Today’s Flores Friday article deals with the noble art of Templating. What, specifically, is the difference between a great deck designer improving on an existing deck, and a buffoon taking a perfectly good deck and making it worse? Through detailed examination of superior builds, Mike shows us how to strengthen our decks in tiny increments. This is a fantastic read for anyone who is serious about improving their deckbuilding prowess.
February 25th was the Seattle qualifier for Prague. That Saturday was a perfect day for a Pro Tour Qualifier, because on the 24th, I had a birthday. See? Sure, Friday is a fine day for a party, but then you have that icky hangover at the big tournament the next day. However, delaying the festivities by 24 hours let’s us play the PTQ clear of mind and body, then get everyone in the tournament down to the bar for some drinky drink fun.
Can Nick transform his Magic Online success into a PTQ victory? The answer to that question… plus tips, tricks, and tech from one of the most feared Limited players in the game… is just one click away!
Craig is back, with one of his trickiest cardpools yet! With spells and creatures weak in all colors, the correct build technique is a hard one to master… do you agree with Craig’s choices? He piloted this very pool at a Pro Tour Qualifier… how would you fare with the same cards?
The mighty Rizzmeister shares his views on the current Invitational debate, teaches the kids How To Play Magic, dissects the current Standard metagame post-Honolulu, and thoroughly breaks Ravnica-Guildpact Draft with a deck that includes just six creatures. All this, and more, from the twisted mind of JFR.
As part of the forthcoming 2006 Magic Invitational tournament, Vintage powerhouse Stephen Menendian was tasked with creating a Classic Vanguard deck for the Auction of Champions. So, what monster did he produce? How about a combo deck with hideously consistent Turn 2 kill… his analysis and thought processes, plus insights into general deck design, are just a click away!
Kenji Tsumura is the 2005 Player of the Year. In today’s article, he shares his thoughts on the current Limited environment, tackling both Sealed Deck and Ravnica-Ravnica-Guildpact Draft. He also shares some useful tips on avoiding needless game losses, and makes us smile while doing so. The best players, and the best writers, only at StarCityGames.com.
What we have here is the most complete snapshot of the new Standard scene that you’re likely to see. We ran a computer program that analyzed every matchup in the sixteen rounds at Pro Tour: Honolulu, figured out which decks were facing each other, and broke down each deck’s win percentage both against the field, and against every deck that it faced. Want to know how many times Orhov Descent faced Zoo, and whether it won on average? Now you can.
It seems a large majority of the Pro community are excited by the Gruul cards for Standard play… We’ve had Ted Knutson, and his overview of Gruul and Zoo decks in the coming metagame. Then there’s Mike Flores, concentrating on the “mono-Red” Gruul Deck Wins. Terry takes a slightly different slant, attempting to merge all the possible Gruul strategies into one aggressive goliath. He claims it is the strongest deck for the coming Pro Tour… read all about it here!
Each day this week, your Premium writers will be commenting on the upcoming Pro Tour event, with analyses of what decks to see, how the format will shape up, and updated revisions of existing powerhouses. Mike focuses on the “mono-Red” Gruul build, giving an in-depth analysis of card choices, and its strength in the projected PT Honolulu metagame.
Each day this week, your Premium writers will be commenting on the upcoming Pro Tour event, with analyses of what decks to see, how the format will shape up, and updated revisions of existing powerhouses. Aside from being dashingly handsome, Teddy Card Game is reknowned for his expert skills at Metagame Analysis. With the Pro Tour mere days away, Ted shares his predictions… plus his latest Gruul and Zoo decklists!
Each day this week, your Premium writers will be commenting on the upcoming Pro Tour event, with analyses of what decks to see, how the format will shape up, and updated revisions of existing powerhouses. Today, Sean examines the popular Rats (and Viridian Rats) decks that took the Canadian Nationals by storm. Are they contenders now Guildpact is upon us?
The Magic Wuv Muffin returns with decklists and observations on the upcoming Invitational 2006. Not content with flagrant graveyard abuse in Extended (and Legacy, and Vintage, and probably Ravnica/Guildpact Sealed Deck), the esteemed creator of Friggorid throws a spanner into the Classic Online Vanguard format. An article that is, as usual, typically JFR.
Each day this week, your Premium writers will be commenting on the upcoming Pro Tour event, with analyses of what decks to see, how the format will shape up, and updated revisions of existing powerhouses. In today’s installment, Mark explores some possible directions for the popular GhaziGlare archetype with Guildpact, and brings us a detailed rundown of the more popular metagame matchups the deck may face.
In this intriguing article, Raphael presents some interesting theories. What exactly makes a good Magic player? What makes a bad Magic player? Are playing and testing the true keys to improvement? Where do you rate on the Scale of Magic Excellence? This article will fire the flames of debate in the forums, so make sure you don’t miss out!
