I was playing Magic Online the other day, and trying to decide if I should do a 4-3-2-2 draft or an 8-4. I ended up picking a 4-3-2-2, just because it looked like the 8-4 would be a while before starting, but it got me thinking about the sort of conventional wisdom that people deliver about picking between the two…
In a change from the advertized schedule, Abe Sargent brings us his own brand of Casual Magic a day early this week! He looks at the Top 4 decks from the recent Paris Peasant Magic tournament, and shares a few ideas of his own…
As Magic deckbuilders and players, we have a number of tools at our disposal. We have creatures that attack, spells that affect the board, and so on. Today’s Sullivan Library sees Adrian share his favorite tools for Magical accomplishment, offering insight into his deckbuilding processes and a look at some of the cogs behind this game we all love…
Nick, it seems, is in love with the wacky decks of Lorwyn draft. Today’s Limited Lessons is a pick-by-pick walkthrough that sees nick pilot a multicolored Elemental deck against the players in an 8-4 queue on Magic Online. It’s true that, if drafted correctly, the archetype is capable of some astounding plays… but was Nick correct to force the issue early? Click here to find out!
Tiago Chan, Portugal’s Level 6 Magic dynamo, takes us by the hand and leads us through the choppy waters of a triple-Lorwyn draft on Magic Online. He shares each and every pick, from one to forty-five, and supplies expert commentary on the draft and the games. For more detailed information, visit the forums!
Today we’ll be taking a break from the endless amount of Faeries articles I’ve written, and instead focus on some of the other odder Standard decks floating around. A few of these have seen play in various 8-mans on MTGO, while others have merely been my side-projects after refining Faeries. The most interesting concept to utilize has come largely from the Makeshift Mannequin decks floating around since Grand Prix: Krakow.
Worlds is almost upon us, and already in position to bring us all the action from the Big Apple is the audio maestro himself, Rich Hagon. He’ll be bringing you exclusive interviews, match reports, commentary and the best analysis of everything going on at the pinnacle of the Magic year. Get up to speed with all the inside info you need. It’s the best seat in the house, and it’s yours!
During a draft, an argument about a play broke out, and my roommate flat out told me I was terrible and had no right to question any plays. I told him that once he fixed the holes in his game, he could talk to me about mine. He quipped about how he didn’t have any holes in his game. This clearly isn’t true… but was I being that blind? Was my own need to act like I was perfect actually hindering my ability to get better?
I lost this week due to a grievous misunderstanding of my mana curve. And I have no one to blame but myself for that. It was a good deck; I was the one who let it down. What could I have done better?
It’s been a while since JFR spewed his heady brand of bile into our collective brainpans… but believe me, today the Mighty Rizz is back with a bang. He takes us through his latest trawl through the murkier backwaters of Standard, piloting an exciting Madness deck to good result at both States and City Champs. So, has John done it again? Has he broken the format? Click here to find out!
Finding the best deck in a format can be hard. However, there are often obvious signs that a deck is just not good enough to win a tournament. Tom shows us four of them, and also warns us about two reasons that we should not use as justification for rejecting decks. Also, Tom and Evan Erwin invite you to Saturday Night Cube Drafting at Worlds this weekend. Details inside!
With Worlds around the corner, all eyes are turning to New York. As usual, a good portion of the Magic Extravaganza takes place with sixty-cards decks crafted from the Standard cardpool, and every pro and his pal is searching for the Next Big Standard Thing. Patrick looks at a successful deck from States – Skred Red – and also tilts his cap toward a new deck with a powerful pedigree…
Tiago Chan, Portugal’s Level 6 Magic dynamo, takes us by the hand and leads us through the choppy waters of a triple-Lorwyn draft on Magic Online. He shares each and every pick, from one to forty-five, and supplies expert commentary on the draft and the games. For more detailed information, visit the forums!
The key to success in any competitive endeavor is the Will to Win. This is a disposition of the mind to overcome obstacles, maximize incremental advantage and prevail victorious in the face of unfavorable odds. It is, in essence, a psychological mindset. A positive attitude to win comes more naturally to some people than others, but everyone has bad days and winning in the long run requires a certain mental training in this area.
Most of us know that we want, in the abstract, “to play the best deck†… But what exactly does that mean? What is the definition of the best deck? Is it mathematical? Is it philosophical? Does such a thing really exist? Mike has an idea… and shares his thoughts on the subject through quotes from some of the greatest minds in the game!
