That’s why if you’re running an energy deck you should use Aether Hub instead of converting gems. It’ll give +3 to any match once you got that level of saturation. Much better than converting and hoping they align so you can match your colors.
I actually have been using Aether Hub, and yes it helps, but after a while, if you haven’t matched enough energized gems, you run out of potential matches. And guess which matches are left? The normal gems with no energy left.
My most successful energy deck has been a Garruk delirium deck with aether hub, decoction module, and his creature tokens. It creates enough energy to get good mana gains, but not too many that it chokes you out of potential matches.
Clearing out too many energized gems is actually a good thing sometimes, for this reason.
I must be missing something but if you’re only Energizing gems and not doing any gem conversion, there’s no difference in the board state from a normal board. Which means Energizing gems does not ‘choke you out of potential matches’ like you’re saying.
So if you only rely on Aether Hub and say other non-gem converting ramp supports like Drownyard Temple or Shrine of the Forsaken Gods, Energizing gems shouldn’t be a bad thing beyond the risk of the AI matching them first.
Well yeah that’s what I do to counteract what happens with energized gems. Energy works against gem converters because energized gems don’t convert. Part of why gem converters work is because they make potential matches. Notice how much less match-4’s and match-5’s you will have when you have an energized board. That’s what I mean by “choking yourself out.” I realized that the way we are all used to getting mana has been by using gem converters to make more matches , for the most part. So you have to make it up by adding “auto-mana-givers” like shrine and drownyard if you rely too heavily on aether hub.
Servant of the Conduit will help out too. I find I tend not to run out of energy in decks that I’ve built for it, a boosted up Empyreal Voyager does wonders too. I’ll admit, though, that energy is something you pretty much have to all all-in with else it doesn’t work.
Planeswalkers have always come with packs, runes, and crystals. Probably it’s to help you build up the walker and have cards in case your collection isn’t great.
Though $30 for all except Chandra is still good even if you didn’t want her before.
Chiming in, here, I honestly want to compare Liliana, The Last Hope with this new Chandra and I really see the new Chandra as anti-climactic comparatively.
Whereas Liliana “out of the box” seemed much more useful and entertaining, albeit with a focused type of creature, as already stated, above, the new Chandra seems very lack-luster and requiring some even more particular cards I already had enough trouble making the first Chandra work for me (and as a result, I don’t use her except for special goal-oriented ribbon/points) without that sort of limitation.
Dovin Baan even is more accessible with his energized abilities and I’ve had fun with him, off and on.
So, I have a feeling there WILL be some changes, and I look forward to them, but for now that’s why I don’t see myself picking her up.
That being said I have yet to see Saheeli offered to the general public - only the two challenges that you had to be top ten to win - so I’m saving up for her eventual (?) arrival, meanwhile.
trouble getting the first chandra working for you? get lightning axe and inner stuggle and half the game is won for you just use her abilities to keep the board clear, volcanic rambler is a huge plus and cheap. just remeber your not always trying to cast creatures first charge up spells to whack theirs then creatures