GenCon this year was a blast. I played some, judged some, saw some great Magic, and was attacked by flaming mummies and by a desert tray. GenCon hosted the Vintage and Legacy Champs, and Five-Color Worlds. I also saw Sam Black redefine “having a good weekend.”
This week, Patrick takes a break from intensive deck testing to bring us a more theoretical article dealing with the nature of luck. Is luck something we’re reliant on? Are we at the fickle whim of an angry Fate? Or is it largely mythical, a crutch used to bolster the flagging egos of substandard players? The debate, plus some excellent practical tips on improving your luck… all available within!
Stephen dives into a sack of correspondence, answering letters from Vintage experts and beginners alike! He shares his view on a couple of decks that are currently off the radar, talks about the processes he uses when preparing for a large event, shows us the importance of the testing team structure, and tells us his favorite archetypes and decks!
Rich continues his excellent series of Coldsnap Draft walkthroughs, presenting each pick as it happened and highlighting each card chosen. He shares his final decklist, and gives us a brief overview of his results and processes. As usual, for more detailed draft deconstruction, come visit us in the forums!
It’s third-and-twenty-three in the bottom of the ninth, and I’ve got no fouls to give. I’m working with three guys that have yellow cards, and the other team has a two-foot putt. My back’s against the wall. My feet are in stirrups. The doctor just said to drop ‘em, turn, and cough, and the nurse told me to bend over. In other words, I’m right where I want to be.
I’m going to present another raw decklist here, and this time we are going to take a look at removing your opponent’s best resource for winning. I love Millstone, and all the related cards, but sometimes they do not get enough respect. Seeing that we are looking at adding a transmute theme, we might as well run with the Dimir guild and see where we can go.
Billy Moreno has a problem – Triple Coldsnap Draft. Today’s excellent installment of Billy’s weekly column sees the self-confessed Constructed addict power through a number of triple Coldsnap drafts on MTGO, sharing each and evey pick along the way. In this one article, we have not one, not two, but eight complete drafts… one disected fully, the other seven offered as a lengthy bonus. Enjoy this one – it may take you some time…
It seems that Coldsnap has caught the imagination of the Pros! With Billy (above) toiling away in the MTGO queues, Benjamin Peebles-Mundy – author of the excellent Definitive Coldsnap Draft Primer, gives us a step-by-step walkthrough of a successful U/R Snow draft. The format is proving to be more complex than it first appeared… is U/R Snow the best way to bring down the mighty Green Machine?
Rounding out today’s triple-whammy of Coldsnap Draft goodness, we have the latest installment of the fantastic Drafting With Rich series! As usual, the Canadian pro shares a complete draft, from pick one to pick forty-five, sharing some thoughts on the deck and his performance. For a more detailed breakdown, visit the forums!
Bennie is officially off the leash… and he has some choice things to say about a number of important topics and Magic luminaries. Who bears the brunt of his tongue-lashing this week? Read on to find out!
In his latest foray into the world of Tribal Standard, Jay tackles the largest of tribes – the Humans. With five decklists of various colors and creeds, there’s sure to be something for everyone!
Joshua decided to take this week out to look at some of the most underplayed cards in the Standard format, and maybe give someone some inspiration to make a killer deck. Who knows… maybe the next tier 1 deck is lurking within…
I watched him flail his way through the traditional route of newbie mistakes; burning on excess mana because he didn’t know about the Alt-U “Undo” trick, zipping past phases he should have had stopped, and hitting the wrong creatures. It was a shame to watch.
But you know what was worse?
The fact that I didn’t help him at all.
Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve filled you all in on the latest StarCityGames.com news! What’s been going on lately? We’ve redone our entire pricing structure on singles (did you know that Standard commons now start at $.10 each?), and our new E-bay division has put hundreds of Foreign cards up for auction! Read all the details, our $6 buy price on Troll Ascetic, plus an exciting announcement about next week’s Deal of the Day, only at Ben’s Corner!
Mike takes a break from high strategy to discuss the intricacies of the Hall of Fame. He shares his voting thoughts for this year’s ballot, drawing comparisons from a number of surprising places. The writing is evocative, giving us a fine example of the thrill and excitement that dwells within our hobby of choice…
