My last two columns were about staple rares that I think that budget players should try to pick up. Many people commented on the fact that the lists were “too long” and had “too many cards” on them to be considered “staples.” While I addressed that issue at the beginning of last week’s column, I want to come back to it from a different angle.
I may not use Chimeric Staff in every tourney I play in while it’s Standard legal. In fact, I’m sure that I won’t. However, if I want to build a deck with that card in it, I know that I have it. I only chase those cards that I think I’ll use, though. As I’ve stated many times before, if it’s not a card you think you’ll use – whether it’s because of the card’s color, the card’s type, or the kind of deck in which it would have to be used – then it’s not a staple for you.
Today’s From Right Field sees Chris return to familiar ground: he updates his Staple Rare list to include both Coldsnap and Tenth Edition. As both sets have a huge number of possible Constructed powerhouses, and both sets will be around for many moths to come, should you be saving for those Sunscours and hoarding for those Haakons? Let Chris lead the way!
Since it’s my birthday, what I’m going to do is give myself a present of sorts. I’m going to make a Time Spiral Block Constructed deck featuring Radha, Heir to Keld. Ever since I saw her in Planar Chaos, I knew that I’d use her in a deck. The problem was that, at the time, there really wasn’t a lot to do with her triggered ability except to play Instants and Flash creatures. Sure, Red and Green have some mighty nice examples of those, but they have to be in your hand.
I got an interesting e-mail a couple of weeks ago. The writer wanted to know if we could come up with a U/R Time Spiral Block Constructed deck whose only rare was Aeon Chronicler. Also, even though Time Spiral Block has two of the best counterspells around right now (Cancel and Delay), we couldn’t use any countermagic…
We’re at the bi-annual time when I look back at the cards that were in the Core (nee Base) set to which hardly anyone paid any attention, and with which you won’t be able to play in Standard once the new Core/Base set becomes Standard legal. In other words, the cards we missed in Ninth Edition that aren’t coming back in Tenth Edition (a.k.a. X).
This week, I’ve decided that it’s high time that we here at From Right Field salute a sadly overlooked and under-appreciated part of the world: Canada. Canada is not just, as some people think, the United States North. It’s actually a whole other country! Really, it is. Wikipedia even says so.
As a writer whose mandate is to come up with cheap decks, I spend a lot – if not most – of my ponderin’ time asking the question “Why not?” That’s exactly how this column’s deck came about. For eight months now, I’ve asked myself, “why isn’t anyone playing with Phantom Wurm?” The answer I usually got was “Because Spectral Force is better.” As you might expect, that didn’t satisfy me…
I didn’t go to Regionals this year. I intended to play. I wanted to play. I built the deck. I even had it sleeved in the first new sleeves I’ve bought in a year, those new, shiny, black, “official” Magic: The Gathering sleeves with yellow lettering. Sweet, huh? So, what’s a poor boy to do when he’s all dressed for Regionals with no place to go? He makes it up! What follows is the story of how I would have won Regionals… had I attended.
This week, Chris stirs up a delectable fishy stew from a myriad of ingredients. He talks about the lost art of sideboarding — and begs for help in this area — before moving to balmier climes and making fun of people chatting on Magic Online. He then compares Edge of Autumn to Rampant Growth, before finishing up with a little Bad Rare Blasphemy. Verily, this article has everything!
Regionals is coming… and Chris is prepared. This year, he’s armed with a funky-looking deck courtesy of a close friend. It’s black, it disrupts, and it beats down. Who knows, maybe it’s the missing tech that you’re clamoring for. If you’re still undecided on your 75 of choice, maybe Chris has the answers.
Chris recaps his vacation week shenanigans and brings three interesting Standard decks for us to dissect and consume. Blue/Black discard, and mono-Blue Pirates deck, and a deck that revolves around the dollar rare Dichotomancy. Could there be a gem of undiscovered tech lurking in these formative lists? Read on to find out!
Chris dives deep into his Well of Budget Decks, and surfaces holding a deck with a twist. With Time Spiral packing our binders with old-fashioned cards, it’s time to send out some deck lovin’ to the Old Guys who’ve never thrown away a Magic card. As an Old Guy who never throws away my Magic cards, I approve of this message.
When Chris attempted to break Standard with Necrotic Sliver, his ideas fell on stony ground. Two weeks of testing and tweaking, and nothing to show for his time. So he threw the doors open to the forum folk, and begged for ideas. They replied in their droves… and today’s article bears the fruit of their labors. Three deck, each with differing degrees of success… and one deck that may well be the Next Big Thing. Intrigued? Then read on!
E-mails, forum posts, and private messages in my StarCityGames.com mailbox provide me with some of my best inspiration. For example, one person recently asked me, in so many words, “Why do you hate Block Constructed with only two sets?” Because the Block’s not done yet. Sure, the Pros get to play a tourney with the two-set Block, but us regular folks don’t. So why should I waste time on the decks? Especially when the third set becomes legal on May 20th, and I have about ten million Standard decks to work on?
