APRIL 2019 Promo:

Twisted Vortex

Type: Symmetry

Edition: Promo

Artist: Roy Ugang

Set: Birth of Creation

"Twisted Vortex" was the very first Promo card ever printed. It was produced in the most limited quantity of any original card in the entire game, and no alternate versions of it exist. Only 28 copies of this card were ever made—distributed as an Entry Promo, of all things—at the first few tournaments in 2012 at HobbyTown USA. We are well aware that its power curve is higher than usual, but we wanted the first Promo to be extra special as a way of thanking the game's earliest players. We said it would never be reprinted, but all of that is about to change... The Entry Promo for the month of April 2019 is none other than the infamous Twisted Vortex! All you have to do is show up to your next friendly local Exodus tournament and one of these is yours for the taking...............

...............APRIL FOOLS'!

We had you going there, didn't we? Admit it, we got you. We got you good.

The Real APRIL 2019 Promo:

Shackled Silencer, Skyborn's Regret

Type: Creature — Angel

Edition: Promo

Artist: Nivea Toliver

Set: Converging Chasms

"Shackled Silencer, Skyborn's Regret" is the all new card that can be obtained as the Entry Promo from this month's tournaments! It was Skyborn's original attempt at forging the creature that eventually became Benevolent Seraphim. This bad boy has been locked up in the heart of their Guild castle for years now...but it recently broke out during the castle's aerial takeoff in the Converging Chasms storyline. Its Raging Release Ability lets you surprise your opponent whenever they attack one of your Angels. You can activate this Ability from your hand and put it into play on an existing blank pile of energy on your side of the field (Invoke, anyone?). If you put it into play through this effect, it immediately gains 1 energy and links up with your other Angel that is being attacked, and together they battle the opposing creature! Not only does it have that element of surprise normally reserved for symmetries, but it can also be a great way to throw off your opponent's math for planned battle damage. With a +1 upon release similar to part of Alana the Star Formation's effect, we can't wait to see how it fares competitively. Don't miss out on snagging this sweet new Promo card for yourself!

What Decks Have Been Making the Rounds at Tournaments Lately?

That was the question we ended the last News Column with and one that we will now answer—sort of. With Qualifiers fast approaching and the announcement on those coming soon, we don't want to spoil the exact decklists that have been topping this season just yet. Out of respect for the players who may want to take those decks all the way to Worlds, we'll have to wait and see. However, we do want to take a close look at some cards that have risen to the occasion and garnered well-deserved popularity this season:

Vastion the World's Hollow

Type: Creature — Treefolk

Edition: First

Artist: André Martinez

Set: Converging Chasms

 The cover character, the cornerstone, the next Alana—whatever you want to call it, there's no denying that Vastion the World's Hollow is an amazingly powerful card. It's been seen in all kinds of decks this season, from Reveal decks to Treefolk Beatdown. In reality, this powerhouse has two effects and each one triggers at a different time. When Vastion is summoned, all players reveal their hands. Knowing what your opponent has is always a plus. The tradeoff of also giving that knowledge to your opponent is that this Ability automatically triggers any "When this creature is revealed" Abilities in your hand instantaneously. The fact that this part of its effect triggers only when you summon it means that you are probably in your Creature Phase. And if you're in your Creature Phase, you've probably played most of your cards for the turn anyway or are about to do so shortly. So, giving away the knowledge of what's left in your hand doesn't usually hurt you at all by the time it goes off. The other part of Vastion's effect triggers when it attacks—and boy does it attack! It goes +1 energy just before the attack hits every single time. If someone wanted to make a bet that this card won't be seen in some of the top decks at Worlds this year, that would be a pretty good bet to take—because it probably will.

Drifters Dueling

Type: Symmetry

Edition: First

Artist: Jackie Felix

Set: Crystal Forge

This one isn't even from the latest expansion set—and it's only a Common! "Drifters Dueling" received a Card Spotlight in the last Magazine Issue #2, and for good reason. It lets you look at your opponent's hand (we know how good that can be) and for no cost. Then, you get to choose 1 card from their hand and have them put it back on top of their deck. This can be used on any card in their hand, hence why the specific type of deck isn't mentioned. You can have them put an energy back on top of their Energy Deck (essentially discarding that energy) or put a creature or symmetry out of reach. It's favored by control decks that seek to set their opponent behind on card advantage. It does a pretty good job at that, but it has also been seen splashed in non-control based decks as well. It's a valid option for decks that might be looking for that extra edge.

Crystal Cove

Type: Symmetry

Edition: First

Artist: Jackie Felix

Set: Crystal Forge

 It almost goes without saying, but we couldn't talk competitive without mentioning the single most competitive card of all at the moment: "Crystal Cove". It is hands down the easiest and best way to counter your opponent's moves at this stage in the game. For the cost of 1 energy, you can freeze one of your opponent's symmetry cards until the end of their next turn. For those unfamiliar with how freeze works with symmetries, it basically stops the frozen symmetry card from activating and resolving until it unfreezes. For a lot of cards, that could mean that they won't end up resolving at all, but will instead fizzle out when they unfreeze. Cards like Treeforge Envoy, Howling Synthesis, Volcanic Vehemence and Plateau's Edge are good examples of this since their effects only last until the end of the turn...and the end of the turn is precisely when they unfreeze and go to the graveyard. Other cards like Everdrift Islands or Apparition Grove might not have any targets available by the time they unfreeze. Even pesky cards like Vortex suddenly turn from curses into boons when Crystal Cove is used against them. This is all because it changes the timing of when they activate and attempt to resolve. Without a doubt, the card takes the cake for the most popular card in the current format, placing it even above other staples like Leech, Vortex or Chains. Plus, the artwork features the Shardveil Guild's headquarters, and who doesn't love that?

Crystalline Stag

Type: Creature — Shardfolk/Stag

Edition: First

Artist: B.A. Miller

Set: Converging Chasms

Shifting our attention back to the current booster set, "Crystalline Stag" has emerged as a surprisingly beneficial addition to Shardfolk decks everywhere. When summoned, its Glacial Step Ability freezes an entire blank pile of energy on the field. By default, a blank pile of energy can go up to 3 max. And that pile of 3 can easily surpass the default rule with cards like Glimpse of the Sanctuary, Leech, Energize and Guild Warfare running rampant in the current format. Suddenly, you could be looking at freezing a pile of 4, 5 or even 6+ energy all at once. Each of those frozen energy cards racks up the freeze count quickly. Can you see where this is going? Pair it with Chief Bandit, you say? Way ahead of you. All obvious uses aside, freezing an opponent's energy pile also denies them any realistic way of summoning a creature on that pile. Even if they manage to pull it off through a card effect by "putting it into play" instead of summoning, the frozen energy will be excluded from battle damage until it unfreezes at the end of their next turn. While it's a perfect option to cripple their energy supply, it does have 1 (circumstantial) downside: When you summon Stag, if you have other blank energy pile(s) in play and your opponent does not, you will be forced to freeze one of your own piles with its effect. But in a world where Chief Bandits exist, what difference does it make whose pile it is, ya know? Besides, you can still pay costs with frozen energy.

Cascil the Unvanishing Paladin

Type: Creature — Angel/Mistform

Edition: First

Artist: Roy Ugang

Set: Converging Chasms

 "Cascil the Unvanishing Paladin" has been good since the first day Converging Chasms was released. It has proved itself to be a competitive mainstay along the way, functioning as a constant board threat in all kinds of decks. Reminiscent of older Angels-That-Never-Die like Timeless Angel of Eternity, this creature can't be destroyed by battle. It sounds crazy enough, but it can be picked off by the likes of any effect or Ability that destroys or discards energy. On the other hand, it is completely unaffected by Helver Formation due to its dual-type attribute. Mysterious Sojourner, Hollowfire Halo Dragon, Runeglyphis, Leech, Cataclysm and Guild Warfare are all very strong counters to it. As long as this guy is battling, however, it will continue to protect your Life Points, dealing damage while staying at 1-energy. It definitely has that intimidation factor. That alone can cause your opponent to make mistakes while going up against it. We've definitely seen our fair share of it so far this season, and we expect it to continue to do well in the coming months.

Paladin's Parable

Type: Creature — Angel

Edition: First

Artist: Lexi Medina

Set: Converging Chasms

Paladins are a recurring theme for Angels in the current set, but what happens when the head Paladin forges another creature on its own? That's part of the fable going around lately, a story you can read about in the upcoming Magazine Issue #3. "Paladin's Parable" is a living tale, one illustrated by none other than game creator Lexi Medina. This card is found as a Secret Rare (SR) in Converging Chasms. SRs are always a good investment, not just because of their scarcity and highly sought after textured foil treatment, but also because their effects are always good. This one has been putting in the work at tournaments, not only in pure Angel decks but also splashed into Control, Beatdown, Flood—you name it. Whenever this creature battles another creature, it switches energy with that creature before damage is calculated! It takes quite a bit of skill to master, however. You'll want to try to have it gain a bunch of energy during the switch when attacking with it, and make sure it expends that gained energy in the form of damage. Otherwise, your opponent could attack into it if left unguarded, and then your opponent can benefit from the Ability on their own turn. If you plan on running this card at upcoming tournaments, be sure you're aware of recent Rulings involving Parable. At the end of the day, it's a highly competitive option, it's gorgeous, and it's straight up fun.

 Ranking News