JumpSTARt: Battle Royale — Devlog #16: Silvar

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
Devlog #09: Pir
Devlog #10: Trynn
Devlog #11: Ukkima
Devlog #12: Laurine
Devlog #13: Gorm
Devlog #14: Sylvia
Devlog #15: Toothy

Devour the Humans! It’s the Silvar packet.

Here are the card picks along with reasoning for the choices below:

Silvar would like to devour Humans, so we’ve got 8 Humans in this packet, along with several ways to get more Humans. Body Count and Rix Maadi Reveler are both spectacle cards that draw you more cards. Order of Midnight can get back a valuable Human.

Silvar, being an indestructible menace, can tend to enable spectacle. But, to help assure you get there, Vithian Stinger and Sparkmage Apprentice are here to help. Order of Midnight might be able to fly over blockers as well.

Dire Fleet Hoarder, along with Sparkmage Apprentice, are dispensible Humans for Silvar. In a pinch, Vithian Stinger’s unearth ability provides another Human feeding.

Each of Garna, the Bloodflame and Xathrid Necromancer are super synergistic with Silvar eating everyone.

Sickle Dancer and Garna are both the required Warriors needed for this packet.

Nevinyrral’s Disk fulfills the artifact requirement and clears the board of both creatures and some noncreatures; but indestructible Silvar will be kept intact. Tyrant’s Choice is the other removal option — if the opponents decide on losing life, well, then you may be able to cast your spells for spectacle, then. And “dealing 8 damage” for 2 mana ain’t bad.

Unlike Ukkima, the previous multicolor packet, this one has a lower mana curve; and, so, we have one less land. This works out for us since our rare dual land isn’t synergistic with the theme of this packet (and is unimpressive in the late game). To make up for this, we have Immersturm Skullcairn (replacing a basic Swamp) as a last resort to do an expensive enabling of spectacle (or to help close out a game if Silvar almost gets there). And Tramway Station can help you draw into the card you need.

As with Ukkima, we ensured we have seven mana sources for each of black and red in this packet:

• Black: Luxury Suite, Tramway Station, Immersturm Skullcairn, Vivid Marsh, Vivid Crag, Swamp, Dire Fleet Hoarder
• Red: Luxury Suite, Tramway Station, Vivid Marsh, Vivid Crag, 2 Mountains, Dire Fleet Hoarder

You’re Free, Human

That’s all for now! See ya next packet.