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Mixed kNuts: Five Things You Absolutely Must Know For Champs

Magic: the Gathering Champs logoYear after year, Kanoot has come correct with the skinny on what you have to be prepared to see when you walk into your Championships. Which decks will see the most play this weekend? Which decks are bad choices, given the current metagame? What else do you need to know to be fully prepared for what you will face this weekend? Knut has all the answers, and even includes a way to pry his States decklist out of his greedy little hands. If you are playing this weekend, this is an article you absolutely cannot miss.

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What’s the Situation?

I’ve got a piece of “Limited Information” for you guys to analyze from one of our regular drafts at CMU. I ended up arriving a little bit late this week since I had to give my best friend Jeremy Darling a ride down to CMU. We got there just as the first draft was starting as a result of his sluggishness, and I decided that it would be better to help Dr. Martel draft than to just sit around and do nothing until another draft started up. In doing so, a very interesting pick came up and I’d like to get input from you guys on it, since Martel and I didn’t agree initially.

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Finding the Tink…er, Control Slaver Deck

It’s been looking more and more to me that Type One is playing out more like a series of PTQs than Pro Tours. In this system, a set of top decks are known and the metagame tends to evolve weekly based on the results from each week’s PTQs. Here, the important skill is not the ability to build new decks, but to figure out which decks beat which and most importantly, which decks will be the big decks next week. Therefore, it seemed like a good idea to take a closer look at the top decks you will see at this weekend’s Power 9 tournament and figure out which decks might be good metagame choices.

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Yawgmoth’s Whimsy #114: It’s Too Late Now!

Magic: the Gathering Champs logoThere’s less than a week to go before States. You should have already chosen your deck. You should be very comfortable with it, and know it inside and out. You should have developed sideboarding strategies, and have a good idea of not only what comes in, but what goes out in each matchup. The worst mistake you can make, just before a major tournament, is to change decks. New decks are alluring, but you must resist the temptation. Unfortunately for you, I’m here to provide a heaping helping of temptation for those of you that like to play rogue decks. Looking for something off the beaten path? Follow me, my friends.

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You CAN Play Type I #141 – O Brave New World! Why the Type 1.5 Change is Good for Everyone

Frankly, I’m surprised that none of the usual suspects commented on Type 1.5 at length here on StarCityGames.com, and it’s been a while since the new Banned list was announced. Or rather, no one aside from Sebastian Smith, who managed to unseat me from my lofty perch as the indefatigable sourpuss of Vintage in just one article. Simply, I don’t understand where all the negative energy about the “new 1.5” came from, but I’d like to examine what the new format provides not only Type 1.5 players, but Type 1 players as well.

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Sealed Revealed: Card Pool Seven

Finally, an easy pool for Craig and company to build and discuss in the forums… or is it? Chime in with your opinions on what the correct build is, what cards Craig may be over/undervaluing, and what wax the Scouser should use on his head, all in the latest edition of Sealed Revealed!

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Drafting Zebras

Is it possible to create an entire draft archetype out of cards that seemingly have little value by themselves, but pack quite a wallop when combined? Piemaster recently set out to discover the answer to that very question and includes not only a full examination of what cards are important when “drafting zebras”, but also did a draft walkthrough so that you can see both the good and the bad of drafting this new archetype.

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Type One Basics: Testing and Preparation

We all do it, or at least should. We think about what decks we’ll have to face, how we will defeat them, and how to shore up any weaknesses we might have against certain matchups. JP Meyer recently likened Type One to the PTQ scene. What does this mean to those of us who want to be playing next week’s deck? It means we have to do the usual preparation: test matchups, shore up weaknesses, and evaluate the environment. In addition to this, we also have to create the next “deck to beat”. Today I’m going to explain how I helped create an entirely new archetype out of an old Type One staple and turn it into one of the most powerful decks in the environment.

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Drafting Zebras Part II

This half includes the final build of the deck and the results from playing out the draft.

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Sullivan Library: Making the Best Deck Better

Magic: the Gathering Champs logoFew writers on this site have discussed it recently because one fact about States has remained constant and obvious: Affinity is the best deck. However, since everyone knows this, Affinity players will have to fight through a wall of hate in order to reach the elimination rounds, a task that won’t be easy. Today, Adrian shares some ideas on how to modify the best deck in the field to better compete against hate, and applies them to what is certain to be the most popular deck at champs. If you plan to play or to beat Affinity this weekend, then you might want to take a look.

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Lessons from Grand Prix: Austin

I have to admit I had high hopes coming into this GP. Not only did I feel I had a virtual stranglehold on the draft format, but it would have been poetically great. You see, I only had one really good year in Magic. That year began with GP: Houston. I figured, what better place for a comeback than the state where it all began? What I failed to realize was that my skills aren’t what they once were, and there was a day of sealed before the draft. Regardless, there was a lot to be learned from my heartbreak that weekend, and hopefully the wisdom I gained will help the rest of you become better Limited players.

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Sealed Revealed: Card Pool Six

To celebrate reaching the halfway point of this outstanding series, Craig has created a little song to go along with his analysis of today’s card pool:
Are your matches fairly tame?
Want success in this fine game?
All you need for instant fame
Is Double Yamabushi’s Flame!

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Pucker Up, Buttercup – It’s Our Anniversary

John Matthew takes a look back at the year that was through his own eyes, analyzing his successes and failures as a writer, a Magic player, and an all-around swell guy. Here’s a brief excerpt to whet your appetite:

I have been writing for this here site here for exactly one year. Although I won the weekly article contest on my first try, I have swiftly broken the record for most-flamed Feature Writer.

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French Food for Thought – Champions Blue in Limited

Yann continues his Limited review, this time giving his opinion on Blue, the color that is probably the toughest to figure out in the entire set. Which card does he feel is the best Blue common, and exactly how highly does he rate the best Zubera in the set? You’ll have to read the article to find out, but there might be a few surprises for you along the way.

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Yawgmoth’s Whimsy #113: Altered States — Foretelling the Metagame

Magic: the Gathering Champs logoPeter kicks off States week by stretching his precognitive powers as far as they will go, and then delivers some helpful lessons for first-timers and veterans alike about what they should expect and be prepared for in the States metagame.

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