Thursday, June 26th – I love alternate formats. I also love deckbuilding challenges. Last week, you saw me build decks with more and more random cards added to the mix, and it was tough. Those sorts of challenges inspire me. Today I will be providing for you a new Scavenger Hunt.
Wednesday, June 25th – Patrick “The Innovator†Chapin rocked up to Indianapolis to tackle the fickle forty-card format. While he didn’t bathe in glory this time out, he did learn a few new tricks and have a glorious time. Today, he brings us his story… and an intriguing bonus Block Constructed decklist too!
Wednesday, June 25th – Following on from last week’s look at Five-Color Control for Lorwyn / Shadowmoor Block Constructed, Benjamin Peebles-Mundy brings us an in-depth view of the deck, the matchups, and the sideboarding strategies. If you’re looking to shun the Fae and the Kithkin for your coming PTQ season, this is the article for you!
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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?
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!]
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.
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!
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.
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…
