I don’t know why, but I’ve been building Extended decks. I guess I just want a new format with which to experiment. I’ve been playing freaking Slivers at my past couple of FNMs, and while fun, I really want to play with some expensive cool-looking cards. As I said last week, I’ve been trying to graft the Counterbalance plus Sensei’s Divining Top combo on to a bunch of decks, so here are two more of my semi-successful attempts.
Extended, the format on everyone’s mind at the moment, is plagued by a proverbial 800lb Gorilla in the room… at least, that’s the view of Patrick “The Innovator” Chapin. Dredge, he feels, is significantly warping the young metagame, to the point where the hate is generally not enough. Is the grave-born strategy that much of an issue, or can it be taken down with a little application? Decklists, matchup tips, game walkthroughs, and more!
Craig “The Professor” Jones was almost one of the Nearly Men at this year’s Magic Invitational. He nearly made it in via the Storyteller ballot. Then he nearly made it in via the Fan Favorite. To cap it all, he even nearly made it in as the R&D choice. After missing out three times, it seems that certain absentees have paved the way for his inclusion in the hallowed sixteen! Today, he shares a few Invitational card ideas… and asks for our help in honing the finished version.
For many, Masters Edition is a chance to play with old cards that they can no longer afford. But for people like me, it’s a chance to go on about the tales of how I used to play that card back in my day, when I also wore an onion on my belt, as was the fashion at the time. So not only do I discuss the greatest Limited hits of Masters Edition, but I give you bizarre anecdotes of what it was like to play those cards back in the days before the Internet! Yes, you too can relive a past you never had!
In Block Constructed’s last hurrah, Tiago Chan stuck with the tried and true: Blue/Black Teachings. He placed a creditable 46th, and recounts his performance here. But this is not your run-of-the-mill report, dear me no. It’s packed with strategic insights and laugh-out-loud stories. The format may be finished, but the memories will linger long… enjoy!
Today, Doug takes a look at two of the hottest new decks from Gencon and evaluates how they play against each other. Find out whether the Aether Vials in Cephalid Breakfast can create an inevitability that Threshold cannot match, or if the Spell Snares from the other side of the table are simply too much to combo out against! Take part in the forum and discuss whether Doug made the right plays or if his sideboarding plans were incorrect!
Hello everybody, and welcome to another edition of the Magic Show. This week we’re going to revisit one of my text articles from last year and focus on the Cube. What is the cube? It’s 410 cards of pure joy, and if you’ve warmed up to the latest Type 4 craze, I think you’ll dig this too. WARNING: Contains Spoilers.
In our continuing adventures delving into the Extended format, we’ve had a chance to look at a variety of aggressive decks while working on a Psychatog deck or two. Getting a feel for the modern Extended format is a very important part of building an effective deck, and seeing just what Tarmogoyf can do is another good way for learning how to play the format. After all, if Tarmogoyf can save otherwise terrible archetypes by carrying them on his broad shoulders, it’s the kind of thing you’d need to know about when preparing for the Pro Tour in Valencia.
With the Pro Tour looming large, it seems that all the cool kids are playing Extended. Today, Mike turns his eye to the format as a whole, and dissects the major archetypes that will be making a splash in Valencia. Each deck is laid bare, with both strengths and weaknesses writ large for all to see.
Good Thursday to you! Welcome back to the series that will take 200 non-rares and put them up for your perusal. Included here are some of the best hidden gems I know. Today we are counting down 150-101, but remember, these cards are not ordered… not until we get to the Top 50. Ordering a Top 200 would be a bit much, don’t you think?)
At the prerelease, I would be shocked if someone didn’t try to play Garruk, add a counter, play a two-drop, and activate the Overrun ability all in the same turn. Or, alternatively, someone will try to make three Beasts in one turn. Or perhaps someone will try to make a Beast during an opponent’s attack step. Of course, it doesn’t work in any of those ways; you can only use one of the loyalty abilities each turn, you can only use it once, and you can only do it at sorcery speed.
It’s been a while – probably too long – since I reached into my male bag. I mean, my mailbag. Without further ado, let’s see what interesting stuff is in here. As usual, I’ll be changing the names to protect whatever dignity people have left after writing to me. Unless they want me to use their name. In which case, I will decide if they’re just going for Internet immortality or if they’re being genuine.
It seems that Nick Eisel’s week off has lasted less than three days! In this late edition of Limited Lessons, Nick returns to his popular Draft Situations article series, and today’s tricky troubles are from the top drawer. Our Limited expert touches on choosing bombs over consistency, how to correctly analyze a draft cardpool, and when to gleefully ignore the cool plays when going for the throat…
Richard is on a mission. For the past few weeks, Mike Flores has been lending his support to the “four and one” school of deckbuilding: this theory explains why having any number of a particular card in your deck other than “four” and “one” is inherently flawed. Richard disagrees. In today’s Deep Analysis, he attempts to set the record straight with what we in England call “fightin’ talk.” Let battle commence!
Gamers aren’t born, they’re created. I remember as a kid, games were big in my family. I can remember learning Risk at a young age, with my mom and dad and my sister and I battling across the globe some Saturday evenings, quickly realizing that trying to hold Asia was a fool’s errand, and learning the joys of Fortress Australia. Whenever the cousins on my Mom’s side got together at my grandparents’ house, we’d break out various board games. One favorite was Clue, and I was always Mr. Green. Hmm, foreshadowing perhaps?
