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Chatter of the Squirrel – A Grand Prix: Indianapolis Retrospective

Read Zac Hill every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Wednesday, June 25th – Lately, my event recaps have been (cutely?) sentimental, capturing some sort of feeling that washes over me after either a) scrubbing out or b) bashing face. Now, though, I’m sitting in Adrian Sullivan’s car after a Top 16 at America’s largest GP ever, brainstorming whether or not you should lower the curve on the Kithkin deck to fit in, yes, Niveous Wisps. So you could safely say my brain’s fully fried. As such, emotively I’m a wet dishrag, and therefore I might just have to talk strategy. Man.

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You Lika The Juice? – Standard Once More

Read Bennie Smith every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Wednesday, June 25th – I was all ready to shift gears and totally dive into preparing for the Block Constructed PTQs, but then Pete pulls together a memorial tournament for Richie Proffitt that’s turning into an event you simply cannot afford to miss. The cause is fantastic, the prize pool is insane, and those two facts are sure to draw a great crowd of Magic players to Roanoke, Virginia this Sunday, June 29th.

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Feature Article – The Pro Tour Top 8

Read Feature Articles every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Tuesday, June 24th – Today, we have something a little different for you… Few of us have been so fortunate as to be able to play on the final day of a Pro Tour, but for those of us who haven’t, this is our chance: Marijn Lybaert brings us a bird’s eye view of what it’s like to play on a Pro Tour Sunday.

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Limited Lessons – Red Deck Wins in Shadowmoor Draft

Read Nick Eisel... at StarCityGames.com!
Tuesday, June 24th – We’ve all heard of Red Deck Wins… variations on the theme have shaken up formats from Legacy to Block Constructed. In triple Shadowmoor Draft, Nick Eisel believes that such an aggressive archetype is ripe for the big time. With many of the key components going late, this is an archetype that bears close examination…

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Deconstructing Constructed – The PTQ Season: Results and Technology

Read Josh Silvestri every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Tuesday, June 24th – Now we have a better idea of what to make of the current Block Constructed format. Unfortunately for many people, it seems the more things change the more they stay the same. Faeries is the top dog in Top 8 appearances and wins, and it seems like that isn’t going to change anytime soon.

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The Riki Rules – Tales of the Red Zone

Read Riki Hayashi every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Tuesday, June 24th – Last week I detailed one of my major Japanese translation calls at Hollywood. Here’s the second. I joined the call already in the appeals process, so I sped to the table to assist the judge on the call (I believe it was Jaroslav Karban, L2 Czech Republic) and Sheldon in adjudicating the situation. I like using big words like “adjudicating” because they fill me with self-importance. Now if I only knew what they mean.

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So Many Insane Plays – A Vintage Primer: Grim Long Returns!

Read Stephen Menendian every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Monday, June 23rd – With the controversial Vintage restrictions now in place, it’s time to examine the face of an altogether new metagame. Vintage World Champion Stephen Menendian believes that Grim Long is primed for a triumphant return. The deck is packed with all the broken goodies the format has to offer… will it have the strength to shape the format in the months to come?

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Feature Article – Black/Red Tokens in Standard

Read Feature Articles every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Monday, June 23rd – At any given pro-level Constructed event, there are few certainties. However, one sure-fire fact is that the UK’s premier deck designer Stuart Wright will have something exciting up his sleeve for the main event. Today he shares his Pro Tour: Hollywood deck based on token creatures and Furystoke Giant. He also brings us excellent sideboarding advice for when facing the expected archetypes. [Editor’s Note: Patrick Chapin will be appearing later in the week. Stay tuned!]

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The Main Phase – Declaring Block, Part II

Read Reuben Bresler every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Monday, June 23rd – I want to talk about the decks available in the Block Constructed format. A lot of people have complained about the monotony of Lorwyn Block, saying that there are only 3-4 real decks that have a chance at winning. Those decks of course are Kithkin, Faeries, and Vivid-Pool decks… But that’s just phooey.

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Unlocking Legacy – Through A Blender

Read Legacy articles every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Monday, June 23rd – Legacy has the unique position of supporting decks that combine multiple strategies in the same build. Doug looks at three such decks, from subtle blendings to outright absurd combinations. See what happens when you combine Life from the Loam with Dark Confidant, Imperial Recruiter with Grindstone, and… every single combo in the format in one deck. Do these decks ultimately succeed with hybrid vigor or fall apart from an incoherent strategy? Find out inside!

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Flores Friday – On Losing

Read Mike Flores every Friday... at StarCityGames.com!
Friday, June 20th – Losing… as Magic players, losing games and matches must surely come as second nature. After all, even the best players in the world lose a third of their matches. When we face defeat, what matters most is that we learn from our position… and that we’ve done our best. Today’s Flores Friday sees Mike investigate his own philosophy of loss, while offering sage advice to those who struggle in defeat.

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Sullivan Library – Examining Block Hybrids

Read Adrian Sullivan every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Friday, June 20th – One of the stronger selling points of Shadowmoor can be found in the Hybrid mana cards. When the Hybrid concept made its debut in Ravnica, it proved extremely popular, and the Shadowmoor versions are no different. Today, Adrian examines some of the stronger and weaker Hybrid cards available in Constructed today, and attempts to answer some of the questions they pose…

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The Magic Show #101 – This Week in Magic

Watch Evan Erwin every Friday... on StarCityGames.com!
Friday, June 20th – Hello everybody and welcome to another edition of the Magic Show. This week we’re going to be talking about what’s so Mythic about a rare, what in the world Wizards of the Coast are doing to our beloved prereleases, take a look at Lorwyn Block Constructed, and what Richie Proffitt’s amazing Memorial Tournament has in store. Let’s go!

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Magical Hack – Rock Around The Block

Read Sean McKeown every Friday... at StarCityGames.com!
Friday, June 20th – With a brand-new PTQ season starting, we begin to see the development of a metagame that at first glance seems inbred and static. With literally only three good decks – because really, the difference between one Mannequin-Firespout Elemental deck and another is a matter of greed, not ultimately something that creates a unique archetype – our first impressions could not help but be “Faeries / Kithkin / Mannequin.”

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Deep Analysis – Five Color Beats in Block Constructed

Read Richard Feldman every Thursday... at StarCityGames.com!
Thursday, June 19th – With the Lorwyn / Shadowmoor Block Constructed metagame seemingly solidifying around Faeries, Kithkin, and Five-Color Control, Richard Feldman is suggesting a different strategy: Five-Color Fatty Beatdown. Today, he shares his exciting list, plus informative deck evolution data and comprehensive sideboarding plans against the three main offenders. Will this deck be the next big thing in Block? Read on to find out!

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