Insert Column Name Here – The Curving Learn
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?
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Feature Article – Madness Still Rocks!
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!
Feature Article – Four Good Reasons Not to Play a Deck
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!
Innovations – Snow Red and U/G/w Blink in Standard
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…
Drafting With Tiago – LLL #10
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!
Unlocking Legacy – The Tutelage of Thich Nhat Hanh, Part 1
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.
Flores Friday – Principles for Modeling the Best Deck
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!
Levelling Up – What Makes A Pro Player?
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!
Down And Dirty – Metagaming Standard: Snow Strategies
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…
Drafting With Tiago – LLL #8
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!
Drafting With Tiago – LLL #9
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!
The Magic Show #72 – Drafting With Evan: Redemption Edition
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.
Magical Hack – Six Rounds At Worlds
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…
You Lika The Juice? – Just a Flying Hill Giant?
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!
Deep Analysis – The “Simple” Aggro Mirror
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…