CategoryMagic The Gathering

The Magic Show #38 — Combo Slivers and Future Sightings

Evan’s latest edition of the Magic Show tackles a number of interesting and evocative topics in video format. We have the age-old Online versus Real Life debate, a decklist for the entertaining Combo Slivers archetype, and a call put to a Magic player no longer with us. Pull up a chair, grab your popcorn, and bang on!

From The Lab – Time Spiral, One Month On

With the Time Spiral Block Pro Tour just around the corner, Craig “The Professor” Jones is forbidden to talk of super-secret Block technology on pain of catapult. Instead, he takes a long look at the Top 8 Standard decks from Grand Prix: Kyoto, and takes us through some of the more questionable predictions he made for the new Standard format when the cards were fresh off the production line…

Bits and Pieces — The Traits of a Great Deck Designer

Today’s Flores Friday sees Mike in a reflective mood. With copious reference to decks past and present, he lists the Top 8 Traits of Great Deck Designers, those pearls of wisdom that elevate the Great Ones high over the heads of us mere mortals. If you’re serious about deck design, or merely want to improve your design edge, then this is the article for you!

Unlocking Legacy: A Modern Goblins Primer, Part I

Grand Prix Columbus - May 19-20, 2007!

Countdown to Grand Prix Columbus! In this article, Chris Coppola takes a look at the Little Red Men. He analyzes the mechanics of Goblins, and discusses strategies for building and playing an optimal version.

The Kitchen Table #175 – Abedraft Revisited, Volume the First

One-seventy five! Hello folks, and welcome to the 175th anniversary of my happy column. If I had the gumption, I’d look up what the special word for 175th anniversary is. However, I’d rather write about Magic than spend five minutes researching a word I’ll never use again. Besides, I used “gumption” in a sentence… I don’t think it’ll get much better than that.

Tact or Friction — Rock Garden

Rock deck owners never put the deck away. They don’t. We just quietly have it, tucked behind all the others, in its own little deck box. It’s almost always got special sleeves, too. Not too new, don’t want people thinking we’re sleeving it up for the next tournament. That’d be silly, because, you know, Rock’s No Good Right Now. But like your favorite dancing shoes, or that embarrassing shirt with the slogan, or that beanie your grandmother gave you and you just can’t bring yourself to get rid of, you keep it.

Chatter of the Squirrel — Block Party

After a fubar with article content last week, Zac returns with a look at two interesting Time Spiral Block Constructed decks that are ready to rock the format! He brings us the lowdown on the Defining Cards of the Format, and helps prepare us for the Little Constructed Season That Could.

Peebles Primers — Taking Dredge to the Top 8

What is it with Dredge strategies and players called Ben? Taking a leaf out of Bennie Smith’s book, BPM takes hi own tweaked G/B Dredge deck and throws it into the IPA Qualifying Tournament ring. Today’s Peebles Primers takes us through the tournament step by step, with comprehensive game walkthroughs along the way. If you’re after a fringe strategy with the power to take home the prize, the look no further than your graveyard!

Levelling Up – Drafting Slivers in Two-Headed Giant

While Tiago didn’t exactly raise the roof at Grand Prix: Massachusetts, his practice sessions with some of the best minds in Magic has honed his skills and formed some strong opinions on how to succeed in Two-Headed Giant Draft. He outlines the four approaches he thinks can make waves in the format, and gives us a comprehensive guide to drafting his strategy of choice: Slivers.

Information: Perfect, Imperfect, Virtual, and False

Magic is a game of information. The better your knowledge of the game state, the better your decisions can be. The greater your information advantage over your opponent, the more likely you are to be able to outplay him.

But what is information? Let Chad explain all!

The Online Outlook #6 — Rock Out With Your Block Out

I love Block Constructed. I hope you do too. Let’s face it, Block is the Constructed format for the true connoisseur. You can keep your Vintage, your Legacy and Standard… Block is officially where it’s at! Today’s Online Outlook takes a look at the current Magic Online Block Constructed metagame… is Teferi conquering all, or does the Soltari Priest send everyone running for cover?

Magic Grab Bag #12 – Lard

I work six days a week, twelve-hour shifts on Monday through Friday, so all my time for writing ends up being on the weekend… but I show up on Wednesday. What follows is my own little contribution to Fatty Week over at the mothership, but of course it will be showing up a week late by comparison. Oops. Oh, well. Nothing for it, so let’s trudge on along now.

Deconstructing Constructed – A Time Spiral Block Constructed Mock Tournament

In honor of March Madness (which will sadly be over by the time you see this), a few of my friends and I decided upon running a 16 deck, single-elimination Time Spiral mock tournament. The format was simple: Best of five games (two pre-board, three post). Single-elimination. Now that you know the rules, let’s get started… because this’ll be a long one.

Looking Back at GP: Dallas *Top 8*

With Jeroen Remie currently snowed under by exam work, John Pelcak steps nobly into the breach, bringing us the full story behind his excellent Top 8 performance at Grand Prix: Dallas. He plumped for the mathematician’s choice, the powerful and dominant Affinity. He flew in the face of Kataki-packers, and made it to the top tables! To find out how, read on…

Pro Perspective – Pimp My Draft #3

Raph returns fresh from Boston with a new edtition of Pimp My Draft! Today’s offering sees Yohan pilot the first three picks of a Magic Online TTP draft, before Raph takes over. There were some counter-intuitive picks made in this one… did you agree with Raph’s choices? And next time on Pimp My Draft, Raph takes a willing forum-dweeler on the journey, so make sure to make your voices heard!