CategoryMagic The Gathering

(Pre-Recorded)

Three rings, then a click ————————————————— Thank you for reading Tony’s article. Tony isn’t here right now, but if you’d like to e-mail him a message (or some unprovoked abuse) then do so at the following e-mail address: [email protected] Alternatively, you could wait for the beeps and read his pre-recorded stream-of-consciousness musings. BEEP BEEP BEEP…

No… More… Zardoz

To be honest, I had no sense of danger looking through the Sci-fi section of the local video shoppe. I had already picked up Michael Moore’s "The Big One", but there was a deal that promised free popcorn if I rented another flick. It was the perfect opportunity to finally see the Outer Limits episode…

CASUAL FRIDAYS #52: There Can Be Only One

I am going to spend most of this week discussing the rather well-known "Highlander" format. I consider this to be a terrific format for casual groups to try, since it solves about three problems at once for many players. But before I do, I want to make a kind but apologetic note about another popular…

Build Your Own Expansion, Operators Are Standing By: Part I

At long last, I can finally sleep now: I have discovered the true meaning of the word "rhystic." Does anyone remember a very seldom-played card from Ice Age called ? For those who don’t remember the card text, it read: U Enchantment Cumulative Upkeep: 1 Whenever target opponent successfully casts a non-creature spell, you may…

Look out – Tournament!

Once again a Bath monthly Type II tourney is just around the corner, and this month we’ve managed to get a lot more testing in. There have been several reasons for this: I’m getting home an hour and a half earlier than I was, for a start, but the main reason though is that someone…

Apparently, I Suck TWICE As Much!: The End of an Interminable Contest

It has been officially proved that I suck. And not just because of this contest, either! Chris "Better Lucky Than Good" Cade combed my article to find that I had said: "(And incidentally to the incidentally, Sealed Deck and Draft are the closest thing to "fun" you’ll find in tournaments. I like Sealed Deck, even…

Six Of One And Half-Dozen Of Another?

Twice! Twice in a row I’ve gotten on Meridian Magic. Well, ain’t I just the most honored writer on the ‘Net? (Answer: No.) But, last week, I promised my faithful readers a serious article – so enough about me. I was having a discussion about how two cards added up to each other a little…

Ooo — A Game!

My darlings, Here’s an extract from a recent e-mail I (may have) received: "Dear Tony, "When will you bring back your entertaining cryptic clue quiz thing – you know the one I mean? Love, Mrs Trellis North Wales" This e-mail is typical of hundreds of e-mails that I get … (comedy pause) … from Mrs….

FINAL JUDGEMENT: The State-Based Effects

Want to make a casual Magic player go "Huh?". Just say "State-based effect". You might as well have aliens crawling out of your belly. But I’m here, Sigourney Weaver-like, to banish that all away. State-based effects (SBEs) are a special set of rules that are applied whenever a player is going to receive priority, prior…

Casual Fridays #51: Leveraging Your Full Collection For Maximum Utility And Efficiency In A Dot.Com Age

I read an item in Newsweek recently that quoted a guy running for town council in Southwest Ranches, Florida: "I would really appreciate if people didn’t vote for me." Why on earth would he say this? Well, it turns out he’s a fireman, and three years away from retirement (and, I assume, significant pension and…

The More I Learn About Magic, The More I Suck

– Draw a card. Play all the cards in your hand that you can. Attack. Done. – main phase and Tim you for one. – this guy, attack you. – , make 3 tokens, tap ’em for stuff…and I keep ’em forever. Yes, the fun days. End of turn – what’s that? The stack –…

The Metagame: Is it a Multiplayer Concept?

In the parallel universe that I used to live in, was a truly killer card. Here’s what I had to say about at the time when it came out: ": Okay, I , then I . Now I . Is there anything left on the board? Say, my big flying Dragon is? Great! Not the…

There Is No Choice At All

This week there’ll be no irreverent nonsense, no puns or bad jokes, because I need to share my predicament with you: My wife hates Magic: The Gathering Not in a "fire and brimstone" or "choose between me or it"-type way, but it’s getting close. She plays other games, but has never found any particular appeal…

Weapons of Mass Distraction: Going Rogue in Five Easy Steps

Well, I claimed last week that I was going to talk about MBC combo decks, and I will … sort of. The reason I shifted the focus this week was because I just read article on NeutralGround.net, where he lambasted the PTQ-playing public for being little guppies and playing "Follow the Leader" when it came…

I Don’t Know Much About Art, But I Know What I Like

First off: I never claimed I was all that sexy, although Cathy Nicoloff has taken to posting my stuff on Meridian Magic as "2 Sexy Meddish" on occasion. While I seriously doubt that I can truly be put in the same class as George Clooney, in the greater scheme of things, it’s far better to…