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Sullivan Library – A Wisconsin States Retrospective

Read Adrian Sullivan every Tuesday... at StarCityGames.com!
States has been and gone, and it’s time to review the aftermath. In the grim light of day, were the seventy-five cards we sleeved and shuffled the correct call for this blossoming metagame? Today’s Sullivan Library is in a reflective mood… Adrian looks back at Wisconsin States down the years, sharing deck designs and inspirational stories. He finishes with an excellent Green/Blue deck that placed in the final of this year’s competition in the hands of the formidable Brian Kowal…

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Limited Lessons — Elementals in Lorwyn

Click here for more info on Grand Prix Daytona Beach!
Nick Eisel, after bringing us the Lorwyn lowdown on Goblins and Merfolk in Lorwyn draft, turns his eye toward perhaps the most underrated tribe that the new set has to offer: Elementals. At the lower end of the curve, the guys sure look anemic… but their abilities can power up some insane plays. If you’re looking for a draft strategy with both power and guile, maybe the Elementals are for you…

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Deconstructing Constructed – Faeries: The Reckoning

Read Josh Silvestri every Tuesday... at StarCityGames.com!
At California States, I’d say there was a hefty chunk of Blue decks complimented by a bunch of Tarmogoyf decks. At the upper tables you could see Cryptic Command being flung around in practically every other match, probably more during the later rounds. A huge number of Teachings and Pickles decks were hanging around the top twenty tables or so, many of which looked like the TSP Block Pickles decks but with Cryptic kicked in…

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Removed From Game – Sprint For The Title

Read Rich Hagon every week... at StarCityGames.com!
424 competitors, and the results mean something different for everyone. 177th can mean Level 3 for next year, 17th can mean falling out of contention for Player of the Year. Let Rich Hagon be your guide round the men and math of Pro Tour: Valencia, including his inimitable explanation for the non-victory of Dredge, your very own Andre Mueller Home Impressions Kit, and more!

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In Defense Of Rares

Read The Ferrett every Monday... at StarCityGames.com!
I like the fact that Wizards prints good stuff at the rare level. I like the fact that Tarmogoyf is $35 — not Tarmogoyf specifically, but the occasional chase rares that everyone has to have at a tournament. And you wanna know why? Four reasons, and only two of them are business-related.

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Feature Article – Grand Prix: Brisbane *14th*

Click here for more info on Grand Prix Daytona Beach!
Steve Sadin booked a flight to Brisbane knowing that a good performance could see him locked into Level 3 for the coming year. On the flip side, he knew that a weak card pool, or the whims of the Mana Gods, could leave him empty handed and out of pocket. Today he takes us through the emotional peaks and troughs of his successful trip, shares a little strategy about drafting non-tribal cards in Lorwyn, and brings us a Top 4 States Red/Green Aggro deck. Enjoy!

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Innovations – Michigan States Report (Yeah, 66 Cards… What of it?)

Read Patrick Chapin every Monday... at StarCityGames.com!
Yeah, you read that right. Patrick “The Innovator” Chapin chose to play a 66-card deck at States. There’s innovation, and then there’s INNOVATION. Today, he looks back at the genesis of the idea, and walks us through the tournament itself. Was it genius, or was it madness? Read on to find out!

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Not The Online Outlook — New Beginnings

That’s right, folks… I’m back! After a prolonged article hiatus, I’ll back to delivering the goods on a weekly basis. However, the old Online Outlook format is no more… Instead, I’m touching on all things Magical. Today, I’d like your help with some clerical duties, and I bring you a triumphant Top 8 Champs report!

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Flores Friday – Spotlight on States: Mono-Green and Rakdos in Standard

Are YOU ready for States?
Defending New York State Champion Mike Flores has not yet settled on a final 75. That’s understandable — the man changes decks more often than he changes socks. Today’s Flores Friday sees two distinct and original deck ideas that are high on his list of options. HE also looks back at his performances at States down the years, to see if there are lessons to be learnt…

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Levelling Up – My Magic Invitational Tournament Report, Part 1 *Winner*

Read Tiago Chan every Friday... at StarCityGames.com!
It’s fair to say that, after the fireworks of last season, Tiago Chan has hit quite a Magical slump of late. His results have been patchy, which he candidly admits in his weekly articles. Of course, Tiago is supremely talented… this downturn had to reverse itself sooner or later. And if there’s a better place to kick ass than the Magic Invitational, I don’t know where it is! The first part of Tiago’s entertaining Invitational report is only a click away!

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Magical Hack – Spotlight on States: Rock Your State

Are YOU ready for States?
It’s funny how telling one week can be, in the world of Magic: the Gathering. While the professional world was torn between a Grand Prix in Brisbane and the Invitational in Essen, a certain little event was run far from these other two on the distant shores of the New World that seems to have distilled a lot of the thoughts and discussion about the Standard format. Some look at the decklists and say, “Elves? Really?” I know I did.

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Unlocking Legacy – Testing (and Hyping) Lorwyn

Read Legacy articles every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Lorwyn cards are legal now, and it seems like no one cares. Newer sets tend to have less of an impact on Legacy rather than older sets. Future Sight brought us the format sweeping Tarmogoyf, so Lorwyn is a letdown by comparison. Personally I tend to find the sets like Lorwyn more intriguing for Legacy. I’ve been going through Lorwyn looking for cards that are better than people give them credit, based on the experiences I picked up looking at other formats and judging. I also put some of the new Lorwyn cards to the test in Goblins.

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The Magic Show #67 – The Magic Invitational 2007, Part 1

Watch Evan Erwin every Friday... on StarCityGames.com!
Hello, everybody, and welcome to a very special edition of the Magic Show! Three months ago, you guys voted to send me to this thing, and now you get to see what I saw. Watch Kenji go nuts, me explain how I lost to Nakamura, hear from the man who created Tarmogoyf, and more. It’s all inside!

[Editor’s Note: This article was posted on Saturday, rather than the regular Friday… so today you have a chance to watch if you missed it!]

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Feature Article – Spotlight on States: Blue-Based Beatdown

Are YOU ready for States?
Newly promoted Level 3 Mage Steve Sadin takes us though our next Spotlight on States article. We’ve had Red aggro from Dan Paskins, and White Aggro from Benjamin Peebles-Mundy… now it’s the turn of Blue-based beatdown decks! Steve brings us five decklists that see the Blue cards take an active part in the beatdown role, admirably paired by the other colors in the Magical spectrum. Aggression coupled with a touch of disruption… is this the recipe for success this weekend? Read on to find out!

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Deep Analysis – Spotlight on States: The Siege

Are YOU ready for States?
Our Spotlight on States series continues today with Richard Feldman’s innovative take on a deck built around Doran, The Siege Tower. We all know that a virtual 5/5 for three mana is quite the bargain…. But what else does the Green/Black/White deck need in order to compete in the States metagame? Richard takes us step-by-step through the genesis of the final deck, and shares his matchup strategy and sideboarding plans…

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