Wednesday, March 3rd – Magic is a complicated game, and becoming good at it is exceptionally difficult to the unprepared mind. It requires a drive – a desire – and a whole lot of patience. Still, you’ve heard all that before. And, incidentally, you’ve probably heard everything I’m about to tell you in this article before, too. Regardless, though, I feel like there is still much to be said.
Tuesday, February 23rd – Another Pro Tour has come and gone, and this one is quite a doozy. If you had told me a month ago that I’d be thrilled to play Standard, I’d have called you a liar (I feel like I’ve said that before). However, here I am, unfathomably eager for March to roll around for the StarCityGames.com Open in Indianapolis…
Wednesday, February 17th – Yes, there was a Grand Prix last weekend, but with Pro Tour: San Diego this coming weekend, and the StarCityGames.com Open the weekend after, I think it’s slightly more fitting this week that I focus on Standard. I’ve spent the last two weeks gushing over the Jace decks in the post-Worldwake format, and so this week I’d like to discuss the other decks a little more thoroughly.
Wednesday, February 10th – Standard: let’s look at the facts, shall we? Pre-Worldwake, Jund was reaching critical mass and was responsible for nearly half the metagame in a number of large events. Yeah, we’ve been through this time and again: that’s unreal, it’s absurd, shouldn’t happen, etc. Why do I bring this up? Well, I think this is going to change in a big way.
Wednesday, February 3rd – It never ceases to amaze me just how many people spend the weeks leading up to the release of a new set complaining about how bad it is, especially with small sets. I mean, what is it about small sets that makes Magic players so narrow-minded? After this weekend’s prerelease, I’m quite convinced that the set is far from underdeveloped, and a long way from being bad in Constructed.
Wednesday, January 27th – As you’re all aware, my first Extended PTQ this season went rather poorly. I played Zoo instead of the Faeries list I had brought with me, and as a result I ran into a field saturated with Fae, Martyr, and Scapeshift. Rough beats. But, as with all mistakes, I learned…
Thursday, January 21st – A good friend of mine recently updated his Facebook claiming that he was going to take a break from Magic after a crushing defeat at a local FNM. He said that Standard was too luck-based, and that he had grown very tired of playing the game. This person is a good friend of mine, and someone that I’ve not only tested with and partied with, but also competed alongside at many PTQs. Let me show you what I told him…
Wednesday, January 13th – While all along I had expected to have an additional week to playtest Extended before I played in my first PTQ of the season, it has come to my attention that I will be attending the PTQ in Chicago in just a few days. That being said, I need a deck – and fast.
Wednesday, January 6th – And just like that, the first week of Extended PTQs has come and gone. In order to better prepare for the future metagame, it’s important to take a good hard look at the results from last weekend. Let’s get started!
Wednesday, December 30th – Extended season is nearly upon us, as luck would have it, and as a result I must say that I’m getting pretty excited to jump back into the PTQ circuit. This year’s Extended format isn’t nearly as fun as last year’s was for me personally (Faeries player at heart, remember?), but nevertheless I’m glad the format has so many viable decks this year
Wednesday, December 16th – A few weeks ago, the RG Valakut deck had been tearing up the MTGO scene and had shown up with at least one list in most of the Standard top decks. Why? I personally feel like that deck might be one of the format’s best-kept secrets…
Wednesday, December 9th – Last week, I spoke about how States is, in essence, a chance to play what you like, not necessarily what is just hands-down the best deck. While that recommendation is certainly very solid, I failed to take my own advice this past weekend at Michigan States.
Tuesday, December 1st – States is a funny tournament. No matter how many times it is discontinued, it simply refuses to give up. Each and every year it returns full-force, and this year is no exception. Granted, this particular year it’s quite a bit later than it usually is, and rather than setting the stage for Worlds it will instead draw from Worlds for its metagame, but nonetheless it’s back!
Wednesday, November 25th – The Magic World Championships: the pinnacle of competitive play, and the final showdown for the world title. This year‘s tournament was held in Rome, easily one of the most fitting settings for the finale. With another year in the books, there is much to discuss heading into the coming year.
Wednesday, November 18th – Think back, if you will, to Standard a year ago. Shards of Alara had just come out, and the format was still largely dominated by Lorwyn Block. Faeries was the undisputed champion if the format, and even more so before Time Spiral ripped Ancestral Visions from its despicable hands. Now I want you to think about what happened whenever someone pitched an idea for a new deck.
