Friday, December 19th – While there are some few PTQs left featuring Sealed Deck and Draft as their key component, getting an advanced look at the upcoming Extended format is the attraction of the hour, as we ponder whether there will be a banning or if everything we need to know about the next PTQ format is already right in front of us.
Friday, December 19th – Throughout the history of Magic, there have been a lot of special collections of cards that have been packaged and sold, not in random boosters or starters, but in set amounts. We’ve seen preconstructed decks and gift sets, From the Vault: Dragons and Portal Starters. From learning the game to getting your hands wet with mechanics old and new, WoTC has regularly printed materials that are non-random ways of purchasing cads.
Thursday, December 18th – In his first article while at the helm of his brand new weekly column, Luis Scott-Vargas takes us through his successful 6-0 Extended Blue/Red Swans list. He updates it for the post-Worlds metagame, and shares his sideboarding techniques against the major contenders in the format. Welcome aboard, LSV!
Thursday, December 18th – Ben is fresh from the Magic World Championships in Memphis with breaking news! For the first time anywhere online, read about some major changes to one of Wizard’s long-standing programs!
Thursday, December 18th – 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.
Thursday, December 18th – So what did you think of Worlds? I know Wizards goes out of its way to promote the personalities on the Pro Tour, but honestly I was much more interested to see what the Pros did to further define the new Standard and Extended formats. Standard to see what netdeckers might be bringing to Friday Night Magic, and Extended to figure out what deck to play at the local PTQ in January.
Thursday. December 18th – Last weekend was Worlds. Unfortunately, I got to experience it the way most of the rest of us did – remotely. On the plus side, I played a bunch of Magic Online and watched the coverage. It was a nice snowy weekend, with dogs, a fire in the fireplace, and online release events. It almost made up for not being there.
Wednesday, December 17th – With both Pro Tour: Berlin and the World Championships now in the books, and the upcoming PTQ season concentrating on Extended, it’s time to examine the format and figure the metagame. Borrowing from Mike Flores and his SWOT analysis, Richard Feldman takes us through the runners and riders…
Wednesday, December 17th – In our second look at the current Extended metagame, Kyle Sanchez looks at the stronger decks from Worlds and examines the makeup of the blossoming format. He breaks down the decks into the Big Three, and looks at some of the more popular fringe strategies…
Wednesday, December 17th – What I really want to call attention to today is a certain situation that, if left unchecked and uncurbed, could legitimately threaten the future of competitive Magic as it exists today. I am not, for once, employing hyperbole. The issue is that of inept, counterintuitive, self-interested, or ineffective judging at the Grand Prix or Pro Tour level.
Wednesday, December 17th – All the fun and top quality goodness of the biggest event in the Magic calendar, as Rich brings us no fewer than seventeen entries from his personal Worlds Week.
Wednesday, December 17th – It is all about Worlds 2008 in Memphis this week. Congratulations to Antti Malin of Finland who is the new World Champion, and to Team USA of Paul Cheon / Sam Black / Michael Jacob for winning the World Team Championship!
Tuesday, December 16th – After a sterling start and a 5-1 Standard performance, the wheels fell off Patrick’s Worlds wagon when the field took up the forty-card decks. Today, Patrick brings us the deck he played to 5-1, a Cruel Control build developed by himself, Manuel Bucher, Guillaume Wafo-Tapa, and the Ruels…
Tuesday, December 16th – Newly-promoted Level 6 mage Gerry Thompson stepped away from Five-Color Control for Worlds in order to bust heads with the popular White/Black Token Standard deck. He came away from Day 1 with a solid 5-1 record. Today, he takes us through the deck he played, the build he’d run today, and the sideboarding plans he’d implement for the major players in the field…
Tuesday, December 16th – 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.
