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…Thassa's Rebuff costs two and is like Mana Leak in that it counters anything unless they spend man equal…

Pro Tour Champion Ari Lax knows you can’t wait to Prerelease this weekend! Accordingly, he’s setting you up with an easy reference to guide you through the entirety of the upcoming Limited format! Your Draft victories are one click away!

…pay the two for this than the three for Mana Leak. Revolutionary Rebuff becomes a blank very quickly. Experimental Aviator…

…Scalding Tarn [/card], and gets an island and [card] Mana Leak [/card]s my Mystic. The jig is up. So…

Ashley had a strong start in Montreal, but couldn’t quite convert. Let her show you what she learned in the last Magic 2012 Limited event!

…Warpath Ghoul because I sensed that my opponent had Mana Leak. It turns out he did, but he let the…

Monday, January 31 – What affects the prices of new cards? Should you be trading your new Mirrodin Besieged rares or holding onto them? Jon Medina gives you all the tips you need to make smart decisions on all the new cards.

…At the four-mana slot, Hero is susceptible<br> to Mana Leak and even Cancel, not to mention she’s…

…decks that easily tapped into all five colors of mana, a blisteringly strong mono-red deck, but—most of all…

A few weeks ago, Brian Braun-Duin wrote an article about how he reignited “the fire.” Find out if it sputtered and fizzled out or if BBD was able to keep it successfully lit at the SCG Invitational in Indianapolis.

…I had to go for an Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite and hope he didn’t have Vapor Snag, Mana Leak…

…Mana Leak 1U Interrupt Common Counter target spell unless its caster pays an additional 3. \*\*\*\*\*- Wow. Very Very good. 5…

…Ondřej wasted no time and quickly sideboarded in triple Burning Hands, which has the same mana cost as Smoldering Egg…

Linear decks have become very prevalent in Legacy. Carsten Kötter explains what exactly linear decks are and suggests strategies for beating them. Prepare to beat decks like Storm and Dredge at StarCityGames.com Open: Memphis.

…br> 4Â Force Spike<br> 4Â Impulse<br> 3Â Mana Leak<br> 1Â Memory Lapse<br> 4Â Nevinyrral’s Disk…

Without a doubt, Tarmogoyf is the best creature in Legacy. Unsatisfied with current Threshold decks, Kevin presents several ideas on how to best use the Goyf. He also looks at ways to build around and play around Counterbalance.

…Several articles ago (okay, five months) I looked at a player (Kyle Dargan) who Top 8ed The Mana Leak with…

For those who are complaining about Mental Misstep warping Legacy, fear not. You just need to learn how to beat blue decks! See what Carsten Kotter has to say about the format.

…They also reprinted real countermagic in Mana Leak. Maybe there’s<br> still hope that Wizards will free itself from…

…It's a card worth looking twice at, and being a 3/3 for 4 mana doesn't hurt it…

…either Mana Leak or Lilting Refrain) Using this as a changing consideration, we can utilize approximately eight blue mana and…

I keep having success drafting Blue/Black decks online. I guess milling is not sexy enough compared to hasty fliers, Saproling generators or graveyard recursion. Anyway, here’s a draft article for the masses, for those of you keeping your winter nights warm with the magic of Ravnica draft.

…Convolute My only problem with poor man’s Mana Leak is the casting cost. If it along the lines of…

…I tried an Emperor Crocodile, which saw Mana Leak, then tried Tolsimir Wolfblood. He had a Perplex for Tolsimir, but…

Countdown to Grand Prix: Columbus! Kevin Binswanger dispels some of the hype and myth about Flash, and tries to talk strategy and metagaming for Grand Prix: Columbus. Decklist? Discussion of policy for errata’ing and banning? It’s all inside.

…in motion by TES doing so well at The Mana Leak Open. It was theoretically possible for decks like RG…

Thursday, January 20th – He’s baaaack. Hold your disbelief, and keep your pants on. Whether you love him or hate him, AJ is here to brighten your day with tales of human idiocy, friendship, and good games of Magic.

…However, it had Disfigure, two Spreading Seas, a Mana Leak, and a Jace Beleren, so I was happy with<br…

Where did the fun go? With lawyerly precision Bryan Gottlieb finds the flaws that led to a year of Magic design errors and shows a better way forward.

…Doubling and tripling mana has been a staple of casual formats forever, but did we need to do it a…

Monday, February 21 – Read how Patrick Chapin took his Tezzeret control deck to the top and how he sideboarded against his opponents – sleeve up artifacts for SCG Open: DC this weekend! Read about his draft strategy for Besieged!

…Obviously, they will keep using their cards against<br> you, but cards like Mana Leak, removal spells, planeswalkers with the…

Wednesday, January 21st – Another Grand Prix, another win… Luis Scott-Vargas is fast cementing his position at the top of the heap in American and International Magic. He rocked through the Los Angeles field with a strong Blue/Red Mind’s Desire Storm deck, and today he brings us an article that’s one part tournament report and one part primer. Enjoy!

…Thoughtseizes, with an expected countermagic suite of Condescend plus Mana Leak or Remand. It turned out that he really had…

Last week’s Deep Analysis saw Richard Feldman breaking down the Extended goodies from Morningtide. Today’s article moves away from the color and card analysis and tackles the tribal goodies that could spawn new and exciting strategies. Goblins, of course, always make an impression… but is today the day of the Rogues? The Soldiers? The Wizards? Let Richard reveal all!

…it? Conversely, would you pay an extra colorless for Mana Leak if it were a cantrip? Would you play Complicate…

What a time to come back into the game! Star City Games here in Roanoke, VA has started a series of Sunday tournaments, with each week featuring a different format. This past Sunday was my first opportunity to play in a tournament in a long time, but fortunately I was able to participate despite my lack of Darksteel cards. Last Sunday was Ben Bleiweiss’ Deck Challenge, and it was an absolute blast!

…The ultra Mana Leak. I look down at my three untapped lands and frown. Wait, look there!”Okay, I’ll…

I can talk about mana for a long time, longer than anyone except Zvi Mowshowitz, probably. Luckily for me, I wrote down my general philosophy on land- and mana-balancing quite awhile ago . The article isn’t perfect – I wrote a revision about a year later for Sideboard that never got published – but it’s generally correct in describing my approach to land and mana. Anyway, you should read the article if you want to have any hope of following me today.

…Complicate, Discombobulate, Mana Leak, Rewind, Stifle. *Land*: City of Brass, Flooded Strand, Grand Coliseum, Secluded Steppe. *Other Stuff*: Boomerang, Brain…

Phil Stanton’s articles are almost impossible to explain in short blurbs, but they always include numbers, they are always about Vintage, and they always give you crucial information about some part of the Vintage metagame. This time Phil takes a look at the different compositions of card types in Vintage Top 8s, including how many land/mana sources each deck runs, the amount of countermagic and disruption seeing play, and how much potential most Vintage decks have to damage themselves. If I haven’t explained that this article is really really cool then I have failed, but don’t let that stop you from reading this article, as it should be an enormous boon to every Vintage deckbuilder that reads it.

…s Desire Counterspell<br> <br> FoW, Mana Drain, REB, BEB, Stifle, Mana Leak, Daze, Pyroblast, Annul, Misdirection, Counterspell, Hydroblast, Spiketail…

Chris took his Mono-Red deck to Regionals, and won more matches than he lost. His maindeck tech caught people off their guard. Opponents conceded without taking damage. How high did he finish? Read on to find out…

…Mana Leak. I had one chance to win. I found a Genju. It was Hindered, and that was that. (5…

Dear Oscar: Suppose R&D wanted to make a card that”forces decks to change their spell mix,” or their designers to think outside the box and not necessarily opt for all the broken cards on the restricted list simply by virtue of their brokenness. R&D wanted this card to essentially”fix” all their old blunders to some extent by making the very thing that is desirable about those spells (their inexpensive costs, out of proportion with their over-powered effects) less desirable. So what’s wrong with that?

…For example, Swords to Plowshares makes expensive creatures stink, and Mana Drain, Counterspell and Mana Leak make expensive spells in…

Leading up to Grand Prix Washington DC this weekend, Drew Levin will be providing in-depth Legacy content every day! Today he continues with the three varieties of Delver.

…It has the same stench as the old Modern U/W decks that played Mana Leak, Tectonic Edge, and Path…

Friday, January 2nd – Last week, we had a look at a new spin on an old favorite, looking to update the Rock for modern Extended. While everyone is looking at Faeries or Zoo or Elves as their deck of choice, I was curious to see how Extended looked from the perspective of the fair-to-a-fault Black/Green deck.

…we have Kitchen Finks and the mana to pay for a Mana Leak; the game struggles for the next two…

Type One has a store of decks waiting in the wings to make their big return. Often they are waiting for that new card to bring the deck back into the limelight. More likely, they are waiting for a shift in the metagame or banning to weaken rivals. If both conditions are met, then the stage may be set for an encore performance. Mono-Blue Control is one such deck.

…This creates great tempo on my side of the board and I likely have Mana Leak or Force of Will…

…Be careful with your removal spell, and sequence around a Mana Leak. And if they already control Rattlechains, then be…

…of Negation 2 Growth Spiral 2 Lightning Bolt 3 Mana Leak 4 Path to Exile | 3 Aether Gust 1 Ashiok…

Today I’m going to bring you immeasurable joy, like nothing you’ve seen before. How’s that for a tagline? Read on, and soon you too will be a believer…

…Tide Star<br> Man-o’-War<br> Mana Drain<br> Mana Leak<br> Meloku the Clouded Mirror<br> Merfolk Looter…

Perceived wisdom tells us that if a card is super-duper-good, it requires four slots in your deck. It also tells us that if you’re planning on the long game, a singleton copy of a game-breaker is also the way to go. Thus, if we have a deck packed with two- and three-of copies, aren’t we simply being wishy-washy, and diluting our chances at success? Adrian sets us on the right path, and also debunks the old chestnut that 60 cards is best…

…Buehler’s single Miscalculation in his deck is essentially a 5th Mana Leak, or at least as close as he…

Modern enthusiast Valeriy Shunkov provides an extensive Melira Pod primer for those looking to play the deck during the current PTQ season.

…If you don’t need additional blockers and don’t expect Mana Leak, just do that. There is the chance…

Look, your test group might think that life gaining is fun – but excuse me, I know no such people. And it’s not for lack of idiots; there are quite the group of morons at my store. So do not blame it at that I am a too”Johnny: kind of player. Timmy hates life gaining too – at least over here in the Netherlands.

…impact on the game, because the Drake will just Mana Leak it. It thus puts you in a very nice…

…and lets you recoup from savage beatings.<br> <br> Mana Leak (A)<br> 1U, Instant, *Stronghold* Common<br> Counter target…

…After some more turns I draw an Elf at last,<br> but he has Mana Leak. Finally he drops a…

…Mana Leak seemed to be like a possible replacement, but in the mid- to late- game, where you often ended…

…on Instants like Last Gasp, Reach Through Mists, and Mana Leak. As long as you're adding Toshiro, you might…

Tuesday, April 26 – Richard Wirth managed to make 17th place at GP Dallas/Fort Worth with Elves! Caw-Blade is one of the deck’s strongest matchups, so check out this deck and see if it’s your style for SCG Open: Charlotte.

…RUG just because he showed no red mana<br> and a Mana Leak, and it’s possible a bunch of…

…Company went for sweeper insurance. *UW Sideboarding:* -4 Spreading Seas -1 Mana Leak -1 Logic Knot +3 Rest in Peace…

…As poor as Mana Leak might be in comparison to Counterspell, it can potentially stop these turns. Stifle is going…

…Legacy tournaments such as Starcitygames Duel for Duals and Mana Leak Open. What deck are you playing and why?<br…

This is me pretending to be Star City’s sometimes resident curmudgeon, Jonathan Becker (hint, hint). There have been some features, both interesting and just controversial, that have been thought-provoking for me; this article includes my reactions to a bunch of the stuff that has been posted either on the front page or the forums of this site over the past couple of weeks. If it wanders around or seems a little different from the work that you’ve come to know and love (or ignore) from yours truly, blame Jon Becker.

…If you have Mana Leak backup, you might just win on turn 3 or 4; if you are playing a…

…Throwing a few Islands into the pile gives you access to a touch of countermagic (Mana Leak, Condescend), and the…

Debates have flared recently as to how to “properly” design a deck, with the bold statement that the number four is the “correct” number for most developed decklists. Simple in concept, this belief is grounded upon the perception that an ideal deck is one that is able to play the same sort of game over and over again with little variation, and the best way to get the same game over and over again is to use the same cards over and over again.

…Three copies of Mana Leak and three copies of Remand might very well be the correct choice for that deck…

What new cards would make Cube even better in 2022? Ryan Overturf puts on his designer hat and starts filling holes in the Cube experience.

…I’m not saying that white should get Mana Leak or Daze, but I am more into white getting Censor…

I am going to do something awful to my fellow writers. I am going to compare early metagame predictions with the actual metagame, as it is shaking out now in European regionals and the Type Two last chance qualifiers at PT: Kobe. I’ll do it to myself, too, and then I’ll give you a breakdown of the Top 8 decks from the European Regionals that have occurred thus far.

…completely – and some of those with Blue just ran Mana Leak, but not Thoughtcast. Gloat, gloat.\*\*\*\*\* \*\*\*\*\* If this continues, I…

Wednesday, October 13 – This week Sam discusses the idea of “Battlecruiser Magic” and its current impact on the game, the results of the 2010s and what it means for this weekend’s Nashville Open, and his GDS2 essay.

…His hand was<br> something like Everflowing Chalice, Jace, the Mind Sculptor, Mana Leak, Frost Titan, <br> Frost Titan, Volition…