Thursday, May 14th – Every judge, at the beginning of their journey, was not a judge. Also, every judge has to have started as a player at some point. I think this assertion is easy to prove – you learn so much about the game just by attempting to play it, that I can’t really see how you can effectively judge without playing the game.
Thursday, May 14th – An Online Prerelease. It is, according to the forum trolls, a disaster which no one will attend. It will destroy Constructed Magic, the singles market, and the Championship series. It is a conspiracy, an Epic marketing fail, and the cause of swine flu. It will also destroy this week’s column, because I am going to spend most of it laughing at the forum posts.
Thursday, May 14th – 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. Today: Chats with Jon Finkel and Patrick Chapin.
Wednesday, May 13th – Over the last few weeks, Olivier Ruel and Manuel Bucher have provided us with a comprehensive ranking of the cards in Shards of Alara and Conflux, with regard to all the relevant draft archetypes. Today, they move onto the cards we’ve all been waiting for… Alara Reborn!
Wednesday, May 13th – Regionals approaches, and you can bet Kyle Sanchez has a few fresh and funky lists up his jumper. In preparation for this coming weekend, and by extension Grand Prix: Seattle, Kyle shares a selection of cool Standard decklists that overflow with rogue potential. If you’re looking for something off the beaten track, this is the article for you!
Wednesday, May 13th – 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!
Wednesday, May 13th – I do not employ hyperbole when I say that the positioning of a Booster Draft deck is one of the least-understood, least appreciated, least talked-about skills in Magic amongst your average PTQ-level players.
Wednesday, May 13th – This past weekend, I had a chance to play in a Grand Prix Trial for Seattle. I was all set to shuffle up a new Faeries build as of Wednesday, but further testing showed all I did was weaken my manabase and still lose to Volcanic Fallout too much. So, this week, I’m going to give you a quick rundown of my games and show you some glaring mistakes.
Wednesday, May 13th – In this week’s edition of MTGCast, there’s talk of M10, rumor mills, Duel Decks, and more!
Wednesday, May 13th – If there is one lesson that this past weekend’s dual PTQ in Richmond has for those of us attending the upcoming Regionals, it is that you have two choices: Beat Black/White Tokens, or Play Black/White Tokens. Today, I take a look at the statistics that resulted from the entire weekend, and come up with a comprehensive metagame plan for the coming Regionals tournaments… Enjoy!
Tuesday, May 12th – In today’s edition of Black Magic, Sam Black examines the necessity to plan ahead if you want to make the most of your Magic matches. He touches on both Limited and Constructed, supplying play examples and tips on both drafting to your strengths and sideboarding. Sam also brings us a bonus section on Regionals to help us cement our deck choice before the big day…
Tuesday, May 12th – With decks like Boat Brew, Jund Ramp, and most prominently Black/White Tokens kicking up a mighty stink in Standard, Adrian Sullivan investigates exactly why the Midrange strategy is doing so well in the current metagame. He also answers the complaint that the Midrange archetype is unfocussed and fatally flawed…
Tuesday, May 12th – What cards are getting hotter in the Legacy metagame? How have some cooled down? Doug goes over the impact that Lorescale Coatl will have on the format and what cards might get a second (or first!) life in the maindecks and sideboards of decks all around the format. Check out if Threads of Disloyalty is still as strong as ever or if we should be looking at different enchantments instead. Check out Doug’s “stock evaluations” for the newest Legacy tech!
Tuesday, May 12th – In the past seven days, The Starkington Post (Bill Stark’s daily Magic blog) has brought us talk on the power of Anathemancer, the upcoming Pro Tour in Hawaii, Block Constructed lists from Malaysia, and much more!
Tuesday, May 12th – A Draft Weekend at Chez Hagon usually leaves Rich with at least some clue what’s going on in the world of Limited. Not this time. Tune in to see him squirm like the pitiful non-Pro he is as he practically falls on his knees to implore your kind assistance in setting him straight in the rocky world of Shards-Conflux-Reborn Draft.
