Constructed Champs (fka States) is coming. Like the rest of the world, I’m devouring everything I can find, trying to guess the metagame. I watch websites, read the pundits, pros and wannabes, and scour the early tournaments. The result — I have no clue what the real metagame will be.
Let me explain…
Last week, we had a look at a lot of different viable options for the upcoming State Championships. One of the key contenders for “deck I would play at States” was discussed there in its non-final form; one of the key contenders for “best deck to play for States” was discussed there (I just don’t want to play it); and the second deck I would consider playing at States hadn’t even been born yet…
The archetypal Red mage Dan Paskins takes a look at the agressive decks offered in the current Standard environment, and poses an interesting question: instead of “tweaking your deck to beat Zoo,” why not simply
Despite a number of high-profile events attempting to define the ongoing Standard metagame, the field is officially wide open. Josh takes a look at some of the myths and fallacies that are present in the respective tournament results. He looks at some of the stronger decks fielded thus far, and draws some interesting conclusions…
Standard Champs is this weekend, people! Why haven’t you settled on your final deck? For those of us still in the limbo of uncertainty, Mike reports from a Standard tournament held this past week at Neutral Ground. His sixteen-man tournament yesterday brought us a surprise winner… and believe me, the shock wins just keep on coming. If you’re still looking for last-minute tech, then this is the article for you!
While the rest of the community wonders what to play at Champs, StarCityGames.com Premium members are getting their deck ideas from some of the greatest minds in the game!
Sixteen – A Time Spiral Standard Tournament Experiment by Mike Flores
Dragonstorm in Time Spiral Standard by Stuart Wright
The Lawn Mower, The Cockroach, and Shovelling Snow – 3 Decks for Time Spiral Standard by Kyle Sanchez
You Make the Call by Mike Flores
The Black Perspective: That Other Standard Article! by Osyp Lebedowicz
Testing for the New Standard: U/G Versus Solar Flare! by Josh Ravitz
Grape Nuts, Flag Burner, and Turbo Balance: The World of Non-Firemane U/R/W by Pat Chapin
And Now For Somebody Completely Different… by Mike Flores
Building Decks With Time Spiral by Stuart Wright
Ten New Standard Decks with Time Spiral by Pat Chapin
The Future of Solar Flare by Naoki Shimizu
Anecdotes Regarding Time Spiral Standard Testing by Mike Flores
Time Spiral Standard: Testing from the Top by Mike Flores
White Weenie In Time Spiral Standard by Tim Aten
Give yourself an edge over the competition… become a StarCityGames.com Premium member today!
The Standard Champs articles keep on coming! Mike Flores (the metagame messiah) brings us a mock sixteen-man Time Spiral Standard tournament, pitching all the major players head-to-head in one mighty fight to the finish! Each game and matchup is examined in detail, and the winner… let’s just say you may be surprised at the outcome. The metagame is now slowly taking shape. Make sure you’re prepared!
Abe Sargent, Casual Writer supreme, took on Pro Tour Champ Jeroen Remie… and nearly took the crown! Piloting a deck of Jeroen’s design, he put up a fair fight. Read his match report here!
Jeroen stood tall against an Abe-ified deck of his own design… and lived to tell the tale. The match was close, but the relentless march of the elephants proved too much for Abe in the end. Jeoren supplies a detailed match breakdown… congratulations Jeroen!
With the advent of Ravnica block, making a good multicolor deck has become a lot harder to me. Other, more fiscal writers can afford to start a decklist with Hand of Cruelty and Paladin En-Vec, knowing their manabase will support it. Without that reliance, you look for other, more readily available ways to improve your chances.
We are going to look at the control decks of the format today. I feel that these decks are going to have a huge part of the Champs environment (when has control been weak?). We get many solid cards from Time Spiral for the control strategies, and these decks are where I have spent the bulk of my testing time. I am a control player at heart, and I feel that I know this style a lot better than I know the aggressive decks or the tempo decks.
Kyle returns to the pages of StarCityGames with an entertaining look at three new deck ideas that are ready to smash all comers at this weekend’s Champs tournaments! Mono Blue, Life From The Loam, and The Rack are all entertained and examined, and Stormbind also makes a timely Constructed appearence. Kyle even treats us to his Karaoke rendition of a Spice Girls classic! You have been warned…
In the new Time Spiral Standard, it seems that the combo deck of choice involved ramping to nine mana and casting Dragonstorm. Today’s Champs article sees Constructed specialist Stuart Wright take a long look at the archetype in question, analysing possible cards for the deck and producing two decklists that are both strong and durable. Are you planning to cook up a Storm this weekend? If so, this article is for you!
Evan Erwin was on-site when the new Solar Pox deck won the StarCityGames.com $1,500 Standard Open – and he got it all on video! Today’s article sees this incredible deck face off against opponents in Round 7, and both the quarter- and semi-finals! Thinking of playing this deck at Champs this weekend, and wanting to learn how to play the deck from first-hand successes? Come look and see!
It is in the mind of almost every single rogue (“bad”) deck designer to one day discover an archetype, to be the man with their name in lights, and the one who gets to bequeath a stupid name upon a deck and hear people recite it whenever they chat about matchups. It’s a pipe-dream, of course, since enthusiasm and a lust for glory only make up a small fraction of good deck design, with hard work, skill, and an ability to play the game as well as build for it make up the majority of the rest.
