Today’s Flores Friday answers some of the questions posed by various writers this past week: namely, Richard Feldman and Zac Hill. In doing so, Mike tackles the nuances of linear card and deck design, noting where power in strategy can be a definite boon, and he touches on the idea of top-down and bottom-up deck design.
My own personal tip on How to Qualify for San Diego involves being first in the queue for registration… thankfully, Craig “The Professor” Jones has some more solid tips for success. Having successfully transmuted a PTQ into a Blue Envelope, Prof shares tactics and tournament experience with his usual flair.
That’s right folks… he’s back! After a brief hiatus in which our favorite grumpy Canadian travelled the world slinging spells in exotic locations, Rich returns to take us through a draft each day – from pick one to pick forty-five – before giving us a quick rundown of his thoughts and games played. For more detailed analysis, come visit the forums!
This week, we’ll be looking at two different formats from two different perspectives, following up on the first-person experiences I’ve had so far with Block Constructed leading up to the Pro Tour in Yokohama in a few weeks, and having a look at the recent Standard-format Grand Prix as a “first look” at post-Planar Chaos Standard.
Evan’s 36th foray into the video realm deals with a number of topics, including the New Era of Standard, Zac Hill and Concessions, and a fun-looking Standard deck christened Radha Might Get There. Evan also takes a look at the first officially spoiled card from Future Sight, so don your speculation hats and come join the fun!
Two-Headed Giant is a format going through some growing pains. There were some issues at the 2007 State Championships and at Grand Prix: Amsterdam. In this week’s article, I get answers about the ups and downs of Two-Headed Giant direct from some people in-the-know at Wizards of the Coast!
Countdown to Grand Prix Columbus! In this article, Doug takes us over the Atlantic to look at the newest European Legacy tech. From entire decks to single cards, the Europeans have been busy tweaking. Join in for a look at several high-placing decks and their technology.
With Grand Prix: Massachusetts just around the corner, we’ve a bonus Feature Article for those players teaming up to sling spells! Quentin takes a long look at the 2HG format, and brings some sage advice on all aspects of the format… great advice for the beginner and the experienced alike!
As part of his quest to place highly in this year’s Player of the Year race, Tiago Chan picked up an Angelfire control deck and headed to Kyoto. He made Day 2 in a large field, buy couldn’t quite break into the Top 64. This article chronicles the highs and lows of his Kyoto experience, and shares a little tech for everyone’s favorite three-color control concoction…
Today’s Peebles Primers will be of specific interest to Bennie Smith… it’s a timely look at the Green/Black Dredge strategy in Standard! If you’re looking for a deck that utilizes the graveyard to the fullest, that makes huge unkillable men, and can reliably draw two cards per turn, then this is the article for you!
That’s right folks… he’s back! After a brief hiatus in which our favorite grumpy Canadian travelled the world slinging spells in exotic locations, Rich returns to take us through a draft each day – from pick one to pick forty-five – before giving us a quick rundown of his thoughts and games played. For more detailed analysis, come visit the forums!
Having pummeled the format into submission with Tenacious Tron (and Richard Feldman), Zac takes a look back over the recently-departed Extended season, and asks just what it was that made the format so damned fun. He breaks down the essential components required to make a Constructive format zing, and explains to the masses just why he hates Block Constructed.
A while ago, I wrote one of my first articles on the topic of preconstructed decks. In that article, I stated that recent precons had really disappointed me, because they largely displayed bland deckbuilding skills. Sometimes they featured a keyword or mechanic that was relatively boring, and sometimes they did the same thing over and over again. Then Planar Chaos was printed and I found a good precon! Then I found another! And finally a third!
I have been making Curio decks up and down since my first outing with the card, over a year ago. A simple, mana-free engine that R&D costed just out of the “danger range,” the card can be the glue for so many other decks. As Vanishing and Echo were added to the Standard pool, the possible options for the Curio Use just went up.
By his own admission, Paul is not the powerhouse of PTQ-level Constructed Magic that he used to be. As a young man with a flighty lifestyle, a PTQ each weekend was the very least of his Magic experience. Now a man with commitments and responsibilities, he can only manage two or three a season. However, he has a fine tactic to lessen the pressure and get the most from his game. Who knows, maybe it can help you too…
