CategoryMagic The Gathering

Feature Article – Combo Elves in Standard

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Friday, May 15th – In 2007, Uri Peleg and his Doran-led army took down Patrick Chapin in the final match of the World Championships. With Standard on everyone’s mind, the ex World Champion brings us an intriguing deck that attacks the format on an under-utilized front. Everyone knows that Combo Elves kicks butt in Extended… Can it do the same at Regionals?

Reflecting Ruel – Discussing Draft #6: Naya, Bant, Exalted, and Five-Color in Alara Reborn

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Friday, May 15th – In the final article in the Discussing Draft series, Olivier Ruel and Manuel Bucher discuss their personal Top Picks from Alara Reborn in the Naya, Bant, Exalted, and Five-Color archetypes! With the multicolour madness coming to MTGO soon, this is perfect timing for those looking for tips in the newest forty-card format.

Next Level Magic Preview – Chats with Jon Finkel and Patrick Chapin

Thursday, May 14th – The following are passages from “Next Level Magic,” Patrick Chapin’s Strategy Guide that is being released as an e-book, here on StarCityGames.com, at the end of the month. Each week this month, there will be an excerpt from the book for your enjoyment. Today: Chats with Jon Finkel and Patrick Chapin.

Yawgmoth’s Whimsy #275 – Waiting for the Reborn Prerelease

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Thursday, May 14th – An Online Prerelease. It is, according to the forum trolls, a disaster which no one will attend. It will destroy Constructed Magic, the singles market, and the Championship series. It is a conspiracy, an Epic marketing fail, and the cause of swine flu. It will also destroy this week’s column, because I am going to spend most of it laughing at the forum posts.

The Justice League – Mixed Bag

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Thursday, May 14th – Every judge, at the beginning of their journey, was not a judge. Also, every judge has to have started as a player at some point. I think this assertion is easy to prove – you learn so much about the game just by attempting to play it, that I can’t really see how you can effectively judge without playing the game.

Flow of Ideas – Preparing For Regionals 2009

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Thursday, May 14th – It’s the week of Regionals and everyone is scouring about for the latest in technology. Alara Reborn is being added into the mix, and it’s making quite an impact. What’s easy to forget is how much information is out there about the format.

Deep Analysis – On Deckbuilding

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Thursday, May 14th – Richard Feldman has created a plethora of powerful rogue creations down the years, with some of his builds propelling their pilots to the pinnacle of the game. Today, in his penultimate article, he brings us some invaluable insight into his personal deckbuilding process…

PV’s Playhouse – Drafting Masterclass

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Thursday, May 14th – Drafting successfully is, in part, an incredible juggling act. There are many balls to keep in the air at once. Rating cards on the fly, knowing when to hate draft, choosing between a fringe playable and a solid sideboarding option – all these skills go toward creating a 3-0 deck. Today, Paulo takes us through some of the more esoteric concepts behind the forty-card format…

Feature Article – More Input: 2 Days, 318 Deck Lists, 1 Answer

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Wednesday, May 13th – If there is one lesson that this past weekend’s dual PTQ in Richmond has for those of us attending the upcoming Regionals, it is that you have two choices: Beat Black/White Tokens, or Play Black/White Tokens. Today, I take a look at the statistics that resulted from the entire weekend, and come up with a comprehensive metagame plan for the coming Regionals tournaments… Enjoy!

MTGCast #154 – M10, New Duel Decks, and

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Wednesday, May 13th – In this week’s edition of MTGCast, there’s talk of M10, rumor mills, Duel Decks, and more!

At The Gathering – Trial and Error

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Wednesday, May 13th – This past weekend, I had a chance to play in a Grand Prix Trial for Seattle. I was all set to shuffle up a new Faeries build as of Wednesday, but further testing showed all I did was weaken my manabase and still lose to Volcanic Fallout too much. So, this week, I’m going to give you a quick rundown of my games and show you some glaring mistakes.

Chatter of the Squirrel – Archetypes in Booster Draft

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Wednesday, May 13th – I do not employ hyperbole when I say that the positioning of a Booster Draft deck is one of the least-understood, least appreciated, least talked-about skills in Magic amongst your average PTQ-level players.

Drafting With Olivier – Shards/Shards/Conflux #30

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Wednesday, May 13th – Hall of Famer Olivier Ruel takes us through an 8-4 draft queue on Magic Online. He shares some comprehensive thoughts about both the picks and the games, and talks us through each step of the way! If you’re looking to improve your Limited game, this is the article series for you!

Down And Dirty – Standard Reborn: My Regionals Choices

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Wednesday, May 13th – Regionals approaches, and you can bet Kyle Sanchez has a few fresh and funky lists up his jumper. In preparation for this coming weekend, and by extension Grand Prix: Seattle, Kyle shares a selection of cool Standard decklists that overflow with rogue potential. If you’re looking for something off the beaten track, this is the article for you!

Positive EV – Discussing Draft #5: Esper, Grixis, and Jund in Alara Reborn

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Wednesday, May 13th – Over the last few weeks, Olivier Ruel and Manuel Bucher have provided us with a comprehensive ranking of the cards in Shards of Alara and Conflux, with regard to all the relevant draft archetypes. Today, they move onto the cards we’ve all been waiting for… Alara Reborn!