The Casual Player’s Bargain-Hunting Guide, Part 3
Monday, December 1st – This week, we’re looking for bargains in Mirage Block through Tempest – which was tricky for a variety of reasons, not the least of which are reprints and accessibility.
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Innovations – The Most Important Magic Lessons of the Year, Part 1
Monday, December 1st – In this introspective and illuminating article, Patrick “The Innovator” Chapin looks back at the timeless lessons he learned in the first half of his Pro Player journey. He also stokes the fires in the increasingly incendiary “Cruel Ultimatum or No” debate for Five-Color Control…
So Many Insane Plays – Vintage Tezzeret Dissected
Monday, December 1st – When Shards of Alara hit the scene, Vintage maestro Stephen Menendian pounced on the promising planeswalker Tezzeret the Seeker. The card is no bearing fine Vintage fruit, and Stephen crunches the numbers to make the strongest composite list possible. Could this be the new leader in the Vintage metagame?
Drafting With Nick – Shards of Alara #24
Monday, December 1st – Nick continues his Drafting With series, bringing us a triple Shards of Alara draft from the 8-4 queue on Magic Online. Along with Rich, he shares his pick process and draft thoughts with each one, and supplies more detailed analysis in the forums.
The Riki Rules – Grand Prix: Atlanta
Monday, December 1st – There was a DQ in the last round of Day 1 involving noted Brazilian Pro Willy Edel and a local player. The issue at hand was that his opponent claimed he had dealt damage to Willy with Exuberant Firestoker, something that Willy denied. Enter a Judge, and in fact, enter Head Judge Seamus Campbell as the dispute got that big and convoluted…
The Magic Sock Episode 146: The State of Standard
Monday, December 1st – In this week’s edition of The Magic Sock Podcast, there’s discussion on the current state of Standard, a nostalgic look back at the hits and misses of Judgment, and much more!
Chatter of the Squirrel – Full Disclosure: Berlin Testing Uncovered Part 3
Friday, November 28th – Zac Hill rounds out his temporary Premium stint for the completion of his preparation for Pro Tour: Berlin. Using every email sent between himself, Marijn Lybaert, Frank Karsten, and the rest of his testing team, he recreates the exact conditions they found when preparing for the tournament. As with parts 1 and 2, this is incredible stuff, and not for the faint of heart…
Sullivan Library – Standard and Extended Fireside Chat
Friday, November 28th – With Worlds on the horizon, plus the upcoming StarCityGames.com $5K Standard Open, all eyes turn to Standard and Extended. Each format has a particular powerhouse that threatens to overshadow the field… today, Adrian Sullivan discusses what it takes to bring these giants down.
Drafting With Rich – Shards of Alara #12
Friday, November 28th – Canadian Draft maestro Rich Hoaen returns to the pages of StarCityGames.com. Each day, he brings us a triple Shards of Alara draft from Magic Online, from pick 1 to pick 45, sharing his insight on the more difficult picks along the way. For more in-depth analysis, visit the forums!
The Magic Show #124 – Vignettes
Friday, November 28th – Hello everybody, and welcome to another edition of the Magic Show. This week we’re going to take a look at a host of Magic-y topics, from the changes coming in Conflux prereleases, the Grand Prix 2009 improvements, what Wizards should preview first for Conflux, the death of Tournament Packs, some incredible Japanese foils you won’t be seeing state-side, and we’ll pepper it all with fascinating interviews with Patrick Chapin & Pro Superstar Manuel Bucher. Let’s go!
Magical Hack – Greed
Friday, November 28th – I’ve heard a few glum opinions on Shards of Alara Limited, such as that you need a Dragon and a Planeswalker in your Sealed Deck if you want to make the Top 8, but the fact remains that there is a lot you can do without stupid rares in your deck, and maximizing your card pool is going to be key to success in this format.
Feature Article – Five-Color Control in Triple Shards Draft
Thursday, November 27th – Nick Eisel was an early adopter of Five-Color Control in Shards draft, but he moved to new archetypes when the strategy began to fail him. Today, Quentin Martin revisits the archetype with his own personal spin on things, including pick orders and mana requirements. He’s had phenomenal success with the strategy… will it work for you?
Deep Analysis – Chapin versus Thompson on Cruel Ultimatum: Who’s Right?
Thursday, November 27th – Five-Color Control players across the world have pondered this question since Shards of Alara hit the shelves: does Cruel Ultimatum belong in Five-Color Control? In the red corner, arguing that Cruel Ultimatum is necessary, we have Chapin. In the blue corner, arguing that the card is overhyped, we have Thompson. Who’s right? Richard investigates…
Drafting With Nick – Shards of Alara #23
Thursday, November 27th – Nick continues his Drafting With series, bringing us a triple Shards of Alara draft from the 8-4 queue on Magic Online. Along with Rich, he shares his pick process and draft thoughts with each one, and supplies more detailed analysis in the forums.
You Lika The Juice? – Giving Thanks
Thursday, November 27th – Holidays are great – you get a break from work, you get to hang with family, relax, eat good food, and watch a ball game on the tube. Yet some holidays are also good occasions to reflect on certain things that may get missed in the general rush and scurry of life in the 21st century. Thanksgiving is one of those holidays, where it’s nice to stop and think about what you have to be thankful for.