Guildpact

[Johny Cee]

Okay, spoilers are starting to hit for Guildpact.  Looks to be some interesting cards being thrown out.

http://www.mtgsalvation.com/spoiler/guildpact

The new blue counterspell looks great:  <placeholder name> U2,  counter target nonblue spell.  I also like Mortify (W/B version of putrify) and Invoke the Firemind (UR, pay X;  can either do X damage to creature or player, or draw X cards).

[Raging Turtle]

Couple more cards added recently.

Everything so far is a solid 'meh' to me. 

[eldaec]

Guildpact is being released 23rd of Feb. Or so the GP site says....

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/guildpact/home

However, this looks like a screwup, as the process is always...

Thursday : Package software
Monday : Begin selling cards
Wednesday : Begin release events

It's not the first time that wizards have put out the software release instead of the sales release, so I'm guessing actual release date is Feb 27th. Release leagues and GGG drafting run 1st March - 7th March.



EDIT: Guildpact website has now been corrected, release is indeed on the 27th.

[Raging Turtle]

The first three cards I like, and posted all together.  Taken from the rumor mill:

SHATTERING SPREE R
sorcery - uncommon
Replicate R
Destroy Target Artifact

ELECTROLYZE 1UR
instant - uncommon
ELECTROLYZE deals 2 dammage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures and/or players.
draw a card.

ANGEL OF DESPAIR 3WWBB
creature - Angel
Flying
When Angel Of Despair comes into play, destroy target permanent.
5/5

[Johny Cee]

Hmmm....  I like this one:

Skeletal Vampire (http://www.mtgsalvation.com/spoiler/guildpact#720)

Seems a good finisher for a monoblack casual deck.

[Margalis]

Interesting.

When Rav spoilers came out I was not impressed. Rav is not full of individually great cards, but it's a great set because of the synergies and complexities of play. In most turns in a limited game there is a lot of stuff you can do.  Hopefully Guildpact will be the same - I'm not particularly bowled over by what has been revealed so far but it's hard to say how it will play out.

[Strazos]

I've actually pretty much stopped playing Magic. I get too angry at the shuffler when I open league packs. It was a big money drain anyway. 

[Margalis]

That's why you have to get good at drafting. I barely spend any money at it.

[Raging Turtle]

 

[Margalis]

Looks like a limited bomb. Tricky casting cost though.

Drafting Guildpact will be hard. To use this guy you have to be pretty solidly B/W in the first 2 packs, which have no real B/W synergy and no gold cards in common. Probably the best approach is go W/G splash black with some mana fixing in green, and move more into B/W if the third packs allow it.

[Raging Turtle]

I think it has serious constructed potential as well.  A tough to kill 4cc 4/4 is good stuff.  The preview article on magicthegathering.com suggested it was well supported by other b/w cards. Random aside, the 'taste the magic' column is quickly becoming one of the few I try to read each week.

I think Ravnica block is going to end up like IPA, in that you'll wind up saying 'screw it, I'm playing 3/4/5 colors'.  And it'll mostly work, because of the many many mana fixers. 

[Raging Turtle]

Full spoiler can be found in the usual places.  I like this set overall, although it feels designed much more for limited than anything else. 

[Margalis]

Ravnica seems to have a lot of ways to make ok constructed decks. There are lots of cool things you can do with mill, tokens, Savra and such. But most of those cool decks are tier 2 or 3.