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The July Metagame Update and The Crucible Effect

You cannot be fully prepared for the Type 1 Championship at GenCon this weekend without having read this article. Pip outlines all the lastest top 8 decks, tells you how deck builds have changed in the past month, and warns that you better prepared to play against Crucible of Worlds or you will be sorry.

The Compendium of Alternate Formats, Entry 5: Scavenger Hunt Format

I initially remember being exposed to scavenger hunt format several years ago on a now defunct website that described alternate formats. When Ben and Matt posted that StarCityGames.com was going to host a scavenger hunt tournament, along with a list made up by Ben, I was thrilled! You see, to my way of thinking, there’s nothing better than a deckbuilding challenge.

Ask Ken, 08/19/2004

Today’s question about Limited mana curves is answered by four-time Pro Tour top 8 competitor Anton Jonsson.

Blog Fanatic: Hashim Bello, What a Fellow! (Part 2 of 3)

DannyO are you trying to be as funny as me? I noticed that when you mana screwed me two games in a row at that PTQ and I threw the table with Halo sitting on it, you ran out of the room. Does that mean that you are entertained or not? Let’s call a cat a cat. My temper is frightening not entertaining and I like it that way.
Peace,
Hashim B
Furniture throwing champion of the World

Pro Tour Seattle Report *64th*+ Mirrodin Block PTQ Report *2nd*

Four reasons to play this deck at your next PTQ:

  • The way I see it, land destruction is terrible against any deck that’s Affinity or uses Eternal Witness. And that’s everything.

  • You want to beat Affinity? This is the deck. Yes, it’s tougher to win against G/U and Tooth, but the tools are there.

  • Hardly ever color or mana screwed, which certainly appeals to me.

  • The sideboard is amazing.

  • Thoughtful Dismissal in the Type 1 Metagame

    Reflexive dismissal should never have existed. Reasoned or thoughtful dismissal is a far more useful thing. I’ll define and discuss”thoughtful dismissal” more at length in this article and tell you why players continue to dismiss certain metagames and why it’s a good thing.

    Selecting 9th Edition Dilemma – Blackmail!

    I beat Ted so badly that he’s gone underground to lick his wounds. My opponent today is Josh Rider, who I hear is the mayor of Alaska. Fancy politicians do not scare me, because they are all susceptible to one driving force: Blackmail.

    Why Crucible of Worlds is the New Black Vise

    The title touches something that’s been heavily discussed on the internet and by several teams recently. How good exactly is Crucible of Worlds? Team CAB’s testing indicates that it might indeed be as good (or bad, depending on your point of view) as Black Vise.

    Shooting Back: Why Gray Ogre is Better than Survival of the Fittest

    It’s pretty rare that Mike Flores and I disagree about Magical things. The last serious disagreement I can recall was at a Neutral Ground PTQ, where we disagreed over whether I should smash all the Neutral Ground faces and take the slot home to Your Move Games. Mike was understandably bitter about that one for a while. So when I read in the front-page blurb of his recent article that Mike disagreed with me – this time about the correct build for Flea Market – I had to step up.

    Italy and Kneejerk Criticism

    One of the things that I’ve noticed over the course of my time reporting on Type One is The Metafight. In Type One, for so long, so many metagames were so dramatically bad that results from them could be dismissed as products of ignorance and underdevelopment. This reflex was most useful when most everyone truly did suck a few years ago, and it was important to have an intellectual shortcut available that could make more people pay attention to serious playtesting results from the Paragons than tournaments. This reflexive dismissal has outlived its usefulness.

    Blog Fanatic: New York Magic

    The tournament began, and the format was Type One, single elimination. The turnout? Over six hundred people. This was before the Pro Tour, before Grand Prix, and was an event relegated mainly to the Magic players of the Northeast. I want you to consider how insane this turnout was by modern standards. There was virtually no internet advertising for this tournament. If you were from out of the tri-state area, the only way to find out about the New York Magic tournament was through word of mouth.

    Maximizing Luck: The Underdog’s Guide To Winning

    Magic is without a doubt a game with elements of both luck and skill. I happen to believe that the skill aspect is much larger than the luck part. How else would you explain repeat champions such as legends Kai Budde or Jon Finkel? One can acquire additional skill by reading strategy articles, play testing, and various other means. However, no matter how much you practice, there’s always going to be someone with more innate skill than you. There will always be bad matchups. There will always be bad draws. At some point in your Magic career, you will be the huge underdog, and this guide is for you.