Invitational finalist and respected Internet writer Jeff “ffeJ” Cunningham returns to StarCityGames.com each day this week with an expert look at the new Coldsnap cards! Today’s article deals with the White cards in the game’s Winter-themed set… how do they fare in the modern Constructed (and Limited) arena? Is there power to be found amid the snow-capped peaks? The answers are only a mouse-click away!
I arrived at the place I had been destined to go and found it a desolate wasteland. It was cold and deserted, an empty hall bereft of life…
No, I’m not writing fan fiction — that was what the Coldsnap prerelease looked like. There were almost no people, at least not compared to the packed tables of the Dissension prerelease. Where’d they all go? And what’s up with the deck I had to build in the interim?
Stating the case for the mighty Kird Ape, in place of the scheduled Ben Bleiweiss, is the irrepressible Yawgatog. There’s no doubt that Red needs a marquee one-drop in 10th Edition… will Yawg’s stirring speech fire up the band for the Damn Dirty Ape, or will it be a case of Too Much Monkey Business? Kird Ape or Mogg Fanatic… You Decide!
After a brief hiatus, Teddy Card Game returns to champion the cause of the original pesky goblin – Mogg Fantastic! Can the “best one-drop ever printed” shoe-horn itself into the next Core Set? If Ted, and Dan Paskins – and, if I’m being honest, I – had the final say, he’d be an auto-include. Still, the Unwashed Masses have yet to cast their votes… will Ted’s impassioned pleas help sway the decision down the path of Honesty and Truth?
Bennie Smith, a pioneer of Dredge decks, needs your help. In the past, he’s had a modicum of success with the Dredge strategy in Standard… but today, it seems the tools are missing for the deck to truly shine. In the last of his entertaining daily articles, he send out a simple plea: pimp his Dredge deck.
Sean takes an icy plunge into triple Coldsnap Draft, examining the allied color pairings and where they stand on the ladder of strength. Is Blue/White really undraftable? In Green/Red really unstoppable? Sean reveals all…
In the second of today’s “Drafting With Rich” articles, Rich passes up a first pack first pick Char… with good results. He shares each pick as it comes, and comments on his final build and performance in his usual signature style. The forums have been busy with this excellent series. Be sure to tune in on Monday for the first of Rich’s overview articles, where he looks back on the first fifteen drafts and examines their results.
Today we have not one, but two Ravnica Block Draft walkthroughs from the Canadian Draft specialist Rich Hoaen! As usual, he takes us through each and every pick, from number one to number forty-five, and supplies a brief commentary on his final deck and performance. For more detailed deconstruction, come visit the forums!
StarCityGames.com are proud to announce a new addition to our Featured Writer staff… Josh Ravitz! In his inaugural address, Josh looks at the popular Green/White/Blue Glare Dovescape deck that’s currently attacking the Standard metagame. This deck has a superb matchup against the omnipresent Vore deck… but just how robust is it against the rest of the field?
Coldsnap is (virtually) here, and with it comes a Brave New World of Standard exploration. Cumulative Upkeep, Snow Mana, Protection from Snow creatures… does Snow actually matter in the evolving Type 2 metagame? Mike brings us a Snow-themed deck that has surprisingly consistent results against the top beatdown decks seeing play in the modern game. Maybe Snow does matter after all…
Now, I have a guilty confession to make: I’ve been playing Magic for twelve years now, and I had never once bought a piece of Magic artwork. Not that I dislike the artwork on Magic cards – on the contrary, I love the artwork and I think the quality of Magic art is what helps make the game stand head and shoulders above so many other CCGs. The artists come, and I slip them a few cards to sign and don’t even think about purchasing a print.
At StarCityGames.com’s Coldsnap Prerelease, Anthony S. Waters changed all that.
Talen doesn’t fancy his chances. I mean, this is Ben freaking Goodman he’s up against, folks… deckbuilder, clan stalwart, and all-round good egg. So, what tools does Talen have in his arsenal? Can he cope with the might of the Ridiculous Hat?
After trouncing the talented Richard Feldman in last week’s Battle Royale, the Ridiculous Hat now sets his sight on the next target in the roll-call of writers… the ornery Talen Lee. So, will he bring the snakes to the fight, to fend off Talen’s probable Nephilim deck? Or will he move to pastures new? What color deck will he pilot today? (Hint: there’s a clue in the article title.)
Abe brings us a rundown of the Five Color hits and misses from the Coldsnap set. Is the Ohran Viper as good in the casual game as it is in the tournament formats? Are the pitch cards worth picking up? Abe reveals all…
Rich shares his Drafting technique in today’s installment of “Drafting With Rich!” As usual, he runs through a complete RGD draft from pick one to pick forty-five, and adds a brief commentary on his performance and final build. If you’d like some more detailed deconstruction, come visit the forums!
