Raphael Levy is on a Constructed hot streak. He entered Pro Tour : Yokohama with back-to-back Extended Grand Prix victories, and was surely one to watch when the curtains rose. However, going into the tournament he did not fancy his chances. He arrived in Japan with no clue on what to play. His journey from deckbuilding darkness to the bright lights of the Top 8 is chronicled within. Click on!
Before he wings his way to Yokohama for the Time Spiral Block Constructed Pro Tour, Raphael Levy brings us one last edition of the popular Pimp My Draft series! And today we have a little extra… not one, but TWO complete draft walkthroughs for us to enjoy! Remember, if you’d like to draft along with Raph, be sure to mak your voice head in this forum!
It’s finally happening, folks… Raph has all the technical know-how in place, and he’s ready to draft with the Great Magical Unwashed! I myself will be putting my name down to be Raph’s wingman in the coming weeks, so be sure to sign up early. Today’s draft sees the Hall of Famer take a fellow named Rapcat by the hand and walk him through the creeks and canyons of an ornery 8-4 draft, producing an interesting deck and questioning each pick along the way. For details of how to join the fun, read on!
Raph returns fresh from Boston with a new edtition of Pimp My Draft! Today’s offering sees Yohan pilot the first three picks of a Magic Online TTP draft, before Raph takes over. There were some counter-intuitive picks made in this one… did you agree with Raph’s choices? And next time on Pimp My Draft, Raph takes a willing forum-dweeler on the journey, so make sure to make your voices heard!
Last week’s introduction to this exciting series proved to be insanely popular, and so Raph is back with another installment! With the help of a willing guinea-pig, Raph takes us through a draft from beginning to end, with the first picks being made by the non-Levy player. If you wanna get in on the action, stay tuned!
Raph embarks on an exciting new draft series today… Pimp My Draft! He rides shotgun with an “amateur” drafter for the first three picks of a MTGO TTP Draft, before taking the wheel and driving the draft towards the car-park of success. If that weren’t enough, there’s a chance that YOU could be Raph’s next co-pilot! Intrigued? Then read on!
As we all know, Raph has recently lit up the Grand Prix circuit with back-to-back wins at Dallas and Singapore. Of course, those tournaments are just the tip of a huge Grand Prix iceberg… Raph has attended a whopping 57 GPs in total. Today’s Pro Perspective sees Raph take a reflective look back at some of his personal highlights and low-points. GP: Amsterdam? Guess where that one sits in the list…
You wait nine years for a Grand Prix win, and then two come along at once. Raphael Levy, proving that lightning can indeed strike twice in the period of seven days, took his Gaea’s Might Get There five-color Zoo deck to the balmy climes of Grand Prix: Singapore… and, as in Dallas, he came home with the novelty check. Wanna know how he did it? Look no further!
Raphael Levy set off for Grand Prix: Dallas with a pocketful of decks and a confused mind. While he had options, he hadn’t a clue on the final 75-card conficuration he’d be running. After much back and forth deliberation, and a modicum of advice from some of the Magic Elite, he settled with Gaea’s Might Get There… and it paid out in spades. For more fun tales of preparation and play, read on!
Raphael Levy is currently winging his way to Dallas in order to sling Extended spells with the rest of Magic’s great and good. As a parting gift, he brings us the final part of his Planar Chaos Draft series. Thus far, he’s tackled the major archetypes involving Blue and Red. Today he rounds out the colors with Green, White, and Black. Planar Chaos comes online next week… be prepared!
Pro Tour: Geneva was Raphael Levy’s fiftieth consecutive Pro Tour appearence. Unfortunately for Raph, he failed to set the world alight and make Top 8… however, his solid money finish was an admirable start to his personal quest for Player of the Year. In this illuminating article, Raph takes us through the thorny choices he made in each of his five TTP drafts, and gives us an overview of his entire performance.
Last week, columnist and Hall of Famer Raphael Levy discussed the pick orders for all four Blue archetypes in Time Spiral / Planar Chaos draft. This week, Raph moves on to the Red offerings. Early indcations show that Red could be the strongest color for Limited play in the set, which means that correct evaluation of the commons in each archetype is of paramount importance. Wanna draft TTP like a pro? Raph has the answers for you…
In triple Time Spiral, it’s clear that the paving stones on the Road to Success are tinted Blue. The color of Islands is the color of choice for anyone serious about posting a 3-0 draft record. Today’s Pro Perspective takes a look at the Blue cards from Planar Chaos, and examines their exact role in the four two-color Blue draft archetypes. With each common discussed and dissected, and each archetype sporting a comprehensive common pick order, Raph opens the door for anyone looking to gain that vital edge in TTP drafts, just in time for Pro Tour: Geneva…
New cards excite all Magic players, from the Level 6 Mage to the Kitchen Table Acolyte, and Raphael Levy is no exception. Today’s Pro Persepctive sees Raph share his two Planar Chaos Prerelease cardpools and final builds, plus a number of pertinent Sealed deckbuilding tips. Sealed Deck is, apparently, Raphael’s favorite Magic format. If you’re one of the many who think it’s all luck-based… think again.
Raphael begins his weekly column with a detailed examination of how to improve our Magic play. His intricate theories look at how our mind works in relation to the World’s Greatest Game, and his conclusions may be surprising… in order to excel at Magic, is the key to play less than we do? This is a fantastic article, and one that all aspiring Pro Tour players should read.
