We’re at the bi-annual time when I look back at the cards that were in the Core (nee Base) set to which hardly anyone paid any attention, and with which you won’t be able to play in Standard once the new Core/Base set becomes Standard legal. In other words, the cards we missed in Ninth Edition that aren’t coming back in Tenth Edition (a.k.a. X).
I was playing Steve Sadin’s Gruul deck in an eight-man queue online right after Regionals, and in the first round I did exactly what Sadin’s deck was designed to do: crush one of those Llanowar Elves plus Giant Solifuge Gruul decks. As my Tarmogoyf and Greater Gargadon were staring down his whole lotta nothin’, I realized something: Tarmogoyf needs a nickname.
Bennie rounds out some of the more eye-catching decks from the recent Regionals weekend, and supplies some interesting facts about American cities along the way! Aside from this comprehensive Standard rundown, he also has a special request regarding the nomination of your personal Hometown Hero… Intrigued? Then read on!
Of all the decks in Standard today, I personally feel that Dredge is the most difficult to design correctly. This mainly stems from the fact that each matchup plays completely differently, and you must know your most effective gameplan against each deck. Certain cards are MVPs in certain matchups, and it’s not always clear why until you have logged many games. I see a lot of play mistakes, even in premiere event Top 8 replays. Knowing the matchups inside and out is key.
The goal of this article (and the following one tomorrow) is to provide you with a thorough analysis of the Dredge archetype as it exists in today’s Standard. This articles will start off by discussing some of the general cards used in the dredge decks, followed by a thorough matchup analysis tomorrow. I will also present an overview on how to design your own Dredge deck based on the strengths of each card in each matchup. This way, you will be able to build a Dredge deck LEGO-Style, and reap some benefit from my extensive playtesting, to put you a step ahead of the average Joe playing Dredge.
This week’s Flores Friday sees Mike answer his critics with a detailed explanation of his recent Vectors argument. By fighting a Magical battle on the expected front, a player puts himself in the unenviable position to be outclassed come games 2 and 3. However, with a little canny repositioning, the numbers can be dragged back into the winning column. If you’re serious about improving your chances at your next Constructed tournament, you can’t afford to miss this.
I didn’t go to Regionals this year. I intended to play. I wanted to play. I built the deck. I even had it sleeved in the first new sleeves I’ve bought in a year, those new, shiny, black, “official” Magic: The Gathering sleeves with yellow lettering. Sweet, huh? So, what’s a poor boy to do when he’s all dressed for Regionals with no place to go? He makes it up! What follows is the story of how I would have won Regionals… had I attended.
Adrian Sullivan, deckbuilding guru, takes a look at three of the winning Regionals decklists, and examines their particular strengths in the emerging metagame. He looks at the theory behind certain card choices, and offers what he considers to be beneficial changes to the seventy-five select. The Standard metagame is in a state of constant flux — With the help of Adrian, the choices become a little more straightforward.
I played at Northern Regionals. I took my modification of Josh Silvestri’s rework of Evan Erwin’s Glittering Control deck. My highlights included a turn 3 kill. The lowlights included a couple play errors that cost me Top 8. I’ve also included the Top 8 decklists, and a breakdown of all the Regionals Top 8 decks across the U.S. and the world. Enjoy.
In the wake of Regionals we will be/have already been bombarded by “the best” builds of all the well-known archetypes, and we’re seeing The New Face of Standard’s Tier 1 decks galore. What I’d like to do here is shine the spotlight on some decks that traveled off the beaten path, anything from an interesting variant on to a totally new creation, that performed well enough to make Top 8 and earn a spot on MagictheGathering.com, if not an invite to Nationals.
After two long weeks of Future Sight Limited heartbreak, I’m back on the trail of the elusive Standard Metagame. Reports of the demise of Dragonstorm are greatly exaggerated… or are they? Plus, some new takes on the old Aggro favorites. And a Top 8 deck that… well, I saw a peanut stand, I saw a rubber band, I saw a needle that winked its eye… but I think I’ve seen about everything, now I’ve seen a turn 1 Fly(ing Men).
Last weekend, I had the honor of watching South Texas’s finest compete in Regionals. Sadly, none of the finest made Top 8, and when the dust settled we were left with a new crop of Texas champions. While I was judging, one deck in particular caught my eye: a Mono-Blue Snow deck, featuring a ton of permission spells backed up with Teferi, and Aeon Chronicler as the kill condition.
Billy Moreno, one of the candidates for Resident Genius 2007, brings us the ideas and strategies behind a funky new Standard deck designed for Regionals. It’s a storm deck that runs five colors, and is capable of a number of ridiculous nut draws. BDM himself ran it at his Regionals, and it’s great fun to play. If you’re looking for something that’s both fun and competitive to play at your next Standard event, look no further!
Mike Flores rocked up to Regionals with yet another powerful deck of his own design, this time admirably aided by a host of innovative others. As usual, he marched his way to the top tables, making Top 8 with relative ease. And, as usual, he punted at the final hurdle. Today’s Flores Friday sees Mike take us through the design and theory behind the deck, and gives us a blow-by-blow of the tournament itself.
Hello everybody, and welcome to another edition of the Magic Show. This week we’re going to talk about how I fared at Regionals, the list I brought, and how the metagame shaped up.
