Having done about as much Extended testing for Valencia as any self-respecting reporter could face, Rich Hagon spent the weekend drafting Lorwyn repeatedly with six of his best friends and Craig Stevenson. Learn what’s Cool about Clash, what’s Hiding behind Hideaway and what’s Teasing in Tribal. Plus, his personal guarantee that Dredge will win in Valencia next week. Click here now!
My initial reaction to seeing Lorwyn’s first preview was utter shock. Planeswalkers make a ton of sense. When I saw Liliana Vess, I figured that Wizards would take the incremental approach with Planeswalkers and keep them as a rare cycle. The new card type’s splashy, flavorful, and powerful, but at the same time it’s something that could potentially overpower the theme of a set. That’s fine with me.
I had been up late the night before importing all of the card information into Star City’s database, so you’d think I’d know all the cards… Right? Wrong. I actually like being spoiled. So showing up at the tournament, exhausted, run-down, and trying to sort through a new set? Not my greatest strategical moment.
The Extended Pro Tour kicks off this weekend… and you can be sure that some folk will run with the Overpowering Robots of Doom. Affinity has cast a long shadow over many a format, but does it still have the metaphorical grapes to run with the big dogs (and bigger Goyfs)? John “The Cak” Pelcak, a man with an affinity for Affinity, takes us through the motions.
With eyes set on Spain and Pro Tour: Valencia, Patrick “The Innovator” Chapin has set the Extended cards aside for a look at Lorwyn Standard. Today, he presents two decks, one of which he took to the infamous Mockvitational this past weekend. So how did he do? You’ll have to read on to find out… And if that’s not enough, Patrick also has a few ideas on how to get out of those all-too frequent crippling slumps.
Imagine having Teferi out, evoking Shriekmaw at instant speed, playing Grim Harvest getting Shriekmaw back, Evoking it again, Recovering Grim Harvest, playing Grim Harvest getting Shriekmaw back, Evoking Shriekmaw again, Recovering Grim Harvest, playing Grim Harvest getting Shriekmaw back, Evoking Shriekmaw, then Recovering Grim Harvest again.
Wet dream, my friend… wet dream.
Lorwyn Standard is, at present, a mystery. Are the tribes strong enough to impact on the format? How bad is the loss of the Ravnica dual lands? With tomorrow’s Mockvitational in his sights, Mike Flores attempts to crack a few of these mysteries and brings us a B/U Control deck that’s packed with fresh meat! Cryptic Command, Guile… will they cut it in the upcoming metagame?
It’s one week to the Extended Pro Tour, and Tiago has been busy honing his deck of choice for the upcoming battle. Of course, he’s tight-lipped regarding the hot Portuguese tech… instead, he shares his prerelease experience and takes us through a whopping three possible builds that sprang forth from his cardpool. If you’re looking for a Level 6 perspective on the new Sealed format, then look no further!
Hello everybody, and welcome to another edition of the Magic Show. This week we’re visiting Nashville, TN and Boston, MA to show you what real players think of the set, some thoughts from Magic artists Cyril Van Der Haegen and Rebecca Guay, and hopefully have some fun along the way.
Standard always does an interesting dance this time of year. Old favorites from the past two years march off into the mists of time to be forgotten with the rest. Old problems disappear just as abruptly, showing that even the most aggressively dominant decks come with an expiration date… I’m looking at you, Arcbound Ravager.
In a format as wide open as Legacy, there is a lot of room to find a deck you love and stick with it. This week, Adam discusses why this is a bad idea, and shares some insight into how this folly contributed to some serious scrubbing out. Plus, decklists!
Lorwyn, it seems, brings all the boys to the yard. Everyone wants to play with the new cards, and Steve Sadin is no exception. This coming weekend, he’ll be slinging spells in the Mockvitational, and invitation-only tournament that features a Lorwyn Standard section. Today, he shares some of his decks and preparations, plus a couple of Lorwyn Draft thoughts and ideas…
After a brief delay due to unforeseen circumstances, today we have Nick Eisel’s first look at Lorwyn! He walks us through his prerelease experience, sharing his card pool and thoughts on his eventual Top 8 build. He also highlights a few of the stronger cards in draft, and touches on the importance of the tribal theme, which will be a surefire cog in the Limited machine for weeks and months to come…
Chris Romeo takes a thoughtful stroll through the garden of Lorwyn, pointing out the cards and the combos that have recently piqued his interest. All the colors are trawled for hidden gems, and the flotsam is ritually derided in the signature Romeo style. Looking for the budget bombs in the coming Standard format? Chris has the article for you!
Brian David-Marshall caught up to me on Magic Online about a month ago and sent me a message: “How would you like to come up to NYC on October 6 to play in the top8magic Mockvitational?” Competitors? Lebedowicz, Chapin, and other luminaries will be turning out. Formats? Hey, I’ve always wanted to build my own block. Prizes? Amongst this crowd, what better prize could there possibly be than… bragging rights.
