Card Talk 6

Arni Metalbrow card art

Today is the sixth post in my Card Talk series.

Reminder how Card Talk works:

• I go to Scryfall and select 'Random Card'
• I present and blog about the card. I could discuss any aspect: the art, abilities, cost, set, impact on the game, and so on. Stream of consciousness.

Card Talk is a fun, uncurated way to look at Magic's cards, mechanics, history, art, sets, and so on. And of course it exposes some of my own preferences, biases, and memories of the game. 

Today's card is . . .

Erratic Portal

Hmmmm . . . Erratic Portal. A colorless artifact from Exodus.

It is fun to get an artifact on here. Since most (this one included) are colorless and have generic mana costs, many artifacts can slot into any deck with ease. Artifacts, I recall, started out as uncommons or rares only, but shortly after, they made common ones.

Artifacts can be "just" artifacts or artifact creatures. Many (2918) artifact cards have been made over the years; 980 of them are artifact creatures. Subtle rules point: artifacts can tap the turn they come into play, but artifact creatures are subject to creature rules, too, so they cannot (unless they have haste).

Erratic Portal has been printed twice in paper:

- Exodus (1998)

- The List (2020)

The List was a concept introduced in 2020. A card from this 'set' is included in 25% of set booster packs. It is a way to get cards long out of print (but they remain legal only in the format(s) of the original cards). They have a Magic symbol in the bottom left corner so you know they are not the original printing:

From the official site, "The cards can be pulled from anywhere in Magic's 27-year history. The plan is for The List to change subtly from set to set, bringing in cards that might make sense with the set we're in, but it will mostly stay intact from set to set, meaning you will all get to learn what cards are in The List." I was surprised to find that cards from The List can sell for prices nearing the original versions.

Other card observations

• Erratic Portal's ability doesn't seem that amazing, since it can be negated by just one generic mana, but the card's cost ($3.50) indicates that the ability may be better than I think. That is one way to gauge a card's power in the game: how much does it cost to buy?
• The lore (italicized text in the text box) mentions legendary creatures or planeswalkers that appeared throughout Magic's history. There is an underlying story in this game. You don't need to know it or follow it to enjoy the game itself, but it does add some depth to the experience.

Card Talk 5

Arni Metalbrow card art

Today is the fifth post in my Card Talk series.

Reminder how Card Talk works:

• I go to Scryfall and select 'Random Card'
• I present and blog about the card. I could discuss any aspect: the art, abilities, cost, set, impact on the game, and so on. Stream of consciousness.

Card Talk is a fun, uncurated way to look at Magic's cards, mechanics, history, art, sets, and so on. And of course it exposes some of my own preferences, biases, and memories of the game. 

Today's card is . . .

Standing Troops

Hmmmm . . . Standing Troops. A white human soldier. This version is from the Welcome Deck 2017.

I love tribal decks, and I discussed white soldiers specifically in January. They are the most prevalent tribe in white. Standing Troops doesn't feature in any of my constructed decks, though. It is certainly a nice defender, with 4 defense keeping it out of reach from most red damage spells. And vigilance is nice. But with only 1 attack, and a mana value = 3, there are better options out there if you are playing soldiers.

Standing Troops has been printed six times in paper:

- Exodus (1998)

- Classic Sixth Edition (1999)

- Seventh Edition (2001)

- Eighth Edition (2003)

- Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Kiora (2015)

- Welcome Deck 2017 (2017)

After the initial printing in an expansion, it featured in three consecutive core sets, then dropped out of sight for 12 years until coming back for two special releases. This is a good reminder that many cards (not on the reserved list) may get reprints even after years of being ignored.

Other card observations:

• Welcome Deck 2017 was a set of 30 reprinted cards that showed up in several products (booster battle packs and deckbuilder's toolkits) from the Amonkhet and Ixalan block sets. You can read more about that here.
• Vigilance didn't become a keyword until 2004, so the first four printings of this card spelled out the ability: "Attacking doesn't cause Standing Troops to tap."
• The vigilance keyword shows up on 744 cards as of this writing. Not surprisingly, 350 of them are mono-white and 500 of them have white in the casting cost. Different keywords feature in different colors; it is clear that vigilance is largely in white in Magic.

The Puns of Eldraine

Wilds of Eldraine is the latest Magic release, and it returns to the popular plane introduced in 2019: Eldraine, the land of fairy tales and Arthurian lore (or their Magic equivalents, anyway). The first Eldraine set, Throne of Eldraine, had powerful cards but maintained a whimsical tone; this latest release has followed suit. One thing I enjoy the most about it? Puns.

From Oxford, puns are "a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words which sound alike but have different meanings." I remember seeing them for the first time in the original Eldraine set:

These three cards show both kinds of puns:

- Belle of the Brawl and Mad Ratter are the second type, where they play on "Belle of the Ball" and "Mad Hatter," respectively.

- Giant Opportunity is the first type, where that is an expression meaning "a great circumstance that one could leverage for success," but here conveys the meaning "create a literal giant creature."

Wilds of Eldraine ups the ante; below are the cards with puns that I observed:

In most cases, which type of pun each is should be obvious, and I leave it to the reader. But I will mention one: Hearth Elemental puns on an older Magic card, Earth Elemental:

This type of pun applies to what Magic players call "callback" cards, which I discuss here. If you know the game well, you will pick up on (and hopefully appreciate) it. Otherwise, it will mean nothing to you.

Wordplay is fun and, I believe, important. Language is beautiful and powerful, and I appreciate that Magic leverages puns here. Magic cards can also be a way to teach vocabulary . . . but more on that another time.

Farewell, Commander

Inspiring Commander card art

I hadn't intended to do another farewell post this month, but a tragic event made me pivot: Shedon Menery passed away. He was well-known in Magic circles, but even if you don't know the name, you'll recognize his contribution to the Magic community: he came up with the Commander format, which some consider the most popular format in the game. RIP, Shedon.

As I briefly mention on my formats page, Commander's singleton rule (decks can contain only 1 copy of any unique card, except for basic lands) transformed the game. It didn't diminish the original Magic format/experience—it gave the game a fun new area to explore, using the entire Magic card base (vs. the rotating sets of Standard) and keeping things casual. One of the things I love about this game is just how flexible it is; Menery's creation was seminal in proving that.

I also enjoy how Commander came to be. Its original name was "Elder Dragon Highlander," or EDH, and it began as a grassroots effort in local game stores. This was not a Wizards employee pitching an idea to the company; it was players exploring the game's possibilities and developing something that became so popular the company recognized it and made it official (in 2011). In the ensuing years, Wizards has released preconstructed Commander decks, sets geared towards Commander drafts, and other products centered around this format. Impressive.

A final note: even the Commander format has spawned an 'internal' variant. The original Commander format is designed to be casual: players can strive to build synergistic decks, but there is a greater focus on social interaction and enjoying the odd or unexpected situations that come with playing singleton across a huge card pool. It is a chance to play those 'janky' cards that wouldn't see play in competitive environments. Competitive EDH (cEDH) is a spinoff. It has all the same rules, but the goal is to win as quickly as possible. To make a powerhouse deck that can win in just a few turns. TCGPlayer and TheGamer have good introductions to that concept; the former points out that it "is regular Commander with a different social contract," while the latter states that "the decks are built to be as powerful as they can be." I'll look more at those concepts—social contracts and power levels—another time. For today, we mourn Mr. Menery's passing but celebrate his contributions.

Farewell, . . . nothing?!

Aquatic Alchemist card art

Each year that I have maintained this blog, September is dedicated to the four sets rotating out of Standard. I look at the cards I liked, the ones I didn't, and the sets as a whole. (Here is my first post on the subject, and another which explains the Standard format and set rotation.) So, first up this month is: 

nothing.

That's right, no sets are rotating out of Standard this year. Wizards announced in May that they were changing Standard rotation to every three years. Why? They explain in the article; I present the highlights below.

- tabletop Standard is key to local game stores

- this format (again, on tabletop—in person vs. online) hasn't kept pace with other Magic formats

- shifting to a 3-year rotation cycle does the following (italics is quoted from the article):

• This will give current Standard cards more longevity. 
• It will allow mechanics and archetypes to be more effectively built on over time. As we moved away from the block model, we gained a lot of flexibility, but we also lost some ability to build on mechanics and themes within a set. With a longer window, we can find more opportunities to build up or revitalize archetypes. 
• It also gives us stronger tools to create an environment where decks are more "color(s) and mechanic" (like Green-White Toxic or Blue-White Soldiers) and less midrange. 

In the end, "we believe this will give Standard more stability, more vitality, and strengthen it for local game stores." Time will tell if this is the case.

I have no strong feelings one way or the other about this change. On the one hand, I get it. Based on release dates, some sets enjoyed only 15 months in Standard, which seemed too short (and unfair compared to the sets that were in for all 24). On the other hand, a card pool of such large size (and duration) might overwhelm players and/or dissuade new ones from jumping in. 

One comment intrigues me: Wizards wants "more 'color(s) and mechanic' (like Green-White Toxic or Blue-White Soldiers) and less midrange." From my decks page, midrange is a deck type that uses efficient spells. It can potentially take on both aggro, control, and combo decks. I am guessing that Wizards is saying "we want decks with a theme, not just a collection of efficient cards that can win games without synergy." I'd love to learn more about that.

Whatever you think about this change, it will be fun to enjoy the cards for longer.

Recent Arena Decks

Library of Leng card art

It's been a while since I posted decks. Today, the focus is what I've been playing in Arena.

White Net Deck

This aggro deck is straightforward: slow opponents with Thalia, use removal like Brutal Cathar, annoy people with Anointed Peacekeeper, and get some low-cost spells back from the grave with Serra Paragon.

4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben (DKA) 24

3 Adeline, Resplendent Cathar (MID) 1

4 Brutal Cathar (MID) 7

4 Intrepid Adversary (MID) 25

4 Hopeful Initiate (VOW) 20

4 Hotshot Mechanic (NEO) 16

1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire (NEO) 268

4 Anointed Peacekeeper (DMU) 2

2 Guardian of New Benalia (DMU) 19

4 Serra Paragon (DMU) 32

1 Destroy Evil (DMU) 17

2 Cathar Commando (MID) 10

23 Plains (DMU) 277

Bluey

I really like this deck; I made a Modern variation in cardboard. The goal is to plow through cards (by casting cheap spells) until you can drop Tolarian Terror and/or Haughty Djinn. My cardboard version saved some money by dropping Ledger Shredder and adding more copies of the Djinn.

4 Consider (MID) 44

2 Essence Scatter (IKO) 49

4 Delver of Secrets (MID) 47

4 Fading Hope (MID) 51

3 Shore Up (DMU) 64

3 Ledger Shredder (SNC) 46

3 Negate (ZNR) 71

4 Tolarian Terror (DMU) 72

20 Island (ANA) 10

1 Essence Scatter (DMU) 49

4 Impulse (DMU) 55

4 Thirst for Discovery (VOW) 85

3 Slip Out the Back (SNC) 62

1 Haughty Djinn (DMU) 52

Nazgul2

I blogged about this one already; it is the only Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth I can get to be competitive, and it needs Sheoldred to do it.

1 The One Ring (LTR) 246

2 Witch-king of Angmar (LTR) 114

4 Orcish Bowmasters (LTR) 103

3 Invoke Despair (NEO) 101

1 Barad-dûr (LTR) 253

4 Call of the Ring (LTR) 79

3 Gollum, Patient Plotter (LTR) 84

1 Cut Down (DMU) 89

3 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse (DMU) 107

2 Infernal Grasp (MID) 107

4 Go for the Throat (BRO) 102

1 Nazgûl (LTR) 100

1 Nazgûl (LTR) 339

1 Nazgûl (LTR) 338

1 Nazgûl (LTR) 337

1 Nazgûl (LTR) 336

1 Nazgûl (LTR) 335

1 Nazgûl (LTR) 334

1 Nazgûl (LTR) 333

1 Nazgûl (LTR) 332

23 Swamp (LTR) 267

Burn Net Deck

Possibly my favorite burn deck ever. I also made a cardboard Modern version of this. It moves fast and hits hard, with multiple ways to get an opponent. I especially enjoy Mechanized Warfare with a few End the Festivities.

4 Lightning Strike (XLN) 149

4 Monastery Swiftspear (BRO) 144

4 Play with Fire (MID) 154

1 Chandra, Dressed to Kill (VOW) 149

4 End the Festivities (VOW) 155

4 Reckless Impulse (VOW) 174

4 Voldaren Epicure (VOW) 182

4 Kumano Faces Kakkazan (NEO) 152

4 Phoenix Chick (DMU) 140

1 Squee, Dubious Monarch (DMU) 146

2 Feldon, Ronom Excavator (BRO) 135

4 Mechanized Warfare (BRO) 139

20 Mountain (MIR) 346

Greenie Meanie ND

I also really like this mono-green tempo deck. It can endure the quick hits or counterspells and chug out efficient creatures/mana ramp until the heavy hitters come out. Things really get exciting when Defiler of Vigor's ability gets going; it combines well with Augur of Autumn.

2 Workshop Warchief (SNC) 165

4 Augur of Autumn (MID) 168

4 Ascendant Packleader (VOW) 186

3 Cemetery Prowler (VOW) 191

1 Bouncer's Beatdown (SNC) 135

1 Gala Greeters (SNC) 148

4 Jewel Thief (SNC) 151

2 Topiary Stomper (SNC) 160

1 Defiler of Vigor (DMU) 160

2 Llanowar Loamspeaker (DMU) 170

2 Silverback Elder (DMU) 177

2 Tail Swipe (DMU) 182

2 Titan of Industry (SNC) 159

2 Ulvenwald Oddity (VOW) 225

3 Elfhame Wurm (DMU) 161

20 Forest (ELD) 269

4 Crystal Grotto (DMU) 246

1 Boseiju, Who Endures (NEO) 266

Those paying attention will note that a lot of what I have been playing in standard is dated; I have not incorporated the last three releases (Phyrexia: All Will Be One, March of the Machine, or Aftermath) into any of these. And they still hold up reasonably well. 

Selling a Collection

Archivist card art

Interestingly, last year I was blogging about inventorying my collection. This month, I sold 25% of my cards. This post looks at selling your collection and de-inventorying it.

My Magic collection ebbs and flows. I buy cards or get them from friends, and sometimes, things get out of hand. Since I've been inventorying my collection, I looked recently and was astounded at how many cards I had accumulated: about 42,000. That's way too many. When you have that much, most of your collection goes unused. In addition, I had a number of valuable cards that never saw play; it makes sense to sell them. I wanted to minimize. Here's how I did it.

Deciding what to sell

It all starts with 1) what you use and 2) what you like. What I used was fairly obvious: I have a number of decks or cubes ready to go, and I know which ones I favor. What I like was trickier. I guess it is better to ask "what do I like the most?" or "what do I actually like vs. think I like?" That took some thinking.

Though I love exploring Magic, there are some formats I just don't play. Pauper, for example. I like pauper in theory but never actually play. Or Commander draft. Basically, I like:

- Limited constructed (building decks in the Standard pool or from blocks of sets, when those were a thing)

- Cube drafts

- Commander constructed

- Casual constructed (building fun decks, probably not competitive, but amusing)

- Exploring (encountering lots of cards)

I already had decks for those first four categories. For the last, I realized that I can do this through singleton formats (where you can have only one copy of a card). That is satisfied in Commander and Cube drafts. 

I typically collect 4 copies of a given card, but when I realized my 'exploration' focus, I decided to go through a lot of my cards and go down to 1 copy (or 2, if I really liked it). That was the bulk of what I sold.

The other thing to consider are high-value cards. I sorted my inventory by market value and realized I had some valuable cards that I never used. That is where the money is when it comes to selling (see next section), so I chose 276 of those to sell.

Expected price

Selling Magic cards can be done individually or in bulk. 

If individually, you will get the best price, but prepare to spend your life putting cards up for auction, mailing them, etc. That was out for me. I would sell in bulk.

If selling in bulk, many Local Game Stores (LGS) operate as follows:

- use TCGPlayer low prices (my inventory app shows low, mid, and market prices)

- list cards worth $3 and up based on TCGPlayer low price

- the store will offer 60-70% of TCGMarket low based on your cards' conditions

- the rest is considered bulk, and stores will offer $2.50-$3.00 per thousand cards for that

To give you an idea of what that means, consider the cards I sold.

- Total sold: 10,000 (almost exactly)

- Total market value: $4,600

- High-value cards: 276

- High-value cards market value: $3265

- High-value cards TCGPlayer low value: $2480

The store gave me $1500 for the lot, based on the fact that some of my high-value cards were in poor condition. I accepted. It was fair.

The big thing to know when selling is that your bulk cards are worth almost nothing. Even those worth $1-$2 each. Stores will not bother including those in offers, and unless you want to spend dozens of hours selling them yourself, I wouldn't fret about it.

De-inventorying

What a pain. I'm not going to lie . . . this took a long time. You have to navigate your app to the card in question, adjust its quantity (or delete it entirely), and do that for (in my case) 10,000 cards. I found, based on the app I use, that the ease of doing this really depends on how you inventoried your stuff in the first place. In cases where I created folders by set, it was pretty simple. Go to that set, sort by set number, and if you stuff is also stored by set number, you can go down the list pretty fast. Where it got hard were those places where a given card had been inventoried in another folder (because it was in a deck or in my binder when I did my inventory). That wasn't so fun. In all, I probably got through most (8,000?) pretty quickly, but then spent hours on what remained based on folder placement. It wasn't fun. And makes you think, to be blunt, if inventorying cards is worth it in the first place. In my case, I think it was, as it enabled me to identify and sell the top cards. But when you add up the hours I spent last year (inventorying) and this year (removing) . . . oi.