Magic: The Gathering columnist Joe Dyer has spent nearly 900 words worrying about a combo card in Jewel Shops without ever explaining what the deck actually does. The result is a column that reads like a fan’s fever dream about a combo that might be real, mixed with actual tournament data that proves the deck is fine.
Defiler’s Weird Trick
Dyer opens with Chaos Defiler, a five-power creature with trample that Jewel Shops can copy with Phyrexian Metamorph, then turn into a Coveted Jewel with Transmute Artifact, then blow up permanents when it dies. He describes it as “nuts,” “cool,” and “something that’s relatively easy to cast.”
He also notes that Jewel Shops has no trouble making mana of more than one color, which makes casting Defiler easier than it sounds. The trick is that copying Defiler creates multiple copies, each of which dies and blows up permanents. Dyer calls it a “cool inclusion into a deck that doesn’t typically have a lot of innovation into it.”
The problem is that Dyer never explains how the deck actually plays the card. He describes the combo pieces but never shows how they fit together in a game. The reader is left to wonder whether this is a real strategy or just a hypothetical.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Dyer’s weekly MTGO recap covers 147 decklist entries across three Vintage events. Initiative led with 23 copies, followed by Lurrus PO at 15 and Raker Shops at 13.
Raker Shops performed best at a 61.3% non-mirror win rate. Dyer calls it “still one of the best decks in Vintage, and it’s not even close.” He adds a warning: “Another four-of possible that breaks this deck is just a possibility away.”
Dyer also notes that Wizards’ new vetting of cards for older formats “inevitably is going to slip through” something. The concern is that the format could slip through a card that breaks Raker Shops.
The other decks didn’t fare well. Dredge, Jewel, and Oath all showed up at 11 copies each, with Dredge managing a 48.39% non-mirror win rate. Dyer frames this as normal metagame fluctuation, not a sign of weakness.
The Challenge Data
The primary Challenge covered was the 9/13 event with 53 players. Initiative was the most played deck, but its win rate wasn’t great despite a single Top 8. Raker Shops and Dimir Lurrus did well, while Jewel Shops suffered.
The Top 8 included Lurrus PO, Dimir Lurrus, and Azorius Control. Dyer praises the Lurrus list for Seal of Removal and Mystical Dispute. The Azorius list drew attention for four maindeck Clarion Conqueror and Roiling Dragonstorm.
Dyer’s column is built on the assumption that readers know what Jewel Shops is. He references the deck throughout without explaining it. The closest he comes is a single paragraph about Defiler’s mechanics.
A Deck That Doesn’t Explain Itself
Dyer’s column is a strange mix of confidence and confusion. He is concerned about Defiler, but he spends the entire column describing a single card without showing how it fits into the deck’s actual game plan. The reader is left with a puzzle: what does Jewel Shops actually do?
The column is entertaining in its enthusiasm, but it is also frustrating. Dyer is clearly excited about the deck, but he hasn’t done the work of explaining it. He has described a combo and worried about it, but he hasn’t shown how it works in practice.
The data contradicts his concerns. Initiative led with a low win rate and Jewel Shops suffered, while Dyer calls Raker Shops a strong contender. His warnings about Defiler remain unexplained, and the column’s repeated alarms about a deck it barely describes feel hollow.
Dyer’s column is a reminder that enthusiasm is not the same as analysis. He is passionate about Vintage, but passion alone does not make an argument.
The Schedule
| Event | Players |
|---|---|
| 9/13 Challenge | 53 |
Around the Web
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- FiretruckModo is SQUEEEEEEEING. Check it out here.
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