So I spent most of the week playing Magic 2012, the latest game by Wizards of the Coast. This is a serious sequel to Duals of the Planeswalkers, featuring a lineup of decks that are actually half-decent and don't all suck except for 2 or 3; even more challenges that start off insultingly easy and then get brain-numbingly difficult; An archenemy campaign that lets you scream at how fucking bullshit the computer opponent is, and how useless your AI allies are for hours on end; and most important a much greater degree of freedom when it comes to customizing decks.
The difference between DotP and 2012 when it comes to deck management is that while DotP only let you switch in and out cards that you unlocked, 2012 lets you switch out any nonland card, including the default cards. It's not quite what every single fan of the original game was kicking and screaming for, that being complete deck control and deck building, but it's a step in the right direction.
I mean, seriously, atleast let me control the mana ratio! It's very important when factoring in mana curves!
So I spent most of my week playing it, and unlocked every card for all the decks, carefully laboring over the small details, cutting out the excess, and refining each one to it's full killing potential.
I just want to voice two concerns, on my two least favorite decks:
Apex Predators, the designated Monogreen beatdown fatties deck, is actually a huge downgrade from DotP's version of the same thing, if only because the fatties are neither fat or threatening enough. I mean, seriously, Teeth of the Predator had Vigor for crying out loud, and Apex Predators doesn't even have Blanchwood Armors. This is a really disappointing deck that doesn't grow very much with the unlocks. Let's hope that possible future expansions are kind to it.
Machinations, the designated artifact deck, is some bizarre blue-black-white... thing deck. I have no idea what to make of it. It has an awful lot of artifact creatures, but is very obviously not a beatdown deck since they don't scale up fast enough or well enough. It's not very control-y since it has like, what, 3 counters and 2 targeted removals? You'll be lucky to draw them, let alone have the correct mana to cast them with three colors and no land fetching besides the terramorphic expanses, which is flatout unacceptable to me. Also, there's a Darksteel Colossus in the deck... why's it even in there? I mean, yeah, it's pretty damn huge, awesome artifact creature, but it costs ELEVEN colorless! This deck has NO mana acceleration or any way to cheat it into play besides a single shape anew (and good luck with that!), so it would just take way way WAY too long to build up the lands naturally to hardcast it into play. I just took it out, since you'll never get it into play unless you're playing multiplayer with an ally that has a way to help you with either of those problems.
I managed to fine-tune the deck by taking out every single card that required white mana, thus making it into a blue black artifact control deck, even if not as great as DotP's version, which had four howling mines, which was always hilarious no matter what.
Ultimately, my favorite deck is either Ancient Depths, a Green-Blue hyper mana accelerating big fat fatties beatdown deck, this enables hardcasting legendary Eldrazi for the win on nearly any given match. Hell yes.
or Realms of Illusion a mono-blue control deck with lots of cheap illusion-type creatures that can be killed easily, but have great stats otherwise, plus lots and lots of things to force your opponents creatures back into their hands, counter them cheaply, and take control of them if all else fails. I love this deck because, on any give match, I am personally exclaiming "You can't do shit!" "It's time to be a dick to everyone all the time" "You are not allowed to have creatures, give me your creatures or go home".
Lastly, I want to personally speak with the man that decided to place Ember Shots into Unquenchable Flames. I want to ostracize him, and make him cry and feel remorse for his actions, because Ember Shot is probably the worst card in all of Magic the Gathering. Like, seriously, 6R for a lightning bolt and a card-draw? You're fucking kidding me.
And it was in DotP too! This is a repeat offence... this man deserves no mercy.
/MTGasm