I have so many complex feelings regarding that commander deck.
The Good
The value is decent. Even ignoring chaff under $2, this deck is worth over twice the price of admission (looking at mtg goldfish)
The deck is actually pretty good. Instead of trying to showcase the mechanics of the new set, Wizards took an actual commander deck played by Gavin Verhey and just stripped some of the expensive cards (swords, cyclonic, crypt) from it. The fact that this thing started as a legitimate deck is nice. The presence of several different cards in the deck to bring out (and revive) Krark's Thumb shows that thought went into this.
As an extension of the above point, this is a deck that you can legitimately bring to some actual "70%" game tables and realistically get some wins out of. As far as a commander product that you can play right out of the box, it would be tough to beat this.
Wizards finally figured out a way to put two-sided cards in a commander deck... kind of.
The Bad
All of the extra gimmicks that this deck is throwing at us (coins for flipping, double-sided key cards, half of the cards being foil) seem likely (ImO) to be dropped if/when this is done again, with these extra measures being taken to make people believe that these decks are worth $100 the first time.
As only half of the cards are foiled, people are going to be TICKED if those cards go full pringle (especially as those foil cards include all of your basic land, which would make it easier to cheat...)
Even though this provides a nice "deluxe" holiday gift (that won't arrive in time for the holidays) or a relatively cheap chance to buy into a fun deck, the price really does restrict this deck's "audience".
Disappointingly, wizards didn't actually figure out a way to put two-sided cards in commander decks. Rather, it feels that they've realized that anyone who is paying 100 bucks for a deck filled with foils that will be mailed to their house is likely to bring their own sleeves and have some time to use them (as opposed to normal commander decks, where a new player may purchase a commander deck at their LGS and immediately try to join a game). Note that the deck comes with double-sided tokens but no checklist cards.
Kinda makes you feel a bit cheated when you pay 30 bucks for 3 cards at $10 a card OR 100 for 100 cards at $1 a card.
Glad they are doing it but it rubs me the wrong way personally. They need to drop the prices for these drops. Double so for the land drops.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Playing since 1994: Currently MAGS (HomeBrew),Standard & Pauper (Pioneer and Modern are degenerate trash formats)
STOP using "dude/bro" as a pejorative or insult. Grow up.
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Martin Luther King Jr.: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
Seems like all of the SLs are "here is one card worth the bulk, the rest are meh." At the very least they all get to or over $30, unlike others in the past.
The deck is....interesting. It has a ton of value, but I am not a huge fan of this being $100. I have no doubt this is them testing the waters for what they can get away with later.
Wait, wait, I just ordered the last superdrop (and three extra Stranger Things) a few days ago!!!!
Anyway, the Dracula skins are magnificent. Exquisite Blood, oh my!
The menagerie one, is that made to look like Yu-Gi Oh? Is that even worth anything? It's really hard to identify the cards... Ok, the attached version has much higher resolution. Hm, I was unaware that Pathbreaker Ibex was a €15 card!! The rest if total chaff (Ravenous Chupacabra, Winding Constrictor) or worth a buck or two (Managorger Hydra, Temur Sabertooth).
this feels like an excessive amount of secret lairs all at once.
the fblthp one is silly, i won't buy it, but i like it
the pixel art swamp is gorgeous, but i still won't bother with the kit because i can't get behind the idea of shelling out that kind of cash for one of each basic instead of like 5 of a single one
far out has some great reprints, and the arts aren't terrible... but they're way too busy for me to actually want to bother
the dracula one is neat, but suffers the same problem as the pixel art one.
the commander deck is a cool idea, theres some value reprinted there and its a very cohesive deck. i'm not sure coin flipping theme should've been the best idea to test the waters of this product. i can get behind the cost, its the theme i don't like. coin flipping is obnoxious as a mechanic and thats a big turn off for a lot of potential buyers, but it'll probably sell heaps regardless
Playing since 1994: Currently MAGS (HomeBrew),Standard & Pauper (Pioneer and Modern are degenerate trash formats)
STOP using "dude/bro" as a pejorative or insult. Grow up.
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Martin Luther King Jr.: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
Hmm... looking at that decklist at length, here are my thoughts:
If I just want to build a casual deck,Gavin's Version is a good rule of thumb, perhaps adding in Sakashima 2.0 and Frenetic Efreet.
If I want to make the optimal version of this deck, though... things really get weird. The most optimal version of this deck uses no coin flippers other than the commanders and Frenetic Efreet. As Frenetic Efreet offers you unlimited coin flips, Krark's Thumb becomes effectively useless. You ditch Muddle the Mixture for drift of phantasms and Tribute Mage for Imperial Recruiter so you can have more ways to fetch the efreet. If you can get Zndrsplt and the Efreet on the table simultaneously, you put infinite Efreet triggers on the stack and proceed to draw through your entire deck. As with 99% of infinite card draw/mill decks, the only win-con worth discussing is Thassa's Oracle... but things get a bit clunky because you NEED to be able to throw Thoracle down at instant speed as you can't perfectly determine the "right amount" of coin flips need to almost deck out and cast normal mana rocks at sorcery speed to push out Thoracle. Instead, you wait until the last card has been drawn before generateingmana (such as through Simian Spirit Guide, desperate ritual, and seething song, though an in-play tavern scoundrel also works) to launch an electrodominance for X=2, throwing down Thassa's Oracle to win the game with a grip of free counterspells like fierce guardianship, Force of will, and force of negation as cover. In all other ways, the optimal deck is just a R/U optimal deck with maybe one or two cards to allow a plan-b okaun win.
also:https://secretlair.wizards.com/us/#secretversary-2021
Commander Deck Drop info:https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/heads-i-win-tails-you-lose-commander-decklist-2021-11-18
the commanders are Zndrsplt, Eye of Wisdom and Okaun, Eye of Chaos
its a experiment is DFC for these cards you can choose either side to play
oh it also comes with a coin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfX5s6syTBI
Decklist (half of them are foil)
1 Ral Zarek
1 Zndrsplt, Eye of Wisdom
1 Okaun, Eye of Chaos
1 Goblin Kaboomist
1 Krark, the Thumbless
1 Niv-Mizzet, Parun
1 Spark Double
1 Frenetic Sliver
1 Goblin Archaeologist
1 Karplusan Minotaur
1 Tavern Scoundrel
1 Tribute Mage
1 Bloodsworn Steward
1 Goblin Engineer
1 The Locust God
1 Yusri, Fortune's Flame
1 Mogg Assassin
1 Sakashima the Impostor
1 Stitch in Time
1 Blasphemous Act
1 Fabricate
1 Fiery Gambit
1 Chandra's Ignition
1 Gamble
1 Reshape
1 Seize the Day
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
1 Serum Visions
1 Slip Through Space
1 Squee's Revenge
1 Vandalblast
1 Chaos Warp
1 Whir of Invention
1 Counterspell
1 Long-Term Plans
1 Muddle the Mixture
1 Temur Battle Rage
1 Krark's Thumb
1 Izzet Signet
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Mind Stone
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Sword of Vengeance
1 Thought Vessel
1 Whispersilk Cloak
1 Boompile
1 Commander's Plate
1 Embercleave
1 Shadowspear
1 Arcane Signet
1 Crooked Scales
1 Sol Ring
1 Talisman of Creativity
1 Propaganda
1 Mirror March
1 Chance Encounter
1 Footfall Crater
1 Impulsive Maneuvers
1 Planar Chaos
1 Risky Move
1 Temple of Epiphany
1 Wandering Fumarole
1 Buried Ruin
1 Great Furnace
1 Izzet Boilerworks
1 Myriad Landscape
1 Path of Ancestry
1 Rogue's Passage
7 Island
8 Mountain
1 Academy Ruins
1 Cascade Bluffs
1 Desolate Lighthouse
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Flamekin Village
1 Inventors' Fair
1 Shivan Reef
1 Spinerock Knoll
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Tolaria West
1 Training Center
1 Command Tower
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Temple of the False God
All lairs foils are 39.99 and non foil is 29.99
Arcane UB
[https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/the-rumor-mill/824498-secret-lair-arcane-show-coming-november-29th-super
the other 3 cards are finale spoilers the 20th we will see the art the other 3 cards is duress, seize the day, and krosan grip
also land one thats seperate
they are in the right order
will see if any thing sparks your eyes
The Good
The Bad
Glad they are doing it but it rubs me the wrong way personally. They need to drop the prices for these drops. Double so for the land drops.
STOP using "dude/bro" as a pejorative or insult. Grow up.
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Martin Luther King Jr.: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
The deck is....interesting. It has a ton of value, but I am not a huge fan of this being $100. I have no doubt this is them testing the waters for what they can get away with later.
Anyway, the Dracula skins are magnificent. Exquisite Blood, oh my!
The menagerie one, is that made to look like Yu-Gi Oh? Is that even worth anything? It's really hard to identify the cards... Ok, the attached version has much higher resolution. Hm, I was unaware that Pathbreaker Ibex was a €15 card!! The rest if total chaff (Ravenous Chupacabra, Winding Constrictor) or worth a buck or two (Managorger Hydra, Temur Sabertooth).
Credit goes to Brofoux for the Sig pic.
Current Modern Deck
Black Licorice
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?p=11006564#post11006564
And do I even need to mention frenetic efreet but sadly that spiked when the deck got revealed
the fblthp one is silly, i won't buy it, but i like it
the pixel art swamp is gorgeous, but i still won't bother with the kit because i can't get behind the idea of shelling out that kind of cash for one of each basic instead of like 5 of a single one
far out has some great reprints, and the arts aren't terrible... but they're way too busy for me to actually want to bother
the dracula one is neat, but suffers the same problem as the pixel art one.
the commander deck is a cool idea, theres some value reprinted there and its a very cohesive deck. i'm not sure coin flipping theme should've been the best idea to test the waters of this product. i can get behind the cost, its the theme i don't like. coin flipping is obnoxious as a mechanic and thats a big turn off for a lot of potential buyers, but it'll probably sell heaps regardless
there’s a TON OF THEM! Must be easier to print them like the old days in secret pairs
the 3 other cards mentioned with the commanders
Goblin engineer
frentic sliver
Spark double
Karplusan Minotaur
Niv-Mizzet, Parun
The locust god
Muddle the mixture
Ponder
Vandalblast
Reshape
Fabricate
Fiery gambit
Long-term plans
Seize the day
Chandra's ignition
lightning greaves
Embercleave
Impulsive Maneuvers
Inventors' Fair
Sulfur Falls
Training Center
and the winning cards are…
Cascade Bluffs $8.5
Academy Ruins $9
Sakashima the Impostor $10
Gamble $18.3
Commander's Plate $15
Krark's Thumb $16
THE CHAMPION CARD IS!
Shadowspear $20! It was the chase rare of thero's beyond death
Needless to say, Fblthp is godly.
Given how late Secret Lair products usually arrive at doorstep, I fear this coin flip deck will miss the holiday season after you purchase it.
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
Most definitely on that missed delivery.
I ordered two from the last drop that ended last week and it suggested a mid to late January delivery date. This drop won't ship until early March.
The "Far Out Man" drop is pressing all the buttons with me. I LOVE the artwork on those. It will be my next order barring unforeseen circumstances.
STOP using "dude/bro" as a pejorative or insult. Grow up.
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Martin Luther King Jr.: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
Not feeling any SL, they're just awkward and strange. The pixel snow basics are neat, although not for me
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
What would you take out to fit these in, frenetic efreet included?
If I just want to build a casual deck,Gavin's Version is a good rule of thumb, perhaps adding in Sakashima 2.0 and Frenetic Efreet.
If I want to make the optimal version of this deck, though... things really get weird. The most optimal version of this deck uses no coin flippers other than the commanders and Frenetic Efreet. As Frenetic Efreet offers you unlimited coin flips, Krark's Thumb becomes effectively useless. You ditch Muddle the Mixture for drift of phantasms and Tribute Mage for Imperial Recruiter so you can have more ways to fetch the efreet. If you can get Zndrsplt and the Efreet on the table simultaneously, you put infinite Efreet triggers on the stack and proceed to draw through your entire deck. As with 99% of infinite card draw/mill decks, the only win-con worth discussing is Thassa's Oracle... but things get a bit clunky because you NEED to be able to throw Thoracle down at instant speed as you can't perfectly determine the "right amount" of coin flips need to almost deck out and cast normal mana rocks at sorcery speed to push out Thoracle. Instead, you wait until the last card has been drawn before generateingmana (such as through Simian Spirit Guide, desperate ritual, and seething song, though an in-play tavern scoundrel also works) to launch an electrodominance for X=2, throwing down Thassa's Oracle to win the game with a grip of free counterspells like fierce guardianship, Force of will, and force of negation as cover. In all other ways, the optimal deck is just a R/U optimal deck with maybe one or two cards to allow a plan-b okaun win.
I wish for the basic drops they'd at least give you 5 of each.