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Legacy’s Allure – Stomping Through St. Louis

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Wednesday, June 30th – This week, Doug looks at the results of the StarCityGames.com Legacy Open Series on its stop in St. Louis, Missouri. Check out why Doug was wrong about Thopter Foundry Control, get a sense on why Aether Vial decks are performing well, and learn about how old hits like Aluren are still playable. As a bonus, see what M11 card has got Doug excited to use with Grim Monolith and get the newest sideboard tech card, all in this week’s Legacy’s Allure!

Insider Information – The Scumbag Dilemma

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Wednesday, June 30th – In recent tournaments, Cedric Phillips has acquired something of a reputation. Today, he explains and highlights a pair of controversial yet totally legal plays that he believes are the correct courses of action. He also debates the philosophy of the Magic “scumbag.” Do you agree with his outspoken opinions?

The Kitchen Table #344 – 26 Islands

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Wednesday, June 30th – Lands like Rupture Spire, the tri-color taps from Shards, the Refuges, and Evolving Wilds have all done a lot for your multicolor manabase. We have tap lands that become creatures, and older cards like lairs and the Karoo lands from Ravnica block. There are tons of these cheap options available when it comes time to make sure you have your colors. However, what do you do when you don’t need to add special lands in order to have the right colors?

Feature Article – Plunging Into Blue/White Levelers in Rise Draft

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Tuesday, June 29th – Rise of the Eldrazi Draft is still proving to be insanely fun, and Hall of Famer Zvi Mowshowitz is a huge fan. In the first of two Rise Limited articles on Premium today, he outlines his extensive pick order for Blue/White Levelers, perhaps the best archetype in the format today.

Embracing the Chaos – Vision for the Format… and Previews!

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Tuesday, June 29th – We see an EDH game as a group effort, and this is a mindset that I understand might be completely alien to otherwise competitive players. Our intention is to make things so that the primary goal isn’t ‘winning,’ as it’s traditionally defined, it’s ‘having a great time together.’ Again, I get the idea that “I came to win” is deeply engrained in the way we compete.

Removed From Game – Two for One

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Tuesday, June 29th – Not one, but two articles this week from Rich. One is about the Deck Builder’s Toolkit. The other… well, a bit less about Magic, and a bit more about life and death.

Reflecting Ruel – Rise of the Eldrazi Limited: Why White Sucks

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Tuesday, June 29th – In the second of our Rise of the Eldrazi Limited articles today, and in counterpoint to Zvi’s article above, Olivier Ruel tells us why White, well, sucks. He reflects on why the color has a wretched time when paired with most of the colors in Magic, including the overrated Level Up deck!

The Justice League – Judges: We Always Win

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Tuesday, June 29th – How do you accept failure? How do you improve on your own mistakes? How do you manage frustration? These are difficult issues to address, and ultimately my inability to accept failure was the reason I lost interest in playing the game some years ago. If I go to an event and my chances on having fun depend on the result, then it’s likely I’ll return home feeling miserable far too often.

Thirst for Knowledge – Initial Thoughts on M11

Grand Prix GP Columbus July 30-August 1, 2010
Tuesday, June 29th – M10 was a fantastic set in terms of power level for Standard as well as being an enjoyable in the Limited environment, but I was skeptical as to whether or not M11 would be able to stack up. After all, some of the novelty of M10 would surely have to wear off by now for M11, but Wizards is doing enough new things with these revamped Core Sets to keep things interesting.

The Chump Block – Big White

The StarCityGames.com Open Series heads to Denver!
Monday, June 28th – I knew what deck I wanted to talk about coming into this week. It had caught my eye, and I was subsequently amused that I ended up playing its pilot in the first round of an online PTQ that I participated in a week or so later. Had I not decided to play Grixis again, we probably would have had a very interesting round 1 mirror match.

So Many Insane Plays – First Place with MUD

The StarCityGames.com Open Series heads to Denver!
Monday, June 28th – Stephen Menendian believes that MUD is in a perfect position in the current Vintage metagame. Today, he talks us through his continuing thoughts on the strategy, and shares some key decisions and plays from a recent Vintage tournament in which he powered to victory!

Innovations – Format-Changing Effects in M11

The StarCityGames.com Open Series heads to Denver!
Monday, June 28th – M11 is fast approaching, and many of the format’s nuts and bolts are slowly being revealed. Today, Patrick Chapin takes a look at some of the more exciting spoiled cards, cards that will certainly impact Constructed Magic upon their introduction. (Warning: Spoilers!)

The Long & Winding Road – Split Article: What If? / Zoo versus Reanimator

The StarCityGames.com Open Series heads to Denver!
Monday, June 28th – Hello, and welcome to this week’s article! On today’s menu is a two-course meal consisting of a spine-chilling tale of alternate reality, followed by the furious sounds of battle from Zoo versus Reanimator in a 30-game Legacy testing session.

The Combat Phase – FNM Finale… and Surprise!

The StarCityGames.com Open Series heads to Denver!
Monday, June 28th – In today’s edition of The Combat Phase, Jamie Wakefield is doing what he does best – tweaking his Mono Green deck! He shares another entertaining slice of his life, alongside the usual cast of characters, and remakes his Green deck in his ongoing quest for Pro Tour Qualification.

Flow of Ideas – Stuck In The Middle With An Excuse

The StarCityGames.com Open Series heads to Denver!
Monday, June 28th – If you’ve been to a competitive event before, no doubt you’ve heard people complain. You probably have even done it yourself. Especially in recent formats with swingy strategies and mechanics, there are some times you can legitimately complain. If you don’t have the right draw to combat theirs, you’re just going to lose and there’s nothing you could have done about it. Or is there?