Speed kills

WOTC'S MTG Duel Deck: Speed Vs Cunning is seriously unbalanced.

I faced the pre-constructed piles off 10 times, with Speed triumphing 7-3. Which doesn't sound horrible, except that the wins were by an average of 22 life, i.e. the killing blows tended to knock Cunning right into the negatives. Conversely, the three losses were by an average of only eight life.

I could test further, but I won't be doing so for two reasons: 1. My pal RS has achieved similar results, and 2. Cunning just isn't enjoyable. Faerie Impostor and Stonecloaker, which ask you to return another creature you control to your hand, are almost always a liability. If you're lucky, you'll bounce Lone Missionary or Sparkmage Apprentice - and probably still be behind in the arms race post-heal/ping. It's a far cry from Stampeding Wildebeests + Wall Of Blossoms!

Cunning's morph critters, traps, etc. are generally too slow to stem the tide of goblins that Speed can produce. With even a few gobbos on the board, Krenko (tap to double their number) is brutal. And then there are all of the haste cards... And the counter-defying unearth ones... And Act Of Treason... Assuming Cunning does manage to cast Arcanis or a 5/6 flyer, by that point it will likely be in range of a direct damage spell or mass sacrifice to Goblin Bombardment.

In the photo above (my longest battle?), the seven-cost Sphinx Of Uthuun was rendered useless by Frenzied Goblin's blocker-preventing ability, as it and Shambling Remains went for the throat.

I honestly can't recommend this Duel Deck. Not for players or collectors. So let's exile it from memory and move on.

A preview of next month's hopefully rosier card flopping:

Port Macquarie

Spent a week with my oldies in Port Mac, in a time-share apartment bigger and beauter than my abode in Sydney. It had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, two large balconies, two tellies with Foxtel...

This is not a picture of the lounge area -

In fact, that shot of a retro setting incorporating Aboriginal imagery was taken at the regional gallery. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The main reason I wanted to visit P/M - besides Mum and Dad offering to shout transport, accommodation and even grub - was that I hadn't been to the place for 34 years!

Here's what I saw at the cinema and purchased while on vacation there in 1980 -

Truth be told, I fell asleep during "Empire" and was furious with myself. The IG-88 doll was a beloved possession for many years, before being sold in the late '90s, unboxed but with most of its accessories, at a decent profit.

Here's what I saw at the cinema and bought in Port in 2014 -

An interbellum tale of a stage magician attempting to debunk a spiritual medium? I'll put aside my dislike of Woody Allen the man for that.

There was more culture to be had in P/M than just grey thongs and the aforementioned regional gallery. I also checked out the very good local museum, the ho-hum historic courthouse, a fine art gallery, the maritime museum, a weekend market and the Billabong Zoo. The last reminded me of Featherdale Wildlife Park - small, but with a friendly, enthusiastic vibe. Unfortunately, the observatory was only open Wednesday and Sunday nights, neither of which was convenient for us.

B/Z keeper feeding 'roo meat to snow leopard as part of talk -

Each day, I walked around the Hastings River marina or along the endless coastline heading south. The water was surprisingly deep in the creek immediately below. From a distance, Mum and I spotted what looked like a silvery fish. Up close, it was revealed to be a shopping trolley on the creekbed!

"The Hidden Monument" -

When not pounding the road/footpath/anthill-dotted grass/red dirt and keeping my eye on the umpteen magpies in the countless pine trees to avoid being swooped, I also did a satisfying amount of lazing. As well as "The Ultimate Fighter 20", The Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2014 and every NRL final, I watched hours and hours of The History Channel.

Also read these books (a couple for the second time) -

Strangely, given all of the lovely meals we ate and tasty wines/beers we drank, this was my lone "foodie" photograph -

What else to say? I completed the odd word puzzle in the paper. Thanks to two nice ladies at a lookout, I spied migrating whales splashing about. I found a tiny video arcade with an unfamiliar "Transformers" 2P shooter. I was startled on a track by a brushturkey that was equally startled by me. And I decided I could contentedly reside in Port Macquarie as an adult, but would require the Internet to stay sane (insane?).

I'll leave you with some snaps that didn't fit into the narrative -

DVM

While delving in a local cavern, I chanced upon this scrap of parchment. But whatever could it say?