The Starkington Post – Weekly Digest
Tuesday, May 26th – In the past seven days, The Starkington Post (Bill Stark’s daily Magic blog) has brought us more talk on Turbo Fog (particularly the sideboarding), Decks of the Week, movie reviews, and more!
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Innovations – Continuing to Examine Standard (Now With More Barcelona)
Monday, May 25th – Barcelona has come and gone, and while Patrick Chapin didn’t set Spain alight with a strong finish, the deck he played has a definite role to play in the emerging metagame. He takes us through his pre-tournament deck thoughts, and shares his personal opinions on some of the top strategies in Standard.
So Many Insane Plays – The Hottest Deck in Vintage, GWB Beatdown, and Other Vintage Notes
Monday, May 25th – In this three-section Vintage article, Stephen Menendian talks us through a tournament in his usual meticulous fashion, shares his latest thoughts on Green/White Budget Beatdown, and answers a number of reader-posed questions!
Drafting With Olivier – Shards/Conflux/Reborn #1
Monday, May 25th – 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!
Constructed Criticism – Know Your ABCs: Alara Block Constructed
Monday, May 25th – Alara Block Constructed is largely an unexplored country, but it’s very important for a few upcoming events like Pro Tour: Honolulu and the MOL Season II Championships. Today we will look at a few deck ideas, as well as a few of my top cards (around which the best decks should be built).
The Long & Winding Road – Eating Vintage Brains for Fun & Profit
Monday, May 25th – Last Friday night, I had to make a decision for the next day’s Vintage tournament: Ichorid or Oath of Druids? I’ve piloted Oath to two Top 8s in my last three events including one win, and my overall win percentage is still north of 70% with the deck, even after going 2-2 at the Philly Open 3.
Reflecting Ruel – Turning the Tables
Friday, May 22nd – Some of our best Magic moments come from the games in which we snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Indeed, when we are on the brink of victory or loss, feelings can overflow and cloud our judgment for good or ill. Today, Olivier Ruel presents some excellent advice on how to turn a loss into a win, and how to ensure you win when you’re ahead in the game…
PV’s Playhouse – Tournament Preparation
Friday, May 22nd – With Regionals behind us, the next slew of Standard tournaments takes place on the Grand Prix stage. Today’s PV’s Playhouse sees Paulo talk us through his personal preparation process for high-level tournament play. With Grand Prix success on the mind of many a mage, Brazil’s finest is here to lead the way!
The Magic Show #143 – Scrubbing, Top 8ing, and You
Friday, May 22nd – Hello everybody, and welcome to another edition of the Magic Show. This week we’re going to take a look back at Regionals 2009 — How I scrubbed right out, the awesome new decks revealed from all across the country, and how I redeemed myself by Top 8ing the PTQ the next day. Let’s go!
Magical Hack – Irrational Actions and the Fog Trap
Friday, May 22nd – All of the buzz on the few days leading up to Regionals was somehow about Turbo-Fog. A Japanese Regionals tournament was won by a deck that confidently played 4x Holy Day, and the imagination of players everywhere was seemingly throwing off all sorts of sparks.
You Lika The Juice? – My Finest Hour & Regionals
Friday, May 22nd – For the U.S., the Regionals Championships are in the books. For me personally, it’s been an exhausting couple of weeks between the Star City double-PTQ weekend and then Regionals the following week. I characterize myself as a “casually competitive†player, who mostly just likes to have fun with Magic, but who likes to step up and compete when PTQs, Regionals, and States comes around.
Next Level Magic Preview – How to Use Bottom-Up Thinking to Improve Deck Building and Qualify
Friday, May 22nd – The following are passages from “Next Level Magic,” Patrick Chapin’s Strategy Guide that is being released as an e-book, here on StarCityGames.com, at the end of the month. Each week this month, there will be an excerpt from the book for your enjoyment. This week: How to Use Bottom-Up Thinking to Improve Deck Building and Qualify.
Feature Article – Seven Habits of Highly Effective Gamers
Thursday, May 21st – Magic Elder Statesman Brian Kibler, back on the tour for PT Honolulu, is no stranger to high-level play. At the deep end of competitive Magic, the premier players all share a number of qualities and habits that set them aside from the rest of us. In this enlightening Feature Article, Brian takes us through the Seven Habits of Highly Effective Gamers…
Deep Analysis – The Best Advice I Have To Give
Thursday, May 21st – In Richard’s final edition of Deep Analysis, Richard Feldman imparts the best advice he has to offer any Magic player looking to improve their game. Drawing from excellent articles in the communal archives, his philosophy is sure to ring true with anyone serious about reaching the pinnacle of our game. Thanks for all the great articles, Richard!
Chatter of the Squirrel – The Truth About Cats And Dogs
Thursday, May 21st – I was talking with Anna a few days ago about a big part of my Magic game that bothers me: I get really sloppy when I’m winning. She was interested to note, she said, that almost never was a guy fully on top of his game when he played against a girl…