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Arcane Teachings – Tackling Triple Shadowmoor: Blue/White Aggression

Read Tom LaPille every Tuesday... at StarCityGames.com!
Tuesday, April 29th – Today’s Nick Eisel article saw Nick sharing his thoughts on the powerful U/W decks available when drafting triple Shadowmoor. Not to be outdone, Tom wades into the fray and brings us his own thoughts on the newly proclaimed Best Archetype In The Format. Where do you agree with Tom, and where does Tom disagree with Nick? Read on to find out!

Deconstructing Constructed – Red Deck Wins, Maybe

Read Josh Silvestri every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Tuesday, April 29th – With the release of Shadowmoor, the Red deck has once again come to the forefront of many designers’ and players’ minds. Today, I’d like to go over some of the more debatable inclusions and possible design choices the deck will likely face in the future, all of which spring from player preference and metagame consideration.

Removed From Game – The Judge Sideboard

Read Rich Hagon every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Tuesday, April 29th – Fresh out of a two day conference on Continuous Effects, Building a Local Community, hyper-linked Comp Rules, Professional Conduct as a Player, and a dozen more seminars and lectures covering the full range of global issues affecting the men and women who keep the game fair, Rich Hagon shares his own lecture with us, showcasing the skills and attitudes that go into making the best judges. If you think you have nothing to learn from how a judge goes about their business, this could change your mind.

Very Good Decks From Very Crappy Cards – The Last of a Long Contest

Read The Ferrett every Monday... at StarCityGames.com!
Monday, April 28th – Some of the “crap” cards suggested for my “Crap Rare Contest” turned out not to be crap, but actually format-defining. And you broke them in half! Tune in to see how one man’s terrible card is the bane of Vintage… And it’s not just Deathly Gamble!

Innovations – Reader Mailbag (Includes Two Very Different Swan Decks)

Read Patrick Chapin every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Monday, April 28th – Today’s Innovations sees Patrick Chapin open up his hefty mailbag, packed to the brim with requests for help from the great and good of the StarCityGames.com readership. He brings us two takes on the Swan deck, his thoughts on the current Standard and Extended metagames, and the most important paragraph on improvement at Magic that you’ll ever read…

So Many Insane Plays – Winning In Vintage On a Budget

Read Stephen Menendian every Monday... at StarCityGames.com!
Monday, April 28th – Vintage… the Format of Kings. Traditionally, a successful Vintage deck would both require a king-sized brain to pilot, and a king’s ransom to assemble. However, in these modern times, it seems that tournament structure allows a lot more flexibility in deck creation, and the ultra-diverse metagame means there are many options open to the cash-strapped Eternal spellslinger…

There And Back Again – Revisiting Red Deck Wins

Read Bill Stark every Monday... at StarCityGames.com!
strong>Monday, April 28th – Last week we discussed a RDW list that received a lot of response both on the forums and via email. It was clear players wanted to discuss the deck further due either to confusion over the initial list or to comment on it both positively and negatively… so, here we go!

Unlocking Legacy – Practical Shadowmoor Applications

Read Legacy articles every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Monday, April 28th – Take a look at some of the most powerful combos from Magic’s newest set! Doug takes a look at the new staples, compelling combo cards and others that just barely missed the cut for playability. Consider sure-fire hits like Painter’s Servant and oddball enablers like Ghastly Discovery. Is Demigod of Revenge playable without support cards to enable its brothers to come and play? Doug tackles these and more in this week’s Unlocking Legacy.

Flores Friday – Burn Brew versus Monster Island: Flame in the Standard Metagame

Read Mike Flores every Friday... at StarCityGames.com!
Friday, April 25th – One of the stronger fringe strategies from Extended, Mono-Red Burn, has a number of excellent cards in the current Standard environment. Could it be a contender today? Mike runs the Shadowmoor-friendly burn deck against two of the more creature-packed powerhouses in the modern metagame: Merfolk, and the all-conquering Faeries. Do Mountains hold the key to success in these interesting times?

Sullivan Library – Shadowmoor and Extended

Read Adrian Sullivan every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Friday, April 25th – With Pro Tour: Hollywood on the horizon, Pro-level thoughts on Standard continue to be well guarded. Of course, with a new set in the mix, there’s plenty more Constructed Magic available. Today, Adrian Sullivan examines the Shadowmoor offerings in an Extended context, and delivers his personal Top 5 Shadowmoor cards for Extended play.

The Magic Show #93 – Shadowmoor Prerelease

Watch Evan Erwin every Friday... on StarCityGames.com!
Friday, April 25th – Hello everybody, and welcome to another Prerelease Edition of the Magic Show. This week we’re in Nashville, TN and talking about the sights, sounds, and mana costs of Shadowmoor, what it means to players in the area and what they’re excited about from the new set.

Magical Hack – Hacking Hollywood

Read Sean McKeown every Friday... at StarCityGames.com!Friday, April 25th – With Shadowmoor at our fingertips at last, all of the information that is really needed to figure out what the Standard metagame might look like at Pro Tour: Hollywood is now known. With the very last card now known and seen, we can begin working on building decks… and do that enough times, bashing cardboard into cardboard, and you’ll figure out what is going to be good in Standard come Hollywood.

Scouse of Cards – The Trouble With Version 3…

Read Craig Stevenson every week... at StarCtyGames.com!
Friday, April 25th – Magic Online Version 3 is finally here, and with it comes a barrage of problems, complaints, and requests. Players across the world are gnashing their teeth and pulling out their hair. So, what have Wizards got wrong, and what have Wizards go right? And, more importantly, where do things go from here?

Feature Article – Mannequin in Shadowmoor Standard

Read Feature Articles every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Thursday, April 24th – Shadowmoor is coming, and everyone wants the new tech for their next Constructed tournament. Today, Luis Scott-Vargas presents us with his updated version of the once-dominant Makeshift Mannequin strategy, and shares a list packed with synergy and power. He looks at how Faeries might adapt with the addition of Shadowmoor, and he even brings us a Vintage list for good measure!

Deep Analysis – Four Ways to Skin a Goblin

Read Richard Feldman every Thursday... at StarCityGames.com!
Thursday, April 24th – The official Shadowmoor release is mere days away, and with it comes a Bright and Shiny new metagame for Standard. While it seems Bitterblossom is still the card (and strategy) to beat, one of Magic’s oldest tribes gets a much-needed shot in the arm… Are the dreaded Goblins back, and do they have what it takes to bring down the Tier 1 decks?