The latest Magic: the Gathering Duel Decks set just got released and I managed to track down a copy with minimal ease for once. Telling the story of Scars of Mirrodin, Koth versus Venser is an interesting set of decks. If you’re looking for a deck with the absurd value of Elspeth vs. Tezzeret, you aren’t going to find it here. But for casual players looking for some well balanced decks ready to be tweaked and a handful of Commander cards, this is a great starting point.
Two Planeswalkers, one compassionate, one calculating, gave their all to save a world. The Planeswalker Koth, from the metal plane of Mirrodin, sought help when his world darkened. He traveled to Dominaria to enlist allies and met fellow Planeswalker Venser.
When Venser recognized the threat to Koth’s world was none other than Phyrexia, he knew that the only hope for Mirrodin was to find its maker. But that would mean forsaking its people in the meantime. Koth would rather die than turn his back on his fellow Mirrans. But Venser knew they would all die anyway if they failed to reach Karn, his former mentor and creator of Mirrodin.
Two Planeswalkers, one goal, very different methods. Recreate the struggle to lead the way to Mirrodin’s salvation. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: arena, decklist, duel decks, game, koth, magic: the gathering, review, venser, venser vs. koth
With St. Patrick’s Day occurring this week, I finally have a real excuse to bust out the Ascension Leprechaun pack! This small expansion is similar to the Rat King, but instead of changing monsters to combat, it changes how runes are spent.
Recruit a Leprechaun to help you horde the gold, and get rewarded for getting as many Pots of Gold as you can! Leprechaun also lets players steal gold from other players, so keep on the lookout for other players taking advantage of the little folk to steal your gold!
Suggested Ages: 13+
Suggested Players: 1 to 6 players (Requires at least one Ascension game to play)
Playing time: 30 minutes
Contents: 3 Leprechaun cards, 9 Pot of Gold cards
Retail price: $4.99 at Ascension Games
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: ascension, ascension leprechaun, game, gary games, review
One of the biggest issues with the first printing of Ascension: Chronicles of the Godslayer wasn’t immediately noticeable. But then the expansion came out and they changed the card stock. For people who haven’t sleeved their entire set, this meant cards tended to clump together by expansion which made shuffling a challenge. But now Gary Games has come out and released the second edition of Chronicles of the Godslayer on the new card stock!
In addition to the new card stock, a handful of cards have gotten some minor rewording to help clarify what they actually do or how they work (I’m looking at you Runic Lycanthrope) plus a revised rulebook to bring it inline with Storm of Souls. And the cards are marked as being 2nd Edition, so us purists can brag about how we got Ascension back in the day.
In addition, Gary Games is now selling the Year 1 Promo Pack that contains all nine promo cards released in 2011 for only $8.99! I’ve already grabbed one for myself and we’ll be reviewing the cards as soon as they arrive. I can’t wait to throw a Vortex around.
Tags: ascension, ascension chronicle of the godslayer, game, gary games, news, promo pack
After getting my tax return this year, I bit the bullet and got myself an iPad 2. But I got the iPad for a single reason: to play games. It really came down to finally upgrading my original Nintendo DS Fat or getting myself an iPad, and I went with the system that would let me play all the Ascension I wanted (and read comics).
If you’re unfamiliar with the game Ascension, it is a card game created by the former professional Magic player, Justin Gary. A card game that is essentially a cross between Magic and Dominion, you draft your deck while playing the game. For a complete rundown of the game, check out our reviews on both Chronicle of the Godslayer and Return of the Fallen as this review will also cover both of those games. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: ascension, ascension chronicle of the godslayer, ascension return of the fallen, game, gary games, ios, review
It’s hard to review a game like Dominion. The open endedness of it all means you can’t easily try out every single combination of cards, but the same is true for Magic the Gathering. But that doesn’t change the fact that Dominion Hinterlands came out and it is awesome. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: arena, Dominion, donald x vaccarino, game, Hinterlands, review, rio grande games
Whenever a set isn’t about gold or multicolor as a theme, the few and far between gold cards really help bring the set together. And Dark Ascension certainly does that – unless you happen to like Green-White. Well, then you better enjoy some artifacts and none of the lands either.
Dark Ascension Commander & Casual Review
White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | Multicolor, Artifact & Land
Diregraf Captain
It took years, but Wizards seems to have realized lords are better when they’re easier to obtain. Making the shift so a bunch of them are uncommon is a genius move since it makes it so much easier for players to get a hold of them. But what I really like is that they are gold. Diregraf Captain is a great way to tie together black-blue zombies.
On the surface, this Captain reminds me a lot of Dralnu’s Crusade but it goes so much deeper. Having deathtouch makes him a pricey target to trade with in combat. Then he pumps everyone in a great way. And then Wizards gave him the ability to eat away at your opponents’ life totals! This is an amazing lord and I can’t wait to build some black-blue zombies. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: artifact, commander, dark ascension, edh, game, gold, land, magic: the gathering, multicolor, multiplayer, review
I don’t know why, but it seems like Dark Ascension is jammed packed full of green two-drops. But the rest of the set provides some fascinating cards that green usually doesn’t get access to and I am very excited whenever green gets more card drawing.
Dark Ascension Commander & Casual Review
White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | Multicolor, Artifact & Land
Briarpack Alpha
I remember when this card was called Briarhorn and it was a lot better. Still, it’s a neat combat trick. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: commander, dark ascension, edh, game, green, magic: the gathering, multiplayer, review
There is probably something wrong with me because I absolutely love playing mono-red in Commander. Sure, it’s probably the weakest color, but over the last few years a lot of new and unique spells have been added to the red mage’s arsenal. And then promptly taken by the nearest Izzet player.
Dark Ascension Commander & Casual Review
White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | Multicolor, Artifact & Land
Afflicted Deserter & Werewolf Ransacker
The first round of werewolves in Innistrad didn’t wow me, but it seems like R&D has figured out what to do with them – make people do everything in their power not to flip them. Recursive removal is a great thing and Commander is the one format where there is almost always an artifact worth destroying.
But the politics of this card are amazing. If someone doesn’t cast a spell, an artifact gets destroyed. If a player wants to screw over someone else, they just need to cast two spells and suddenly it’s like a game of Hot Potato only someone ends up getting bolted. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: commander, dark ascension, edh, game, magic: the gathering, multiplayer, red, review
With a name like Dark Ascension, is it really a surprise to anyone that Black seems to get some of the best toys in this set?
Dark Ascension Commander & Casual Review
White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | Multicolor, Artifact & Land
Black Cat
This card is adorable! Sure, I would have loved if it was more involved with luck (though the random discard is a nice touch). Most easily compared to Ravenous Rats, Black Cat isn’t a bad card but in multiplayer this kitten just doesn’t do enough. Unless you happen to have some great recursion engine… Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: black, commander, dark ascension, edh, game, magic: the gathering, multiplayer, review
I hate blue mages when they’re being predictable. Draw-Go may be one of my least favorite deck types ever, but even I can’t help but be excited when blue is given a bunch of odd toys to make wonky combo decks. Thankfully, Dark Ascension provides just that.
Dark Ascension Commander & Casual Review
White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | Multicolor, Artifact & Land
Artful Dodge
This is a card I see having use two different ways. First, is any deck involving Kiln Fiend. He loves getting spells cast on him and loves being unblockable even more. This is a fine addition alongside Distortion Strike. The other way this can be used was brought to my attention by Mark Rosewater as an anti-werewolf measure. It’s not easy casting two spells in a single turn to transform a werewolf back to a human, but being able to pay UU to do it can be great. Personally, I would prefer Defy Gravity as it is an instant, but it is nice knowing the tools exist. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: blue, commander, dark ascension, edh, game, magic: the gathering, multiplayer, review
