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Preparing for the Magic 2015 Prerelease

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Welcome back to Very Limited, GatheringMagic.com’s exclusive Limited column. Magic 2015 prerelease events start tonight at midnight. In preparation for tonight’s events, we’ll be taking a look at the new set from a Limited perspective. We’ll discuss the power level of the prerelease promos for each color and attempt to identify the best common, uncommon, and rare of each color.

The Promos

As we have at most recent prerelease events, we’ll be choosing a color and receiving a promotional card of that color that we can play with. Not all of the promotional cards were created equal though. Let’s discuss the power level and application of each of these cards.

White – Resolute Archangel

Resolute Archangel
Resolute Archangel is amazing if the game is close, especially if we’ve found ourselves in a racing situation. Unfortunately, 7 mana is a very large investment. Still, this is the type of card that will always make our main deck when playing Sealed. The card is probably at its best in a more controlling deck that’s willing to take some early damage while drawing cards and hitting land drops. We need to be careful not to let the opponent pull too far ahead though. If we just have a 4/4 flyer and 20 life, there will still be a lot of boards that beat us. Don’t chump-block; double-block for trades. Resolute Archangel can punish us for throwing cards away in the late game, and the effect encourages us to play frugally in terms of card advantage.

Blue – Mercurial Pretender

Mercurial Pretender
This is a very nice Limited card. Clones, even those that cost 5 mana, have always been very reasonable in Limited, even if they’re just copying our best creature. Being able to return Mercurial Pretender to our hand at will gives it a nice dimension. We can attack and block with this and not have to fear any tricks. In the very late stages of the game, we can return this to our hand to upgrade into our new strongest creature.

Black – Indulgent Tormentor

Indulgent Tormentor
Indulgent Tormentor, black’s promo card, is easily the best of the bunch. 5/3 flyers for 5 mana are already completely absurd, but gaining free cards and damage every turn makes Indulgent Tormentor out of this world. I’ll be battling with black if able at the prerelease this weekend, and Indulgent Tormentor is the reason.

Red – Siege Dragon

Siege Dragon
Destroying all the opponent’s Walls for free is fun, but the real action starts when Siege Dragon starts attacking and laying fiery waste to the opponent’s side of the board. This card can easily take over a game by itself. This is probably the second-best of the promotional cards available.

Green – Phytotitan

Phytotitan
If the game is grindy, Phytotitan seems to be among the best things we could possibly have. Phytotitan is also great at blocking when we’re behind—but not super-far behind. In general, it’s still going to encourage an opponent to crash with his or her team, so we’ll want a follow-up play if we don’t want to die to two big swings from the opponent.

Overarching Strategy

Swamp
Basic Limited strategy holds truer in core sets than anywhere else. Be sure to check out my Limited tutorial for a deeper understanding of why the following concepts are true.

We should be playing forty cards to maximize our chances of drawing that sweet Indulgent Tormentor.

We should be playing seventeen or eighteen lands. There are probably situations in which we’d be able to play with sixteen lands, but if we’re packing any of these promotional cards, seventeen looks to be a much more realistic number.

We should be hunting for value. We should always look for opportunities to trade cards for a larger number of the opponent’s cards. Check out the tutorial column linked above for a discussion on how and when we can find opportunities for card advantage in Limited.

We want every card in our deck to have the ability to trade with something in our opponent’s deck. We don’t win games by two-for-one’ing ourselves.

We probably shouldn’t play any Walls that aren’t made out of mulch this weekend. At least one in five of our opponents will be packing a rare that just destroys every Wall we control. We can sideboard in our Walls against nonred aggressive opponents, but it’s probably wise to not give a huge portion of our opponents that much value for free.

Cream of the Crop

White

Best rare: Ajani Steadfast and Soul of Theros

Ajani Steadfast is a very powerful Planeswalker that’s especially good in decks with a lot of inexpensive creatures. It’s going to be very difficult for most players to contend with this, and the vigilance granted by the +1 ability makes it easy to defend.

Soul of Theros completely takes over a game. When we have more than one creature, the activated ability on Soul of Theros becomes well worth the mana, and once we have three creatures, it’s going to be difficult for out opponent to make it through our next combat step.

Ajani Steadfast
Geist of the Moors
Divine Verdict

Best uncommon: Geist of the Moors

Geist of the Moors is a 3-power flyer for 3 mana. This is obviously incredible in any Limited format.

Best common: Oreskos Swiftclaw

Blue

Best rare: Aetherspouts

Wing Shards was among the better Limited cards I can remember, and Aetherspouts seems to be a much superior version. It won’t be unusual for us to three-for-one or four-for-one our opponent with this big spell.

Aetherspouts
Illusory Angel
Encrust

Best uncommon: Illusory Angel or Jace's Ingenuity

There are a lot of cards that cost 2 or less in this set, and making a 4/4 flyer for 3 mana is a deal we shouldn’t refuse.

If our deck is forced to play more than one piece of countermagic, or we have a lot of removal, Jace's Ingenuity becomes an incredible way to pull ahead on cards.

Best common: Encrust

Removal spells are good.

Black

Best rare: Indulgent Tormentor

Black’s promotional card Indulgent Tormentor is a massive flyer for a cheap cost that slowly grinds its way to victory every turn with its triggered ability. This is almost certainly the best rare we can open for black, and if we choose, we’ll be guaranteed to have one in our deck.

Indulgent Tormentor
Stab Wound
Flesh to Dust

Best uncommon: Stab Wound

Return to Ravnica Limited taught us the power of Stab Wound. It’s an uncommon now, so we probably won’t be seeing decks with four of them anymore, but the effect is still very strong.

Best common: Flesh to Dust

Again, we really want efficient removal spells for our opponent’s largest threats when we’re playing Sealed Deck.

Red

Best rare: Soul of Shandalar

All right, so it’s a 6-power first strike creature that lets us burninate the countryside with reckless abandon. We’re in!

Soul of Shandalar
Cone of Flame
Lightning Strike

Best uncommon: Cone of Flame

This is probably the best uncommon in the set. Killing three creatures with one card that only costs 5 mana is completely unfair.

Best common: Lightning Strike

This is probably the best common in the set. Lightning Strike kills the majority threats in this format, and its inexpensive mana cost and instant speed make it a great tool for acquiring card advantage.

Green

Best rare: Soul of Zendikar and Hornet Queen

Soul of Zendikar gives us a massive body and then starts pumping out creatures indefinitely as long as it’s sitting on the battlefield.

Hornet Queen combos nicely with the Overrun effect of the format and stops any sort of aggression in its tracks.

Soul of Zendikar
Gather Courage
Elvish Mystic

Best uncommon: Gather Courage

Gather Courage is an amazing trick. When we tap out for a green creature, our opponent will happily crash his or her 4/4 into our 3/3. The ability to save a freshly-cast creature by tapping said creature is extremely relevant. Give this one a try; I’m confident you’ll be very impressed.

Best common: Elvish Mystic

Green means fatties, and nothing helps us cast our fatties faster and more efficiently than Elvish Mystic.

Next week, we’ll return with a more in-depth look at Magic 2015 and start diving into the Draft format. Until then, enjoy your local prerelease, and don’t stop drafting Vintage Masters on Magic Online. Vintage Masters Draft may be my favorite format of all time, and it’s definitely worth playing for those who haven’t tried it yet.




Bonus Draft walkthrough!

Pack 1, Pick 1:

Soltari Emissary, Repel, Orcish Lumberjack, Krosan Vorine, Skirge Familiar, Skywing Aven, Tranquil Thicket, Aftershock, Radiant's Judgment, Krovikan Sorcerer, Prophetic Bolt, Pillaging Horde, Sidar Jabari, Grand Coliseum, Mistmoon Griffin (FOIL)

My Pick:

Grand Coliseum

Pack 1, Pick 2:

Mistmoon Griffin, Counterspell, Goblin Commando, Arrogant Wurm, Armor of Thorns, Fledgling Djinn, Mana Prism, Sudden Strength, Dauthi Mercenary, Reviving Vapors, Kaervek's Torch, Nostalgic Dreams, Volcanic Island, Skirk Prospector (FOIL)

My Pick:

Volcanic Island

Pack 1, Pick 3:

Phantom Nomad, Circular Logic, Goblin Patrol, Jungle Wurm, Addle, Radiant's Judgment, Ophidian, Giant Strength, Shelter, Deathreap Ritual, Pine Barrens, Gaea's Embrace, Caldera Lake (FOIL)

My Pick:

Ophidian

Grand Coliseum
Volcanic Island
Ophidian

Pack 1, Pick 4:

Hulking Goblin, Noble Templar, Rescind, Giant Mantis, Paralyze, Provoke, Fallen Askari, Armor of Thorns, Carnophage, Cloud of Faeries, Gush, Arrogant Wurm (FOIL)

My Pick:

Noble Templar

Pack 1, Pick 5:

Mistmoon Griffin, Brainstorm, Goblin Commando, Spinal Graft, Mana Prism, Exile, Aquamoeba, Shelter, Ivory Tower, Lurking Evil, Mountain Valley (FOIL)

My Pick:

Mistmoon Griffin

Pack 1, Pick 6:

Rescind, Chartooth Cougar, Choking Tethers, Brindle Shoat, Predatory Nightstalker, Giant Strength, Forgotten Cave, Thopter Squadron, Mystic Zealot, Teroh's Faithful (FOIL)

My Pick:

Chartooth Cougar

Noble Templar
Mistmoon Griffin
Chartooth Cougar

Pack 1, Pick 7:

Repel, Goblin Patrol, Chainer's Edict, Brilliant Halo, Scrivener, Tranquil Thicket, Exile, Phyrexian Defiler, City in a Bottle (FOIL)

My Pick:

Exile

Pack 1, Pick 8:

Benevolent Bodyguard, Choking Tethers, Teroh's Faithful, Brindle Shoat, Krovikan Sorcerer, Ophidian, Cloud Djinn, Flowstone Hellion

My Pick:

Choking Tethers

Pack 1, Pick 9:

Orcish Lumberjack, Skirge Familiar, Skywing Aven, Tranquil Thicket, Aftershock, Krovikan Sorcerer, Sidar Jabari

My Pick:

Skywing Aven

Exile
Choking Tethers
Skywing Aven

Pack 1, Pick 10:

Armor of Thorns, Fledgling Djinn, Sudden Strength, Dauthi Mercenary, Reviving Vapors, Nostalgic Dreams

My Pick:

Reviving Vapors

Pack 1, Pick 11:

Circular Logic, Addle, Giant Strength, Pine Barrens, Caldera Lake (FOIL)

My Pick:

Caldera Lake (FOIL)

Pack 1, Pick 12:

Provoke, Fallen Askari, Armor of Thorns, Cloud of Faeries

My Pick:

Fallen Askari

Reviving Vapors
Caldera Lake
Fallen Askari

Pack 1, Pick 13:

Mana Prism, Ivory Tower, Lurking Evil

My Pick:

Mana Prism

Pack 1, Pick 14:

Rescind, Thopter Squadron

My Pick:

Rescind

Pack 1, Pick 15:

Scrivener

My Pick:

Scrivener

Mana Prism
Rescind
Scrivener

Pack 2, Pick 1:

Deftblade Elite, Temporal Fissure, Skirk Drill Sergeant, Fyndhorn Elves, Urborg Uprising, Fledgling Djinn, Provoke, Fallen Askari, Armor of Thorns, Carnophage, Thalakos Drifters, Salt Flats, Symbiotic Wurm, Masticore, Pianna, Nomad Captain (FOIL)

My Pick:

Masticore

Pack 2, Pick 2:

Soltari Trooper, Brainstorm, Hulking Goblin, Giant Mantis, Paralyze, Barren Moor, Seal of Cleansing, Skywing Aven, Radiant's Judgment, Dark Hatchling, Ivory Tower, Pianna, Nomad Captain, Hermit Druid, Krovikan Sorcerer (FOIL)

My Pick:

Soltari Trooper

Pack 2, Pick 3:

Soltari Trooper, Repel, Goblin Patrol, Choking Sands, Giant Strength, Afterlife, Forgotten Cave, Owl Familiar, Erhnam Djinn, Lurking Evil, Grizzly Fate, Baleful Strix, Goblin Matron (FOIL)

My Pick:

Baleful Strix

Masticore
Soltari Trooper
Baleful Strix

Pack 2, Pick 4:

Noble Templar, Brindle Shoat, Choking Sands, Wall of Diffusion, Mana Prism, Exile, Aquamoeba, Reckless Charge, Triangle of War, Desert Twister, Stoic Champion, Lurking Evil (FOIL)

My Pick:

Stoic Champion

Pack 2, Pick 5:

Benalish Trapper, Obsessive Search, Spark Spray, Dark Ritual, Fallen Askari, Sudden Strength, Mesmeric Fiend, Tangle, Dauthi Mercenary, Astral Slide, Krosan Vorine (FOIL)

My Pick:

Astral Slide

Pack 2, Pick 6:

Soltari Trooper, Brainstorm, Keeneye Aven, Forgotten Cave, Aftershock, Gilded Light, Scrivener, Animate Dead, Bad River, Carnophage (FOIL)

My Pick:

Bad River

Stoic Champion
Astral Slide
Bad River

Pack 2, Pick 7:

Skirk Prospector, Choking Sands, Putrid Imp, Provoke, Mesmeric Fiend, Lonely Sandbar, Thalakos Drifters, Yawgmoth's Bargain, Dark Ritual (FOIL)

My Pick:

Lonely Sandbar

Pack 2, Pick 8:

Spark Spray, Brindle Shoat, Predatory Nightstalker, Claws of Wirewood, Tribute to the Wild, Putrid Imp, Elephant Guide, Fires of Yavimaya

My Pick:

Spark Spray

Pack 2, Pick 9:

Temporal Fissure, Urborg Uprising, Provoke, Fallen Askari, Armor of Thorns, Carnophage, Salt Flats

My Pick:

Salt Flats

Lonely Sandbar
Spark Spray
Salt Flats

Pack 2, Pick 10:

Brainstorm, Paralyze, Barren Moor, Seal of Cleansing, Skywing Aven, Krovikan Sorcerer (FOIL)

My Pick:

Barren Moor

Pack 2, Pick 11:

Choking Sands, Giant Strength, Forgotten Cave, Owl Familiar, Lurking Evil

My Pick:

Forgotten Cave

Pack 2, Pick 12:

Choking Sands, Wall of Diffusion, Desert Twister, Lurking Evil (FOIL)

My Pick:

Wall of Diffusion

Barren Moor
Forgotten Cave
Wall of Diffusion

Pack 2, Pick 13:

Dark Ritual, Sudden Strength, Tangle

My Pick:

Tangle

Pack 2, Pick 14:

Keeneye Aven, Aftershock

My Pick:

Keeneye Aven

Pack 2, Pick 15:

Choking Sands

My Pick:

Choking Sands

Tangle
Keeneye Aven
Choking Sands

Pack 3, Pick 1:

Noble Templar, Deep Analysis, Skirk Prospector, Krosan Tusker, Addle, Death's-Head Buzzard, Elephant Guide, Fallen Askari, Armor of Thorns, Fledgling Djinn, Reviving Vapors, Swords to Plowshares, Mystic Zealot, Starstorm, Flowstone Hellion (FOIL)

My Pick:

Starstorm

Pack 3, Pick 2:

Soltari Emissary, Deep Analysis, Goblin General, Fyndhorn Elves, Predatory Nightstalker, Tangle, Death's-Head Buzzard, Armor of Thorns, Nightscape Familiar, Sudden Strength, Aether Mutation, Fact or Fiction, Shivan Wurm, Urborg Uprising (FOIL)

My Pick:

Fact or Fiction

Pack 3, Pick 3:

Frantic Search, Hulking Goblin, Arrogant Wurm, Choking Sands, Armor of Thorns, Nightscape Familiar, Sudden Strength, Putrid Imp, Secluded Steppe, Armadillo Cloak, Sidar Jabari, Stroke of Genius, Giant Strength (FOIL)

My Pick:

Stroke of Genius

Starstorm
Fact or Fiction
Stroke of Genius

Pack 3, Pick 4:

Temporal Fissure, Skirk Drill Sergeant, Jungle Wurm, Addle, Nature's Lore, Death's-Head Buzzard, Claws of Wirewood, Nightscape Familiar, Serendib Efreet, Blazing Specter, Turnabout, Skirk Drill Sergeant (FOIL)

My Pick:

Nightscape Familiar

Pack 3, Pick 5:

Brainstorm, Goblin Commando, Elvish Aberration, Expunge, Scrivener, Seal of Cleansing, Man-o'-War, Falter, Skyshroud Forest, Mountain Valley, Bad River (FOIL)

My Pick:

Man-o'-War

Pack 3, Pick 6:

Mistmoon Griffin, Counterspell, Goblin Commando, Giant Mantis, Mesmeric Fiend, Secluded Steppe, Tribute to the Wild, Cabal Ritual, Rocky Tar Pit, Paralyze (FOIL)

My Pick:

Rocky Tar Pit

Nightscape Familiar
Man-o'-War
Rocky Tar Pit

Pack 3, Pick 7:

Killer Whale, Skirge Familiar, Keeneye Aven, Gilded Light, Skywing Aven, Tranquil Thicket, Goblin Settler, Sidar Jabari, Mind's Desire

My Pick:

Killer Whale

Pack 3, Pick 8:

Frantic Search, Predatory Nightstalker, Tribute to the Wild, Putrid Imp, Elephant Guide, Provoke, Bad River, Regrowth

My Pick:

Bad River

Pack 3, Pick 9:

Noble Templar, Skirk Prospector, Addle, Death's-Head Buzzard, Fallen Askari, Armor of Thorns, Reviving Vapors

My Pick:

Noble Templar

Killer Whale
Bad River
Noble Templar

Pack 3, Pick 10:

Deep Analysis, Tangle, Death's-Head Buzzard, Armor of Thorns, Sudden Strength, Urborg Uprising (FOIL)

My Pick:

Death's-Head Buzzard

Pack 3, Pick 11:

Choking Sands, Armor of Thorns, Sudden Strength, Putrid Imp, Giant Strength (FOIL)

My Pick:

Choking Sands

Pack 3, Pick 12:

Temporal Fissure, Addle, Death's-Head Buzzard, Turnabout

My Pick:

Death's-Head Buzzard

Death's-Head Buzzard
Choking Sands
Death's-Head Buzzard

Pack 3, Pick 13:

Scrivener, Seal of Cleansing, Skyshroud Forest

My Pick:

Skyshroud Forest

Pack 3, Pick 14:

Tribute to the Wild, Paralyze (FOIL)

My Pick:

Paralyze (FOIL)

Pack 3, Pick 15:

Skywing Aven

My Pick:

Skywing Aven

Skyshroud Forest
Paralyze
Skywing Aven

Here’s the deck I played!

Here’s the end result. (We split the finals.)


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