Do all of the starters include a random Mastery - and if so, does that mean each starter is focused around whatever color matches their random mastery?
Yes, in the set 4 Evolution starter decks. They come with a Personality stack, Mastery, and a legal deck matching the color.
The set 1 starter decks are a semi-random pile of mismatched cards and an unplayable deck. Definitely buy Evolution if you're going with a starter deck.
As far as starting the game: Set 4 Evolution Starter Decks are the best purchase value. You get a random playable deck and personality. Avoid the set 1 starters.
If you want to play a specific character and style, buy singles online.
Piccolo's best style is by far Namekian. Namekian Knowledge Mastery (set 1) is the most typical build, because Piccolo's early powers gain anger off of it and Piccolo's Weighted Clothing (set 1) gains anger for free. Namekian Restored Mastery (set 4) is not a popular build, but is viable due to Piccolo's level 1 (set 1) controlling the bottom card of the deck early game, Namekian Leaping Kick (set 4) giving free level jumps, and Piccolo's level 4 (set 4) winning via playing Dragon Balls and denying them to your opponent.
Broly isn't out yet, so it remains to be seen what he's best in. I would expect Red Enraged Mastery (set 1) and Black Devious Mastery (set 2) anger builds to be the most effective. He requires a playstyle that hasn't been effective before this, but he also brings new tools to those decks.
A large part of its pool is dedicated to anger, but the most successful Red decks yet have been Red Tien Energy Aggro and Red Roshi, the latter of which can be built for a heavy setup Dragonball deck or anger.
In general, Namekian and Red are both the MPPV anger win styles, but they have more dimensions to their design in this game.
New Broly is solid, all 4 levels are fine to be on. I think he'll see some play in Red and Black Anger archetypes, giving some extra reach and removal that the aggressive versions of those styles lacked before.
Powerful card. Huge stats, evasion, haste, and built in protection that demands a 2 for 1. Competitive at 5, and it only requires a single colorless mana.
This set is good, it's going to influence standard quite a bit. The cons are definitely boring design, questionable bumps to rare, and ingest / processing.
Ingest / processing just ticks me off to no end that this made it into a large chunk of the final product. /Endrant I like the set though.
Abzan might be one of the better choices. Collected Company and Rally the Ancestors could make a ridiculous team with the Black Allies' core having an aristocrats-like nature.
Right now I think we only have the black allies and Gideon to really work with as far as being competitive, but I think there could be potential here. With that said, I think BWx aggro is a good start for brainstorming this archetype.
Is there actually someone saying that Abzan isn't going to be the best deck in the new standard? They didn't lose much and gained Gideon, Shambling Vent, Blighted Fen, Ob Nixilis, possibly Woodland Wanderer (4 drop might be a little crowded here), the black land that returns a dude to the top, potentially wasteland strangler / Transgress the mind (stories out on this...but Abzan Charm helps here too), perhaps that 3 mana draw 3 Painful Truths card, etc.
I'm hesitant to include Stasis Snare only because there's going to be a lot of enchantment removal floating around. They really don't lose much and gain some powerful cards to work with. I do think Mardu and Abzan got a huge boost with the new set because you can now play 26 lands and have flood insurance with Vent and use your lands as removal as well with Blighted Fen. Even Mortuary Mire seems strong as a 1 of to rebuy a Rhino or Abbot, etc.
I'm curious to see if Transgress the Mind is actually MB material...
Also, we have crap all options to deal with Hangarback Walker. That card is going to be very annoying.
Abzan is gonnabe worse than the various 4-5 color decks with the fetch/tango manabases. Abzan splashing blue for Dig Through Time and Ojutai looks sweet though.
Yes, in the set 4 Evolution starter decks. They come with a Personality stack, Mastery, and a legal deck matching the color.
The set 1 starter decks are a semi-random pile of mismatched cards and an unplayable deck. Definitely buy Evolution if you're going with a starter deck.
If you want to play a specific character and style, buy singles online.
Piccolo's best style is by far Namekian. Namekian Knowledge Mastery (set 1) is the most typical build, because Piccolo's early powers gain anger off of it and Piccolo's Weighted Clothing (set 1) gains anger for free. Namekian Restored Mastery (set 4) is not a popular build, but is viable due to Piccolo's level 1 (set 1) controlling the bottom card of the deck early game, Namekian Leaping Kick (set 4) giving free level jumps, and Piccolo's level 4 (set 4) winning via playing Dragon Balls and denying them to your opponent.
Broly isn't out yet, so it remains to be seen what he's best in. I would expect Red Enraged Mastery (set 1) and Black Devious Mastery (set 2) anger builds to be the most effective. He requires a playstyle that hasn't been effective before this, but he also brings new tools to those decks.
A large part of its pool is dedicated to anger, but the most successful Red decks yet have been Red Tien Energy Aggro and Red Roshi, the latter of which can be built for a heavy setup Dragonball deck or anger.
In general, Namekian and Red are both the MPPV anger win styles, but they have more dimensions to their design in this game.
This is going to see a lot of play in standard.
If it blows any minds whenever it sees play, just remember the above ^^
Ingest / processing just ticks me off to no end that this made it into a large chunk of the final product. /Endrant I like the set though.
Drana isn't sleeping, but she's good.
Right now I think we only have the black allies and Gideon to really work with as far as being competitive, but I think there could be potential here. With that said, I think BWx aggro is a good start for brainstorming this archetype.
Rhino Cruise sounds good to me