Lorwyn Limited is shaping up to be a diverse and fun format… even so, it pays to limit your potions early and stick to a rigid tribal draft strategy. John Pelcak takes us through one of the hardiest of the tribes in the new set… those tree-hugging elves. He breaks down the common and uncommon elvish sweetmeats and presents a strategic guide for everyone looking to beat down with the pointy-eared monsters. Dan Paskins, look away now…
The Extended Pro Tour kicks off this weekend… and you can be sure that some folk will run with the Overpowering Robots of Doom. Affinity has cast a long shadow over many a format, but does it still have the metaphorical grapes to run with the big dogs (and bigger Goyfs)? John “The Cak” Pelcak, a man with an affinity for Affinity, takes us through the motions.
John Pelcak has spent the last six weeks in China. Surrounded by some of the most breathtaking scenery and architecture imaginable, he’s been busy brainstorming Time Spiral Block Constructed decks for Grand Prix: San Francisco. Today, he brings us five decklists to dissect and discuss. Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something splashing Blue. If you’re after a new direction for the GP, maybe the Cak has the answer…
When preparing for Pro Tour: Yokohama, Mr Pelcak planned on running his homebrewed Red/White Control deck. However, when White Weenie started making mincemeat of that particular seventy-five, he audibled into the popular Mono-Red deck that almost took him all the way. Today, he shares the highs and lows from the tournament, and suggests some ideas for the deck post-Future Sight.
With Jeroen Remie currently snowed under by exam work, John Pelcak steps nobly into the breach, bringing us the full story behind his excellent Top 8 performance at Grand Prix: Dallas. He plumped for the mathematician’s choice, the powerful and dominant Affinity. He flew in the face of Kataki-packers, and made it to the top tables! To find out how, read on…
With everyone hooked on drafting Time Spiral with Planar Chaos, John “the Cak” Pelcak takes a look back at his own performance at Pro Tour: Geneva. How do the strategies he ran then compare with the strategies receiving recognition now? Is Black still the worst color in the format? Is White underrated? And if Wizards organized an “Everyone Makes Day 2” Pro Tour, would it be Hot or Not?
The Cak and his cohorts had an unusual tactic gong into Pro Tour: Kobe… Go Tribal. Yes, Slivers was the order of the day, but sadly it failed to light up the tournament with its synergy and power. Nevertheless, it is a potent strategy when handled correctly. Mr Pelcak discusses his time in Japan, and imparts a spot of wisdom for those looking to draft the Little Guys Who Share the Love.
The Cak has a deck which, he claims, has “no bad matchups” in the current Standard environment. With the metagame as diverse as it is, I’m sure you’ll agree that this is a mighty bold statement. However, with recent results in high-level events bearing out his assertion, and with a bevy of match analysis and gameplay tips behind it, perhaps this particular Black/White offering has the strength to go all the way…
The Cak, teamed with Gadiel Szleifer and Chris “Star Wars Kid” McDaniel, recently took the Pro Tour by storm with a Sunday performance in Charleston. While they fell in the final furlong, their powerful run through the Swiss rounds proved the strength of both their decks and their play. After Gadiel’s firecracker of a report on the proceedings, John’s more sober reflection on the highs and lows of the Pro Tour is rather refreshing…
The Cak travelled to Pro Tour Prague with high hopes. Unfortunately for him, those hopes proved fruitless, as he failed to make Day 2 play. Of course, this didn’t stop him from enjoying the Pro Tour Experience… And he has the pictures to prove it. His report is packed with fun stories and match runthroughs.
I was determined to break the streak. I hadn’t made money in a Magic tournament since Grand Prix: Chicago aside from appearance fees (I even had to look it up because I couldn’t remember the last time I made money). Worlds was a chance to make a difference, because if I didn’t, I was done.
With every new draft format, I always find some color combination that I just force myself into. With Odyssey, it was White/Blue soldiers taking as many Daru Stingers as possible; in Mirrodin, it was Affinity just like everyone else; in Kamigawa Block it was Red/White samurais, and in Ravnica I used to think it was the Boros Guild. However, throughout my many drafts on Magic Online, I have discovered that the Selesnya Guild is so much better.
Today we submit to you one Johnathan Pelcak, who, while reviewing his Pro Tour: Los Angeles experience, also attempts to explain why he thought playing a Dragonstorm deck was “a good idea.”
Cak foregoes his Gopher homecoming to gather more info on Ravnica’s fasted Limited guild: The Boros.
It’s interesting… on the surface 9th Edition Limited seems pretty simple. However, every time we run a new article on the format writers seem to disagree dramatically on color strength and pick orders. Which color does Pelcak feel is the best and what do his pick orders look like? Enquiring minds want to know…
