I arrived at the place I had been destined to go and found it a desolate wasteland. It was cold and deserted, an empty hall bereft of life…
No, I’m not writing fan fiction — that was what the Coldsnap prerelease looked like. There were almost no people, at least not compared to the packed tables of the Dissension prerelease. Where’d they all go? And what’s up with the deck I had to build in the interim?
Invitational finalist and respected Internet writer Jeff “ffeJ” Cunningham returns to StarCityGames.com each day this week with an expert look at the new Coldsnap cards! Today’s article deals with the White cards in the game’s Winter-themed set… how do they fare in the modern Constructed (and Limited) arena? Is there power to be found amid the snow-capped peaks? The answers are only a mouse-click away!
With ffeJ examining Coldsnap with a mainly Constructed eye, we’ve tasked Julien with the job of examining the set from a Limited standpoint. Today he tackles the White cards, with particular reference to the triple Coldsnap draft format that features in the majority of the approaching Nationals tournaments. He identifies two clear directions a White drafter can take, and rates the cards accordingly.
Back on the mean streets of Ravnica, we continue Rich Hoaen’s excellent step-by-step drafting series. As usual, Rich shares each and every pick from an RGD draft, from one to forty-five, then gives us a brief overview of his deck and final performance. For a more detailed deconstruction, visit the forums! Rich will be back later in the week with a detailed overview analysis article examining the results from the first fifteen drafts in the series… be sure to tune in!
Last time I wrote anything that got published, Flame Fusillade hadn’t even been printed yet, never mind been killed by any number of Time Vault Erratas. A lot has happened since then, including near-infinite attempts to break Mana Drain further, and an unsuccessful foray onto the Pro Tour. Writing is definitely something I would like to get back into doing, and picking up the dailies seemed like a perfect opportunity…
Coldsnap is (virtually) here, and with it comes a Brave New World of Standard exploration. Cumulative Upkeep, Snow Mana, Protection from Snow creatures… does Snow actually matter in the evolving Type 2 metagame? Mike brings us a Snow-themed deck that has surprisingly consistent results against the top beatdown decks seeing play in the modern game. Maybe Snow does matter after all…
StarCityGames.com are proud to announce a new addition to our Featured Writer staff… Josh Ravitz! In his inaugural address, Josh looks at the popular Green/White/Blue Glare Dovescape deck that’s currently attacking the Standard metagame. This deck has a superb matchup against the omnipresent Vore deck… but just how robust is it against the rest of the field?
Today we have not one, but two Ravnica Block Draft walkthroughs from the Canadian Draft specialist Rich Hoaen! As usual, he takes us through each and every pick, from number one to number forty-five, and supplies a brief commentary on his final deck and performance. For more detailed deconstruction, come visit the forums!
In the second of today’s “Drafting With Rich” articles, Rich passes up a first pack first pick Char… with good results. He shares each pick as it comes, and comments on his final build and performance in his usual signature style. The forums have been busy with this excellent series. Be sure to tune in on Monday for the first of Rich’s overview articles, where he looks back on the first fifteen drafts and examines their results.
Sean takes an icy plunge into triple Coldsnap Draft, examining the allied color pairings and where they stand on the ladder of strength. Is Blue/White really undraftable? In Green/Red really unstoppable? Sean reveals all…
Bennie Smith, a pioneer of Dredge decks, needs your help. In the past, he’s had a modicum of success with the Dredge strategy in Standard… but today, it seems the tools are missing for the deck to truly shine. In the last of his entertaining daily articles, he send out a simple plea: pimp his Dredge deck.
After a brief hiatus, Teddy Card Game returns to champion the cause of the original pesky goblin – Mogg Fantastic! Can the “best one-drop ever printed” shoe-horn itself into the next Core Set? If Ted, and Dan Paskins – and, if I’m being honest, I – had the final say, he’d be an auto-include. Still, the Unwashed Masses have yet to cast their votes… will Ted’s impassioned pleas help sway the decision down the path of Honesty and Truth?
Stating the case for the mighty Kird Ape, in place of the scheduled Ben Bleiweiss, is the irrepressible Yawgatog. There’s no doubt that Red needs a marquee one-drop in 10th Edition… will Yawg’s stirring speech fire up the band for the Damn Dirty Ape, or will it be a case of Too Much Monkey Business? Kird Ape or Mogg Fanatic… You Decide!
For his 100th article for StarCityGames, Stephen tries something a little different: he answers questions posed by readers on a variety of Magic and non-Magic subjects! He looks back over his collected works, and shares a little of his successes and failures. He describes his brief flirtation with facial hair, and pens a poem to his favorite card of all time! Congratulations on your 100, Stephen… here’s to the next milestone!
Today, Kyle brings us a Limited masterclass. An RGD draft walkthrough, an RGD Sealed deck cardpool and build… what more can we ask? Well, how about a breakdown of the various emotional states experienced while playing online? This excellent article piles on both strategy and fun in abundance. One warning: if Kyle invites you over for dinner, you’d be wise to turn him down…
