Mana Flare 🍁
@manaflare-mtg.bsky.social
Middle-aged. Father. Gamer. Avid reader of scifi. Ultimate frisbee.
Mostly here to talk about Magic the Gathering limited. May veer in other games and/or book occasionally.
#MTGLimited #MagicTheGathering #SteamDeck #Books #scifi
Mostly here to talk about Magic the Gathering limited. May veer in other games and/or book occasionally.
#MTGLimited #MagicTheGathering #SteamDeck #Books #scifi
Chickadee enjoying the feeder.
With the colder weather here I don't get many unique species visiting as during the summer months, but still love it all the same.
#birds 🪶
With the colder weather here I don't get many unique species visiting as during the summer months, but still love it all the same.
#birds 🪶
November 22, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Chickadee enjoying the feeder.
With the colder weather here I don't get many unique species visiting as during the summer months, but still love it all the same.
#birds 🪶
With the colder weather here I don't get many unique species visiting as during the summer months, but still love it all the same.
#birds 🪶
This deck will always be a trophy deck in my heart.
5-0 into (1) an opponent who was hellbent and practically dead who then drew their two copies of United Front two turns in a row, (2) stuck on 3 lands, (3) stuck on 4 lands.
Deck was a powerhouse though. Obsessive Pursuit on T2 was usually GG.
5-0 into (1) an opponent who was hellbent and practically dead who then drew their two copies of United Front two turns in a row, (2) stuck on 3 lands, (3) stuck on 4 lands.
Deck was a powerhouse though. Obsessive Pursuit on T2 was usually GG.
November 21, 2025 at 3:28 AM
This deck will always be a trophy deck in my heart.
5-0 into (1) an opponent who was hellbent and practically dead who then drew their two copies of United Front two turns in a row, (2) stuck on 3 lands, (3) stuck on 4 lands.
Deck was a powerhouse though. Obsessive Pursuit on T2 was usually GG.
5-0 into (1) an opponent who was hellbent and practically dead who then drew their two copies of United Front two turns in a row, (2) stuck on 3 lands, (3) stuck on 4 lands.
Deck was a powerhouse though. Obsessive Pursuit on T2 was usually GG.
First 🏆 of the format (4th draft) with GW allies beats. The deck was pretty boring to play - draw ally, play ally, turn ally sideways. Lots of built in power, but very few brains required for this one.
#mtglimited #mtg #MTGxAvatar
#mtglimited #mtg #MTGxAvatar
November 21, 2025 at 3:24 AM
First 🏆 of the format (4th draft) with GW allies beats. The deck was pretty boring to play - draw ally, play ally, turn ally sideways. Lots of built in power, but very few brains required for this one.
#mtglimited #mtg #MTGxAvatar
#mtglimited #mtg #MTGxAvatar
A few more.....
November 20, 2025 at 5:32 PM
A few more.....
There was heavy fog in #Ottawa last night which combined with the chilly temperatures to produce absolutely gorgeous frost spikes covering everything.
#winter #photography #nature
#winter #photography #nature
November 20, 2025 at 5:30 PM
There was heavy fog in #Ottawa last night which combined with the chilly temperatures to produce absolutely gorgeous frost spikes covering everything.
#winter #photography #nature
#winter #photography #nature
And finally we have an iconic banger in Man-o'-War.
This little guy has spawned 73 copycat creatures through MTG's history - which has to be some sort of record.
I can't imagine NOT having the jellyfish in this Cube - it's just too memorable.
(4/4)
This little guy has spawned 73 copycat creatures through MTG's history - which has to be some sort of record.
I can't imagine NOT having the jellyfish in this Cube - it's just too memorable.
(4/4)
November 17, 2025 at 6:44 PM
And finally we have an iconic banger in Man-o'-War.
This little guy has spawned 73 copycat creatures through MTG's history - which has to be some sort of record.
I can't imagine NOT having the jellyfish in this Cube - it's just too memorable.
(4/4)
This little guy has spawned 73 copycat creatures through MTG's history - which has to be some sort of record.
I can't imagine NOT having the jellyfish in this Cube - it's just too memorable.
(4/4)
As a lover of grindy attrition decks, I love this design. Paying life instead of mana to recur the Brood is really powerful.
The level 1 use for the card is an infinite chump blocker, but it's really in here for decks that want to sacrifice resources for incremental advantage.
(3/4)
The level 1 use for the card is an infinite chump blocker, but it's really in here for decks that want to sacrifice resources for incremental advantage.
(3/4)
November 17, 2025 at 6:44 PM
As a lover of grindy attrition decks, I love this design. Paying life instead of mana to recur the Brood is really powerful.
The level 1 use for the card is an infinite chump blocker, but it's really in here for decks that want to sacrifice resources for incremental advantage.
(3/4)
The level 1 use for the card is an infinite chump blocker, but it's really in here for decks that want to sacrifice resources for incremental advantage.
(3/4)
Impulse is a great spell. Full stop.
The ability to dig 4 cards deep makes it a versatile tools to find whatever the situation calls for at a reasonable cost.
Instant speed means that it pairs naturally with interactive cards like Counterspell, giving you something to do regardless.
(2/4)
The ability to dig 4 cards deep makes it a versatile tools to find whatever the situation calls for at a reasonable cost.
Instant speed means that it pairs naturally with interactive cards like Counterspell, giving you something to do regardless.
(2/4)
November 17, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Impulse is a great spell. Full stop.
The ability to dig 4 cards deep makes it a versatile tools to find whatever the situation calls for at a reasonable cost.
Instant speed means that it pairs naturally with interactive cards like Counterspell, giving you something to do regardless.
(2/4)
The ability to dig 4 cards deep makes it a versatile tools to find whatever the situation calls for at a reasonable cost.
Instant speed means that it pairs naturally with interactive cards like Counterspell, giving you something to do regardless.
(2/4)
The Archive - VIS (1997)
I missed Visions by a couple of years - Ice Age was my last set before a 20 year break - and flipping through the card file it truly feels like classic Magic.
Here are the three inclusions in The Archive.
#mtg #mtgcube
Full cube: cubecobra.com/cube/overvie...
(1/4)
I missed Visions by a couple of years - Ice Age was my last set before a 20 year break - and flipping through the card file it truly feels like classic Magic.
Here are the three inclusions in The Archive.
#mtg #mtgcube
Full cube: cubecobra.com/cube/overvie...
(1/4)
November 17, 2025 at 6:44 PM
The Archive - VIS (1997)
I missed Visions by a couple of years - Ice Age was my last set before a 20 year break - and flipping through the card file it truly feels like classic Magic.
Here are the three inclusions in The Archive.
#mtg #mtgcube
Full cube: cubecobra.com/cube/overvie...
(1/4)
I missed Visions by a couple of years - Ice Age was my last set before a 20 year break - and flipping through the card file it truly feels like classic Magic.
Here are the three inclusions in The Archive.
#mtg #mtgcube
Full cube: cubecobra.com/cube/overvie...
(1/4)
Heading back from a business trip to Auckland, and managed to jam in some light cellphone #birding on the side.
Identification in the alt text.
I also saw plenty of others, including my personal fav, the Tui, but they were all less cooperative photo subjects.
Identification in the alt text.
I also saw plenty of others, including my personal fav, the Tui, but they were all less cooperative photo subjects.
November 15, 2025 at 5:37 AM
Heading back from a business trip to Auckland, and managed to jam in some light cellphone #birding on the side.
Identification in the alt text.
I also saw plenty of others, including my personal fav, the Tui, but they were all less cooperative photo subjects.
Identification in the alt text.
I also saw plenty of others, including my personal fav, the Tui, but they were all less cooperative photo subjects.
The Blighted Stars (9/10)
A great start to a fairly innovative #scifi series, albeit with shades of The Last of Us laced through it.
A mix of politics, drama and action - this book hooked me early and had me staying up far too late to keep reading.
Loved the "disposable humans" aspects.
🪐📚💙
A great start to a fairly innovative #scifi series, albeit with shades of The Last of Us laced through it.
A mix of politics, drama and action - this book hooked me early and had me staying up far too late to keep reading.
Loved the "disposable humans" aspects.
🪐📚💙
November 14, 2025 at 8:01 AM
The Blighted Stars (9/10)
A great start to a fairly innovative #scifi series, albeit with shades of The Last of Us laced through it.
A mix of politics, drama and action - this book hooked me early and had me staying up far too late to keep reading.
Loved the "disposable humans" aspects.
🪐📚💙
A great start to a fairly innovative #scifi series, albeit with shades of The Last of Us laced through it.
A mix of politics, drama and action - this book hooked me early and had me staying up far too late to keep reading.
Loved the "disposable humans" aspects.
🪐📚💙
0-2 into 7-2 with this blue control combo deck where I never once combo'd off.
Really resilient deck that could deal with a lot of busted nonsense from my opponents.
Hotel room drafting the Powered Cube has kept me sane w/o my SteamDeck.
Really resilient deck that could deal with a lot of busted nonsense from my opponents.
Hotel room drafting the Powered Cube has kept me sane w/o my SteamDeck.
November 10, 2025 at 5:20 AM
0-2 into 7-2 with this blue control combo deck where I never once combo'd off.
Really resilient deck that could deal with a lot of busted nonsense from my opponents.
Hotel room drafting the Powered Cube has kept me sane w/o my SteamDeck.
Really resilient deck that could deal with a lot of busted nonsense from my opponents.
Hotel room drafting the Powered Cube has kept me sane w/o my SteamDeck.
This is a perfectly normal start to turn 3 in a game of Magic the Gathering, right?
November 6, 2025 at 2:28 AM
This is a perfectly normal start to turn 3 in a game of Magic the Gathering, right?
I'm not a big YA fan, but I couldn't resist the premise of Skipshock - multiple connected worlds each with different lengths of the day, which in turn impact how people age/experience the world.
The characters are loveable, plot is B+ and I'll be in for the sequel when it drops.
#books #scifi 🪐📚
The characters are loveable, plot is B+ and I'll be in for the sequel when it drops.
#books #scifi 🪐📚
November 5, 2025 at 12:52 PM
November 3, 2025 at 12:17 PM
I love seeing new birds when I'm traveling. So of course when my team went to the beach after our ultimate frisbee tourney in Sarasota this weekend I spent time taking photos of birds while they swam.
This baby Royal Tern begging anyone who'd listen for food was just adorable.
#bitds 🪶
This baby Royal Tern begging anyone who'd listen for food was just adorable.
#bitds 🪶
November 3, 2025 at 12:14 PM
I love seeing new birds when I'm traveling. So of course when my team went to the beach after our ultimate frisbee tourney in Sarasota this weekend I spent time taking photos of birds while they swam.
This baby Royal Tern begging anyone who'd listen for food was just adorable.
#bitds 🪶
This baby Royal Tern begging anyone who'd listen for food was just adorable.
#bitds 🪶
Mailbag! These beauties had to travel all the way across the country (during a postal strike!) to make their way into The Archive.
Really excited to draft this again - my cube is tentatively on the rotation for early December.
#mtgcube
Really excited to draft this again - my cube is tentatively on the rotation for early December.
#mtgcube
October 30, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Mailbag! These beauties had to travel all the way across the country (during a postal strike!) to make their way into The Archive.
Really excited to draft this again - my cube is tentatively on the rotation for early December.
#mtgcube
Really excited to draft this again - my cube is tentatively on the rotation for early December.
#mtgcube
I've never had a Dark Eyed Junco on my feeder before - they usually hang out on the ground beneath, picking up the seeds that the other birds drop.
Pretty neat to see this brave little one trying something new.
#birds 🪶
Pretty neat to see this brave little one trying something new.
#birds 🪶
October 29, 2025 at 1:18 AM
I've never had a Dark Eyed Junco on my feeder before - they usually hang out on the ground beneath, picking up the seeds that the other birds drop.
Pretty neat to see this brave little one trying something new.
#birds 🪶
Pretty neat to see this brave little one trying something new.
#birds 🪶
Finally we have Snapcaster Mage - IMO one of the more iconic cards from this set due to its versatility. Snapcaster sees play in a tonne of formats and synergies well with the self mill package that's running around the cube.
Obviously run cheap spells with this guy.
(4/4)
Obviously run cheap spells with this guy.
(4/4)
October 27, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Finally we have Snapcaster Mage - IMO one of the more iconic cards from this set due to its versatility. Snapcaster sees play in a tonne of formats and synergies well with the self mill package that's running around the cube.
Obviously run cheap spells with this guy.
(4/4)
Obviously run cheap spells with this guy.
(4/4)
I love alt wincons in Magic and there was no way I way building this cube without a few of them. Laboratory Maniac is the type of card that f you see in the first few picks you can lean into.
I'm tempted to add Thassa's Oracle for redundancy.
(3/4)
I'm tempted to add Thassa's Oracle for redundancy.
(3/4)
October 27, 2025 at 12:15 AM
I love alt wincons in Magic and there was no way I way building this cube without a few of them. Laboratory Maniac is the type of card that f you see in the first few picks you can lean into.
I'm tempted to add Thassa's Oracle for redundancy.
(3/4)
I'm tempted to add Thassa's Oracle for redundancy.
(3/4)
Mindshrieker is a great little threat with some synergies that work with the significant graveyard theme.
It dies to a stiff breeze a lot the time, but left unchecked can end games - all while gradually stocking your yard for whatever shenanigans you might have planned.
(2/4)
It dies to a stiff breeze a lot the time, but left unchecked can end games - all while gradually stocking your yard for whatever shenanigans you might have planned.
(2/4)
October 27, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Mindshrieker is a great little threat with some synergies that work with the significant graveyard theme.
It dies to a stiff breeze a lot the time, but left unchecked can end games - all while gradually stocking your yard for whatever shenanigans you might have planned.
(2/4)
It dies to a stiff breeze a lot the time, but left unchecked can end games - all while gradually stocking your yard for whatever shenanigans you might have planned.
(2/4)
The Archive - ISD (2011)
Innistrad is an iconic set filled with gothic horror themes, and yet for some reason it doesn't really show up that way in my cube.... it fact, I've chose three fiddley blue cards as the includes.
#mtg #mtgcube
Full cube: cubecobra.com/cube/overvie...
(1/4)
Innistrad is an iconic set filled with gothic horror themes, and yet for some reason it doesn't really show up that way in my cube.... it fact, I've chose three fiddley blue cards as the includes.
#mtg #mtgcube
Full cube: cubecobra.com/cube/overvie...
(1/4)
October 27, 2025 at 12:15 AM
The Archive - ISD (2011)
Innistrad is an iconic set filled with gothic horror themes, and yet for some reason it doesn't really show up that way in my cube.... it fact, I've chose three fiddley blue cards as the includes.
#mtg #mtgcube
Full cube: cubecobra.com/cube/overvie...
(1/4)
Innistrad is an iconic set filled with gothic horror themes, and yet for some reason it doesn't really show up that way in my cube.... it fact, I've chose three fiddley blue cards as the includes.
#mtg #mtgcube
Full cube: cubecobra.com/cube/overvie...
(1/4)
Picked up a small order of singles from an LGS I'd never visited before.
All of these are bound for my cube (The Archive). I search for the correct printing for cards I include, which forces me to hunt around. Also aimimg for as low a quality grade as possible so they feel played.
#mtg #mtgcube
All of these are bound for my cube (The Archive). I search for the correct printing for cards I include, which forces me to hunt around. Also aimimg for as low a quality grade as possible so they feel played.
#mtg #mtgcube
October 25, 2025 at 8:08 PM
A friend told me that Dark Souls 2 only started getting truly hard when I started seeing a lot of fire. I think I just got there last night... welcome to Iron Keep.
I took down the Smelter Demon without much issue, but I'm sure it's only just begun.
#steamdeck #gaming #darksouls
I took down the Smelter Demon without much issue, but I'm sure it's only just begun.
#steamdeck #gaming #darksouls
October 25, 2025 at 12:14 PM
A friend told me that Dark Souls 2 only started getting truly hard when I started seeing a lot of fire. I think I just got there last night... welcome to Iron Keep.
I took down the Smelter Demon without much issue, but I'm sure it's only just begun.
#steamdeck #gaming #darksouls
I took down the Smelter Demon without much issue, but I'm sure it's only just begun.
#steamdeck #gaming #darksouls