Every once in a while, I find it necessary and useful to essentially hit the reset button on this column. A lot of people are new to this here site here every week, just as a lot of people are new to the game itself. Even with a column that’s as basic as mine, some people need a primer of sorts on where I’m coming from…
Whenever I say that it’s easier for me to get to Neutral Ground in New York City for a PTQ than many locations that are geographically closer to Washington, it raises the usual set of eyebrows. It’s a non-trivial amount of money, and a mighty long trip, just to suffer through the crush of gamers and the mental pressure of seven or eight rounds of Magic. Why I would bother going all that way for competition that is some of the toughest in the country?
I’ve started playing out some of the matches for the Ultimate Extended Tourney. It’s taking longer than I had expected, mainly because we need more practice games to get comfortable with the decks. I’ve a lot to get through today, and not much time to do it… let’s go!
Tim Aten – two parts genius and three parts idiot — finally returns to grace the fair pages of StarCityGames.com… only to break the news of his eminent retirement from the game! In this frenetic article, Tim shares his experiences from the sidelines of GP: Dallas, and sets out the date of his coming departure. Plus, he tells us why Paul Cheon is the Greatest Thing in Magic.
Grand Prix: Columbus on May 19-20 inaugurates the return of the Legacy Format to the highest levels of competitive play. This article is your one-stop click to everything you need to know about Grand Prix: Columbus. Even if you have never played Legacy or attended a Grand Prix before, don’t worry — Stephen will have answered your questions by the end of this article.
While Bennie and his second head didn’t manage to rock their particular Two-Headed Giant Champs tournament, they know some guys who did. Today’s You Lika The Juice? sees Bennie holding court with Daniel Sale and Zack Jesse of local finalists “The Awesomes.” He also gives us an update on his love for Saffi Eriksdotter, and his hatred for pesky squirrels…
Have you ever been in a game where you felt in complete control, and then out of nowhere you lost everything? This week we look at a few situations where “Bad Beat” Phil was finally able to turn the tables on you and steal some victories.
In Part 2 of this entertaining look at the stepping stones of Block Constructed deckbuilding, Rich Hagon breaks down the selection of goodies available to us… the mechanics. If you’re fixated with Flash, transfixed by Thallids, or salivating over Storm, then this is the article for you!
When you open up an Akroma, you want her to show up. Especially when she arrives in the company of a big fatty-fat dragon. But sometimes, the cards just don’t go like you want… Especially when you can’t make up your mind about what kind of player you really are.
This week, I decided to take a break from talking about Two-Headed Giant. I haven’t done a regular draft walkthrough in a while – and with the recent release of Planar Chaos on Magic Online, I thought it’d be a good change of pace.
Craig “The Professor” Jones has high hopes for Grand Prix: Amsterdam. This Level 4 Pro is currently the highest-ranked Two-Headed Giant player in the UK… of course, it’s a Limited format, which means his English heritage proves he’s likely no more than passable. Today’s From The Lab takes a detailed look at both 2HG Sealed and Draft. And after this weekend, maybe Prof will be a Grand Prix Champion once again…
In recent months, playtesting for Magic has become more and more difficult — moving in with a fiancee was one part of it, and moving an extra hour away from my would-be playtest partners was another. Faced with these conditions, there’s only one sane thing to do…
Quit? We seem to have differing views of sanity. Why, I moved online!
There’s been a lot going on lately, both with StarCityGames.com and with my personal life. Have I mentioned lately that I’m getting married in August? No? Well then, let me catch you up with all the latest goings on in both Bleiweissville and the land of StarCityGames.com!
Mike takes on classical Magic theory and expands an area that’s never gotten much press, walking through Extended seasons past and present to explore this new concept. You know Card Advantage. You Tempo. But do you know… Trump?
Evan introduces a friend to The Magic Show… the loquacious Kevin, who proves that two heads are not necessarily better than one. He also waxes lyrical on the Grand Debate spawned by Osyp’s latest offering, that cooked up a bit of a storm in the forums…
