Monday, March 30th – The format for Pro Tour: Austin Qualifiers is Standard. Can you believe it? For the first time in as long as I’ve been playing Magic, Wizards of the Coast has finally decided to make Standard the format of choice for players battling for a blue envelop. Seriously? Check. Awesome? Check again.
Monday, March 30th – I know most of you have absolutely had it with Faeries. You’ve circled its rotation out of Standard and Extended on your calendars, and have already ordered the strippers, balloons, and cake to celebrate the joyous days ahead. I’m with you. However, there is some value in taking a look at the process of PTQ preparation as far as what changes need to be made to a deck, and more importantly, why.
Friday, March 27th – As you’re probably aware, Sam Black made Top 8 of the recent Grand Prix: Singapore. He piloted the popular Faeries deck drummed up by Martin Juza, Manuel Bucher, Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa, and Zac Hill. Of course, his secondary choice was the emergent Astral Slide deck. Today, he takes a look at both decks, as he believes that either strategy could lead a player to PTQ success.
Friday, March 27th – 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, March 27th – Hello everybody, and welcome to another edition of the Magic Show. This week we’re going to talk about Extended, what was winning and what was not, this weekend’s StarCityGames.com $5000 Standard Open in Indianapolis, and live coverage of a PTQ finals featuring StarCityGames.com’s own Sean McKeown. Let’s go!
Friday, March 27th – By now, it’s Friday and I wouldn’t be surprised if you’d seen this past weekend’s results updated on the MagicTheGathering.com weekly update of Top 8 results. I certainly like to discuss them as part of my analysis of the metagame, and it never hurts to congratulate the people who turn up with interesting results that get you thinking about new and interesting card choices.
Friday, March 27th – This past Sunday I had the pleasure of playing in a 9-man Elder Dragon Highlander game at Richmond Comix, and as tradition has it I’m going to present the deck I played and a recap of the how the game played out.
Thursday, March 27th – Today’s Reflecting Ruel sees Olivier in fine form. He dissects exactly what’s required to improve your game through a set of theoretical skill levels, and supplies the triggers on which we should concentrate if we want to join him at the top of the Magical tree. This is a must-read for any player serious in improving their game!
Thursday, March 26th – With Extended on everyone’s mind, for the next week or so at least, Manuel Bucher takes us through his ups and downs at the hand of the competition at Grand Prix: Singapore. His deck of choice? Faeries, of course.
Thursday, March 26th – The Extended PTQ season is slowly winding down, but there are still a few Blue Envelopes to be won. Richard Feldman came close last weekend, reaching the quarterfinals with Gifts Loam. With a number of prominent writers claiming that Faeries are the way to go if you’re serious about winning, Richard is a dissenting voice with a contrary opinion…
Thursday, March 26th – There is an undeniable aspect of Magic which never gets much press. Beneath the sea of matchup percentages, decklists, and card interactions, there is a less binary element of the game. Not just merely getting lucky, but something else entirely. Something a little harder to describe. Something that must be shown, not told, to be understood….
Thursday, March 26th – Legion Events ran a $3k event last Saturday. The format was mixed – an Alara Sealed event in the morning, and a Standard event after lunch. I got to head judge the Standard, which means I got the decklists when we were done. I have the Top 8 lists, the complete field breakdown, and some just plain interesting lists.
Thursday, March 26th – Unfortunately, most of the penalties we give are to good, honest folk, the kind you really want to sit across from during a match, and they’re out there getting penalized for a simple mistake or misunderstanding. These penalties are necessary to keep the integrity and fairness of an event, but that doesn’t mean I have to enjoy handing them out. In an effort to save both players and judges from heartache, here are some of the most common and easily avoidable penalties.
Wednesday, March 25th – In today’s enlightening edition of Down And Dirty, Kyle Sanchez discusses the relevance of reaching an apex in both deck design and personal confidence. He suggests that the key to success on the Magic stage in comprised of a basic five-step process of confidence of deck design. Intrigued? Then read on!
Wednesday, March 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!
