1. #SCGCOL and Eldritch Moon Standard are Coming
Maybe it’s because the spoilers got a nice healthy month-long rollout. Maybe it’s because G/W Tokens and Tom Ross aggro decks have been spraypainting all over our Standard property for too long. Whatever the reason, it feels like we’ve been waiting for Eldritch Moon forever. The cards are interesting, the deck ideas are plentiful, and it is Christmas in July if you’re a Magic player.
Viva la Emrakul.
2. Gerry Thompson and Michael Majors Think They’ve Found It
Spoiler season for Eldritch Moon has had plenty of cards with rising and falling stock, but at the end of the road here, it seems pretty apparent that the emerge mechanic is what everyone is excited/worried about.
Gerry has his latest work for #SCGCOL located here for your reading pleasure, complete with the deck that everyone should have on their radar this weekend.
3. Hall of Famer Luis Scott-Vargas Has Put a New Token onto the Battlefield
“We aren’t naming her after a Magic card”
“There’s no *card* called Naya”Say hi to Naya Scott Vargas Sarcedo! pic.twitter.com/hLcONZIO8D
— Luis Scott-Vargas (@lsv) June 30, 2016
Recently, little Naya was brought into the Multiverse and revealed to the greater Magic community. We’d like to join the rest of the Magic family in wishing her a positively wonderful life. And to her inevitably fantastic parents: Rest assured that there’s no danger in receiving something so adorable.
Good luck, Luis.
4. Care to Comment?
A number of our writers have been highlighting the questions, deck ideas, and thoughts from you, our dear readers. One of the best things to come of this so far? This monster of a decklist, courtesy of one of Chris Lansdell’s loyal fans:
Creatures (2)
Planeswalkers (12)
Lands (18)
Spells (28)
I don’t know how your baseball team is doing, but I can tell you right now that Chad is leading the league in doubles.
5. You Know What’s a Fun Format? Vintage Cube!
Not all of us are fortunate enough to have a playset of power and a local Vintage FNM. Luckily, WotC has given us something even better: all the Cube we can handle until July 29th!
You can draw three cards for one mana, you can have four or more mana on turn 1, and—best of all—you can do all of this from the comfort of your computer chair. Pants optional.
Sam Black found himself in the Vintage Cube queue late last week, and he’s got the video to prove it.
You can see the full current Cube list here.
6. New Players Are New Friends
The Prerelease for Eldritch Moon concluded yesterday, and lots of high-level veterans are thrilled with the reminder that this is a hotbed for brand new and more casual players. If you ever get burnt out with the Magic you’re a little too used to, Prereleases are a great place to get your smile back.
Playing vs multiple people new to the game today was great. So many details it is hard to see from my competitive play bubble.
— Ari Lax (@armlx) July 17, 2016
Just drew with a fellow #CFBPantheon member into top 8 of this prerelease. pic.twitter.com/X5zl79zGPy
— William Jensen (@HueyJensen) July 17, 2016
7. If You Want to Build a Competitive Deck Ever, You Need This Article
Emma Handy recently joined the SCG writing staff, and she has made her presence known in a hurry. Her latest acclaimed work addresses a list of important factors you need when attacking a given format–most pertinently, the Standard format before and after Eldritch Moon.
8. Don’t Forget About Modern!
In all the excitement leading up to #SCGCOL and new Standard, it’s easy to forget that Eldritch Moon very well could have a big effect on the Classics on Sunday. Modern (and Legacy) are not immune from Magic’s exciting new release, as one Pro Tour Champion writer has pointed out.
Creatures (3)
Lands (26)
Spells (31)
The landscape is shifting. Be prepared.
This time next week we’ll have our first taste of Standard with Eldritch Moon. #SCGCOL awaits!