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Playing Zoo in the Team Qualifiers: A PTQ Report

It’s safe to say that Craig Prof Jones has had an excellent run of late. Who can forget the $16,000 Lightning Helix? However, his quest for glory in Team Constructed has thus-far been fruitless… His report today sees him journey to Ireland in search of the Blue Envelope. Does he succeed? Read on to find out…

Ask Jeroen #1

In our continuing efforts to bring you the very best Magic writing available, we are proud to present Jeroen Remie in the first of a weekly column series! Jeroen is looking for your questions, and plans to answer them all in the coming weeks. Today, he imparts some sage advice on Ravnica/Ravnica/Guildpact drafting, and lets us into the strange world of Bizarro ffeJ…

Playing and Winning in The Zone

Have you ever wished you could play to the best of your ability, week in week out? Have you ever played a match knowing you’re off your game, but unable to peak yourself up to one hundred percent? Do you find yourself lacking that killer instinct, missing out on wins through forces unseen? If this is the case, then Noah can help. A fantastic article examining the psychology of optimal play. Read this, and get in The Zone.

The Hat Rack: The Inaugural Address

Ben brings us an article free of Ghost Dad today… So what, I hear you ask, does it contain? The answer to that? Everything. There’s a look at some possible Dissension cards, Ben’s thoughts on the current Standard environment, some tournament tidbits from GP Madison, a complete RRG Draft walkthrough, plus much much more! A fine article, delivered with a fair dose of good humor.

Hat-tricks and Flying Pigs: A Team Constructed PTQ Report *Winner*

It’s safe to say that Mr Dingler is on a roll. A Limited PTQ win, followed by a Grand Prix win the following weekend… and now another PTQ win a mere seven days later. What’s his secret? Is it all down to the mighty Grozoth? An entertaining and enlightening report from a man who’s definitely in form.

Hidden Gems #1

In the first of a regular column, Limited master Raphael Levy discusses some of the hidden gems of Ravnica/Ravnica/Guildpact draft. After his storming finals appearence at GP Barcelona – hot on the heels of his Top 8 at GP Cardiff – it’s safe to say that when Raphael speaks, we all should listen…

Thinking It Through Vol. 2 – Bloodthirsty

Teddy Card Game returns with the second article in the excellent Thinking It Through series. With the help of some of the greatest Limited minds in the game today, Ted explores a number of common 40-card dilemmas. Today, they revolve around Bloodthirst. Have you got the courage to block? Read on to find out…

Qualified! The World’s Shortest Tournament Report

Mike finishes off his series on Team Constructed in fine style… discussing a powerful, new creation that helped qualify two teams at the same PTQ! Confused? Don’t be. One team made it on ranking, and one Q’ed the traditional way (their report appears on Monday)! Wanna know more? All is revealed within…

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3]

C is for Combat

After a brief hiatus, BDM is back with the third of his alphabetized article series. More Limited plays dissected and discussed… this time, they revolve around the cornerstone of our forty-card format: attacking with monsters. An article full of invaluable advice, that will increase your win percentage in both Magic and poker combined!

Team Standard: Exploring Heartbeat Combo

While playing Heartbeat Combo, Mike’s teammate has only lost a single match over two PTQ appearances. In today’s article, Mike analyzes the deck and updates it for the evolving Team Standard metagame… including sideboard advice and play tips!

[Part 1] [Part 2]

The Black Perspective: Winning A PTQ With B/W Husk

Joe Black (plus team) takes to the PTQ dancefloor, high-kicking with a Black/White Husk deck that slipped beneath the Pro Tour Honolulu Radar. Most opponents were shocked to see him there: after all, the man’s a PT staple. Armed with Husk, Osyp and friends took the whole hill o’ beans. Read on for the the low-down on what Osyp and Olivier Ruel call the current Best Deck in Standard…

Expectations for Standard

Terry Soh breaks down the current Standard metagame into easy-to-digest chunks, dealing with all the top archetyps at once. He outlines the strengths and weaknesses of the current contenders, and provides some interesting sideboarding options. Couple this with preliminary thoughts on the Team Standard format, and you have a strong article for beginners and experts alike!

Team Standard: Extremes in Positioning

In the second of his week-long series, Mike explores the successful Vore list for Team Standard. Templating, sideboards, matchups… it’s all here. Plus, some clinical advice on team seating, for those who are looking for the killer edge in their upcoming PTQ!

[Click here to read Optimal Configuration and Optimal Mistakes: Searching for Jonny Magic]

Chump Blocking = Card Advantage — GP Cardiff Report, Part 2 *Winner*

Martin “Ding” Dingler returns with Day 2 tales from his recent triumph at Grand Prix Cardiff. Did his “Draft the Big Monsters” strategy continue unabated? Did he experience more of his phenominal luck? And did someone really pass him TWO Rumbling Slums? Read on to find out…

[Click here to read Chump Blocking = Card Advantage — GP Cardiff Report, Part 2 *Winner*]

Optimal Configuration and Optimal Mistakes: Searching for Jonny Magic

In the first of a week-long series of daily articles, Mike examines the Team Constructed format. Today, he has a cautionary tale involving his own team and their performance at a recent Pro Tour Qualifier… He openly admits his mistakes, and invites you to spot them. Bad Player Flores surely lived up to his name, but Good Writer Flores is alive and kicking!