The Standard metagame has crystallized around three Tier 1 decks: Dragonstorm, Gruul, and Dralnu du Louvre. Of late, it appears that the decks with Red have eclipsed the Control deck… but lately, the counterspells have been fighting back! Benjamin takes the Blue/Black masterpiece and updates it for a Brave New Metagame, just in time for Regionals!
When a new set release hits the streets, people invariably go gaga over the new tools. “Look at Aven Mindcensor,” they’ll say. “It totally hoses Dragonstorm! And Yixlid Jailer spells death for the Dredge strategy!” However, while such cards do have obvious applications in the metagame, they come with a considerable amount of baggage. Are these hidden costs worthwhile? Chad is keen to find out…
Last week, Jeroen cast his dignity in the dirt and literally begged for your questions. You responded in your droves, packing his inbox with enough content for five or six weeks! Today’s Ask The Drama begins thinning his inbox, and Jeroen answers questions on coping with playing a Big Name Pro, Mono Black in Standard, and much much more!
Sadly for Player-of-the-Year-chasing Raph, Grand Prix: Strasbourg was nothing to write home about. A few wins, a few losses, and no Day 2 action. In a change of pace, Today’s Pro Perspective sees Raph asking some pertinent questions regarding cheaters and cheating. To answer these questions, we have a Level 4 and a Level 5 judge ready and eager to help! So, if you’ve ever wondered about infractions at the top level of sanctioned play, this is the article for you!
As you may have read in the official coverage, Richard Feldman and Zac Hill took a fresh-looking Trinity Green deck to Grand Prix: Columbus… and Richard came very close to making the final table. Today’s Deep Analysis looks at the creation of the deck, and provides a game-by-game rundown of the Grand Prix action!
Jamie returns to his roots with some good old-fashioned fattie-lovin’… as he says himself, there’s nothing sweeter than casting a huge guy, watching your opponent struggle to deal, and once they have… casting another one. He also brings us up to speed on his European adventures, and shares a few Future Sight Green cards that have been tweaked with a touch of the Wakefield magic…
Stephen takes a split-level look at the two older formats today. First up, he looks at Vintage. He brings us an interesting Doomsday list for those Vintage players who enjoy a good puzzle, and says a few words on the hardy perennial Meandeck Gifts. In Legacy, he shares his personal build of Hulk Flash, a build that he believes is the definitive version of the deck thus far…
Once upon a time, not so long ago, there was a popular TTT draft strategy called U/R. It was the biggest and strongest draft strategy in the kingdom. Then, suddenly, along came Planar Chaos, and the strategy got a little weaker. Then came Future Sight, and the strategy fell to pieces. What went wrong? Nick answers that question, and provides an excellent breakdown of all the U/x color parings for TPF draft!
He’s been away for a while, but Mr Rizzo is back with a bang! Today’s dose of Rizzo Genius takes us through his long hard haul towards this year’s Regionals, with update after update to his popular Nearly Mono-Black in Standard deck. Expect no maindeck Black cards by the end of the article. He also recounts something rather frightening… I’ll let the great man tell that tale in his own irreverent fashion.
Craig “The Professor” Jones takes a long hard look at the Blue cards from Future Sight… and decides that they’re simply not worth the bother. Instead, he talks about his preparation for this weekend’s big Grand Prix event, and his hopes and fears concerning the format. Those of you who believe this article will cover Strasbourg and Time Spiral Block Constructed… think again.
With Regionals just around the corner, Mike ups the ante… with not one, not two, but three Standard decks packed with Future Sight cards! Each deck has a controlling feel, and there’s copious input from Patrick “The Innovator” Chapin, who “fixes” one of Mike’s deck (much to the Resident Genius’s delight). Mike’s creations constantly warp the Constructed metagame, and these decks are no exception. If you’re looking for an edge in the coming Standard environment, look no further!
When preparing for Pro Tour: Yokohama, Mr Pelcak planned on running his homebrewed Red/White Control deck. However, when White Weenie started making mincemeat of that particular seventy-five, he audibled into the popular Mono-Red deck that almost took him all the way. Today, he shares the highs and lows from the tournament, and suggests some ideas for the deck post-Future Sight.
Grand Prix: Stokholm… Time Spiral Sealed Deck. And the one missing thing from Tiago’s resumé? A Grand Prix Top 8. After a successful Day 1, Tiago was sitting pretty for Day 2 competition. However, as we all know, the wheels fell of his wagon somewhere. So where exactly did it go wrong? Tiago reveals all…
Dragonstorm is the best deck in Standard. Coming in a (not-so) close second is R/G Aggro, a.k.a. Gruul. Since this game began, folk have enjoyed beating down with little Green and Red men, and finishing the job with red burn to the face. Future Sight has brought some interesting Red and Green cards to the table… just how do they fit into the grand scheme of reducing your opponent from twenty to zero? BPM reveals all!
Raphael Levy, Hall of Famer, current leader in the Player of the Year race, has undoubtedly tasted his fair share of lucky breaks. However, there’s an old saying out there… one that states “you make your own luck.” Is this indeed the case? Is it possible to influence such random events with a little tenacious guile? In today’s Pro Perspective, Raph talks about the nature of Luck itself, and reveals that those lucky topdecks may not be so lucky after all…
