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: