Posts Tagged ‘Born of the Gods’

Born of the Gods Review by Dylan Klett [Warning: Contains Spoilers]

One of my favorite parts of spoiler season is the itching feeling that I get; no matter how many cards get hyped, overhyped, or underhyped, I always get the feel there’s something I didn’t quite catch when looking for the next sweet piece of constructed technology; or the card people aren’t quite respecting enough in draft and sealed when the set is released. For example, Fanatic of Mogis or Gray Merchant! That keeps my curiosity burning! If I dig a little deeper into the broader picture that a mosaic of interlocking individual cards creates, what patterns will I find? I’ll use this article today to go over some of the new spoilers from Born of the Gods, including a surefire hit, a card that might have a shot to be seen swimming around in the cutthroat waters of constructed, and a few bits of chum that might just have the chops to cut it with the sharks.

Brimaz, King of Oreskos

 

Let’s start with a strong contender for best card in the set so far. As revealed by Luis Scott-Vargas of ChannelFireball fame,  Brimaz, King of Oreskos provides enormous power and board presence for a minimal cost, giving those of us familiar with the days of Hero of Bladehold a misty eye.

Two numbers that stick out to me as crucially important in determining this card’s place in the Standard metagame: Its converted mana cost of only three mana, and the cat king’s toughness. Toughness is important because it dictates the ability of Brimaz to hold dominance over a game state by outclassing other creatures, but also by defining which pieces of damage-based removal Brimaz can safely ignore. Four toughness means every burn spell except Mizzium Mortars is ineffective in dispatching the feline monarch, a level of damage endurance at three mana that previously belonged only to Loxodon Smiter. This also gives Brimaz the ability to compete with Boros Reckoner at the three-mana creature slot, when previously any non-elephant 3-mana creature would simply be outclassed by the mighty minotaur wizard.

The token generating ability of Brimaz means it plays extremely well with Spear of Heliod (not to mention putting the king himself out of Mortars range), and I would be extremely surprised if Heliod’s favorite toy did not have an increased presence in Born of the Gods Standard. It also triggers Ephara, God of the Polis‘s ability more easily and efficiently than any other card in Standard currently, and I would expect the curve of turn three Brimaz, turn four Ephara, attack, pass to become commonplace.

Another use of Brimaz might be as a defensive creature in control deck’s sideboards, allowing those decks to provide a significant board presence for little investment against aggressive decks packing Soldier of the Pantheon and friends.  This level of versatility and power all point towards an impactful role in the upcoming metagame. Without a doubt, I expect to see the king of Oreskos claim a ringside seat in Standard’s ongoing game of thrones.

Xenagos, God of Revels

 

Here’s a card that many people seem to be excited about, but I have trouble understanding why. While the art is admittedly sweet, comparisons to Fires of Yavimaya seem to be generous at best. While the promise of a 6/5 indestructible creature with additional abilities for only 3RG may be tempting, if we’ve learned anything from the mono-colored gods of Theros, it’s that the gods are not always willing to come out and play.  Achieving the devotion necessary to get Xenagos, God of Revels’ feet on the ground is going to be difficult, and therefore the card needs to stand on its abilities first if the satyr is going to have legs of any shape in Standard.

So what does the ability really offer us? As a five-mana repeatable pump spell until proven otherwise, Xenagos is too expensive to fit into a traditional red-based aggressive deck that might be packing Burning-Tree Emissary, Ash Zealot, Chandra’s Phoenix or the like. If we were looking for this effect for less of an upfront cost, Ogre Battledriver has been available this entire time, providing haste to the entire team as well as a guaranteed body to add to an aggressive game plan. However, the M14 ogre has seen a grand total of no play in competitive Standard decks, which leads me to believe that Xenagos needs a different home in order to show his darkly grinning face in the realm of competitive Magic.

A pseudo-anthem effect on a midrange-costed card tends to support a strategy filled with mana creatures like Elvish Mystic, Voyaging Satyr, and Sylvan Caryatid, which become less of a dead draw later in the game as well as providing additional devotion, especially after powering out your fatty. Xenagos falls short of providing this service as well however, as enhancing an Elvish Mystic from a 1/1 to a 2/2 is not exactly a game-breaking boost. If our Xenagos deck were also full of large beefy threats, we might as well cast those to begin with and get the beatings going, as opposed to casting Xenagos first. Given that Xenagos cannot even target himself with his ability to allow him to attack the turn he enters play, the God of Revels makes for a poor competitor with the likes of Stormbreath Dragon at the same mana cost. I am not hopeless about this card; Burning-Tree Emissary is one of the most powerful devotion-enabling creatures in the current standard format, leading me to believe that Xenagos may well end up being a creature more often than most other gods, but I would expect that his time in Standard will be brief, if it ever comes.

Ephara’s Enlightenment

 

This is certain to be one of the premium Heroic enablers in Limited play; being able to target multiple heroic creatures, or even the same one, with only a single card is what made Dauntless Onslaught, Triton Tactics, and friends so powerful in Theros limited. If it were going to be found in a constructed deck however, it would have to be competing with some stiff competition to make the cut. Making Brimaz soar above the battlefield and out of Mizzium Mortars range is certainly appealing, as is providing two devotion to turn on Ephara herself; however, Ajani, Caller of the Pride is capable of doing all of these things and more for the same cost, while also possessing a -3 ability capable of ending games in devastating fashion. If Ephara’s Enlightenment were to see play, it would need to be because of the synergy present with Ajani’s Chosen. Is there a deck capable of exploiting that interaction? What do you think?

Herald of Torment

 

I don’t think I need to convince anyone when I say don’t pass this card in draft, and consider yourself lucky to open it in sealed. When it comes to constructed, however, I think this card may just be looking for the right home to wreak some havoc from. Boon Satyr is already seeing significant Standard play, and the Herald is nowhere near as demanding as Nighthowler about the kind of deck it wants to be in. In an aggressive deck that’s welcoming to both a 3/3 flier for 3 as well as a powerful set of wings to bestow upon an otherwise uninspiring body (Pain Seer, anyone?) Herald of Torment should be on your radar in the upcoming months.

Fanatic of Xenagos

 

Here we have the closest example so far of the new Tribute mechanic being powerful in either mode, regardless of the opponent’s situation. Minotaur Skullcleaver and Viashino Firstblade are outstanding creatures – for a turn. Fanatic of Xenagos however, remains at a size capable of outclassing Nightveil Specter, Mutavault, Ash Zealot, and many other commonly played creatures, regardless of whether or not the tribute cost is paid. While the presence of Mono-Blue and its ever-present Tidebinder Mages and Masters of Waves may prevent this from becoming part of a powerful aggressive strategy at the moment, if the metagame shifts in such a way that Mono-Blue is not as potent as it has been the previous season, I would expect this card to fill an important role in any aggressive decks capable of casting it.

 

That’s all I’ve got for today! Were there any cards you disagreed with? Any cards you’d love to see me review? While my focus as a player is primarily on the competitive aspect of Magic, the most fun I’ve ever had playing the game has been around the kitchen table, not the tournament hall; if there’s a card you’d love to see me break down and analyze, let me know in the comments!

 

DZK

 

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Wizards of the Coast Announces Delay to MTG Banned & Restricted List Update

WOTC

 

 

Wizards of the Coast announced today that they will delay the announcement of any potential changes to the Magic the Gathering Banned & Restricted list until after the Born of the Gods Pre-release; Monday, February 3rd.

 

They sight internal scheduling conflicts as the reason behind the delay. You can read the short article in it’s entirety here:

 

The Born of the Gods Banned & Restricted update will be announced on February 3, 2014, which is the Monday after the Born of the Gods Prerelease. The changes, if there are any, will go into effect with the release of Born of the Gods on February 7, 2014.

This is the scheduling which we announced on September 20, 2012 when we tied the updates to set releases. Due to internal scheduling needs we had moved that announcement a week forward for the past few sets. Those conflicts have been resolved and this scheduling will continue for the foreseeable future.”

 

The Born of the Gods Pre-release is coming soon – February 1st and 2nd! Join us here at Battleground Games & Hobbies in Abington, MA or Plainville, MA all weekend long [See article: Announcing Full Details for the Born of the Gods Pre-release].

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Announcing Full Details for the MTG Born of the Gods Pre-release

 

 

Come to our Born of the Gods Prerelease and experience the newest Magic: the Gathering set a week before it goes on sale!
PLEASE NOTE THE NEW START TIMES

The Born of the Gods Prerelease presents players with a special opportunity to open a Pre-release Pack and continue their journey down the Hero’s Path. There are five Pre-release Packs to choose from; each color has a Heroic Path: White – Lead, Blue – Outwit, Black – Dominate, Red – Conquer, and Green – Thrive.

If players would like to be guaranteed a specific Born of the Gods Pre-release Pack they MUST preregister for the event they would like to participate in.  Please speak to a store associate to pre-register.

Abington Store:
1423 Bedford Street
Abington MA 02351
781.261.9669

Plainville Store:
25 Taunton Street
Plainville MA 02762
508.316.1195

____________________________________________________________________
Main Events:
PLEASE NOTE THE NEW START TIMES

Format: Sealed Deck*
Date: February 1st Friday night / Saturday morning
Time: 12:00am (midnight)
Entrance Fee: $25.00 per person
This event will run 4 rounds.

Format: Sealed Deck*
Date: February 1st Saturday afternoon
Time: 12:00pm
Entrance Fee: $25.00 per person
This event will run 4 rounds.

Format: Sealed Deck*
Date: February 1st Saturday night
Time: 6:00pm
Entrance Fee: $25.00 per person
This event will run 4 rounds.

Format: Two-Headed Giant Sealed Deck**
Date: February 2nd Sunday afternoon
Time: 12:00pm
Entrance Fee: $20.00 per person
This event will run 4 rounds.

Format: Sealed Deck*
Date: February 2nd Sunday night
Time: 6:00pm
Entrance Fee: $25.00 per person
This event will run 4 rounds.
____________________________________________________________________

*Sealed Deck: Each player receives one Born of the Gods Prerelease Pack corresponding to the color of their choice.  Every Prerelease Pack comes with the associated Hero Card (see below).

**Two-Headed Giant Sealed Deck:  Each TEAM will receive 2 Born of the Gods Prerelease Packs with which to build two 40 card decks.

Simply put, we will run:

Born of the Gods Sealed Deck – After FNM at midnight (12:01am) on Saturday morning
Born of the Gods Sealed Deck – 12:00pm on Saturday
Born of the Gods Sealed Deck – 6:00pm on Saturday
Born of the Gods Two-Headed Giant Sealed Deck – 12:00pm on Sunday
Born of the Gods Sealed Deck – 6:00pm on Sunday

Parking on site

Google Maps

Battleground’s Facebook Page

Contact:
Please contact us if you have any questions.

What Do I Get?

Prizes are based on attendance. There will be 2 booster packs per player put into the prize pool. Prizes packs are typically awarded to the top 35% of finishers.

Each Player will receive one Born of the Gods Prerelease Pack that contains:

2 Born of the Gods booster packs
3 Theros booster packs
1 seeded booster pack*
1 promo card
1 Master Your Destiny activity card
1 Spindown™ life counter
1 Hero’s Path welcome letter
1 Hero Card
For this event, players may use the promo card included with the Prerelease Pack in their tournament deck.

*Contains cards from Born of the Gods and Theros that are or have synergy with color you chose.

What Else Can I Do?

Open Dueling: Open Dueling players each receive 1 Born of the Gods Intro Pack. Open Dueling players use their Intro Pack to play against each other, as well as Prerelease tournament players who are between matches. All players should be encouraged to help teach Open Dueling participants how to play Magic.

Commander Melees:

Use your Commander decks with your friends!

Come down, play some cards, check out the new set, and meet some new people!

 

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MTG Born of the Gods Spoiler Season is Here! (WARNING: Contains Spoilers)

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The next major Magic the Gathering release, Born of the Gods – the second set in Theros block – spoiler season is upon us! Check out what’s been spoiled thus far. Plus, additional Born of the Gods information below, including product images, links, and pre-release information!

 

 

Pretty sweet start to Born of the Gods! Additional Born of the Gods information:

Mechanics of Born of the Gods –

Card Image Gallery of Born of the Gods –

YouTube Born of the Gods Trailer –

Sealed Product Images

Looking forward to Born of the Gods? Battleground Games & Hobbies is the premier location for all your Born of the Gods pre-release action! Stay tuned for more Born of the Gods pre-release details, including schedule, prizes and so much more!

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