Magic: The Gathering (repost)

[Unicron]

I hope the Venser vs. Koth deck is interesting. It's not due till the end of March, but they haven't posted any specifics yet. I was kind of hoping it'd be out earlier in the month.

[RJDiogenes]

Venser vs. Koth sounds like a fight between Vorlons on Babylon 5.

[Unicron]

I'm waiting on a few cards to come in from Amazon, and then I can do the last big sort. I'm going to retire from the collection part because mine is too big, but not from the playing part. The new set is decent, though it walks something of a fine line between mechanics that look good (soulbond) and mechanics that are potentially broken or overpowered.

[RJDiogenes]

There's no such thing as a collection that's too big. You'll never break any records that way.

[Unicron]

I'm planning to build an angel/artifact deck, hopefully with a mix of humans as well. I want to use my Heralds of War and some of my Aurioks with metalcraft, such as Sunchaser.

[RJDiogenes]

I wish they'd make those graphics bigger so I could get a better look at them.

I liked that other character that you linked to in your PM-- I can't think of the name right now....

[Unicron]

Sometimes it's hard having a "completist" mentality. I've been trying to tie up a few loose ends and get a little last minute collecting done, which means I keep buying cards. But I'm technically retired at this point from the collecting aspect. I just have to wait for a few more to come in...

[RJDiogenes]

Yeah. "Just a few more." I know how that is.

[Unicron]

It's sort of like eating potato chips. Part of it is that online sources like Amazon have become very popular for many traditional gaming and comic vendors, who often keep lots of individual cards for sale in their real shops so that players might find something specific. My home store certainly does that, and they can very often keep the best prices (0.99 and up) for many cards unless it's something particularly useful, and so one can order lots of cards for a small price through Amazon and have them delivered to your door. I tend to be somewhat picky in my own case, but I decided it would be good to fill a few gaps in my collection. Very often the game will have sets of cards based on fives, one for each color.

[RJDiogenes]

Just like potato chips indeed. That's how I am with books.

[Unicron]

Well, I finally got everything sorted and an updated count. Whew! Now I can actually build a couple of new decks I want to test.

Colorless/Multicolored (Loci): 1,879

Black (Obisidia): 2,522

Blue (Melathrys): 2,433

Green (Kairyos): 2,624

Red (Vindroth): 2,530

White (Isar): 2,521

Total: 14,509

[RJDiogenes]

Whoa! That's a lotta magic.

[Unicron]

Yeah, I found it interesting that black and white were only one card off, so that gave me an excuse to buy one more card (Sigil of the Empty Throne). It'll be useful for my planned angel/artifact deck.

[Unicron]

And the Steel Sun deck is now ready, as is the dragon scion deck (I haven't come up with a formal name yet for that one). The basic principle with this one is a lot of life gain and some reasonably powerful creatures, with the Heralds ideally being deployed fairly early to make the other creatures (particularly Reya) cheaper. If I can get her out, I can ensure that any combat casualties won't stay that way for long, and the Auramancers can restore any enchantments that are dispelled through enemy magic or their targets dying.

Steel Sun deck (white)

Size: 70

Lands: 20

12 Plains
4 Kabira Crossroads (enters tapped and you gain 2 life; produces white mana)
4 Seraph Sanctuary (gain 1 life when SS enters play, and an additional 1 life whenever you play an angel. Produces colorless mana)

Artifacts: 18

4 Angel's Tomb

Whenever you play a creature, you can make Tomb a 3/3 flying white artifact creature (angel) until end of turn. 3c

3 Angelic Armaments

Equipped creature gains +2/+2, flying, and is a white angel in addition to its existing types. 3c, equip 4c

4 Bladed Bracers

Equipped creature gains +1/+1. It also gains vigilance if it's a human or angel. 1c, equip 2c

1 Coat of Arms

Each creature gets +1/+1 for each other creature that shares at least one type with it. 5c

1 Moonsilver Spear

Equipped creature gains first strike. Whenever it attacks, put a 4/4 flying white angel token into play. 4c, equip 4c

4 Scroll of Avacyn

1c, sacrifice Scroll: draw a card. If you have an angel in play, you gain 5 life. 1c

1 Adaptive Automaton (artifact creature)

When Automaton enters play, choose a creature type. It gains that type in addition to its normal types, and all other creatures you control of that type get +1/+1. 3c

Spells: 10

2 Cathar's Crusade

Whenever you play a creature, put a +1/+1 counter on each other creature you control. 3c+2w

1 Sigil of the Empty Throne

Whenever you play an enchantment, put a 4/4 flying white angel token into play. 3c+2w

3 Call to Serve

Enchant only a nonblack creature. It gains +1/+2, flying, and the angel subtype. 1c+1w

4 Lifelink

Enchanted creature gains lifelink. 1w

Creatures: 22

4 Ardent Recruit (human soldier)

1/1, metalcraft - gains +2/+2. 1w

4 Auriok Sunchaser (human soldier)

1/1, metalcraft - gains +2/+2 and flying. 1c+1w

4 Auramancer (human wizard)

2/2, when Auramancer enters play, return target enchantment from your graveyard to your hand. 2c+1w

3 Auriok Edgewright (human soldier)

2/2, metalcraft- gains double strike. 2w

2 Herald of War (angel)

3/3, flying, whenever Herald attacks, it gains a +1/+1 counter. Human and angel spells cost 1c less for each counter. 3c+2w

1 Shattered Angel (angel)

3/3, flying, whenever an opponent plays a land, you gain 3 life. 3c+2w

1 Shepherd of the Lost (angel)

3/3, flying, first strike, vigilance. 4c+1w

2 Goldnight Redeemer (angel)

4/4, flying, when Redeemer enters play, gain 2 life for each other creature you control. 4c+2w

1 Reya Dawnbringer (legendary angel)

4/6, flying, at the beginning of your upkeep, return target creature from your graveyard to play. 6c+3w

[RJDiogenes]

The Adaptive Automaton is interesting. Sounds like it can be any creature you want it to be.