What’s this? A Block deck you haven’t seen before that mashes Gifts Ungiven and White Weenie, while featuring game against the rest of the field? Is that even possible? Craig Stevenson thinks so and he’s got the PTQ Top 8s to prove it. Ladies and gentlemen, may we present to you The Shinkatron
It was the aftermath of PT: London. I’d placed an uninspiring 3-3 record, mirroring my performance in my previous two tours. I stood, pint in hand, as my Magic-naive brother barraged Teddy Cardgame with questions. "Ted," he asked, slurring slightly, "Is Craig any good at Magic?"
Ted paused, a little too long. "He could be," came the reply.
So what happens when you take an aging Englishman, the Sealed Revealed series, weeks of feedback from the StarCityGames.com forums and a PTQ? Is it possible that Craig Stevenson managed to get a solid Sealed Deck pool, build it correctly, make the Top 8, and qualify for Pro Tour: London on his first time out? Well, anything is possible, but you’ll have to read the article to find out what really happened.
Craig wraps up the Betrayers of Kamigawa installment of Sealed Revealed with a card pool that most people would probably screw up should they open it at a PTQ. What would you do with this pile of spells and where did Craig go wrong? Inquiring minds want to know…
A card pool containing Meloku, Fumiko, and more burn than you can shake a stick at? Could Craig possibly get that lucky? Will he find the right build this time, or will the Scousemaster insist on playing White again?
At this point I’m certain we don’t need to explain Sealed Revealed and Craig Stevenson to you. Either you love the balding Scouser and think he’s the cat’s pajamas or you think he’s pure bollocks. Today’s card pool was a particularly difficult one to build and should be a good test for those of you looking to attend Limited PTQs in the coming weeks.
Sealed Revealed returns today with an intriguing card pool that features solid cards in all five colors. How would you build your deck and what will the community have to say about this one in the forums? The answers are only a click away!
Our favorite Scouser continues his journey of Limited improvement today with a considerably more difficult card pool than he opened on Monday. Which colors does Craig end up in and which ones do you think he should have chosen? State your opinion in our forums.
“Craig,” said Ted. “Betrayers has just been released. How about doing a new series of Sealed Revealed?”
“Do I have to?” I replied. “I’m still a bit rubbish at Limited.”
“Well, we’re not forcing you to write more Sealed Revealed,” said Ted. “But if you don’t, we’ll have your legs broken.”
Craig wraps up this three-week series with a look back at all the deck archetypes, the key commons in each color that make an archetype, and the lessons he learned along the way. He also gives some props to the readers and forum participants for making this series such a rousing success.
We’re three weeks wiser, and I’m still plugging away. Twelve card pools have passed before my tired eyes and stuttering fingers. I’ve typed up nine hundred cards in the preliminary lists alone. Add in the decklists, the card-by-card analysis, the juvenile attempts at humor… I’ve typed close to fifty thousand words. Today marks the last card pool in this series, and I hope you’ve learned half as much as I have during our time together.
To describe today’s card pool, Craig says, “Roll up, roll up! We got wonders to see here, folks! We got lions and tigers and monsters, we got bearded ladies and strong-men, we got five-legged horses and Basil the Three-Eyed Fox! For the price of a nickel, you can see the World and all that’s in it! Step right up, sir. Through the curtain, and bear left. That’s where we keep the miracles…”
Since at this point it’s safe to assume that you know what’s going on in this outstanding series, we figure it’s easier to give you a sample of today’s article as incentive to read: “The Deceiver cycle have very unpleasant names. Cruel, Brutal, Feral, Harsh, Callous. They’re getting such a bad press… Where are the nice Deceivers? The Fluffy Deceiver, the Is-Kind-to-Animals Deceiver, the Generous-to-a-Fault Deceiver? Remember, kids: Deceivers have feelings too. Equal Rights for Deceivers!“
While the guys are playable, the White in this pool ain’t particularly inspiring. There’s nothing here to make me rip off my clothes, put my underpants on my head and run screaming down the High Street yelling “don’t trust the monkeys.” Which of course, is a bonus. Especially since the court-order.
Craig is 100% certain that you will disagree with at least some portion of his build today, or he will refund your money! While most Magic players will be playing Standard this weekend, Craig is here for the Limited lovers among you, to provide you yet another outstanding exercise in order to help you improve your skills.
