Tuesday, October 21st – England’s finest deckbuilder, pro player Stuart Wright, wades into the current Standard format in perfect time for this weekend’s StarCityGames.com $5K Standard Open. He presents some stock metagame lists, plus a few funky ideas straight from his Standard playbook. If you’re looking for something off the beaten path, look no further!
Tuesday, October 21st – Last week, Billy Moreno brought us an exciting anti-control Reveillark deck. Yesterday, Benjamin Peebles-Mundy shared the latest installment of his popular “My Lark†series. Today we complete the Reveillark Trifecta, as Gerry Thompson puts down the Vivid lands and picks up the 4/3 flying elementals…
Monday, October 20th – At the beginning of the year, BPM played Reveillark at the StarCityGames.com $5K Open. He made Top 8. At the $5K in Richmond in May, he played Reveillark again, and again posted a high finish. Guess what he’s playing for the StarCityGames.com $5K Standard Open this coming weekend? Here’s a clue: it’s a 4/3 flying elemental…
Monday, October 20th – The Vintage metagame is brimming with powerful cards and strategies, and Shards of Alara adds a new level of intricacy to the mix! Today’s So Many Insane Plays sees Stephen Menendian take an unassuming Blue artifact for a spin, pairing it with some of the most broken cards in the format! [Editor’s Note – Patrick Chapin will be appearing later in the week!]
Friday, October 17th – With Faeries at the top of the Standard pile, the other stand-out strategy appears to be Five-Color Control, or “Quick n’ Toast.” While there are many variants of this Reflecting-Pool-packing monster, they all seem to stumble to similar weaknesses… and today, Billy Moreno exploits these weaknesses with a couple of new decks! If you’re attending the StarCityGames.com $5K Standard Open, you can’t afford to miss this!
Friday, October 17th – It seems that, despite the loss of some key components, those flighty and fickle Fae are at the forefront of the Standard format once more. With the world going mad over Esper Charm, Luis Scott-Vargas is championing a different, albeit eerily similar, direction. Exactly where can the perfect Faeries list be found? LSV is on the case…
Thursday, October 16th – With the Standard metagame taking shape, the smart money is on the format being dominated by perennial contenders Faeries and Five-Color Control. Today’s Deep Analysis sees Richard Feldman thrash the two gladiators together in order to gain valuable insight into how this important matchup plays out. The StarCityGames.com $5K Standard Open is approaching fast… Be Prepared!
Thursday, October 16th – In today’s edition of Insider Trading, Ben takes a look at the unfortunate reality of card theft. How can you prevent your cards from being stolen? What steps should you take to protect your collection? Read today’s article for tips on how to protect your Magic investment!
Wednesday, October 15th – The Limited PTQ season is now in full swing, and we’ve a couple of high-profile Grand Prix tournaments on the horizon. Today’s Down And Dirty sees Kyle crack and stack four Shards of Alara Sealed Cardpools, offering his own special insights into the deckbuilding process…
Wednesday, October 15th – The New Standard Metagame is slowly taking shape… and while some things change, some things stay the same. With Faeries and Five-Color Control still proving popular and powerful options, Gerry Thompson takes us through his own personal vision of the ideal Five-Color Control configuration, without a Cruel Ultimatum in sight…
Tuesday, October 14th – Drafting with three packs of Shards of Alara is proving to be flexible, funky, and fun. There are options open for both aggro and control drafters, and being greedy can reap considerable benefits. The mana fixing available across the board is outstanding, but what strategies represent the best fixing the format has to offer? BPM investigates the Taplands, Obelisks, and Panoramas, and points the way to perfectly balanced manabases. There’s also a bonus Standard section too!
Tuesday, October 14th – Perceived wisdom suggests that triple Shards of Alara Draft is a blisteringly fast format, with great aggressive options across numerous archetypes. However, what if you fly in the face of this… is it possible to best the quick beats with a greedier strategy? Nick Eisel brings us a primer on a wonderful new draft archetype, powered by obscene amounts of mana fixing. If you’re after a strategy that’s powerful, rogue, and fun, look no further!
Monday, October 13th – Ad Nauseam… a card that has polarized opinion in the Vintage community. Is it a powerful effect that promises much in the Vintage-with-Shards metagame, or is it an overpriced and over-hyped waste of resources. Stephen Menendian believes the card has potential, and Team Meandeck have created a deck to prove it…
Monday, October 13th – Shards of Alara is shaking up all forms of Constructed Magic. From Vintage to Standard, the new cards are causing quite a stir. Today’s Innovations sees Patrick Chapin examine Extended (with an eye to Berlin) and Standard (with an eye to the upcoming StarCityGames.com $5K Open). If you want a head start on your opponents, Chapin delivers!
Friday, October 10th – When new cards hit the Standard metagame, people scramble to showcase new ideas. Another school of thought sees deckbuilders fire up their old strategy favorites, checking what the new set brings to the established strategy buffet. Adrian revisits his well-loved Ponza theories today… can Shards add a little spice to the mix?
