The Magic Sock Episode 148: Worlds and Lots of News
Monday, December 15th – In today’s episode of The Magic Sock, we have discussion on the first day of Worlds, a look at the upcoming Divine versus Demonic duel decks, plus much much more!
Search Content
Sullivan Library – Deck Discovery and Collective Intelligence in Magic
Friday, December 12th – It’s been awhile since we’ve showcased a pure theory article here on StarCityGames.com… so it’s about time we remedied that! Today’s Sullivan Library brings us a deep investigation of the very nature of information itself. How can we make the most of the resources at hand, and how does collective intelligence inform our Magic decisions?
The Magic Show #126 – Philly $5K
Friday, December 12th – Hello everybody, and welcome to another edition of the Magic Show. This week we’re in Memphis catching the sights and sounds of the World Championships, and in the meantime we’ll catch up on the StarCityGames $5K, see the final match complete with interviews, and a special song inspired by the Banned & Restricted List. Let’s go!
Unlocking Legacy – Solidarity and Spring Tide: The Best of Both Decks
Friday, December 12th – Since Solidarity and Spring Tide are not really viable in their current form, is their some way to have the best of both decks? To have powerful untap effects and still have access to powerful sorceries such as Merchant Scroll? It seems too difficult to reconcile playing Reset with sorceries, and Solidarity does not look like the place to start, but perhaps there are other ways to untap lands in Spring Tide…
Deep Analysis – What’s Wrong With Being Results-Oriented?
Thursday, December 11th – With the pros and cons of “results-oriented†the current hot topic in both articles and forums alike, Richard Feldman takes a closer look at such thinking in an attempt to settle the argument once and for all. With fine reasoning for both sides of the debate, he examines why results-oriented thinking can be both a help and a hindrance…
You Lika The Juice? – From the Virtual Mailbag
Thursday, December 11th – The end of the year is often a time for retrospect… and one thing I realized was that I have been pretty negligent in attending to my starcitygeezer email inbox. So, allow me to remedy that!
Yawgmoth’s Whimsy #253 – The Inherent Unfairness of Promo Cards
Thursday, December 11th – Two semi-related events happened this last week. First, a European behavioral scientist performed a very clever experiment to show that dogs feel jealousy at unfair treatment. The second was some more information on the Magic Online rewards cards, and the fact that Wizards will be giving some away at Worlds. That made the MTGO forum folks bay like a pack of hounds in full cry.
Insider Trading – Making 11th Edition (Part 2)
Thursday, December 11th – In his last article, Ben outlined some mechanics he would include in 11th Edition. In the follow-up article, Ben tackles the meat of the issue – which cycles should be in 11th Edition? Which Mythics should be included to maximize sales of the set without hurting the Standard environment? Is there such as thing as too many good cards in the base set? And what mechanic, never included in the base set, is the absolute no-brainer slam-dunk to include? Find out in today’s edition of Insider Trading!
One Step Ahead – Anatomy of a Control Deck
Wednesday, December 10th – Gerry Thompson has long been a supporter of the “grind ‘em out†style of control deck. As the dust settles on the “Cruel Ultimatum of No†battlefield, Thompson brings us an insight into the grinding strategy he finds so appealing. With Tap-Out Control strategies being the control weapon of choice in recent times, has the tide turned toward the traditional attrition plan? Gerry reveals all!
Chatter of the Squirrel – Understanding Shards of Alara Sealed
Wednesday, December 10th – For the first time in nearly two years, I’m in danger of “falling off the train.†I’ve forgotten what it was like to stand in line for PTQ after PTQ and fail again and again and again. I’ve forgotten how difficult it was to get to the point at which I arrived, more or less, in May of 2006: that of being basically positive you were going to play at the next PT. Forgotten that it’s so much easier to stay on than it is to get there in the first place.
Tribal Thriftiness #50 – Intro Packs and Upgrades 2
Wednesday, December 10th – Two weeks ago, we looked at the Grixis and Jund Intro Packs and attempted to bring them up to scale to be playable in today’s Standard – or, at the very least, got them up to 60 cards (using only commons) while still maintaining the goal and plan of the deck and the associated Shard. Today, let’s go through the other three.
MTGCast #133 – MTGO Layoffs and Evil Presents!
Wednesday, December 10th – Big news of the week is the announcement of a large number of layoffs from the digital games division at WoTC, and includes some well known names like Randy Buehler. Other MTGO news is the release of Tempest on December 8th and the return of card redemption! The “coolest” news is the preview of this year’s holiday promo, Evil Presents! Check out the preview of the Conflux booster package, product displays, intro packs (including a partial card image!).
Down And Dirty – Decks From The StarCityGames.com $5000 Standard Open
Wednesday, December 10th – With The StarCityGames.com $5000 Standard Open now in the books, Kyle Sanchez looks at some of the more interesting decks in the Top 16. In his usual acerbic style, he looks at the strengths and weaknesses of the successful builds with an eye on the upcoming Worlds tournament this weekend!
Feature Article – Scenarios For Success: Learning Lessons From Paulo
Tuesday, December 9th – In today’s excellent feature article from Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa, he outlines a selection of interesting scenarios in order to make us better players. With Worlds around the corner, and our eyes and hopes pinned to the next big tournament, these lessons could propel us to the next level. Enjoy!
Peebles Primers – Combo Elves in Standard
Tuesday, December 9th – For his final edition of Peebles Primers, Benjamin Peebles-Mundy brings us the development of his weapon of choice for the recent StarCityGames.com $5000 Standard Open. While he didn’t quite set the venue alight, he still believes it’s a fine choice in the current metagame. Thanks for all the great articles, BPM!