Search Content

The Justice League – MMS in Indianapolis


Grand Prix: Oakland!

Wednesday, January 20th – Q: Player calls you over and says he’s in his post combat main phase and has only just remembered his Eldrazi Monument trigger. He has two 1/1 saproling tokens and a Vampire Nighthawk that he just cast this turn. What do you do?

The Kitchen Table #321 – The Limited 250 Revealed


Grand Prix: Oakland!

Wednesday, January 20th – Today I am going to pull the curtain back from behind one of my teases in the column, and reveal one of my classic decks. Is it Abe’s Deck of Happiness and Joy? Nope. The JV Squad? Nope. I am going to spend a whole article on the Limited 250.

MTGCast #190 – David-Bowie-in-Labyrinth Cool!


Grand Prix: Oakland!

Wednesday, January 20th – In this week’s edition of MTGCast, the guys discuss Worldwake spoilers, the Magic Cruise, the Orb of Insight, and much more!

Drafting With Olivier – Zendikar #31


Grand Prix: Oakland!

Wednesday, January 20th – Hall of Famer Olivier Ruel takes us through an 8-4 draft queue on Magic Online. He shares some comprehensive thoughts about both the picks and the games, and talks us through each step of the way! If you’re looking to improve your Limited game, this is the article series for you!

Reflecting Ruel – Deducing Your Opponent’s Hand in Zendikar Limited


Grand Prix: Oakland!

Tuesday, January 19th – Zendikar Limited is a fast format, and tricks are relatively thin on the ground. Happily, this means that they can be rather easy to spot. In today’s Reflecting Ruel, Oli talks us through the signs that should telegraph our opponent’s cards in hand. Such information is invaluable to anyone looking to improve their forty-card game…

Black Magic – Sideboarding in Zendikar Limited and the Importance of Situational Cards


Grand Prix: Oakland!

Tuesday, January 19th – In Limited, correctly evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of cards is a surefire way to improve your forty-card play. However, such evaluations also serve to hold you back, as a lot of “bad” cards have excellent uses outside the usual framework of the format. Sam Black shares a selection of overlooked cards, and outlines the ways in which they can be situationally superb.

Legacy’s Allure – Delving Into Dream Halls


Grand Prix: Oakland!

Tuesday, January 19th – The Dream Halls deck has been getting a lot of attention recently, and in this article, Doug explains how the deck works and what to watch out for. Is Cruel Ultimatum right for Dream Halls? Can the deck pack a more efficient kill? Find out the various configurations of the Dream Halls deck and get tips for playing with and against the new combination deck. Find this, plus a bonus Mono Blue Dream Halls deck, in this week’s Legacy’s Allure!

Tribal Thriftiness #99 – Friday Night Molten Magic


Grand Prix: Oakland!

Tuesday, January 19th – The StarCityGames.com Open in Dallas showcased a powerful budget deck in the Top 8. Dave gives the Valakut Ramp deck a spin through his local Friday Night Magic, and gives some thoughts on the deck.

Removed From Game – More Fun in Standard


Grand Prix: Oakland!

Tuesday, January 19th – Thinking about taking Cruel Control, Spread ‘Em, or Open The Vaults out for a spin in the Tournament Practice room? Let Rich save you some precious moments with this stirring tale of many divorce-chances-increasing hours testing them out.

The Long & Winding Road – One Fish, Two Fish, Noble Fish?


Grand Prix: Oakland!

Monday, January 18th – There are a few key creatures in almost all of the popular Vintage archetypes. Dark Confidant’s use has dramatically increased as that card is now the de facto draw engine of Tezzeret post-Thirst for Knowledge, and Tezzeret also typically plays one large robot as a Tinker target (Sphinx of the Steel Wind and Inkwell Leviathan being the most popular).

Innovations – A Karsten-Style Analysis of Extended


Grand Prix: Oakland!

Monday, January 18th – Extended PTQs are in full swing, and Patrick Chapin provides the latest metagame statistics! Channeling the great Frank Karsten, Patrick takes a detailed look at the tournament results so far, and creates a breakdown of the Winner’s Metagame. This is a fantastic article for anyone serious about cracking into Pro Tour play.

So Many Insane Plays – The 2009 Vintage Year in Review


Grand Prix: Oakland!

Monday, January 18th – 2009 proved to be a milestone year for Magic’s oldest format. Throughout the months, the Vintage metagame shifted relentlessly. In today’s So Many Insane Plays, Stephen Menendian breaks down the year’s most important Vintage moments, strategies, and decklists.

Constructed Criticism – More Close Calls


Grand Prix: Oakland!

Monday, January 18th – As most of you know, I’ve advocated Zoo as one of the best decks in Extended since I think it is both versatile and aggressive. These two qualities combine to apply a ton of pressure to the sluggish combo and control decks of the format, forcing them to attempt to go off too early, or find answers before you nail the coffin shut.

The Dragonmaster’s Lair – Standard Vampires and Worldwake Spoilers

Read Brian Kibler every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Friday, January 15th – At the recent StarCityGames.com Standard Open, Vampires finished top of the food chain. Is this aggressive deck, traditionally the underdog against the format-gouging Jund, ready for a true spell in the sun? Brian Kibler investigates, before discussing a couple of the Worldwake cards spoiled thus far…

Feature Article – Why We Need To Kill Tempo (And How to Replace It)

Read Feature Articles every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Friday, January 15th – The concept of Tempo in Magic has always been difficult to describe. While other theories in our wonderful game offer themselves to clean and crisp analysis, the theory of Tempo seems nebulous at best. Today, Richard Feldman aims to banish the term from the game entirely!