Ask Ken, 05/11/2004
Is Ravager Affinity really all that and a bag of chips, or are we just not ready for that jelly?
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From Right Field: Regionals Report, 2004
If you read this column regularly, as the Surgeon General suggests (it promotes”intestinal and rectal health”), you know that I couldn’t make it to Regionals this year. That doesn’t mean that I can’t file a Regionals report, though.
Flying in the Face of Occam’s Razor – Arguments Against Banning the Clamp
The simplest answer to the Major Problem runs something like this: Wizards R&D goofed up when they printed Skullclamp. It should have never been unleashed upon the Magic public. Just simply ban it and everything goes back to the way it should be, right? Now, while most people are debating the last part of answer, I’ve been looking more closely at the first part. Namely, I’ve been questioning whether Skullclamp was actually a mistake.
You CAN Play Type I #132 – The Control Player’s Bible, Part IV.4: Control at a Crossroads, April 2004
Thus, “The Deck” is getting left behind, to the point that some distinguished voices have been using it as the straw man for trumpeting “the real metagame.” Last month, for example, JP Meyer half-sarcastically called it “the best control deck in Type 1 as long as there isn’t another control deck that is more streamlined.” More recently, Phil Stanton called it “nothing but metagame customization” compared to Hulk. Are these pundits correct, and if they are, what building blocks exist to go about rebuilding”The Deck” for today’s Type One environment?
Magic University: Tempo is Really Interesting
Personally, I think that Tempo is probably the topic in which I am most interested as far as Magic theory goes, and I am always trying to apply Tempo and Tempo-related ideas to my actual play. But what is tempo? It seems to me that Tempo is kind of like pornography. Much as you would like, you can’t quite put your finger in it… but you sure know it when you see it.
Introducing Ben Bleiweiss’ Deck Challenge!
On Sunday, May 16th, the Star City Game Center will be hosting Ben’s Deck Challenge in-store. What is Ben’s deck challenge? Read inside to find out!
Ask Ken, 05/07/2004
It’s 1st pick 1st pack, and I’m staring down at least three potential first picks in a pack of: Myr Adapter, Shatter, Leonin Elder, Bonesplitter, Vulshok Gauntlets, Pewter Golem, Fangren Hunter, Krark-Clan Shaman, Terror, Tel-Jilad Exile, Somber Hoverguard, Granite Shard, Ornithopter, Stalking Stones and Fatespinner.
Weak Among the Strong: Owning Your Mistakes
For anyone wondering who the heck Chad Ellis is, I was once a writer of some repute, with articles on the Dojo, StarCity, Mindripper, Brainburst, and the Sideboard. Along the writing path, I managed to qualify for the Pro Tour through a few PTQs, and then finally gravy-trained with an eighth-place finish at Pro Tour: Barcelona. Now I’m finally joining StarCityGames.com on a more serious basis, as my Weak Among the Strong column finds a new home here.
The April Type One Metagame Breakdown
This month is a watershed in data collection, because for the first time in 2004 I’ve gone a whole month with just one missing decklist (FCG). I know some of you don’t get the major physical stimulation I do from that knowledge, but I’m sure there are some of you that feel the same. I feel vindicated for my efforts to harass and torment the decklist underreporting of the world. This cajolery yielded fruit such as two Frenchie decklists that they still don’t want published, but are in the totals anyway.
Ask Ken, 05/06/2004
Today’s Ask Ken is written by special guest star Ben Farkas, er, we mean Geordie Tait. Uh, wait, that’s not it either… It’s written by somebody who is not Ken Krouner, okay?
Mixed kNuts: Houston, We Have a Problem
Today, I’m going to do some initial analysis of what went down at U.S. and Canadian Regionals. I will also regale you with some of the better stories that came out of my own Regionals experience before shifting gears into the usual (and sorely neglected) Mixed kNuts treatment. But first I get to do something I’ve never done before – I’m going to play chicken little and tell you why I think Skullclamp is likely to get banned.
The Wrong Equation: Lessons Learned from a Failed Solution Deck
I had it. I had the solution to the entire metagame question. Ravager Affinity? Check. Goblins, any style, Patriarch’s Bidding or no? Check. Tooth and Nail? Check. Red/White? Check. All the testing I had done for the past few weeks was about to bear fruit. With none of the major matchups worse than 50% pre-board and none worse than 55% post-board, I was invincible. I would kick tail and take names for the tournament report I would invariably write after my stunning victory.
Ask Ken, 05/05/2004
Some of us are going to play in a bring-your-own-pack booster draft pretty soon, and I’m wondering what sets you think would be best to get?
MWC+ In Action – Mid-Atlantic Regionals *14th*
Now that you have the theory behind the deck, here is what went down in the actual tournament. This tourney marks something important for me, for in my quest to become a Featured Writer, I tried to be professional and write down all my match info and salient points of the games with which to bring you a better article. Unfortunately, that does not include any of my opponents’ names, but the rest of it is pretty detailed.