Solar Flare - Past and Present

Nostalgia is a powerful force in Magic the Gathering. Mechanics and themes have been revisited countless times, from the nostalgia-themed block of Time Spiral to the recent return to the plane of Mirrodin. However, the one realm in which players fall victim to nostalgia the most is in deck building. Every competitive constructed season has a memorable top tier, and particular decks that players found they enjoyed, or feared, the most. 

During the Innistrad spoiler season, we saw hints slipping through the gaps, card by card suggesting the return of the fabled Solar Flare. Rising to dominance during the Nationals’ season in the summer of 2006, Solar Flare was a control deck that dominated the format through force, utilizing the strongest cards available to counter the rock-paper-scissors format of Gruul-Heartbeat-Tron. Starting out as a reanimator deck at the hands of Team Japan, Solar Flare developed through intensive play on MTGO before leading Paul Cheon to victory at US Nationals that year.

In order to gain an understanding of Solar Flare, let’s use Paul Cheon’s Nationals winning list as a point of reference:

Paul Cheons Solar Flare
60 cards, 15 sideboard
4 Azorius Chancery 1 Eiganjo Castle 3 Godless Shrine 1 Hallowed Fountain 1 Island 1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea 1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge 1 Miren, the Moaning Well 2 Orzhov Basilica 1 Plains 1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse 2 Swamp 2 Tendo Ice Bridge 1 Underground River 1 Watery Grave 23 lands 3 Court Hussar 1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror 1 Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni 1 Kokusho, the Evening Star 2 Yosei, the Morning Star 3 Angel of Despair 11 creatures	4 Azorius Signet 2 Dimir Signet 4 Remand 4 Compulsive Research 3 Mortify 2 Persecute 4 Wrath of God 3 Zombify 26 other spells Sideboard 2 Persecute 4 Castigate 3 Condemn 2 Cranial Extraction 4 Descendant of Kiyomaro 15 sideboard cards

Back to the Beginning

Before even contemplating the translation of the deck over to the present Standard format, we need to gain a feel for the workings of the original Solar Flare at its peak. During the Kamigawa-Ravnica Standard format a solid, balanced metagame was established following the release of Guildpact at Pro Tour Honolulu. Though GWB Rock was expected to dominate the format going into the event, it failed to deliver the good whilst an incredible all-star top 8 formed the basis of the format’s future. RG Gruul and RGW Zoo pushed aggressively with under-costed early animals backed up by burn, BW Hand in Hand gave solid protection knights a jitte and hit the hand to maintain an element of control, and Tron aimed to draw and counter its way into landing a game-changing win condition. Owling Mine and Heartbeat rounded out the top 8 as the unexpectedly reliable combo decks. Owling Mine died down as control established itself, and BW Hand in Hand faded out of the top tier as red-based aggro pushed ahead. 

Gruul, Zoo and Tron formed the format, with the difficult to wield combo of Heartbeat existing as a minor presence throughout the regional season. The arrival of Dissension gave players the ability to play any colour combination with minimal difficulty, proving to be the final piece of the puzzle for Solar Flare to rise. With aggro very much dominant, a powerful removal suite and the surprisingly solid defence provided by Court Hussar allowed Flare to establish control and swing the game with a variety of win conditions that aggro would find difficult to handle. Unlike most recent control decks, the format would not allow Tron to operate reactively at all times, and with Signets and draw spells being vital at sorcery speed powerful hate was possible through Remand and Persecute. 

Truly inspirational deck naming!

The ability to revive fallen win conditions with Zombify seems cute, but discarding an Angel of Despair to Compulsive Research and following up with a turn 4 Zombify proved to be far more brutal than anyone could have imagined at the time. As the format evolved, the variety of monsters altered slightly back and forth, and similarly Castigate and Condemn frequently found themselves in main decks, with Wrath of God and Zombify often finding their numbers cut respectively. But regardless, Solar Flare remained, proving to be a swiss army knife in answering the card pool available whilst maintaining the favour of the players. This dominance was not like those seen by Affinity, Faeries or Caw-Blade. This was a deck that players felt passionately about, providing interesting, memorable games whilst playing exciting cards and powerful technology. 

Initial Innistrad Impact

When Innistrad arrived, you couldn’t read an article about Magic without hearing the name Solar Flare. The community seemed passionately determined to revive this strategy, but as initial results started to flood in players became gradually less convinced, even going so far as to claim that the deck isn’t a real contender. How could players take such a violent turn against the deck they all claimed passion for mere weeks before?

The answer lies in understanding the past, and the truth of the nature of Solar Flare. In approaching a revival of a deck from Magic’s extensive history, players naturally look for cards that replicate the effect of those once played. The eerie parallel is easily made, and frequently it proves true, but right now it simply cannot be done. Sure, Liliana of the Veil can act as a discard outlet akin to Compulsive Research, but aside from that the cards are vastly different. And take Forbidden Alchemy into consideration for a moment. That card is undeniably powerful, but how can you compare it to anything in the 2006 Solar Flare deck, let alone the card pool available at that time? 

In attempting to replicate the feel of the deck, illogical plays can frequently be seen. Discarding Unburial Rites makes it a Zombify, but late in the game you’re essentially losing a win condition by making that play. Despite its roots as a reanimator deck, Solar Flare is not at its best when played with that single goal in mind. The aim of the strategy is advantage whilst maintaining tempo, with Wrath of God and Persecute stopping opponents dead more often than a reanimated monstrosity. Day of Judgment is increasingly crucial in Standard today, but Persecute has no parallel and would likely be a weaker card today with Flashback and Snapcaster Mage proving to be very popular. 

Evolution and Renewal

It is worth making a point at this stage that Solar Flare is far from a dead deck in Standard. Despite the decline in the last couple of weeks the deck continues to perform admirably, particularly in the hands of strong players such as AJ Sacher. Grand Prix Hiroshima is due to enter its second day as I finish writing this article, and yet again it appears that Solar Flare is making a strong presence that’ll hopefully lead to top 8 presence. But why is it that only the few are succeeding?

In working towards a modern Solar Flare, three vital factors need to be focused improved upon. Solar Flare is in no way a deck that has a perfect build that anyone and everyone can play. Most dominant decks, such as Caw-Blade, simply evolve in their use of new technology to improve the mirror match. Solar Flare is as far from that kind of deck as you can get, and requires good, old fashioned work to keep it operating effectively.

1. Mana Base

A quick glance at Paul Cheon’s mana base may seem overwhelming if unfamiliar with the Kamigawa-Ravnica Standard format, but a closer look will reveal the elegant balance present. Blue unsurprisingly comes as the priority, with Remand, Compulsive Research and Court Hussar most frequently being cast before any other non-Signet spell. Turn 4 Wrath of God or Persecute are the true focus of the deck, with Wrath of God on turn 3 being very realistic due to Signets and a minor lean towards white over black. 

Playing for the early game...

...or aiming for the late game?

Though Signets are no longer around, it is possible to run cards like Sphere of the Suns, but to do so would be to try and replicate the past whilst ignoring logic as the power level of the cards are vastly different. Today we have to maintain a careful balance between Shards lands, Core duals and basics. Having been spoilt for options with powerful first turn spells such as Preordain and Inquisition of Kozilek, players are frequently too reckless in their inclusion of Scars lands, whilst not respecting the advantages presented by later plays of the Core duals. Once a solid core to the deck is established, a well-tweaked mana base is key to finding openings for powerful technology, such as Mikokoro and Miren in Cheon’s list.

2. Win Conditions

The original exciting aspect of Solar Flare, inspiring its primordial form as a reanimator deck, was to use and abuse Angel of Despair. In Paul Cheon’s build we can see the Angels supported by a cast of legends from Kamigawa, covering various different aspects of the game. The general idea is to gain advantage upon entering the battlefield or on leaving it. It is this idea that we can and should carry forward to today. Though we lack the incredibly power to Vindicate that the Angel had, Sun Titan has taken up the role of being the primary win condition in today’s Solar Flare. Sun Titan results in a very different approach to the choice of win conditions, and alongside the Flashback keyword on Unburial Rites, inevitably means we no longer need to be so heavy in our use of high-end cards. 

Technology remains a powerful force, and the Sun Titan focus should not prevent the inclusion of interesting and effective boss creatures. Wurmcoil Engine remains a favourite answer to aggro, and very much like Kokusho it remains advantageous following a desperate sweep of the board or removal from the opponent. Though Titans have made 6 cost boss creatures most desirable for control, Solar Flare can very respectively play a variety of interesting, less conventional creatures to advantage. Rune-Scarred Demon, Sheoldred and Elesh Norn are powerful in their respective ways, and should all be considered seriously for the future of the deck. Elesh Norn has received a good amount of respect recently, making the important transition from sideboard to main deck, and I expect further experiments to be carried out by the more daring players in the near future. 

Sunblast Angel and Massacre Wurm present interesting anti-aggro alternatives to Wurmcoil Engine in a format that is finally finding Dismember to be unfavourable as a splashable removal spell. Grave Titan and Bloodline Keeper on the other hand are very reminiscent of Meloku (and Skeletal Vampire from later versions) in being able to control the board and eventually seize the win, whilst also being black can allow them to seize upon unprepared players wielding little more than Doom Blades. A wide variety of potential win conditions exist for players to diversify in the face of the increasing play of Surgical Extraction, Momoricide, and Sever the Bloodline.

3. Format Focus

At the end of the day Solar Flare is just a control deck, and like any control deck it requires a metagame to work against. Though it may appear to be a very proactive deck in playing cards like Liliana of the Veil and Unburial Rites, it remains a deck that aims for the late game. Becoming obsessed with the Rites plan turns the deck into an unstable reanimator deck, which is far from where you want to be. In 2006, Solar Flare was poised to beat aggressive strategies and tap-out control, whilst siding in to answer combo. As today’s standard format begins to stabilize it seems to be a fairly similar state of affairs. Token decks appear to be seizing dominion of the aggro sector, whilst UB control takes the role of playing the typical counterspells and bombs. 

However, the big star of SCG Opens and recent GP’s has undoubtedly been Wolf Run Ramp. Though comparable to both Tron and Heartbeat back in 2006, the deck is far easier to compare to the ominous fiend of the last two years: Valakut. Ramp as a strategy is very linear, but resolving key spells like Primeval Titan and Garruk, Primal Hunter drives the deck towards its end game before you’ve completed setting up your own. These strategies drove players away from Solar Flare with near immediate effect, but the question remains why that was the case. Solar Flare contains potential answers to all of the threats posed by Ramp, but clearly requires a lot of tweaking and testing to beat the simple elegance of the near-mono-coloured Ramp decks. WIth consistency as its focus, Ramp has earned a great deal of respect for its strategy but very little opposition beyond the obvious increase in aggressive decks in the metagame. 

Solar Flare is perfectly poised to answer the current metagame. Increasing counterspells to include a number of copies of Dissipate will strengthen the UB and Ramp match-ups, whilst bumping up the number of Day of Judgment and variety of win conditions such as Elesh Norn aids in the fight against aggro. In the sideboard it is possible to bring balance to these numbers whilst managing specific hate with testing to precision. Flashfreeze is undoubtedly powerful, but how are Revoke Existence and Timely Reinforcement in your metagame? Curse of Death’s Hold seems perfectly poised to help manage tokens, alongside the previously mentioned Sever the Bloodline. Ratchet Bomb and Ghost Quarter have seen consistent play in sideboards since the start of the format, but is it time that they made the transition to the main? The bomb is incredible against tokens, and Ghost Quarter is solid against Ramp, and let’s not forget that both are absolutely incredible in those match-ups when paired with Sun Titan!

Fear the Flare

The aim of this article is to drive players to find the answers to the problems with which they are presented. Solar Flare is simply the name that stuck with the control deck with the minor reanimation strategy that rose to power in arguably the most popular Standard format in history. The name is applicable, and the essence remains. Solar Flare should always be the control deck that seeks to answer the format at hand...with reanimation always the opportunistic option to seize an easy win!

Yu-Gi-Oh! 09.11 Ban List Analysis

With the new Limited and Forbidden list finally confirmed for the Autumn-Winter season, it is finally time to start analysing the new format. What strategies have been damaged the most by the list, and could we see the revival of forgotten strategies as a result? And just how different will this format be to the last? Let’s find out!

The September Impact!

In forming an opinion on the new format, it is important to first take into account the “Power Card” availability that the list leaves us with. Power Cards can be anything from something widely considered a staple, to threats and solutions that were previously unavailable. So let us begin by taking a look at five of the most impacting factors leading into the new format.

1. The Perfect Storm

Once Heavy Storm found its way onto the Forbidden list, players across the globe were ecstatic. And I won’t lie, I was one of them! Players could finally play the controlling Traps and theme-empowering Field Spells they’d always wanted to, and surely the potential for crazy combinations and One Turn Kills were impossible! 

It turns out that a single back row sweeper is enough for combo players to work with, especially when that sweeper is Giant Trunade. The fact the format shifted towards the use of such controlling traps as Solemn Warning and Royal Oppression resulted in Giant Trunade being doubly advantageous. Should it resolve, the player can generally pull off any major play they need to with minimal fear, needing only to play carefully to avoid Effect Veiler when possible, and then follow up by resetting their defenses to force the opponent into having one real out. And that, of course, would be their own Giant Trunade...

With Giant Trunade leaving the format, Heavy Storm makes its triumphant return. As ever, the presence of Heavy Storm will result in far more calculated, careful use of the spell and trap zones, whilst bringing Stardust Dragon back to higher levels of play. Much hype has been given to the supposedly inevitable maindecking of Starlight Road thanks to the staple status of Dark Hole and Heavy Storm.The problem with this is Mystical Space Typhoon, and its long awaited (or feared?) return to 3 copies per deck. This change alone makes the playability of Starlight Road fall dramatically, but will yet again drive up the presence of Stardust Dragon. The return of Heavy Storm brings the game back to a state in which reckless and mindless play are punished severely, but only time will tell whether or not the unlimiting of Mystical Space Typhoon will prevent the formation of a skillful format.

2. A Legend Stands Alone

When Lightsworn and Blackwings tore apart their respective formats, Konami took every necessary step to eradicate the problem with the following Limited and Forbidden list, and often going too far just to ensure the problem is dealt with. The release of Storm of Ragnarok revived the Six Samurai theme with superior Legendary versions, whilst bringing the theme up to date by introducing a powerful Synchro “Boss Monster” to work with. 

Legendary Six Samurai - Shi En swiftly became a powerhouse in the format, and Konami’s precautionary response in March was to restrict Gateway of the Six. One format later, and the restriction has proven fairly meaningless to decks seeking to swarm and lock up the game as fast as possible. As a result, Konami made the decision to restrict both Legendary Six Samurai - Shi En and the theme-specific tutor Shien’s Smoke Signal. I believe that this decision was the best that Konami could possibly make, as for once they’re actually tackling the problem cards without butchering the theme entirely. 

3. Freedom from Oppression

Of all the Traps in recent years to produce one-sided games, Royal Oppression is the worst offender. Similar in many ways to the sheer power once displayed by Imperial Order, Royal Oppression was very rarely used in the manner originally intended. The design idea behind the card is clearly to impose a soft lock on special summons in order to control the pace of the game. The reality of the game, however, enables the player to run through their own explosive turn and only then follow up with Royal Oppression. In doing so, a player can utterly dominate the board unfairly in a game that is ever shifting towards utility through special summons, firstly with Synchro’s and today with Xyz. 

Many argue that the return of Heavy Storm and unlimiting of Mystical Space Typhoon would have been enough to counter the oppressive Trap card, but should we really have to answer such a card? It isn’t an engine, or a win condition to build a deck around. Royal Oppression had simply become an abusable game changer, and its move to the Forbidden list is long overdue.

4. Unique Individuals

A major sweep of six major card restrictions have been enforced with the new Limited and Forbidden list, and the majority of which were to keep the previous format’s top deck under control. The first of these restrictions brings the TCG in line with the OCG by limiting Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier. Trishula has clearly had a powerful effect on the game since its printing, and has had long enough to be experimented with in multiples in the TCG.

The next pair of limitations were those of Lonefire Blossom and Debris Dragon. The plant engine has made its presence known for quite some time, and though the limitation of their tutor does hinder the engine, it certainly doesn’t kill it. With the arrival of Leviair the Sea Dragon, the plant engine gained another level of play in being able to retrieve whatever plant was removed in order to revive Spore. This gain is more than enough to make up for the minor decrease in opportunity of drawing into the powerful tutor. 

Debris Dragon has long abused the plant engine, and its limitation will be most strongly felt in the TCG. The OCG has frequently seen the combination of Junk Synchron and Doppel Warrior take precedence over Debris Dragon techniques, particularly with the release of Shooting Quasar Dragon and the removal of ignition priority. With the TCG behaving as quite a different beast to the OCG recently, it will be interesting to see whether or not Junk Synchron can make such an impact this season.

The next pair of limitations came as a result of Synchro spam abuse. Yes, everyone predicted the limitation of the draw engine that is T.G. Hyper Librarian, and Konami were wise enough to realise that the card severely needed restriction to make it a powerful card not to be wasted recklessly. For some strange reason though, the limitation of Formula Synchron came as a surprise to many, and I can’t quite understand how anyone who has played the card can possibly be surprised by this. If Hyper Librarian is the engine, then Formula Synchron is the enabler. Without multiple copies to work with, chaining Synchro summons into Shooting Quasar Dragon will require greater patience and skill.

But why do all these restrictions matter so much? Pot of Avarice has now regained its limited status, and in doing so has phenomenally raised the level of skill involved in playing such engines as the plant engine. This limitation will also have an effect on the reliability of such combo decks as Fabled, decreasing the ease of pulling back into the game when the combo fizzles. This again promotes skillful play, and increases the consequences for playing recklessly.

5. Don’t Shoot the Messenger!

When Gold Series 4 telegraphed the return of Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning, forums erupted in rage. To many, the Envoys are symbolic in the need of the Limited and Forbidden list, with Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End hitting the first list before being swiftly followed by the Soldier. But with time the game has changed dramatically, and though the Dragon would still be very much overpowered, the Soldier is no longer the unstoppable titan that he once was. 

Though infinitely more splashable than similar cards such as Dark Armed Dragon and Judgment Dragon, the Envoy is now little more than another Boss Monster to work with. In the OCG the Envoy is weaker still due to the loss of ignition priority, which has resulted in an excess of hype surrounding the use of either Honest or Armory Arm to finish the opponent in an instant. Though clearly possible, potential One Turn Kills involving attacks involve such a risk that they can be deemed fair, particularly with Tragoedia now an ever-present fear in its semi-limited status.

With the Envoy in mind, it is worth taking a moment to respect Konami’s instinct in answering any potential madness before it can emerge by restricting Primal Seed. Though the card is far from insane on its own, in multiples it can produce an infinite loop. With a field containing the Envoy and a card with a Macro Cosmos effect, two copies of Primal Seed and an Ookazi can loop for infinite damage with ease. Though a seemingly unrealistic combo, the potential to make games dull and uninteresting was there and has been dealt with efficiently.

To the Future!

As the Limited and Forbidden list comes into force, I will start looking at a variety of decks that show potential as the new format develops, how the current top tier can potentially evolve to survive, as well as the projects that I intend to work on myself. 

Exceeding Expectations?! Xyz Shōkan!

With the conclusion of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s, yet another era came to a close for the game. With their introduction in Duelist Genesis, Synchro monsters quickly became a force to be reckoned with. The final duels of the 5D’s series led Synchro monsters to their peak; an incredible engine in T.G. Hyper Librarian and a powerful win condition in Shooting Quasar Dragon. Synchro monsters have been the dominant force in the Japanese metagame, and clearly the most popular strategy in the TCG. 

As Yu-Gi-Oh! enters its fourth era, a new type of monster intends to build upon the success seen by Synchro monsters. Tuners were made with a single intent; to be low-level, underwhelming monsters with Synchro assisting abilities that can be splashed into any deck. They act as the “cost” you are required to pay in terms of space when deck building, in order to grant access to such a wealth of utility and power. However, Konami has instead designed a new breed of monster that can be splashed into the Extra deck of any deck playing monsters! 

Xyz monsters are unique in their nature. The material used in summoning remains trapped under the card until either it leaves the field, or the materials are detached by an effect. This is clear evidence of Konami wanting to avoid the speed Synchro tricks we’ve seen most recently from decks using Plant engines. The truly unique aspect, however, is the fact that Xyz have no Levels, and instead have Ranks. This again acts to prevent any connection with Synchro monsters, whilst also granting immunity to many of the threats faced by Synchro monsters. 

          

When introduced, Synchro monsters made an impact with such powerful monsters as Stardust Dragon, Colossal Fighter and Goyo Guardian. Can the introduction of Xyz monsters match up to the expectation set by their predecessors? In this article I intend to give an overview of the Xyz monsters being introduced both in this month’s Starter Deck 2011 and in the August set, Generation Force.

Starter Deck: Dawn of the Xyz

Number 39: Utopia

Following in the footsteps of Stardust Dragon, Utopia clearly shows us how far the game has come from the vanilla wielding heroes of GX and the original series! Utopia’s epic Gundam-esque design is supported by aggressive stats and the ability to play defender for a couple of turns. This card clearly embodies the idea behind Xyz monsters, a solid win condition worth protecting, with a drawback that discourages reckless use of his ability. As a Rank 4, Utopia also has the benefit of being incredibly simple to summon in a wide array of decks, be it through use of Gadgets, Gravekeeper’s Spy, Reborn Tengu or recruiters of all flavours. Utopia will see play, and lots of it.

Grenosaurus

Our first Rank 3 Xyz follows in Utopia’s footsteps by wielding aggressive stats. Grenosaurus’ ability allows you to push for damage with ease, preventing defenders like Dandylion, Treeborn Frog and Reborn Tengu from giving the opponent time to recover. Unlike Utopia however, Grenosaurus is of a Rank that is harder to form, requiring genuine monsters rather than tricks in the majority of decks. However, being able to summon a 2000 atk beatstick when in a pinch is always worth taking into consideration for decks running level 3 monsters that have space in their Xyz deck. Grenosaurus will, however, be swiftly outclassed in Generation Force.

Gachi Gachi Gantetsu

This monster presents us with something quite different to consider. Unlike the win condition that is Utopia and the beatstick that is Grenosaurus, Gantetsu is very much a supporter monster. Gantetsu has sturdy defensive stats, providing a boost more akin to a field spell than a monster. However, the fact Gantetsu protects himself from destruction twice is surprisingly relevant, making him an incredibly resilient defender. It is likely that Gantetsu will be the most played Xyz from the starter deck as he already has a home in Agents, making Venus’ ability to swarm the field with Mystic Shine Balls far more powerful than ever.

Generation Force

Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon

The first TCG exclusive Xyz is quite a monster. With 2600 atk it’ll beat down over most monsters, but Adreus’ ability is the show stealer. Being able to destroy any face up card is just incredible, answering Necrovalley, Gateway of the Six and any threatening monster standing in its way. At Rank 5, Adreus is a little optimistic at the moment, but in October Structure Deck - Gates of the Underworld will pull the Dark World theme back into the spotlight. Summoning Goldd and Silva with ease, Dark World will be a welcome home for Adreus this Winter.

Tiras, Keeper of Genesis

Sharing Adreus’ basic stats, Tiras plays a very different role to its demonic alternate. Whilst Adreus lands and destroys threats there and then, Tiras requires a well timed summoning to punish the opponent. Though Dimensional Prison and Book of Moon are dangerous threats, Tiras can force through many traditional defences and should it battle, any single card on the field can be destroyed. Destroying set cards following a combat situation seems relatively awkward, but remember that Tiras can act as a wall for two turns quite happily, before leaving you with a powerful beatstick. It is also worth remembering that Honest works wonders with Tiras, should a light based deck be able to support it adequately in future.

Steelswarm Roach

The inclusion of this card in Generation Force shows Konami’s determination to drive people away from Synchro’s and towards their latest creation. With 1900 atk, Roach leaves a lot to be desired when compared to Utopia at the same rank, but Roach is all about the effect. Being able to negate the special summon of anything from Hyper Librarian to Chaos Sorcerer, Roach threatens the vast majority of todays top decks. With an ability that demands respect, Roach is already seeing widespread play in Japan, and is played heavily alongside Utopia in the Gadget + Ultimate Offering strategy that is seeing an increase in popularity. Expect people to find means of splashing Xyz into their extra decks just to deal with these Roaches.

Wind-Up Zenmaister

This Rank 4 machine enters play with stats closer to Utopia, with an intriguing ability to work with. The ability to flip-flop your own monsters is a curious effect, and anyone who ran Tsukuyomi will remember how rewarding it can be to rest your effects. Ryko seems to be the prime target right now, but with Gravekeeper’s keeping their levels primarily at 4, Zenmaister could prove to be an attrition engine with Spy, should the peculiar situation arise. Zenmaister, for his effect, appears to be quite underwhelming upon release, but could well become a powerful engine with further additions to the Wind-Up theme. As a machine type though, expect him to be splashed heavily in Gadget Offering decks for ease of OTK via Limiter Removal.

Submersible Carrier Aero Shark

Let’s get the underwhelming Rank 3 out of the way, shall we? Aero Shark has very little going for it, with relatively disappointing stats and a painfully nerfed ability from its anime incarnation, I sincerely doubt Aero Shark will see play.

Number 34: Terror-Byte

Terror-Byte has the honour of being the first Xyz in the TCG to require more than 2 materials to form it. Though this makes it more challenging to summon, the ability to take control of an opponent’s monster three turns in a row is certainly powerful. If Terror-Byte were Rank 4, Gadgets would find a use for this monster, but at Rank 3 it will likely struggle to see play. However, with the TCG exclusive access to Tour Guide from the Underworld it is worth keeping an eye on a card with such a powerful effect.

Leviair the Sea Dragon

Leviair was the most powerful Xyz monster in Generation Force when the set released in Japan, and though Steelswarm Roach poses a strong challenge it is very likely to be the star of the TCG release as well. Tour Guide from the Underworld will be key to this card’s success in the TCG, working independently with a Sangan as well as finding homes in decks such as Dark World in the near future. Summoning the materials is easy enough, but what are the benefits? Likely the best use for the card will be in combination with Genex Ally Birdman, Plaguespreader Zombie and Spore. These Tuners are incredibly powerful, and can see exceptional abuse through Leviair. Infernity may well prove to be the best deck to make full use of this Xyz, though time alone will tell. Levaiel is a very exciting card, and will only get better with time.

Number 17: Leviathan Dragon

And so we end our look at the initial wave of Xyz monsters with the cover card of Generation Force. Leviathan Dragon initially received a lukewarm response from players, essentially being a vanilla 2500 atk monster that can, if it survives the turn, jump to 3000 atk at the cost of being able to attack for game. Time has certainly worked in the favour of this card, as making a powerful beatstick out of the blue is still strong! Leviathan Dragon can beat over a wide variety of powerful, widely played monsters on the first turn, whilst being able to trade with Stardust Dragon and Legendary Six Samurai Shi En. Should Leviathan Dragon survive a turn, very little will be able to stand in its way. 

The initial wave of Xyz monsters were treated very warily upon release in Japan, but time has revealed that they compare very strongly to the initial wave of Synchro monsters. The difference is application, as Synchro’s were obvious powerhouse monsters, Xyz are far more subtle and controlling. Xyz monsters are here to stay, and it will be vital to learn to wield and answer their powerful abilities in the near future.

Jace, Memory Adept

Feeling Blue...
Monday saw the announcement of Jace, the Mind Sculptor's ban from Standard play. Over the past couple of weeks rumours have been building regarding new version of Jace, Chandra and Garruk in M12 based on the start of their names seen in the Japanese D12 trailer not matching their current naming structure. Whilst Jace, the Mind Sculptor being reprinted in a core set was an obvious impossibility, the idea of a new engine to work with that might be more rewarding than Beleren certainly caught the attention of blue mages everywhere. And then, as the week reached its end, we were put out of our misery...

Well, maybe not so far from misery just yet. Jace, Memory Adept has experienced quite a mixed response thus far, but it certainly seems the majority are negative. The initial disappointment is the cost. With his previous incarnations at 1UU and 2UU, the cost of 3UU shows us clearly that this Jace is a completely different card to approach. 4cc and below Planeswalkers generally see solid levels of competitive play working as core of a deck or as an engine to drive to advantage in the mid-late game. 

Jace's past and present.

Planeswalkers of 5cc and above have generally seen less play, unless they are either a reliable win condition (Gideon Jura) or utterly breakable in a specific format (Tezzeret the Seeker in Vintage). High cost Planeswalkers have, on occasion, made splashes into competitive decks, such as Liliana Vess sneaking into UB Control lists recently and Venser, the Sojourner seeing a surge in testing for the post-CawBlade era. Each successful end game Planeswalker has had at least 2 worthwhile abilities and a high starting loyalty. So how does Jace, Memory Adept stand against such company? 

How does Jace compare?

For the first time, Jace enters the battlefield and doesn't need to activate in order to survive a Lightning Bolt! 4 starting loyalty is solid enough to work with, and should the game be under your control (you ARE playing blue after all...) then he can prove to be a 2 for 1 at least, without activating. However, this assumes his abilities make him a target that needs to be removed.

Jace's +1 is a fair Jace's Erasure, essentially acting as Jace Beleren's -1 whilst not being utterly insane like Jace, the Mind Sculptor's 0 brainstorm ability. Currently, the mill 1 is largely irrelevant, but with Innistrad confirmed to at least have Flashback as a mechanic it is far from inconceivable that players would want to make themselves dump a card in an attempt to dig deeper (more on this later!). Overall, a solid ability to work with.

At 0 Jace returns to his roots by casting Glimpse of the Unthinkable. Whilst a powerful effect, especially in being so easy to repeat, it has no effect on the board. The inability to protect himself feels like a major weakness coming from the Mind Sculptor's -1 to Unsummon, and so the requirement of having control before starting to use Jace's 0 ability gives him a feel of being a win-more card. This has been a make or break rule for Planeswalkers in the past, but as time passes we increasingly encounter exceptions to the so-called rule. If Liliana can see successful play in UB Control right now without means of protection beyond the deck's own removal, I can't see this rule applying to a well supported win condition.

For his ultimate, Jace forces players of your choice to draw 20 for -7. Hmm. Whilst destined to make and break friendships around the table during a Commander game, Jace's ultimate feels a bit lacking in constructed, but the sheer strength of the ability cannot be ignored. The primary use of this ability is obvious, forcing the opponent to deck out just as his previous core set incarnation did. A powerful combo to utilize with this would be to follow up with the aptly named Jace's Archivist, but this is admittedly kitchen table stuff as maintaining Jace and an Archivist on the board leaves the combo easy to pick apart with removal.

I remember watching a feature match at GP Birmingham in which a Mind Spring for 10 was cast from a 6 card hand. At the time the very idea perplexed me, as no combo was being sought for. However, this brute force approach allowed him to carve a far superior hand to drive out of a stalemate and win the game. Mind Spring saw similar power play during the Jund era, but Blue Sun's Zenith has failed to repeat it's success in the CawBlade dominated format. I certainly don't believe Jace, Memory Adept would ever be played purely for his ultimate, but the ability to dig deep for a very specific solution or means to win the game is always nice when the mill itself won't be enough to win.

Draw enough yet?

In terms of power level, I'd put him on par with Venser, and possibly even Liliana. Solid abilities, but slow and requiring work to support. Innistrad's introduction to Standard will be the big test for Jace, as whilst the loss of Beleren, Valakut, Eldrazi and even Bolt will act in his favour, the set itself may force his abilities to be analysed once more. I suggested that his +1 could be used to dig 2 cards deep, his random mill acting much like Card Trooper and the like act in Yu-Gi-Oh! right now. If cards in your graveyard or retrievable, reusable or can be recurred then why not? Taking this a step further, could milling yourself 10 cards be better than milling the opponent in future standard? Consider the impact dredge had due to such future-shifted cards as Narcomoeba and Bridge from Below. Should any interaction remotely similar to this crop up in the next year, Jace could become a powerful engine in his own right. Time alone will tell how this one turns out, but for those wanting a real replacement for the Mind Sculptors, I'm sure Tezzeret and Beleren will happily oblige.