AuthorRoss Merriam

Ross Merriam has been a fixture on the SCG Tour since 2012 and is one of its most decorated players with over twenty top 8s. He currently serves as the beardliest member of Team BCW and a content creator for StarCityGames.com, focusing on the Modern format as well as Magic fundamentals and theory designed to help you elevate your game.

This Is How To Beat Hydroid Krasis

Okay, it’s a real creature. In fact, it may be the most high impact creature in the format for now, but that’s only until everyone checks this out! Ross has the answers to Jellyfish stings, SCG Baltimore, and everything in between right here!

5 New Standard Cards That Are Way Better Than I Initially Thought

Ross has done a ton of testing with Todd Anderson, some of it right here on VS Live! As a result, a lot of cards that he ignored at first blush are turning out pretty well! Any of these cards could be the difference in winning and losing SCG Indy!

The Many Ways Orzhov Can Kill You

Orzhov is gaining more and more ground in pre-Ravnica Allegiance discussions as the go-to guild, and this study from Ross is exactly why! Gather your powerful low drops and sneak in under the metagame with these decks!

Domri And Dinosaurs In New Standard

Ross Merriam knows a bit about what a Domri can do to a battlefield! He’s putting together the kind of ramp archetype that is overdue for a Standard showing! Please, please let this strategy be real!

Modern Trends Leading Into SCG Columbus

Ross Merriam reviews December’s Modern developments before updating his signature Izzet Phoenix deck in light of the latest metagame shifts. Be ready for his list at SCG Columbus!

The Izzet Phoenix Sideboard Guide

Learn to play this one masterfully and you’re going to make huge waves in Modern in 2019! Ross Merriam already has a trophy on the wings of the best new mythic in Magic, and he is passing on this easy to follow guide for battling properly with the archetype!

Please Keep Splinter Twin And Stoneforge Mystic Out Of Modern

Ross Merriam, ever a voice of a reason, isn’t a huge fan of the momentum these cards are getting. Here he explains why WotC should be very careful about taking these off the hook! Tread lightly, Modern!

Your Cantrip Play Is Losing Games. Here’s How To Do It Right.

The champ is here! SCG Baltimore Modern conqueror Ross Merriam made the trip back to Roanoke to get the written word out! Not about some tournament report, but rather a great guide to taking the Phoenix deck through its best paces for SCG CON! Good luck!

An Inconvenient Truth: Modern Edition

Things aren’t always sunshine and roses in the world of Modern. The climate is changing, and the time is ripe for linear decks to get very unfair! Ross has the somber truths about the combo player paradise coming to SCG Baltimore!

Beats By Drake: The Modern Deck That Matters Most Right Now

Crackling Drake isn’t tearing up Modern (yet?), but it still inspired Ross Merriam to pick up something else with a lot of game! His team nearly won yet another SCG Open team event, and this archetype is one of the big reasons!

To Trade Or Not To Trade?

No, this isn’t a finance article. Some of the hardest decisions in Magic involve blocking, discarding, and other forms of trading resources in-game. But how do you know what to do? Ross Merriam outdoes himself by teaching you to think about this the correct way!

Why There’s Nothing You Can Do About Graveyard Decks

Yeah, you can pile up a lot of hate, but that just takes away from your other matchups! If there’s so much sideboard tech going around, why are these decks continuing to win? Ross Merriam explains why Dredge and friends are actually a resilient choice for SCG Regionals!

Metagaming With Conflicting Tournament Results

Sometimes tournament results don’t give a clear path forward! Ross Merriam makes sense of the conflicting metagame pictures provided by recent Standard and Modern events.

How To Beat Dredge

The SCG Dallas results are in: Dredge is back in Modern! Ross Merriam warned you. Now he shares his secrets to taking Dredge down ahead of SCG Charlotte!

Beating A Golgari And Jeskai Meta With Selesnya

Seeing Golgari Midrange and Jeskai Control take the meta by storm hasn’t given Ross doubts! That just means he gets to do what he loves most: adjusting his strategy to prey on the unsuspecting opposition at SCG Dallas’s Standard Classic!