In the second article by a new Feature Writer today, we bring you Nathan Waxer’s take on the Coldsnap pick orders. He concentrates today on the Blue and Green cards, and has some surprising values and views on certain cards. Pick orders are, of course, a matter of opinion… and these two articles will surely fire up the forums with hearty debate.
Today we present the debut article of Benjamin Peebles-Mundy, one of a new crop of Featured Writers! He brings us a comprehensive primer of the triple Coldsnap draft strategy, packed with pick orders for each color, draft archetype discussion, game strategy theory, and much more! This is a fantastic read, and we look forward to many more articles of this caliber in the future.
At Pro Tour: Prague most of the teams for Charleston were already formed. I was teaming with Bernardo da Costa Cabral and Kamiel Cornelissen. We approached some other friendly teams, inquiring about playtesting together. I let Bernardo know about my availability — I could move at any time, to any place, for testing purposes. In the end it was decided we should all gather in Brussels in Bernardo’s own house, after Grand Prix: Torino.
It’s one of my favorite times of the year: new cards, potential for new decks, and my creativity gone wild. I’ve learned my lesson from trying to do the card-by-card reviews. I don’t have the patience. I’m prone to burnout. So this time this review focuses on the only cards you need to worry about.
Chris revisits his popular “Train of Thought” article format… and no, I’m not talking about the card-drawing sorcery. He tackles a number of interesting points, throws in a decklist, and shares some quality cheesecake. What’s not to like?
Nick brings us the stories from his recent PTQ win, qualifying him for Pro Tour: Kobe. After receiving a fine RGD pool, the first he’s received in some time, he highlights the cards that brought home the metaphorical bacon. With detailed match walkthroughs and some interesting Limited insights, Nick’s report is a fine primer for those attending RGD Limited PTQs in the future.
Julien completes his look at the Limited application of Coldsnap with an examination of the Artifacts. He also runs through a number of the more powerful two-color combinations, supplying some excellent advice on picks and play strategies. While U.S. and English Nationals have been and gone (and believe me, you’ll be hearing about English Nats a lot from me…), others have still to sample the vagaries of the triple Coldsnap format. Julien’s article is a fine primer for those wishing to improve their chances.
June was a crazy month for me. I found myself dashing from one place to another. I had the idea of writing an article about my experiences playing Magic in four different countries, but eventually I realized that writing a series would be better, because of both the size and content of the article.
I now have the time to come back home and write for StarCityGames.com on a consistent basis. Writing the Dailies the other week was a lot of fun, and I look forward to the freedom and flexibility afforded to writers here. It feels good to be back – I started writing for Pete back in 1999! When I saw that Steven Menendian was recently celebrating his 100th column for Star City, it made me wonder – how many columns have I written here?
Veteran Japan reporter and Sealed Deck workhorse Eli Kaplan steps in for the Ferrett, with a satchel of issues and miscellaneous thoughts as he brushes up for Grand Prix: Hiroshima.
Rich continues his excellent series of RGD Draft walkthroughs, presenting each pick as it happened and highlighting each card chosen. He shares his final decklist, and gives us a brief overview of his results and processes. As usual, for more detailed draft deconstruction, come visit us in the forums!
There’s no doubt that Stephen Menedian is one of the premier Vintage thinkers in the game today. This article tackles some of the more tricky decisions facing those packing Force of Will in the current Type 1 metagame… so that’s almost everyone. When do you Force? When do you Drain? When do you hold back, and when does playing into a Force reap the rewards? A strong article, packed with positive theoretical tips.
This week, Wizards of the Coast has given the community a chance to select one of eleven dragons for Selecting 10th Edition. I give you the straight rundown on each of the contenders, including the order they will finish in the vote, and the order they should finish in the vote, all things considered.
I guess for me the moral of this whole blog is that if you want to be a serious gamer, you really need to play as many games as possible. Zelda, Poker, Draft, Worlds Decks, Megaman, Survivor, Standard… they all expand your capacity for strategic thought. The more strategies become second nature to you, the faster you can make correct decisions.
I was a little mean at some points earlier this week, but today’s article is going to be all sunshine and cuddles. I’m not really a vicious, angry person, and the few people who saw me drunk can attest to this. You really have to take what I say with a grain of salt, which of course means it’s what I really think, but I don’t want to suffer the consequences of saying it. Thus, if I insulted you in some way – this week or ever – then I was kidding. Ha ha!
