While my record at Champs this year would indicate otherwise (2-3-3… yes, three draws!), I actually took away some positive vibes from the tournament. At first I was pissed – pissed at myself for not just buckling down and going with my first deck choice, and pissed at Wizards for making an environment that seemed overly stuffed with counter/Wrath decks.
Ben has decided to play along with the Great Designer Search from MagicTheGathering.com. *DISCLAIMER* If you are a Wizards of the Coast employee, Ben gives you full legal permission to use any of the ideas and cards contained in this article.
In my little jaunt of looking for mono-colored decks that thrive in Prismatic, the lure of the Almost All-Basic Manabase was powerful. I mean, really. But there’s also the lure of some nonbasics. As soon as I hit upon the lure of going with All-Basic… I found the siren call of the Coffers.
After a lengthy absence, the 2005 Player of the Year Kenji Tsumura returns to StarCityGames.com! Today he begins the epic tale of his storming performance at Pro Tour: Kobe, covering the first three drafts and sharing insights on the Time Spiral draft format. He also gives us some advice concerning sideboarding in Limited matches…
In which The Ferrett impersonates the old multiplayer writer at Magicthegathering.com, stealing his very identity in order to do well with a card pool so good he can completely misbuild it and still walk away with a winning record.
Craig “The Professor” Jones brings us tales of high drama from both Athens and Kobe, and shares his Level 4 Mage insight on the new Limited format. His draft experience thus far swings from total destruction to utter dejection, will a call at all stations in between. What’s the best color in the format? Is control a viable strategy? Was the Pro Tour Top 8 draft a lie? All this, and more, revealed inside!
Nick rounds out his entertaining Pro Tour: Kobe report, covering each round of play from the second day. His drafts show that even Limited experts can come unstuck at the highest level – winning decks can fall by the wayside, and apparent “steaming piles” can go all the way. While Nick didn’t quite make the bright lights of Sunday play, his money finish proves that his take on the format bears close examination…
That’s right, folks… he’s back! Time Spiral drafts on MTGO start today, and to celebrate we have a new series of Drafting With Rich, starting today. As usual, Rich takes us through a draft each day, from pick one to pick forty-five, and adds his final decklist and preliminary thoughts on his build and his final performance. Rich also mans the forums, answering your more intricate questions regarding his choices. Welcome back, fella… we’ve missed you.
Peter brings us the complete rundown of the top decks appearing at the Wisconsin Champs Tournament 2006. There’s the Top 8 decks, of course… that’s a given. Beyond that, however, there’s plenty of innovation to be found. Green/Black beats, Locket of Yesterdays, and infinite turns in Standard? All are represented by decklists here!
Prismatic has proven to be an interesting field in which to venture. For a start, I found the format very deep. In normal Magic, you have sixty cards to work with; that’s not a lot of space, especially when anywhere from sixteen to twenty-four of those cards are occupied with the process of sitting around tapping for mana.
Josh took Solar Pox to Champs. After all, the deck had pedigree – it placed first in the recent StarCityGames.com $1500 Standard Tournament. Unfortunately for Mr. Ravitz, it was not enough to propel him to the top tables… nevertheless, he shares his insights on the deck, and reports on the full day of play.
Instead of losing himself in a sea of Standard Champs data, Sean concentrates on the forty-card format this week. He takes a look at the winning strategies from Pro Tour: Kobe, with an eye on improving the Limited game of everyone who believes that Blue is the strongest color and Green should be avoided…
Jeroen is definitely on a roll! This week’s Battle Royale is a little different… instead of letting his Pro Player facade take center stage, Mr. Remie revels in his more casual side, bringing a deck that may surprise a lot of you…
Before anyone asks, “Heroin” is Jeroen’s nickname…
Rich Hoaen steps to the Battle Royale plate, eager to bring down the mighty Jeroen Remie. He’s been here before, of course – with a false beard, proclaiming to be Billy Moreno. Can the Canadian master of disguise steal Jeroen’s crown? Read on to find out!
