One of the worst tilings that can happen to you in the game of Magic
is to be holding too many cards in your opening hand that can*t be played
until later in the game. This puts you at a disadvantage because if your
opponent has fast playing cards early on, you can take some serious
damage and/or lose the game.
On the other hand, it's also unfortunate to have a lot of fast placing
cards that that you can cast quickly in the beginning of the game, but then
have nothing to hold back on to use to gain an advantage later in the game.
The trick to helping prevent both of these problems is to try and
include cards in your deck that are useful in both the early game and late
game. So, regardless of when you play them they can be helpful.
Ail example of a card that has some early game advantage but lacks
late game strategy* is Rakdos Cackler. This is a 1/1 creature that costs one
red mana to cast and has unleash (you may have this creature enter the
battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it. It can't block as long as it has a
+1/+1 counter on it.)
1/1
Rakdos Cackler
Creature Devil
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Unleash may have (his creature
enter the battlcjicld with u +//+/
counter on it. It can 'i block as long us it
has a +//+/ counter on it.)
1 ^evil-bladiy and dripping blood make
ftmsic Rakdos never tires of hearing.
This is a great card to pull on your first hand because you can cast a 2/2 creature in the first round and if your opponent does not play a creature to block it's a guaranteed 2 point damage on the second turn. However, Rakdos Cackler is a bad late game card to pull. Why? Because, usually late in the game your opponent has already dropped a few creatures that have become a threat and Rakdos Cackler's unleash ability most likely is useless. Yoifll probably need him to use him as a blocker, rendering the unleash ability unnecessaiy, and he s just a small 1/1 creature. There are plenty of other one red mana casting creatures that you could include in your deck instead that have both early and late game advantages. Take Vexing Devil for example. It's a 4/3 creature that has this ability: when it enters the battlefield, any opponent may have it deal 4 damage to him or her. If a player does, sacrifice Vexing Devil.
You can play this card on turn one or turn twelve and it still has the same powerful effect. Your opponent will either lose 4 life instantly or allow a 4/3 creature to enter the game. You win either way. Another creature that fits the criteria of being a good early game and late game contender is Guttersnipe. It?s a 2/2 creature with this added ability: whenever you cast an instant or sorceiy spell, Guttersnipe deals 2 damage to each opponent. .二…二 Guttersnipe Regardless of when you play this card, its effect will always take place.
Doing a free 2 damage to your opponent when you cast a spell early in the game is just as valuable as doing it later in the game. It's another win・win situation. Now, let s look at the cardAkroma's Memorial. On the outset it seems like an extremely powerful card. It s an artifact that gives all creatures you control flying, first strike, vigilance, trample, haste, and protection from black and red. \Vliat more could you ask for to help your creature? (Legendary Artifact {(Akroma，s Memorial Creatures you control have flying, first strike, vigilance, trample, haste, protection from black, and protection from red. "No rest. No mercy. No tnatter zvhai.” ―Memorial inscription However, there is a downside to it; it costs 7 mana to cast. And, unless
you're playing mana acceleration cards you won't be able to cast this card until your seventh turn. Just think about how many Magic games you have played that ended in defeat before the seventh turn. More than one, right? Ail example of a good artifact that can be played in early game and late game is Razortip PVhfp. It only costs 2 mana to cast and by paying 1 mana and tapping it, Razortip Whip deals 1 damage to target opponent. [(Razortip Whip 1, <*: RazorcipVC^hip deals 1 damage to target opponent. no longer surprises me what shows up in our raid of a Rakdos revue.** —Janik Bara, \Xi)jck captain sjantr Pakk As soon as turn two comes around you can start hitting your opponent with 1 damage each turn or if you pull it late in the game it may be that extra card you needed to finish off your opponent. Regardless, it's a great card anytime von pull it during the game. Two final examples to hit this point home are Act of Treason and Archangels Light. Act of Treason is a sorceiy that costs 3 converted mana to cast and allows you to gain control of a target creature until end of turn, untap it and it gains haste. A great card to play anytime during the game.
Archang els L ight on the other hand, is a sorceiy that costs 7 converted mana to cast and allows you to gain 2 life for each card in your graveyard, then shuffle your graveyard into your libraiy. Archangel's Light Sorcery You gain 2 life for each card in your graveyard, then shuffle your graveyard into your library. "This is the light ofAvacyn. Even in her absence she offers us hope：' ―Radulf, priest ofAvacyn ^-*^Volkan Baga * & O 1995 2012 of the Ckuu 11JC |/|58 Due to this card s high mana cost and need for many cards to be in your graveyard to get the full effect, it's definitely geared towards late game play only. Hopefully you can now see how important it is to have cards in your deck that are valuable in both early game and late game play.
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