With zero byes and low expectations, Mark managed to impress the world and confound the odds to finish in the Top 8 of Grand Prix Toronto! Today he regails us with part 1 of his report, cataloging his Day 1 performance and Sealed deck building techniques. Cracking the good stuff helps, but you need more than luck to raise hell from zero byes… read on to hear Mark’s tale!
Josh continues his excellent series examining the popular archetypes for the Ravnica Block Constructed metagame. Today he deals with the Mid-Range Aggro decks, and presents four decklists for your perusal. Mid-Range Aggro decks need to tread a fine line between pure aggression and rigid control… does Ravnica Block provide the Constructed cards neccessary for such a high-wire performance? Read on to find out!
Everyone wants to break a format… but we can’t all be John F Rizzo. For every Friggorid, there’s a thousand aborted deck ideas lounging in Bad Build Limbo. Today, Mike examines the skills one must possess in order to achieve the Holy Grail of Deckbuilding, with particular reference to formats past. Is breaking a format possible when playing fair? Is solving a format more lucrative than breaking it? Click here to find out…
On Wednesday, Jeff brought us the first part of what promises to be an excellent report, detailing his experiences at the 2006 Magic Invitational. Today’s installment continues where he left off, and heads into the tournament proper. Another fantastic read, from a master of the written word. Experience the highs and lows of top-level play, as ffeJ shares his memories from the Magical journey…
Josh continues his excellent series exploring the intricacies of Ravnica Block Constructed. Today, he presents a number of exciting decklists based on popular guilds, with explicit attention paid to Aggro builds. With Pro Tour Charleston just over a week away, the Team Block format has never been more relevant. Looking for an edge on the competition? Look no further!
Limited has been viewed as the more skill-intensive format of Magic for a number of years… JFR, however, disagrees. Be warned: John is at his cranky best. According to the man himself, Limited is, as they say, Teh Suck. This monstrous, light-hearted, vitriolic rant is sure to fire up the forums, with fans of the forty-card format facng down stalwarts of sixty-card spell-slinging. So, where do your devotions lie? With Constructed, or with Limited? Cast your votes now!
Jeroen continues his popular series, answering a myriad of Magical questions posted by fans. Today, he concentrates of the Art of Format Breaking. He also touches the subject of switching colors in Draft, and has a few choice words to say on the subject of Thoughtbind in Standard. Remember, send you questions to Jeroen at the usual address!
Jeff Cunningham has been absent from Magic writing for too long. Today, and for the rest of the week, he’s back… with a bang! In the first of a three-part epic, ffeJ tells the tale of his fantastic performance at the 2006 Magic Invitational. This installment sees him wax poetic on Honolulu and Prague, setting the scene as only he can. Jeff wrote the finest Magic articles of 2005… and this series is simply unmissable!
Pro Tour Charleston is fast approaching, and the Team Block Constructed format remains largely unexplored. Josh presents the first of a series of articles examining the runners and riders of the format. Simic Sky Swallower, Dark Confidant, Giant Solifuge… are these the cards that will break the format? A fine article that opens the door to a promising series.
This weekend, StarCityGames.com returns to Rochester with back-to-back StarCityGames.com “Power 9” tournaments! Today, Stephen dissects the current Vintage metagame, with particular consideration of the previous Rochester Vintage tournaments!
Rick examines the results from Regionals, massaging the numbers and drawing some interesting conclusions regarding the Standard metagame. With extensive coverage of all the major archetypes, analysis of the stronger decklists, and a breakdown of thecards to fear in the coming months, this article is perfect for those attending the StarCityGames.com Amateur Challenge at Heroes Con!
It seems that the Holy Grail of RGD Draft is to take the Red, Green, and Blue cards. With so many of the Pros believing the RUG archetype to be the powerhouse in the evolving format, Magic’s wonder-kid Julien Nuijten wades into the battle and shares his tips and strategies for success. Julien loves the RUG offensive… maybe the color combination will work for you!
Did you know that Fish sucks? The format’s perennial Aggro strategy has taken a stout beating of late… but Josh believes the tools are there for the Fish decks to return with a bang! This interesting article examines the tools required to make Fish a competitor in the modern game, and presents three fresh Fish decklists for the old-school Aggro player. Perfect preparation for the upcoming SCG Power 9 events!
According to Mike, there are only three possible ways to gain an edge on your opponent. Today’s article examines all three. With anecdotal evidence from Jon Finkel backed with mathematical analysis and matchup percentages, Mike debunks some of the more widespread myths that scupper our success. Is there really no such thing as a Great Play? And is the key to Pro success simply “winning the games we’re supposed to?” Read on to find out!
American and Canadian Regionals have been and gone… where do they leave the metagame? As the decklists slowly trickle in, Craig examines the numbers to produce an overall metagame breakdown. Which strategies were successful? Which were failures? In Standard tournaments to come, where should you lay your hat? This article provides the lowdown on the fluctuating Standard scene post-Dissension, and is ideal preparation for those attending the StarCityGames.com Amateur Challenge at Heroes Con!
