Set and Cure

For the moment, I'm not sure I can take this deck any further. It's got a strong early game but it needs a little sauce for the next step and I'm not sure what that would be. In many cases the strong early game will be enough! But I don't think it's there yet.

Other tweaks that could be made would involve shifting the manabase to include Scalding Tarn, just so I can thin the deck. If I want to stick to the theme, though, I think this is where it's at. 

4 Riverfall Mimic
3 Mindwrack Liege
4 Lightning Stormkin
4 Prismari Apprentice
2 Hypersonic Dragon
2 Elemental Expressionist 

4 Clout of the Dominus
2 Electrolyze
2 Schismotivate
3 Prismari Command 

7 Mountain
4 Volcanic Island
1 Izzet Boilerworks
7 Island
4 Frostboil Snarl 

3 Ral Zarek 

4 Expressive Iteration

I think if I was going for a sideboard, it would look like this:

4 Leyline of Punishment (lifegain decks are no fun)

4 Tormod's Crypt

3 Mindbreak Trap

2 Elixir of Immortality 

2 Meltdown or 2 Locust God 

I like Locust God because it's a problem unto itself. As a six drop, it is the kind of thing that can take over a game. If Quickmix wasn't thematically focused on the Mindwrack Liege/Mimic, that would probably be the big gun.

However, Meltdown is Meltdown and there are decks that just fold to that card. Apply as necessary, I suppose. 

Rotation

Because I have to deal with unusual decks, sometimes testing results are as illuminating as I would like. 

For example: I got multiple games with Quickmix in over the weekend and the decks I played against were speed mill decks and W/x lifegain decks. 

Not your standard fare, but also how can I end up playing four different games with two different opponents and still play similar themes??

The larger point, though, is that against lifegain decks, an aggressive strategy like this one just folds. I had one opponent down to 4 life and the win next turn, but when they gave lifelink to all their creatures and gained 9 that was it: I couldn't generate enough momentum to finish. 

That is a frustrating thing, especially since my early game felt so good. I was getting a lot of damage in quickly and things were setting up well. The early game strength has been repeated in multiple games.

The problem came against Ruin Crab, of all things. My removal only does 2 damage and I couldn't interact well with my opponent's stuff.

Usually I don't want to-and perhaps I should've been playing more aggressively as a result. However, Ruin Crab is the symptom, the symbol of a card that I can't quite get around, but an aggressive deck like this needs to. 

This is the kind of thing that makes Sideboards a real boon. Leyline of Combustion could make the Hedron Crab target a problem-along with any other mill spells, and Leyline of Punishment good for the lifegain decks. Although Skullcrack might be better, since it is more proactive. 

As an aside; I dig on what Leyline of Combustion is doing. That's the sort of card I would like to maindeck. 

I believe I'll be finished with Quickmix soon. I'd put this at a B-B+ tier, and needs just a little something to get it over the top. That something will come eventually, it's only a matter of time.

The Pour

Time to talk about the changes made:

The addition of four Prismari Apprentice gives me the chance to make another unblockable creature. It's not optimized, as I don't have any instants or sorceries over 3 mana but it still rewards me for playing my spells aggressively. As a two drop, that means that I can play it the turn after a Riverfall Mimic and possibly enchant it with Clout of the Dominus, allowing me to attack for 7, three of which is unblockable, four is untargetable. 

That's pretty solid for a turn 3 sequence. Even if that doesn't happen, I can play the Apprentice (or Mimic) and on turn three Expressive Iteration to both create an unblockable attacker and churn through the deck. 

The hole at the four mana spot is a pretty big problem. It took some digging before I was able to find some cards that I felt might fit in, and at first I was trying Protean Raider. There was just too much stuff at the three value spot though. In addition, the Raider wants me to attack first in order to get the trigger and Quickmix doesn't want to order turns that way. 

So I went to the four mana spot and found Ral Zarek and Elemental Expressionist. 

Ral lets me play the Planeswalker game, which is the shittiest subgame in Magic but alas, one of the most powerful ones. And the updated text on Ral says that the middle ability does three damage to any target, which is very useful. 

Elemental Expressionist is the beefiest creature for four mana that I could find in U/R. Is it good? No idea. Is it a 4/4 for four that might have useful text? Yes. 

I cut the Crag Pucas for these cards as well as two lands. I'm hoping that isn't a risky move: twenty three lands is solid but there are cards at the five and six slots. Since the Liege is meant to be my haymaker win card, I want to be able to play it on turn six if it's in my hand. The card draw in Quickmix ought to smooth those draws out to ensure that I have mana, but I do acknowledge the risk.

The Blend

The mana sources for Quickmix are right, at least from a percentage view, it's the curve that's troubling. This is relevant because now I have to revamp the creature suite. With lots of turn two plays, some of those turn two plays are actually turn three plays (Expressive Iteration), and all of my creatures at three mana suck.

Plus, there's nothing at the four mana value spot, and at five mana, Dominus of Fealty does not have the impact I want. My next best option seems to be Hypersonic Dragon and I don't hate 4/4 hasted fliers for five but they aren't exciting either.

The other thing I want to do is add in Prismari Commands, as I believe they'll give me a lot of flexibility. That means cutting down on Schismotivate and Electrolyze. Electrolyze isn't so bad, but Schismotivate can represent a whole bunch of damage. I don't want to cut all of them: 7 unblockable damage in a turn can be a huge shift in a game. 

However, before I get to that, there's the issue of seven lands that ETB tapped. That's too many and although two of those lands can enter untapped, the Wandering Fumaroles are just in the wrong deck. Added to Quickmix when I thought this would be a deck that would extend more into the Liege territory, the idea of having a 3/6 land that could flip for six damage seemed great!

But that isn't what this deck wants to do and maybe it never was, so I should adapt accordingly. With the Fumaroles out, Frostboil Snarls can be maxed out, giving me only five lands that enter tapped, with the potential to have merely one land entering tapped. 

In addition, with a focus on the mana curve, it is possible that 25 lands is too many for this deck. All the more reason to find the right slots. If I'm trimming lands, I really want to make sure I can play everything out on time.

My problem has been getting games to close, though. Swinging for 3-5 each turn seems like a winning proposition but my creatures are pretty vulnerable to removal. Since I don't have a great deal of interaction with my opponent's stuff, getting games to close out is important. I believe that might be an issue caused by threat density, which means cutting two lands for something that can win could be huge. 

Quickmix

It's time for the R/U Liege deck. Named after the very weird transformer...what can I say? I wanted a deck with a Q name and there aren't a lot of songs with a title starting with Q.

4 Noggle Hedge-Mage
4 Riverfall Mimic
3 Crag Puca
2 Dominus of Fealty
3 Mindwrack Liege
4 Lightning Stormkin  

4 Clout of the Dominus  

3 Schismotivate
4 Electrolyze 

7 Mountain
4 Volcanic Island
1 Izzet Boilerworks
7 Island
4 Wandering Fumarole
2 Frostboil Snarl 

4 Expressive Iteration

Now, as a Liege deck that really wants to use Riverfall Mimic as a way to get in chip damage every turn, with Mindwrack Liege as the final haymaker there are already some restrictions on what should go into the deck. 

Still, I love Liege decks and can't wait to start to tackle Quickmix and make it more consistent, as well as up the power level a bit. 

The obvious problem with this deck is that it's clearly dated. The creature base is more than enough to tell you that, so that's probably where I will start with my revisions. 

With Strixhaven having enemy colored themes in it, there should be some great substitutes for some of the weaker creatures here. If nothing else, though, Expressive Iteration (which I added in automatically over Research the Deep, the deck's initial draw engine) should be a big upgrade. 

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Set Review

 Well well well, one of the biggest gambles in Magic's history has been fully spoiled. 

I think Neon Dynasty is a gamble for two reasons: First, it's echoing a set that was widely, and rightfully, panned. There's a lot of reason why the first Kamigawa set was disliked but all of them are valid. 

Going back is not something you just DO, right? However, the rich lore, art, and fervor from people who loved Kamigawa brought WotC back, which I think is a good thing. 

So they brought it back to the future. (Sorry, I had to but I can't possibly be the first one to say it.)

Setting Kamigawa 1,000 years after the original means that we are getting a very different set, one that breaks hard from Magic's traditional naming and aesthetic. Fans might react badly to this direction.

Personally, I think it's really, really cool. The proof will be in the pudding though and the criticisms of original Kamigawa-notably that it was an underpowered set which not only didn't stand up to the sets around it, wasn't fun to play on it's own-linger around the corner of Neon Dynasty, waiting to jump on it. 

Let's take a look.

One big picture note; the art direction in Neon Dynasty is outstanding. They really tried to blend the fantastical and the modern in interesting ways and the set is all the better for it.

White
Huh. So there are ninjas in the other colors now. 

That aside, the push into making White a Vehicle friendly color is a good decision and a way to make it distinct from Blue's affinity for artifacts. I've said it before but they keep finding new inroads. Plus, it gives White a new direction to go into, and with Neon Dynasty there might just be a critical mass of vehicles to utilize to make a new kind of deck. Tapping a card like Hotshot Mechanic to make Parhelion II go seems like a great value proposition. 

I appreciate the flavor direction of giving Samurai a boost when they attack alone, but I wonder if it'll turn Limited games into a real grind. There's also the first of cards like When We Were Young that give a bonus if you have an artifact and an enchantment. That seems like a higher bar to meet than most people are going to get. 

The Aura subtheme is interesting; seems to be a pretty strong undercurrent for White for years but the drawbacks to Auras means that it never goes anywhere. I do like the return of enchantment creatures-a little bit of a surprise to see in Neon Dynasty but they do fit thematically and didn't exist in OG Kamigawa. Reconfigure is a nice workaround to make Equipment creatures, and having the Bestow mechanic to work off means that players should take to this idea pretty easily. 

(I really like that there is an Equipment Monkey in the set). 

Maybe the barrier to get an artifact and enchantment isn't as high as I think.

Blue
The first instance I note of having something be "modified" with Guardians of Oboro. This occupies a similar space for me as Dominaria's "historic" notation. The qualifications for modification are easier to reach-WotC wisely uses "a counter" to qualify, instead of specifying a type of counter. That gives the quality more flexibility and reach into other sets, which I appreciate. 

There are also more instances of Channel and I think they've improved upon the mechanic. It seems more playable and diverse than the Saviors of Kamigawa cards and I think that the value of Stifle has just gone up a bit. (In this respect, I'm hoping there is some kind of Stifle reprint/effect in the near future). 

Otherwise, the color seems to be in a strange place. Ninjutsu is there, artifact interactions, all expected but it feels a little thin. I started to notice this with White; there are multiple themes, but shallow and so it's hard for me to get a grip on the color. 

On the other hand, it probably makes for a lot of interesting options in Limited so I'm not complaining.

Black
The Reconfigure creatures in Black look wild, don't they? Heavy purples and blacks making them pop. That actually seems to be a motif for the weapons in Black overall; looking at Enormous Energy Blade.

Also, the art for Return To Action isn't like anything I'm seeing in the set and that's wild.

The art in Black overall has a lot more dynamic impact to me, than usual. The introduction of all those purple shades is a definite plus.

As with the other colors, the power level seems a bit the same; broad but shallow. I appreciate the possibility of many interlocking pieces I just hope that this set will mesh with those around it more than the original.

Red
Ah, there's Akki War Paint and that looks like Return To Action. Jeremy Wilson (the artist) has got my attention and I'm interested to see if he does other art for Magic. Doesn't look like he's done much other art but this stuff is striking to me.

I am seeing a sacrifice theme run through Red and Black. I presume it's supported well enough but that kind of theme always seems risky to me-not enough payout for the reward. 

Time will tell.

I do have a place in my heart for Tempered in Solitude. I know it's an add-on for the Samurai decks but it makes me think of the very tiny theme in Black where if you have only one creature, you get a bonus-Homicidal Seclusion is an example of that. 

A chance to play an extra card each turn? That might be worth a build. 

Green
I feel like the art in Green is in the oddest place in this set because Neon Dynasty is so clearly centered around a city. This problem appears in Ravnica too, but because of the fantasy rooting of the City of Guilds, plus a continual partnership with the other colors, it doesn't stand out quite as much. Boon of Boseiju is a great example: neon lights and tree trunk armor in the same image is strange. I suppose your mileage may vary when it comes to whether or not that is offputting. I think it clashes a bit but it also offers some very interesting contrasts. 

Or opportunities, as with Fade into Antiquity, using the setting as a way to illustrate the card's mechanical bent. Very cool.

Tamiyo's Safekeeping is a real standout and might be one of if not the best common of the set. One mana to make a permanent indestructible, untargetable, and gain 2 life? How is that not the best deal ever? 

Multicolor
While there's nothing that seems overly interesting, they are good support cards for the themes of the set.

I am bummed about what happens to Tamiyo, though. The Praetors are not messing about.

Artifacts & Lands
It is cards like Runaway Trash-Bot that give me hope that Magic can still be fun, since the designers are clearly having a good time. Again; lots of solid support for the themes of vehicles and modified, with role players for Limited. 

The common lands are fine-good for you if you haven't picked those up and if you have; the new art is pretty awesome.

The Channel lands are all pretty solid. Themed well, nice utility if you draw multiples, I like them. The green one is certainly a step above the others but I fail to see how any of them are bad; they are virtually uncounterable effects that get cheaper if you have a legendary creature. Well, as of writing there are 423 Legendary creatures at 3 mana or less. I think you'll have options. 

Final impressions: I don't think Neon Dynasty does much to reinvent the wheel. This set feels pretty safe, at least from a mechanical perspective. That's OK: there is plenty to dive into regarding art and lore and that's something that definitely holds over from the original Kamigawa. 

At the very least, I believe that there's enough playability here that people can have a better time with this set than before. Neon Dynasty doesn't look to have any obvious clunkers, and that suggests a pretty good limited environment, with the strong possibility of playing well in the larger Magic ecosystem. 

I don't know that this is a home run, but it's a pretty solid double, for now and that could be all we need to get a third Kamigawa set. 

Pivot Signal

The head of Wizards of the Coast has been promoted to be the president of Hasbro. That means that WotC needs a new lead and yesterday they announced who that would be.

There's something that bums me out about these appointments: Neither of these people have any experience with managing a boardgame business. All of their experience with gaming, from a business perspective, is in the digital realm.

I want to be clear; I have no inherent objections to videogames. I love videogames! I sometimes talk about them here, because it gives me more things to talk about than just Magic. I also recognize that MTG: Arena is probably the place that is acquiring more new Magic players than any other format. Between the ease of access and the pandemic, it is simply logical to want people who have some expertise in the digital realm to help shepherd where an important source of revenue is going to come from.

New players are important to Magic: without them, the game shrivels up. 

However, the only experience that the two appointees have is in the digital realm. That is a strong signal, to me, about where Hasbro expects Magic to go. 

I don't like playing Magic that way and I despise the Historic format they've created on Arena where they have started to tweak physical cards in the digital realm. Couple this with what is an outright miserly economy for the players to deal with and I can honestly say: I want no part of that game at all.

So long as I still have physical cards to play with, I'll likely play Magic but it's hard to look at this new leadership and think that they physical game is something they care about. It's the second-tier game now and Arena will be what matters. The quality of the physical experience will likely suffer as a result. 

Which is a downer, to me. I'd like to be wrong, but if there's one thing I've learned, it's that corporations chase money over all things and the money isn't in paper Magic. 

I'm Gonna Set It Straight

 

Though the testing ended on a down note with Noah-he beat me with his mono-Black zombie deck- I am satisified with Sabotage for the time being.

It was strange to be out-aggroed by zombies but in the two games I lost, I had no removal. Meaning Asmora didn't appear for me to get read of the lords. Plus, I didn't adjust well to a new role in the matchup; I should have slowed down and made a few blocks in game three. 

In addition, Noah correctly killed off my Anje's Ravager before I could get an attack in with it. At that point my hand was empty and I was in trouble. 

Sabotage does make me wish I had some Hellbent cards I could utilize. But they just do not mesh well: they are all just too expensive for the impact they have on the game.

It's also possible that I'm whiffing on the use of Fiery Temper either main or side. In an aggro deck, sometimes three damage for R is exactly what you need. For now, though, I like this (even with the Granger. It's got more panache!)

3 The Underworld Cookbook

4 Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar
4 Blazing Rootwalla
4 Hollow One
3 Anger
4 Anje's Ravager
4 Kitchen Imp
4 Putrid Imp
2 Ox of Agonas
1 Ovalchase Daredevil
1 Tombstalker
2 Street Wraith

5 Swamp
7 Mountain
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Blood Crypt

4 Faithless Looting

 Sideboard
2 Pithing Needle

3 Shadowgrange Archfiend

 4 Leyline of the Void
 3 Blood Moon

 3 Meltdown