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Limited Lessons — It’s Fun To Be In The IPA

Before setting out for Grand Prix: Boston, Nick played an IPA Qualifying event on Magic Online. He walks us through his Sealed cardpool and deckbuilding choices, and brings us a game-by-game rundown of his journey toward the Top 8. Did he qualify for the chance to rip a foil Pernicious Deed? Read on to find out!

So Many Insane Plays – Vintage Spotlight on the Belcher Deck

The Turn 1 Kill… it’s an achievement as celebrated as it is derided. No deck in Vintage, despite many attempts, has ever been truly successful at executing a consistent turn 1 kill. However, Stephen believes that the surprising Goblin Charbelcher deck may have finally achieved the unthinkable. If you’re looking for a fun and competitive alternative to the usual Vintage powerhouses, then this could be the deck for you!

You Lika The Juice? – I, Golgari

Bennie Smith, a.k.a. King Dredge, reveals the very moments he fell in love with the graveyard-abusing mechanic, and shares some of the original decks that inspired his allegiance with the Green/Black guild. He also takes a peek at the current Standard metagame, and has a few words of warning for those misguided folk planning on selling their card collections…

Magic Puzzles — The Lost Questions

When it comes to video games, I am a big fan of the “lost game” genre. For example, Mario the Lost Levels, and all of the previously unreleased Final Fantasy games are among my favorites. When it comes to Magic cards? Let’s just say that Coldsnap was not my choice set. Today, and next week, we will explore a different direction with lost Magic cards: the lost puzzle. Enjoy!

Sealed Dissected – Planar KO, Round 3

Eli greets us from a blustery Japan, and brings us an interesting Time Spiral Sealed cardpool for us to dissect and discuss. White, Blue, Black, Red, Green… a rainbow of options for us to investigate. Grab a pen and paper, or fire up Magic Online, and play along at home!

Flores Friday michaelj Monday – Cutting off the End Game

Last week’s Flores Friday has mutated into a special michaelj Monday… and it’s a corker! Mike discusses that most elusive of skills: cohesive strategy. By fixing a blueprint of plays, one path to success involves cutting off the important end game of your opponent. Just how do we go about this? Plus, Mike brings us a Standard deck to throw against the field: White Wafo-Tapa, updated.

The Innovator Leaks The Real Block Decks

With Mike Flores taking a mini-break until Monday, we’ve got the next best thing (if you believe the results from our 2006 Awards article)… Patrick “The Innovator” Chapin! Today, his mercurial eye turns to the Time Spiral Block Constructed format, and he presents four decks for our consumption. Some are new twists on old favorites, while some are new offerings. Enjoy!

From The Lab: The Applications of Imprecision

Craig “The Professor” Jones brings an interesting technical and ethical question to the table this week: is imprecise play part and parcel of the tournament experience, or is it something to be vilified and removed from our glorious game? Where do we draw the line between bluffing and misrepresentation? With some fantastic in-game examples, Craig attempts to separate the White Hats from the Black Hats…

Drafting With Rich – TTP #10

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 TTP 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!

The Magic Show #37 — A Conversation With Chris Romeo

Hello everybody, this week’s show was built on the idea of sending cards to a soldier in Baghdad. But four hours of play can take conversations in a lot of places. Inside you’ll see what myself, Romeo, and our friend Joe think about the current state of Magic and more!

The Real Deal – What’s Hot and What’s Not?

In today’s edition of The Real Deal, Ben gives you hot tips about which cards are burning up in price, and which are going cold! Find out the ten biggest movers in Standard, the most desired foil cards in Magic, and much more! This is an absolute must-read article!

Magical Hack: April Fools, or The Long Road To Regionals

Really, I don’t know where to begin with the intro for this one. Sean, it seems, has gone mad… and handed over the bulk of his column to someone else. I won’t spoil the surprise, but if you’re looking for top-notch Standard matchup analysis, this will be the best — and strangest — you’ll see this dec(k)ade…

Feature Article – Sullivan Library: Forgiveness

According to Adrian, some decks treat us better than others. Of course, we know this to be true — Osyp’s famous Arcbound Ravager quote, likening the card to our Fairy Godmother, springs to mind. So how can we recognize such “forgiving” decks, and how can we maximize our chances to win in a tournament setting? Adrian is here to show us the way!

Levelling Up — Could Things Have Been Different?

Tiago, one of the privileged few at Level 6 in the Pro Player’s Club, is one of the best players in the world for a very good reason. Not content with notching up a loss to bad luck, Mr Chan enjoys dissecting each loss after the event, in an attempt to highlight any mistakes he may have made. In the first of what promises to be an interesting series, Tiago analyzes his losses thus far this season, and asks… Could Things Have Been Different?

Peebles Primers – Networks

Everyone knows that the only way to improve your game is to play against the strongest players available. And it seems that success comes with the backing of a large testing team or online clan. The Eternal Question, however, is how does one position oneself in order to create such networks of playtesting talent? BPM shares his own journey, and presents some handy tips for anyone looking to take their game to the next level.