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Feature Article – Spotlight on States: Red Aggression in Standard

Are YOU ready for States?
The final countdown has begun! States is mere days away, and today’s Feature Article begins a series of pieces intended to inform your final deck choice for the big day. First up, we have Dan Paskins with… yup, you’ve guessed it… the Red spells. Dan brings us four competitive decks, two revolving around pairing Red with Green (And the obligatory Tarmogoyfs), and two focusing on the tribal synergies available with the Goblins. If you’re a fan of the flame, then maybe these are the decks for you…

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Innovations – Spotlight on States: Grim Teachings

Are YOU ready for States?
In the second of today’s articles in the Spotlight on States series, Patrick “The Innovator” Chapin concentrates on his strengths. He’s been busy tweaking and testing his latest version of Relic Control, priming himself for States competition at the weekend. Aggressive decks tend to come out in force for this tournament… if you’re looking to run with a controlling strategy, look no further!

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Down And Dirty – Spotlight on States: My Final Article

Are YOU ready for States?
Continuing our Spotlight on States series, Kyle Sanchez walks us through three distinct Standard strategies, two of which are currently fighting for final favor regarding his 75-select this weekend. He also takes the opportunity to say goodbye, as this is his final Monday article for StaCityGames.com… but don’t worry, Sanchez fans, I’m sure he won’t be gone for long…

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Unlocking Legacy – Combo: The Missing Link

Read Legacy articles every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Today, Chris talks about the combo season that never came, and where the Combo archetype is currently sat. He also discusses the effect this has had on Goblins and what that deck might look like post-Lorwyn.

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Still Wondering What to Play at States?

Are YOU ready for States?

Still unsure what to play at States? Here are a few suggestions from our StarCityGames.com Premium staff…

Spotlight on States: The Ghosts of States Past (Mono-Green and Rakdos in Standard) by Mike Flores

Spotlight on States: The Siege by Richard Feldman

Spotlight on States: Blue-Based Beatdown by Steve Sadin

Spotlight on States: Beating Down With Gaddock Teeg by Benjamin Peebles-Mundy

Spotlight on States: Stupid Green Deck by Adrian Sullivan

Spotlight on States: Red Aggression in Standard by Dan Paskins

Spotlight on States: Grim Teachings by Patrick Chapin

Blue/White Flying Control by Mike Flores

Wren and Stompy by Tim Aten

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Flores Friday – Blue/White Flying Control

Are YOU ready for States?
States is fast approaching, and it’s time to buckle down and choose our decks!. Today’s Flores Friday sees Mike share an U/W Control build with which he hopes to defend his crown at the end of the month. Flyers, board control, and ridiculous card drawing… what’s not to love? Is this deck the next big thing in Standard? Even if we don’t play it, we can’t afford to ignore it… so read on!

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Levelling Up – Pro Tour: Valencia

Read Tiago Chan every Friday... at StarCityGames.com!
Going into Pro Tour: Valencia, Tiago Chan had nothing more than a vague idea about his weapon of choice. After a prolonged chat with Frank Karsten, he took up his seventy-five select and attempted to bring home the big check. Sadly, things didn’t go well for Portugal’s finest… and believe me, after some of the bad beats, that’s definitely an understatement! For more tales from Tiago’s table, read on!

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The Magic Show #66 – Pro Tour: Valencia

Watch Evan Erwin every Friday... on StarCityGames.com!
Hello everybody, and welcome to another edition of the Magic Show. This week we’re in Spain for Pro Tour: Valencia where I talk to a huge number of pros, show you what really happened when it flooded the entire venue, and give you behind the scenes access to the Top 8. Ready to join in the fun? Let’s go!

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Magical Hack – Tilting At Windmills

Click here for more info on Grand Prix Daytona Beach!
We all know what it’s like to go on tilt. It’s just one of those things that happens sometimes, often feeling entirely beyond our control, and at its worst it can pervade how we look at and feel about the game. I’ve been on tilt for a few weeks now, and the game has really been all about minimizing the damages I do to myself outside the game (i.e. financially) because I am going to make these blunders…

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Feature Article – Valencia and Beyond

Read Feature Articles every Monday and Thursday... at StarCityGames.com!
Grand Prix winner Steve Sadin takes us through his Pro Tour: Valencia deck step by step, a deck which he believes will still; be a contender in the post-Lorwyn Extended environment. He updates his build with the new cards, and suggests some goblin-based beatdown strategies for the new Extended… Goblins with Tarmogoyf? Is no deck safe from the attentions of the two-drop green goliath?

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Feature Article – Wren and Stompy

States is coming!
Mister Aten doesn’t write often, but when he does… it’s party time! Today he shares some of his more acerbic and humorous views on the Pro Tour (and PT: Valencia in particular), breaking down the runners, riders, and high finishers in his own inimitable style. He then brings us an intriguing Mono-Green Beatdown deck for States… one that doesn’t run Tarmogoyf! If you’re looking for something a little off-the-wall, then read on!

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Deep Analysis – Rock and Nail

Read Richard Feldman every Thursday... at StarCityGames.com!
Extended, it seems, is a wide-open format. The variety of the stronger decks in Pro Tour: Valencia was staggering, and new strategies sat proudly alongside format stalwarts like Domain Zoo and Dredge. One such innovative deck was the Feldman, Hill, and Lybaert offering, Rock and Nail. Today’s Deep Analysis takes us through the concepting and initial design of the deck, which place both pilots in the money when the final cards were flopped…

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The Beautiful Struggle – The Mockvitational: Conclusion, and What it Means for Standard

Read Mark Young every Thursday... at StarCityGames.com!
So, when last we met I was 2-5 in the Mockvitational and about to play four rounds of Standard. The interesting thing is that three of my remaining four opponents — Christian Calcano, Asher Hecht, and Gabe Carlton-Barnes — were 1-2-3 in the standings at that point. So much like baseball’s Washington Nationals, I would get a chance to spoil the dreams of some New Yorkers in October. Calcano was even wearing a Mets jersey, it was just too perfect. I would also have to play Mike Flores, who was my main competition for the ignominious last-place finish…

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From Right Field: Classic – The Deck that Wrecks Fires: Ants in the Pants

Read Chris Romeo every Thursday... at StarCityGames.com!
Every once in a while, I get an e-mail or StarCityGames.com in-box message asking about this deck that I mention which inspired my very first Magic column. The deck was called Ants in the Pants, and I wrote about it for a defunct web site called 7Towers.net. Given that people still seem interested and that I couldn’t finish any of the sixteen article ideas I had this week, I decided to reprint the piece here…

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The Kitchen Table #203 – Lorwyn Decks

Read Abe Sargent every Thursday... at StarCityGames.com!
Hello again, my friends. It’s been a while since my last article in which I simply build decks for you. I figure that you are due. Additionally, I historically write an article with decks featuring the newest cards directly after my Five Color set review. Let’s keep that history intact and build a few decks for your consumption.

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