Thursday, August 19th – This article is written for the tournament player. It is also written for the casual player, about what they should expect at a tournament. And if you’re not sure where on the spectrum you fall, maybe this article will help you decide.
Friday, June 19th – My plan was to find an archetype I was resonating with a week or two before the event, then spend the remaining time tuning it. I discovered pretty quickly that the archetype had to involve Putrid Leech who, it turned out, was one of the more insane creatures to be printed in a long time. Char with buyback much?
Wednesday, November 5th – It had literally been years since I had competed in a Grand Prix (or a Pro Tour, for that matter). With the weekend being relatively open, I decided to go for it and book my flight. Was it all worth it? I’m still trying to figure that one out…
Let’s play the assumption game. Let’s assume this cool new job opportunity / promotion comes up, giving you a chance at a company position with people you genuinely like and respect. That’s cool, but let’s assume that you’re kind of involved with the company already, at least peripherally. Can you even compete? Can we assume your presence won’t smack of favoritism? Who cares what people think, do a good job and they’ll know you deserve to be there? Okay, that make sense, but what if after all that you get eliminated? What then?
Another season, another Pro Tour, another… country? Geneva, Switzerland!? That sounds like an amazing place to hold a Pro Tour. Europe, skiing, and I’ll bet no one is ever late for a round. Who wouldn’t want a free trip out there, and to compete no less.
Once a while, me and the boys get together and run the BOO (Build Our Own) experience. We’ve been doing this for quite a while. The last incarnation was the third attempt. The BOO experience is a total one: card names, casting costs, function, flavor text, art… After they’re made, we shuffle ‘em into packs and draft ‘em up. It’s a pretty simple process: make 45 interesting Limited cards, and play with them. The power and flavor quotients are entirely in your hands.
Noah rounds of his intriguing series on the five senses of Magic with Sight. Are things always as they appear?
Noah continues his journey through the five senses of Magic. Today’s article concerns the stickiest of senses: touch.
Noah continues his exploration of the senses in Magic with a look at Taste. Wanna make Granola Bars? Read on…
Your sense of smell doesn’t get enough respect. I knew a person once who had no sense of smell, the poor guy. He couldn’t enjoy so many subtle things. The food was worse, the flora was worse. You don’t get to bond with your car mates when driving past a stinky field and everyone starts screaming “Oh… my… God.” and “Dude!” and “Why the hell aren’t you driving 100 mph, man?!”
Besides the occasional foray into the Limited realm, I also enjoy dabbling with the intersection of Real Life and this silly fantasy game. In that vein, this week the offer is five articles detailing the interaction between Magic and our five senses. Five senses, five articles. It’s nice when things work out.
Standard, as people have been saying time and time again, is a very open environment. So open that despite hours of testing, as of this writing, I am no closer to being confident in any Regionals deck. Oh sure, I know B/W Husk is still quite good, and Heartbeat is probably excellent in capable hands. I’ve been trying to incorporate Dissension into the mix, assuming there must be some nonland card in the set that is maindeck-worthy.
Have you ever wished you could play to the best of your ability, week in week out? Have you ever played a match knowing you’re off your game, but unable to peak yourself up to one hundred percent? Do you find yourself lacking that killer instinct, missing out on wins through forces unseen? If this is the case, then Noah can help. A fantastic article examining the psychology of optimal play. Read this, and get in The Zone.
February 25th was the Seattle qualifier for Prague. That Saturday was a perfect day for a Pro Tour Qualifier, because on the 24th, I had a birthday. See? Sure, Friday is a fine day for a party, but then you have that icky hangover at the big tournament the next day. However, delaying the festivities by 24 hours let’s us play the PTQ clear of mind and body, then get everyone in the tournament down to the bar for some drinky drink fun.
Noah begins his quest for qualification. In his own words…
Having practiced with — and now played a tournament with — Ravnica/Guildpact Sealed, I am sure it’s one of the hardest formats of all time. The options available to you are staggering, which is both good and bad. I learned an awful lot this time around, and even developed a new system that practically guarantees the perfect Sealed Deck.
