With the release of Dissension, we’ve finally got all ten guilds of Ravnica represented in what has been one of the most challenging Sealed blocks of all time. The tension between playing (mostly) consistent three-color builds and powerful but shaky four-color builds makes for exciting games. This week I’ll be poring over a new build each day.
In my last article, I wrote about how to build creature decks. I probably should not have done that. The truth is, I really hate creature decks. I don’t have the right knowledge and skillsets to play them correctly, and they have a sort of foul odor to them.
When I started writing for StarCityGames, I was an intelligently ignorant fellow. I was well-versed in many aspects of Magic, but when it came to the things I was ignorant about, my vanity knew no bounds. And one of those things I did not comprehend was the Tournament Mentality.
Jeroen concludes his Dissension musings with a look at the Blue cards, the Artifacts, and the Lands. Of course, we all want to crack those twenty dollar shocklands… but what other cards will see constant play in the coming months? To round things off, Jeroes also brings us his Top Ten Dissension cards for Constructed play.
As a result of his intensive RGD drafting – helping friends who are qualified for Pro Tour Prague – Sean has reached some interesting conclusions about the skills needed to succeed at the new format. How do you rate the Eidelons? Do you think drafting three colors is the strongest strategy? After reading this fine article, you may just change your mind…
Recently, I played in Flores’s Deckade book signing tournament. I made Top 8 with Vore, my only blemish in the Swiss being a first round loss to Beautiful Struggle Mark Young piloting Tron. However, my tournament came to an abrupt end in my Top 8 match, against Luis Neiman playing Wafo-Tapa Control. Let me tell you this match was among the biggest blowouts imaginable. The only way I could conceivably gain an advantage (short of him mulliganing to five) would be if I had a perfect draw…. on the play.
When preparing for a tournament, do you do all you can to ensure you take home the prize? Do you approach each match with the correct mindset? Or have you lost before you’ve laid your first land? With extensive theoretical examples based on the Team Standard format, Mike shows us how doing the math – and playing to win – will help us improve our game tenfold.
My boss, Pete Hoefling, is a slave driver. What makes it all the more remarkable is that the slaves whip themselves. But why do we work so hard? Why does StarCityGames.com p0wnnz0r me so?
Jeroen continues his Dissension musings with a look at the Red and the Split cards. We know that Seal of Fire is back, and for that we’re all mighty grateful… but does the remaining Red goodness begin and end with Demonfire? And what of the Split cards… will they find their niche? Click here to find out…
Limited Master Raphael Levy returns with the latest edition of Hidden Gems! Today, he brings us a few more Ravnican rares that are sadly overlooked in Ravnica Block drafting… if they’re utilized correctly, they can lead to wacky fun times. A perfect article for the run-up for this weekend’s Pro Tour Prague. Looking for something different when drafting RGD? Raphael can help!
Dave presents us with not one, not two, not three… but four Standard decklists. Updating the stronger archetypes in the current Standard with new cards from Dissension, this article is a fine springboard from which to plan your respective Regional assaults.
In this highly entertaining article, Abe takes us through his own personal odyssey… his relentless and harrowing search for the World’s Perfect Token. If you’ve ever put a 1/1 Saproling token into play, you’ll be sympathetic to his plight…
My minor in college was journalism, and I loved it. I’d taken every “newspaper writing” course I could lay my hands on, so I’d heard all about the problems involved with freedom of the press and the confidentiality of sources. But covering Pro Tour: New Orleans showed me another side of journalism, one that hadn’t been brought up in class, and it was only then that I realized why the news we see so uniformly bad.
Jeroen continues his Dissension musings with a look at the Green cards and the Simic guild. Historically, Blue/Green has been a Constructed powerhouse. Does the Simic return Standard to the Glory Days of Wild Mongrel, Arrogant Wurm, and Circular Logic? And does the Blue/Green guild house the best rare in the set? Click here to find out…
Mike completes his Constructed rundown of Dissension with a look at the Split cards, the artifacts, and the lands. Sure, we all know that the Shocklands are pure gold, and the Karoos are staple cards… but how do the new Split cards match up to the Split cards of old? A strong finish to an excellent, informative series.
