We’re three weeks wiser, and I’m still plugging away. Twelve card pools have passed before my tired eyes and stuttering fingers. I’ve typed up nine hundred cards in the preliminary lists alone. Add in the decklists, the card-by-card analysis, the juvenile attempts at humor… I’ve typed close to fifty thousand words. Today marks the last card pool in this series, and I hope you’ve learned half as much as I have during our time together.
Quite a few years ago, back when Tempest was hot and new, I did my first Rochester draft. It was the top 8 of a PTQ and I was what could be called “a bit behind the knowledge curve” going in. Things did not go well. Since then I’ve seen a consistent pattern in every competitive Rochester Draft I’ve been in – a lot of players who can play well and even Booster Draft well do not know the basics of Rochester. This PTQ season I want to make sure that instead of being one of those people, you’re the one who takes advantage of them.
Mean Deck Oath placed an astounding four players in the Top 8 of the most recent StarCityGames.com Power 9 tournament, and we know that you’re all dying to find out how the deck came about, what the strengths and weaknesses are, and how you can either win with it or beat it. Steve has included all this information in his complete primer on the hottest new deck in Type One, so what are you waiting for?
It’s autumn in my part of the world. The new big expansion has been out for a month. The Champs tournaments are behind us. The Limited PTQ season is under way. That can only mean one thing. It’s time for me to write about Aluren.
To describe today’s card pool, Craig says, “Roll up, roll up! We got wonders to see here, folks! We got lions and tigers and monsters, we got bearded ladies and strong-men, we got five-legged horses and Basil the Three-Eyed Fox! For the price of a nickel, you can see the World and all that’s in it! Step right up, sir. Through the curtain, and bear left. That’s where we keep the miracles…”
This article presents a new variation on the Mindslaver theme. The deck I’m introducing here can be considered as an hybrid between the standard Drain Slaver deck Kim Kluck created about a year ago and “Turbo Titan”, the Sundering Titan based control deck designed by my MeanDeck teammate Doug Linn. It tries to abuse one of the best artifacts from Fifth Dawn, Crucible of Worlds, in a way no one did before: setting up Mindslaver nastiness.
Greetings to everyone in the land of Magic Online. While StarCityGames.com has done an excellent job of posting informative pieces on Kamigawa, be it for Limited or individual card analysis, few have touched on its impact on Magic Online casual formats. Since Champions of Kamigawa (CHK) is now available online, it merits examining.
Yann Hamon, one of the top 20 players in the world for the 2003-2004 season, takes a break from his preparations for Pro Tour: Columbus to chime in with his opinions for what he calls “The Best Color in Champions.” Why does he feel it’s the best Limited color in CHK, and which cards does he feel stand above the rest? You’ll just have to tune in and find out.
Top 8 coverage from this past weekend’s Power 9. Looking to see exactly how MeanDeck’s new Oath deck plays in a real match? Ben’s got that covered plus a whole lot more.
Richmond marked the debut of a new Vintage archetype… “Mean Deck Oath”. A majority of the field seemed unprepared to face the Oath of Druids/Forbidden Orchard “combo” and four members of Team Mean Deck piloted “Mean Deck Oath” straight to the top eight. What sort of impact will this have on Chicago? Will Team Mean Deck dominate again? There’s only one way to find out! Join us on Saturday, November 6th when the Star City “Power Nine” Tournament Series comes to Chicago!
Laura Mills takes her first real look at Champions and uncovers the power of soulshift, both in Limited formats and in… Constructed? While the shifty souls might not quite be ready for primetime in sixty-card decks, this is definitely a mechanic to keep an eye on.
Level 2 Judge (and all-around hipster) Seamus Campbell responds to John Davis’s article yesterday with a reasoned look at the complaints in the article and the responsibilities of judges in general.
Since at this point it’s safe to assume that you know what’s going on in this outstanding series, we figure it’s easier to give you a sample of today’s article as incentive to read: “The Deceiver cycle have very unpleasant names. Cruel, Brutal, Feral, Harsh, Callous. They’re getting such a bad press… Where are the nice Deceivers? The Fluffy Deceiver, the Is-Kind-to-Animals Deceiver, the Generous-to-a-Fault Deceiver? Remember, kids: Deceivers have feelings too. Equal Rights for Deceivers!“
While the guys are playable, the White in this pool ain’t particularly inspiring. There’s nothing here to make me rip off my clothes, put my underpants on my head and run screaming down the High Street yelling “don’t trust the monkeys.” Which of course, is a bonus. Especially since the court-order.
On the ballot this month are issues dealing with Mana Crypt, Gifts Ungiven, Recurring Nightmare, Restock, and the Judgment Wishes.
