[Review] Duel Decks: Elspeth vs Kiora

I got myself the Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Kiora. I have already played few games with them. This is my review of the decks that come with this purchase.

Elspeth is much better deck.

Don't even think, that you're going to pull that Planeswalker card every single game. I ain't gonna calculate the probabilities, but in my 7 games, only once Kiora, the Crashing Wave was played. You must rely on the other cards.

Also, Kiora has only 4 Loyalty counter, so she can be dealt with quickly.

Elspeth has Dictate of Heliod. This card is a game changer. It literally turns the tables. It can turn your weak 1/1 tokens into descent 3/3 creatures, and your 3/2 descent creatures into some nasty 5/4s. Then add some Veterans and Kiora can go home.

Kiora may have some mighty creatures (7/11 Inkwell Leviathan and 6/6 Simic Sky Swallower), but those are expensive to cast. Compare it with many Soldiers in Elspeth's deck, that can be cast for 3-4 white mana and then +1/+1-upped.

True, that Kiora has many spells, that can return opponents' creatures to his hand, but it takes only 2-3 turns to cast them all back.

Duel Decks are supposed to be two ready-to-play decks, that can be played against each other. In theory, Elspeth vs Kiora is fast vs strong deck. But only 2 out of 7 times, since I started playing it, has Kiora managed to win. And only because the hand was very favorable to her.