March Magic Madness

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KrazyCaley

14 March 2013

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Enter the ARENA

Now that the Draft Debate is over, and while I work on a few other projects, here's an amusing diversion that will continue to allow you to argue about cards. It may be a weird, gimmicky, janky article, BUT THAT HAS NEVER STOPPED ME BEFORE.

I have eight categories of cards: Land, Creature, Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact, Planeswalker, and EDH General/Commander. Within each of these categories is 16 cards, which I picked by my own edict, which was only slightly diabolical.

In order to preserve objectivity (or at least the paper-thin facade of objectivity), I then sent these cards to miinor_threat for seeding. He has seeded them, after complaining about me being a jerk re: EDH generals, and making me cut Grand Arbiter Augustin IV, Edric, Spymaster of Trest, Arcum Dagsson, and Sharuum the Hegemon in favor of Karador, Ghost Chieftain, Gisela, Blade of Goldnight, Glissa, the Traitor, and Uril, the Miststalker.

Now you shall determine which card (or set of cards, since some cards seemed properly grouped together into a single entry) shall triumph in each matchup, and thus, which card shall emerge as the BEST IN MAGIC THE GATHERING. What makes a card "best?" Well, that's up to you. Maybe it's more fun, maybe it's got a higher power level, maybe its name is Counterspell maybe it's a card that means a lot to you personally, who knows? All that matters is that the end there will be only one. card. left. STANDING.

We begin the round of 128, as a Magic player always should begin, with the lands.


Land Bracket


1 - The Original Dual Lands ( Badlands - Bayou - Plateau - Savannah - Scrubland - Taiga - Tropical Island - Tundra - Underground Sea - Volcanic Island )

vs.

16 - Pendelhaven


2 - Tolarian Academy

vs.

15 - Maze of Ith


3 - Strip Mine

vs.

14 - The Basic Lands (Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, Forest)


4 - The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

vs.

13 - City of Brass


5 - Cabal Coffers

vs.

12 - The Vivid Lands ( Vivid Meadow - Vivid Creek - Vivid Marsh - Vivid Crag - Vivid Grove )


6 - Library of Alexandria

vs.

11 - The Ravnica Shocklands (Blood Crypt - Breeding Pool - Godless Shrine - Hallowed Fountain - Overgrown Tomb - Sacred Foundry - Steam Vents - Stomping Ground - Temple Garden - Watery Grave )


7 - Gaea's Cradle

vs.

10 - The Pain Fetch Lands ( Flooded Strand - Polluted Delta - Bloodstained Mire - Wooded Foothills - Windswept Heath - Misty Rainforest - Verdant Catacombs - Marsh Flats - Arid Mesa - Scalding Tarn )


8 - Karakas

vs.

9 - Mishra's Workshop


COMMENCE ARGUMENT.

The next article in this series is March Magic Madness - Instants Bracket

Josiah says... #1

the original dual lands will always hold a special place in my heart.

March 14, 2013 8:25 a.m.

drakanar says... #2

Well, I consider it kind of simple... Strip Mine. It can destroy all contenders (pun fully intended).

March 14, 2013 8:35 a.m.

DaShPrime says... #3

I think we're supposed to post like this:1) Original Dual Lands - They're just disgustingly strong

2) Tolarian Academy - If the dual lands are disgustingly strong... Tapping for UUUUUUUUUUUUUU sounds like a great idea!

3) Basic Lands

4) City of Brass

5) Cabal Coffers - Sorry but the Vivid lands don't stand a chance here

6) Ravnica Shocklands - Better art hahaha

7) Gaea's Cradle - See Tolarian Academy. Saprolings, anyone?

8) Karakas - Tough one, but Karakas, simply for the cooler design

Isn't it possible to create some sort of survey to do this? Would be much more interesting to have this displayed in a graphical form

March 14, 2013 9:05 a.m.

shuflw says... #4

original duals over Pendelhaven (fixing is fixing, the important basis of all (non-RDW) magic

Tolarian Academy over Maze of Ith (while academy is mostly useful in dedicated decks, it can do busted stuff in the right environment. maze can keep you alive at times, but it's more of a nuisance than a game winner. and it doesn't even tap for mana. pff.)

Strip Mine over basic lands (basic lands are necessary but boring. strip mine is mean and awesome.)

The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale over City of Brass (i've never seen tabernacle played, but it scares me.)

Cabal Coffers over vivids (vivids weren't even great when they were the only option. coffers, see academy for busted.)

shocklands over Library of Alexandria (shocklands have a more universal appeal. current standard, modern, edh. i know library is very very good, but i'm going with the cards for everyman.)

fetch lands over Gaea's Cradle (while the cradle has a similar level of ridic on par with coffers and academy, there's just something beautiful about being able to fetch an original dual, or a ravnica dual for those of us who are not rich/old.)

Mishra's Workshop over Karakas (neither of these are in my wheelhouse, but my edh decks always highlight my general, and karakas seems like it would make me sad.)

i'm assuming we're voting on each round, right? also, honorable mention for the shadowmoor/eventide filter lands and the worldwake and/or urza's/10th manlands. i like those better than vivids, pendelhaven, and city of brass.

March 14, 2013 9:19 a.m.

erabel says... #5

Dual lands, most definitely. So OP.

Tolarian Academy. So much potential for mana.

Basic lands. I don't like the idea of Strip Mine.

City of Brass. I don't get the Tabernacle.

I'ma be contrary and say the Vivids. Cabal Coffers seems OP in black decks, but useless otherwise.

Library of Alexandria. Card draw AND land? Nice. I get the shocks are ridiculous, but hey, paying 2 life can mean the game in some scenarios.

Fetches. The ability to get more land is cool. Also, I've never been one for creature heavy decks.

Mishra's Workshop. I'm a big fan of artifacts.

March 14, 2013 10:02 a.m.

shuflw says... #6

forgot karakas is banned in edh. my vote still stands.

March 14, 2013 10:13 a.m.

doinitwrong says... #7

  1. Duals, no contest

  2. Despite Maze of Ith's subtle utility in addition to it's overt defensive prowess, Tolarian Academy's sheer power blows it away.

  3. Strip Mine, no contest

  4. The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale, no contest

  5. Cabal Coffers beats the Vivid lands.

  6. For my first upset pick, I go with the shocks over the banned/restricted-in-every-format Library of Alexandria

  7. Despite Gaea's Cradle's power, the utility of the Fetch's wins out.

  8. Mishra's Workshop wins in surprisingly decisive manner.

March 14, 2013 10:19 a.m.

exarkun809 says... #8

Original duals over Pendelhaven.

Maze of Ith over Tolarian (Mostly just because Tolarian Academy is broken).

Basics over Strip Mine. I mean... they're the foundation of Magic!

The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale over City of Brass. They made a card called The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale. I don't care what it does, it wins.

Cabal Coffers over Vivids. See Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth.

Shocklands over Library of Alexandria.

Fetch Lands over Gaea's Cradle

Mishra's Workshop over Karakas. Karakas is legend... wait for it... keep waiting for it because it's banned in the format most important to legendary cards!

I have to also give a very special shout out to the Shadowmoor/Eventide filter lands. Love those lands. FIXING!

March 14, 2013 10:19 a.m.

apt142 says... #9

Duels win.

Tolarian Academy Who doesn't like a whole lot of mana?

Basics and this isn't even a contest. Which of those contenders is in almost every single magic deck ever built? They are like breathing in this format. Take away your capacity to play them and you'll finally appreciate them. I'd almost argue that this isn't even a fair entry into this contest. Because sure there are lands that do more, but none are as budget friendly and as plentiful in circulation as these guys.

The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale over the city. Lands destroying creatures? What sort of crazy world is this?

Cabal Coffers. I have to assume we are using each of these cards in their optimal decks.

Shocklands: Versatlity wins here for me.

Gaea's Cradle ftw.

Mishra's Workshop only because it kicked my ass once.

March 14, 2013 10:37 a.m.
  1. original duel lands. (obvious answer gets obvious vote)
  2. tolarian academy is just too powerful for blue. it edges out the maze.
  3. strip mine. anything that can benefit you early, and ruin the opponent later is okay w/me
  4. city of brass - the card responsible for "balls hit" when inflicting damage on yourself
  5. i have a soft spot for the vivid lands because i like the stupid rainbows
  6. library of alexandria - that is all
  7. pain fetch lands. take a balls hit, get untapped land, AND THIN YOUR DECK? yes please
  8. mishra. boom.
March 14, 2013 10:58 a.m.

Rhadamanthus says... #11

  1. Original Duels win because Pendelhaven is just kind of dumb
  2. Maze of Ith wins because a card that completely ruined the game for so many people can't possibly be the best Magic card
  3. Basic Lands win because they're the foundation of the game and Strip Mine just makes people mad
  4. City of Brass wins because doing something is always better than locking the game down
  5. Cabal Coffers wins because it's just better
  6. Library of Alexandria wins because it's the most powerful land ever printed
  7. Fetch lands win because they're what makes the world go 'round in every format they're legal in
  8. Mishra's Workshop wins because it's the third-most powerful land ever printed (how did Bazaar of Baghdad not make the bracket?)
March 14, 2013 11:30 a.m.

http404error says... #12

erabel - Swamp seems OP in black decks, but useless otherwise. :P

16) Pendelhaven! Casual decks with this are fun, and the original duals are broken and expensive!
2) Tolarian Academy! Ridiculous broken OP!
14) Basics! The greatest of all lands!
13) City of Brass! Rhymes with City of Ass!
5) Cabal Coffers! Blapcker than the blapckest night!
6) Library of Alexandria! Shocklands are cool, but the Library is cooler!
7) Gaea's Cradle! Fetches are awkward and require a lot of shuffling! And green is a cool color.
8) Karakas! Because Death and Taxes is an awesome deck!

March 14, 2013 11:44 a.m.

erabel says... #13

I see what you did there, http404error. That said, I refuse to change my vote on the matter.

March 14, 2013 12:02 p.m.
  1. original dual lands
  2. give me the maze just because it is more versatile
  3. going with strip mine blowing up lands is cool
  4. probably The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale but it will probably loose next round.
  5. voting for the vivid lands. yay mana fixing
  6. shocklands so important to modern with those fetches included
  7. Fetchlands so powerful with shocklands
  8. Mishra's Workshop artifacts rock!
March 14, 2013 12:34 p.m.

Kirtanian says... #15

  • original duals: because fixing is awesome
  • Tolarian Academy: because artifacts are awesome and it's super broke
  • Basics: because you have to have them
  • City of Brass: enters untapped and gets you what you want every time
  • Cabal Coffers: because it was the first powerful land I encountered
  • Shocklands: because fixing is awesome
  • Pain Lands: see above
  • Mishra's Workshop: because I love artifacts
March 14, 2013 12:45 p.m.

Wabbbit says... #16

March 14, 2013 1:57 p.m.

I will vote for no other lands other than the original Basic Lands. They are the ultimate in MTG technology.

Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, Forest

March 14, 2013 2:11 p.m.

cartwheelnurd says... #18

1) original duals > Pendelhaven
2) Tolarian Academy > Maze of Ith
3) basic lands > Strip Mine
4) tabernacle > City of Brass
5) Cabal Coffers > vivid lands
6) Library of Alexandria > shock lands
7) fetch lands > Gaea's Cradle
8) Mishra's Workshop > Karakas

March 14, 2013 2:21 p.m.

dcarpntr says... #19

  1. Original Duals
  2. Maze of Ith
  3. Basic Lands
  4. City of Brass
  5. Cabal Coffers
  6. Shock Lands
  7. Fetch Lands
  8. Karakas
March 14, 2013 2:34 p.m.

Blakkhand says... #20

  1. Original duals
  2. Tolarian Academy
  3. This one is hard. Strip Mine beats basics, but Island beats Strip Mine. I have to go with Island (not basics in general!)
  4. The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
  5. Cabal Coffers
  6. Library of Alexandria
  7. Gaea's Cradle
  8. Mishra's Workshop
March 14, 2013 2:39 p.m.

SandyDufresne says... #21

Volcanic Island over Pendelhaven: because all lands printed since look up to their awesomeness.

Tolarian Academy over Maze of Ith: Like someone said, "it doesn't even tap for mana." Besides, a lot of blue can go a long way.

Island over Strip Mine: a sure foundation

The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale over City of Brass: because I want one.

Cabal Coffers over Vivid Grove: because I said so

Godless Shrine over Library of Alexandria: because I love the names of the shocks

Gaea's Cradle over Arid Mesa: because !@#$ you.

Mishra's Workshop over Karakas: because I hate Karakas

March 14, 2013 2:48 p.m.

gufymike says... #22

hate the matchups, Strip Mine and original dual lands should be able to meet in the finals for any real drama. As it is, dual lands will win.

dual lands.

Maze of Ith -- personal favorite and a land I still would put in every deck.

Strip Mine -- bring back land destruction or better known as 'f**k you'

City of Brass -- one life for any color, I'll pay that thank you very much.

Cabal Coffers -- twice the work out of swamps .... X spells unite!

shocks -- cause any type of dual land is awesome regardless.

Gaea's Cradle --- see cabal coffers

Mishra's Workshop --- X spells again.

March 14, 2013 3:25 p.m.

doinitwrong says... #23

Unless I'm guessing wrong as to how KrazyCaley st up the bracket, Strip Mine and the duels can meet in the final.

March 14, 2013 3:50 p.m.

doinitwrong says... #24

Also, Mishra's Workshop can only be used to cast artifacts, so the only X spells it can be used for are Chalice of the Void and Chimeric Mass.

March 14, 2013 3:51 p.m.

gufymike says... #25

doinitwrong the way it looks, they meet in the semi finals.

March 14, 2013 3:52 p.m.

KrazyCaley says... #26

@doinitwrong -

If bracket were properly arranged, it would be in this descending order: 1-16, 8-9, 6-11, 4-13, 3-14, 5-12, 7-10, 2-15. So Strip Mine and the Dual Lands could indeed meet in the land finals.

March 14, 2013 3:57 p.m.

Zerix says... #27

  1. Original Dual Lands all the way!
  2. Maze of Ith
  3. The Basic Lands - I had land destruction with a burning passion
  4. City of Brass - ah, one of my first non-basic lands!
  5. Cabal Coffers
  6. The Shock Lands - Yay duals!
  7. Gaea's Cradle
  8. Karakas
March 14, 2013 4:09 p.m.

Chubbub says... #28

1) Original Dual Lands2) Tolarian Academy3) Strip Mine4) City of Brass5) Cabal Coffers6) Library of Alexandria7) Gaea's Cradle8) Karakas

March 14, 2013 4:10 p.m.

Denial048 says... #29

1) Original Dual Lands
2) Tolarian Academy
3) The Basic Lands
4) The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
5) The Vivid Lands
6) The Ravnica Shocklands
7) Gaea's Cradle
8) Mishra's Workshop

March 14, 2013 4:59 p.m.

GureiSeion says... #30

  1. Original Duals - Easy fixing.
  2. Maze of Ith - More useful in general.
  3. Strip Mine - Literally kills the competition.
  4. The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale - Great control when built around. Also, I'm a hypocrite.
  5. Vivid Lands - Fixing until (hopefully) you don't need it anymore.
  6. Library of Alexandria - It has become apparent to me that I value general utility over fixing.
  7. Pain Fetch Lands - And that I oppose specific utility in general, apparently.
  8. Karakas - I play Sisay EDH; shut up.
March 14, 2013 5:45 p.m.

Nemesis says... #31

  1. Original Dual Lands Because they're super over powered
  2. Tolarian Academy Because it's super overpowered. and I want one.
  3. Basic lands? Because Land destruction sucks
  4. City of Brass Because amazing mana fixing
  5. Cabal Coffers Because this card is amazing. get tons of mileage out of your swamps.6.Library of Alexandria Because card advantage is awesome.
  6. Gaea's Cradle Because of the same reason as Cabal Coffers
  7. Mishra's Workshop Because it's just better.
March 14, 2013 6:08 p.m.

sewellius says... #32

  1. Original Dual Lands
  2. Tolarian Academy, Artifact decks are waaay too awesome with this land.
  3. I'm gonna say Basic Lands because nobody can get by without them.
  4. The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale kills creatures. I also hate when my lands kick me.
  5. Cabal Coffers is massive bang for one land.
  6. Ravnica Shocklands. The other is very very restricting to be a useful draw.
  7. Gaea's Cradle. I was a fan of Elf decks in the day, and holy cow this land is broken.
  8. Mishra's Workshop. Another uber power for artifact decks.
March 14, 2013 7:28 p.m.

Timekeeper says... #33

  1. Original Dual Lands, the alternative is far too specific compared to these.
  2. Maze of Ith, gets my vote because my friend went out and got one just to screw with my exalted deck. -_-
  3. Basic, they counter Stripmine
  4. City of Brass, because colors.
  5. Cabal Coffers, vivids are too limited-use.
  6. Ravnica Shocklands, because they are awesome and the library is too specific.
  7. Gaea's Cradle, so epic. O.o
  8. Mishra's Workshop, powerful artifact enabler.
March 14, 2013 7:43 p.m.

rtm2 says... #34

I think a lot of people have never "playtested" a deck using library of alexandria or strip mine. Getting a first turn library out, means you have a 1-sided howling mine for the entire match. Using 4 strip mines in a deck usually crushes an opponents mana curve. Also, anybody ever open a match with 1-2 cradles in your opening hand.....you lost if you did.

March 14, 2013 8:34 p.m.

TridenT says... #35

This almost seems unfair. From a gameplay standpoint, the seeding pretty much determines the winners here. I'm sure in future rounds there will be more hemming and hawwing among the group here, but for my money, the first round goes to the top 8 seeds.
(Just so it's an official-looking vote, that means:)
1) Dual Lands
2) Tolarian Academy
3) Strip Mine
4) The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
5) Cabal Coffers
6) Library of Alexandria
7) Gaea's Cradle
8) Karakas, which was actually a close choice, but wins because it is more universally usable as an additional white mana source than its competitor, which does nothing for a player not running artifacts.

March 14, 2013 11:57 p.m.

SwiftDeath says... #36

1) OG Duals

2) Tolarian Academy

3) Strip Mine

4) The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

5) Cabal Coffers

6) Shocklands

7) Zen Fetches

8) Karakas

I think some honorable mentions should go out because there are lands much better then some of the lower end choices three that stand out to me are the Worldwake manlands and Mishra's Factory then there is also Mutavault.

March 15, 2013 6:30 a.m.

TheBearShaker says... #37

1) OG duals
2) Tolarian Academy
3) Strip Mine
4) The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
5) Cabal Coffers
6) Shocks!
7) Gaea's Cradle
8) Mishra's Workshop

I'm all about the lands that make more than one mana

March 15, 2013 9:24 a.m.

DragonXDoom says... #38

  1. Dual Lands
  2. Tolarian Academy
  3. Basic Lands
  4. Tabernacle
  5. Cabal Coffers
  6. Shock Lands
  7. Gaea's Cradle
  8. Karakas
March 16, 2013 7:08 a.m.

lonewolfx says... #39

Pendelhaven's nifty, but mana-fixing for everyone, at almost no penalty wins easily.

1 - The Original Dual Lands

Tolarian Academy is indeed capable of generating silly mana, which is great, until you realise everyone else can too. One of the fastest banned cards for good reason, it makes the game very un-fun, and luck- rather than skill-based. Maze of Ith is awesome utility, for everyone.

15 - Maze of Ith

Strip Mine, with a few exceptions (Crucible of Worlds) will never be better than the card it destroyed. Basic lands break one of the core rules of Magic.

14 - The Basic Lands

Tabernacle is a fine anti-creature card, and city lets you run five colour more happily. Hard call, but I'd have to say the City, as - you know, it lets you cast stuff.

13 - City of Brass

Stupid mana vs. Good quality fixing for any-colour splash. I'll go with the latter.

12 - The Vivid Lands

Library of Alexandria. Seriously, there should be no question.

6 - Library of Alexandria

Once again - stupid mana vs fixing, but this time the fixers add deck thinning to the mix.

10 - The Pain Fetchlands

Karakas vs Mishra's Workshop. Eh - whatever, really don't like either.

March 16, 2013 1:22 p.m.

CharonSquared says... #40

1) Original Duals2) Tolarian Academy3) Strip Mine4) Tabernacle5) Cabal Coffers6) Library7) Fetchlands8) Mishra's Workshop

March 17, 2013 12:50 a.m.

poprocksncoke says... #41

  1. Original Dual-lands (seriously, how can they not win?)
  2. Tolarian Academy (any land that has the ability to tap once for effectively infinite mana is pretty freakin good)
  3. Basic Lands (without them the game almost completely falls apart)
  4. City of Brass (arguably the best all-purpose mana fixer)
  5. Cabal Coffers (exponential swamp growth is just awesome)
  6. Shock Lands (most influential land in competitive play since they first came out)
  7. Gaea's Cradle (see Tolarian Academy)
  8. Mishra's Workshop (turn 2 Wurmcoil Engine? yes)
March 17, 2013 4:40 a.m.

yousquiddinme says... #42

  1. The original dual lands are just amazing.
  2. Tolarian Academy is basically "infinite blue, the card"
  3. Basic lands are the backbone of magic.
  4. The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale is stupid good in control decks, and there's more mana fixing than city.
  5. Cabal Coffers is stupid good.
  6. Library of Alexandria is probably the strongest land ever.
  7. Gaea's Cradle is busted.
  8. Mishra's Workshop is ALSO busted.
March 17, 2013 11:17 a.m.

Zen_Toombs says... #43

1 - The Original Dual Lands are fantastic.

2 - Maze of Ith isn't banned in a bunch of formats, so there's that. Also, Maze is a commander staple.

3 - The Basic Lands (strip mine is awesome, but basics are OP)

4 - The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale is just too good, and there's better fixing than City of Brass.

5 - Cabal Coffers makes ALL the mana! There's a reason it's the TRUE general of a mono-black commander deck.

6 - The Ravnica Shocklands I'm more of a fan of dual lands, and Library is banned in a bunch of stuff.

7 - The Pain Fetch Lands

8 - Mishra's Workshop just like it better, and it's playable in more formats.

March 17, 2013 5:18 p.m.

MagnorCriol says... #44

  1. Original duals
  2. Maze of Ith (close call, but Maze's new art is badass)
  3. Strip Mine (again, close call but cool art wins out)
  4. City of Brass (hurr hurr, City of Ass)
  5. Vivids (not fair pairing these two up, but it'd happen somewhere down the line I suppose)
  6. Shocklands (Only if we go with the original Rob Alexander art, though)
  7. Fetchlands
  8. Karakas (its name is just too much fun to say. Ka-rak-as, Ka-rak-as, Ka-rakarakarakas)
March 18, 2013 5:46 p.m.

heuertag says... #45

1 - Original Duals

2 - Tolarian Academy

3 - Strip Mine

13 - City of Brass

5 - Cabal Coffers

11 - Ravnica Shocklands

7 - Gaea's Cradle

9 - Mishra's Workshop

March 19, 2013 12:43 a.m.

kausemu says... #46

March 22, 2013 1:37 p.m.

kausemu says... #47

correction:Original Dual Lands (not Pendelhaven)

March 22, 2013 1:39 p.m.

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