Friday, May 23rd – Hello everybody, and welcome to another edition of the Magic Show. This week we’re in Hollywood, and I’m going to tell you what I think you’ll be reading about in the coverage this weekend, just what in the hell we’re going to do about Magic Online 3.0, and more. Let’s go!
Friday, May 23rd – There’s one more night before Hollywood… and one last chance to get a message out there before the rounds and rounds of Hollywood set the stage for Regionals. I have been on many sides of the argument about “the best version of Faeries”, arguing some of the points just to play Devil’s Advocate. You have a lot of options… I mean, already we’ve seen several dissenting opinions with varied results.
Friday, May 23rd – A few weeks ago, Wizards announced that it was pushing organized play resources farther out. Some of the emphasis was moving from Pro Tours, States and store events to supporting casual play groups. Casual play means more than just non-sanctioned drafts and Two-Headed Giant – I want to give you some idea of just how much more by brainstorming about a bunch of formats, targeted at different numbers of players. Just five players in your group – no problem, I’ve got some formats for you.
Thursday, May 22nd – Richard Feldman is on a mission. What mission, you ask? Break Standard the day before the Pro Tour? Build a mechanical suit that can fly? Parody as many Star City writers as possible in one article? He only had time to complete one of these missions…read on to find out which one.
Thursday, May 22nd – It appears that Hell has frozen over. This week, Richard Feldman is providing the chuckles… and Kyle Sanchez tackles the serious task of breaking the Standard metagame. He brings us the latest take on his innovative Wizards Control deck plus a couple of intriguing rogue creations. All this, plus talk on Shadowmoor Limited and Block Constructed!
Thursday, May 22nd – Just like DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince taught him, Dave is cruisin’ by at two miles an hour, so everyone can see him, enjoying a couple of cool control options in the bright sunlight of summertime.
Thursday, May 22nd – Hello folks, and welcome to the column that explores the casual. I am your miner, Abe Sargent, digging for precious nuggets of casual Magic goodness. Last week I offered all of you kind folks an opportunity to send in some decks built using at least one Shadowmoor card. With such an easy task, how many entries did I get?
Wednesday, May 21st – At the recent StarCityGames.com Mega-Magic Weekend, the real winner was the Faeries deck. After multiple rounds of grueling swiss and single elimination competition, Faeries met in the finals of both tournaments. The pilot of the winning deck each time? Alex Bertoncini. Today he shares his story, alongside invaluable advice on how to get the most from the Fae…
Wednesday, May 21st – In a break from his usual articles, GerryT regales us with the tale of his own personal quest to take the crown in the StarCityGames Standard Open tournaments. While he didn’t have as successful a weekend as Alex, he made the Top 8 on the second day, and his own home-spun brand of Faeries has been the talk of the town. For his own particular take on the highs and lows of the metagame, look no further!
Wednesday, May 21st – My suitcase sits here next to me, packed for the LA plane. Still no real idea what I’m running in Hollywood, but since when has that gotten in anyone’s way? Blasted Fae, stupid Swans. Standard has always been my worst format, and I feel about as clueless now as I did a month ago when I started testing in earnest.
Wednesday, May 21st – In the first age of Magic, Blue was dominant for two perceived reasons: its ability to counter spells, and its ability to draw cards. These elements were considered to be “in-flavor” for Blue, when in reality this was giving one color dominion over two fundamental, basic mechanics of the game – playing cards and drawing cards.
Tuesday, May 20th – Triple Shadowmoor Draft offers up a variety of exciting strategies for the more discerning Limited player. There are the usual strategies, like Blue/White Aggro or Black/Red Heavy Removal. There are the fringe strategies, like The Gun and the Mill archetype. And there’s Green/Red, which requires an unhealthy reliance on mana acceleration…
Tuesday, May 20th – With Pro Tour: Hollywood only days away, the debate still rages over what can be done to curb the Blue/Black Faerie menace. One popular option is Mono-Red Aggression, with copious amounts of burn ready to keep the Bitterblossom players on their toes. Is such a strategy ready for the big time, or will the Fae seize the day?
Tuesday, May 20th – Grand Prix: Brussels was one of the truly great GP Sundays. As we head for Pro Tour: Hollywood, another Box Office production from the team that brought you ‘Lightning Helix: The Craig Jones Story’ and ‘The Magic Is Back’ starring Jon Finkel, join reviewer Rich Hagon as he talks you through the story of a spectacular Belgian weekend and looks ahead to what could be a very special three days in the land of dreams. Showtime!
Tuesday, May 20th – I visit Sonic to get myself some breakfast, which today consists of a double cheeseburger, tots, and a Coke. Breakfast of champions. I’m sitting here in my pajamas and moccasins, with Mike and Mike in the Morning in the background, attempting to write my first article for Star City Games…
