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AuthorSam Black

Sam Black is professional Magic player who's known for his love of building decks that attack formats from unexpected angles. He's made the Top 8 of sixteen GPs covering every format as well as three Pro Tours, but he's particularly proud of his less common accomplishments, including a Top 4 at the World Championship, a win in the Team World Championship in 2008, and winning a car in 2007.

Video: Grixis Control In Standard!

Grixis Control won the Pro Tour, so of course Sam Black had to take Shota Yasooka’s Standard deck for a spin! Watch him Torrential Gearhulk his way through four rounds on Magic Online ahead of the #SCGBALT Standard Classic!

What Was I Thinking?

This Pro Tour metagame caught even the best and brightest off guard! We went from a dangerously fast format to…a control-oriented metagame on the brink of a combo meltdown? What is going on here?! Sam Black previews the next evolution of this insanity for #SCGMKE’s Standard Classic!

Video: Lantern Control In Modern!

Sam Black thinks there’s nothing finer in Modern than putting opponents on lockdown! Watch him pilot the Prison-like Lantern Control through five rounds on Magic Online!

Video: Let’s Draft Kaladesh!

Kaladesh is now out on Magic Online and Sam Black is taking his swing at the new Limited format! Watch him draft and pilot his picks through three rounds of cyber-competition!

One Copter To Rule Them All

How good is this card? Where is its place in history? Can it conquer Modern as much as its conquered Standard? What cards can step up to it…and what cards can step on it? Sam Black studies the strange phenomenon of Smuggler’s Copter and its probable place in shaping Standard to come!

Video: Legacy Cube Draft!

Is there a more fun format than Cube drafting? If so, we’d like to know about it! Sam Black puts together a new Cube video for your enjoyment!

4 Lessons From My First 4 Days Of Kaladesh Limited

Sam Black is hard at work on the newest Limited format on everyone’s mind as we approach #GPAtlanta! The Prerelease weekend was only the beginning, and the upcoming Pro Tour will be heavily influenced by this Draft format! Let Sam get you started in the right direction!

Video: Valakut Delirium In Modern!

Sam Black is running Valakut Delirium back! This time around, he’s streamlined the list to a “mere” 93 cards, but there’s still plenty of quirky fun to be had! Will you go big at the #SCGINDY Modern Classic?

The Early Kaladesh Standard Gauntlet: Four Linear Decks For #SCGINDY

One of the best ways to crush an unknown format is to have a plan to be proactive! Sam Black is taking what we know about previous Standard and using that to fuel his innovations for #SCGINDY weekend! Which of these decks houses your favorite strategy in Kaladesh?

Video: U/R Reveler In Modern!

Sam Black is running U/R Reveler back! His new and improved Modern brew takes the spotlight in a five-round League on Magic Online. Get inspired for the #SCGINDY Modern Classic!

Winning In Team Limited

Sam Black’s team took down yet another team Grand Prix at #gplouisville! It seems like teams of pros are way more likely to take down these events than their amateur counterparts. Sam Black knows exactly why, and he’s telling you how to get on the professional page when it comes to team Magic!

Video: Valakut Delirium In Modern!

It’s a Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle deck. It’s a Delirium deck. It’s … 117 cards?! Sam Black explains his latest Modern monstrosity, leaves online opponents befuddled, and possibly starts a big-deck trend for #SCGORL…

Positive Energy In Kaladesh

Sam Black cannot wait to get his hands on Kaladesh! The set has already given him a ton of complex deckbuilding and play decisions, but the one he is most excited to try out is the already-celebrated Energy mechanic! Leave it to Sam to give unprecedented gameplay mechanics some excellent analysis!

Video: U/R Reveler In Modern!

Need more Modern archetypes in your life? Need more outside-the-box ideas piloted by Sam Black? Boy is this your lucky day! Sam Black revels in the innovation in his new video!

A Guide To Playing Lantern Control

Sam Black loves decks that give him a ton of decision points! Modern may not have a more complex archetype than this one, and Sam is an absolute expert on its ins and outs! Become a better pilot before the #SCGRICH Modern Classic!