Tag: Board Games & Card Games

If you’re a fan of Board Games & Card Games, this is the place where you will find all the Thumb Culture news and reviews of the OG games.

10 Premium MTG Commander Upgrades to Give This Christmas
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10 Premium MTG Commander Upgrades to Give This Christmas

If you're looking for a last-minute Christmas gift for a friend or loved one who plays Magic: The Gathering, I've got a list for you. In the last piece, we talked about budget upgrades for Commander decks. Here, I'll be going over some not-so-budget upgrades for your Commander bestie. Let's dig right in! Flashy, Full-Art, Foils Commander players simply love to bling out their favorite decks. We know this to be true because of the secondary market on websites such as tcgplayer and cardmarket, where the price difference between foils and non-foils is substantial. The rarer the card, the prettier the art, the flashier the foiling shines, the more players and collectors are willing to pay for it. A prime example of this is the recent Final Fantasy set. Now, without further ado, I give you...
10 Budget MTG Commander Upgrades to Give This Christmas
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10 Budget MTG Commander Upgrades to Give This Christmas

In the last decade or so, the Commander format has completely taken over Magic: The Gathering. It has, without a doubt, become the most popular format among players, new and old. It is therefore safe to assume that your MTG-playing friend, whom you want to gift some Magic stuff this Christmas, plays Commander. Budget All-Stars Your MTG Friend Will Love This list is meant for those who want to buy Magic: The Gathering cards for their friend or loved one but haven't got a clue. You could always just ask them which format they play, but that would risk ruining the surprise. If you don't know where to buy singles from, look for trade card gaming shops or comic book shops near you. Chances are, they have some of this stuff. If you really can't shop locally, or it's too time-consuming, then...
5 Budget MTG Commander Precons To Give Away This Christmas
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5 Budget MTG Commander Precons To Give Away This Christmas

Over the last decade or so, Magic: The Gathering has released a plethora of preconstructed commander decks. Once an occasional release, these fully constructed and ready-out-of-the-box decks have become expected by-products of every new set. These "precons", as they are known among MTG players, are a great Christmas gift for your trade card gaming addicted friend or for yourself. But which one should you choose from the hundreds of preconstructed commander decks that have come out over the years? Fear not, this short list is here to help. Let's delve in. Draw, Untap, Unleash Hell This list is intended for people who want to get their special one a great (and somewhat within budget) Christmas gift, but are completely clueless about Magic: The Gathering. Commander decks are made of 100 ...
Vivi Gets The Ban Hammer in MTG Standard
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Vivi Gets The Ban Hammer in MTG Standard

Wizards of the Coast announced new cards to be added to the ban list of several formats today. Most anticipated were the bans of Vivi Ornitier, Screaming Nemesis, and Proft's Eidetic Memory from Standard. For the last few months, Izzet Cauldron has been bending the Standard format to its image. After its omnipresence in most major Standard tournaments, it became clear that the Izzet Cauldron deck had to go for the sake of the meta. It is simply too fast, too powerful, and most importantly, too many people play it, hence warping the entire format around it. Izzet Cauldron Takes Over Standard Meta Instead of an emergency ban, as they used to call them, Wizards of the Coast moved up their ban schedule from November 24th to Monday, November 10th. This announcement was made shortly after the ...
Dicealot – PC Review
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Dicealot – PC Review

There’s something about dice in video games that always gets my heart rolling. Maybe it’s the nostalgia of tabletop games, maybe it’s the thrill of chance, or maybe it’s just that sound when a perfect roll hits the table and you know fortune’s finally decided to stop mocking you. Whatever it is, Dicealot out now on Steam by Goodview Games, published by Yogscast Games, leans all in on that satisfying roll. Dicealot a lot of dice, a lot of rolls It’s genuinely great seeing Yogscast continue their support for quirky indie gems. They’ve built a bridge between creators and gamers that feels refreshingly genuine, and Dicealot fits that ethos perfectly. With a charming, risk-filled romp through Camelot where luck, logic, and laughter all share the same pint. Tell us in the comments below which ...
The State of Magic: The Gathering
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The State of Magic: The Gathering

Wizards of the Coast may finally have found out when it is just too much. Overwhelmed fans and viewers were left mouth-opened when Blake Rasmussen, Mark Rosewater, Gavin Verhey, and company took the stage at MagicCon in Atlanta and shared a series of new products and announcements. The Magic: The Gathering community has now had some days to digest the information, and many content creators have come out with statements of their own. Let's dig in, shall we? Good News First What were the announcements made during MagicCon Atlanta? Let's start from the top, in January 2026, Magic players will at long last revisit the enchanting plane of Lorwyn. A beautiful, lush, and vibrant world full of Magic's very own IP. Kithkins, hybrid mana, the evoke mechanic, and many other things that made this fa...
LotR Over Hill And Under Hill Roleplaying Game – Review
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LotR Over Hill And Under Hill Roleplaying Game – Review

The Lord of the Rings role-playing game Over Hill and Under Hill, created by the Swedish tabletop gaming company Free League, is a story-driven cooperative game inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's world. The game is a fun mix of role-playing, narrative choices, and dice mechanics. The starter set, Over Hill and Under Hill, which we played, was released in July 2025. An Unexpected Journey into Middle-earth's Roleplay The starter set contains everything a group of new players needs to kick things off, from a rule book to cards of preset characters, a map, different types of dice, and a story book for the Game Master. The game is designed to help players new to the genre get started without requiring extensive prior preparation. Nonetheless, as a casual player myself, I must say that without the h...
Magic: The Gathering Spoiler Season Never Ends
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Magic: The Gathering Spoiler Season Never Ends

Magic: The Gathering will start the official spoiler season for Edge of Eternities on July 8th, according to Mark Rosewater's Tumblr account, Blogatog. Barely three weeks apart from the release of the Standard legal Final Fantasy set. Oh, and just last week, they also announced another Secret Lair, this time casting Sonic the Hedgehog and friends. It almost feels like there is no time for fans, players, and collectors to just breathe and enjoy a new product before a new one is already announced, and another is close to launching. Back To Canon Lore Three weeks after its release, it is safe to say Final Fantasy was a tremendous success for Wizards of the Coast. Even among the most sceptical fans, such as myself, it is undeniable that this Universes Beyond crossover was a total hit. The em...
Wizards of the Coast Bring Out The Ban Hammer
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Wizards of the Coast Bring Out The Ban Hammer

On June 30th, Wizards of the Coast (WotC) announced its updated ban list for all formats of Magic: The Gathering. Interestingly, only the Standard format was struck by the ban hammer. Seven times! Seven cards currently legal in Standard have been banned, effective immediately. While bans in Standard aren't unusual, seven at once is a rather rare occurrence. WotC is sending a clear message that what happened at Pro Tour Las Vegas can't happen again. Furthermore, no updates were made to Modern, Legacy, Pauper, Brawl, Vintage, or Pioneer. Further, giving the impression that Wizards is laser-focused on fixing and balancing Standard. What Went Wrong at Pro Tour Final Fantasy? Izzet Prowress took the Pro Tour by storm, pun intended. In the words of Magic: The Gathering Hall of Famer Reid Du...
Final Fantasy Is Shaking Up Every Magic: The Gathering Format
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Final Fantasy Is Shaking Up Every Magic: The Gathering Format

Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy is the first Extended Universes premium set to be Standard legal. After only one week since its official release, many Final Fantasy cards are finding their way into competitive Standard builds. From enchantment reanimation with 'Yuna, Hope of Spire', and 'Cecil, Dark Knight' mono black midrange, to my personal favourite Gruul Delium with 'Terra, Magical Adept'. Final Fantasy's influence doesn't stop there, though. In only one week, 'Vivi Ornitier' and 'Y'shtola, Night's Blessed' have made their way up to the 200 most popular commander list on CEDHREC.com. From Midgard to Modern: Why (Almost) Every MTG Format is Impacted Are you playing with the new Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy cards? How do you feel about them becoming a steadfast in players ...