When Coldsnap was the new kid in town, Benjamin Peebles-Mundy brought us a definitive guide to drafting the cards. Today he tackles the White cards from the new set, providing comprehensive common pick orders for both Rebel and non-Rebel decks, notable uncommon choices, and a couple of example decklists. This is a fantastic article, the first of what promises to be an exciting series.
That’s right, folks… it’s the rundown on the cards you’ve all been waiting for! Ted begins his analysis of the Timeshifted offerings, or “Purple” cards. We all know Psionic Blast is insane. We all know Squire is diabolical. But do the other White and Blue cards have the Constructed quality we need? Read on to find out!
Pat “The Innovator” Chapin dips a toe into the choppy waters of Vintage debate, outlining some interesting ideas on power-plays in Magic’s most broken of formats. He tackles the ornery subject of skill in Vintage, and challenges Stephen Menendian to an interesting match. Away from Type 1, he also presents a debate on the veracity of Magic writers the world over… just how should we gauge the more “off-the-wall” deck ideas and articles?
Last week, Ted covered the cards of each color, rounding out on Friday with the hideous Green offerings. Today’s installment is a lot more upbeat – the Gold shines, the artifacts are in fine working order, and the land is fertile. Indeed, some of Time Spiral’s finest cards dwell in the far-left column of the deck registration sheet. Ted also adds his choices for the strongest non-Timeshifted cards in the set. Do you agree with Mr. Card Game’s analysis?
With a few more matches under his Magical belt, Josh feels he has a fine preliminary grasp of the evolving format. Today’s article sees him dissect the power commons for each color of Time Spiral, and rank the colors in order of power and depth. He also touches on possible strong color combinations; invaluable information for those looking to ace their PTQ Top 8 Drafts this weekend.
With Standard States just around the corner, and Time Spiral officially released today, Constructed testing has kicked off in fine style. Mike takes a powerful updated Solar Flare deck and throws it against a gauntlet of possible Standard contenders… and reveals the deck he would take to States if they were to be played tomorrow.
It was all going so well… and then the Green cards came along. Ted takes a long look at the red-headed stepchild of the Magic color pie, and finds it lacking. There are, however, some diamonds hidden deep in the mossy effluvia. Mr Card Game tells us where to dig for gold… plus, a bonus section by Ben “Ridiculous Hat” Goodman!
Tim has his States deck figured out already. Sadly, it’s not White Weenie. This article, however, concentrates on the ever-popular beatdown archetype. Where do the Time Spiral cards slot in? Is Knight of the Holy Nimbus a sufficiently fake Hand? What can we do about the loss of Isamaru? And does Griffin Guide warrant a slot in the deck? (Hint: there’s a reason its initials are GG…) Looking to run with the little White guys? Then this is the article for you!
After dealing with the White, Blue, and Black offerings from Time Spiral, Ted turns his attention to the Red spells. Alongside Mr Card Game’s customary wit, we have one Patrick Sullivan sharing his fiery insight on the Red cards he thinks will see Constructed play. The second guest columnist, Norin the Wary, disappeared shortly before commencement of the article and is therefore unavailable for comment.
Jeroen delivers his weekly dose of Magical advice, answering questions posed via email by StarCityGames.com readers the world over. Today’s topics include tips on tournament preparation, advice on evaluating new cards for competitive play, and the truth about Rich Hoaen’s legendary grumpiness…
Teddy Card Game continues his overview of the Time Spiral cards for Constructed play. Monday was White, Tuesday was Blue… and Wednesday brings the Black cards under the spotlight. Is Sengir Nosferatu direct competition for Skeletal Vampire? Will Smallpox be big? And how do you pronounce Phthisis? Click here to find out!
After a dose of draft and a slice of Sealed deck, Nick delivers his preliminary verdict on the highs and lows of the new set. He theorizes that play skill is currently more important than deckbuilding considerations, and gives us a brief lowdown of each color’s strength for triple Time Spiral draft. Nick is practicing hard for Pro Tour: Kobe… expect future articles to break the format wide open!
Ted continues his detailed examination of the Time Spiral cards, looking at their application for the coming Constructed metagame. After yesterday’s article on the old workhorse White, Mr Card Game turns his gimlet eye to the color of the pros: Blue. Time Spiral harks back to the glory days of old… is Blue broken beyond repair?
Teddy Card Game begins a ten-part review of Time Spiral for Constructed. Color breakdowns, deck ideas, theories, and strategy are promised along the way, with guest articles appearing from a number of big-name writers and players. Today’s installment begins where all set reviews should… with the White cards. Looking for the edge on the Time Spiral metagame? Look no further!
Craig “The Professor” Jones takes us through his Time Spiral Prerelease experience in his signature comic style. He shares his views on the new Limited format, and spreads the love toward some of the unsung cards from Magic’s newest, yet oldest set…
