Raph continues his quest to level up to Pro Player Club Level 5… today’s installment looks at the ups and downs of Pro Tour: Kobe. Raph was 5-1 going into the third draft… where did it all go wrong? This article contains sume invaluable Time Spiral Limited advice, perfect for those travelling to Grand Prix: New Jersey this weekend. Who knows, maybe you can beat Raph at his own game…
You will knock over liquor stores and leave cars full of empty cardboard boxes on bridges and in tunnels. You will jump the turnstile in the subway and run past security at the check-in counter. You will throw red paint on granite lions and draw your fingers through wet cement, noticed but never, ever, caught. You will steal the glasses off the nose of the local librarian and pour water in the sixth grade teacher’s potato chips. You will do anything — anything — that you possibly can, make every noise and exaggerate every motion, to distract the authority figures from what is really going on. You need time, and to get that time, you need them not to kill you. All war is deception, even this one. You will be a cardboard ninja and a digital assassin, distracting the enemy from anything that matters with everything that doesn’t. And when you’re done, when you’re spent to your last card, and his mana is tapped even though he’s convinced that he’s won, you’ll tap out Hellbent, point and click, and he’ll go down muttering about how lucky you were to topdeck.
Put simply, you will learn the most important lesson you possibly can in the quest for dominating a game of Magic – no lies!
Richard completes his excellent series on building a Constructed manabase with the most intricate installment yet – honing the color and mana requirements of any given deck. He looks at a number of recent examples to emphasize his theories, and shares a mass of insight that can only aid us in our quest to become superior deckbuilders. A fine conclusion to a strong series.
Quentin has spent the last four months travelling around the world… he’s back, and this article sees him in a reflective mood. Mr. Martin takes us through the card evaluation process, and warns us against the dangers of ignoring the surrounding ephemera that can cloud rational judgement. Never take a card’s worth at face value… there’s more to this skill than one might expect.
Mr. Remie brings us the latest edition of his Ask Jeroen column, tackling tricky reader-posed questions on all things Magical. Today’s grab-bag of topics includes Jeroen’s thoughts on the post-Champs Standard metagame, an examination of an intriguing Black/Red Extended aggro deck, plus much more!
This coming weekend sees the Grand Prix circuit stop in New Jersey, and Paul Jordan has been practicing hard for the event. Today’s article is packed with two things – Sealed deck advice, and interesting New Jersey facts. Did you know that using Scryb Ranger’s ability is a fine foil to Assassinate? Fair enough… but did you know that New Jersey is the diner capital of the world? All this, and more, inside!
After a lengthy absence, the 2005 Player of the Year Kenji Tsumura returns to StarCityGames.com! Today he begins the epic tale of his storming performance at Pro Tour: Kobe, covering the first three drafts and sharing insights on the Time Spiral draft format. He also gives us some advice concerning sideboarding in Limited matches…
Rich continues his Drafting series with the new cards from Time Spiral. He takes us through a draft each day, from pick one to pick forty-five, and adds his final decklist and preliminary thoughts on his build and his final performance. Rich also mans the forums, answering your more intricate questions regarding his choices.
Tiago’s continued successes on the tournament Magic scene can be attributed to hard work, dedication, and talent. Today he tells the tale of his Top 16 performance at Grand Prix: Athens, and how his performance tied in to his preparation for the Big Show: Pro Tour: Kobe. He gives an overview of his drafting technique, and shares some of the funny moments experienced on the road…
That’s right, folks… he’s back! Time Spiral drafts on MTGO start today, and to celebrate we have a new series of Drafting With Rich, starting today. As usual, Rich takes us through a draft each day, from pick one to pick forty-five, and adds his final decklist and preliminary thoughts on his build and his final performance. Rich also mans the forums, answering your more intricate questions regarding his choices. Welcome back, fella… we’ve missed you.
Nick rounds out his entertaining Pro Tour: Kobe report, covering each round of play from the second day. His drafts show that even Limited experts can come unstuck at the highest level – winning decks can fall by the wayside, and apparent “steaming piles” can go all the way. While Nick didn’t quite make the bright lights of Sunday play, his money finish proves that his take on the format bears close examination…
Craig “The Professor” Jones brings us tales of high drama from both Athens and Kobe, and shares his Level 4 Mage insight on the new Limited format. His draft experience thus far swings from total destruction to utter dejection, will a call at all stations in between. What’s the best color in the format? Is control a viable strategy? Was the Pro Tour Top 8 draft a lie? All this, and more, revealed inside!
Josh took Solar Pox to Champs. After all, the deck had pedigree – it placed first in the recent StarCityGames.com $1500 Standard Tournament. Unfortunately for Mr. Ravitz, it was not enough to propel him to the top tables… nevertheless, he shares his insights on the deck, and reports on the full day of play.
Time Spiral Limited events begin on Magic Online today. Nick brought us his take on the format in his Kobe report above: now it’s the turn of Kyle Sanchez. He shares his views on Time Spiral draft, alongside all five of his money-making decklists. Tech, tips, and tricks… plus some of the more decadent stories that chronicle the Pro Tour lifestyle. Kyle’s trip to Japan was certainly memorable, but maybe not for the reasons you’d expect.
