We’re going to explore something of a new format this week – one that was new for me, even. It’s not entirely new, but it’s more of a mish-mash of a few other variant formats all tied into one big stew of oddball play. Plus, it ties in with some of the out-loud musing I did at the end of last week’s article (how fortuitous!), so I figured hey, why not? Let’s prep this patient for an exam, shall we?
One of the most common questions I get from people who haven’t played Time Spiral Block yet is if there are any viable swarm or weenie aggro decks that are viable. Most of them have heard people like me go on about how slow the format is, and that White Weenie was doing well before Planar Chaos came onto MTGO… Today, I take a closer look at White Weenie.
After regaling us with high tales from Grand Prix: Amsterdam last week, Jeroen returns to his tried-and-tested Ask The Drama formula. Today’s questions concern the state of Black/White Mid-Range Control in Standard, Mono-Black Control in Time Spiral Block Constructed, plus a few words on when to concede in an important match.
Raph embarks on an exciting new draft series today… Pimp My Draft! He rides shotgun with an “amateur” drafter for the first three picks of a MTGO TTP Draft, before taking the wheel and driving the draft towards the car-park of success. If that weren’t enough, there’s a chance that YOU could be Raph’s next co-pilot! Intrigued? Then read on!
I’m continuing with the Ultimate Extended Tournament. Round 1 is in progress. Some matches are done. What won? Force of Will — almost every time. What lost? Beatdown. Can modern decks compete? Maybe. One made it through round 1. A few matches have not yet finished, but we have judges watching them for slow play.
Mark, fresh of a demoralizing Two-Headed Giant PTQ loss, turns to Constructed formats for sweet succor. He takes a look at a couple of interesting decks, one for Time Spiral Block and one for Standard, and brings us a breakdown of the upcoming tournaments that will impact the Constructed scenes.
When I first scoped out the Planar Chaos preconstructed decks, I was much more excited about what I saw than I was about the Time Spiral decks. The decks just looked more solid. I don’t know if that’s a function of the designers having more cards to work with (although the current set is supposed to be the majority of the cards in any precon) or just designing more attractive decks.
That’s right folks… he’s back! After a brief hiatus in which our favorite grumpy Canadian travelled the world slinging spells in exotic locations, Rich returns to take us through a draft each day – from pick one to pick forty-five – before giving us a quick rundown of his thoughts and games played. For more detailed analysis, come visit the forums!
What is a Good card? What is a Bad card? In specific scenarios, these definitions can be handy short-cuts… but in the abstract, they are doing us a disservice. Today’s Deep Analysis sees Richard break down the definitions into manageable chunks, and in the process he walks us through the differences between power and synergy.
Jamie continues his unrelenting quest to find a broken Green deck in Planar Chaos Standard. Today’s first offering pairs the traditional color of monsters with a little White action, bringing us a deck that harnesses the power of eight Anthem effects. The second deck finally sees Timbermare in the house, a card that Jamie is desperate to play to its full potential…
Paulo, one of the new wave of Brazilian Magic superstars, is usually not one for Grand Prix play. Air fares from South America prove costly… however, a cut-price trip to Amsterdam, with a stop-over in Dallas, paved the way for an interesting road-trip. Sadly, the Grand Prix in Amsterdam didn’t go according to plan. Nevertheless, Paulo offers some invaluable advice on the format, perfect for the approaching Grand Prix in Massachusetts.
Is Mono-Black Control a viable idea with the printing of Damnation and Extirpate? One’s initial response would be “well, duh,” but Dave decided to put it to the test, starting with Jeroen Remie’s original decklist and going from there… Did his experiments succeed? Read on to find out!
This week you have twenty-five tricky trivia questions to answer. How much obscure Magic knowledge do you possess? This is the final week in the second competition, and four people are still in contention. Today’s challenge will determine who will become the next puzzle master.
In the past, Bennie had a beta beef with the availability of City Champs… but that doesn’t stop him hunting down new tech! This week’s You Lika The Juice brings us an interview with a runaway points leader Tom Leveille, and the Standard decklist that his behind his success…
That’s right folks… he’s back! After a brief hiatus in which our favorite grumpy Canadian travelled the world slinging spells in exotic locations, Rich returns to take us through a draft each day – from pick one to pick forty-five – before giving us a quick rundown of his thoughts and games played. For more detailed analysis, come visit the forums!
