Mail Magic #1

So as you may or may not know, I love me some Magic:The Gathering. A trading card game I've been playing ever since the Pokemon trading game wasn't filling the void anymore and a very special pass time activity to me, mainly based on how much my big brothers and friends love to play the game as well. So I've recently joined up on Puca Trade, a card trading site which let's you trade cards for points which then other traders use and send you cards you've been looking for, straight to your front door. Nothing makes a bad day great like opening an FNM promo card or that rare card from the set you never got a chance to play. I've been doing this for a little while now, and I think it's a really cool and great system. And sure there have been complaints, but it mostly comes from people who are looking for "value" or something to that degree. Honestly the way I see it, if I have a bunch of cards from Kamigawa and you need them, I will send them. If you've got cards from Shards of Alara, send them this way. That's all there is to it. Not arguing about dual lands for 2 hours and not making a trade at the end, send your cards to players who want them, why not? Anyways, I thought it would be cool to share with my Storm Clouds all the different cards I received and explain why I was looking for these cards, also looking into some strategy in casual formats like Commander and Cube. With that said, let's get started! 

•Immolating Glare (Game Day Promo): This is the full art promo for Oath of the Gatewatch release day tournaments. This is the one you get for participating in the tournament, which I never got a chance to do. So getting this sweet looking uncommon is just too sweet! An amazing art of an Eldrazi getting destroyed.

The card itself is fine overall, for two mana (1W) you can destroy an attacking creature. Great in any format, particularly in the early game since most early attacks won't have the ability to regenerate or even counter the spell. Not really great late game if you are facing Hexproof or Indestructible monsters coming your way. 

I use this in my current Boros Commander deck. 

•Priest of Norn (Mirrodin Bisiege): At a glance a 1/4 Vigilance creature for three mana (2W) doesn't look like much. Does anyone remember Standing Troops? But add a little bit of Phyrexia in the form of Infect and you got one hell of a creature now. With Infect you can casually attack for one in the early game before really big creatures come down. You force your opponent to turn their 3/3 or 2/2 creatures into 2/2 or 1/1 or even have them killed off. The alternative is taking a Poison counter and then start counting to ten until game over.

Infect is an extremely powerful effect in any and every format it is available in and I didn't get a lot of these cards in general, I've got a lot of these Infect cards on my trade list. Going to see if I can work on an Infect deck of sorts for Commander. 

•Fuel for the Cause (Mirrodin Bisiege): When you are paying four mana (2UU) for a Counterspell, it better have a good effect or can tip. Proliferate is a very good effect to have on a card. Especially in decks that use a lot of Planeswalkers, Infect, Energy, Experience or +1/+1 counters as well. 

I've got one of these in my Simic Commander deck, but I needed one for Mizzix deck. 

•Treasure Mage (Mirrodin Bisiege): This card works really well in any Artifact combo strategy. For three mana (2U) you get a 2/2 creature that searches your library for your big bad machines, any artifact card with converted mana cost 6 or greater. And you can par this up with a Show and Tell or even a Sneak Attack. 

You really can't go wrong with Treasure Mage, just be ready to cause some damage as soon as you play him. Watch out for discard and countering cards.

•Unsubstantiate (Game Day Promo): Another full art promo card, this time from the recent trip to Innistrad in Eldritch Moon. What we get is an extremely versatile spell for two mana (1U), which is perfectly paired with Isochron Sceptre. You can choose to return any spell or creature to it's owner's hand. Perhaps the best counter card in Standard at the moment, this card can do so much. It can disrupt early and throw an opponents tempo off and in a pinch it can get rid of a big attacker or blocker that is in your way. 

Very cool art as well, as with all of the full art promo cards. I am probably going to try and have one of these in all my Blue decks in Commander and Cube as well. I love me some Unsubstantiate!

•Incorrigible Youths (Game Day Promo): The last of the three full art promo cards I received in this trade, this one is from Shadows Over Innistrad set. A 4/3 Vampire that can be played for three mana (2R Madness costs) and with Haste, meaning it can attack right away for some early damage. Pretty good. You'll need to be playing with some discard mechanics and/or other Vampires to really get the most out of them, but even in a Cube deck it can do great damage. 

A solid addition to any BR Vampire deck strategy for sure, in Standard or Commander. 

•Into the Core (Mirrodin Bisiege): I honestly didn't even know this card existed, now sure Shatterstorm destroy all artifacts in play and this only targets two, the big difference is in the exile effect. I find in Commanders a lot of permanents and spells have plenty of ways of coming back into the game. Not to mention indestructible effects on a lot of artifacts and you are going to need some strong answers. 

At instant speed as well, you can respond to two darksteel artifacts coming your way. You can take away mana sources or combo pieces, maybe even that Darksteel Foundry. 

I think I am going to place it in one of my Commander decks for sure, possibly Mizzix or Brion.

•Brass Squire (Mirrodin Bisiege): And speaking of Brion! In my current Boros deck, I use a lot of Equipment cards. It's one of the strategies of the deck, a lot of WR cards that benefit from Equipment. And Brass Squire helps the team out a lot, for three Colorless mana you get 1/3 who is able to tap and attach any Equipment you control to any of your creatures. 

This works really well in my kind of deck with all the different Equipment cards and seeing how a lot of creatures will be launched by Brion, Brass Squire helps get the next creature ready for action. 

A pretty low key card, highly suggest it for Equipment based decks. 

•Hedron Archive (Battle for Zendikar): I am going to say this now for every Commander player. Get your Archives now, don't wait until they are gone. I got 4 more copies in this trade and I value you these artifacts very high. For 4 Colorless mana, you get a mana rock that gives you 2 extra Colorless or can be ditch for two cards. 

What deck couldn't use a mana boost or some emergency card drawing? Every single deck needs one of these and that's why I wanted to get them now, before they surge in price. Although I wouldn't be surprised to find them in future Commander products.

•Phyrexian Juggernaut (Mirrodin Bisiege): Holy butts! A 5/5 Infect creature for 6 Colorless mana. Sign me up. The attack every turn if able drawback isn't a big deal at all, you know being 5/5 and having Infect. You can pump this guy up, place Rancor on him or any Equipment you have available and it gets more vicious. Even a 10/10 creature blocking it will be brought all the way down to a 5/5 size, which is brutal! 

Going in my Brion deck for sure, I can't wait to play this against my opponents. It's a wild Phyrexian bull on the loose and no one is safe! 

So there you have it, a whole lot of Game Day promos and plenty of cards from Mirrodin Bisiege, it's nice to get cards from sets you didn't play too much or at all. Which I find is the beauty of Puca Trade, highly suggest you guys check it out here and big thanks to trader ASGARDIAN for sending me these cards in the first place, I am going to make sure these cards find a good home in my decks! 

So what do you guys think, any of these cards caught your attention? Any strategy suggestions you have? Let me know in the comments below or you can reach me over on Twitter @ChileanStorm on Instagram and Tumblr as well. Thanks again guys, and as always keep chasing the Storm!