"Manipulative Monstrosities" is one of five new intro packs from Wizards of the Coast's upcoming expert "Magic: The Gathering" expansion set "Theros" revealed today Sept. 18, 2013 on www.DailyMTG.com. Like the "Gatecrash" intro packs ("Orzhov Oppression," "Dimir Dementia," "Gruul Goliaths," "Boros Battalion," and "Symic Synthesis"), each "Theros" intro pack includes a how to play insert, tip guide, and two unopened "Theros" booster packs for an MSRP of $14.99.
"Manipulative Monstrosities" features two rares: A premium foil Shipbreaker Kraken and Curse of the Swine.
"Manipulative Monstrosities" intro pack
Creatures (18)
2 Archaeomancer
1 Burnished Hart
2 Coral Merfolk
2 Crackling Triton
2 Ill-Tempered Cyclops
2 Omenspeaker
2 Sealock Monster
1 Shipbreaker Kraken
2 Stoneshock Giant
1 Wall of Frost
1 Water Servant
Other Spells (16)
1 Curse of the Swine
1 Disperse
1 Dissolve
2 Griptide
2 Lightning Strike
1 Lost in a Labyrinth
1 Magma Jet
1 Ordeal of Purphoros
2 Rage of Purphoros
1 Sea God's Revenge
2 Shock
1 Volcanic Geyser
Land (26)
16 Island
10 Mountain
"Manipulative Monstrosities" offers a diverse sampling of "Theros." The deck involves a mix of cheap scry cards like Omenspeaker and Magma Jet that can ward off or kill early threats your opponent drops. You'll durdle around building incremental card advantage with cards like Archaeomancer, which allows you to gain value reusing your removal spells such as Lightning Strike or a deadly game finishing Volcanic Geyser. Eventually you'll be able to make your Shipbreaker Kraken or Stoneshock Giant monstrous and win the game.
Let's not fool ourselves: Intro packs are aimed at newer players and those looking to sample the flavor of a set. They come with two booster packs so that when a player opens a Voyage's End and looks at the Disperse in "Manipulative Monstrosities" they can have that "aha" deck-building moment.
As we've seen with all intro packs, there's a lot of changes you'll want to make to "Manipulative Monstrosities" a bit more competitive before bringing it to your next Friday Night Magic event. Jazzing up your mana base with Steam Vents and/or Izzet Guildgate should help fix any issues accessing the right colors you need early on. "Theros" brings a lot of flashy creatures that'll super charge your attack phase. Stormbreath Dragon is a deadly flier that can become monstrous and Prognostic Sphinx's massive scry 3 every time it attacks may lead you to victory. Thassa, God of the Sea can help you find the answer or threat you're looking for, and with so many blue creatures in the deck it won't be that hard to gain a devotion of five. Speaking of devotion, Master of Waves will make a big splash when it enters the battlefield.
Looking back at the "Return to Ravnica" block, there's a multitude of powerful spells players can add to "Manipulative Monstrosities" without breaking its theme. Cyclonic Rift, Mizzium Mortars, Izzet Charm, Turn and Burn, and Melek, Izzet Paragon all fit the tricky nature of this deck.
The play style of "Manipulative Monstrosities" may not be for everyone, however chances are one of the four other "Theros" intro packs is right up your alley.
Keep up with the latest "Magic: The Gathering" info:
Subscribe for email alerts of new articles, follow me on Twitter @David_Leavitt, like my page on Facebook, and add me to your circle on Google+.
For more information about "Magic: The Gathering" visit www.MagicTheGathering.com.
