Monday, December 21st – Last week I wrote about Zendikar Block Constructed but didn’t get too much response, so I’ll focus on Standard until the Zen Block format becomes more relevant. I’ve read countless articles about the metagame involving the Top 8 decks from St. Louis, but not much on innovation as to how to beat them, or where the next evolution of the format is going to come from…
Monday, December 21st – Last week, I took a look at some of my favorite cards from 2009, and ultimately I chose Qasali Pridemage as my favorite new card of the year. One of the reasons I love this card is the huge impact it had on Legacy, as the card is a staple of Legacy Zoo. Today, I want to look at Zoo specifically, catching up with the archetype’s progress and evolution throughout 2009.
Monday, December 21st – 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!
Friday, December 18th – The Standard portion of last weekend’s SCG $10K Open St. Louis is sure to inform the metagame going into the next event in Los Angeles, and Brian Kibler aims to be prepared! He looks at Red decks and Grixis Control, two archetypes that did well in St. Louis, and posits what this means for the format going forward.
Friday, December 18th – 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!
Friday, December 18th – In this text-only article from Evan, he discusses the impact of the hottest new Planeswalker in town: Jace, the Mind Sculptor! [Warning: Contains Spoilers.]
Friday, December 18th – Are you a pack-cracker? I sometimes feel weird when, after getting my booster box comp for working at prereleases, I go home and rip open all the booster packs for singles to add to my collection or trade binder (to trade for more of what I need).
Friday, December 18th – Those who have read my intermittent ramblings in the past might remember that winning States has been my grail, my dream, my nigh-unattainable goal over the many, many years I’ve been slinging cards. I have come close, oh so close, in years past, making many Top 8s or missing them by whisker-thin tiebreakers. My precious, it taunts me so, but I shall have it…
Friday, December 18th – In this week’s edition of The Chump Block, Zach discusses Jund, his Open the Vaults deck, and Sarkhan Vol. He also interviews Justin Souza, who placed second on the Standard Saturday of the SCG $10K Open St. Louis weekend!
Friday, December 18th – Triple Zendikar draft is a speedy format, and its sheer power means that cute combos or intricate tricks are largely kerb-stomped to oblivion. However, there are a few funky interactions that may have passed you by thus far… Olivier Ruel reveals all!
Thursday, December 17th – The Standard metagame seems to be swinging away from the Jund-dominated format it was mere weeks ago. While Jund is still extremely strong, speedy Red strategies (and others) appear to have the upper hand in those matchups. Adrian dissects the States results to form a clearer picture of the metagame going forward…
Thursday, December 17th – While the state of Standard gave Cedric little hope of success in St. Louis this past weekend, his love for Legacy led him to believe he’d be Belching his way to the top tables. Sadly, the Magic Gods proved just as fickle on Sunday. Nevertheless, today sees Ced in reflective mood, as he replays his weekend of disappointment…
Thursday, December 17th – There are three elements to the play of any game of Magic: Strategic, Tactical, and Social. They exist in different proportions based on the event that you’re attending, and the format you’re playing. I’d like to talk about the differences between them in competitive events versus EDH events.
Thursday, December 17th – Burnout… the affliction of PTQ road warriors, playtesting junkies, and even professional players. Burnout is a mental condition many Magic players go through without even realizing it that threatens your success as a player, the longevity of your competitive Magic run, and, most of all, your level of fun. Fortunately, there are ways you can identify and combat burnout.
Thursday, December 17th – Magic Online has just released the Exodus set – over a decade after the set appeared in paper. The online release events included sealed queues, drafts, and premier events. The premier events in particular failed to fire, and Wizards has now canceled them early. The draft and smaller sealed event queues are still around, but they are not firing very fast, if at all. What went wrong?
