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Casual Fridays #53: The Birds and the Bees…And the Beats

Green is group Magic’s version of campaign finance reform. Everybody who plays has to love it. It’s required. If you go into any local shop, approach the five guys sitting around a table playing casually and shout, "Green mages lick toes!", chances are you will have a situation on your hands. You don’t have to…

The World Born Anew

How would you like to be privy to a little-known fact about myself? This would be in stark contrast to the web of lies of which I am usually constituted, so no doubt you are shocked. Please take a minute to compose yourself, then read on. It may help to fantasize (as I do) that…

MBC PTQ: Anchorage, Alaska

I awoke in a puddle of my own vomit, finally awakening from a month-long binge that consisted of Valium overdoses, gas huffing, toad licking, marijuana laced with embalming fluid, copious amounts of distilled water injected into the underside of my eyeballs, Gin and Tonics and Gin, soap scum remover, amyl nitrate, amyl dayrates (they’re more…

A Use For Carnival Of Souls!

Okay, so it’s not a viable one, but I thought that a title like that sure would make you want to read the article! And, seeing as how you’re here, I’m assuming that it worked. (Yeah, I know what they say about "assuming" and "u" and "me," but it doesn’t make any difference, so lay…

(Pre-Recorded)

Three rings, then a click ————————————————— Thank you for reading Tony’s article. Tony isn’t here right now, but if you’d like to e-mail him a message (or some unprovoked abuse) then do so at the following e-mail address: [email protected] Alternatively, you could wait for the beeps and read his pre-recorded stream-of-consciousness musings. BEEP BEEP BEEP…

Weapons of Mass Distraction: How to Distract New Players

PROVIDENCE, RI Had a great time in last week, thanks for asking. I never did get down to Your Move Games, but I did go to Newport and take a tour on a high-speed rum-smuggling boat, which was definitely a unique experience. This week (albeit a day late) I have for you: My take on…

CASUAL FRIDAYS #52: There Can Be Only One

I am going to spend most of this week discussing the rather well-known "Highlander" format. I consider this to be a terrific format for casual groups to try, since it solves about three problems at once for many players. But before I do, I want to make a kind but apologetic note about another popular…

No… More… Zardoz

To be honest, I had no sense of danger looking through the Sci-fi section of the local video shoppe. I had already picked up Michael Moore’s "The Big One", but there was a deal that promised free popcorn if I rented another flick. It was the perfect opportunity to finally see the Outer Limits episode…

Look out – Tournament!

Once again a Bath monthly Type II tourney is just around the corner, and this month we’ve managed to get a lot more testing in. There have been several reasons for this: I’m getting home an hour and a half earlier than I was, for a start, but the main reason though is that someone…

Build Your Own Expansion, Operators Are Standing By: Part I

At long last, I can finally sleep now: I have discovered the true meaning of the word "rhystic." Does anyone remember a very seldom-played card from Ice Age called ? For those who don’t remember the card text, it read: U Enchantment Cumulative Upkeep: 1 Whenever target opponent successfully casts a non-creature spell, you may…

Ooo — A Game!

My darlings, Here’s an extract from a recent e-mail I (may have) received: "Dear Tony, "When will you bring back your entertaining cryptic clue quiz thing – you know the one I mean? Love, Mrs Trellis North Wales" This e-mail is typical of hundreds of e-mails that I get … (comedy pause) … from Mrs….

Six Of One And Half-Dozen Of Another?

Twice! Twice in a row I’ve gotten on Meridian Magic. Well, ain’t I just the most honored writer on the ‘Net? (Answer: No.) But, last week, I promised my faithful readers a serious article – so enough about me. I was having a discussion about how two cards added up to each other a little…

Apparently, I Suck TWICE As Much!: The End of an Interminable Contest

It has been officially proved that I suck. And not just because of this contest, either! Chris "Better Lucky Than Good" Cade combed my article to find that I had said: "(And incidentally to the incidentally, Sealed Deck and Draft are the closest thing to "fun" you’ll find in tournaments. I like Sealed Deck, even…

FINAL JUDGEMENT: The State-Based Effects

Want to make a casual Magic player go "Huh?". Just say "State-based effect". You might as well have aliens crawling out of your belly. But I’m here, Sigourney Weaver-like, to banish that all away. State-based effects (SBEs) are a special set of rules that are applied whenever a player is going to receive priority, prior…