Coldsnap is (virtually) here, and with it comes a Brave New World of Standard exploration. Cumulative Upkeep, Snow Mana, Protection from Snow creatures… does Snow actually matter in the evolving Type 2 metagame? Mike brings us a Snow-themed deck that has surprisingly consistent results against the top beatdown decks seeing play in the modern game. Maybe Snow does matter after all…
After last week’s examination of the Standard strength of the U/R Vore deck, Mike moves on to an in-depth look at Wafo-Tapa. Does this more ponderous control deck have the edge in the Steam Vents versus Steam Vents matchup. And when it all boils down, just how relevant is the Red mana anyway? Magic’s Godfather of Deckbuilding presents an innovative take on the U/R Control archetype – dropping the Red entirely. If you’re looking for the next big thing on the Standard scene, then this is the article for you!
Mike returned from his nearly-man Pro Tour with a clear goal in mind: play more Constructed Magic. Armed with a number of viable decks, he cut up the floor of the MTGO 8-man Standard queues… and came to a Blue/Red conclusion. Magnivore, powered by Steam Vents, is still the deck to beat. With strategic deconstruction and game walkthroughs, he pitches the case for the so-called Strongest Deck in Standard.
On Friday, Mike shared his opinion on the mistakes made during his testing for Pro Tour Charleston. However, it wasn’t all bad news at the PT… his team, Two Headed Giant, finished strongly in 26h place. While some things went wrong in testing, some things definitely went right. Today he reveals the strengths of their testing, the secrets behind their fine finish, and analysis of the deck that gave him his personal best Constructed performance to date.
Mike’s team, the abovementioned Two-Headed Giant, posted a creditable 9-5 at the recent Pro Tour Charleston, earning them 26th place… when the money slots descended to 25th. In today’s Flores Friday, he examines the “misses,” or mistakes, that he and his testing crew fell foul of during their preparation for the event. The line between success and failure is thin – Mike’s frank appraisal of their format evaluations is one from which we all can learn.
Pro Tour Charleston kicks off today, and teams of eager players prepare to slam their Ravnica Block decks head-to-head against all comers. Today, Mike Flores and Steve Sadin share their testing results and decklists for the popular R/G Aggro archetype, and a G/W Glare deck that routinely wins on the back of Three Stupid Elephants. These articles break the back of this matchup, and are perfect preparation for the weekend ahead!
The Pro Tour hits Charleston this weekend. The format? Team Ravnica Block Constructed. Online, the Ravnica Block Constructed metagame consists largely of BGW Control variants… but in team, those cards will be spread pretty thin. Mike examines the cards and archetypes that’ll make waves in the team format, and while such stalwarts as Loxodon Hierarch are a given, is Simic Sky Swallower really overrated? This is a must-read article for those doing battle this weekend!
Everyone wants to break a format… but we can’t all be John F Rizzo. For every Friggorid, there’s a thousand aborted deck ideas lounging in Bad Build Limbo. Today, Mike examines the skills one must possess in order to achieve the Holy Grail of Deckbuilding, with particular reference to formats past. Is breaking a format possible when playing fair? Is solving a format more lucrative than breaking it? Click here to find out…
According to Mike, there are only three possible ways to gain an edge on your opponent. Today’s article examines all three. With anecdotal evidence from Jon Finkel backed with mathematical analysis and matchup percentages, Mike debunks some of the more widespread myths that scupper our success. Is there really no such thing as a Great Play? And is the key to Pro success simply “winning the games we’re supposed to?” Read on to find out!
Mike Flores describes the deck he and apprentice Julian Levin use to a combined 12-2-2 Swiss record at Southern New England Regionals. This mysterious deck – which plays essentially no Guildpact or Dissension spells – was passed over for States when they finished first and second in New York… but was reappropriated for a tournament with two more sets added. The answers to all your questions and the round-by-round blow-by-blows are contained within!
Regionals is tomorrow, and today we have five Premium articles devoted to the subject! The first is Mike Flores, who recently pitted his wits, and Annex Wildfire, against a pair of decks piloted by Steve Sadin. Steve’s take on the matchups is presented below… How did Flores fare? Is the unheralded Annex Wildfire a contender for the coming metagame? Can it cope with with Heartbeat and Ghost Husk? Click here to find out!
When preparing for a tournament, do you do all you can to ensure you take home the prize? Do you approach each match with the correct mindset? Or have you lost before you’ve laid your first land? With extensive theoretical examples based on the Team Standard format, Mike shows us how doing the math – and playing to win – will help us improve our game tenfold.
Mike completes his Constructed rundown of Dissension with a look at the Split cards, the artifacts, and the lands. Sure, we all know that the Shocklands are pure gold, and the Karoos are staple cards… but how do the new Split cards match up to the Split cards of old? A strong finish to an excellent, informative series.
Mike continues his Constructed rundown of Dissension with a look at the cards that most of you have been waiting for… the Simic and Rakdos guilds. Simic looks the stronger of the two for Limited play, while Rakdos seems to have an excellent agressive pedigree for the Constructed game. But what does Mike make of their respective strengths and weaknesses? Read on to find out.
Mike continues his Constructed rundown of Dissension with a look at the Green cards. Traditionally the home of the wobbly monster, does Dissension Green work hard for our attention? Is the new set a Wakefieldian Dream? And is seven mana really the new six mana? Read on to find out…
