JumpSTARt: Battle Royale — Devlog #19: Kamber
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
Devlog #16: Silvar
Devlog #17: Cazur
Devlog #18: Timin
It’s the lethal Kamber packet! Here are the card picks and below is the reasoning for the choices:
Kamber wants to see your opponents’ creatures die, and there are many ways to make that so.
Since Kamber is busy killing off creatures, this packet leans into the morbid-friendly nature of the star format (five players means more creatures dying than in other formats). So, there are multiple cards that say “if a creature died this turn.”
Undercity Scrounger is one such morbid card and fulfills the artifact requirement of the packet. Additionally, it helps to have Treasures providing a smidge more mana for this deck, with the heavy black mana requirement of Reaper from the Abyss and funneling some mana into using Blood tokens, if desired.
Speaking of Blood tokens and Treasure tokens; Fain, the Broker is a glue that helps turn those trinkets into flying Inklings! But, also, in a pinch; while not as good as killing an opponent’s creature, you could enable your own morbid cards by sacrificing your own creatures. If you choose to sac your creatures, you could make your Kamber larger, which means that lifelink will get you even more life, if ya need it.
Syphon Flesh can net you up to four 2/2 Zombies! Sorry, buddies. Gotta take one (from each of your teammates) for the team!
Bite of the Black Rose is the multiplayer event card slot, another kill spell, and yet another damning choice for your opponents, given your packet’s morbid synergy.
Mire in Misery is this packet’s way to get in possible enchantment removal.
Hand of Silumgar and Mindblade Render are both this packet’s “2+ Warriors” requirement. The deathtouch is handy for forcing your opponent to decide whether they want morbid to be enabled. The Mindblade Render provides backup and rewards you with card draw if your opponent decides to take the two damage.
Takenuma gives you that Raise Dead effect (bonus, it can return planeswalkers, which meshes well with the Rowan and Will packets), which can be a sly way to get back more removal (like returning Gravelighter to your hand).
Skirsdag High Priest has the potential to be a powerful force, as if your Reaper from the Abyss wasn’t already enough Demon antagonism!
I Expect You to Die
That’s all for now! See ya next packet.
