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Removed From Game – Deckbuilding At The Speed Of Thought

While we wait for the dust to settle from the first round of global Grand Prix, Rich Hagon takes a two-part look at deckbuilding for Time Spiral Block Constructed, starting from the very, very begining and going extremely slowly. Assume nothing, and join him on a ten-deck voyage of discovery through the nursery slopes of mono-color goodness, before throwing all decorum and good manners in the bin next time as he looks at decks that – gasp – might be good.

Ask the Judge, 3/2/2007: Feature Friday

There’s a storm coming, so Feature Friday has moved to higher ground. That storm is the new DCI Penalty Guide: the most significant revision to a tournament document since the 6th Edition rules revision. Level 4 judge Toby Elliott explains the layout of the new PG, the reasons for the change, and what to expect the next time you play in a sanctioned tournament.

Flores Friday – Rebuttal: An Alternate Rule of Engagement

Earlier this week, Richard Feldman offered his “Rules of Engagement” for the current complex Extended format. While his argument held weight, Mike Flores respectfully disagrees with his assertions. Indeed, Mike believes that the current Extended format, far from being an ornery bramble-patch of treachery, is actually one of the more simplistic formats we’ve ever faced. Intrigued? Then read on…

From The Lab – Planar Chaos White in the New Standard

Can it be true? Has Craig “The Professor” Jones really turned his back on the Dark Side in order to embrace the Light? Are his fabled tales of scorpion pit-traps and buckets of soapy frogs now a thing of the past? In today’s edition of From The Lab, Prof cooks up a set of exciting and playable decks based around the White cards in Planar Chaos. Hopefully this dalliance with the Forces of Justice will be short-lived, and he’ll be back to his diabolic ways soon…

Magical Hack – They Might Be Two-Headed Giants

With the Two-Headed Giant States championships occurring this weekend, Sean takes a timely look at the format. He shares a typical Two-Headed Giant cardpool, and walks us through his deck decisions and card choices. The format is new, especially with the 30-life rule, and we all need every little edge we can get. All this, plus a bonus article from a Two-Headed Column, Jason Hall!

The Magic Show #33 — Issues

For the 33rd instalment the Magic Show series, Evan lets rip on a few issues that have been bugging him of late. He also experiments with a new presentation style, which I personally find to be wonderful – the show had me laughing out loud in a number of places. Enjoy!

The Real Deal – Community

What is the responsibility of the Magic Community to the Magic Community? Are you helping Magic grow or die in your area? Do you enjoy the time you spend playing the game, or do you play out of habit? In this introspective article, Ben explores what it means to be a member of the Magic Community.

Feature Article — Drafting With Planar Chaos

Julien Nuijten, part of the team that won this years Limited World Championship crown, brings us his thoughts on drafting with Planar Chaos. He outlines his favorite strategies, highlights some overdrafted and underdrafted cards, and shares a few tips and tricks for the coming Two-Headed Giant tournaments.

Levelling Up – Pro Tour: Geneva: Day 2

Day 1 at Pro Tour: Geneva saw Tiago fighting for his Magical life after posting a 0-2 start. With a little luck and a lot of skill, he secured himself a Day 2 berth. Today’s Levelling Up continues the story, covering Drafts 3 through 5. Tiago also gives us his opinion on the U/W control draft archetype, and shares his thoughts on what to draft in TTP.

Peebles Primers – Time Spiral Block Constructed

Benjamin Peebles-Mundy continues his excellent series of primer articles with a formative look at four decks that should cause a splash in Time Spiral Block Constructed. Teferi COntrol, White Weenie, and Scryb & Force all come under his microscope… as does an interesting concoction known as Powerglove.dec. With Planar Chaos in the Block Constructed mix, it’s time to take up the Block challenge. Are you ready?

Chatter of the Squirrel — Cephalid Breakfast 2007

With one Extended PTQ left for poor Zac, he’s furiously attempting to break the format in time to win a precious blue envelope. Today’s article brings us an interesting combo deck that has, and I quote, “the fastest goldfish in Extended.” Does Cephalid Breakfast have the requisite plums to swing with the Big Dogs in this furious environment?

Tact or Friction — Mistakes and Zhuangzi

Today, we’re going to talk about mistakes. We’re going to talk about why you make them, what they say about you, what you can do to stop them. And to get through that, we’re going to have to talk about why your brain stops working.

The Kitchen Table #170 – Secret Alliances

Hello, good people of Earth. I hope that this article finds you well, and that you are on the way to happiness. Today I want to explore a multiplayer format that we occasionally play at my place… a format called Secret Alliances.

Unlocking Legacy — A Metagame Update

Legacy has advanced significantly since my last comprehensive analysis of the format. Many players all over the world are innovating, and the most competitive decks are becoming quite diverse. In this article, I will analyze the formats latest developments, and make some predictions about the metagame at this weekend’s Mana Leak Open 2.

Pro Perspective — Extracts From A Pro Diary: Dallas Bound

Raphael Levy set off for Grand Prix: Dallas with a pocketful of decks and a confused mind. While he had options, he hadn’t a clue on the final 75-card conficuration he’d be running. After much back and forth deliberation, and a modicum of advice from some of the Magic Elite, he settled with Gaea’s Might Get There… and it paid out in spades. For more fun tales of preparation and play, read on!