conclave [kahn-kleyv]
noun
1. A private or secret meeting.
2. An assembly or gathering, especially one that has special authority, power, or influence.
3. The assembly or meeting of the cardinals for the election of a pope.
4. The body of cardinals; the College of Cardinals.
5. The place in which the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church meet in private for the election of a pope.
EX. Alrighty, so today I am talking to a pretty particular audience about a very niche subject, even amongst my readers; Magic the Gathering, specifically Return to Ravnica, a new set that comes out later this week. This weekend, the 29th and 30th, is the prelease for the set. I am actually going to an event on the 30th and am writing this article as a kind of self-primer for the event. The purpose of the primer is to explain my choice of guild affiliation for the event, The Selesnya Conclave.
Let's start by looking at Selesnya's charm, both figuratively and literally, to understand why anyone would pick this guild over the other four choices for the pre-release. Selesnya is going to have some of the best creature options and support, through buffs and mana support to get them on the field. Combined with the new mechanic, which I'll explain in the next paragraph, and you'll see how Selesnya is going to have the ability to overwhelm your foe with monsters (a satisfying experience). It is only bested by Azorius in its abilities to control and pacify threats after the fact (blue being expert at countering and white expert at removal) that will allow you to stall long enough to get some big creatures on the battlefield.
The other appeal is that the Selesnya mechanic has a lot of potential; populate is going to afford you a lot of creature support and it is attached to and supported by a lot of cards. Initially, I was concerned the mechanic might not get the necessary tools but, the set proved to have what ya need to make it happen.
The biggest reason I went with this guild is that Green and White are my favorite color combo in magic; the first decks I ever built were green and white. I like big creatures, control, auras, etc. And Selesnya definitely brings that in force. I made a white-green angel deck at Avacyn Restored's pre-release, to great effect, and I'm hoping that this will be even more successful. I like to experience by playing against type, but sometimes you've got to indulge youself.
And I think the other reason I like Selesyna is the flavor; I like life, order, altruism, etc. I like having pride in oneself and in one's community. I like the aesthetic of nature mixed with the white marble of the cityscapes that Selesnya inhabits in Ravnica. All I got to say is that, as I mentally prepare to duke it out against my foes, "FOR THE CONCLAVE!"
Expect a breakdown of my results as soon as possible.
