Thursday, November 20th – I just finished reading Patrick Chapin’s 100th article – his retrospective. I’m also at a numeric milestone, and I wanted to look back at notable articles I’ve written. I’ll do it a bit differently – I’ll recap all the things I really wish I hadn’t written. I’ll follow that up with a recap of the Cruise qualifier I ran last weekend, and rave about the cruise itself.
Thursday, November 20th – Back in 2003, I brought the New York Format out of obscurity and into my Compendium as a legitimate alternative to the normal formats out there. However, after a bunch of intervening years adding significantly more cards to the format, I realized that I needed to edit the format for today’s audiences…
Wednesday, November 19th – Grand Prix: Atlanta finalist Gerry Thompson lays down the law in today’s One Step Ahead… he tears through a selection of the more successful States decklists and strategies, offering sage advice and expert tips with an acerbic “take it or leave it†wit. With the StarCityGames.com $5000 Standard Open on the horizon, let Gerry guide the way!
Wednesday, November 19th – The StarCityGames.com $5000 Standard Open is approaching fast, and we all need a head-start on the Standard metagame. The current format has been shaped by States, and today’s Down And Dirty sees Kyle investigate some of the stronger and more interesting archetypes on offer…
Wednesday, November 19th – 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!
Wednesday, November 19th – 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.
Wednesday, November 19th – Following last week’s backward look at the Theme Decks of old, this week sees shiny wrappings being unwrapped as the Intro Packs take center stage. Is this the missing piece in the quest to find the ultimate teaching tool that’s great for beginners to learn from, and yet won’t drive experienced players mad?
Wednesday, November 19th – In the month since Doug last wrote about this deck, it’s been gaining steam in the metagame and now players are looking at how to optimize the deck. Is Orim’s Chant worthwhile? Can we really get away with running zero maindeck win conditions? Take a look at some tournament-proven winning lists and join Doug for a look at deck options, from the sublime to the absurd, in this month’s Unlocking Legacy.
Wednesday, November 19th – Play in two FNM’s between 11/14 and 12/12 to earn a free foil promo DCI Hypnotic Specter. If you haven’t seen it before (like Tom), check out the very cool Magic Online Draft Converter. Tom LaPille discusses WoTC’s current plans regarding the Elves deck in Extended in his latest article with respect to possible bannings.
Tuesday, November 18th – While Elves was silently destroying the unprepared masses at Pro Tour: Berlin, a number of the perceived powerhouses of the format failed to perform. Certain strategies, however, can now be tweaked to combat the pointy-eared menace. Today, Marijn Lybaert looks at the non-elf decks that sprang from his team’s intensive testing, and investigates ways they could topple the lean Green machine…
Tuesday, November 18th – The StarCityGames.com $5000 Standard Open comes to Philadelphia in a few weeks. In preparation, Benjamin Peebles-Mundy looks at a pair of the more unsung strategies blossoming from the recent State Championship tournaments: Bloom Tender Aggro and Planeswalker Control/Combo. If you’re looking for a deck with the element of surprise, look no further!
Tuesday, November 18th – 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!
Tuesday, November 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.
Tuesday, November 18th – A number of pro players who were at Pro Tour: Berlin have expressed feelings that the Elves deck is simply too powerful for current Extended. Others have rallied around the turn 2 kill percentage, which ranges from roughly a quarter to a third depending on whom you ask, citing this is a turn too quick for a ‘healthy’ format.
Tuesday, November 18th – Elves! with a capital exclamation point was the story of the tournament from a player perspective. The supposedly secret tech only surprised people with the fact that everyone seemed to have it. As I mentioned previously, the Judging staff got the first hint that something was up when we heard about the dealers selling out of Glimpse of Nature the night before.
