CategoryMagic The Gathering

So Many Insane Plays — Drafting Against Kenji

Read Stephen Menendian every Wednesday... at StarCityGames.com!
In last week’s So Many Insane Plays, we left Stephen Menendian at 3-3 heading into the entertaining Winston Draft format. With multiple practice drafts under his belt, Stephen felt confident… but was this confidence enough to post a winning record? As we know, the wheels fell of Stephen’s wagon after his sterling 3-0 Cube performance… with pick-by-pick and play-by-play analysis of his Winston drafts, it’s time to see if we could have done anything different.

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Removed From Game – Sprint For The Title

Read Rich Hagon every week... at StarCityGames.com!
424 competitors, and the results mean something different for everyone. 177th can mean Level 3 for next year, 17th can mean falling out of contention for Player of the Year. Let Rich Hagon be your guide round the men and math of Pro Tour: Valencia, including his inimitable explanation for the non-victory of Dredge, your very own Andre Mueller Home Impressions Kit, and more!

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Deconstructing Constructed – Faeries: The Reckoning

Read Josh Silvestri every Tuesday... at StarCityGames.com!
At California States, I’d say there was a hefty chunk of Blue decks complimented by a bunch of Tarmogoyf decks. At the upper tables you could see Cryptic Command being flung around in practically every other match, probably more during the later rounds. A huge number of Teachings and Pickles decks were hanging around the top twenty tables or so, many of which looked like the TSP Block Pickles decks but with Cryptic kicked in…

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Limited Lessons — Elementals in Lorwyn

Click here for more info on Grand Prix Daytona Beach!
Nick Eisel, after bringing us the Lorwyn lowdown on Goblins and Merfolk in Lorwyn draft, turns his eye toward perhaps the most underrated tribe that the new set has to offer: Elementals. At the lower end of the curve, the guys sure look anemic… but their abilities can power up some insane plays. If you’re looking for a draft strategy with both power and guile, maybe the Elementals are for you…

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Sullivan Library – A Wisconsin States Retrospective

Read Adrian Sullivan every Tuesday... at StarCityGames.com!
States has been and gone, and it’s time to review the aftermath. In the grim light of day, were the seventy-five cards we sleeved and shuffled the correct call for this blossoming metagame? Today’s Sullivan Library is in a reflective mood… Adrian looks back at Wisconsin States down the years, sharing deck designs and inspirational stories. He finishes with an excellent Green/Blue deck that placed in the final of this year’s competition in the hands of the formidable Brian Kowal…

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Not The Online Outlook — New Beginnings

That’s right, folks… I’m back! After a prolonged article hiatus, I’ll back to delivering the goods on a weekly basis. However, the old Online Outlook format is no more… Instead, I’m touching on all things Magical. Today, I’d like your help with some clerical duties, and I bring you a triumphant Top 8 Champs report!

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Innovations – Michigan States Report (Yeah, 66 Cards… What of it?)

Read Patrick Chapin every Monday... at StarCityGames.com!
Yeah, you read that right. Patrick “The Innovator” Chapin chose to play a 66-card deck at States. There’s innovation, and then there’s INNOVATION. Today, he looks back at the genesis of the idea, and walks us through the tournament itself. Was it genius, or was it madness? Read on to find out!

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Feature Article – Grand Prix: Brisbane *14th*

Click here for more info on Grand Prix Daytona Beach!
Steve Sadin booked a flight to Brisbane knowing that a good performance could see him locked into Level 3 for the coming year. On the flip side, he knew that a weak card pool, or the whims of the Mana Gods, could leave him empty handed and out of pocket. Today he takes us through the emotional peaks and troughs of his successful trip, shares a little strategy about drafting non-tribal cards in Lorwyn, and brings us a Top 4 States Red/Green Aggro deck. Enjoy!

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In Defense Of Rares

Read The Ferrett every Monday... at StarCityGames.com!
I like the fact that Wizards prints good stuff at the rare level. I like the fact that Tarmogoyf is $35 — not Tarmogoyf specifically, but the occasional chase rares that everyone has to have at a tournament. And you wanna know why? Four reasons, and only two of them are business-related.

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The Magic Show #67 – The Magic Invitational 2007, Part 1

Watch Evan Erwin every Friday... on StarCityGames.com!
Hello, everybody, and welcome to a very special edition of the Magic Show! Three months ago, you guys voted to send me to this thing, and now you get to see what I saw. Watch Kenji go nuts, me explain how I lost to Nakamura, hear from the man who created Tarmogoyf, and more. It’s all inside!

[Editor’s Note: This article was posted on Saturday, rather than the regular Friday… so today you have a chance to watch if you missed it!]

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Unlocking Legacy – Testing (and Hyping) Lorwyn

Read Legacy articles every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Lorwyn cards are legal now, and it seems like no one cares. Newer sets tend to have less of an impact on Legacy rather than older sets. Future Sight brought us the format sweeping Tarmogoyf, so Lorwyn is a letdown by comparison. Personally I tend to find the sets like Lorwyn more intriguing for Legacy. I’ve been going through Lorwyn looking for cards that are better than people give them credit, based on the experiences I picked up looking at other formats and judging. I also put some of the new Lorwyn cards to the test in Goblins.

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Magical Hack – Spotlight on States: Rock Your State

Are YOU ready for States?
It’s funny how telling one week can be, in the world of Magic: the Gathering. While the professional world was torn between a Grand Prix in Brisbane and the Invitational in Essen, a certain little event was run far from these other two on the distant shores of the New World that seems to have distilled a lot of the thoughts and discussion about the Standard format. Some look at the decklists and say, “Elves? Really?” I know I did.

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Levelling Up – My Magic Invitational Tournament Report, Part 1 *Winner*

Read Tiago Chan every Friday... at StarCityGames.com!
It’s fair to say that, after the fireworks of last season, Tiago Chan has hit quite a Magical slump of late. His results have been patchy, which he candidly admits in his weekly articles. Of course, Tiago is supremely talented… this downturn had to reverse itself sooner or later. And if there’s a better place to kick ass than the Magic Invitational, I don’t know where it is! The first part of Tiago’s entertaining Invitational report is only a click away!

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Flores Friday – Spotlight on States: Mono-Green and Rakdos in Standard

Are YOU ready for States?
Defending New York State Champion Mike Flores has not yet settled on a final 75. That’s understandable — the man changes decks more often than he changes socks. Today’s Flores Friday sees two distinct and original deck ideas that are high on his list of options. HE also looks back at his performances at States down the years, to see if there are lessons to be learnt…

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The Kitchen Table #204 – Some Lorwyn Deck Ideas

Read Abe Sargent every Thursday... at StarCityGames.com!
Welcome back, my friends. Last week I created some decks for you using various Lorwyn cards. Today I want to follow that article, but instead of listing a bunch of decks, I will just give you some deck ideas. Today is meant to prime the pump of your own deckbuilding skills.

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