Instead of choosing just one topic to write about this week, Romeo chose about eight including some rules observations about Type Two, his sweet Aunt Sadie, and – dare we say it? Cogs. In Standard.
I’m documenting my sojourn into the world of MTGO. To recap the last four days: I couldn’t play online, then I could. I was home with the flu when I started. I played in the sandbox, in leagues and in drafts. I tried some Constructed. I recovered from the flu and went back to work. Now I have a day off, and I want to try an online premier event.
The Top Three Most Annoying Cards didn’t get quite the response that I thought it would, but the results were pleasantly varied. This was the strongest week yet, where almost every article would have been a winner in a slower week…. but the most amusing was an underlooked gem by Corneel Coens – The Pity. The Argument. The Chance. The Bookkeeping. The No. – that outlined not three, but five of the most annoying card types in Magic. And he wrote it so well that we don’t mind that he broke the rules. So Corneel wins the $20 for this week!
What’s next week? Well, we have April First coming up, so the challenge is going to be a little different:
April Fools Decks.
What’s an "April Fools Deck"? Well, for our purposes we’re going to define it as "a deck that does something your opponents didn’t think it was going to." It could be a deck that looks like Affinity but turns into control, it could be a deck that looks like crap but explodes into infinity when its innocuous pieces come together, or it could be a deck that suckers your opponents into making a critical mistake. Better yet, come up with a better definition of an April Fools’ Deck.
Do that, and you could win $20 in this week’s Casual Challenge! Send your submission to Mail us at https://sales.starcitygames.com/contactus/contactform.php?emailid=2!
This one is about dogs, Magic, Cephalid Broker decks, and Pete’s first Constructed matches. Oh, and waiting… LOTS of waiting.
Last time we saw Ben Snyder, he was blowing up Twiddle Desire as part of a 40-page manifesto on the deck and how fast it goldfishes. Well he’s back, folks, and this time he’s tackling Standard combo instead. Part in-depth deck primer on an Intruder Alarm combo deck and part format overview for what Standard will look like for months to come, this article is all quality and will be referenced many many times in the months leading up to Regionals.
My next step was to join an 8th Edition league. I had the packs and the tickets, and I mentally catalogued the cards I wanted to open. Wrath of God. Birds of Paradise (although I know the BB Birds will be appearing in drafts next fall, so that’s okay.) City of Brass. Phyrexian Plaguelord, because I loved them back in the day. Worship. Verduran Enchantress. And some of the basics, like Ravenous Rats, Rampant Growth and Wood Elves. I find the league, agree to squander my product, scritch the dogs and give them a cookie for luck, and open my packs. Rares, rares, what nifty rares do I have?
Sealed Revealed returns today with an intriguing card pool that features solid cards in all five colors. How would you build your deck and what will the community have to say about this one in the forums? The answers are only a click away!
As the guy with the Portal ramblings here on StarCityGames, as well as a former member of Beyond Dominia (the place for Type One tech), I feel like I should comment on what Portal means to Type One and other formats as well. The biggest impact will be in, not surprisingly, 5-Color.
No one doubts the impact that Rich Shay’s Control Slaver has had on the Type One metagame. The idea was simple: an opponent can’t defeat you if he or she can’t actually play. So the question is simple: if it works so well in Vintage, can we do it in the new post-banning Standard?
My mission today is to expand on my perception of White’s problems, and to use Shining Shoal as an example of a weak fix (hopefully pointing us toward ideas for better ones). In the process, you will discover why creatures are the worst card type in Magic, and hopefully achieve a state of enlightenment.
Yesterday’s installment was almost content-free. It gets better. To sum up, after years of being unable to connect, I finally got to play Magic Online. I have a budget of $100 per month, plus a little more in special circumstances. I had my account and was ready to go. Time to spend.
I have only ever played in one DCI- sanctioned tournament – and that was nine years ago. Obviously, my experience was less than stellar. But I want to relate my experience to you here and now because, from what I’ve been reading around the ‘net, the negative stuff I encountered long ago is still running rampant on the tourney scene today (though mostly at the lower levels of the scene). By sharing my story, I think some of you will be able to identify with me as I put into words the generally bad atmosphere that exists at many of these events. Also, I will provide a few pointers along the way that will hopefully help you improve your game and turn your tournament into a positive experience.
The last definition of annoying cards for the day? “Cards that cost me games.” Doug Linn denigates the cards that handed him his most humilating losses in tournaments.
That’s three definitions, with three days left to provide your own. Do it… And you could win $20!
The thing that got me interested in 5C wasn’t the big decks; it was drawing all over cards and modifying them to the point of illegibility. It was taking some piece of art and tinkering around with it and then having opponents say, “Wow, that’s really cool!” I’ve learned many techniques on my own for gussying up cards to make them more aesthetically-pleasing, so read on as I share how to create blackout cards, smear art with acetone, and create foil versions of non-foil cards!
This week’s Casual Challenge is “The Three Most Annoying Cards In Magic” – and Kevin not only hates these cards, but the strategies that come with the cards. So what strategies invalidate your entire deck? Kevin told us, and he might win $20 for his complaint! How about you?
