So, how does it stand?
First, I will judge the product on the decks that come with it. Planechase is composed of 4 separate decks. (Elemental Mastery, Metallic Dreams, Strike Force, and Zombie Empire) As preconstructed decks, they are completely above the quality of anything from Wizards. They all are very cohesive and have very good cards. These are the types of decks that I want the Duel Decks to be like, but I digress.
Elementary Mastery is a green/red elemental deck. It features a lot of beefy elementals for its rares but there really is not anything too exciting except for Verdant Force. This is the big dumb creature deck of the bunch.
Metallic Dreams is an all colored but mostly blue artifact deck. This deck plays well, but can get mana screwed by not having any blue sources to play the better spells or not having enough colored mana to get sunburst working effectively. I would have also liked to have seen more variety in this deck's cards; they are mostly from Mirrodin and Esper cards from the Alara block.
Strike Force is a red/white aggro deck. That being said, it's doesn't do a great job at being aggro. With only 16 creatures, you can't reliable get anything to stick or to attack early. This deck features a large range of cards, and I really like that. It also has Akroma's Vengeance which is really really nice.
Zombie Empire is a tribal zombie deck. It is arguably the best deck among the four, and while I think all four decks are equal, I have to say that this deck definitely has the best rares; Phrexian Arena, Profane Command, and Beacon of Unrest.
Now, why these decks are amazing preconstructed decks, they are not great multiplayer decks. Multiplayer decks need to have a lot more answers in them. I would like to probably see better and more creature removal in all of the decks, along with more enchantment and artifact destruction. Yes, these decks work, but I know that they would feel "more" even if these types of cards were added into the mix.
Now I am done... wait... I didn't do the planes.
The planes!
The best part of the product is that each deck comes with 10 plane cards. (There is also another plane that was given out with the purchase of these products for a total of 21.) Rules are here.
I have nothing but positive comments about this product. The planes themselves are well thought out, very flavorful, and are just absolutely beautiful to look at. Recently, the game has wanted us to be immersed in this game. These planes do that perfectly. Do you know what it is like to fight another group of planeswalkers in a sweltering inferno? In a chaotic clash of mana? How about on a peaceful goat field? It really is that amazing and fun.
I love the random aspect of this game. It really adds a level of excitement and skill that is unparalleled by basic game. The anxiety knowing that you have to leave a specific plane this turn or you will lose is so awesome or if you roll a chaos ability you will win. There is so much strategy within this product it really is unbelievable. I hate to say that the planes have a different power level, so I won't. I will say that each plane promotes a different strategy, which is an amazing thing.
This product gets an A+! Go buy it now.
Until next time, have fun being a planeswalker.
-Steven
No comments:
Post a Comment