| Are you ready to build some inventions? After playing in the Kaladesh prerelease this past weekend, I realized that I haven't been this hyped to play or watch Magic in some time. Simply put, Kaladesh is awesome. Vehicles are incredibly fun to play with, Fabricate is a decision intensive mechanic, and Energy brings a new resource element to Magic that I didn't think was possible. I don't want to jump the gun and call this the best Magic set of all time, but it certainly resonated with me and everyone else who played at the Star City Game Center a few days ago. So how does Kaladesh affect Standard? Well, if early reports are any indication, in a pretty big way. I think everyone knows that Smuggler's Copter is busted, but if you've been living under a rock, prepare to hear "Get To The Choppa!" quite a bit over the next year and change. Beyond the powerful vehicle, Kaladesh has some incredible build-around-me cards like Aetherworks Marvel, Metalwork Colossus, Dynavolt Tower, and Electrostatic Pummeler. The question, of course, is if these artifacts are the real deal or will Standard mainstays like Elder Deep‑Fiend, Gideon, Ally of Zendikar, and Emrakul, the Promised End make them obsolete? Fortunately, we don't have to wait much longer to find out as #SCGINDY is only a few days away! I'll be joined by Patrick Sullivan, Nick Miller, and the rest of the @SCGLive crew as we prepare for the most exciting weekend of 2016—Kaladesh release weekend! It's time to finally see the Gearhulks, Kaladesh fast lands, and Chandra, Torch of Defiance in action. And what better place to do so than the Crossroads of America—Indianapolis—a city rich with SCG Tour history. If you can't make it out to #SCGINDY, be sure to watch all the action over at twitch.tv/SCGLive! — Cedric Phillips, Media Manager @CedricAPhillips |  |  | Week One Decks For #SCGINDY With #SCGINDY just a few days away, everyone is putting their finishing touches on their favorite brew. But if you haven't found a deck you're happy with, Michael Majors has you covered. From previous successful strategies to the best ways to use Smuggler's Copter, Majors has got it all. |  | My Picks For The Best 10 Cards In Kaladesh Last week, SCG Tour grinder Todd Stevens told us all about his favorite 20 cards in Kaladesh. This week, the equally dapper Mark Nestico checks in with his picks for the best 10 cards in Magic's newest set. Did the Gearhulks strike Mark's fancy? Did Chandra, Torch of Defiance draw Mark's ire? Click and find out! |  | Vehicles Are Good When Vehicles were debuted, Ari Lax was rather skeptical. Could we really activate these unique artifacts with consistency? Well, after some testing and battling in the Kaladesh prerelease, the Pro Tour champion has changed his tune. This week, he's here to tell you why Vehicles are the real deal. | | | Season Four of Commander VS is over, but relive the wins, losses, and all the fun with this season recap! Enjoy a bonus preview of Season Five as well. |  | | #SCGINDY this weekend will be a fresh Standard format, but only one of the five legal sets will be new to Standard. When registering a deck into an open field where you're uncertain what you'll play against, playing cards that you know are powerful is very valuable. | | Even though the namesake card is out of the format, the deck formerly known as "Bant Company" is still very alive and well.  
The entire core creature base returns, and is still the heart of the deck. Each creature is individually powerful enough to either generate card advantage or tempo advantage, which allows Bant Aggro to be an aggressive deck that has a prevailing late game. Sylvan Advocate, Reflector Mage, Spell Queller, and Tireless Tracker are all easy four-ofs, as they were some of the most powerful cards in the previous Standard format.  
Duskwatch Recruiter loses some value from last season, as the format is predicted to speed up with the addition of Kaladesh, and Duskwatch Recruiter is not an appealing option in regards to combat. Selfless Spirit is in a similar boat, as it doesn't match up well against Smuggler's Copter or Liliana, the Last Hope, but it still plays an important role by protecting your creatures from Kozilek's Return and Fumigate. The synergy with Archangel Avacyn can be game-winning as well. Thalia, Heretic Cathar checks in as a one-of due to being legendary and at a spot on the curve that is already stacked. 
Collected Company may be out of the format, but that doesn't mean there is a shortage of haymakers available for Bant Aggro. Tamiyo, Field Researcher was a card that was always extremely impressive whenever I played with or against it last season, and I think that it will be a breakout card of the new format.  
Verdurous Gearhulk is a monster of a card, and not playing four may very well be a mistake. Having four counters to distribute amongst your creatures as you choose will make almost any combat situation favorable for you. Being able to get an important creature or two out of Kozilek's Return range doesn't hurt either. Archangel Avacyn makes the cut as a one-of for the combat blowouts, as well as the sweeper ability with Selfless Spirit. Imagine flashing in an Archangel Avacyn during the end step, untapping, and playing a Verdurous Gearhulk to make Archangel Avacyn an 8/8!  
Dromoka's Command will definitely be missed, but we're going to work with what we have. Declaration in Stone is the easy replacement for Dromoka's Command, but there are still decks in the format where Declaration in Stone is a liability. Enter Essence Flux as a two-of, which can be an extremely good tempo swing at times. From saving a creature from a removal spell to being able to reuse enter-the-battlefield effects of various creatures, it's hard to play a game where Essence Flux is not impactful. As far as the sideboard goes, one thing that's important to keep in mind going into #SCGINDY is that the format will be faster. Collected Company and Dromoka's Command made it difficult for other decks to go under Bant Company, but that will no longer be the case. I have three Gnarlwood Dryad as well as two more copies of Declaration in Stone to help against aggressive decks, but I would like to have a life gain spell or two. Fragmentize is also a big help in matchups with vehicles, especially Smuggler's Copter, which can be problematic. Eerie Interlude is probably too cute, but is an option to combat sweepers such as Fumigate. Bant Aggro will still be a top tier deck choice for #SCGINDY, but make sure you are prepared for other decks being able to go under you, as it will be the best way to beat the deck. See everyone in Indianapolis! — Todd Stevens, @ToddStevensMTG |  |   If you would like to unsubscribe and stop receiving these emails please click here. |
0 comments:
Post a Comment