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!
This week, Level 6 Mage Tiago Chan is in a reflective mood. How do you define a Pro Player? Is it simply enough to call anyone who’s attended the Pro Tour a “Pro,†or are the real Pros actually making a living from this game? And what skills do you need to succeed in the cutthroat world of professional spell-slinging? Tiago reveals all!
Grand Prix: Krakow taught the world that, as usual, Islands are the lands to beat. Of course, Lorwyn also offers the Standard deckbuilder a number of strong Tribal options. So, where should you lay your hat? With the guys, or with the spells? Kyle thinks you can do better than merely opting for the control or aggro options. He presents three interesting Standard decks that seem ideally metagamed to the current environment…
That’s right, folks: The “Drafting With…” series is back! Taking up where both Rich Hoaen and Kenji Tsumura left off, we have Level 6 Mage Tiago Chan. As before, Tiago takes us through a triple Lorwyn draft from pick 1 to pick 45, before sharing his insight on the draft and the games that followed. For more detailed draft debate, come to the forums!
That’s right, folks: The “Drafting With…” series is back! Taki… actually, I’ve already said this. In the draft above. Look up, you can see it! Yes, this is the third time Tiago’s sweet smile graces the front page today. All you Chan Fangirls rejoice!
Hello everybody and welcome to another edition of the Magic Show. You know, not so long ago I made a show while on location in Orlando, Florida. What you now know as The Magic Show #56 – Drafting With Evan I know as “That time I made a complete donkey of myself in front of the community.†But redemption comes in the form of Lorwyn pack winnings and ratings don’t lie. Come and explore the reason why I believe I’ve found my favorite Lorwyn draft archetype and have gained 150 Limited rating points in the process.
Having looked at Standard last week at least through the lens of “something I would be happy playing,†this week I thought I’d take the opportunity to have a deeper look at Lorwyn Limited. I’d noted with some frustration while writing my article last week that the format I’d chosen, following up on the most recent Grand Prix, was choking on the limited information that is always a problem for a Grand Prix you do not yourself attend…
The past two weeks I touched on “issues” and dipped into the mailbag… this week I thought I’d get back to what I find the most fun – tinkering with Magic decks! I’m going to be going to a Friday Night Magic this week up at Richmond Comix, and one thing I want to do for the tournament is further explore what I consider a sleeper power card from Lorwyn – Galepowder Mage!
Aggressive mirror-matches are much maligned in Magic. While folk look on control versus control fights as the true Magical path, aggro versus aggro is often labeled as hugely luck based or draw dependant. Today’s Deep Analysis sees Richard throw monsters at other monsters in an attempt to ascertain the truth behind such myths…
After coming so close to a Top 8 spot at Day 1 of the StarCityGames Vintage Mega Weekend, Stephen dipped low into the think tank in order to improve his chances for Day 2. Today’s So Many Insane Plays is a comprehensive report on the highs and lows of the tournament from Stephen’s perspective. Did his changes to his beloved GroAtog deck cut the proverbial mustard? Read on to find out!
Improvement in Magic: The Gathering is a tricky beast to tame. Sure, we read the articles, we sling the spells, and we draft along with Tiago and pals… but we still need something more. Today’s Peebles Primer, held back from Black Wednesday, sees Benjamin Peebles-Mundy share his Fearless Magical Inventory, an aid to improvement coined by Sam Stoddard. Will YOUR Fearless Magical Inventory open the door to success?
That’s right, folks: The “Drafting With…” series is back! Taking up where both Rich Hoaen and Kenji Tsumura left off, we have Level 6 Mage Tiago Chan. As before, Tiago takes us through a triple Lorwyn draft from pick 1 to pick 45, before sharing his insight on the draft and the games that followed. For more detailed draft debate, come to the forums!
I have failed you. Remember a few weeks ago how we had a vote on which card I should use in my next deck? No Rest for the Wicked won. However, Shivan Wumpus and Lord of the Pit tied for second, missing the top slot by only one vote. I promised to do decks on the two runners-up too. I’ve done a Shivan Wumpus deck. I was going to do Lord of the Pit this week. I even had a great name for the deck: Pit Boss. But I chickened out and went for an Elf deck instead.
MTGO didn’t have “Nix Tix” drafting over Thanksgiving weekend as they have in the past; probably as a result of server stability concerns. However, I still had some product and tickets saved up, and some downtime when the family was off doing their own things. During that time it seemed like the fish-men were flowing freely, and bringing victories with them. On Sunday alone I won two drafts and split in the finals of a third, all with decks that had at least 75% Merfolk among their creature counts.
