The alternate art is great, the cards are above average over-all (for a DD) and the gameplay really is quite good. It's great value card-for-card. I must echo everyone else in that I felt my $20 was well spent.
I agree with the above poster that the Evolving Wilds should have been the DKA version but that's definitely nitpicking when you consider what you're getting. Plus most of the product is spot on in terms of flavor.
This deck seems to be not selling at all on magic online. I've been trying to get some new art spectral processions and lingering souls and can't find a single trader or bot with them.
Seriously though throw in a card that gives a special magic item in game with alternative artwork using the games likeness a bit of cross marketing and bobs ur uncle(and expensive card) you got a funny fun duel deck.
Want to see other duel decks I made ? Check out my Blog ! Feel free to post advice or give topics for me to make duel decks out of. Check out the Theros Block Planeswalker Theme Duel Decks Elspeth, Xenagos, Ashok, Kiora, Ajani
Picked mine up today, glad to get some alternate art versions of cards I enjoy greatly; Mortify, Blightning, and Death Grasp being the top 3, as well as getting my first copy of LOI. The funny/awesome/painful thing was when I opened my DD up. I somehow got two copies of Tibalt, along with the rest of his deck. I ran through the list to make sure, and it was all there. On the one hand, error in my favor. On the other hand, I wish it was Sorin this happened to, lol.
And yet I hope the PAX East panel revealing "Friends" (well, it won't be a surprise if they do that - also, I don't know if it will reveal "Friends", before you ask for sources) be conclusive on the block's theme.
Saw the blown-up art of the featured walkers and must rescind my comments about the quality of Chase Stone's work. I know that a good amount of detail is lost when art is scaled down to fit the cardframe, but I guess the degree of loss varies depending on the work being shrunk. Without the shrinkage, I quite like his depiction of Sorin, even though the pose isn't particularly exciting.
Haven't yet had a chance to play the decks, but hopefully my store restocks like they did with IvG.
Got to play like four rounds of this in between judging a TCG event at my LGS the other day.
Played as Tibalt each time because no one else wanted to.
These decks are soooooo much fun to play against one another.
There's real decisions to be made for both decks, and a lot of games came down to the wire.
I collect duel decks, and I would easily place this in the top 3.
Got this product yesterday, I can say there's one thing I was disappointed with. There is no Sorin emblem token! Each deck came wrapped with a 1/1 spirit token (as it indicates on the inside packaging). This is very disappointing as it was something that I was buying the duel deck for.
For comparison, when I purchased Venser vs. Koth they both came with the emblem tokens.
Venser Vs Koth came with the emblems because the emblems didn't exist when Koth and Venser were first released in a set. Since we already have Sorin's emblem, there wasn't a need to print it again I guess
It didn't come with any vampire tokens either.
I think there is some limitation to what they can print due to the way printing sheets are planned, though.
And if the worst thing about this is the lack of tokens, I think I can learn to deal.
It didn't come with any vampire tokens either.
I think there is some limitation to what they can print due to the way printing sheets are planned, though.
And if the worst thing about this is the lack of tokens, I think I can learn to deal.
The main thing about this though is that these were the absolute hardest things to get a hold of in the card set. They had spirit tokens out the yin-yang and even though it's the thing that would come up most in the game, they should have paid better attention to what you might end up NOT being able to get outside the product.
The funny/awesome/painful thing was when I opened my DD up. I somehow got two copies of Tibalt, along with the rest of his deck. I ran through the list to make sure, and it was all there. On the one hand, error in my favor. On the other hand, I wish it was Sorin this happened to, lol.
Same thing with mine. They were slightly stuck together and more curved than the Sorin was.
The main thing about this though is that these were the absolute hardest things to get a hold of in the card set. They had spirit tokens out the yin-yang and even though it's the thing that would come up most in the game, they should have paid better attention to what you might end up NOT being able to get outside the product.
That's a good point.
It is my understanding that tokens (and emblems which use the same print sheet, iirc) are proportionally rare to the most common card which creates them.
Sorin is a mythic rare, so 1/1 lifelink Vampires and Emblems are damned hard to get a hold of.
Whereas there's like a dozen cards in Inn block that make 1/1 flying white Spirits across all rarities.
There's an argument to be made that the spirit token was more important since there were more cards that make them in the deck, but even then it feels weird to include one to the exclusion to the other two.
That's a good point.
It is my understanding that tokens (and emblems which use the same print sheet, iirc) are proportionally rare to the most common card which creates them.
There's an argument to be made that the spirit token was more important since there were more cards that make them in the deck, but even then it feels weird to include one to the exclusion to the other two.
Yet pervious duel decks have included three tokens atleast 1 more could of been the emblem or the vampire or have 1 of each. Especially since I know how hard it is to get those tokens.
Also The boxes are smaller than pervious duel decks making the cards a tight squeeze so Wizards is just cutting corners which is annoying to say the least cause most people wont notice.
Want to see other duel decks I made ? Check out my Blog ! Feel free to post advice or give topics for me to make duel decks out of. Check out the Theros Block Planeswalker Theme Duel Decks Elspeth, Xenagos, Ashok, Kiora, Ajani
Yet pervious duel decks have included three tokens atleast 1 more could of been the emblem or the vampire or have 1 of each. Especially since I know how hard it is to get those tokens.
Also The boxes are smaller than pervious duel decks making the cards a tight squeeze so Wizards is just cutting corners which is annoying to say the least cause most people wont notice.
The Izzet v Golgari set only had 2 tokens and also had the tiny boxes.
Yet pervious duel decks have included three tokens atleast 1 more could of been the emblem or the vampire or have 1 of each. Especially since I know how hard it is to get those tokens.
Eh. Izzet vs. Golgari just had two saproling tokens, despite the inclusion of Thunderheads. And those weird tokens have never seen print.
It really is a matter of what is going to come up more often.
Oh, the old discussion of Wizards being miserable on paper. Why they asked a deck-designer so nicely to make a BW Tokens if they don't want to print tokens?
You may say whatever you want of Venser vs. Koth, but that's a product without problems for that. No tokens, comes with two emblems with those cool Magic backs (that I believe MANY newcomers made the mistake of shuffling that in). I personally hate to mix other products/sets things on others, and because of that, even with the fact that I got cool foil plains set to replace the whole Sorin's deck plains, I won't be doing it, because, you know, it is not from the product.
Atleast this complaint isn't, by far, the worst of things. One could easily live with that.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
(Give your LGS judge a hug. He deserves it.)
Nothing. All I want is Heroes vs. Monsters spoilers.
One other card that I had wanted to see reprinted in this set that I had forgotten to mention is backlash, as I believe that it would have matched perfectly with Tibalt's personality, andit has not yet been reprinted in the new card frame. Of course, I do believe that that card would also have been perfect in Nicol Bolas' deck in Ajani versus Nicol Bolas, but that deck instead contained agonizing demise, which destroys a creature, rather than merely tapping it, but its mana cost is twice as high as that of blacklash, plus, it has a greater restriction on what it may target. That is similar to how I had wished for absorb to be reprinted in Venser versus Koth, but that deck instead contained overrule, which I consider to be vastly inferior to absorb.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“Those who would trade their freedoms for security will have neither.”-Benjamin Franklin
“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”-Thomas Jefferson
“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of its user.”-Theodore Roosevelt
“Patriotism means to stand by one's country; it does not mean to stand by one's president.”-Theodore Roosevelt
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I agree with the above poster that the Evolving Wilds should have been the DKA version but that's definitely nitpicking when you consider what you're getting. Plus most of the product is spot on in terms of flavor.
Still praying for an Egyptian themed set, Mummy-style Zombies versus Acolyte-style clerics would be epic.
I think at the time there werent really enough humans to really do that style of deck and it was before the around the switch time.
I really wouldn mind seeing a special plants vs zombies duel deck with special alternative art for some cards.
Primeval Titan vs Grave Titan
Seriously though throw in a card that gives a special magic item in game with alternative artwork using the games likeness a bit of cross marketing and bobs ur uncle(and expensive card) you got a funny fun duel deck.
Image taken from Plants vs Zomies home page
Decks used- GGarruk vs LilianaB, WElsepth vs TezzeretU, WGKnights vs DragonsR
WGRAjani vs BolasRUB, WUVenser vs KothR, RUIzzet vs GolgariGB.
WBSorin vs TibaltBR, WRHeros vs Monsters RG
Want to see other duel decks I made ? Check out my Blog ! Feel free to post advice or give topics for me to make duel decks out of. Check out the Theros Block Planeswalker Theme Duel Decks Elspeth, Xenagos, Ashok, Kiora, Ajani
Mogis, God of Slaughter
Daxos of Meletis
Grave Bramble is a card.
(Give your LGS judge a hug. He deserves it.)
Haven't yet had a chance to play the decks, but hopefully my store restocks like they did with IvG.
meat's Trade Corner
Played as Tibalt each time because no one else wanted to.
These decks are soooooo much fun to play against one another.
There's real decisions to be made for both decks, and a lot of games came down to the wire.
I collect duel decks, and I would easily place this in the top 3.
Level 1 Judge
I write flavor articles for RoxieCards.
I play and judge at Giga Bites Cafein Marietta, Georgia.
For comparison, when I purchased Venser vs. Koth they both came with the emblem tokens.
Certified Rules Advisor
I think there is some limitation to what they can print due to the way printing sheets are planned, though.
And if the worst thing about this is the lack of tokens, I think I can learn to deal.
Level 1 Judge
I write flavor articles for RoxieCards.
I play and judge at Giga Bites Cafein Marietta, Georgia.
The main thing about this though is that these were the absolute hardest things to get a hold of in the card set. They had spirit tokens out the yin-yang and even though it's the thing that would come up most in the game, they should have paid better attention to what you might end up NOT being able to get outside the product.
Same thing with mine. They were slightly stuck together and more curved than the Sorin was.
That's a good point.
It is my understanding that tokens (and emblems which use the same print sheet, iirc) are proportionally rare to the most common card which creates them.
Sorin is a mythic rare, so 1/1 lifelink Vampires and Emblems are damned hard to get a hold of.
Whereas there's like a dozen cards in Inn block that make 1/1 flying white Spirits across all rarities.
There's an argument to be made that the spirit token was more important since there were more cards that make them in the deck, but even then it feels weird to include one to the exclusion to the other two.
Level 1 Judge
I write flavor articles for RoxieCards.
I play and judge at Giga Bites Cafein Marietta, Georgia.
Yet pervious duel decks have included three tokens atleast 1 more could of been the emblem or the vampire or have 1 of each. Especially since I know how hard it is to get those tokens.
Also The boxes are smaller than pervious duel decks making the cards a tight squeeze so Wizards is just cutting corners which is annoying to say the least cause most people wont notice.
Decks used- GGarruk vs LilianaB, WElsepth vs TezzeretU, WGKnights vs DragonsR
WGRAjani vs BolasRUB, WUVenser vs KothR, RUIzzet vs GolgariGB.
WBSorin vs TibaltBR, WRHeros vs Monsters RG
Want to see other duel decks I made ? Check out my Blog ! Feel free to post advice or give topics for me to make duel decks out of. Check out the Theros Block Planeswalker Theme Duel Decks Elspeth, Xenagos, Ashok, Kiora, Ajani
The Izzet v Golgari set only had 2 tokens and also had the tiny boxes.
Eh. Izzet vs. Golgari just had two saproling tokens, despite the inclusion of Thunderheads. And those weird tokens have never seen print.
It really is a matter of what is going to come up more often.
You may say whatever you want of Venser vs. Koth, but that's a product without problems for that. No tokens, comes with two emblems with those cool Magic backs (that I believe MANY newcomers made the mistake of shuffling that in). I personally hate to mix other products/sets things on others, and because of that, even with the fact that I got cool foil plains set to replace the whole Sorin's deck plains, I won't be doing it, because, you know, it is not from the product.
Atleast this complaint isn't, by far, the worst of things. One could easily live with that.
(Give your LGS judge a hug. He deserves it.)
“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”-Thomas Jefferson
“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of its user.”-Theodore Roosevelt
“Patriotism means to stand by one's country; it does not mean to stand by one's president.”-Theodore Roosevelt