Sunday, July 29, 2012

Practice Decks in Standard using ISD block and M13 mostly

I am using these decks for practice and on purpose not adding to them cards from the SOM Block or M12, with the exception of a few "I do not want to lose every Standard game" cards. I noticed that lifelink and adding life during play is prevalent in Standard. I am playing these decks against the strongest field in the Standard Constructed cycle: SOM Block + M12 + ISD Block + M13. When Return to Ravnica (RTR) comes out in October these decks will face the weakest  field in the Standard Constructed cycle: ISD Block + M13 + RTR. 


Out of the gate the first take at a Standard Green Black deck fell flat on its back. 





I made many small changes.






I also made other decks with green.




...and my favorites: mono Black and mono Green.



Without dual lands a tricolor deck is dead in the water, but I need to learn how to play.


...and after a few hours of playing these decks the verdict is the all but mono green lose EVERY game. The Standard field is just too broad for an ISD+M13 deck that has not been optimized either with power planeswalkers such as Tamiyo, or, in the case of all decks, dual lands and useful artifacts.

Although it is too early to make a final judgement, the new Garruk and the new Liliana seem best suited for mono decks. It takes a lot of mana to drop a 2FFF Garruk!! The ISD 2F Garruk is much more playable. 

M13 Online Prerelease

I made some great pulls in this digital prerelease: A Garruk and an Liliana!!! and all out of six packs. I wish I had that luck with the physical cards. I won the first game, lost two, and dropped out during the third round.




Round 1 Game 1



Round 1 Game 2




Status of players at the end of the first round.


Round 2 Game 1






Round 2 Game 2





Round 3 Game 1




Round 3 Game 2



Friday, July 27, 2012

M13 fat pack: foils, rares, and Primordial Hydra

Here are larger images of these cards.


Reliquary Tower seems like a very useful card, but I am not an experienced player. This one is a foil.




Here is a non-foil Dragonskull Summit.


Here are the rares and the Mythc Rare.









This card has a small ink spot over "leaves." Thragtusk has great abilities.