Friday, 23 September 2016

Prerelease Time!!!

Tomorrow it is Kaladesh Prerelease. So to get things started, here are a couple of things to think about...

INVENTOR'S TOOLKIT

When you head into the Prerelease and sit down to play, you'll be handed a quite, well, inventive new deck box containing everything you need to build your deck. Check out this marvel of engineering!

Everything you will be playing with comes right in the box—plus a few bonus perks.

For example, you'll find this lovely spindown D20 you'll get to walk away with:
INVENT YOUR TOMORROW

Most important out of everything inside your Prerelease pack are the six booster packs that will give you the cards you need to build your Sealed deck, plus your shiny bonus Prerelease card. (Which could be any rare or mythic rare in the set!)

First things first: crack open those booster packs! Then you'll have a stack of cards.

So...what now?

It's time to build your deck, of course!

Sealed Deck is a little different from normal deck building. You get to build a deck only using the cards in front of you, plus as many basic lands as you'd like. Also, unlike a normal Constructed deck where the minimum deck size is 60, you only have to play 40 cards.

The first thing you're going to want to do is figure out a method to pick which colors you'll be playing. I recommend playing two colors.

Some things that may draw you into specific colors are:
A really strong rare you're excited about
Plenty of "removal" cards that can deal with your opponent's creatures
A lot of playable cards in that color
A good "mana curve" in that color—meaning lots of creatures of different costs

Ideally, the colors you pick will have all four, but if two or three of those are true that's plenty good.

Whatever your method, you're going to need to narrow down what you're playing. If you get stuck at the Prerelease, feel free to ask the players around you for help. (You are allowed to do this at a Prerelease—everyone is there to make sure it's a fun event!)

But whatever your method, now you have your colors down. From there, how do you take everything you have and figure out which 22–23 cards you're going to want to put in your deck?

Here's one process that may help!

First, lay your creatures out in mana-cost order. This helps you see what creatures you're going to potentially have available to cast at each part of the game. (Don't lay your noncreatures out at this point unless they're cards you are planning to play as soon as you have that much mana—for example, you will generally cast a Metalspinner's Puzzleknot on turn two, whereas Harnessed Lightning isn't usually a turn-two play.)

A good "mana curve" of creatures is crucial to a successful Sealed deck. You don't want to have a ton of cards at any single spot in the curve. It's important for you to be able to have a good mix so you can play your cheap spells in the early game and your expensive spells in the late game. As a very general rule for Limited, I would look to play something like this:
1 mana: 0–2 creatures
2 mana: 4–6 creatures
3 mana: 3–5 creatures
4 mana: 4 creatures
5 mana: 3 creatures
6+ mana: 1–2 creatures

That's far from hard and fast, but it's a good place to start. Cull your creatures down to these numbers by choosing your favorites.

Now that you have your core creature base figured out, it's time to add in spells! Pick your favorites among your colors to bring your deck to 22 or 23 cards, and then you're good to go from the spell side.

The spells you're going to want the most are what are called "removal spells"—these are the spells that permanently neutralize your opponent's creatures, by either dealing damage, keeping them tapped, or just straight-up destroying them. Sealed Deck Magic is all about creatures, so you'll want to play most of the cards in your colors that can get rid of your opponent's creatures.

Kaladesh is particularly interesting, in that it has a high number of artifacts compared to a typicalMagic set. You're going to have more artifact options than normal. Unless these are also creatures, they should be counted among your noncreature spells, so narrow it down to the ones you really want to be playing with.

Additionally, Kaladesh introduces Vehicles! More on exactly how those work later (or you can just click here), but they're sort of like creatures. However, you do need (other) creatures to be able to crew them. If you play a couple Vehicles, you can treat them like creatures for your creature count, but be wary of playing too many lest you end up with a board full of Vehicles and nothing to drive them!

Interested in more tips? Here are a few more things to keep in mind for deck building:

You can play more than 40 cards, but you really should stick to 40 if you can. Every card you play past 40 just means it's that much less likely you're going to draw that awesome rare you put in your deck!
The land ratio you're looking at should be about seventeen lands to 23 nonlands. This isn't right 100% of the time, but most Limited decks end up looking like this, and, in general, it's what I would want to have.
Play a mix of cheap-to-cast and expensive-to-cast cards. If you have all cheap, small creatures, then a single big creature can shut you down. Likewise, if you have all expensive, large creatures, you risk getting run over first. Stick to a mix that focuses on the two-, three-, four-, and five-casting-cost creatures. More games of Sealed Deck are won by casting a creature every turn starting on turn two or three than any other way.
Evasion is important! Often, Sealed Deck games will get into stalls where both players have a lot of creatures and neither player can attack very well. Creatures with abilities like flying ensure that you can break through these creature stalls.

Other than that - come along and have a great game or two!!!

Tuesday, 20 September 2016

Kaladesh - Things you might want to know!

New plane, new characters—naturally, Magic's inaugural trip to Kaladesh brings a lot of firsts to the game.

Here are few important things...

1. Energy Counter
What it is: A lot of cards in Kaladesh produce energy counters, which players accumulate as the game goes on and spend in order to enable various abilities. For example, take a look at Aethersquall Ancient:



Flying

At the beginning of your upkeep, you get [three energy counters].

Pay [eight energy counters]: Return all other creatures to their owners' hands. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.

Why it matters: Players will need to keep track of their energy counter total. They can do that with dice, or by using a token, or some combination of the two.
2. Planeswalker Decks
Kaladesh brings two new products to the mix. The first is an introductory product and the other is for more engaged players.

Why they matter: Going forward, these two products will accompany each Standard-legal set (Intro Packs and Fat Packs will not).

Planeswalker Decks are the best first purchase for players with a basic understanding of Magic, but its features are meant to appeal to experienced players as well. Each deck is ready-to-play with sixty cards including one Mythic Rare Planeswalker and a host of cards that synergize with it.

3. Bundle

The Bundle is for players looking to dive right into the new plane, with ten boosters to help update their Standard decks, plus a Player's Guide with info on key characters, settings, and every card in the set.

4. Rotation

Note also that Kaladesh triggers a Standard rotation—Magic Origins and Dragons of Tarkir are out.

Monday, 19 September 2016

Kaladesh Prerelease Events


The new set of Magic the Gathering is just days away. The official launch date is 30th September but if you want to get hold of some boosters early then why no attend one of our prerelease events this weekend.

You'll experience the thrill of opening Kaladesh cards for the first time with other Magic players who enjoy the game just as much as you. Everything you'll need to play should be provided as part of your entry fee—you simply show up and play!

Prereleases are Sealed Deck format events, where you build a minimum 40-card minimum deck using the contents of a themed Prerelease Pack.

After you build your deck, you'll be randomly paired with another player for a best two-of-three match. Each round you'll report who won and be paired up with a new player. If you do well, you might win additional Kaladesh booster packs as prizes!
Kaladesh Prerelease Pack Contents

Randomized, date-stamped, premium promo card
Constructable thopter
6 Kaladesh booster packs
Insert with deckbuilding advice
Spin down life counter

Currently we have three events but may add more depending on interest. These all cost £20 and will be either in the shop or at Gambit Games. To find out more or purchase a ticket please select the event you are interested in ...



MTG Kaladesh

With the new set of MTG just a few days away. Here is the new trailer ...

Saturday, 17 September 2016

Dice Masters : Doctor Strange

Due in next Tuesday are the new Dice Masters Doctor Strange packs ...


The Marvel Dice Masters: Doctor Strange Team Pack lets players build their own team of heroes or villains! Featuring Doctor Strange and his supernatural cast of characters - Clea, Wong, and even the villainous Dormammu! Make your next Dice Masters more mystical than ever before.


The Marvel Dice Masters: Doctor Strange Team Pack is perfect for the Dice Masters veteran or someone looking to jump into the game fresh! A Team Pack can be paired with any Starter Set to give a player everything they need to build a highly focused team for thematic play!

X-Wing Wave 9 - Incoming!


"Stay in attack formation!"
–Darth Vader

Set your course. Fly at the enemy. Take aim, and fire!

Next week we will be getting the new wave 9 X-Wing ships from Fantasy Flight

ARC-170 Expansion Pack
Special Forces TIE Expansion Pack
Protectorate Starfighter Expansion Pack
Shadow Caster Expansion Pack


From left to right: ARC-170, Special Forces TIE, Protectorate starfighter, and Shadow Caster

Between these four expansions, you will find zero turrets. Instead, you will find two auxiliary firing arcs, one mobile firing arc, and a starfighter with zero shields… whose pilots practice flying straight at their foes. And there is plenty more to this wave than just its ships. You will also meet Poe's mother, discover new First Order tech, welcome a handful of Mandalorians to the Scum faction, and gain the ability to fly Sabine Wren as a Scum bounty hunter.
ARC-170 Expansion Pack

The Rebel Alliance recovered, repaired, and retrofitted a handful of ARC-170 starfighters during the Galactic Civil War. Though somewhat antiquated, the ship was still a force to be reckoned with, featuring powerful cannons, heavy shielding, and a tail gunner.


The ARC-170 Expansion Pack introduces this starfighter to X-Wing as a somewhat sluggish vessel with six hull, three shields, and one agility. It flies well at slower speeds, but struggles at higher speeds, featuring six green maneuvers at speeds "1" and "2," even while four of its seven higher-speed maneuvers are red.

Meanwhile, as with all the ships in Wave IX, the ARC-170 rewards you for catching your foes within its firing arc, even if that arc is its auxiliary arc. Even though the ARC-170's primary weapon boasts an unmodified value of just "2," you can give it an Alliance Overhaul to boost its attacks from its primary firing arc by one die or to change one result to a whenever you perform an attack from its auxiliary firing arc.

Additionally, the expansion comes with four ship cards that introduce four new aces, including Poe Dameron's mother Shara Bey , who flew as Green Four during the Battle of Endor. Its nine new upgrades allow you to take advantage of the unique pairing of crew and astromech upgrade slots.
Special Forces TIE Expansion Pack

Only the First Order's most elite pilots were authorized to fly this specialized two-seater TIE craft. Outfitted with enhanced shields, weapons, and sensor systems, each Special Forces TIE fighter had a dual heavy laser turret mounted to the bottom of its fuselage. In conjunction with a warhead launcher, this turret made the fighter's weapons far more threatening than the standard TIE/fo fighter's and granted the ship an extra measure of defense against threats to its rear.


Although it looks almost identical to the TIE/fo fighter, the Special Forces TIE is an entirely different vessel, trading away a point of agility in favor of two extra points of shields, and boasting an entirely different maneuver dial.

Moreover, while both ships feature a primary attack value of "2," the comparison between the two ships' offensive capabilities quickly breaks down. First of all, the Special Forces TIE can equip a missile upgrade. Then, more importantly, the Special Forces TIE can equip the Special Ops Training Title for free. Like the Alliance Overhaul for the ARC-170, this upgrade allows you to add an attack die to any attack you make from your primary firing arc. On the other hand, if you choose to forsake the extra attack die, your Special Ops Training makes it possible for you to take shots from both your primary and auxiliary firing arcs in the same round.

To ensure that your squad benefits as much as possible from your Special Forces TIE and Special Ops Training, the Special Forces TIE Expansion Pack introduces four new pilots, including two unique aces, and five upgrades. Notably, since the Special Forces TIE features slots for both a systems and tech upgrades, you will find new cards for both these slots included in the pack.
Protectorate Starfighter Expansion Pack

Also known as the "Fang fighter," the Concord Dawn Protectorate starfighter was a fast and sleek Mandalorian vessel custom-built for fighter combat. Equipped with a hidden torpedo launcher and pivot wings that provided vector thrust control, the Protectorate starfighter lent itself well to its pilots' aggressive approaches. They leveraged their ship's unmatched agility and narrow attack profile to execute the deadly head-on charges of the Concordia Face Off maneuver.


Pulled from Star Wars Rebels and the pages of Star Wars: Kanan, the Protectorate starfighter enters X-Wing as one of the most potent—and most deceptively simple—vessels in the Scum and Villainy fleet. It boasts a healthy and aggressive stat line of three attack, three agility, and four hull, and it grants its pilots access to the focus, target lock, barrel roll, and boost actions.

But while the ship's range of actions and maneuver dial, combined with its lack of shields, suggest that it should be a classic arc-dodger in the vein of the A-wing and the TIE interceptor, its pilots, like Fenn Rau , tend to favor brash, head-on charges. Accordingly, among the expansion's six ship cards and two upgrades, you will find no fewer than four cards that reference "Range 1," and three that reward you for flying straight into your opponent's firing arc.
Shadow Caster Expansion Pack

The signature starship of the young and ambitious bounty hunter Ketsu Onyo, the Shadow Caster was agile and powerful, but lightly shielded, trading heavy ray shielding for speed. In addition to its laser cannons and swivel-mounted, pilot-operated turret, the craft was equipped with a powerful multi-directional tractor beam.


Both the Shadow Caster and Ketsu Onyo make their way from Star Wars Rebels to X-Wing with the Shadow CasterExpansion Pack. They arrive to the Scum and Villainy faction along with four ship cards and twelve upgrades that afford you myriad options for outfitting your Shadow Caster with different crew and illicit upgrade combinations.

Importantly, the Shadow Caster Expansion Pack also introduces some new rules and possibilities to your X-Wingbattles. Instead of a full 360-degree turret, the expansion's Lancer-class pursuit craft comes with a mobile firing arc. Indicated by a token that lays over the ship's base, this mobile firing arc can occupy any of the four quadrants indicated on the ship's base, and a pilot can use the rotate arc action to move it to any other quadrant.

This affords the Shadow Caster some of the advantages of a turret even while preserving a distinctive—and more point-efficient—playstyle, and as you might expect, each of the expansion's three unique pilots can put this mobile firing arc to good use, including the new Scum version of Sabine Wren .

Additionally, the Shadow Caster Expansion Pack and its upgrades allow you to litter the battlefield with debris tokens, upgrade your Shadow Caster with the abilities of each IG-2000 in your squad, and force your opponents to suffer the lingering effect of tractor beam tokens that are not removed during the end phase. In other words, the expansion is going to ensure the Scum faction stays updated with all the most devious tricks.
Meet the Enemy Head-on!

"This is gonna be fun. Very fun."
–Sabine Wren

Monday, 12 September 2016

New Codenames

Due in tomorrow is ...


Two rival spymasters know the secret identities of 25 agents. Their teammates know the agents only by their CODENAMES.

In Codenames: Deep Undercover, two teams compete to see who can make contact with all of their agents first. Spymasters give one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the board. Their teammates try to guess words of the right color while avoiding those that belong to the opposing team. And everyone wants to avoid the assassin.

Codenames: Deep Undercover is only for adults!