Mardu is red-centred. Rakdos+Orzhov has the unique distinction of being black-centred. Total mirror to Mardu. Marror… Marrirror… Mirrdu… Mirrdin… Moros… I’ll stop now. 🫤
I once blew a game on purpose in this format. I had drafted a sick Orzhov deck and had 4 Final Payments. I drew 3 in my opening hand one game and told my opponent to “just go with me on this”. I drew the fourth one only a couple of turns later and successfully knocked myself from 20 to 0 killing fairly worthless creatures. I must say it is my best MTG example of Mission Failed Successfully.
Oh yeah, one time on Arena i managed to get 6 Goblin Gatherings, that was a fun time. I believe i was in Rakdos for that draft, and even got a Cavalcade of Calamity to go with the huge amount of goblins!
Justiciar's Portal is a defensive combat trick, the opponent thinks they have a clear path of attack, all your dudes tapped down or otherwise unable to block, then suddenly not only is there an untapped blocker, but it has first strike as well. Particularly nice when used on a creature with Arrest and Claustrophobia effects and, sure, Slimebind. But yes, it's quite situational to feel good.
This was honestly one of my favourite draft environments I've played for any serious length of time. The variety of cool decks available beyond the guild colours was so much fun. There was the chance for the gates deck, the high alert deck, the screaming shield mill deck and the goblin gathering + cavalcade of calamity deck. This crack a pack brings back fond memories
Very weird how this ended up being the most financially balanced pack we've ever seen: Almost every single common up at a quarter, almost every other card DOWN at about 35-40 cents. Came out a little ahead of cost but in the strangest way possible.
I suspect they used cardkingdom for this, where lowest price for a NM common is $.25 and the lowest price for a NM uncommon or rare is $.35 because those were definitely not the normal market price for those cards. Most of these can be picked up NM on TCGPlayer for $.01. TCGPlayer market prices add up to $1.09 with Judith being the high value card at $.29: Arrester's Zeal .05 Slimebind .02 Savage Smash .03 Vizkopa Vampire .04 Plague Wight .02 Axebane Beast .02 Goblin Gathering .05 Blade Juggler .05 Justiciar's Portal .08 Final Payment .06 Pitiless Pontiff .10 Macabre Mockery .13 Syndicate Guildmage .09 Rakdos Guildgate .06 Judith, the Scourge Diva .29
@@LadyLunarSatine Yes but CK's prices are not really accurate market prices so make it look like everything is worth way more than it is, it means that every pack will have a price at minimum $4.15 even if in reality you couldn't sell it for $.15. This pack is a perfect example of that as every card was worth under CK's minimum price and for some of them you would probably only be able to sell as bulk.
My one complaint about this format was that Green had literally zero ways to answer artifacts or enchantments at common. Despite it being something Green is supposed to always have, it was really noticeable in this format because of all of the high impact Enchantments from High Alert, Cavalcade of Calamity, Dovin's Acuity, Ethereal Absolution, Ill-Gotten Inheritance, Rhythm of the Wild, and Wilderness Reclamation.
I got Goblin Gathering to work exactly once, near the end of the format, with 7 copies of it, 3 of Cavalcade of Calamity, and some aggressive mulligans. Also a few Blade Jugglers but I forget how many, clearly because they weren't too important.
I think this is the first time I'm noticing the second "i" in Justiciar's Portal. I always read it as "Justicar's Portal". And I wish can say it's because of Mass Effect 2, but that isn't true as there was too much time between that game and this set.
I never quite dialed in on this set for draft, but it's special to me as it introduced Nikya. She's my favorite commander to have, partially because it gives me a very different angle from which to evaluate new cards.
So hazarding a quick guess here, but I'm thinking maybe the point of Justiciar's Portal is to blink something you control that was tapped (to untap it and recycle an ETB effect), give it first strike, and then block with it? Given it's an Azorius card, I'm guessing it's supposed to be used defensively. Might be able to use it offensively in a pinch if you have something with haste or a real good ETB, but the defensive scenario seems more likely given the context.
This was the first set I ever won a FNM draft playing. I opened a Hydroid Krasis, and took every quench I was passed. As someone who basically forced boros every draft in the last set it was a strange feeling.
I think the main idea with Justiciar's Portal is to save your creature from a removal spell, but I also don't remember it happening to be honest. Also: I love Judith! She was the centerpiece of my Mardu Aristocrats deck in standard in the day.
I remember using Justiciar Portal in my Feather deck in Standard? It wasn't super-good, but it helped dodging target exile (like that one Vraska's card from Ixalan), before Theros showed up with one-mana protection Also, Aristocrats were DOPE in this set. Priest of Forgotten Gods was probably my all-time favorite deck of all times, and I brought it to Mythic on Arena
Oh man, they're gonna have to take all of these packs to the new Moonbase, just so they can sit around in that drawer unopened for the next few years until they get to it.
I loved both this limited format and this set so dearly. I really can't get enough of the general art direction of the GNR/RNA block, the colors and vibes were so immaculate. It helps that they were the last sets before WAR skyrocketed the general power level of the game.
So, yeah, I managed to get Goblin Gathering in either an Arena Draft or a real life draft, possibly both, and got to summon like 5 or 6 of them in one turn. It was pretty rad, but inevitably not really that exciting.
@@Mordalon 🙌🏼Oh wise man🙌🏼, please enlighten me: what does that reason have to do with my remark pointing out LRR showing bs prices? And even more so: do you actually believe (more expensive) set & collector boosters hold any value either?
@@hviring7441 I would be sorry that I didn't get that was what you were saying from the vague nature of your comment, but your rudeness is entirely uncalled for. It seems logical that "these packs" would refer to the pack being opened in the video, which is just a normal pack meant for drafting, and the new pack types were introduced for those people who aren't interested in Limited. Draft packs for out of print Standard sets that are only a few years old normally have little value.
Ah, Ravnica Allegiance, from the time before power creep happened and cards were designed for Commander. Well, not entirely (looking at you, Smothering Tithe) but I still preferred the power level compared to today. Not playing anymore, so meh, I guess.
You weren't paying attention then it seems. People have been complaining about "designed for commander" since Return to Ravnica at least. Also, people who think that don't really pay attention to the really old days of Magic, when EDH first began. There's always been flashy, uncompetitive do-nothing rares that make up the bulk of sets. I had many of them from before Commander was called Commander and were worth a lot more when I came back to the game because the format became popular and thus those cards rose in demand. They've also literally designed cards around multiplayer since the first couple sets. Syphon Soul is from Legends and intentionally scales with the number of opponents you have.
@@falconJB People have short memories. I still find it absurd after this set and White had a bit of a low point in Standard people acted as if the color pie was out of whack despite mono-White knights being a competitive Standard deck the year before and people complained that Simic was never good, yet neither UG or White gained or lost anything in their color pies.
"Is this an Orzhov pack or a Rakdos pack?"
Clearly, it's a Mardu pack
Mardu is red-centred. Rakdos+Orzhov has the unique distinction of being black-centred. Total mirror to Mardu.
Marror… Marrirror… Mirrdu… Mirrdin… Moros… I’ll stop now. 🫤
The wrestling version of this show is Crack-A-Back, where audience members are chosen at random to receive a elbow drop on their spine.
That's why Grahm said "Bear with me", right?
Can I instead take a chokeslam or scorpion death drop?
@@feltyone Whatever causes a pop to the disks I suppose
@@Bongus_Bubogus legit expected this to say whatever causes a pop from the crowd. But both work
Finally, a good patreon reward
I once blew a game on purpose in this format. I had drafted a sick Orzhov deck and had 4 Final Payments. I drew 3 in my opening hand one game and told my opponent to “just go with me on this”. I drew the fourth one only a couple of turns later and successfully knocked myself from 20 to 0 killing fairly worthless creatures. I must say it is my best MTG example of Mission Failed Successfully.
The Simic being in a set with the code RNA still delights me, even if they had little representation in this pack.
I never made that connection before and that's amazibg.
When you said bear with me, I thought there was going to be something more.
Oh yeah, one time on Arena i managed to get 6 Goblin Gatherings, that was a fun time. I believe i was in Rakdos for that draft, and even got a Cavalcade of Calamity to go with the huge amount of goblins!
that is really gross. I love it!
Judith is also the name of a really sweet song by A Perfect Circle
6:12 - I can't believe this mockery you're playing. It's macabre.
Justiciar's Portal is a defensive combat trick, the opponent thinks they have a clear path of attack, all your dudes tapped down or otherwise unable to block, then suddenly not only is there an untapped blocker, but it has first strike as well. Particularly nice when used on a creature with Arrest and Claustrophobia effects and, sure, Slimebind. But yes, it's quite situational to feel good.
This was honestly one of my favourite draft environments I've played for any serious length of time. The variety of cool decks available beyond the guild colours was so much fun. There was the chance for the gates deck, the high alert deck, the screaming shield mill deck and the goblin gathering + cavalcade of calamity deck. This crack a pack brings back fond memories
Very weird how this ended up being the most financially balanced pack we've ever seen: Almost every single common up at a quarter, almost every other card DOWN at about 35-40 cents. Came out a little ahead of cost but in the strangest way possible.
I suspect they used cardkingdom for this, where lowest price for a NM common is $.25 and the lowest price for a NM uncommon or rare is $.35 because those were definitely not the normal market price for those cards. Most of these can be picked up NM on TCGPlayer for $.01. TCGPlayer market prices add up to $1.09 with Judith being the high value card at $.29:
Arrester's Zeal .05
Slimebind .02
Savage Smash .03
Vizkopa Vampire .04
Plague Wight .02
Axebane Beast .02
Goblin Gathering .05
Blade Juggler .05
Justiciar's Portal .08
Final Payment .06
Pitiless Pontiff .10
Macabre Mockery .13
Syndicate Guildmage .09
Rakdos Guildgate .06
Judith, the Scourge Diva .29
CK works with a union, TCG is against unions. LRR is sponsored by CK.
@@LadyLunarSatine Yes but CK's prices are not really accurate market prices so make it look like everything is worth way more than it is, it means that every pack will have a price at minimum $4.15 even if in reality you couldn't sell it for $.15.
This pack is a perfect example of that as every card was worth under CK's minimum price and for some of them you would probably only be able to sell as bulk.
My one complaint about this format was that Green had literally zero ways to answer artifacts or enchantments at common. Despite it being something Green is supposed to always have, it was really noticeable in this format because of all of the high impact Enchantments from High Alert, Cavalcade of Calamity, Dovin's Acuity, Ethereal Absolution, Ill-Gotten Inheritance, Rhythm of the Wild, and Wilderness Reclamation.
This was one of my first sets in my return to magic. I love Teysa Karlov!
Plague Wight has flanking
I got Goblin Gathering to work exactly once, near the end of the format, with 7 copies of it, 3 of Cavalcade of Calamity, and some aggressive mulligans. Also a few Blade Jugglers but I forget how many, clearly because they weren't too important.
A vanilla creature by definition can't sit there menacingly
Gigantosaurus looks pretty menacing to me
Judith, yes.
I drafted goblin gathering alongside Judith and Cavalcade of Calamity once, and it was so much fun! I spend many drafts trying to recreate it.
Delightful as always!
I look forward to each crack a pack!
I think this is the first time I'm noticing the second "i" in Justiciar's Portal. I always read it as "Justicar's Portal". And I wish can say it's because of Mass Effect 2, but that isn't true as there was too much time between that game and this set.
I think the portal could also be used as pseudo-vigilance + first strike? Idk I never used it
I once (just once) had a 7 Goblin Gathering deck. Statistically unlikely, but made for a really good draft night.
I never quite dialed in on this set for draft, but it's special to me as it introduced Nikya. She's my favorite commander to have, partially because it gives me a very different angle from which to evaluate new cards.
you asked, Graham. 5 Goblin Gathering's and 2 Cavalcade of Calamity made a fun draft deck. not the most consistent but fun
So hazarding a quick guess here, but I'm thinking maybe the point of Justiciar's Portal is to blink something you control that was tapped (to untap it and recycle an ETB effect), give it first strike, and then block with it? Given it's an Azorius card, I'm guessing it's supposed to be used defensively. Might be able to use it offensively in a pinch if you have something with haste or a real good ETB, but the defensive scenario seems more likely given the context.
Isn't this nearly word for word what Graham said?
This was the first set I ever won a FNM draft playing. I opened a Hydroid Krasis, and took every quench I was passed. As someone who basically forced boros every draft in the last set it was a strange feeling.
I think the main idea with Justiciar's Portal is to save your creature from a removal spell, but I also don't remember it happening to be honest.
Also: I love Judith! She was the centerpiece of my Mardu Aristocrats deck in standard in the day.
I remember using her and (General Kudro?) and some other ppl for Mardu Humans on Arena Standard at some point.
Thought: Macabre Mockery as a four-mana way to reanimate your opponent's Atraxa, Grand Unifier
You can even hold the mana to cast it in response to their reanimation! You don't get to hit them for 9 with lifeline this way, but it's good!
4:42 ah, it does indeed have 2 I's. i've been pronouncing it justi-car this whole time.
Love the edits Matt. Great show Graham and James.
hu-MAHN sha-MAHN, doot dooooo, do-do doo
Is Ancient Tomb good in Canadian Hilander?
I remember using Justiciar Portal in my Feather deck in Standard? It wasn't super-good, but it helped dodging target exile (like that one Vraska's card from Ixalan), before Theros showed up with one-mana protection
Also, Aristocrats were DOPE in this set. Priest of Forgotten Gods was probably my all-time favorite deck of all times, and I brought it to Mythic on Arena
My favorite show!
Hooray for engagement!
Any time is see blade juggler, all I hear is *Adam's voice* the juggler
Surely Axebane Beast is a Beast Pangolin. Look at it!
I think justiciars portal could be used as a pseudo combat trick, using it to untap a blocker and make your opponents attack really bad
That origins pack is always next
My favorite tribe is the humanshooman
More Zhosmir lore please!
Oh man, they're gonna have to take all of these packs to the new Moonbase, just so they can sit around in that drawer unopened for the next few years until they get to it.
I loved both this limited format and this set so dearly. I really can't get enough of the general art direction of the GNR/RNA block, the colors and vibes were so immaculate. It helps that they were the last sets before WAR skyrocketed the general power level of the game.
So, yeah, I managed to get Goblin Gathering in either an Arena Draft or a real life draft, possibly both, and got to summon like 5 or 6 of them in one turn. It was pretty rad, but inevitably not really that exciting.
you get a like and a comment just for the pronunciation of humonshamon... I'll be using that, thanks!
woo!
I have a very strong memory of graham grading the quality of the cards based on the strength for the gates deck. is this a reupload?
Any RNA pack will have that discussion.
Graham's 1st pick is correct, even if late & you are non-R, non-B drafting
#hateDrafted
Goblin Gathering would be better if it was called Goblin: The Gathering
ₕᵤₘₐₙ ₛₕₐₘₐₙ
Mardu rakdos
"It doesn't sound exciting, Slime Bind"
All the stuck pervs in the comments: *vibrates*
Did WotC complain you showed everybody there's no value in these packs?
There's a reason they introduced set and collector boosters.
@@Mordalon 🙌🏼Oh wise man🙌🏼, please enlighten me: what does that reason have to do with my remark pointing out LRR showing bs prices?
And even more so: do you actually believe (more expensive) set & collector boosters hold any value either?
@@hviring7441 I would be sorry that I didn't get that was what you were saying from the vague nature of your comment, but your rudeness is entirely uncalled for. It seems logical that "these packs" would refer to the pack being opened in the video, which is just a normal pack meant for drafting, and the new pack types were introduced for those people who aren't interested in Limited. Draft packs for out of print Standard sets that are only a few years old normally have little value.
Oh the good old days of normal Magic sets!
RNA was the only not-busted set of 2019
Yet it started the “Simic has always been OP” bandwagon despite the lead up to it being all about how Simic was never competitive.
Ah, Ravnica Allegiance, from the time before power creep happened and cards were designed for Commander. Well, not entirely (looking at you, Smothering Tithe) but I still preferred the power level compared to today. Not playing anymore, so meh, I guess.
As an old magic player the idea that this was before power creep is funny.
You weren't paying attention then it seems. People have been complaining about "designed for commander" since Return to Ravnica at least. Also, people who think that don't really pay attention to the really old days of Magic, when EDH first began. There's always been flashy, uncompetitive do-nothing rares that make up the bulk of sets. I had many of them from before Commander was called Commander and were worth a lot more when I came back to the game because the format became popular and thus those cards rose in demand. They've also literally designed cards around multiplayer since the first couple sets. Syphon Soul is from Legends and intentionally scales with the number of opponents you have.
@@Mordalon Power creep has also nearly always been a thing, it was not a thing the just popped up 4 years ago.
@@falconJB People have short memories. I still find it absurd after this set and White had a bit of a low point in Standard people acted as if the color pie was out of whack despite mono-White knights being a competitive Standard deck the year before and people complained that Simic was never good, yet neither UG or White gained or lost anything in their color pies.