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Feature Article – Spotlight on States: Blue-Based Beatdown

Are YOU ready for States?
Newly promoted Level 3 Mage Steve Sadin takes us though our next Spotlight on States article. We’ve had Red aggro from Dan Paskins, and White Aggro from Benjamin Peebles-Mundy… now it’s the turn of Blue-based beatdown decks! Steve brings us five decklists that see the Blue cards take an active part in the beatdown role, admirably paired by the other colors in the Magical spectrum. Aggression coupled with a touch of disruption… is this the recipe for success this weekend? Read on to find out!

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So Many Insane Players – My 2007 Magic Invitational Report, Part 1: Cubing with Kenji

Read Stephen Menendian every Wednesday... at StarCityGames.com!
The 2007 Invitational was not without its fair share of controversy, particularly over the choice of competitors. And once the dust had settled after the first three rounds of Cube Draft, the current Vintage World Champion Stephen Menendian sat proudly at 3-0. Unfortunately, the Auction of the People did not go quite so well… for more details on Stephen’s performance in the first half of the tournament, read on!

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Peebles Primers – Spotlight on States: Beating Down With Gaddock Teeg

Are YOU ready for States?
Our Spotlight on States series continues apace today… Benjamin Peebles-Mundy takes us through some of the ways in which you (or your opponents) can beat down with the kidney-stealing Kithkin Advisor Gaddock Teeg. BPM brings us five decklists in total: two dedicated Kithkin builds, two that rely on the non-Kithkin Green/White guys, and one decklist that’s sufficiently off the beaten path. G/W Aggro has a fine pedigree of late. Will it be enough to capture your State Championships?

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Limited Lessons – Merfolk in Lorwyn

Click here for more info on Grand Prix Daytona Beach!
So, you’ve scrubbed out at States and hit the side events… what now? It’s draft time! So far, We’ve touched on drafting with Elves, Goblins, and Faeries… today, Nick touches base with the nominally strongest tribe on offer in Lorwyn: Merfolk. Sure, we all know that Silvergill Douser is a first-pick bomb, and that this deck tends to play the control role. However, there are more intricate choices and decisions to be made when piloting our fishy friends. Let Nick lead the way!

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Sullivan Library – Spotlight on States: Stupid Green Deck

Are YOU ready for States?
If you check the winning decklists from the past weekend’s StarCityGames.com $1K Standard Open, you’ll see that the winner took home all the marbles with a Mono-Green deck. The Green Machine, it seems, is firing on all cylinders. Today’s first Spotlight on States article takes a different view of Mono-Green, yet molds a deck that is undoubtedly brimming with power. Is this Mono-Green deck gonna rock States? Read on to find out!

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Still Wondering What to Play at States?

Are YOU ready for States?

Still unsure what to play at States? Here are a few suggestions from our StarCityGames.com Premium staff…

Spotlight on States: The Ghosts of States Past (Mono-Green and Rakdos in Standard) by Mike Flores

Spotlight on States: The Siege by Richard Feldman

Spotlight on States: Blue-Based Beatdown by Steve Sadin

Spotlight on States: Beating Down With Gaddock Teeg by Benjamin Peebles-Mundy

Spotlight on States: Stupid Green Deck by Adrian Sullivan

Spotlight on States: Red Aggression in Standard by Dan Paskins

Spotlight on States: Grim Teachings by Patrick Chapin

Blue/White Flying Control by Mike Flores

Wren and Stompy by Tim Aten

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Innovations – Spotlight on States: Grim Teachings

Are YOU ready for States?
In the second of today’s articles in the Spotlight on States series, Patrick “The Innovator” Chapin concentrates on his strengths. He’s been busy tweaking and testing his latest version of Relic Control, priming himself for States competition at the weekend. Aggressive decks tend to come out in force for this tournament… if you’re looking to run with a controlling strategy, look no further!

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Feature Article – Spotlight on States: Red Aggression in Standard

Are YOU ready for States?
The final countdown has begun! States is mere days away, and today’s Feature Article begins a series of pieces intended to inform your final deck choice for the big day. First up, we have Dan Paskins with… yup, you’ve guessed it… the Red spells. Dan brings us four competitive decks, two revolving around pairing Red with Green (And the obligatory Tarmogoyfs), and two focusing on the tribal synergies available with the Goblins. If you’re a fan of the flame, then maybe these are the decks for you…

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Levelling Up – Pro Tour: Valencia

Read Tiago Chan every Friday... at StarCityGames.com!
Going into Pro Tour: Valencia, Tiago Chan had nothing more than a vague idea about his weapon of choice. After a prolonged chat with Frank Karsten, he took up his seventy-five select and attempted to bring home the big check. Sadly, things didn’t go well for Portugal’s finest… and believe me, after some of the bad beats, that’s definitely an understatement! For more tales from Tiago’s table, read on!

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Flores Friday – Blue/White Flying Control

Are YOU ready for States?
States is fast approaching, and it’s time to buckle down and choose our decks!. Today’s Flores Friday sees Mike share an U/W Control build with which he hopes to defend his crown at the end of the month. Flyers, board control, and ridiculous card drawing… what’s not to love? Is this deck the next big thing in Standard? Even if we don’t play it, we can’t afford to ignore it… so read on!

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Deep Analysis – Rock and Nail

Read Richard Feldman every Thursday... at StarCityGames.com!
Extended, it seems, is a wide-open format. The variety of the stronger decks in Pro Tour: Valencia was staggering, and new strategies sat proudly alongside format stalwarts like Domain Zoo and Dredge. One such innovative deck was the Feldman, Hill, and Lybaert offering, Rock and Nail. Today’s Deep Analysis takes us through the concepting and initial design of the deck, which place both pilots in the money when the final cards were flopped…

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Feature Article – Wren and Stompy

States is coming!
Mister Aten doesn’t write often, but when he does… it’s party time! Today he shares some of his more acerbic and humorous views on the Pro Tour (and PT: Valencia in particular), breaking down the runners, riders, and high finishers in his own inimitable style. He then brings us an intriguing Mono-Green Beatdown deck for States… one that doesn’t run Tarmogoyf! If you’re looking for something a little off-the-wall, then read on!

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So Many Insane Plays – The View From Valencia: Demystifying the Pro Tour

Read Stephen Menendian every Wednesday... at StarCityGames.com!

In today’s article, Stephen reflects upon his first Pro Tour experience as seen through the eyes of a Vintage player, and reveals his 2007 Magic Invitational submission! As you can probably guess, it’s pretty strong… but if made, would it see Vintage play?

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Peebles Primers – Faeries in Lorwyn

Click here for more info on Grand Prix Daytona Beach!
Tribes, tribes, tribes… in Lorwyn Draft, you must pledge your allegiance early. Yesterday saw Nick Eisel walk us through some of the finer points of Goblin drafting. Today, it’s the turn of Benjamin Peebles-Mundy, championing the Faerie tribe. While their synergies may not be as eye-pokingly obvious as some of the other tribes, their raw power when combined cannot be denied. Removal, evasion, and trickery… it’s all here!

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Limited Lessons – Goblins in Lorwyn

Click here for more info on Grand Prix Daytona Beach!
Lorwyn is here, and drafting decks that adhere to strict tribal guidelines is obviously the key to success. But in a format awash with tribal options, which tribe is the correct way to go? While early wisdom suggests Merfolk or Faeries as the Lorwyn powerhouses, it’s clear that the Goblin tribe has a lot to offer. Removal, efficient guys, evasion, finishers… it’s all here! Let Nick show us how it’s done…

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