Today, Chris talks about the combo season that never came, and where the Combo archetype is currently sat. He also discusses the effect this has had on Goblins and what that deck might look like post-Lorwyn.
Continuing our Spotlight on States series, Kyle Sanchez walks us through three distinct Standard strategies, two of which are currently fighting for final favor regarding his 75-select this weekend. He also takes the opportunity to say goodbye, as this is his final Monday article for StaCityGames.com… but don’t worry, Sanchez fans, I’m sure he won’t be gone for long…
Two men, one Saturday night, four Sealed deck pools to choose from. Watch as The Ferrett explores Lorwyn Sealed in an attempt to find the good cards so you don’t have to… And to find the bad cards before you run into them!
Grand Prix winner Steve Sadin takes us through his Pro Tour: Valencia deck step by step, a deck which he believes will still; be a contender in the post-Lorwyn Extended environment. He updates his build with the new cards, and suggests some goblin-based beatdown strategies for the new Extended… Goblins with Tarmogoyf? Is no deck safe from the attentions of the two-drop green goliath?
We all know what it’s like to go on tilt. It’s just one of those things that happens sometimes, often feeling entirely beyond our control, and at its worst it can pervade how we look at and feel about the game. I’ve been on tilt for a few weeks now, and the game has really been all about minimizing the damages I do to myself outside the game (i.e. financially) because I am going to make these blunders…
Hello everybody, and welcome to another edition of the Magic Show. This week we’re in Spain for Pro Tour: Valencia where I talk to a huge number of pros, show you what really happened when it flooded the entire venue, and give you behind the scenes access to the Top 8. Ready to join in the fun? Let’s go!
Hello again, my friends. It’s been a while since my last article in which I simply build decks for you. I figure that you are due. Additionally, I historically write an article with decks featuring the newest cards directly after my Five Color set review. Let’s keep that history intact and build a few decks for your consumption.
Every once in a while, I get an e-mail or StarCityGames.com in-box message asking about this deck that I mention which inspired my very first Magic column. The deck was called Ants in the Pants, and I wrote about it for a defunct web site called 7Towers.net. Given that people still seem interested and that I couldn’t finish any of the sixteen article ideas I had this week, I decided to reprint the piece here…
So, when last we met I was 2-5 in the Mockvitational and about to play four rounds of Standard. The interesting thing is that three of my remaining four opponents — Christian Calcano, Asher Hecht, and Gabe Carlton-Barnes — were 1-2-3 in the standings at that point. So much like baseball’s Washington Nationals, I would get a chance to spoil the dreams of some New Yorkers in October. Calcano was even wearing a Mets jersey, it was just too perfect. I would also have to play Mike Flores, who was my main competition for the ignominious last-place finish…
Pro Tour: Valencia is over. The results are in. Where does Extended go from here? What does Lorwyn do to the format? Should we care — and is it worth the price? Let’s look at some numbers…
Sure, the tournament went well, from a certain point of view. Covered my costs, picked up a decent amount of Pro Points, designed a great deck. That’s for another time. We’ll talk matchups and why it’s a great choice for the PTQ season, deal with all of that. Now, though, my mind’s on the Magic experience. Put the academia aside and indulge me, just for this column. “Playing the game” is only half of it. For right now, it’s time to see the world.
I have a funky deck idea I threw together as a lark that actually crushes the Kithkin deck fairly well as I cast about for something to stop the White Weenie menace. It’s a weird mutant blend of Haakon/Nameless Inversion recursion with Slivers, tied together by an innocent looking Bear named Woodland Changeling…
The new PTQ season is coming. The road to Kuala Lumpur runs through Lorwyn Sealed. It’s time to sweep up the cobwebs and start practicing a new format. Eli steers us through a potent pool of 75 in search of the perfect build.
With almost a full two weeks on the road doing nothing but playing, talking and writing Magic, it’s easy to see why Rich Hagon thinks he’s the luckiest man in the world. Join him for the first week of tall tales, a large dose of Metagame theory and definitive proof that he knows what he’s talking about (see article title for details.)
Picking up from where we left off last week, I’ll be taking a look at a few of the aggro decks that are available in the current Standard metagame. To ensure a little diversity, I picked a deck that has been close to optimized, one that’s largely in the concept stage still, and one that needs to be refined a little more.
