GAME REVIEW: MAGIC: THE GATHERING CLASH PACKS – POWER AND PROFIT / DESIGNERS: JENNIFER CLARKE WILKES, ETHEN FLEISCHER, DAVID HUMPHERYS, MARK ROSEWATER, GAVIN VERHEY / PUBLISHER: WIZARDS OF THE COAST / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Magic: The Gathering’s current sequence of product releases (called a block), has been very entertaining so far. The new set, called Fate Reforged, tinkers with the world already established in the previous set, The Khan’s of Tarkir. Whereas that set of cards was set in a world in which the dragons had been defeated, the backstory of Fate Reforged involves time-travelling shenanigans and an epic clash with dragons (in case you’re wondering where the backstory is going, the next set is called Dragons of Tarkir). All this backstory is very nice, but if you’re a casual player (or new to the game), then what you want is an easy introduction to the whole things that’s fun to play.
That’s where the Power and Profit clash pack comes in. This handy set features two sets of cards, with pre-built decks, so you can get stuck in. Predictably, each collection of cards has a theme. The Power deck is blue, black and green and, though this might sound unwieldy, the cards are carefully selected to provide maximum impact per turn. The rare cards add some additional pain; Necropolis Fiend is a superb monster to pull on your opponent in later rounds, Sultai Ascendacy grants you firm control of the deck itself, and Hero’s Downfall is a cheap, nasty card that murders heroes. Add the usual scavengers and wayfinders and you have a deck that lets you play Magic the way you want to.
Which is handy because chances are you’ll be up against the other deck in this set, called Profit. This black/green collection is great to play with and quite fun to play against. Not only does it feature the powerhouse card that is Whip of Erebrus, it also has enough monster and control cards to make this a happy go-lucky murder factory. Once it gets going, your opponent will be up to their eyeballs in ghosts, snakes and creepy crawlies. Delightful and creepy at the same time.
The set is packed with foils and rares (just enough in each set), and a certain sort of player will be interested to note that, going by the current cost to buy individual cards from traders, the set is good value for money. Really though, that is missing the point. This is yet another fun set of cards from the masters of easy and enjoyable collectible card games. Sure, some of these cards aren’t going to make an appearance in any tournament lists, but who cares? The two sets balance against each other nicely and are not only a great way to keep new and casual players entertained, they’re also a nifty way for old hands to rediscover the fun that makes Magic: The Gathering the game that it is today.
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