We've given Wizards a lot of flack for the execution of some of their more recent side-product releases.  Between increasingly lame Intro Packs, all but unattainable From the Vault sets, and overpriced All-Foil packs, Wizards seems to be flailing a bit when it comes to their extra-curricular ventures.  One formula that does seem to be working for them is that of the Duel Decks.  Jace vs. Chandra kicked things into high gear with a $20 steal of a deal. Divine vs. Demonic, Garruk vs. Liliana and even Phyrexia vs. the Coalition were all great buys as well.  Cards from all of these sets still make their way into my real, everyday decks even months later.  So when word came that the next Duel Deck set would feature two of the most coveted plansewalkers in the game, my arms slowly drifted skyward in a triumphant double-fist-pump.  After recuperating from that little display of joy, I settled down and started to imagine just what this little set could contain.

I'm no Kelly Reid but even I know a good deal when I see one.  Like every duel deck set, EvT will only cost you twenty bucks.  Elspeth, Knight Errant is selling for a whopping $40+ right now while Tezzeret, the Seeker is hovering somewhere around $10.  These prices will surely go down if and when these particular walkers rotate out of standard but I'm almost positive they'll stay relevant in extended for years to come.  We' don't really know what happens to a planeswalker's value post-rotation because it's never actually happened.  Every planeswalker card that has ever been printed is legal right now and has been since it was printed.  There is no precedent for this situation, monetarily speaking.  Either way, I doubt Elspeth will ever be worth much less than ten dollars and Tezzy will probably settle in just under that mark as well.  Worst case scenario you're looking at two foil, special edition planeswalker chase cards that will surely hold on to at least twenty dollars of value indefinitely; standard legal or not.

But what about the other 118 cards?  I think it's safe to assume that Elspeth will be rolling an all white deck.  Elspeth's flavor and abilities point to some kind of soldier build.  Look for rare captains to lead the way such as Field Marshal, Captain of the Watch and even a curve-ball like Darien, King of Kjeldor.  You'll need support for your army from cards like Mobilization, Brave the Elements, Safe Passage and Martial Coup.   Wizard's likes to keep these decks on-flavor and on-theme.  I still see white-weenie builds all over MTGO so this soldier deck will be a welcome addition to many collections.

Tezzeret's deck is obviously going to revolve around Artifice.  This could mean any number of things from Affinity to Artifact Mana-Ramp to simply an artifact themed creature deck.  I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that Tezzy's blue deck is going to splash black.  It would give Tezzeret that evil edge that clearly separates him from the likes of other blue wizards such as Jace Beleren in Agents of Artifice.  Cards like Time Sieve, Countersquall and even Thopter Foundry could make their way into this deck.  Instead of heavy blue counterspells and bounces I'd be on the lookout for artifact specific blue spells such as March of the Machines, Master of Etherium, and Etherium Astrolabe.  Academy Ruins and Mind Stone would tie in nicely as well.  Tezzeret, the Seeker is an Artifact lover's best friend.

Okay, so you're convinced.  Sure, these decks are going to rock your socks off, but does the release of these two walkers in a side-product give us any clue as to who will show up in M11?   Speculation runs wild about which planeswalkers will planeswalk their way to M11's Dominaria this summer.  This set, featuring not one but two potential candidates, surely throws a wrench into any conventional M11 predictions.  I, for one, still hope to see Elspeth, Knight Errant reprinted in M11.  She is surely the most effective, most loved and most attractive white planeswalker of the three possible candidates.  But would they really keep her in standard by reprinting her in Magic 2011 and put her in a Duel Deck to be released around the same time?   This would bring her price down to more reasonable levels but this isn't something Wizards has done in the past.  Or is this only because, as we said earlier, that there is no real precedent for "Planeswalker Rotation"?

Tezzeret, on the other hand is almost certainly going to make an appearance in either M11 or Scars of Mirrodin.  He is on the cover of the newest Planeswalker Novel and it would be incomprehensibly awkward to bench him while other planeswalkers visit the Artifact plane this Fall.  If you haven't read Agents of Artifice *Spoiler Alert!* it ends with Tezzeret getting his mind wiped by Jace and Nicol Bolas saving him from certain death to be used as his own faithful servant.  Mark my words- He is going to be reprinted in some form this year.  Does this set give us any indication of when or in what form?  Not really.  If anything it only adds to the mystery.

Duel Decks work well on so many levels.  Instead of a $13 intro pack with two (probably) lame rares and a booster pack, you're getting two mythic planeswalkers, limited edition foils, at least six rares and not one but two theme decks for seven more dollars.  If a new player asked me what they should purchase to jump-start their deck construction I would almost certainly recommend a Duel Deck even over the Deckbuilder's Toolkit.  I'd rather the new player have some cards that aren't just for beginners but cards that everyone will respect when they hit the table.  Looking back, my Jace vs. Chandra purchase was one of the best investments I made when I first started building serious (and seriously fun!) decks.

The day after the release of a new set I usually check out CoolStuff inc because they're often first with pre-orders.  To our delight, the set was available for $17.99 the morning after this announcement was made.  We tried to pick up a few copies for our play-group but were only able to acquire two as they had sold out in seconds!  Ten minutes later, CSI had them available again but for $34.99 this time.    This set is going to sell like magical hot-cakes so be sure to reserve your copy for a reasonable price as soon as you can!

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Pro Tour San Juan is in full swing and reporters from around the web got shots of the Magic 2011 preview card found in the Archenemy decks!  Take a look at our M11 Spoiler Page for all the latest or follow us on twitter and facebook!