The Beautiful Struggle – Snapshots from States
You won’t be hearing much about my States deck this year. I went 1-2 and dropped. This year you’ll be hearing about other people’s decks, but let’s get my story out of the way first…
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The Kitchen Table #205 — The Nexus, Part 2
Welcome back! Today I am going to revisit a deck of mine that I outlined near the beginning of the year called the Nexus. The Nexus was a highlander deck almost 100 cards deep that focused on the intersection of several different tribes — rebel, mercenary, elf, goblin, merfolk, and zombie. It included multiple samples from each races designed to work around the same themes.
So Many Insane Plays — Drafting Against Kenji
In last week’s So Many Insane Plays, we left Stephen Menendian at 3-3 heading into the entertaining Winston Draft format. With multiple practice drafts under his belt, Stephen felt confident… but was this confidence enough to post a winning record? As we know, the wheels fell of Stephen’s wagon after his sterling 3-0 Cube performance… with pick-by-pick and play-by-play analysis of his Winston drafts, it’s time to see if we could have done anything different.
Peebles Primers — U/W Control at States
Benjamin Peebles-Mundy planned on running a White Weenie build at States this past weekend. However, a few lost rounds at a pre-States tournament made him change his mind, and his deck. Instead, he ran with a U/W Control build that completely dominates aggro decks, on paper at least. Was this last-minute change enough to propel him into the Top 8? And is the U/W Control deck a serious contender in the new metagame? Read on to find out!
Yawgmoth’s Whimsy #201 – Wisconsin States
Wisconsin States was last weekend. I have decklists. I was Head Judge, so I have a few anecdotes from the event, plus decklists. I have a few thoughts on the format, plus decklists. I also compiled stats of the Top 16 decks. Most importantly, I have even more decklists!
Chatter of the Squirrel — U/B Control and Mono-Red Aggro
I’ve really got to try this “talking about Standard” thing more often. It’s a welcome relief, for example, when people actually read my articles. Now, personally I have no idea why anyone would rather look at a deck they can point at, build, and play when they could be discussing the minutiae of polar gradient theory over tea and crumpets, but that’s why there are red bicycles and blue bicycles.
You Lika The Juice? – Mmmmm, Tasty Hobbits!
I had a sense of pride and accomplishment walking into Virginia State Champs this past Saturday with a deck in which I had total confidence. I rarely have that feeling anymore because playtest time is so hard to come by, but this time around I had a great idea, some great playtest partners, and the time to tighten it up. If you regularly check in with You Lika The Juice you know I was working on a Saffi/Blink deck with Galepowder Mage technology…
Sullivan Library – A Wisconsin States Retrospective
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…
Limited Lessons — Elementals in Lorwyn
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…
Deconstructing Constructed – Faeries: The Reckoning
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…
Removed From Game – Sprint For The Title
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!
In Defense Of Rares
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.
Feature Article – Grand Prix: Brisbane *14th*
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!
Innovations – Michigan States Report (Yeah, 66 Cards… What of it?)
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!
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!