As we all know, a Grand Prix in our own back yard is simply too good to miss… and Paul was determined to make the most of it. Armed with a solitary bye, he entered a Grand Prix Trial and attempted to ride the wave to three free rounds. The story of that, plus his Day 1 performance in the Grand Prix itself, is contained within…
Early in the season, it seemed the pros all knew one thing… that Blue and Red were the colors to be! Of course, differing results cast doubt over that assertion, but Nick is back to lay down the law! Today’s article is a comprehensive guide to the archetype, with common pick orders, uncommons and rares of note, and a strong sample decklist. U/R is Nick’s weapon of choice… can it work for you?
I am typing this at sixty-five miles as I zoom through the winding mountains of Pennsylvania, headed back home to Ohio after a weekend spent with my family. (No worries, my wife’s driving.) But I’m thinking of a card pool that I could not break, and wondering what lessons I can derive from it…
Have you noticed that this week’s Deal of the Week? We’re selling all Pro Player cards for only $.10 each. That’s right, you can buy a Pro for just a shiny dime! Don’t you want to bring love to an unloved Pro? If so, read inside!
This week’s offering has to do with a format known online as Prismatic, of which I have long been a fan. Prismatic is a format of wild draws, crazy interactions, and big, flashy cards. It’s a slower format than most others, and lends itself to control strategies. Most interestingly, all those seven to ten mana cards like Myojins and Time Stretch you long ago dismissed as junk? Chances are, they have a chance to shine here.
States is my favorite time of the year in Magic. New cards, new possibilities, and rogue decklists that may not be so rogue anymore by the time the champions are crowned – what’s not to like? I can’t help but obsessively review the results, studying the different archetypes, identifying new sideboard tech, and searching for rogue decklists. By rogue, I mean different, unexpected, or underrepresented. Anything outside the norm.
If there’s one thing New Jersey showed, it’s that it’s a beautiful thing when a plan comes together. All too frequently, one will see forum posters responding to the “Drafting With Rich” columns in a derogatory and negative way, even going so far as to say “Have you ever even drafted this format before!?!” Rich Hoaen is considered by most to be the best Limited player in the world, a title of respect not given out lightly amongst the highly-contentious Pro Tour players’ community… and has held this title, in ever-widening circles of recognition, for several years now.
With everyone’s focus pulled toward Standard, Patrick “The Innovator” Chapin takes us through a humorous look at a new Extended creation… one that harnesses the strength of the Gauntlet of Power! Extended is currently powered by the Time Spiral goodies we have on offer, but does this mana-producing artifact cut the proverbial mustard? The author offers insight and laughs in equal measure, and rounds out with another impressive edition of (Tune) Drafting With Patrick.
With the StarCityGames.com Power 9 weekend kicking off tomorrow, Stephen brings a fresh new deck to the Vintage table! Of course, the title of the article gives up a main component of this combo-tastic build – High Tide. Is this new deck a powerhouse capable of taking the top prizes this weekend… read on to find out!
Good day! Welcome back to the series that investigates Magic Taxonomy. In today’s entry in the series, I’d like to investigate how to maximize your own deck’s ability to respond to various decks in the Magic Deck Framework.
You have a lot of free time in MTG to make your decisions. Use it to break down decision trees and variable options before your opponent has a chance to truly think about his own board plan. Try to avoid going into a “muscle memory” mode like some fighting game players do… always consider your actions before making them.
Earlier this week, Nick Eisel weighed in with some interesting thoughts on the use of Stormbind in Time Spiral Standard. Today we have Stuart Wright, one of the premier deckbuilders in the UK, sharing his personal take on the card. He brings two decklists to the table, and takes us through other ideas and directions with which we can explore the synergies presented by the current Standard cardpool…
Jeroen reaches edition number 25 of his popular column, the series in which YOU supply the questions! Today’s quarter-century milestone deals with the usual plethora of Magical topics, including Snow-Covered Lands, drafting triple Time Spiral, and Remie’s personal picks for songs of seduction…
Another episode of the Magic Show, the popular video article series by Evan Erwin. In his own words…
Today I’m going to talk about Magic Design. Specifically, the Great Designer Search contest going on over at MagictheGathering.com. Now you’ve already seen our own Ben Bleiweiss – a cool cat if there ever was one – take a shot at last week’s “Take Five” Challenge. Today I’m going to cover “Picture This,” where severe design constraints are given and the designer must find a way out of it.
Our second challenger for the Battle Royale crown is our man in Japan, Eli Kaplan. As a teacher, it is safe to say that Eli is probably ready to impart some “old school” wisdom into the Battle framework… What will he do with his twenty-five bucks?
