I’m happy to see some reconsideration of old bans, but it really felt like they’re sweeping LTR’s issues under the rug while the set remains in print.

I guess it’s possible that the metagame will shift to deal with these new powerhouses, but the Ring could still remain overly ubiquitous, being colorless and generically useful. It’s hard to read WotC’s wait-and-see approach as anything other than handwaving, given their track record this decade.

Thank goodness that, twenty years later, we’re not paying $10 for chaff-filled precons with terrible mana bases. We’re paying $80.

It’s a good op ed and one with which any supporter of enlightened democracy should agree. The Supreme Court are playing fast and loose with public trust at a time when partisanship has crippled the other branches of government and polarization is dividing the country.

How can anyone respect a court that explicitly has no ethical standard?

Some of the spoilers to come in yesterday were pretty great, not gonna lie. It’s still going to be miserable to open Zetalpa in your $20 pack, but I think now there’s a critical mass of desirable cards to make it worth the gamble.

And while I’ve been mixed on the full-arts, the new Smothering Tithe is delightful and reminds me of the border-breaking layouts from Unglued.

I think this is most evident in the choice of legendary creatures, many of which hit the top of EDHrec years ago. Krenko, Omnath, Sidisi, Nekuzar, Mizzix, etc. Along with Land Tax, Commandeer, and Chromatic Lantern, the set seems to reflect the era when Commander was no more than an annual product.

There are so many new legendary creatures and EDH-playable cards released nowadays that, at least in my area, nobody is playing those old decks anymore.

Jumpstart is the product for you! It’s designed to help beginners get right into the game and try out a variety of play styles. Each Jumpstart pack contains half of a deck, lands and all. So you each open two packs, shuffle your cards together, and start playing.

There’s even a LotR Jumpstart edition, though the packs are a little more expensive than generic Jumpstart.

The Strixhaven archives knocked it out of the park, and I also thought the DMU stained glass showcase cards were comparable.

As for individual arts, I think my favorites are probably the Bruce Brenneise shock lands from UNF, namely Godless Shrine, Stomping Ground, and Breeding Pool.

I like seeing Spike and Vorthos hanging out.

I love token decks of all types. Squirrel tokens, copy tokens, whatever. My favorite is a mono-white deck that does nothing but create tokens and accrue value from them. I don’t usually like to attack with my tokens, so I generally wait until I can end the game with something like [[Starlight Spectacular]] or just dig for [[Halo Fountain]].

I’m always wary of basing campaigns around movies because there’s always the potential that the players will make radically different choices. Like, if the players decide not to stick around for the next fog, will that be okay?

To answer your question, campaign level is a function of the types of monsters you’re looking to include. Since these seem to be mostly humanoid soldier types, you probably want to stay low enough level for that kind of combat to be a danger.

Starting at level 2 or 3 would probably be appropriate to maintain the challenge. On the other hand, if you’re planning to pit the players against an army of dozens of soldiers, you may want to start at level 5 so they can mow them down properly.

I remember when this comic used to be about swords.

“Quadrant theory,” as I believe it is called, has been a useful tool for assessing which cards stay and which cards can go.

Basically, you break down the game into quadrants (e.g., early game, late game, post-boardwipe, waiting-for-wincon, stalemate, etc.) and consider how a given card will perform in various stages of the game.

A card that can be useful in more game quadrants is obviously preferable to a card that will sit in your hand if you draw it at the wrong time. For example, a counterspell can serve as removal when an opponent drops a threat, or it can protect your board while you go for the win.

This approach favors modal spells at the expense of powerful niche spells, so it should be employed judiciously. But it’s a good way of considering to what extent a card can carry its weight.

Weirdly, one of my most anticipated cards is Reprieve. I love white counterspells (in theory) but Mana Tithe has been dead-in-hand more often than not lately. Stack interaction that’s reliable (if not permanent) which cantrips besides? Expect to see this get reprinted into mainline Magic before too long.

I’m also looking forward to getting the hobbit deck for my wife—huge LotR nerd. She knows how to play but it’s hard to get her to sit down and shuffle up, so I hope this changes things.