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Velocity

Did you ever notice that certain decks out there always seem to have cards moving from place to place… It’s not accurate to call what these decks do card drawing per se; their focus, or advantage if that is the element in question, is not based on bulk or even necessarily qualitative card advantage. Like sharks, these decks need to move in order to live… Should they stop, they don’t typically get up again. That’s the topic we will be discussing today, along with a look back at some great decks in history that have exhibited these traits.

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Weak Among the Strong: London Bound!

What must it be like to be Chad Ellis? Beautiful wife and baby, designing games for a living, gets frequent hugs from lesbians. Oh, and he has now qualified for three out of the four Pro Tours available since he came back from an extended retirement. Find out all the details from this latest PTQ victory inside.

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When Flores is Wrong: The Truth About the Top and G/R Tooth

Mike wrote another fantastic column about a new deck he has developed. What’s new, right? Read the title of this column. That’s what’s new, or at least unusual.

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The Beautiful Struggle: Crazy Subway Guy

One of the editorial secrets here at StarCityGames.com is that we know our readers love bad decks. No no, don’t try to deny it – you guys are absolute suckers for them. Therefore it is completely without reservation that we present Mark Young’s latest article, which is filled to the brim with a series of Type Two abortions. Do these decks have potential? Oh, most certainly. But are they ready for prime time? Well, you make the call…

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Redesigning Green

Jamie’s reintroduction to Magic has had a few bumps in the road, as expected. It’s hard to win when your collection consists of five-year-old cards and a few Lone Wolves. Today you get a peak at the evolution of his current Green deck, math problems with Joshie Trash Talker, playtesting setbacks, and much more. Please, come join the King of Fatties as he rediscovers Magic and comes to the conclusion that thus far he’s having a surprising amount of fun.

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Steve Irwin Ain’t Got Nuthin’ On This: Gummy Worms in Kamigawa Block

Damn, it’s been awhile since I posted a column, but unfortunate times have fallen upon me. What’s a man to do when life beats the hell out of him? I decided to separate myself from my issues and return to playing a more competitive form of the game. Thus you, my faithful readers, get the reward of seeing what I’ve been working on for Block Constructed.

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The Indignity of the PTQ

In the process of falling off the gravy train, I decided to go to a PTQ. This was a bad idea for several reasons:
– It meant getting up early
– I always work Saturday nights in a bar until 5am
– PTQ-ing would mean I’d have to cough up my last 25 Euros I originally had reserved for buying, you know, food
– It involved actually going to a PTQ

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The Silver Age of Magic

Look, we have Mowshowitz and Wakefield on the same day, does it even matter what they are writing about? Okay okay, Jamie starts his hike on the comeback trail by getting acquainted with the current Standard scene and getting smashed by some 12-year-old kids playing White Weenie. Oh, and what he has now termed “The Silver Age of Magic.” Are you happy now? Go read!

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Snakes in Kamigawa Block Constructed

Today’s main topic is as promised: Snakes.

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U/W Landstill

Being the Vintage Supercomputer is a tough job, so every once in a while, Pip likes to kick back and actually sling some spells as part of his relaxation program. Last weekend at Chicago he did just that, putting up a surprisingly solid record with Landstill, the deck he’s discussing today.

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Defining Jitteland

These are the decklists that are going to define Philly, and they’re the best versions I know of. Sure one or two cards are experimental but this will be what 80% of your Philly opponents will be playing.

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Revisiting Oath

We hate to toot our own horn around here, but the day before the Chicago Power 9, we published an article about the very deck that won the tournament the next day. Today Stephen Menendian talks about variations of Vintage Oath of Druids decks, including the deck he designed that finished second at that very same Chicago Power 9, this time in the hands of Brian Demars.

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Revised Thoughts on CCB Draft

Champions/Betrayers draft is fully mature now and Nick has reevaluated some of the cards he has written about previously, particularly from Champions. What cards does he feel are over and underrated at the draft tables? The details are inside.

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Smallpox in the Midwest: My Star City P9 Chicago Report *1st*

I hadn’t planned on writing a report. I was worried that by doing so, I’d inadvertently make fun of the Midwest and devalue my win. Then I realized I played like an asshat all day and still won, so I don’t really feel like I earned it anyway. I’m still looking at this Black Lotus wondering why it’s here, because I don’t think I played optimally in any game all day…

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Weak Among the Strong: Archetypes and the Best Card, Part 1

My last article took care of getting you to the Top 8, so now it’s time to win the draft once you get there. This week we’ll look at the nature of draft archetypes in the abstract (with specific examples, naturally) and how to think about the interaction between draft archetypes and card valuation.

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