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Not going to mess around, here’s what you need to know – the first (of X?) Magic 2014 Duels of the Planeswalkers expansions is coming out September 18, 2013. In addition to having new campaign content and challenges, you’ll be getting five new decks:

  • Lords of Darkness, a demon-themed mono black deck
  • Hall of Champions, a Bant (blue/white/green) deck
  • Sword of the Samurai, a white/red samurai (!) deck
  • Dodge and Burn, a potential Izzet (blue/red) blitz deck
  • Elves? There’s a Nissa-themed green deck shown in screenshots

Official press release

August 29, 2013 – RENTON, WA — Wizards of the Coast today announced that the Magic 2014 – Duels of the Planeswalkers Expansion will release on September 18, 2013*. Adding depth to the latest installment of the wildly popular Duels of the Planeswalkers franchise, the Magic 2014 Expansion will give players the opportunity to explore new planes, fight new enemies and face new challenges. Available on Xbox LIVE® Arcade, PC via Steam®, PlayStation® Network, iPad®, and AndroidTM via Google Play and the Amazon App Store, fans will be able to check out the expansion for the first time this weekend at PAX Prime (August 30 – Sept 2) in the Magic booth (#1642).

The Magic 2014 Expansion will also include the following new features:

Five New Playable Decks

–       Unlock 280 unique cards over multiple battles.

New Campaign Levels

–       Battle through six new single-player campaign levels, exploring the planes of Ravnica and Kamigawa.

Five New Challenges

–       Fiendish puzzles to test strategic thinking.

Unlock Items

–       Unlock new persona portraits, achievements and trophies, and more.

With an easy to use tutorial, Duels of the Planeswalkers is the best way for new players to learn how to play Magic: The Gathering. Players that are already familiar with Magic will enjoy the newly introduced Sealed Play game mode in Magic 2014, as well as the introduction of Sliver creature cards into the Duels of the Planeswalkers franchise. Please visit MagicTheGathering.com for the latest news and updates and follow Magic on Facebook and Twitter.

 

*Launch timing may vary by platform and region.

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64 replies to this post

  1. I can only assume that the Kamigawa deck is going to use the new Legend rule heavily. It was what the set had going on mostly. I hope that these decks can bring some balance to the game, but a lot of them still seem like they could be quite rushdown in theme.

  2. Well, there is something about everything from Kamigawa. I don’t want to talk badly about it, but… every single card from that set sucked bollocks. But hey, since when does Wizards make playable R/W decks anyway.

    Hmm, but perhaps it could be enough to coax me into being arsed to actually play this unbalanced [language ahead has been censored to avoid traumatising younger readers] ***** ** **** ******* **** ******* *** ** ****** **** ** ***** ** **** ***** ** ***** ****** ****. Previously it was Rakdick, now it’s Zombies. If you’re unsure whether you should buy the game, Notch was kind enough to put together an accurate representation of playing it online: http://shambles.notch.net/

    Oh yeah, forgot to mention: I have zero intention of playing Magic right now when all that happens is that you get stomped by Zombies if you’re playing anything but Zombies, because apparently Wizards decided that Zombies didn’t have enough top-tier creatures, removal spam, and other B dickery and that every other deck should definitely apologise for not losing to it all of the time.

    • I think that even thou there are over powered decks, as always, this is the most balanced edition of DOTP yet. I like to play ranked mathes with random deck and my w/l ratio is pretty decent (about 2.0). Of course I curse when I get the dragon deck but even then an when I get to play with the dimir deck there is a better chance to win than when playing with the awful landfall deck. And for my joy the mono greens of this installment are much better than the old ones

    • Toraka, what the hell are you on about?

      Avacyn’s Glory is way more powerful than Zombies, which goes about even with MindMaze and Firewalker (despite FW being the worst deck of the year, just happens to beat DW).

      Proof: Look at the T3 tournament results??

      • I apologise. Yes, DotP14 is the most balanced game so far; Zombies doesn’t outright stomp itself, Angels, or Illusions. If you happen to be playing one of the holy trinity of OP or the one deck specifically countering one, but not the other two, then hooray for you. If you’re playing any other deck, like Eldrazi, Garruk, Firewave, Dimir, Guardians, or (heavens beware) dragons, then fuck you, you get an automatic loss.

        Guess what though, I don’t play that sort of deck exactly because they get a 95% win rate against any deck which isn’t part of the trinity.
        Look at the results you told me to check yourself. Personally, I don’t see a single AG loss which wasn’t to another trinity member past the second round (assuming that “bad” players get filtered out of the first). Each of them holds a 60% win ratio, vastly more than any other deck can sport. (At that time, Slivers were a bit more powerful due to lack of promos. So they count too, though they’re “fine” now.)

        Tell me this, in a balanced game, shouldn’t the top 3 be anything but triple AG? If Wing hadn’t played Slivers and instead something like, oh I don’t know, literally any other deck, would he have been able to advance further than until his first AG match, even with his Magic career spanning across most of my lifetime?

        The TL:DR point is: 80% of your matches online will be Zombies, because any other deck doesn’t even stand a fighting chance against them.
        For that reason, I made a video that accurately and widely covers the point of DotP14 balance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS_UVPPer6o

  3. Every card from Kamigawa block doesn’t suck…

    Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker,
    Sakura-Tribe Elder,
    Sensei’s Divining Top,
    Gifts Ungiven,
    Umezawa’s Jitte,
    Kira, Great Glass-Spinner,
    Glimpse of Nature,
    Ideas Unbound,
    Ninja of the Deep Hours,
    Forbidden Orchard,
    Desperate Ritual

    A lot of the cards from kamigawa block suck but not all of them.

    • That’s the point. Sure it produced a few decent enough cards, but so did Homelands! Well, not really, unless you count basics. However, for the maybe 40 or so cards out of it that were even playable in decks specific to utilise them, the block had another 500 cards not even worth using as emergency note pads.

      Except, of course, in EDH. What is it with that format which turns card quality on its head, where four-of tournament staples aren’t even worth a glance and Kamigawa and Homelands get used.

      • Not that I’d dislike it, but I personally find it a bit creepy. Some friends, getting together for a bit of time, playing huge, diverse decks where cards that cost over 3 mana actually get used. And counter wars.

        It’s that amazing sort of thing where everyone, even the most bland of people, has a story to tell. Like the one time when a game was decided thanks to a donated Dark Confidant flipping over Emrakul…

        Not that I’d ever played it of course, because the population density of Magic players in my country is about equal to that of seals in the Sahara desert.

  4. Unless if you were talking about specifically the set Saviors of Kamigawa then yeah that set was pretty much garbage (possibly excluding Kataki)

  7. Why is there going to be 3 mono Green decks and 3 other decks with green in them the color distribution is getting stupid.

    • Agreed, my mana colours are all pretty balanced out… and then there’s green which is like double all of them which I barely even use. Took me forever to get the titles mage of … when the game came out after not realising.

      • Actually to be fair including the expansion decks there are:
        4 decks with blue and black
        5 decks with white and red
        6 decks with green

        So it’s not THAT bad, but there could be less green…

      • While we’re at it, let’s predict a few cards from the Samurai deck. Total guesswork, because actual future sight is witchcraft and thus illegal in 37 states… I said too much.

        1 Bushi Tenderfoot as one-drop. No, no other one-drops, nor any ways to have him deal damage without dying in the process. You’ll have to flip him the manly way.

        2 Brothers Yamazaki. Yes, two. Just two.

        2 Indebted Samurai

        1 Kentaro, the Smiling Cat. It’s legendary, why would you want more than one?

        4 Kitsune Dawnblade. We know Master of Diversion is great, but he’s a puny samurai, so have this instead. No need to thank us for our playset generosity.

        1 Konda… as 11th promo, which is released as Christmas gift.

        2 each of Sokenzan Renegade and Spellblade. R/W control, people, learn to appreciate it!* And stop asking for cheap aggro already!

        3 Takeno’s Cavalry. Show that Doomed Traveller to stay dead!

        2 Ronin Cavekeeper.

        Well, that’s about all from the crystal ball. And I’ll have to build a guide for that, oh boy. I mean, I’ll obviously not-so-stealthily have the build done for me by certain fans, but… said too much again.

        *I know that R/W control is a thing, but it tends not to run Samurais.

  10. Rumors/New info
    Dodge and Burn is based on creatures that grow as you cast instants and sorceries
    http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/previews/10563-Duels-of-the-Planeswalkers-2014-Expansion-Preview

    Ninja rats with the ninjitsu mechanic is in the expanansion
    http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/08/31/new-duels-of-the-planeswalkers-expansion-adds-five-decks-and-ninja-rats.aspx

    Call to glory and No-Dachi are in the samarai deck as well as…

    Umezawa’s jitte, Sword of Fire and Ice, and Sword of War and Peace
    http://www.insidegamingdaily.com/2013/08/30/pax-prime-2013-magic-the-gathering-2014-update-preview/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pax-prime-2013-magic-the-gathering-2014-update-preview

    Sylvan Night is the name of the elf deck
    http://www.cultofmac.com/243351/magic-the-gathering-2014-announces-new-expansion-coming-next-month-to-ipad-pax-2013/

    • Flashbang news: Izzet likes to cast Instants and Sorceries.

      In all seriousness though, it’s nice to see the Samurai deck become a bit equipment-y. The equipment deck in DotP09, I believe it was, wasn’t as terrible. Well, looking forward to it. Though I’m noticing that you can give your guys protection from any deck, EXCEPT ZOMBIES.
      Am I the only one seeing a pattern here, of Zombies simply being imbalanced because Wizards doesn’t have the balls to give out hosers to it? (Like they give Zombies hosers to any decks that could oppose it, as well as letting other decks hose amongst themselves. See the point of F+I and W+P.)

  11. I have a strong feeling the demon deck is going to have Halo Hunter in it in response to Avacyn which I believe can literally only kill Restoration Angel in my current build seeing as it cannot kill Bane f***ing Slayer Angel. At least the OP angel gets protection from pretty much 2 whole decks now. Makes me wonder if they’ll add some form of Werewolves in future deck packs so Elite Inquisitor (Protection from Twilight movies) has protection from 3 decks.

  12. Hey I am wondering if they will fix and boost slivers? Cause the promo cards for it are total crap…..how about actually adding more Slivers? How about making the deck a true Multi color and adding the Blue and black slivers! Because to me if they dont add something to that deck soon its just a waste of space and gonna be the most worthless deck in the game. I like slivers early on but the Promos have helped some many other decks greatly but slivers just get a bunch of stuff that barely helped it alittle.

    • Existing decks will remain unchanged with the expansion.

      You had your run as a good deck, now give room to the trinity which clearly needed those promos.

      • I want the demon deck list.
        I haven’t liked any of the UR decks in DOTP yet and I doubt that will change with DOTP 2014
        unless the give us 4 x Snapcaster Mage 4 x Lightning Bolt.

        Also I really want to see the promo card unlocks for all the decks.

        I will continue to check around and post the links here as soon as they get posted somewhere

    • So I guess I can work on my deck guides now since Wing called dibs on Izzet and demons… then we’d have the absolute first guides for everything ever…

      er…
      Look, a squirrel!
      It’s easy to look like you work like a slave if you define your worktime properly.

    • Oh god, yes. Assuming that the other cards it gets don’t suck (4 Nivmagus Elemental, pluuuze?) this could be one of the most fun decks in all of Duels, not to mention a potential trinity toppler.

      …
      Wing, it’s too late to call dibs on that one so that you have to write guides on the sucky decks, is it?

  16. Full Dodge and Burn decklist (includes promos):

    http://community.wizards.com/forum/mtg-duels-planeswalkers/threads/3923176

    The previous links to the other three revealed decklists seem to be inaccessible now so I’ll post the new threads here. They now include promos :)

    Sylvan Might:
    http://community.wizards.com/forum/mtg-duels-planeswalkers/threads/3923166

    Sword of the Samurai:
    http://community.wizards.com/forum/mtg-duels-planeswalkers/threads/3923161

    Hall of Champions:
    http://community.wizards.com/forum/mtg-duels-planeswalkers/threads/3923156

  18. Dodge and Burn

    4 x Remand
    4 x Kiln Fiend
    2 x Thoughtbind
    2 x Wee Dragonauts
    2 x Cancel
    3 x Compulsive Research
    4 x Sulfurous Blast
    3 x Searing Spear
    2 x Electrolyze
    2 x Banefire
    3 x Char
    2 x Opportunity
    2 x Charmbreaker Devils
    4 x Terramorphic Expanse
    11 x Island
    10 x Mountain

    Unlocks

    Invoke the Firemind
    Wee Dragonauts
    Mnemonic Wall
    Breaking Point
    Overwhelming Intellect
    Pongify
    Earthquake
    Draining Whelk
    Browbeat
    Djinn Illuminatus
    Swerve
    Mnemonic Wall
    Cerebral Vortex
    Breaking Point
    Browbeat
    Volcanic Fallout
    Pongify
    Wee Dragonauts
    Char
    Spelltwine
    Peek
    Volcanic Fallout
    Memory Lapse
    Pillage
    Volcanic Geyser
    Gather Specimens
    Starstorm
    Memory Lapse
    Peek
    Reins of Power

    Promos

    Earthquake
    Invoke the Firemind
    Starstorm
    Breaking Point
    Draining Whelk
    Fireblast
    Pongify
    Future Sight
    Spirit Away
    Stolen Goods

    • This deck will just take all the right things and push them together. I am okay with that. Who would’ve guessed, a nonblack, nonaggro deck in DotP that actually will take thought to build since it’s not 60% garbage which is worse than running another land in that spot.

      Suddenly glad again that Wing will do this one. I was told he’s good with thinking and stuff.

    • Wondering the same thing. Apparently, 18.09 is a flexible term if you’re Wizards.

      Lovely coincidence, since it allows me to focus on university and being really fucking ill instead of having to write guides… but you didn’t hear that from me.

  23. I can not find a good way to run Lord of Darkness…
    I don’t understand how they have to much damage to both players (like a red burn) with no cards that turn it into a gain, “pain = gain” seem like a black theme, yet it seem to have no real point in this deck.

    • The gain is that you both get slapped across the face equally, yet you also have an undercosted monster on the field. (Monster in its literal sense, not as in YGO.)

      If you’re having difficulty unlocking its power (and it does have a lot of that), look out for the soon coming TTT deck guide on it. I’m sure Wing will write it as fast as possible… as soon as he’s sober.

  24. Sorry for two posts instead of one…

    The demons really good but no ramping and the heartless summoning is not a good jumpboard as there only two, no tutors, make all the lesser creatures near useless.
    Most lesser creatures cost only 1 uncolored mana and one or two black, so beside cripple them it also don’t effect the cost.

    So I confussed on how to make a deck out of it, is it a mono-black version of Dracomancer but with demons instead of dragons? :)

    • Lord of Darkness is amazingly powerful. Also there are 3 Heartless Summoning’s which are really good. You don’t need any of the “lesser creatures”. There is a tutor which is fairly decent and there’s lots of card draw. Oh and I forgot to mention a ton of removal. If you’re having trouble I guess I could send you mine if you have anywhere I could send it to if you can’t wait for WiNG’s. Best deck in the game I reckon.

      • Yes, I made a much better deck sooner after.

        As I wrote in the deck list topic of this deck, it really is awsome, with two very significant exeptions.

        Dodge and burn is near unbeatable if they just understand that they shall not put any creatures out… me and Daisho agree that it get to the point where you want to summon a creature yourself just to have something to throw your tendrils on… in a tournament it might be alright because you can prepare for it but any general built deck of Lord of Darkness need to get lucky to beat a decent DoB player.

        The mirror match is plain torture, even with the dead removals like the blades, it take ages before your creatures get to survive.

  26. hey really stupid question im sure but can i spend just a buck and buy one of the expansion decks or do i need to buy the full expansion first? thanks

  27. “Daisho, the 2th best DotP-commentator on youtube” (who is the best?) has finished testing all the expansion decks and basicly said that all the old decks feel alot worse now.

    Disclaimer: It seemed to me like it was a general statement but I think he played DoB or Elfs at the exact time so it could have been compared to that deck in particular.

    Anyhow, I found it to be a debate worthy question.
    Do the expansion decks put all the original decks into shame? Are they just way better or would Avacyns Glory still win another tournament?

    • I don’t totally agree with Daisho’s assessment. In particular, I think Chant of Mul Daya and Firewave have been made slightly better. Deadwalkers is still completely playable. Hunter’s Strength and Dracomancer are screwed… but no big news there.

      • Toraka made a video in memory of Firewave 17 Sep… more or less his own words: “Because there will be no reason to play this deck when Dodge and Burn get released”

      • I have a habit of being right. Anything Firewave can do, Izzet can do better. Except for jacking an Opportunity using Reverberate and snatching victory through the use of inifinitely rebirthing phoenices. Aah, good times.

        You can play Firewave today too and it’s still pretty good at killing the supposed titans. Unfortunately, it’s just… pretty much strictly worse than Izzet. It’s fun to do, though, and isn’t that the point? Of playing video games? In your free time? To relax? Bought using the money saved up for relaxation from work (or, in my case, earned by writing articles about the game I bought. I love my job)?

    • You get the decks preloaded, but just as the original decks ruffly half the deck is unlocked, so if want to get a quick start you might consider a “deck key” that cost about 1 buck for each deck you want to unlock all cards in.

  29. My wishlist if Magic 2014 get another expansion:

    * Black/Red enter the battlefield effects creature deck
    * White/Blue enchantment+protection deck
    * Blue/White blink+suspend with slow mill deck

    My wishlist for Magic 2015:

    Ajani: Cat warrior “tribal” with lifegain/lifelink
    Jace: Early prevent opponent from do much, late turn everything opponent does against them. (More or less take all the red out of “Dodge and burn” and doubble the blue side of it)
    Chandra: Cheap ping creatures, cheap 3 damage burn spells, 6-8 mana elemantals+Inferno Titan
    Garruk: Beast creature in nearly tribal fashion, very spell poor, just Rankor+Prey Upon+Overrun basicly.
    Lilliana: Several small imps with effects to cast early, alot of 2-4 mana creature removal, alot of bring creaures back from graveyard.

    Black/Blue: Fairie Rogue tribal deck with prowl (much better then the Magic 2013)

    Blue: Walls/Defender + mill (almost like the “Back to the mines” encounter in Magic 2013)

    Red/White: with main theme the champion effect

    Green/White/Blue: Controll deck with several slow win the game cards “get 4 of this specific creature on the battlefield”, “get 100 counters on this enchantment”, “have 100 life at the end step of your opponents turn” etc etc

    Red: Creatures with haste and high power but either low toughtness or die at the end of the turn + creatures that steal a opponent permanent until the end of the turn + a few enchantments that do something good if you sacrifies a creature.

    Green/Black: Early land ramping, middle black horror creatures with evil effect, late huge green creatures.

  30. how do i get the 5 new decks i downloaded the expansion pack but i still dont have the decks and im geting real frustrated

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