Ben, the recent second-place finisher in the 2006 U.S. Nationals, takes us through the design of his successful U/R Tron deck. With strong matchups across the board, these Blue/Red mana-mad decks are proving to be a powerful force in the metagame. Ben, in his first article, shares the card choices and sideboard strategies that almost propelled him to the top!
With the recent changes to Time Vault, Stephen feels that Meandeck Gifts – his most treasured creation – is once again viable in Magic’s most powerful format. Today’s article is a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of certain cards and matchups. Looking for an edge in your local Vintage metagame? Look no further!
Blisterguy returns semi-triumphantly from his National Championship… back-to-back top 8 performances in consecutive years is not to be sniffed at. He shares the fun of the competition, plus his usual breakdown of the Magic Online Metagame and trade rooms.
Rich shares his Drafting technique in today’s installment of “Drafting With Rich!” As usual, he runs through a complete RGD draft from pick one to pick forty-five, and adds a brief commentary on his performance and final build. If you’d like some more detailed deconstruction, come visit the forums!
Adam continues his intriguing series of articles examining the folklore behind Magic: The Gathering.
Although it was nearly 90 degrees on Saturday, the temperature isn’t what got my blood flowing: It was the 137 competitors coming together for StarCityGames’ Amateur Challenge. Packing a huge variety of decks in one of the most fun and fulfilling formats seen in recent history, these hopefuls converged in a colossal struggle for the coveted Amateur Challenge trophy or, failing ultimate victory, a piece of the fifty-box prize pool.
Craig (me) finishes his (my) report on English Nationals 2006. When we left him (me), he (I) was poised at a precarious 5-2 after one day of play, looking to pose a strong challenge for a Top 8 spot. This concluding article deals with every match of Day 2, including an epic five-game final. Highs, lows, some startling and entertaining plays… and a mulligan to three.
Set reviews are like asses. Everyone has one. They all stink. Yet, we still want to see what everyone else’s look like. Here’s mine. Breathe deep the stench of my enlightenment.
Adam continues his Folklore daily series with a look at witchcraft in Magic.
After a brief sabbatical for Canadian Nationals, Rich Hoaen is back! In this popular series, the Draft Master takes us through an RGD draft from pick 1 to pick 45, sharing his draft process every step of the way. He supplies a final decklist, and comments on the build and performance. For more detailed deconstruction, come visit the forums!
Welcome to my new series, Tribal Bible, dedicated to exploring the murky depths of our new format, Standard Tribal. My goal is to provide insights on three decks per week, hopefully each with a different tribe. A slant towards quirky, small tribes should be expected – partly because smaller tribes are more interesting to me, and also because the more members a tribe has, the more paths there are to take.
The legend that is John F. Rizzo recently covered the U.S. Nationals 2006… and you knew he’d have an article dedicated to his experiences there! An epic read of mammoth proportions, packed with John’s signature style. Learn just what goes on behind-the-scenes of a major tournament… and learn the truth about Kelly Digges. As per with JFR, this is not for the timid reader…
After two consecutive English Nationals failures, Craig went to the 2006 tournament with a self-confessed “good feeling.” That good feeling was enough to send him to the top of the standings and see him crowned the last English National Champion! Indeed, his win was so mighty he began referring to himself in third person. (Seriously, how am I meant to introduce this with any dignity?) Part one of his entertaining – and long – report is within!
What to cut? The eternal question. While sixty cards is the benchmark, many mages refuse to acknowledge the detrimental effect suffered when forcing those extra power-cards maindeck. Pat breaks down the logistics of such a ploy, and argues that while it may seem innocuous on the surface, the damage it can do can be telling….
With the Ferrett on vacation in sunny England, Eli fills his considerable clown shoes with another Ravnica Sealed excercise! The cards this week are juicy… can Eli extract the fruiy goodness and make a deck fit for a king? As always, the forums will be packed with alternate builds and strategies… come join the discussion.
