{"ops":[{"insert":"Highlights"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Get caught blue handed.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Guild Thief"}},{"insert":" —Aside from the actual stealing, this pack has a “thievery” mechanical subtheme: sneaking creatures through defenses for bonus perks. Guild Thief is in it for the power-ups."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Prosperous Thief"}},{"insert":" —Prosperous Thief is in it for the treasure."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Thieving Otter"}},{"insert":" —And this absolute cutie is in it for the shiny cards."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Master Thief"}},{"insert":" —Gaining control of your opponents’ stuff can be a brutal imbalance of power, so I’m happy cards like this one exist—big flavor and powered right for the format. Don’t forget you can steal artifact creatures too!"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fumble"}},{"insert":" —Bouncing a creature is always going to be useful, but the chance of lifting their attachments really makes this spell work."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lay Claim"}},{"insert":" —Of course, this pack needs a no-catch “gimme that” style card. At seven mana, it’s reasonable in the Jumpstart world, and you can always cycle it if your early game is looking grim."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rogue's Passage"}},{"insert":" —There are a few ways to make your thieves tough to block in this pack, but this one is my favorite."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sea Gate"}},{"insert":" —You can sub in Thriving Isle instead, but Sea Gate has more appropriate flavor text, and a history of serving delinquency."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThe Rare"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Stolen Goods"}},{"insert":" —The ideal thief card for the Jumpstart format—perfect flavor balanced with a bit of randomness, but having no real downside. Maybe you’ll hit a monstrous creature, maybe a cute trinket; either way, you’re getting something that isn’t yours."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nPlay Notes"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"You won’t find any strong-arm heavies to finish your games in here—a thief must move nimbly, so most of your attacks will be small and sneaky. You will need to smartly utilize evasion (“can’t be blocked” abilities, flying, Infiltration Lens) to complete the heist. Don’t underestimate the abilities attached to these thieves—each one can go a long way toward knocking your opponent off balance or giving you the resources you need to pull ahead. Be careful with your timing and make sure you’re picking the most advantageous targets. Your best bet for big late-game damage is to simply take someone else’s threat using Lay Claim.\nThief! loves to team up with packs that can bring down defenses. Try Monoblack ’97 or Fiery to orchestrate the perfect caper. Or, combine with a huge-creature pack such as Gigantic and make your evasion effects really devastating.\nAlthough no single card on its own merit is terribly difficult to grasp, I marked this pack as intermediate difficulty because the trickiness adds up… between the ninjutsu and connive abilities, the necessity to play into card interactions, and overall “blueness” of the pack, I think it could be a challenge for some beginners.\n\nSource: "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://mtgjumpstarter.wordpress.com/portfolio/jumpstart-thief/"},"insert":"https://mtgjumpstarter.wordpress.com/portfolio/jumpstart-thief/"},{"insert":"\n"}]}