TagStandard

Peebles Primers – Two Eye-Catching Standard Strategies

The StarCityGames.com $5,000 Standard open Comes to Philadelphia!
Tuesday, November 18thThe StarCityGames.com $5000 Standard Open comes to Philadelphia in a few weeks. In preparation, Benjamin Peebles-Mundy looks at a pair of the more unsung strategies blossoming from the recent State Championship tournaments: Bloom Tender Aggro and Planeswalker Control/Combo. If you’re looking for a deck with the element of surprise, look no further!

The Magic Show #122 – Post-States Bliss

The StarCityGames.com $5,000 Standard open Comes to Philadelphia!
Friday, November 14th – Hello everybody, and welcome to another edition of the Magic Show. This week we’re going to take a look back at States – a video montage of the event, what I played, how I did, and the impact of the excellent turnout nationwide. We also have a special visit from Patrick Chapin and more. Let’s go!

Sullivan Library – Examining the Wisconsin State Championships Top 8

The StarCityGames.com $5,000 Standard open Comes to Philadelphia!
Friday, November 14th – With the States Top 8 decklists rolling in, it’s time to examine the new face of Standard. Adrian looks at the Top 8 decks from Wisconsin, and walks us through the strengths and weaknesses of each in their respective Top 8 matches…

You Lika The Juice? – Sprouting Husk Gets Medieval on the Metagame

The StarCityGames.com $5,000 Standard open Comes to Philadelphia!
Thursday, November 13th – Man, after round 2 of Champs this past weekend, I was feeling about as low about Magic as I ever have, basically building on the bad feelings from the $5K and diving through the floor to sub-basement levels. It helped a bit that my second round opponent was a friend of mine, so I took a little consolation that the 2-0 drubbing he gave me might help propel him to a Swiss come-back after losing the first round.

Deep Analysis – U/W Merfolk at States *Top 8*

The StarCityGames.com $5,000 Standard open Comes to Philadelphia!
Thursday, November 13th – Richard Feldman stuck to his guns last weekend, and threw his powerful U/W Merfolk build against all comers at States. His faith was not misplaced, and he picked up an impressive Top 8 berth in style! Today, he shares his tournament performance match by match, and provides valuable insight into the intricacies of the archetype.

Tribal Thriftiness #47 – Vengeance at States

The StarCityGames.com $5,000 Standard open Comes to Philadelphia!
Wednesday, November 12th – Dave took Vengeant Kithkin to States, but the title could actually refer to one of Dave’s opponents as well! How did Dave do? How did Dave’s wallet fare? Answers, inside!

Down And Dirty – Taking In Some Top 8s

The StarCityGames.com $5,000 Standard open Comes to Philadelphia!
Wednesday, November 12th – While Kyle never managed to scale the heights of his own States tournament with his potent Elemental deck, he still managed to bring a swathe of interesting decklists from the more successful participants in his region. Today, he takes us through two Top 8s (Texas and Oklahoma) and offers advice on the respective lists…

Deconstructing Constructed – Live Free or Fae Hard

Read Josh Silvestri every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Tuesday, November 11th – As you know, States was this weekend. I did pretty badly, posting a 2-2 record. What can I say? I won the bad match-ups and lost the good ones on one of those ‘why did I get out of bed this morning’ kind of days. To be fair, part of it was entirely me making bad decisions where I had the statistical right to make the play, but it was overly risky in the grand scheme of things.

The Main Phase – Fear and Loathing at Ohio States ’08

Read Reuben Bresler every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Monday, November 10th – The Planeswalker deck tries to overwhelm the opponent in an avalanche of card advantage until you can land a couple of Planeswalkers and take it home from there. Wrath of God, Plumeveil, and Runed Halo are the maindeck ways to answer the aggro threat, in addition to Garruk, Chandra, and Ajani holding down the fort.

Innovations – Pro Tour: Berlin Tournament Report *50th*

Read Patrick Chapin every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Monday, November 10th – Patrick Chapin, one of the innovative minds behind LSV’s Pro-Tour Winning Elves deck, played an interesting control deck dubbed Next Level Gifts, taking it to a Top 50 finish. Today he shares the sights, sounds, and smells from glorious Berlin…

Magical Hack – The Road To States, Part Three

Read Sean McKeown every Friday... at StarCityGames.com!
Friday, November 7th – We currently face an unusual paradox, one that we reach every so often: with the mana of the Gods at our disposal if we want it, we can cast anything in the format at all… and when we are given the ability to cast anything at all in the format, we always end up wanting to cast the same damned cards over and over again.

The Magic Show #121 – Elves! & The States 2008 Metagame

Watch Evan Erwin every Friday... on StarCityGames.com!
Friday, November 7th – Hello everybody, and welcome to another edition of the Magic Show. This week we’re looking at the meltdown of the Extended metagame and the return of States to the national stage. From Faeries and Five-Color to Reveillark and the rogue decks, we take a look at what you’ll be sitting across from tomorrow and what you can do to finish the event a champion.

Sullivan Library – Faeries: The King of the Hill

Read Adrian Sullivan every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Friday, November 7th – States is upon us… are you ready? No matter if you picked your deck three weeks ago or if you’ll pick it in the car tomorrow morning, there are some things you can’t escape. The first? Faeries will be there, and in numbers. Adrian Sullivan investigates the Blue/Black Fae in light of recent metagame leanings…

Innovations – Cruel Control for States

Read Patrick Chapin every week... at StarCityGames.com!
Friday, November 7th – Faeries. Kithkin. Five-Color Control. The so-called Big Three. However, the biggest of the terrible trio could well be the one powered by Vivid lands and Reflecting Pool. Today’s belated Innovations sees Patrick deliver the perfect primer on the archetype going into States this weekend. If you’re looking to play this deck, or merely looking to defeat it, this article is unmissable.

You Lika The Juice? – Locked in with Meadowlark!

States is coming!
Thursday, November 6th – When last we talked, I spent a good portion of my column ranting about the stale state of Standard. Some readers found the pessimism off-putting, but I hope you’ll forgive me. I am usually a flaming optimist, but even my sunny disposition can get worn down sometimes. I’m not sure if you made it to the bottom of the column, but I did offer a glimmer of hope…