<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toph, Earthbending Master" href="#" target="_blank">Toph, Earthbending Master</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=artist%3Aphima" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Phima</a> </em></p>
<h2>Dawn of the Second Week</h2>
<p>Welcome back to this special mini-series! We're going through a box of <em>ATLA</em> <em>Jumpstart</em> packs as our advent calendar of the year. <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/advent-calendar-commander-deck-with-avatar-jumpstart-part-one" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Last week, I explained the rules in detail</a>, while going through the first five packs of our box (plus a few bonus games, and my initial impressions).</p>
<p>This week, we up our booster count to seven. After those, we'll be halfway through our calendar!</p>
<p>I can't wait to dig in, so let's commence!</p>
<h3>Day Six</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Relentless|jtla|26"></div></div>
<p>Not too much to write home about this one. In this pack, we got <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zhao, Ruthless Admiral" href="#" target="_blank">Zhao, Ruthless Admiral</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who serves as a second hybrid black/red legend in the same vein as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zuko, Seeking Honor" href="#" target="_blank">Zuko, Seeking Honor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. That said, the entire hybrid legend cycle put Zhao in the main set (remember, I've been giving big hints about this. More on that in a future article).</p>
<p>Our rare, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fire Nation Occupation" href="#" target="_blank">Fire Nation Occupation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, is a pretty decent card, provided we can keep casting spells on our opponents' turns. Unfortunately, there's a part of me that confuses this with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obsessive Pursuit" href="#" target="_blank">Obsessive Pursuit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for some reason.</p>
<h3>Day Seven</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Toph|jtla|45"></div></div>
<p>Winner winner, chicken dinner.</p>
<p>Our first green pack of the mini-series is an absolute banger. Headlining this pack is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toph, Earthbending Master" href="#" target="_blank">Toph, Earthbending Master</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who's sure to be a powerhouse in earthbending decks. With enough land-based ramp, we could rack up those experience counters very fast. What's more, Toph doesn't need to attack to get her earthbending trigger. So, she could sit tight if she wants to.</p>
<p>But, this is Toph we're talking about. Watch she doesn't sassbend our backsides into an active volcano.</p>
<p>Other cards include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Solid Ground" href="#" target="_blank">Solid Ground</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is essentially yet another <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hardened Scales" href="#" target="_blank">Hardened Scales</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, only except we earthbend when it enters. Note that the land will be affected by the card's effect as well, so it may as well read "earthbend 4." This is great in tandem with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tale of Katara and Toph" href="#" target="_blank">Tale of Katara and Toph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, an already good card on its own.</p>
<p>Lastly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kyoshi Warrior Exemplars" href="#" target="_blank">Kyoshi Warrior Exemplars</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card I'm interested in. I look forward to see how well it performs.</p>
<h3>Day Eight</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bumi|jtla|38"></div></div>
<p>Another green deck? This color must be coming in with a metal chair to even the odds! The rare in this pack, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crystalline Armor" href="#" target="_blank">Crystalline Armor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> looks like a really cool card, and I definitely want to try it out. Moreover, the headliner card, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bumi, King of Three Trials" href="#" target="_blank">Bumi, King of Three Trials</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is bound to do work on entry. We could be looking at a lot of Lesson cards in our graveyard, so reaching three won't be too difficult.</p>
<p>Weirdly, this deck also has a Food subtheme, which I think can work? I'd be curious to find out.</p>
<h3>Day Nine</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fire Nation|jtla|28"></div></div>
<p>This is certainly an interesting pack, where the focus is more thematic than mechanical, but it's got its fair share of neat cards to cover. Firstly, we have a new addition to the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guttersnipe" href="#" target="_blank">Guttersnipe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> family in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Longshot, Rebel Bowman" href="#" target="_blank">Longshot, Rebel Bowman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Guttersnipe.dec, anyone? We now have a commander for it). In addition, both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ty Lee, Artful Acrobat" href="#" target="_blank">Ty Lee, Artful Acrobat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mai, Jaded Edge" href="#" target="_blank">Mai, Jaded Edge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> have interesting abilities, and they might rub off on me in the future.</p>
<p>This time we have two rares instead of one. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Firebending Student" href="#" target="_blank">Firebending Student</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a neat card that gets stronger the more noncreature spells we cast. That, in turn, also empowers her firebending ability.</p>
<p>What would be a good payoff for all those spells? Why, the other rare, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm of Memories" href="#" target="_blank">Storm of Memories</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will do! As long as we have a graveyard full of potential targets, this could go wild.</p>
<h3>Day Ten</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alliance|jtla|3"></div></div>
<p>About time we pull <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Suki, Kyoshi Warrior" href="#" target="_blank">Suki, Kyoshi Warrior</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! I said last week that she would be the better choice to lead a green/white deck, and now we have her. In addition, this variant gave me both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jet, Freedom Fighter" href="#" target="_blank">Jet, Freedom Fighter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sokka, Lateral Strategist" href="#" target="_blank">Sokka, Lateral Strategist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, bringing my hybrid legend count to eight. I'm only missing Dimir and Simic at this point.</p>
<p>Our rare from this pack, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="South Pole Voyager" href="#" target="_blank">South Pole Voyager</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> reminds me a lot of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rumor Gatherer" href="#" target="_blank">Rumor Gatherer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and is certain to put in some great work in a dedicated Allies deck.</p>
<p>One card that I've been feeling decidedly mild on is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Duke, Rebel Sentry" href="#" target="_blank">The Duke, Rebel Sentry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. He's good at protecting our key pieces, but the trick is to give him some counters so he can do that. Outside of <em>ATLA</em>, it's a cakewalk. Otherwise, I'm hard-pressed to find ways of adding counters.</p>
<h3>Day Eleven</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Earth Rumble|jtla|41"></div></div>
<p>The Boulder is pleased with this pack!</p>
<p>Speaking of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Boulder, Ready to Rumble" href="#" target="_blank">The Boulder, Ready to Rumble</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, his card plays nicely in what green in this set is trying to do: either earthbend, or do Gruul things with beefy creatures. Absolutely bovine! Also, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Earth Rumble" href="#" target="_blank">Earth Rumble</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is not a bad removal spell, if we can control a creature big enough and have it survive.</p>
<p>The rare in this pack, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Master&#039;s Guidance" href="#" target="_blank">Master&#039;s Guidance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, is reminiscent of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Colossal Majesty" href="#" target="_blank">Colossal Majesty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The exceptions being that this happens on end step on top of being an enabler. Power creep is real, yo. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toph, the Blind Bandit" href="#" target="_blank">Toph, the Blind Bandit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will get big for each counter we have on lands. So, keep earthbending, Twinkle Toes!</p>
<h3>Day Twelve</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Librarian|jtla|14"></div></div>
<p>Just when I was beginning to panic about blue not getting enough themes, it comes raring back with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wan Shi Tong, All-Knowing" href="#" target="_blank">Wan Shi Tong, All-Knowing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in tow. He represents a deckbuilding challenge, namely to tuck cards into libraries, then swarm the board. Fortunately, there's a few cards that help enable him, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Accumulate Wisdom" href="#" target="_blank">Accumulate Wisdom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and the conveniently reprinted <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brainstorm|tle|155" href="#" target="_blank">Brainstorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>The contents are like a blueprint to build our own Wan Shi Tong deck (and I mean this one, not the other one from the main set). If we were looking to build that, this is where I'd begin.</p>
<p>With seven packs down, this'll mean a longer than usual review section. Buckle up.</p>
<h3>A Second Review</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seasonal Sequels"></div></div>
<p>Speaking of reviews, what a week this was! We hit our first two mythic rare variants with Toph and Librarian. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toph, Earthbending Master" href="#" target="_blank">Toph, Earthbending Master</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> herself is going for quite a hefty price tag on the secondary market, and is sure to make waves in decks where lands are a critical part of the game plan.</p>
<p>Green, this time, has made quite a comeback. That said, this came at the cost of blue beginning to look woefully underrepresented. The Librarian theme is nice, but we could do with more blue here to balance things out. Having eight out of ten of the hybrid legends is nice as well, but I wonder if we'll pull the other two colors.</p>
<p>Looking over the deck lists, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guru Pathik" href="#" target="_blank">Guru Pathik</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the rarest, appearing in only two themes (a variant of Learning, and Shrines).</p>
<h3>Two Down, One to Go</h3>
<p>This week marks the halfway point through not just our box, but of our mini-series as well. With one more week of pack opening, will blue stage a comeback, or will my hopes be in vain (coming from a non-blue player, that's saying something)?</p>
<p>What other big pulls will we find? Will we even get to finish the hybrid legend cycle once and for all? We'll have our answers next week, so stay tuned.</p>


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