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You Lika the Juice? – Regionals Sightseeing, Part I

Read Bennie Smith every Wednesday... at StarCityGames.com!
In the wake of Regionals we will be/have already been bombarded by “the best” builds of all the well-known archetypes, and we’re seeing The New Face of Standard’s Tier 1 decks galore. What I’d like to do here is shine the spotlight on some decks that traveled off the beaten path, anything from an interesting variant on to a totally new creation, that performed well enough to make Top 8 and earn a spot on MagictheGathering.com, if not an invite to Nationals.

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Yawgmoth’s Whimsy #182 – Regionals Aftermath

Read Peter Jahn every Wednesday... at StarCityGames.com!
I played at Northern Regionals. I took my modification of Josh Silvestri’s rework of Evan Erwin’s Glittering Control deck. My highlights included a turn 3 kill. The lowlights included a couple play errors that cost me Top 8. I’ve also included the Top 8 decklists, and a breakdown of all the Regionals Top 8 decks across the U.S. and the world. Enjoy.

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From The Lab – The Science of IDs and Concessions

Read Craig Jones every Tuesday... at StarCityGames.com!
Craig “The Professor” Jones migrates from his Friday hotspot to a more temperate Tuesday time-zone. In the first Tuesday edition of From The Lab, Prof tackles the ornery subject of Intentional Draws and Concessions. By applying some sound logic from the field of Behavioral Ecology, he attempts to put the debate to rest once and for all…

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Limited Lessons — A TPF Draft Walkthrough

Read Nick Eisel every Tuesday... at StarCityGames.com!
Nick kick-starts his new Tuesday slot with a comprehensive TPF 8-4 Draft walkthrough from Magic Online. While his final deck is packed with power, there are a number of very close picks, and Nick is still unsure that he made the right calls at certain times. Do you agree with all his choices? Come debate them in the forums!

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Drafting With Rich – TPF #7

You all know the drill by now… Rich Hoaen, Canada’s finest and grumpiest draft export, takes us by the hand and drags us through the rollercoaster ride of an 8-4 TPF Draft on Magic Online. From pick 1 to pick 45, Rich shares them all, and his final deck and draft performance are analysed in the article, the forums, and beyond. Come join in the fun!

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Deconstructing Constructed – Designing Decks

Read Josh Silvestri every Tuesday... at StarCityGames.com!
I’ve always preferred making decks to playing decks. Something about the essence of crafting your own weapon to bash the other guy really pleases me. However, because I enjoy designing decks so much, it means I have many decks that go wrong, decks I have to discard because they just aren’t good enough. Over the years, I’ve developed a system to help me when I start work on the base of a deck, and to keep track of where I thought the deck was inferior to existing decks.

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Feature Article – Removed From Game: Because Asking Questions Is What I Do

Read new Free Feature Articles each Tuesday... only on StarCityGames.com!
It’s going to be a few weeks before Rich Hagon is back on our screens, with Tales from the Tour, Grand Prix Goodness, Nationals News, Regionals Rancidity, and Core Set Carnage. So, to keep you going, he’s left a few queries that need answering, Because Asking Questions…

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Tact or Friction — PS: Bits and Pieces

Read Talen Lee every Tuesday... at StarCityGames.com!
Talen’s column has moved from Thursday to Tuesday, and this has caused a little upheaval in the Lee household. Today’s offering is a selection of seemingly random thoughts and rants on a number of Magical subjects. Prismatic, R&D, Magic novels, Mike Flores, crap rares… Talen reveals all.

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Insert Column Name Here – Shaddap!

Read The Ferrett every Monday... at StarCityGames.com!This week, The Ferrett takes a break from Sealed discussion to talk about something that not enough Magic novices consider: Controlling information. There are a lot of articles devoted to giving yourself an edge at tournaments; this is a very basic primer on how not to hand your opponent the edge by mistake.

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Feature Article – Billy Plans

Read new Feature Articles each Monday and Thursday... only on StarCityGames.com!
Billy Moreno, one of the candidates for Resident Genius 2007, brings us the ideas and strategies behind a funky new Standard deck designed for Regionals. It’s a storm deck that runs five colors, and is capable of a number of ridiculous nut draws. BDM himself ran it at his Regionals, and it’s great fun to play. If you’re looking for something that’s both fun and competitive to play at your next Standard event, look no further!

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Innovations – Ten Decks for Block Constructed

In the first of his weekly articles, Patrick “The Innovator” Chapin brings us a timely Block Constructed primer, taking us through the runners and riders in the next PTQ format. He also brings us a few new decks, some that feature the newly-popular Korlash as the kill method, and one combo deck that takes us back to the popular Draco Explosion decks. Intrigued? Then read on!

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Drafting With Rich – TPF #6

You all know the drill by now… Rich Hoaen, Canada’s finest and grumpiest draft export, takes us by the hand and drags us through the rollercoaster ride of an 8-4 TPF Draft on Magic Online. From pick 1 to pick 45, Rich shares them all, and his final deck and draft performance are analysed in the article, the forums, and beyond. Come join in the fun!

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Down and Dirty — Mono-Blue Snow

Last weekend, I had the honor of watching South Texas’s finest compete in Regionals. Sadly, none of the finest made Top 8, and when the dust settled we were left with a new crop of Texas champions. While I was judging, one deck in particular caught my eye: a Mono-Blue Snow deck, featuring a ton of permission spells backed up with Teferi, and Aeon Chronicler as the kill condition.

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The Online Outlook #14 — The Post-Regionals Online Metagame

Read Craig Stevenson every Monday... at StarCityGames.com!
After two long weeks of Future Sight Limited heartbreak, I’m back on the trail of the elusive Standard Metagame. Reports of the demise of Dragonstorm are greatly exaggerated… or are they? Plus, some new takes on the old Aggro favorites. And a Top 8 deck that… well, I saw a peanut stand, I saw a rubber band, I saw a needle that winked its eye… but I think I’ve seen about everything, now I’ve seen a turn 1 Fly(ing Men).

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From The Lab – The Gargadon is Coming: A Look at the Modern Form of Aggro

Read Craig Jones every Friday... at StarCityGames.com!
With Tarmogoyf fast becoming the Chosen One in the world of aggressive burn-backed beatdown, Craig “The Professor” Jones takes time off his exhaustive and analytical Block Constructed test schedule to bring us the skinny on the true face of modern Aggro — Big Gargs. In a world where two-mana 5/6s and one-mana 9/7s rule the battlefield, Prof brings us a map to safety. Intrigued? Then read on!

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