Friday, March 27th – By now, it’s Friday and I wouldn’t be surprised if you’d seen this past weekend’s results updated on the MagicTheGathering.com weekly update of Top 8 results. I certainly like to discuss them as part of my analysis of the metagame, and it never hurts to congratulate the people who turn up with interesting results that get you thinking about new and interesting card choices.
Friday, March 27th – Hello everybody, and welcome to another edition of the Magic Show. This week we’re going to talk about Extended, what was winning and what was not, this weekend’s StarCityGames.com $5000 Standard Open in Indianapolis, and live coverage of a PTQ finals featuring StarCityGames.com’s own Sean McKeown. Let’s go!
Thursday, March 26th – Unfortunately, most of the penalties we give are to good, honest folk, the kind you really want to sit across from during a match, and they’re out there getting penalized for a simple mistake or misunderstanding. These penalties are necessary to keep the integrity and fairness of an event, but that doesn’t mean I have to enjoy handing them out. In an effort to save both players and judges from heartache, here are some of the most common and easily avoidable penalties.
Thursday, March 26th – Legion Events ran a $3k event last Saturday. The format was mixed – an Alara Sealed event in the morning, and a Standard event after lunch. I got to head judge the Standard, which means I got the decklists when we were done. I have the Top 8 lists, the complete field breakdown, and some just plain interesting lists.
Thursday, March 26th – There is an undeniable aspect of Magic which never gets much press. Beneath the sea of matchup percentages, decklists, and card interactions, there is a less binary element of the game. Not just merely getting lucky, but something else entirely. Something a little harder to describe. Something that must be shown, not told, to be understood….
Wednesday, March 25th – In this week’s edition of MTGCast, there’s talk about MTGO Pauper play, Alara Reborn, and much more!
Wednesday, March 25th – I have long touted the value of Shandalar in this column. Designed by no less a game star than Sid Meier himself, the 1997 PC game Magic: the Gathering was one of the best games of all time (in my not-usually-humble opinion). The campaign was entitled Shandalar.
Wednesday, March 25th – Last week, we left off after acquiring new players from scratch. We had attracted people with no exposure to Magic, and who have probably have never played a Collectible Card Game in their life. We covered how to get them in and intrigued by the game. But now what? You don’t just let them jump in head first…
Wednesday, March 25th – The feeling that comes with truly reaching the next level is almost indescribable. It feels like you’re walking in one smooth transition from the brown dense rush hour of Jakarta into one of those pure-100%-oxygen chambers inside which I imagine Michael Jackson chooses to sleep.
Tuesday, March 24th – This week, Dave explores a budget variation on a popular tabletop multiplayer version that is picking up steam around his neck of the woods.
Tuesday, March 24th – Part Two of your cut-out-and-keep travel guide to Magic sees us finally pack our bags, work out when we need to get to the airport, get the best seat on the plane, and sees us safely on dry land at the other end. Featuring yet more modern popular culture references from that arbiter of cool, Rich Hagon.
Tuesday, March 24th – Aside from the match coverage and player interviews, we don’t find out much about how Magic players get to the final tables in a Grand Prix. What may seem like a cunning deck choice may have been luck, while a strange card selection might have been soundly chosen and proven in the field. Today, Doug interviews three Top 8 competitors from Grand Prix: Chicago for their insights about deck choices, practice time and unlikely wins. Join in for interviews with Andrew Probasco, Gabriel Nassif and Brian Six, in this week’s Legacy’s Allure!
Monday, March 23rd – There are a lot of articles out there about winning, and why shouldn’t that be the case? When you read an article, you want to read about LSV winning 18 consecutive matches because that’s what WE want to do. We all want to win.
Monday, March 23rd – Talking about Magic can be a very healthy process. You tend to learn a lot from friends while traveling to tournaments just by simple discussions on draft theory, pick order, or deck construction. Differing viewpoints can help you form your own theories on the subject of discussion, eventually turning you into a stronger player.
Friday, March 20th – After writing here for so long, I think the only topic that I wanted to cover, but never got around to, was etiquette in Magic. At least my take on it. This never came to fruition because after getting about a page in the subject would basically put me on tilt and I could never finish without lambasting a bunch of people in the community…
