SpartanNerd Unboxing and Review…Magic the Gathering Premium Deck Series “Graveborn”

May 31, 2015 by SpartanNerd

It’s almost Father’s Day…and I was told to order some cards…

Not these kind! Magic Cards…Did I have you fooled? (I’m sure such cards will be coming my way, though.)

Because it is pretty hard for non Magic players to know what to get Magic players, I was told I could just order what I wanted. So I ordered “Graveborn,” a Legacy MTG deck from 2010 or 2011. It looked pretty sweet on the internet, and the allure of all foil swamps hypnotized me into making the purchase. Have I found it to be worth the $83.00 paid through TCGplayer? Keep reading to find out more!

The “Graveborn” deck is from what was called (is called?) the “Premium Deck Series.” There are two other decks out there, one a red burn deck and the other a Slivers deck. But the Zombies and the color black are my thing. So I’m just offering that as background information. The Premium Deck Series gives you a deck in all foil, with some alternate art. The foil is special, though. I would call it “Super Foil.”

The package looked like this.

A transluscent tube of plastic that let you see the of the most important cards in the deck. Featured as spokeswoman is Avatar or Woe…a card that could be Legendary, but isn’t.

On the back, you can see the deck box, which is also notably foil, with the Reanimate art prominently featured on the packaging. You also get some inspiring messages and a contents list. The deck was wisely cellophane…This tube of a package would be no trouble for a dishonest person to hack.

But I’m just throwing away the packaging, right!

Opening the box, you see this. The spin down life counter is visible.

Removing the product from package lets you see all of this. Have a look at the foil detail!

The box has nice foil…as mentioned.

This card really shows off the foil. This foil is a little better than what we usually see. It might be equivalent to what they put on Planeswalkers in the Dual Decks.

I wanted to mention that the spin down counter feels a little chalky. It is also a little bit lighter than the kind we had before Dragons of Tarkir. But it doesn’t feel like the dice that came in those pre-release boxes. It doesn’t feel like the dice that came in the Dual Deck Anthology either.

I am going to go over each card featured in the packaging.

This is a handy card. This deck needs ways to discard things from your hand. In this case you are rewarded with 2/2 Zombie Tokens. You will probably just use them to block on the ground or as things to sac.

The Avatar of Woe is good as a beater…but better as reliable removal.

Animate Dead is an odd card with a contentious history. Evidently an aura can’t attach to things in the graveyard…

Cabal Therapy. I had this card before, but not with this art. I have only played it in Commander…it is a fun card with a lot of utility. You can use it as a Thoughtsieze effect, or you can target yourself and get one of the bombs out of your hand into the graveyard. It’s just fun! Someone recently asked if the wizards would be reprinting this for Standard. I wonder why they wouldn’t?

Of all the cards in this deck, this is the most “money card” of them all. Priced at $30 or roundabout. You can get whatever creature you NEED and put in your graveyard for re-animation. And at instant speed too…so you wait until they are tapped out, then drop this bomb.

Reanimate is banned in Modern for a reason…One mana to get back whatever bomb you have. OK…Turn one, Entomb. Turn Two Reanimate. GG.

At sorcery speed, and for three mana, you get entomb times three. SICK!

A card from my early days of playing. I always thought it was bad. But it is great in this deck, where you need to discard things!

As mentioned, this deck is a MONO BLACK deck. So you can’t cast this card from your hand…Crosis will have to be reanimated. But he is great! He is also the only legendary in this deck, surprisingly.

I had this card from Commander. I always thought it good in esper colors. Pro Red and Green makes it great to entomb out at instant speed when needed.

Onto what is in the deck box.

The cards in cellophane and inserts in cellophane.

I just threw away the insert which is a general guide to playing Magic. I am keeping this insert. The historical information here is pretty nice to know…I wasn’t aware of who was successful with reanimator decks before.

The decklist is on the other side. Good for future reference when I piece out the deck for different purposes.

I am going to go over the cards a little at a time.

Starting with the bombs.

These four cards are just sick. Think how absurd it is to have any one of them out on turn two…

Blazing Archon is probably the most annoying!

Casting Terastadon late enough in the game means you probably have Terastadon plus three elephant friends!

Inkwell Leviathon. Great against blue players.

Verdant Force is here not only as a bomb, but also for historical significance, if you pay attention to what they told you in the insert.

There are also black creatures you CAN hard cast.

I don’t care much for Putrid Imp. I would rather Stinkweed Imp be here…

Faceless Butcher is a black Banisher Priest.

And Twisted Abomination rides the line between bomb and chump for this deck. He is better for swampcycling. You might find him to be the only “bomb” you can reanimate on a bad occasion.

The other spells…

All spells are singularly focused on discarding or getting bombs out of the library and into the graveyard. There is no cancel or burn. No ramp. No pump. Just all re-animator business. I am highly impressed with the foil on Duress. I mentioned before that Duress is one of my favorite spells! It is funny when you play Exhume on turn two against someone who hasn’t played any creatures. Diabolic Servitude and Animate Dead are about the same thing.

Then there are the lands…

21 foil swamps. Just about enough said! The other three lands are utility lands that let you do colorless mana or sac for ramp. There is also a cycling land. Dakmor Salvage would be good here.

Playing the deck…

This deck works as advertised. I heard someone say “It is from the Golden Age of pre-constructed decks.” Very true. There is no comparison to some of the tripe I have reviewed that they have put out…(Virtually all of the event decks I have reviewed lack important consistency. Those intro decks are lackluster. And recent dual decks, like Elspeth Vs. Kiora, feel really weak by comparison.)

Get your bomb in the graveyard early…and bring them back to life. Swing in for damage. Rinse and repeat.

Deck Matchups.

I played this against the SpartanKid, piloting various decks from the Dual Deck Anthology.

The first deck I wanted to try it against was Divine, from the Dual Decks Anthology. Because that deck is generally a winner. A good matchup. But almost without fail, GG for Graveborn by turn 5.

Chandra’s deck From the DDA was an interesting matchup. Burn is meaningless against Sphinx of the Steel Wind on Turn three. All of the progress Chandra could bring was just displaced by the giant, lifelink, vigilance, first striker.

But Jace from the DDA was a different story. If the reanimator spells get canceled, this deck does nothing. And worse, if the bombs get bounced back to your hand, you have to work to get them back to the graveyard to reanimate. Graveborn lost two matches to Jace Beleren’s deck. And it was mostly because trick creatures with morph redirected spells, or bounced things.

I am going to continue testing, and will update this post to reflect the results. (hopefully!)

Changing the Deck

Because this deck is Legacy, I will have to modify it for play. I am thinking about how to use it in Standard. But that is really probably out of the question. The Whip of Erebos is good, except the cards brought back from the graveyard to swing are exiled after they leave the battlefield. Rescue from the Underworld is a mana-intensive spell. I am going to experiment some before the Standard tournament at the Tangled Web on Friday night this week. But I suspect I will just sleeve up my foil Duress cards and foil lands and continue to play Liliana/Waste Not.

Modern has some possibilities though. I have already ordered “Gifts Ungiven,” which means introducing blue to this deck. However, I think it will improve the deck where it is weak. Adding blue means I get to use my own cancel spells. Unburial rights is also a possibility. In fact, someone recently flashed back Unburied rights and got Emrakul out on me when I was playing my Amulet/Bloom deck. This would mean introducing white. So now we are talking esper…

The other way this deck can be modified is by changing the bombs. Since 2010/2011 a lot more cards have been released. You can re-animate Iona, Shield of Emeria, and break your opponents colors. You can re-animate Emrakul, the Aeons Torn or other Eldrazi. Avacyn Angel of Hope and Akroma Angel of Wrath are good choices. Re-animate Aurelia and take extra combat steps. Reanimate Ashen Rider and remove a threat…Reanimate Medomai the Ageless and take an extra turn. Reanimate Griselbrand…Reanimate …….. any Titan…. So many broken things to do!

SpartanNerd’s Rating of Magic the Gathering Premium Deck Series Graveborn is 4/5. Here’s why.

The foil cards look incredible. The deck is fun and consistent. The Spindown Counter is unique and cool, if a little different. The special insert with historical information was cool. There is a lot of monetary value here as well, especially with “entomb”.

The deck box cannot hold the deck when sleeved with Dragon Shields. And these premium foils demand to be sleeved. I felt really paranoid I was going to scratch them by their rubbing together in the most natural way that cards do. This is a Legacy deck, and in my area, I have never seen a Legacy tournament. I have encountered players who brought decks to practice with. But I can’t just take this item to a local tournament and playtest it against a metagame. And then, the single-mindedness of this deck is also its downfall. If someone can prevent you from…Discarding cards, tutoring cards to the graveyard, or reanimating cards, all three of which are required to make this deck work like the organic machine it is, then that person will win. There is no sideboard included.

But saying all of that negative stuff doesn’t detract from the sheer coolness of the deck. It is something most people won’t see coming. I ordered it for its beauty and for what it stands for, and for a way to help me do more things with the graveyard, and this deck has delivered this.

SPARTANNERD’S RATING OF “GRAVEBORN” IS 4/5. DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE. LEAVE NOTES IN THE COMMENTS, OH HUB CITY GEEKS!

SpartanNerd Unboxing and Review…Masters of the Universe Classics “Snake Armor He-Man vs. Battle Armor King Hsss” Two Pack

March 3, 2015 by SpartanNerd

I always wanted to have Snake Armor He-Man from the 200x line. Unfortunately, I’ve never seen one in stores, and apparently it only was sold in Europe.

When Mattel revealed the MOTUC version, as a double pack with 200x King Hsss…I was very surprised. Here is a company that has consistently said they weren’t going to do “anime stylized” figures. I, like everyone else interested, watched Pixel Dan’s video review…and I knew this would be my next purchase. Then came the big news of a 200x subscription line…I am still deciding on that. But I am very glad to know that they are visiting that old line and bringing new figures from the show that were never released, like Ceratus and Calix.

I ordered this as soon as it was available on February 16, and today it arrived on March 2. Not so good. Not that the amount of time the shipping took has anything to do with the value of the figure, but it is kind of a bummer that it took so long.

Anyways, on with the review!

The toys arrived in this mailer box. Similar to what we have seen in the past. You can see the names of the figures prominently on the front.

Removing the inner box from the mailer reveals this packaging. It is similar pakaging to what we got with the Palace Guard two pack. There is a Snake Men sticker conspicuously on the blister bubble.

Flipping the box over…wait a minute. (sniff sniff). What’s that (sniff sniff) smell?

I’ve heard of new car smell. And there is/was a blog or show on the web “That New Toy Smell.” But I never actually smelled a new toy outside of a toy that was supposed to smell. And I have to say, it isn’t very pleasant. It is a strong smell, that overcomes the packaging. I heard complaints on Roast Gooble Dinner podcast about some of the new plastic Mattel using smelling “like urinal cakes.” I wouldn’t quite describe this smell as that bad. It smells of chemicals, though. And like new paint.

Onto flipping the box.

We get some pictures of other snake men in the line, notably Tongue Lasher, my favorite Snake Man…until today!

The bios are interesting, and you can read them on your own time, Hub City Geeks. I am just throwing this packaging away. (As I type this, I am looking at the two figures on my kitchen table, and they continue to smell funny.)

Both figures are MAGNIFICENT! The sculpt of He-Man’s armor…what they’ve done with the concept is incredible! And there are lots of tiny details. He-Man is one of those figures I could stare at for a while and keep finding new things. King Hsss likewise, has a remarkable sculpt, and this time, they adapted the 200x look into his Armor instead of making a new buck, or whatever. Both figures feature loin cloths reminiscent of the 200x time period. King Hsss comes with a snake staff and a shield, just like the older version…

No shoulder swapping has been done to the new King Hsss! The older version has a certain nostalgia, but the newer version carries Egyptian details.

He-Man has received a new head sculpt, and this is what has people excited the most about getting these figures, I think.

No more fish-head haircut for He-Man Notice that there is a sword holder on his back, designed to hold the 200x sword!

He-Man also has the claw accessory that was prominently featured in the cartoon. It just clips right into his gauntlet.

He-Man and King Hsss have all of the articulation of other MOTUC figures: Ball jointed head, ball jointed shoulders, bicep swivels, rotating wrists, an ab crunch, rotating waist, ball jointed legs, knees with a hinge, and rocker ankles. Neither figure has a boot cut swivel, but that is generally unnecessary.

King Hsss’ head swivel is hampered by his headdress a little bit. Otherwise, all of the joints feel tight and the figures stand very nicely. I would like to point out that the loin cloth on both figures hampers their ability to ride on a steed…He-Man can’t properly ride Battle Cat (if you happened to get Battle Lion and armor swap.)

You can remove King Hsss torso and swap out with the snake form from the previous figure. Mattel is promising a 200x snake form to be packed with a different figure. I feel that the older snake form looks like a buck-toothed rabbit.

You can try trading He-Man’s head sculpt onto different figures, and vice versa. You can make a truly 200x regular He-Man now if you have King Grayskull’s armor. Or you could take the armor off of the 200x He-Man, and use that…it fits the classics figures just fine. (I don’t have these options available, sadly.)

But putting that 200x head on Prince Adam looks SWEET! He looks like some kind of model, don’t you think!

Here is a COMPARISON TIME: Wolf Armor He-Man 200x and Snake Armor He-Man MOTUC

Hsss’ staff and shield are given to us in muted colors this time. I especially like the staff in this color. It looks extra evil. And the darker colored shield is also better than the brighter shield we got before.

He-Man’s sword is the same as the other swords we have from 200x, but this time the cross on the hilt is highlighted in black. Some things are lacking in this department for He-Man.

Sure we have awesome new armor…(incidentally, non-removable armor). But Snake Armor He-Man needs a snake shield. He also needs a sword that can open up to fire the power of Grayskull at Serpos, like we saw in the final episode of the 200x series.

So what’s my rating?

I had a blast coming up with cool poses for each figure. They look absolutely awesome together. My favorite thing is the action pose you see above, where He-Man is fighting King Hsss. This armor lends makes you believe this figure is a real snake fighter!

But no way around it…I have to take off some for a couple of reasons. We didn’t get all we need with these figures. King Hsss missing his alt mode. He-man not having a transforming sword or a shield. And then there is that smell. That has to be enough to really effect some people’s fun.

But the positives really outweigh the negatives. The sculpts are amazing. The customizability that is opened up with these figures is also very nice. The figures are fun to play with and look at. I can’t say enough about all of the details. The paint is very intricate as well. This has to make up for some of the bad.

So I am going to rate this set a solid 3/5 or a cautious 4/5. If you are a fan of 200x, or just the snake men in general, then this product is for you. I mentioned above, this sculpt of King Hsss has promoted him to my favorite snake man. And I really like the part swapping options opened up with the new 200x head sculpt.

SpartanNerd Unboxing and Review…Commander 2014 “Forged In Stone” EDH Deck

February 26, 2015 by SpartanNerd

This time I didn’t have the luxury of unboxing the product for you, oh Hub City Geeks. The “Forged in Stone” Commander deck has been in play at the SpartanNerd’s house for some time, and I didn’t get a chance to unbox it for you. Sorry!

The unboxing was similar to the unboxing of “Sworn to Darkness” from the same set, which you can see my review of here. (click the link)

Regardless, I am including a video of the cards.

I also have the main insert.

The art features Nahiri, the Lithomancer. This has been a mysterious character in Magic the Gathering fiction, evidently. I’ve only recently begun to read the online stories, but evidently Nahiri was the one who created the prison for the Eldrazi at the behest of Ugin, the Spirit Dragon. Fans have long said that the person featured on the card Stoneforge Mystic was the Lithomancer, though she was never named or had details officially given to her. So now the wizards have made it official…

The art is good, but it was too much work for me to try and read that white text over that white background. Come on. Wizards. You know better than that!

The back is more of the same, but gives you a decklist as well. Here is that image, extra large so you can read it!

The “Forged in Stone” deck features a mainly white strategy, with an emphasis on artifacts. Nahiri, the Lithomancer, is the main commander, a planeswalker that has a very dangerous ultimate ability…you get a sword called “Stoneforged Blade” that adds +5/+5 and double strike to a creature. OUCH!!!

Her other two abilities are also very relevant, because as a mainly white strategy, the deck can get a lot of token creatures out easily. And equipment cards can be attached to them for free. That’s crazy! Her -2 ability makes it possible to get equipment out of the graveyard in case it gets removed.

Nahiri is a great commander…Not as good as Ob Nixilis, though. For instance, her abilities are conditional..you have to have an equipment card on the battlefield or graveyard in order for her top two abilities to be relevant.

The other possible commanders in this deck are Jazal Goldmane and Kemba,Kha Regent. Jazal lets you pump your creatures, while Kemba is the real danger, putting new 2/2 Cat creatures out each turn for each equipment she has attached.

The other creatures do things that white creatures are supposed to do. Sun Titan is here to get things back out of the graveyard upon entering the battlefield or attacking. There are some clerics, angels, mentors, priest…each doing something classically white. The angels are especially relevant…usually big fliers with abilities. You know how I feel about angels in Magic!

In addition to the mana rocks that always seem to be included in these commander decks, you get some really good equipment. You get Moonsliver Spear and Loxodon Warhammer…both really good in the hands of either a chump or a fighter. There is also Bonehoard, a card that can get rediculous in a multiplayer game with lots of board wipes.

The instants and sorceries are really good, with comeuppance usually being a star. Basically you redirect damage back to either an attacker or a player.

This deck includes the double sided tokens…an idea that I hope the wizards use more in the future. The packaging was cool, with tasteful white and black styling, but the box is the same box that all the other commander decks came with. It can’t hold the deck when sleeved.

When pitted against Ob Nixilis, Nahiri’s deck has problems with board wipes. Because there is really only a token strategy for the early game. But usually when she can stage a turnaround, Nixilis will lose. It’s usually an angel that causes the win.

Remember when I said some of Nahiri’s abilities were irrelevant sometimes? They usually aren’t irrelevant. There are enough equipment cards for her to do what she needs to do. I haven’t played this deck in a multiplayer match yet..as I get the chance I will let you know.

The other deck I have played it against is a modified “Eternal Bargain” deck from Commander 2013. Oloro,s life gain was significant, but Nahiri was able to pull off a win!

SpartanNerd’s rating of Magic the Gathering “Forged In Stone” Commander 2014 EDH deck is 4/5. I am knocking the point off because I think Ob Nixilis’ deck is better. Maybe that is bias, because I favor black over white. But white is my secondary color, so…

The other thing might not be as relevant…it is difficult to read the text on the insert material. Someone botched it when they decided to use white text over a white background.

Do you agree? Let me know in the comments!

SpartanNerd Unboxing and Review…Kahns of Tarkir Holiday Gift Box

February 16, 2015 by SpartanNerd

I purchased two Theros gift boxes for the SpartanKids last year. I didn’t bother reviewing them. But I purchased the Kahns of Tarkir gift box for myself at Friday Night Magic on Feb 13, and thought I would share my unboxing experience with the world!

The front of the box is pleasant, featuring the Zurgo Helmsmasher art with a red wash over the image. Note the price…$19.99. I actually got this for $16 something. There was a Valentines Day special! (at the Tangled Web)

The back shows what you get.

What is actually going on is there is a sleeve over the actual box.

Sorry. Too big a shot to keep the kitchen table from appearing! I was surprised…there was what looked like a seeded pack with a special foil on top! You got four regular packs, a pack of artsy dividers, and a label sheet. Oh yes, also a nice box with three sections.

Here are the dividers where you can see them. They are really pretty!

That “seeded pack” wasn’t a seeded pack after all…(sadness.) It was a pack of lands, with a premium foil Sultai Charm on top. I believe this card is exclusive to this Holiday gift set. I think that is one copy of each of the basic lands printed for Kahns of Tarkir.

I am going to open the packs so you can see them just as I did! I will reveal the commons, then the uncommon, and finally the rare and extras from each pack.

PACK 1!

Nothing too notable in Pack 1! Clever Impersonator hasn’t seen that much play, surprisingly. I like Kin Tree Invocation. But even in the warrior deck, it hasn’t been used much.

PACK 2!

I noticed right away that there were less commons in this pack…meaning a special surprise in the back! Of the commons and uncommon, I like Gurmag Swiftwing the best.

My rare was Mardu Ascendancy. What was that special card? A fetch land? No. A premium rare? no. A foil Singing Bess Strike. Really a pretty good card. But not a fetch land.

Pack 3!

Another situation like before! But no fetch. This time my rare is really good, Blood-soaked Champion. A fighter who just won’t die! Horde Ambusher was my foil card.

Pack 4!

And things round out with Sultai Ascendancy. A pretty good card for Sultai decks.

Packs are packs. They are always a gamble. If I had purchased these four packs, I wouldn’t have been too happy.

Finally, how good does the box hold cards.

I stocked it up with more cards so you could see. There is enough room for sleeved cards. This box has already helped me consolidate some of the odd and end boxes in my nerd closet!

What do I rate the Kahns of Tarkir Holiday Gift Box?

This is really a terrific product. If a person did not know what to get a MTG player, then this is a pretty good gift. The box works good, but the packs are a gamble. The label sheet is the only thing I haven’t mentioned. Check this out!

The labels are not really my thing. What I really like about them is the educational value for new players! I didn’t even know about different formats when I began playing. Here is a good way to create awareness. Guess what? There is even a label for “Cube!” (Among the newest formats, players find enjoyment in making booster packs for people to draft. Then they collect the cards and reassemble the cube.)

I wish there was a guide for what set each symbol represents. This is something I can’t do yet.

Then there are blank labels for you to write whatever you want when organizing your cards.

So I guess I will give it a 5/5. The packs are a gamble, so I easily could have gotten a Sorin and a Sarkahn. (I heard of someone opening a Holiday Box and getting these two.) But I didn’t. Otherwise, it is a good general product for MTG players, and a good starting product for new players, giving you four copies of the basic lands.

What is your rating? Do you agree? Let me know. Even better, let me know what you opened in Your holiday box!

SpartanNerd Unboxing and Review…Fate Reforged Clash Pack “Power vs. Profit”

February 5, 2015 by SpartanNerd

First of all, let me say I haven’t been ABLE to play MTG lately, it seems much less review products or blog. Life has been busy, and I have been tired. I managed to play on the past couple of Friday nights, one tournament was cool because it was draft. But I had almost no practice with my standard deck, and lost badly last week with my “Windswept Heath” Junk (abzan) deck. I intend to play Liliana again this Friday night, but still haven’t got to practice much. Incidently, also, I have been “drawing” a lot playing the three color style. Maybe that is really what is motivating me to go back to mono black.

I purchased this product, Fate Reforged Clash Pack…”Power vs. Profit” on release day for Fate Reforged. It was about $30 at the Tangled Web in Spartanburg. I skipped the previous Clash Pack, “M15,” because it seemed like a weak offering. So this is the first such product I have bought.

Some thoughts about it, verses say, getting an Event Deck. An event deck is similar to an intro deck, but maybe only a little better. You get 75 cards, a nice box, and a life counter. Event Decks are kind of what you buy as a casual player, coming in to try Magic for the first time, or whatever. They might win a match or two, but rarely more than two. I’m saying this knowing that a lot of SpartanNerd.com traffic comes from me reviewing Event Decks, but in general, they just aren’t that good because the Wizards don’t construct them to be tournament winners. For instance, they will only have one or two copies of a card that there should be four of. Or the mana-fixing is slow. Some of the reason they do it like this is so that new players get more different cards. I didn’t realize it, until spending some time with some new players, especially kids…there is a “collectors” aspect to what they want. I’m OK with that, I’m just saying that it makes the Event Decks weaker in general than they should be to be truly competitive.

The Clash Pack idea takes some of the philosophy of the Event Deck, and addresses some of the weaker points. The Fate Reforged Clash Pack comes with two “better-than-intro-pack” decks. (a total of 120 cards). You don’t get a spin-down life counter, but you DO get a box that can hold both decks unsleeved, or one deck sleeved with a sideboard. (The box is similar to those boxes that came with the “Dual Deck Anthology,” but a little different.)

The idea is that a player will play with both decks, presumably against each other. And then craft a competitive deck from the stronger pieces of each one. I like this better than the “I came in. Let me buy some cards to play.” The clash pack makes it so that you are thinking about what you are playing ahead of time. Then do what you are supposed to do for a Standard tournament, and “construct” a deck.

You can see the cards in the video below. Both the “Power” and the “Profit” deck are featured. If you are a veteran player, you will notice right away that some of the first cards are “alternate art.” For me, this was a major reason to purchase the product. I love the Whip of Erebos alternate art, as well as Hero’s Downfall and Reaper of the Wilds.

The “Power” Deck

This deck is Sultai; Black, Green, and Blue. It is very clear that the deck is great at getting cards into the graveyard. The idea is that you will load your graveyard, cast a few flyers with delve, and maybe control the game with the graveyard using Necropolis FIend’s ability. A big positive…there are four copies of Satyr Wayfinder, a big clue that the design here is better than an Event Deck. The mana-fixing is of the slow “gain-land” variety, and I’m not sure a person should ever play a banner outside of draft, sealed, and commander styles. The instants and sorceries are perfect for their respective color, and both Sulai Charm and Sultai Ascendancy are really great for this deck. Oh yes…did I mention Treasure Cruise, a card that is so good it is already banned everywhere except Standard? I believe that fixing the mana better, using Polluted Delta, Mana Confluence, or similar, then this deck might be really good as it is. You might trade up to four copies of Hero’s downfall, but Murderous Cut is really good. And you have a backup win condition, Scuttling Doom Engine! You could modify it by adding Taisigur or Sidisi…I’m not sure Herald of Torment is the best choice here, as it usually won’t do anything but hurt you.

The “Profit” deck

There is no blue in this deck, so we could call it “Galgari.” What “Profit” tries to do is use the “constellation” mechanic. For me, historically, this has been weak sauce. Eidolon of Blossoms is really … so-so. And it is a good case study for most of Constellation. For four mana, you get a 2/2 with a card draw ability triggering when it enters the battlefield and whenever another enchantment enters the battlefield. Maybe I’m just dumb, but the trigger doesn’t go off if your spell gets canceled, and that is exactly usually what happens. (sadness). If not, the Eidolon just gets murdered before you can trigger constellation and draw a second time. (more sadness). But I really like the other thing this deck does…It keeps cards in the graveyard for more power. Nighthowler is a key card here, and there should be more of them in this deck. (I suppose they didn’t want to add TOO MANY RARES.) But you get Nemesis of Mortals, who is a big guy for cheap with more stuff in the graveyard. The deck has a few spiders to catch those flyers in the other deck, including one of my personal favorites, Nyx Weaver. Dark Betrayal is no good against opponents who are not playing black creatures…Not a problem when clashing against “Power,” but no good except for side boarding in tournaments. This deck tries to have more life gain. The Courser of Kruphix is ALWAYS a good card. The Whip of Erebos as well, and this is a card where a one-of is welcomed. Finally, the Wizards must have their eye on the meta-game…Doomwake Giant is a currently good card against Jeskai “prowess” decks and Blue-White “heroic” decks.

The Matchup

The decks are fun to play against each other. That’s why the clash pack is a great product. It combines the fun of the Dual Deck, with the collection builder of an Intro deck, and the ambition of an event deck. The Wizards pitted two graveyard philosophies against one another, with tremendous success. The flying killers of Power verses the giant graveyard lovers of Profit.

The Mixup

The promotional insert provides a suggested deck. I don’t think it is as good as it could be. For one thing, it splashes the blue for the Sultai cards, but the designers decided to mana-fix with Jungle Hollow instead of Dismal Backwater. That seems a little wrong to me. Thankfully they opted for only two Opulent Palace, which has been the correct choice for the current Standard environment. I think Herald of Torment just doesn’t fit this deck. It would be better with another Hero’s Downfall, or maybe Nighthowler. I even think a fourth copy of Nyx Weaver would be better if the purpose of the Herald of Torment was to provide evasion on turn three. I will even go as far to say that Sultai Scavenger is a better, probably cheaper flyer. The Herald needs to bestow on something with Heroic to be worthwhile.

Just the same, I think it is great that the Wizards are encouraging people to mix the decks. If all you had were these 120 cards in your collection, then you have some good tools to really get going in making your preferred “Delve” or “Dredge” deck. And the experience can even be educational, as your tournament opponent drops “Polluted Delta” on the battlefield, turn one, and you have played “Dismal Backwater.” The opponent gets to Thoughtsieze that Necropolis Fiend right out of your hand on turn one, while you cry because your land … couldn’t ..even …do ………anything.

(Maybe that was a little too mean…)

SpartanNerd’s Rating of Magic the Gathering Fate Reforged Clash Pack “Power vs. Profit”

I am going to examine the merits of the product first.

You get 120 cards, with lots of rares, and six special art promo cards. The promotional material is pretty good, and it includes the guide for new players. You also get a reasonably good box with a divider, if the latch is one of those weak ones that I detest.

But that doesn’t do enough to knock off a point. SO the actual product gets 5/5.

Next I will examine each deck on its strong and weak points.

“Power” leans on the graveyard for Delve costs, and hopes to drop Necropolis Fiend on the battlefield early, and control the opponent with even more delve. It has a backup strategy of Scuttling Doom Engine. This deck is more of a control deck, featuring two Murderous Cuts and cancel-type spells. Of the two, I like it the best, but I am taking off a point because the Mana-fixing is slow, and Herald of Torment sucks. It gets 4/5.

“Profit” leans on the graveyard as a way of boosting creature power and toughness, and also leans on Constellation. Constellation works great against the Power deck, but not in the current metagame for tournaments. This is more of an aggro” deck, with the aim of getting Nighthowler bestowed onto something and beat you down with that suddenly huge creature, or getting Nemesis of Mortals out and activating Monstrosity sooner than you normally should. Most of the creatures help load the graveyard and trigger constellation if you are lucky. One of the best inclusions is Doomwake Giant, who is hot in the meta-game against Prowess decks. This deck gets 3/5.

And the experience as a whole this time gets a score.

This clash pack stands a head taller than any of the last three Event Decks I purchased. It was five more dollars, but worth every bit of it. I am going to give this part a 4/5, because it could have been a weak offering just as easily.

As if the SpartanNerd’s ratings really meant anything out there in the Blogosohere. It seems I am giving the Fate Regorged Clash Pack a 4/5. Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments!

SpartanNerd Vintage Toy Review…”Masters of the Universe Wolf Armor He-man and Snake Armor Skeletor”

January 1, 2015 by SpartanNerd

This is one of the longest titles I’ve typed on this blog!

Today you get the final pictures taken with my iPhone 4s. Good riddance, after seeing how good the iPhone 6 camera is! (I can hear Skeletor from the MYP cartoon saying “Good Riddance!”

This item was originally meant to be a gift set. You are getting two figures, both with an action accessory, and a VHS tape. (GASP)

The front of the box is a nice window where you can see the figures and the video inside.

I love the SpartanWife…If it weren’t for her, I probably never would have got these!

Here’s the back…

Everything all over this packaging is in three languages. English, Spanish (or Italian?) and French.

Probably Spanish, aimed at the Mexican market. Sorry Europeans. (Seriously. There are mega fans in Europe. Especially Italy and Germany.)

The back of the package gives you instructions, and also shows off some other figures and vehicles from 200x.

I do miss the 200x show!

On with the review. This packaging is just landing in the trash. I’m not sure this could have counted as Mint On Card anyways. The box has had some abuse.

Here is everything assembled, for your photography pleasure. The video is going to stay in cellophane. I believe I will display it with my 1987 movie VHS tape. Because neither is EVER going back into a VCR to be eaten. That’s why. And besides, I have “The Courage of Adam” on DVD.

Here are the accessories. I activated the action feature of both shields this time. I prefer to display them like this. Skeletor’s activates by press of a button. You reset it by pushing that skull back up, and then the blades retract. He-Man’s works by turning that wolf head. His isn’t spring loaded, unfortunately. But it looks way cooler with the blades out.

This is the first He-Man I’ve ever owned that didn’t come with a sword!

Also notable, He-Man’s helmet is removable…Skeletor’s is not.

He-Man has a wolf claw weapon. And I’m not sure WHAT Skeletor’s weapon is. A gun? A sword? I tend to think those silver pieces are meant to be long retractable tentacles. So more of a gun. But then again, it could be that the two silver pieces are meant to mirror Skeletor’s double sword. I just don’t know.

As far as I know, there is no extant fiction for either character…

Here’s Skeletor. His shield is really heavy. 200x Skeletor tends to be sort of hunchbacked as it is. But in order to have him stand and hold the shield, you have to bend him backwards, pretty severely.

The figure has a snake head on top of his helmet. I thought this must be a button for an action feature. Nope. Maybe the Horsemen intended it to be so? The armor is removable, but it looks to be two pieces. I don’t feel the urge to take it off…you can’t remove his helmet, so you would have a shirtless Skeletor with a snake hat. And what if I have trouble getting that armor back on?

I have to add that the snake hat is glued to the hooded head that was on the original, non-variant version. Mattel really cut corners on this figure. And I don’t necessarily appreciate it. I do think these are cool designs. I might not understand them. But stuff like the mess that is on Skeletor’s head is pretty infuriating. Why isn’t that removable. Or at least, not GLUED TO HIS HOOD.

Skeletor is fine below the waist. His loin cloth is elaborate. His toes look ever creepy. To bad he didn’t have claws on his feet, as he had in the cartoon and the Vintage figure from the 1980s. I wish they at least painted the nails black as a compromise.

Skeletor also doesn’t have the torso punch. How did that get left out.

I can make a comparison this time. We have what I believe to be Battle Armor/sound Skeletor from the 200x line. He has a spring loaded waist twist. And you can remove his hood. I’m just saying.

Onto Wolf Armor He-Man.

He-man is superior to Skeletor in every way. He has the same problem as Skeletor in that his shield is too heavy for him to stand and hold it as usual. I am not necessarily a fan of the way the He-Man holds his shields in 200x. Shields should strap to the arm. Not be held in hand. But this is an overall style criticism. He-man’s waist twist works great. His armor is removable. I generally have a hard time standing 200x He-Man. His legs are sculpted in an odd way.

He-Man’s armor is a nice gold color. His furry shorts come complete with the little pouch that hangs from his belt.

I tried out the sword from the 200x Castle Grayskull playset. This sword has good symmetry with the shield, matching the other shiny silver pieces.

Here’s Skeletor with the other 200x villains in my collection. Too bad we can’t see Two-Bad’s faces. (get it. “Two Bad.”

SpartanNerd’s Rating

Here goes. Whhhhhh…..(sigh)

What these figures ARE is kind of a mystery. Snake Armor Skeletor kind of makes sense. Skeletor is the enemy of the Snake Men. But we never saw him in the cartoon wearing this. On the other hand, He-Man was decked out especially for the Snake Men. But what was Wolf Armor He-Man? There were no wolf enemies. I guess this was just a variant like the “Jungle Attack He-Man” or “Smash Blade He-Man.”

Skeletor’s figure has a very compromised feel to it. Like they intended for it to be more than it is. But had to cut corners. So there is no action feature. And the helmet is not removable. And they didn’t bother with a new head sculpt…hence the hood is still there under the helmet.

Add to these problems the fact that the figures can’t stand properly because of the weight of the shields, and the fact that He-Man doesn’t come with a sword. And the score is pretty low.

But I don’t dislike these figures. They are fun! I think the shields’ action features are cool. Especially Skeletor’s with the spring loaded blades. He-Man’s shield, with the blades sticking out around it is especially cool looking.

I rate 200x Wolf Armor He-Man at 3/5. His sculpt is great. He has a cool shield. It is a nice variant. He looks cool on the shelf. With the downside of not coming with a sword, or being able to stand holding the shield without being contorted.

I rate 200x Snake Armor Skeletor as 2/5. He has a compromised feel. Unremovable Helmet. Dubious removable armor. A strange weapon. And can’t stand naturally holding the shield. On the other hand, the action feature on the shield is fun, and the overall look of the figure is nice.

I’m not even going to bother rating the tape.

Because these figures look so cool on the shelf, and that is their main function, I am going to rate them probationally 3/5 as a set.

That’s right. The SpartanNerd rates the dubiously named:

200x Masters of the Universe Wolf Armor He-Man and Snake Armor Skeletor Gift Set *

3/5.

Do you agree? Let me know in the comments!

*I added the colon because it is supposed to be funny.

spartannerd

A blog about everything "nerdtainment!"

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