CategoryMagic The Gathering

Magical Hack – They Might Be Two-Headed Giants

With the Two-Headed Giant States championships occurring this weekend, Sean takes a timely look at the format. He shares a typical Two-Headed Giant cardpool, and walks us through his deck decisions and card choices. The format is new, especially with the 30-life rule, and we all need every little edge we can get. All this, plus a bonus article from a Two-Headed Column, Jason Hall!

From The Lab – Planar Chaos White in the New Standard

Can it be true? Has Craig “The Professor” Jones really turned his back on the Dark Side in order to embrace the Light? Are his fabled tales of scorpion pit-traps and buckets of soapy frogs now a thing of the past? In today’s edition of From The Lab, Prof cooks up a set of exciting and playable decks based around the White cards in Planar Chaos. Hopefully this dalliance with the Forces of Justice will be short-lived, and he’ll be back to his diabolic ways soon…

Flores Friday – Rebuttal: An Alternate Rule of Engagement

Earlier this week, Richard Feldman offered his “Rules of Engagement” for the current complex Extended format. While his argument held weight, Mike Flores respectfully disagrees with his assertions. Indeed, Mike believes that the current Extended format, far from being an ornery bramble-patch of treachery, is actually one of the more simplistic formats we’ve ever faced. Intrigued? Then read on…

Ask the Judge, 3/2/2007: Feature Friday

There’s a storm coming, so Feature Friday has moved to higher ground. That storm is the new DCI Penalty Guide: the most significant revision to a tournament document since the 6th Edition rules revision. Level 4 judge Toby Elliott explains the layout of the new PG, the reasons for the change, and what to expect the next time you play in a sanctioned tournament.

Unlocking Legacy — A Metagame Update

Legacy has advanced significantly since my last comprehensive analysis of the format. Many players all over the world are innovating, and the most competitive decks are becoming quite diverse. In this article, I will analyze the formats latest developments, and make some predictions about the metagame at this weekend’s Mana Leak Open 2.

The Kitchen Table #170 – Secret Alliances

Hello, good people of Earth. I hope that this article finds you well, and that you are on the way to happiness. Today I want to explore a multiplayer format that we occasionally play at my place… a format called Secret Alliances.

Tact or Friction — Mistakes and Zhuangzi

Today, we’re going to talk about mistakes. We’re going to talk about why you make them, what they say about you, what you can do to stop them. And to get through that, we’re going to have to talk about why your brain stops working.

Chatter of the Squirrel — Cephalid Breakfast 2007

With one Extended PTQ left for poor Zac, he’s furiously attempting to break the format in time to win a precious blue envelope. Today’s article brings us an interesting combo deck that has, and I quote, “the fastest goldfish in Extended.” Does Cephalid Breakfast have the requisite plums to swing with the Big Dogs in this furious environment?

Peebles Primers – Time Spiral Block Constructed

Benjamin Peebles-Mundy continues his excellent series of primer articles with a formative look at four decks that should cause a splash in Time Spiral Block Constructed. Teferi COntrol, White Weenie, and Scryb & Force all come under his microscope… as does an interesting concoction known as Powerglove.dec. With Planar Chaos in the Block Constructed mix, it’s time to take up the Block challenge. Are you ready?

Levelling Up – Pro Tour: Geneva: Day 2

Day 1 at Pro Tour: Geneva saw Tiago fighting for his Magical life after posting a 0-2 start. With a little luck and a lot of skill, he secured himself a Day 2 berth. Today’s Levelling Up continues the story, covering Drafts 3 through 5. Tiago also gives us his opinion on the U/W control draft archetype, and shares his thoughts on what to draft in TTP.

Feature Article — Drafting With Planar Chaos

Julien Nuijten, part of the team that won this years Limited World Championship crown, brings us his thoughts on drafting with Planar Chaos. He outlines his favorite strategies, highlights some overdrafted and underdrafted cards, and shares a few tips and tricks for the coming Two-Headed Giant tournaments.

The Online Outlook #2 — How Low Can You Go?

It’s a funny old time for Magic Online. The metagame has shifted to incorporate Planar Chaos, but nobody has had any real access to the cards. You can buy them, and play them in Constructed events… but you can’t play Sanctioned Limited (until 9am tomorrow). So, while the true MTGO Metagame remains in limbo, I’ve turned my back on Premier Event results, to take a little look at Premier Event playing….

Magic Grab Bag #7 — Turtle Power

Mono-White Control, an old favorite of some back in the days of Onslaught (though why anyone shunned Goblins back then is beyond me), may now be more than viable in Planar Chaos Standard. Powered by Gauntlet of Power, does this classic “Turtle” archetype have the tools to get the job done in a world dominated by Dralnu du Louvre and Dragonstorm? Read on to find out!

Deconstructing Constructed – Spiralling into Chaos: A Look at Time Spiral Block

Extended season is officially winding down, so it’s time to shift focus to the baby of the Constructed formats: Block! Today’s Deconstructing Constructed takes an overview of Time Spiral Block Constructed and hints at some of the highlights we can come to expect when Planar Chaos filters through into the Block Metagame. Volcano Hellion my Stuffy Doll? Gee Gee, my friend…

Ask The Drama — Playtesting, Pros, and Two-Headed Giant

After Jeroen’s impassioned plea for questions last week, the Magic community rallied round and sent ‘em in by the dozen. Mr Remie casts his experienced eye over topics as diverse as proper playtesting techniques, the lack of characters on the Pro circuit, and Two-Headed Giant Sealed deck. And in light of his perceived reputation — that of negativity — he promises to be super-positive today!