It’s one of my favorite times of the year: new cards, potential for new decks, and my creativity gone wild. I’ve learned my lesson from trying to do the card-by-card reviews. I don’t have the patience. I’m prone to burnout. So this time this review focuses on the only cards you need to worry about.
At Pro Tour: Prague most of the teams for Charleston were already formed. I was teaming with Bernardo da Costa Cabral and Kamiel Cornelissen. We approached some other friendly teams, inquiring about playtesting together. I let Bernardo know about my availability — I could move at any time, to any place, for testing purposes. In the end it was decided we should all gather in Brussels in Bernardo’s own house, after Grand Prix: Torino.
There’s no doubt that Stephen Menedian is one of the premier Vintage thinkers in the game today. This article tackles some of the more tricky decisions facing those packing Force of Will in the current Type 1 metagame… so that’s almost everyone. When do you Force? When do you Drain? When do you hold back, and when does playing into a Force reap the rewards? A strong article, packed with positive theoretical tips.
Rich continues his excellent series of RGD 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!
Veteran Japan reporter and Sealed Deck workhorse Eli Kaplan steps in for the Ferrett, with a satchel of issues and miscellaneous thoughts as he brushes up for Grand Prix: Hiroshima.
I now have the time to come back home and write for StarCityGames.com on a consistent basis. Writing the Dailies the other week was a lot of fun, and I look forward to the freedom and flexibility afforded to writers here. It feels good to be back – I started writing for Pete back in 1999! When I saw that Steven Menendian was recently celebrating his 100th column for Star City, it made me wonder – how many columns have I written here?
June was a crazy month for me. I found myself dashing from one place to another. I had the idea of writing an article about my experiences playing Magic in four different countries, but eventually I realized that writing a series would be better, because of both the size and content of the article.
Mike presents a new Standard deck for us today, one that’s been through the wringer for a number of weeks. While it posts some fantastic results against a plethora of powerful metagame decks, it’s not quite there yet. It’s a pure blast to play… but can Mike and the forums find the perfect build in time to shake up the Standard scene? Read, discuss, enjoy!
For the past week, Jeroen has been analysing the runners and riders of Coldsnap. Each card has been weighted for both Constructed and Limited play. In today’s wrap-up article, Mr Remie shares his opinions on the set as a whole… and believe me, he pulls no punches. A forthright and passionate article, and one that’s sure to fire up the forums.
Patrick continues to impress… this week’s article takes a fresh look at a popular color combination: Red/Black/Blue. As usual, Pat throws his deck against a host of metagame stalwarts, and records a ten-game suite against each. U.S. (and English) Nationals are upon us… could Pat’s new creation be the surprise weapon of choice?
Yes, it’s time for another edition of “Drafting With Rich!” As usual, the Canadian maestro shares his RGD Draft pick order and final decklist, with a little commentary on his performance and overall direction. For a more detailed deconstruction, come visit the forums!
Having myself fallen one round short of the joy of drafting Coldsnap, it is left to the two Grand Prix tournaments from last weekend to illumine us as to what is actually going on with the Limited formats that we will be seeing as key highlights this weekend at various National Championships…
I was a little mean at some points earlier this week, but today’s article is going to be all sunshine and cuddles. I’m not really a vicious, angry person, and the few people who saw me drunk can attest to this. You really have to take what I say with a grain of salt, which of course means it’s what I really think, but I don’t want to suffer the consequences of saying it. Thus, if I insulted you in some way – this week or ever – then I was kidding. Ha ha!
I guess for me the moral of this whole blog is that if you want to be a serious gamer, you really need to play as many games as possible. Zelda, Poker, Draft, Worlds Decks, Megaman, Survivor, Standard… they all expand your capacity for strategic thought. The more strategies become second nature to you, the faster you can make correct decisions.
This week, Wizards of the Coast has given the community a chance to select one of eleven dragons for Selecting 10th Edition. I give you the straight rundown on each of the contenders, including the order they will finish in the vote, and the order they should finish in the vote, all things considered.
