The time has finally come and gone on the first Open Series weekend with Khans of Tarkir! Read Pro Tour Champion Patrick Chapin’s analysis and find out just how amazing and scary some of the numbers from this weekend really are…
…The Mana Leak mode is obviously glamorous, but Counterspells aren’t<br> actually all that good in the format. They…
…My opponent cast Devastating Summons, floating enough mana for Mana Leak, but succumbed to a Negate in Game 1. Then…
…You certainly can’t play Counterspell (or Remand, or Rewind, or Mana Leak, etc.) while one is on the stack…
The following two situations come up in many tournaments. What’s worth talking about in these cases is how the players handle them and use uncommon ways to produce stellar results.
…a massive chunk of percentage (say the opportunity to Mana Leak the Berserker), even if it doesn’t put you…
Gifts Ungiven is more dominant than Affinity. There, I’ve said it. Now if you want to know what the hell I’m talking about, you have to actually click on the article.
…second, inferior version? Mana Leak would force a traditionally G/B base to need Blue mana on turn 2, which…
…Besides that, it’s a blue deck with just four copies of a single counterspell, Mana Leak. How’s that…
If you’re a fan of Vintage, then be sure to check out Brian DeMars’ Avacyn Restored set review! Read his thoughts on what miracle cards and others from the new set will shake up this Eternal format.
…going to be awesome at protecting Primeval Titans from Mana Leak for years and years to come, etc. However, this…
…Invasion is the first standalone without Disenchant, but if you’re using blue and can spare the extra mana, this…
In last week’s article, I began the process of building a pair of 250 decks. In the first article we discussed how to start thinking about the deck you want to build. Last week we began building the deck by creating a skeleton. This week we are going to flesh out the skeleton.
…I suggest running some “one Blue” counterspells, like Arcane Denial, Mana Leak, and Delay. The deck would love more countermagic…
Analysis and innovation takes a backseat to pure raw honesty this week. Carsten Kotter loves a lot of cards in Legacy. Others…not so much. Enjoy Carsten’s take on some of the best and worst experiences an Eternal player can have!
…t get four mana Wrath of Gods in Standard anymore, why Counterspell <br> and even Mana Leak seem soft-banned…
…Temur Charm Temur Charm A fight spell, a Mana Leak, or an alpha strike enabler? Sure, I’m on board…
Everything goes fine with ink.
…than Joey Lawrence can hang with.<br> <br> Mundungu = Mana Leak or Undermine or more on a stick.<br> <br…
Caw-Blade seems to be picking up more steam as the season picks up, but is that the end of the story? Patrick Chapin doesn’t think so. Read this article for ways to change the narrative.
…then you trade Titans with them while holding up Mana Leak. Alternatively, just doing little things like copying a Lotus…
Today’s Flores Friday is the first installment of our “Two-Headed” Morningtide Standard review. Mike, in collaboration with the Innovator, shares his thoughts on the new cards for Standard play. Sure, everyone wants four Mutavaults, and Countryside Crusher is making a splash… but what other cards should we be picking up while they’re cheap? Tune in on Monday for Patrick Chapin’s conclusion!
…You just can’t worry about playing around a Mana Leak when you are trying to win this way. In…
A double-dose of Chris Romeo today. While his excellent Daily series continues below, this article sees Chris bring a surprising deck to the table. He claims that he sucks… but this particular creation may prove otherwise…
…That countermagic, though, that Mana Leak or Hinder or Rewind, often costs the player whose spell is being countered an…
There is a best deck; it is beatable, but it takes work, honest playtesting, and a willingness to kill our darlings. Patrick Chapin prepares you for the #1 Deck to Beat for Kansas City.
…Flashfreeze, Psychic Barrier, Dissipate, Stoic Rebuttal, Negate, Mana Leak, Distress, Despise, and the like are all fine tools (if you…
Today’s Flores Friday sees Mike rectifying an admitted omission — feedback response. He uses his column to respond to all the praise and condemnation he’s faced of late, and explains some of his more esoteric theories and beliefs. Why are small percentages important in modern Magic? How can we recognize cheaters who stack their decks? And, importantly — boxers or briefs?
…That said, Grand Arbiter is only medium-good once Dragonstorm figures out Dreadship Reef and Mana Leak is pointless if…
…cards I would consider taking are Duskdale Wurm and Mana Leak. I eventually go with the Duskdale Wurm – in retrospect…
Monday, January 18th – Extended PTQs are in full swing, and Patrick Chapin provides the latest metagame statistics! Channeling the great Frank Karsten, Patrick takes a detailed look at the tournament results so far, and creates a breakdown of the Winner’s Metagame. This is a fantastic article for anyone serious about cracking into Pro Tour play.
…Beyond that, cards like Path to Exile, Mana Leak, and pretty much any fast relevant disruption/bounce/permission/removal at…
…While it is definitely not as strong as Mana Leak, a generic, mainboard counter can change the game completely as…
Ryan Overturf is sharing his secrets to Vintage Cube on Magic Online! He starts with the basics of first picks and the best archetypes for each color.
…Beyond that, cards like Sulfuric Vortex, Mother of Runes, Entomb, Mana Leak, or anything that provides some identity to your…
…For example, this will still always sit behind Mana Leak in the pecking order when people work on their control…
Monday, January 17th – Finding Extended stale? Well Gavin is here to show you that it’s not. Extended is a brewer’s paradise, and he has forty never-before-seen decklists to get you started.
…You could run more countermagic like Spell Pierce or Mana Leak (the<br> Cryptics in this deck usually bounce a…
For the North American Challenge, Ben turned his back on the Tron deck that sent him to Worlds… turning instead to the powerful Erayo Ninja deck that ravaged German Nationals. Mr Lundquist, heralded as “the future of American Magic,” took home all the marbles, swinging for two and drawing a card all the while. This interesting report chronicles the highs and lows from each match.
…This is what I ended up with… Against all the Aggro decks I sideboarded out 4 Mana Leak, 4 Remand…
…and a good way to control Agro decks)<br> Mana Leak (Pretty nice spell to cast every turn)<br> Metamorphose…
Tuesday, February 26th – The popularity of Tournament Reports tends to ebb and flow with the tides. Today, Adrian Sullivan brings us a report on his latest Extended PTQ, in the style of the classic reports from the days of USENET. He also brings us his latest version of Miser’s Rock, a deck he backs for success in future tournaments…
…When I drop it on the next turn, he has a Mana Leak for it. I push into him hard…
The Rogue in me is battling with the Johnny in me. I’m down to B/R Land Destruction and CounterRift, and I’ve decided I’m gonna test them both to see how they do – or if they do well at all.
…It’s either an overcosted Mana Leak or a pretty good Force Void – but neither of those is really Constructed…
…Finally, Remand is a viable option if I end up patching the deck with low-end counterspells like Mana Leak…
Tuesday, January 25th – Chapin played a much-disregarded deck at GP Atlanta, built to wreck some Faeries, which he played all weekend long, and along the way, encounterd JWay with his 66-card deck…
…Thoughtseize, Thoughtseize, Thoughtseize, Mana Leak, Great Sable Stag, Sunken Ruins. Keep? I tanked and did some math on how many…
Chas Andres looks back at his 2014 predictions: the good, the bad, and the hilarious! See his favorites, his home runs, and his strikeouts as we head into the new Magic year!
…I still expect both<br> Mana Drain and Imperial Seal to be re-released at some point soon-possibly even…
…Instead, they have been replaced by the ultra cool promo textless cards like Fireball and Mana Leak, which have been…
…It has the Jace + Preordain + Mana Leak shell like every other control deck (as well as Tectonic Edge and Ratchet…
…I started with a build playing a red splash for Bonfire, but the mana was too rough. You needed to…
Chris takes two copies of the Ritual of Rebirth preconstructed deck, and smashes them together in an attempt to fuse a competitive casual deck from the resultant debris. However, this time he’s up against it. Where oh where is the precious removal? Can a deck survive on creatures alone? Or did Chris cave and supply some creature-kill of his very own? Read on to find out!
…back when she was a mere 5/5) with Mana Leak on the second Last Gasp. In other words, except…
Friday, April 3rd – Brian Kibler, one of the game’s Elder Statesmen, had fallen from the lofty heights in recent years. However, as we know, that Magic fire forever burns bone-deep. With a Pro Tour in Hawaii, he picked up the cards once more. In our last look at Extended as the PTQ season dwindles, Brian shares his Loam deck from a successful attempt to pick up a Blue Envelope. If you’ve still got a PTQ left, maybe this is the deck for you…
…and saw a hand of Thirst for Knowledge, Clique, Mana Leak, Spell Snare, and Triskelion. I take Clique to protect…
…This is crucial in order not to get mana screwed. And I am not referring to mana screw on four…
…Fortunately Mana Leak exists and being able to get that Mirran Crusader, Geist of Saint Traft, or Hero of Bladehold…
In this week’s Sealed Revealed, Craig tackles another Ravnica Limited card pool. Match your deck building skills against his, and then discuss the results in our forums!
…I hope he can reign in these spurts of power when he’s taking a leak. Four mana gives us…
…Just look at the countermagic, for example—four Counterspell, three Mana Leak, and two Forbid. There are no counters that…
…But Force Spike against a low land count, Mana Leak, and Quicksand are all good at elongating the game. They…
…Hinder, Mana Leak, Sakura-Tribe Elder, Eternal Witness, Rude Awakening, (Vedalken Shackles), (Troll Ascetic), (Plow Under). WW: (Bad matchup): (Vedalken…
The SCG Open in Charlotte, featuring the Invitational, is on the horizon. If you want to be the most prepared, make sure to take a look at Chapin’s metagame data analysis and suggestions for your Standard gauntlet.
…Additionally, Mana Leak offers a line of defense against the Primeval and Inferno Titans that rip this list apart, as…
Wednesday, October 1st – He’s done it! Rich Hagon mops his fevered brow and promises himself faithfully never to get into such a mighty undertaking as this five-part behemoth unawares ever again. But not before he completes the last lap of the farewell tour, with a ton of expensive goodies from Future Sight. Sanity will return next week.
…way that a Rune Snag or Memory Lapse or Mana Leak might. Sometimes it was more than enough, as you…
…Chung demonstrated Mana Leak's and Cryptic Command's power all weekend, and I'd be shocked if we didn…
…A fun little Mana leak adjacent effect that is easily recurred 2. Caelorna, Coral Tyrant: Two mana 0/8 is…
…Down the Middle The next largest mail generator was my column on leaks (“ The Leak That Was ”). Man oh man…
With another big event in the books and several cards being ripe for potential bans, Modern’s market is all over the place! What’s a person to do? As usual, Chas is ready to guide you through the madness!
…This Week’s Trends – The biggest news this week, of course, is the possible leak of a couple marquee cards…
…Down the Middle The next largest mail generator was my column on leaks (“ The Leak That Was ”). Man oh man…
…Next turn I recoil the Elephant and continue to build toward my six mana bombs. I have a tapper who…
…The beauty of Snapcaster Mage is now you can throw around your Mana Leak's without much worry and then…