JumpSTARt: Battle Royale — Devlog #09: Pir
JumpSTARt: Battle Royale is a star-format Jumpstart product for Magic: The Gathering. This blog post is part of a series chronicling its development.
Previous devlogs:
Devlog #00: Kickoff
Devlog #01: Packet Skeleton
Devlog #02: Drafting
Devlog #03: Star-Format-Friendly Mechanics
Devlog #04: “Event” Cards
Devlog #05: Rhoda
Devlog #06: Zndrsplt
Devlog #07: Nikara
Devlog #08: Khorvath
EDIT: This packet has been updated, swapping out Ancient Animus for Hunter’s Edge.
Pir is here!
Because Pir benefits your teammates, the approach here is to jam-pack as many counters into this packet as possible so that you have the greatest chances to be the one that benefits most from your own Pir’s effect.
Here’s the packet, with an explanation of the picks below:
Firstly, we want to create redundancy for Pir, so Mowu fills in that role. However, it is a bit more limited than Pir in synergy. Still, there are SIX other cards that can put +1/+1 counters on Mowu.
And this isn’t even counting Evolution Sage! This card was chosen because of the unimpressive nature of ramping with Pir’s Whim (which is a forced include, for the “multiplayer event” slot). This ramp can now act as a surprise extra boost in counters!
Ecologist’s Terrarium fills in the artifact requirement while also acting as a virtual land (this is why this packet will have 8 lands + this card) and giving you yet another counter to enable Pir. Sorta like how Llanowar Reborn is a land that dishes out a counter.
The two Warrior slots are filled by +1/+1 counter peeps.
Hunter’s Edge fills in for the removal slot in the packet while also providing another counter placement opportunity. Choosing a bite effect instead of a fight effect can help ensure you’re keeping your creatures around with counters on them, including shield counters.
The First Iroan Games and Jiang Yanggu both demonstrate how they each benefit from Pir very much. With Pir out, the Saga will trigger the first two chapters in a row after it enters the battlefield. Then, the second chapter’s +1/+1 counters places will be four instead of three. Jiang Yanggu will enter with 4 loyalty counters and places two +1/+1 counters with each activation!
With First Iroan Games, Jiang Yanggu, & Pir’s Whim all causing you to ramp, I made sure there was an expensive payoff that also had counters to care about. In this case, the recent shield counters with Titan of Industry! A powerful stopgap that also fills in your lack of ability to deal with fliers.
If you’ve been paying attention to the packet requirements established many posts ago, a goal was to ensure there are at least two ways to remove creatures in a packet. The fight spell here is the only creature removal. To make up for this, I’m hoping that the creatures here can just outsize the other packets!!
Lastly, Swarm Shambler both rewards you for playing with +1/+1 counter peeps but also makes sure you have a steady stream of +1/+1 counters to tinker with as the game goes longer.
Imagine That
That’s all for this post! See ya next packet. :D
