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Yawgmoth’s Whimsy #216 – The SCG $5K Deck Breakdown

Read Peter Jahn... at StarCityGames.com!
Wednesday, March 5th – I got all the decklists from the StarCityGames.com $5K tournament two weeks ago. It’s taken some time, but I managed to read and classify them all. You have seen the Top 16 lists. Here’s a complete breakdown. I have total numbers, percent making the Top 16, etc. I also have a number of decklists that were just plain interesting. If you are planning on playing Standard in the next couple of months, there is sure to be something to think about.

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You Lika the Juice? – Piloting a Ferrari at the PTQ

Read Bennie Smith every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Wednesday, March 5th – When last we left our hero – me – he was torn between varieties of mid-range G/B/x decks to play at the Richmond PTQ last Saturday. There was the strong allure of his homebrew Doran deck featuring the quick-kill potential of Tireless Tribe. There were also more stock versions floating around that presumably had more testing behind them and were more reliably “correct” in their build. Should he instead play one of those decks?

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Chatter of the Squirrel – Acquisition

Read Zac Hill every week... at StarCityGames.com!Wednesday, March 5th – Mark Rosewater just wrote an article explaining the process of “acquisition,” of expanding Magic’s player base and reaching out to people who have never heard of the game. We, the players, are essential to that process. This article will talk about some of the ways we can help out Wizards, and, by virtue of that, help ourselves.

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Limited Lessons – Dangers in Lorwyn/Lorwyn/Morningtide

Read Nick Eisel... at StarCityGames.com!
Tuesday, March 4th – Morningtide has finally emerged into the light on Magic Online, and Lorwyn/Lorwyn/Morningtide drafts begin later this week. Today, Nick takes us through six of the more popular tribal archetypes and examines the tricks and traps each deck may spring. If you’re looking to maximize your online draft potential, look no further!

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Arcane Teachings – Under the Radar in Extended

Read Tom LaPille every Tuesday... at StarCityGames.com!
Tuesday, March 4th – In his first Premium article, Tom LaPille examines the nature of being “under the radar” in the current Extended metagame. With so many options, and a plethora of powerful decks, how can we leverage our deck choice into those vital wins? Can we capitalize on the size of the format in order to run through the rounds without facing hate? Maybe we can… and Tom shows us how. [Editor’s Note: Adrian Sullivan will now run later in the week… so stay tuned!]

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Deconstructing Constructed – PTQing with the Goblins

Read Josh Silvestri every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Tuesday, March 4th – I ended up playing Goblins again for my local PTQ, to which even showing up was a bit of a hurdle since just two days before I was hacking my guts all over the room. Being sick, I had no time to go get new cards, even thought I wanted to switch decks to G/B/W Hateorade for the expected field of UG Tron, Goblins, and Red Deck Wins…

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Removed from Game – Weird

Read Rich Hagon every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Tuesday, March 4th – Inside the Kuala Lumpur Tournament Center. Inside The Booth. Inside Rich Hagon’s head. Yes, Rich Hagon’s head is the odd one out, because plenty of Magic players want to get into the other two. Join Rich for the 100% true tale of a very strange week in Malaysia. This article also features zero Extended decklists, all as part of the service.

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Insert Column Name Here – How Do You Draft When You Don’t Know The Cards?

Read The Ferrett every Monday... at StarCityGames.com!
Monday, March 3rd – Drafting a new set is tough, but that’s not what I’m talking about. No, to make life interesting, my local store decided to hold the Lorwyn segment of my draft in Russian packs – not bad for the cards I know a lot, but what about those loopy rares? Plus, I learn a Very Important Lesson about a Morningtide card that I misunderestimated, and the first announcement of The Ferrett’s new (and sure to be overhyped) webcomic!

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MichaelJ Monday – Extended Mid-Season SWOT, Part 1

Read Mike Flores every Friday... at StarCityGames.com!
Monday, March 3rd – In this rare Monday outing, Mike Flores performs an exhaustive SWOT analysis on a whopping twelve of the strongest Extended decks in the current metagame. He breaks down each archetype into Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, providing invaluable insight into the inner workings of these powerful builds. For anyone serious about the current PTQ season, this article is unmissable.

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Innovations – The Ten Greatest Magic Players of All Time

Read Patrick Chapin every Monday... at StarCityGames.com!
Monday, March 3rd – This week, Patrick takes a break from creating decklists, defining formats, and presenting theories. Instead, he offers a history lesson, and takes us through his personal list of the greatest Magic players of all time. By looking at their qualities, and remembering their dominance, we can begin to grasp just what it takes to become a truly exceptional mage…

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So Many Insane Plays – Lucky? Yeah, That’s The Point

Read Stephen Menendian every Monday... at StarCityGames.com!
Monday, March 3rd – Stephen returns to the Monday slot, and talks about an argument that’s as old as the hills… is the role of Luck in Magic greater than the role of Skill? Does Luck devalue Skill in the overall scheme of the game? Strangely, Stephen believes that, far from inhibiting the skillful, Luck makes Magic a more skillful game… and he’s got the mathematical proof to back up his claim.

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Feature Article – Mono-Black Control in Extended

Read Feature Articles every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Monday, March 3rd – Like many players this Extended season, I’ve grown a bit frustrated with a format that allows so many variables to be relevant. Affinity, Dredge, Next Level Blue, Previous Level Blue, Goblins, Enduring Ideal, TEPS… the list of playable archetypes stretches on and on and on. With that in mind, I set out to sculpt an archetype that would focus on beating the most popular decks most of the time…

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Unlocking Legacy – An Enchanted World

Read Legacy articles every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Monday, March 3rd – Learn about a deck that’s ripe for beginners, rewarding for experienced gunslingers and endorsed by U.S. National Champion and brainiac Luis Scott-Vargas! Doug takes a look at Enchantress this week, exploring the ins and outs of the deck and presenting an inexpensive introductory deck for players who are new to the format. Learn general strategies and techy plays in this feature of Unlocking Legacy!

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Levelling Up – Kuala Lumpur and Aftermath

Read Tiago Chan every Friday... at StarCityGames.com!
Friday, February 29th – In the last Levelling Up article for the forseeable future, Portugal’s Tiago Chan walks us through his second draft from Pro Tour: Kuala Lumpur. He also tells us how he views his future, and his standing in the Pro Tour and Magical communities, before hanging up his hat and strolling into the sunset. Thanks for the articles, Tiago. Good luck in all your future endeavors!

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The Magic Show #85 – From Charlotte, with Love

Watch Evan Erwin every Friday... on StarCityGames.com!Friday, February 29th – Hello everybody, and welcome to another edition of the Magic Show. This week we’re going to see some highlights from my weekend in Charlotte, including some unseen footage from players there, talk about the statistical power of the StarCityGames deck database, review upcoming Banned and Restricted list revisions due on March 1st, enlighten you with some Jon Finkel facts and we reach a new Magic Show milestone. Let’s go!

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