Well, as I'm sure you've noticed, lots of hot talk has started circulating about Champions of Kamigawa. We've even reviewed some of the cards here at Pojo. Go look at them if you haven't.

I can't wait.

No...really...






OK, that's long enough. Champions of Kamigawa is definitely turning heads. Players seemed to be a bit skeptical about a set influenced by oriental mythology. I personal feelings were that it sounded...well..."gimmicky." But, that being said, I also thought an all creature set, or even a block full of artifacts sounded "gimmicky." Oh yeah, and there was the set that was predominantly black and that other set that had lots of good green and white cards in it.

So, in other words, there really wasn't anything to worry about. But as everyone is seeing, Champions of Kamigawa is going to be hot. If the previewed cards are any indication of the strength of the set, I see myself going through several boxes of this set. I think I had a point in here....somewhere. I didn't want to just brag about the next set. We can all see that it is interesting.

I am here to help you with a different matter all together. Oh, what's that? You didn't know you needed my input today, did you? That's OK. I'm here to help anyway. Inevitably when a new set comes out that starts a block, people panic. Why, you ask? Well, they are afraid of what to do with their older cards that are rotating out of Standard (Type 2) play.

Funny as it is, it rarely crosses my mind that I need to do something with my older cards. Why not use that as a reason to take interest in an older format? It seriously bugs me to hear people panicking and trying to figure out when the old block is going to rotate out. Yes, they will rotate out of Standard. Why worry about it though. If nothing else, hold onto them and trade or sell them to players that need them for other formats. Seriously, look at all the neat stuff that Onslaught block has given us.


* Sac Lands (Polluted Delta, Windswept Heath, Wooded Foothills, Bloodstained Mire, Flooded Strand)

These cards are never going to get old. They are usable in every format. Extended and 1.5 players can sometimes live and die by these cards. They are deck thinning cards, and in older formats, they can go get dual lands. Don't just drop these from your collections. These cards will stay valuable. As a matter of fact, with Wizards of the Coast and the DCI going out of their way to try and increase interest in older formats, these cards might actually increase in value the fastest from this block.

* Contested Cliffs

This card comes and goes in spurts, but don't be surprised if this thing gets some more play in Extended. Remember that Spiritmonger is floating around and he's still a beast.

* Ravenous Baloth

Honestly, Spiritmonger is not the only beast that hangs around in older formats. Spiritmonger generally shows up in tandem with Ravenous Baloth. These two go hand in hand and you better get used to seeing them.

* Goblin Piledriver & Seige-Gang Commander

These two guys are great. Let them find some friends like Mogg Flunkies and Mogg Fanatic and things that looking a little better for these two. I haven't even ventured into 1.5 to start looking at what these two can do seriously, but Sligh and Goblins seem to always be hanging around.

* Rorix Bladewing

Yeah...those red decks...they like him too. He was probably the most played of the legends from this block.

* Decree of Justice

As long as slow control decks are around, this card will be useful. Well, as long as those decks have white in them. This s an all around powerful card. Strong cards don't ever just completely disappear. They don't roll over and die. They lie in wait and make a comeback.

* Stifle

I still think this is one of the most powerful cards created in the game in recent memory. It stops so many cards and abilities cold. It's cheap to cast. It's an instant. And if nothing else, it's even unappreciated. This card solves so many problems for so many decks. It's a great one mana solution to lots of combo oriented decks. I would DEFINITELY hold onto these.

By no means, is this everything that you need to hold onto. I'm just making a point here. There is no reason to just give your cards up for nothing. Hold onto them for a bit longer. On good cards, prices rarely (if ever) fall. And some of these cards are dominant in older formats as well.

If you don't know anything about the older formats, use this as a time to learn about them. Go read up about them. Do some research. See if you can build a few deck that includes mostly cards you already own. Yes, there are a few of those believe it or not. There is a good bit you can do I'd imagine. And then, if you don't like the other formats, you will at least be smarter. We all know that knowledge is power. If you at least do the research, you will know what cards are being used and you will be armed with that knowledge when trading.

There's no need to panic. There's no need to worry. Many inexperienced players seem to believe that their cards become next to worthless when they rotate out of Standard and this seems to be the furthest thing from the truth. Think about this...

I can't honestly remember a single major event that had Food Chain in it when the card was standard legal. Yet, in Extended, it was part of one of the fastest and most feared combos in the format at the time. That's just silly. My point? Simple. More cards get new life in older formats than lose it. So keep that in mind.

Of course, even after reading this, the naysayers will think that I'm just trying to put a positive spin on all this. Why? Will I sell more singles because customers will be playing older formats? Of course I will. Will it be a significant change, because players are playing older formats? Probably not. Casual players buy more singles than anyone and they don't follow any formats.

Casual play opens a whole other set of doors for your cards. You can mix and match how you want. You can build fun decks just to keep playing the same cards that you've grown to know and love if you want to. It's great. And honestly, if a card is good in casual play, it generally stays good. So, if nothing else, you can trade (or even donate) cards to your local casual group where they will be appreciated.

Hopefully, this has helped dispel some of your fears about your card situation. There's no reason to worry. I am a bit of an optimist, but I don't think that has anything to do with this scenario. I've seen the cycle happen too many times. The questions about set rotation have already started and there is still plenty of Standard to be played at most stores before the rotation.

It doesn't take a seer to figure out what to do with your stuff. It just takes you making a decision that you are comfortable with. There isn't really a good or a bad choice. And honestly, it's hard to measure one choice as being better than the other. That's all a matter of personal preference. But anyone that knows me, knows that I've held onto a lot of cards over the years. I've given a lot away, but that's usually to get people started. I've actually kept most of my important cards over the years.

But then again...I just like to game :)


Until next time,

DeQuan Watson
a.k.a. PowrDragn
PowrDragn at Pojo dot com