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The Magic Show #124 – Vignettes

Watch Evan Erwin every Friday... on StarCityGames.com!
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

Read Sean McKeown every Friday... at StarCityGames.com!
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

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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?

The StarCityGames.com $5,000 Standard open Comes to Philadelphia!
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

Draft with Nick every day... at StarCityGames.com!
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

Read Bennie Smith every week... at StarCityGames.com!
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.

Yawgmoth’s Whimsy #251 – Thankful

Read Peter Jahn... at StarCityGames.com!
Thursday, November 27th – This should go up on Thanksgiving, when (at least in my part of the world) we give thanks for our blessings. Since this is a Magic site, let’s look at the state of Magic right now. Anything to be thankful for there? I think so.

The Kitchen Table #261 – A Hypothetical Masters Edition 3

Read Abe Sargent every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Thursday, November 27th – Wizards of the Coast has been making sets called Masters Edition for online consumption, consisting of cards from before Mirage and the Portal sets. These sets have new commonalities, and give players a chance to open up some of the old classics, but they come with a cost. The older cards do not meet the demands of the modern color pie, so the drafts are a bit wonky. (Which I love!) Also, the sets are very limited in their release, so you have to get the goods while you can.

One Step Ahead – The Correct Way to Build Faeries

The StarCityGames.com $5,000 Standard open Comes to Philadelphia!
Wednesday, November 26th – Last week, Gerry Thompson told us exactly where we’d been going wrong in our thinking about the modern Faeries archetype in Standard. After many calls for his decklists and sideboard strategies in the forums, Gerry steps to the plate and delivers. If you’re looking for a Fae list for the upcoming StarCityGames.com $5000 Standard Open, look no further!

Down And Dirty – Going For The Gold: Elemental Updates

The StarCityGames.com $5,000 Standard open Comes to Philadelphia!
Wednesday, November 26th – The StarCityGames.com $5000 Standard Open is fast approaching. If you’re looking for something off the beaten path, then Kyle may have the deck for you. He’s updated his popular Elemental build, powering out Horde of Notions on turn 3 for some truly sick starts. Intrigued? Then read on!

Drafting With Rich – Shards of Alara #11

Draft With Rich Hoaen every day... at StarCityGames.com!
Wednesday, November 26th – 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!

Drafting With Nick – Shards of Alara #22

Draft with Nick every day... at StarCityGames.com!
Wednesday, November 26th – 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.

Removed From Game – YOU Name The Baby

Read Rich Hagon every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Wednesday, November 26th – At last, the wait is over. An article so original that Rich personally guarantees that this particular contest has never happened before. Probably. Bringing you an insight into the hideous complexity of finding names for Magic cards, Rich invites you to try your hand at Naming The Baby. Yes, the Hagon brand is set to release a new expansion next Summer, and we want you to find the perfect Magic name for Hagonling Number 2. Simply agree with Rich’s choice, and you get to Name The Baby! (Terms and Conditions apply.)

Unlocking Legacy – Assessing Legacy for Grand Prix: Chicago

Read Legacy articles every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Wednesday, November 26th – Christopher Coppola gives a set of starting decklists for testing, and discusses the format for those beginning their preparation for GP: Chicago.

MTGCast #131 – Drafts Are Back!

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Wednesday, November 26th – This week on MTGCast: Prepare yourself and your Standard deck for the upcoming Star City Games $5000 tournament in Philadelphia on December 6th. WoTC has listened to your input and announced a slew of changes for Prereleases starting with Conflux, including THE RETURN OF DRAFTS!