CategoryMagic The Gathering

The Nose Knows – M11: A Space Odyssey

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Friday, July 2nd – We live in a Golden Age of communication. Information about our glorious game is available at every turn, and the best Mages amongst us harness this to great effect. Today, Kyle Boggemes hammers home the importance of such networking, discusses the spoiled cards from M11, and shares an interesting Legacy deck!

The Pro Perspective – More Thoughts on M11

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Friday, July 2nd – M11 is on the way, and everyone is excited about the new cards! However, Hall of Famer Raphael Levy has a few words of caution today, particularly in regards to M11 Limited. He also discusses a selection of card and their possible Constructed applications.

Feature Article – The Fallacy of the Red Deck

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Friday, July 2nd – There is a common misconception I see all too often, crossing from format to format and player to player. That misconception is the ignominy of the Red deck: that it is ‘not a real deck,’ ‘not Tier One,’ that nobody with two brain cells to rub together or any realistic budget to acquire cards with would play the Mono-Red deck.

Episode 28 – Headbutting Doors for Blue Envelopes

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Friday, July 2nd – On Yo! MTG Taps this week, there’s discussion of the StarCityGames.com St. Louis Open, and (of course) M11 spoilers!

Sullivan Library – Musings for the New Standard

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Thursday, July 1st – Adrian Sullivan is a fan of Red. Today, he examines the recent trend in Red technology, paying particular attention to the winning build of the StarCityGames.com Standard Open in St. Louis. He also discusses a cycle of the more impressive cards coming in M11.

Unlocking Legacy – A Mystifying Decision

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Thursday, July 1st – Legacy veteran Christopher Coppola questions the recent banning of Mystical Tutor and refutes the arguments given in the official explanation.

The Wescoe Connection – Persecutor Jund and M11 Spoilers

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Thursday, July 1st – With the current Standard format entering its Last Hurrah, old warhorses such as Jund are plowing ahead, looking for vital edges to catapult them atop the field once more. Craig Wescoe rocked Persecutor Jund at the StarCityGames.com St. Louis Standard Open, to great effect. He discusses the deck today, along with M11 cards, before presenting a bonus video interview!

The Justice League – Judges Gone Wild: An MTGO Event For Judges

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Thursday, July 1st – One of the tricky issues for the greater judge community is the subject of compensation and rewarding judges for their efforts. I think most people are aware that judges get boosters from the latest set when judging a prerelease or local PTQ. Slightly less well known is the fact that judges get special foil cards each year – judge foils.

Ideas Unbound – Turboland

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Thursday, July 1st – I played in two Standard tournaments last weekend. I played Turboland. I split in the top four of the Cascade Games Challenge (a $2.5K tournament) and lost playing for Top 8 in the PTQ the next day. My combined record on the weekend was 12-3-1. I highly recommend the deck for the PTQs this weekend as well as any PTQs coming up on Magic Online.

Yawgmoth’s Whimsy #331 – UST: Establishing the Brackets

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Thursday, July 1st – After reading all the comments and examining my choices, I have cut the field to 32 best Standard decks of all time. The brackets are up. I have also figured out how to avoid making some of the stupid plays I made last week. Yes, I know what Skullclamp is supposed to do…

Black Magic – Discussing M11

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Thursday, July 1st – For Sam Black, M10 was a success. He enjoyed the design and the flavour, but it seemed that M11 was not living up to its popular predecessor’s legacy. However, things changed when Sam saw an upcoming M11 Mythic cycle… he discusses his excitement for the new cards today.

The Kitchen Table #344 – 26 Islands

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Wednesday, June 30th – Lands like Rupture Spire, the tri-color taps from Shards, the Refuges, and Evolving Wilds have all done a lot for your multicolor manabase. We have tap lands that become creatures, and older cards like lairs and the Karoo lands from Ravnica block. There are tons of these cheap options available when it comes time to make sure you have your colors. However, what do you do when you don’t need to add special lands in order to have the right colors?

Insider Information – The Scumbag Dilemma

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Wednesday, June 30th – In recent tournaments, Cedric Phillips has acquired something of a reputation. Today, he explains and highlights a pair of controversial yet totally legal plays that he believes are the correct courses of action. He also debates the philosophy of the Magic “scumbag.” Do you agree with his outspoken opinions?

Legacy’s Allure – Stomping Through St. Louis

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Wednesday, June 30th – This week, Doug looks at the results of the StarCityGames.com Legacy Open Series on its stop in St. Louis, Missouri. Check out why Doug was wrong about Thopter Foundry Control, get a sense on why Aether Vial decks are performing well, and learn about how old hits like Aluren are still playable. As a bonus, see what M11 card has got Doug excited to use with Grim Monolith and get the newest sideboard tech card, all in this week’s Legacy’s Allure!

One Step Ahead – Scrubbing in St. Louis

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Wednesday, June 30th – Gerry Thompson rocked up to the StarCityGames.com Open Series weekend in St. Louis with no decks to play. Of course, that wouldn’t stop such a master, and he eventually piloted Turboland and Reanimator to respectable if not inspiring finishes. Today, he shares both good beats and bad, and has fun every step of the way.