1

Game 3 – Dean (can’t remember Dean’s deck I think it was black something)

Now I knew my red side of the deck had a Shivan Dragon. Which was the card I was expecting to trigger the flying ability of Kargan Dragonrider. So I was pleasantly surprised to see Sparktongue Dragon and Volcanic Dragon show up. It was even better because I had a Goblin Motivator out that meant any creature played could be given haste. So even my Snapping Drake’s when they hit the battlefield were an immediate threat.

By the time Dean had started to build up a board state, it was too late. I had dragons and drakes out, plus a dragonrider. He was unable to stop the final killing blow from above.

Result: Win

Game 4 – Glen (mirror match)

I’d already got my required number of games to get the days reward. But Glen still needed games. So I kindly obliged.

This was a game of who got to their good cards first. Sadly it wasn’t me.

Result: Loss

The days reward…

I didn’t keep my Welcome Deck I gave that away to one of Dean’s nephews.

Dean sat next to me, he was looking through a trade folder that belonged to Glen. One or two cards caught my eye.

So I got the following three cards to go into the Horrors from the Deep Commander deck. They looked like fun cards to try out, and well fitted the theme of the deck.

I also got another assassin for the slow brew ninja/assassin deck I’m brewing. Plus a card that would combo with others in the Death and Taxes deck, and could go in a potential demon deck I’m thinking of.

I did buy three Guild packs (Golgari, Selesnya, and Dimir). These are a themed booster built around one of the five Guilds containing 35 cards for that Guild, plus a MtG Arena code to give you three free in game boosters.

I’m going to rant here. This is useless to me. I don’t have a PC. I’m an Apple fanboy. MtG Arena isn’t available on iOS or MacOS. Plus I bought three of these decks, yet would only be able to redeem the code once! Yeah WotC aren’t very generous on this front. Yet sitting on the stores shelf’s are Pokemon product all proudly proclaiming on the packets/boxes that I could get that booster or deck to play free online.

I’ve said before considering the engine WotC are using, there is no reason why MtG Arena can’t be beta tested on these platforms also. It would make sense to be testing in these at the same time.

But then I think about how stingy WotC are being with the redeeming of codes. The stuff I hear online about it’s in game economy and it the deck building, 5th card issue, and I’m thinking maybe I’m lucky it’s not on my iPad.

I’m currently playing Hearthstone again, and keep dipping into Epic the card game beta to play it’s dark draft (I love that format). WotC are throwing ridiculous amounts at marketing MtG Arena, and even trialing best of one in certain unlucky FLGS in an attempt to attract digital players to the physical game.

WotC have lost me as a MtG Arena player when they do eventually release on the iPad. I’d have invested too much in the game they want to knock off it’s throne.

Anyway back to these guild packs. £6 for 35 cards, is not bad value. You are getting 5 more cards than if you had bought 2 boosters. Plus they are cards in colours you want. So you are improving the odds of getting something useful for building a deck for that Guild. I pulled another Assassin’s Trophy in the Golgari pack.

The days MtG was finished off with a 6 Player Commander game. Glen used his competitive deck and toyed with us all. We were just twiddling our thumbs before Glen was in a position to combo off and kill us all in a single go. I’ve talked before about using competitive decks against lesser decks. It still holds true, and I stand by my words. It’s not really a fun experience.

It was a fairly successful Open House for the FLGS. There was a constant stream of people wanting to play. It was a good day of MtG.

My Welcome Deck List

Red Side
1 Shivan Dragon
1 Fire Elemental
1 Goblin Motivator
2 Hostile Minotaur
2 Onakke Ogre
1 Sparktongue Dragon
1 Volcanic Dragon
2 Kargan Dragonrider
1 Fiery Finish
1 Electrify
1 Lightning Strike
1 Shock
1 Trumpet Blast
1 Radiating Lightning
13 Mountain

Blue Side
1 Riddlemaster Sphinx
1 Aven Wind Mage
1 Frilled Sea Serpent
2 Snapping Drake
2 Tolarian Scholar
1 Wall of Mist
1 Air Elemental
1 Mist-Cloaked Herald
2 Divination
1 Sleep
1 Uncomfortable Chill
1 Befuddle
2 Waterknot
13 Island