Magic Online Musings: This Week on MTGO #13

Blisterguy takes stock of the series so far, and presents new readers with an explanation of all those weird numbers… He also takes us through a 175-player MTGO Premier Event.

Blisterguy takes stock of the series so far, and presents new readers with an explanation of all those weird numbers… He also takes us through a 175-player MTGO Premier Event.
I’m back after a period of Dissension goodness, and I’m sure you’re no stranger to its ilk. As I write this, the site is mired in set reviews and predictions. I figure I’ll give you less of the former and more of the latter because, as we well know, “but it’s good in Limited” is one of the worst sins a Magic writer can ever make. Today I’m going to lay down a great deck from the same guild that seems geared for anything but. Do you know who’s the beatdown in Azorius?
As an editor, Team Academy was a painful experience. There’s nothing harder than publishing an article that you were proud of, only to see someone rip it to shreds for what were, at its core, pretty legitimate reasons. And it’s even harder when they refer to your site as “the scrub site” and make fun of you personally for being such an idiot.

Romeo continues his exploration of the viability of his mono-Red Leyline deck. After tearing up the Casual Room, can it replicate the results in the Tournament Practice arena?
JFR, the man who broke Extended, is on a quest. A quest to find the strongest deck in Standard, in an attempt to break that format too. Today he brings us a number of Standard decks from the ol’ Rizzonoggin, one of which looks very promising indeed. Nearly Mono Black in Standard? Does it have the power to Rock the Kasbah? Either way, this is a fine piece of Rizzo regalia that heralds the coming of Regionals.
It is the season for set reviews. A deluge of opinions, praise and diatribes is pouring down on Craig like a monsoon with double strike. Every blowhard out there is hammering their keyboards to shower you with brainstorms (and light drizzles). I’ll add to these widely scattered phenomena — my take is, of course, multiplayer and casual.
Jeroen continues his Dissension musings with a look at the Black cards and the Rakdos guild. Does the Guild of destruction give us bombs galore? Which cards are Limited powerhouses, and which are Constructed staples? Above all, which cards should we avoid? Jeroen answers all this and more.
My brain was a bowl of oatmeal mush, so of course this was when the Mana Gods give me cards that would be an auto-win in the hands of monoxide-mangled monkey. No matter how you viewed my card pool, no matter what color combination you favored, you could build a house from this humble stack. But what would you choose?
This isn’t about Magic, or StarCityGames.com, or even necessarily me — it’s about the ways that editing this site has made me a better (and hopefully wiser) person. So if you liked Mark Rosewater’s “Life Lessons” articles, here’s a different spin on it from a different man. Today? I’m going to tell you how I became the editor of this site, and how my writing saved me when I couldn’t save myself.
Each day this week, we have Jeroen Remie’s thoughts on the new Dissension cards. Today’s article concerns the White and Azorius cards. Are you preparing for Pro Tour Prague? Are you looking for a head-start on the new Limited? Do you want to see if he agrees or disagrees with Mike Flores? Then read on…
I’m so excited. I’ve been waiting to spill this deck to the public for a while now. Now that Dissension is here, I’ve been able to play out a few games and I’m having a blast. For the first time, FrummyChick has to face me piloting a real Suicide Black deck in Standard.
Ah, it’s here at last! The last three guilds are unveiled, the Ravnica Block is completed in spectacular fashion, and there’s nary a Nephilim in sight. That’s right, it’s time for…
Dissention
Disension
Disention
Discension
Dissenshun
Dissension! Yeah!
Mike continues his Constructed rundown of Dissension with a look at the cards that most of you have been waiting for… the Simic and Rakdos guilds. Simic looks the stronger of the two for Limited play, while Rakdos seems to have an excellent agressive pedigree for the Constructed game. But what does Mike make of their respective strengths and weaknesses? Read on to find out.
Want a list of all the high-quality Magic: The Gathering Telephone Erotica numbers? Tony Boydell is here to make all of your filthiest Magic fantasies come true….
With the Dissension release now mere days away, and Pro Tour Prague just around the corner, eyes are turning to RGD Draft. The recent prerelease was the first time us mere mortals laid our hands on the cards. Today, Nick shares his prerelease experience, and runs through some of the strong (and weak) cards that’ll see Limited play in the weeks and months to come.