The current Extended format is a mulit-headed monster. Just when you think you’ve grasped the marrow of the metagame, a new deck springs up and kicks you in the kidneys. A few weeks back, the U/G Opposition deck caused a Top 8 splash, and this unappreciated strategy has been gathering momentum ever since. Fancy winning in Extended with three-mana 1/1 guys? Then this is the article for you!
A while ago I was brainstorming ideas for my column. When I was initially charged with writing this, I was told that all things casual were in my purview. Yay! I can write on tribal, five color, peasant, highlander, set reviews, multiplayer — anything I want! After creating a list of ideas for the column, I decided to ask the readers if you wanted to see anything, and gave a few ideas. One of those ideas was a regular deck doctor entry with a casual look to building good decks…
White hasn’t got a lot of ways to play at the big boy’s table. Historically, White Weenie has only been good when it’s been riding the back of Armageddon (a good disruption spell and a card-advantage spell). Hell, I see people putting Wrath in the sideboards of their White Weenie decks because other aggro decks are a problem. Not really a winning thought process…
Back from the slippery slopes of Geneva, Rich Hagon gives you the first ProTour Report Card of the year. From first to last, and missing out all the non-Pros in between, you’ll see what went down, what it means, and who you should be looking for in the months ahead. Plus, zero gratuitous mentions of Craig Stevenson. Bargain.
Doug takes a look at the history of Survival of the Fittest decks and highlights why they were successful. He applies these principles to modern Legacy Survival decks and presents the cutting edge in Survival deckbuilding.
Today I’m going to talk about one of the elements that has come to define many aspects of the Pro Tour experience, and indeed in many ways can make or break people’s general perception of how a Pro Tour is run. I’m talking, of course, about the Lounge…
Raphael Levy is currently winging his way to Dallas in order to sling Extended spells with the rest of Magic’s great and good. As a parting gift, he brings us the final part of his Planar Chaos Draft series. Thus far, he’s tackled the major archetypes involving Blue and Red. Today he rounds out the colors with Green, White, and Black. Planar Chaos comes online next week… be prepared!
Jeroen’s mailbag is running dry, folks! Today’s article represents the last questions in his inbox. Be sure to send some more ASAP. As usual, he tackles a variety of subjects, from Mono Green Aggro in Standard; to a detailed deck clinic; to an overview of Extended acceleration; to World of Warcraft, Pirates, and Ninjas. Still undecided on which is cooler? Jeroen will set you straight!
Josh takes a broad overview of the Extended PTQ format, and comes to the conclusion that conclusions are hard to come by. He dissects the more powerful strategies available in the format, and shows us why, at the end of the day, deck choice hardly matters in such a vibrant metagame.
As fantastic as White is as a support color right now – due in large part to being the primary casting cost on Momentary Blink – it does a fairly poor job of being the backbone of decks anymore, and many worry that Damnation is going to be a rather large, if not final, nail in that coffin.
So this week, I propose solutions.
With blisterguy toddling off to a retirement home in the sun, it’s now my turn to tread the online boards and act out your MTGO metagame fantasies. This first article takes a detailed look at both the Standard and Extended online metagames this past week, and interviews a high-placed finisher in a 4x Extended event. Looking for the electronic edge? Look no further!
After waxing lyrical about Tenacious Tron for a number of weeks, Richard turned his back on his baby and rolled up to a PTQ with a new and interesting deck. Unfortunately, things didn’t go smoothly that day… but does his subpar performance mean that his deck choice was a bad one? This enlightening article looks at cause and effect in Magic, and posits that the path to success is never as clear as it first appears.
Chris Romeo, casual deckbuilder and all-round nice guy, takes the opportunity to get a few things off his chest this week. In this remarkable return to his caustic roots, Mr Romeo unleashes both barrels at the population at large. No one is safe from his vitriol and spite. Remember — you have been warned.
With the Extended PTQ season grinding towards completion, Peter breaks down the January and February PTQ results, identifying the Tier 1 and Tier 2 strategies that feed into the post-Planar Chaos metagame. He also tackles the myth of the “Local Metagame,” and presents a G/W/r Beatdown deck for folks looking for something a little different.
While Time Spiral Block Constructed is due to change with the inclusion of Planar Chaos, that doesn’t stop the MTGO wheels a-turning. Today, Mark shares a few Block decks that rely on everyone’s current favorite legend — Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir. Yes folks, he really IS that good.
