Dark Wishes; Or, All I Want For MtG-mas is a Combo Piece

The trick (if there is a trick) to deckbuilding (by which I mean more coming up with new decks than crafting a deck with a specific purpose) is wanting something. Really, really badly.

There's more to it than just wanting, of course. There's knowledge of cards, knowledge of rules, a good intuition for card selection, openness, etc..., but the way I see it, wanting something (and knowing exactly what it is that you want) counts for a lot. And there is no better time to want something than spoiler season, because chances are good that (if you want the right things) you will get what you want.

Each spoiler season is different, with different expectations. In the fall, there's a feeling of loss - half of the cards in Standard are vanishing, and the new cards will have to fill the gaps or build up wholly novel structures with no foundation. Whereas in the late spring and summer, there is a sense of closure - the format is at its peak, and it's the last opportunity that some cards will see before everything comes crashing down.

But this season is my favorite. This is when there is the most potential - it's all uphill from here. I've spent the last couple months identifying what I like about this set, I've brewed prototype decks and identified potential combos, and now I just need the pieces to bring my pet ideas to real fruition.

So, what do I want from Dark Ascension?


Creatures with Activated Abilities

One of my pet cards for the past two years has been Necrotic Ooze. I have built... oh, let's say _many_ Ooze combo decks. Some were good, some not so good. But one of the first things that I've been looking for in each new set that comes out is a creature with a cool or unique activated ability.

The latest Ooze Combo deck involves Bloodline Keeper and Grimgrin, Corpse-Born to make an infinitely large Ooze, then swing in with haste (via Skithyrix), and/or trample (via Insatiable Souleater) as necessary. Civilized Scholar (whose ability Ooze can use repeatedly as long as you have a creature to discard) gives a good way to dig, along with the various blue flashback digging spells.

So what more could I ask for than a cool activated ability? One with a use for all those +1/+1 counters, perhaps, or a way to win with a large creature other than attacking, or even a whole new combo. Just know that I'll be keeping a close eye on any creature cards with a ":" in the rules text.

Copiable Spells

Of the new planeswalkers in M12, Chandra, the Firebrand was the one the most caught my eye. A free Reverberate is pretty intriguing, so since then, I've been on the lookout for anything spicy that could be copied. Something that gets better when cast multiple times in a turn, or something with an additional cost (which you may remember seeing here before I was swamped by holiday stress). Will something like that show up in Dark Ascension? Probably! But the only way to find it is to know that you're looking for it.

Enchantments

Mesa Enchantress was a fun card during Zendikar's time in Standard, and it was an equally fun card if you were lucky enough to draft it in M12 limited. Now it's back, and ready to start dragging Dead Weight around just as soon as a critical mass of good enchantments show up. And coincidentally, Mesa Enchantress builds into my next Dark Ascension wish...

Zombies! (and Zombie Enchantments)

The one deck that I'd like to see really perform this year is Zombie Enchantress. There are already a couple of cool zombie themed enchantments (Zombie Infestation, Endless Ranks of the Dead) and some nice cards to go alongside them (Intangible Virtue, Cemetery Reaper), not to mention a 2/2 for . It wouldn't take much to make me want to dust off the deck I built for States with some new toys.

And speaking of toys, have you seen the NEW one-drop Zombie?

This could really make a difference for my Zombies. And what better way to ensure that you will have a Zombie than to discard two Gravecrawlers to Zombie Infestation? And that's not all that it can do either. You may remember my favorite card in Innistrad draft?

Yes, casting a Gravecrawler from the graveyard (which is its preferred home, let's be honest) will let me deal 2 damage to anything I like. Isn't it the cutest half of a Firemaw Kavu that you've ever seen? Although, it does lead me to want to see a nice sacrifice outlet in the next couple days....

In any case, I hope you get what you want from Dark Ascension! See you in a month! (I am aiming to have a more regular schedule of writing this year...)