The Alpha Build: Avacyn and the Legends
March 18, 2016
by William
This was the set known for introducing Legendary Creatures to Magic and revolutionized how we experience the story as we know it.
This week we’ll be seeing none of them.
At this point in history not only were some of these cards the first legendary permanents, they were also the first multicolored cards. As such, we won’t be seeing any until we get to our cycle of 2-colored commanders.
What we do get, however, is still quite a find.
IN:
Land Tax is easily the most powerful card for us in this set. It draws us three additional cards a turn, guarantees land drops, and filters out dead draws all for single mana enchantment. Easily a staple, and I suspect one of primary tutor targets once we get access to tutors in the future.
Kismet and Moat are great defensive additions that will slow the game down and keep people from poking through our soft array of creatures. Divine Offering is just another way to interact with other players’ boards.
Out:
The big theme for this week is to emphasize quality over quantity. Rather than playing weak creatures just to make sure we reach a body count, we’re focusing on playing with cards that will have some sort of impact on the game. A 1/4 with vigilance just isn’t going to cut it when we’re competing against decks that get a 6/6 for 6 with upside.
Early magic isn’t known for its creatures. But it is known for it’s powerful spells. Rather than fight against it, we’ll have to embrace that fact even if we don’t get to play as many creatures as we normally would like to.
Legends gave us some very special gems, but we’re still lacking for threats. Personal Incarnation and Serra Angel continue to be our go to aces but they can’t carry a multiplayer game by themselves.
Next up, we’re going to a world where I hope you aren’t afraid of…The Dark.