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. We kick off with Mike Mason’s excellent run-down of the both the existing and approaching metagame. All the current contenders examined, with forthright commentary on strengths, weaknesses, and card choices.
With the Ravnica/Guildpact Sealed Deck Pro Tour Qualifier Season in full swing, we are finally beginning to iron out the difficulties inherent in the format. Today, Chad throws his hat into the ring, dispensing wisdom regarding mana base math; tempo and card advantage; and Limited bombs. Excellent advice for those yet to qualify for Pro Tour Prague.
Rich takes us step-by-step through his triumphant performance at the recent Grand Prix Richmond. Sealed Deck tips, Draft strategies, match reports, and card analysis from one of the greatest Limited players in the world today.
Magic is all about moments… the lessons you learn, the mistakes you make, the triumphs you pull from the jaws of defeat. Today, Mike tells the tales that made him the player, and writer, that he is today. A wonderful article showcasing the many mistakes of “BP” Flores. Mike certainly learnt from his mistakes… can you?
Today’s Sealed Revealed sees Craig battling the toughest pool yet. We’re all familiar with the Ravnica/Guildpact Dilemma: too much good stuff, too many colors. However, what do you do when the pool is weaker than a newborn kitten? Can this pool be salvaged? Craig imparts his insights, along with his usual dose of humor.
[Although this article originally ran as part of yesterday’s update, scheduling issues resulted in it being posted several hours late. We present it again today, for anyone who may have missed it. – Craig]
Gadiel is back. Today, he shares his highs and lows from Grand Prix Richmond. Is he annoyed at his final placing? Does he rant and rage against the folks he faced? What does he make of the crop of Magic cheaters unearthed at the tournament? Love him or hate him, the answers lie within…
One of the more interesting Draft strategies to emerge from the triple-Ravnica format was the so-called “Drake Draft,” mastered by Raphael Levy. His previous articles on the archetype suggested that the strategy would be all-but dead come Guildpact. Well, Raphael is back today to tell us that Drafting Drakes with Guildpact is still as strong, if not stronger! This article contains all the tips and strategy you need to win with this exciting archetype!
Craig continues his Sealed Deck series by examining a difficult pool with many interesing decisions. Are the cards strong? Does the cardpool send out clear signals? How can we utilize the power? Are the Green spells luring us into a trap? Deck tips, card evaluations, and humor, in one tidy package.
You want to become a better player? What better way to learn than to see the analyzing processes of players better than you? I’ve joked before that when I play Control Slaver, I “just do whatever Rich Shay would do.” This led to the idea of actually asking what he was thinking at a given moment. So, I’ll be presenting play scenarios and then asking some solid technical Vintage players what they’d do.
The Ravnica/Guildpact Sealed season continues, and Magic players across the world are posting excellent finishes on the back of Green-heavy cardpools. Mark, however, feels that the Green cards are not always the perfect path to victory. In this article, he suggests that to truly succeed at this format, we need to do much more than lay Forests and cast monsters…
There are many universal truths held high in Magic Theory. One notable example is “there are no wrong threats, only wrong answers,” an idea put forth by the great Dave Price. In today’s Flores Friday, Mike scrutinizes this Sacred Cow under the white-heat of examination. Could Dave Price actually be wrong? Backed by extensive data mining, Mike vows to find out…
In his first article since taking the role of Managing Editor, Craig reprises his popular “Sealed Revealed” series, taking a Ravnica/Guildpact Sealed Deck cardpool and evaluating the cards therein!
Following his excellent article on the Undervalued Gems of Guildpact, Nick takes us through a Ravnica/Ravnica/Guildpact draft, with each pick examined under a microscope. It’s all here: strengths and weaknesses, pick choices, draft summary, match reports and more! Whether you’re looking to qualify for Pro Tour Prague or just improve your understanding of the Ravnica/Ravnica/Guildpact draft format, you won’t want to miss this one!
John F. Rizzo, at his ridiculous best.
Dwelling on the professed shortcomings of the game is one of the most beloved indoor spectator sports, and one in which I often played the supporting role of Joiner Adept. You may offer a laundry list, but I’ll ignore them and get cozy with Snuggle Bear since he’s so damn cute and makes everything clean and soft, like a fresh blanket of snow that lets you skip work or school and play with those silly cards all day.
So far, we’ve taken a look at Bloodthirst and Replicate, two of the three mechanics introduced with the latest expansion, Guildpact. The last mechanic, Haunt, is the one that many analysts can’t quite seem to figure out yet. We should have known Orzhov wouldn’t make it easy on us – after all, they’re the ones in charge, not us, and if they wanted us to be able to easily figure out their secrets, they’d tell us.
