In preparation for Pro Tour: Valencia, Portugal’s Andre Coimbra joined forces with Steve Sadin, Mike Flores, Brian David-Marshall, and more. Together, they looked to demolish the blossoming metagame with a mixture of strategies both old and new. In his first article for StarCityGames.com, Andre shares the development of the deck he played at the PT, updates it for Lorwyn, and reveals his sideboarding strategies. Welcome aboard Andre!
The Vintage metagame seems rife with Gush. Free card drawing spells are undoubtedly broken, and decks such as GAT are prime to take advantage… but how about looking at the metagame from another angle. How about… Goblins? Backed with disruption? Can the fast yet ultimately fair Goblin tribe really kick up a stink in Magic’s most broken format? Patrick aims to find out…
Last week, we read of Tiago’s less than stellar start to the 2007 Magic Invitational. A 3-2 record after Day 1 is not what dreams are made of… but all you need it a place at the table. Today, Tiago continues the story of his epic Invitational win, through Winston draft, Bring Your Own Standard, Vintage, and the finals versus Rich Hoaen. Sterling, inspirational stuff… Congratulations, Tiago!
Last weekend, Mike took to the field of battle with a deck that should look familiar. Unfortunately, a few play mistakes saw him out of contention early. Today’s Flores Friday sees Mike in a reflective mood, examining these mistakes in order to analyse what they signify in the grand scheme of self improvement. We all make mistakes… but learning from them is what makes us better players. Can YOU learn from Mike’s mistakes? Read on to find out!
Today’s Down and Dirty, fresh off a move from Monday to Thursday, concentrates on Lorwyn Sealed Deck. Kyle brings us a tricky cardpool packed with obvious power, but without a clear direction in which we should build. He shares a number of interesting builds, and packs his article with his usual brand of hi-jinks and hilarity.
Last weekend, Patrick “The Innovator” Chapin took a 66-card Teachings deck into the trenches. Was he insane, or was there method behind his madness. Richard Feldman believes that, maybe, playing more than sixty cards in certain situations may be the right move. With a healthy does of theory and logic, he attempts to convince us of his beliefs. If you’re stuck in the “Sixty Is Wrong” dogmatic groove, maybe this is the article that’ll open your mind…
Benjamin Peebles-Mundy planned on running a White Weenie build at States this past weekend. However, a few lost rounds at a pre-States tournament made him change his mind, and his deck. Instead, he ran with a U/W Control build that completely dominates aggro decks, on paper at least. Was this last-minute change enough to propel him into the Top 8? And is the U/W Control deck a serious contender in the new metagame? Read on to find out!
In last week’s So Many Insane Plays, we left Stephen Menendian at 3-3 heading into the entertaining Winston Draft format. With multiple practice drafts under his belt, Stephen felt confident… but was this confidence enough to post a winning record? As we know, the wheels fell of Stephen’s wagon after his sterling 3-0 Cube performance… with pick-by-pick and play-by-play analysis of his Winston drafts, it’s time to see if we could have done anything different.
Nick Eisel, after bringing us the Lorwyn lowdown on Goblins and Merfolk in Lorwyn draft, turns his eye toward perhaps the most underrated tribe that the new set has to offer: Elementals. At the lower end of the curve, the guys sure look anemic… but their abilities can power up some insane plays. If you’re looking for a draft strategy with both power and guile, maybe the Elementals are for you…
States has been and gone, and it’s time to review the aftermath. In the grim light of day, were the seventy-five cards we sleeved and shuffled the correct call for this blossoming metagame? Today’s Sullivan Library is in a reflective mood… Adrian looks back at Wisconsin States down the years, sharing deck designs and inspirational stories. He finishes with an excellent Green/Blue deck that placed in the final of this year’s competition in the hands of the formidable Brian Kowal…
Yeah, you read that right. Patrick “The Innovator” Chapin chose to play a 66-card deck at States. There’s innovation, and then there’s INNOVATION. Today, he looks back at the genesis of the idea, and walks us through the tournament itself. Was it genius, or was it madness? Read on to find out!
Steve Sadin booked a flight to Brisbane knowing that a good performance could see him locked into Level 3 for the coming year. On the flip side, he knew that a weak card pool, or the whims of the Mana Gods, could leave him empty handed and out of pocket. Today he takes us through the emotional peaks and troughs of his successful trip, shares a little strategy about drafting non-tribal cards in Lorwyn, and brings us a Top 4 States Red/Green Aggro deck. Enjoy!
It’s fair to say that, after the fireworks of last season, Tiago Chan has hit quite a Magical slump of late. His results have been patchy, which he candidly admits in his weekly articles. Of course, Tiago is supremely talented… this downturn had to reverse itself sooner or later. And if there’s a better place to kick ass than the Magic Invitational, I don’t know where it is! The first part of Tiago’s entertaining Invitational report is only a click away!
Defending New York State Champion Mike Flores has not yet settled on a final 75. That’s understandable — the man changes decks more often than he changes socks. Today’s Flores Friday sees two distinct and original deck ideas that are high on his list of options. HE also looks back at his performances at States down the years, to see if there are lessons to be learnt…
Our Spotlight on States series continues today with Richard Feldman’s innovative take on a deck built around Doran, The Siege Tower. We all know that a virtual 5/5 for three mana is quite the bargain…. But what else does the Green/Black/White deck need in order to compete in the States metagame? Richard takes us step-by-step through the genesis of the final deck, and shares his matchup strategy and sideboarding plans…
