Posted on: March 25, 2012 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

The last time Wizards came out with a Duel Deck (Elspeth Vs. Tezzeret), the product is what got me back into the game after about 12 years away. This time around, I have been an active player and have gotten much of my footing back. Saying that, the wonder that I had for the earlier duel deck is present in this current one. For those individuals that wish to get a look back into what Magic was, each of the decks possess a considerable amount of older cards. Sky Spirit, Coral Fighters, and Flood Plain represent cards that are nearly fifteen years old, while only a small number (Sphinx of Uthuun, Searing Blaze) have came from the last few years.

In terms of the overall composition, Venser’s blue / white deck surrounds a large amount of card drawing and control themes. This is in opposition to Koth’s burn / firebreathing / land transformation themes. The decks can be piloted into a number of wars of attrition, with every creature the Venser player puts out being nuked to the ground by the Koth deck. One should rightfully worry about Koth’s ultimate ability, which gives a Gut Shot-like effect to each Mountain one controls. One should keep an eye on Venser, the Sojourner – his ultimate acts as a board wipe for the spell-heavy.

The Venser vs. Koth duel deck is a must-buy for anyone that is looking to get back into Magic: the Gathering or as a birthday / holiday present. If one is not moved by the value of the Duel Deck – the planeswalkers themselves approach the value of the set – each deck has a number of win conditions that can be manifested against any one of numerous deck builds. Check this out!

Rating: 9.0/10

 

Duel Decks: Venser vs. Koth / $19.99 / Magic: the Gathering / http://www.wizards.com

Leave a Comment