Faithful Mending has inspired a variety of graveyard decks in Modern, but Todd Anderson thinks Jeskai Phoenix is its one true home. What changes has he made to his latest list?
…Where Faithless Looting incentivized going as aggressive as possible, Faithful Mending rewards you for taking your time. > Sullivan’s Satchel…
…You can't merely take the first place decklist from the latest Grand Prix, walk into a tournament, and expect…
Josh took Solar Pox to Champs. After all, the deck had pedigree – it placed first in the recent StarCityGames.com $1500 Standard Tournament. Unfortunately for Mr. Ravitz, it was not enough to propel him to the top tables… nevertheless, he shares his insights on the deck, and reports on the full day of play.
…The release of the first expansion for Time Spiral will greatly impact and alter the format, which is obvious. But…
Monday, March 14 – Gavin Verhey does a 180 from his usual and picks up red cards. Why is Gavin so convinced that Boros is the right deck in Extended right now?
…when I’ve finally decided to pick up Mountains in Extended, you know it’s probably a good time to…
It's that time of the year once again. The weather is getting colder, the snow is coming down, families…
Last week’s piece generated some substantial commotion on the forums. One thing that really stood out from that discussion, though, was that a lot of people didn’t really seem to have a good idea of what it meant to receive a signal in a draft. While most experienced players have figured signaling out, I want to take the time to really spell out what a signal is for some of my readers who might be newer to booster draft.
…While most experienced players have figured signaling out, I want to take the time to really spell out what a…
…With a *Scars* Sealed PTQ season looming on the horizon I thought I would walk you through my deck-building…
Monday, March 17th – Players receive penalties all the time at Magic tournaments because of carelessness and laziness. Kevin Binswanger is here to give you advice and step-by-step instructions on tournament operations to let you concentrate on playing Magic without having to worry about an illegal decklist or slow play.
…match to go to time and for slow play to not be involved. Let’s walk through the tournament, from…
What if you could win every game of Magic you ever played? Bennie Smith shares how pet cards and mini-quests can give you “wins” in every game of Commander MTG.
…Two awesome tools for making sure you’re winning each time you sit down to a game of Commander are…
…There were no bans or unbans to any formats this time around however, Magic players were told about a massive…
…Let's just say no one was around to shout “*Timber!*” in time. Tree of Perdition *Must've been this…
Thursday, April 10th – Hello folks, and welcome back to the series that explores the casual. This week I am moving into a look at the actual cards in Abeth Edition. Last week, I explained about my efforts to create the best core set that I can. Today, we will see the fruit of my labor laid out for everybody.
…Time Warp gives Blue the first core set extra turn card since Unlimited when Time Walk was pulled out. That…
It’s been an exciting weekend for Modern thanks to the Season Two Invitational, and Patrick is gearing up for Grand Prix Charlotte this weekend by surfing all of this new information!
…are sorcery speed, it can be better than a Time Walk. It’s particularly devastating if they need to draw…
…I walk around outside the venue asking people if they have spare extended decks with sideboards on them, not surprisingly…
…We also have cards like Abrade, Lightning Strike, Essence Scatte, and Walk the Plank at two mana. So what do…
Monday, June 7th – King of the Fatties Jamie Wakefield introduces himself for those unfamiliar with his legacy, and has a few strong words for those who doubt him. He also tries a different spin on his Green-loving deckbuilding, and returns to a pair of numbers that have been synonymous with him since he started playing…
…But it is also fun to walk down the side streets for ten blocks, get lost, find the bar where…
This week, it’s time to try something a little different from the traditional, “Here’s a decklist, here’s…
I spent last weekend at a Vintage tournament. This week, I read that Masters Edition One will stop being sold online in January, Weatherlight will be released online in December, and that Masters Edition II is coming. All of this raises the question: are these old sets worth anything at all? The simple rule is that the more cards a format has, the fewer cards that are actually playable.
…Alpha / Beta / Unlimited<br> Black Lotus<br> Sol Ring<br> The Moxen<br> Ancestral Recall<br> Time Walk<br> Demonic…
Just as promised last week, an invitation-only Magic tournament took place last Saturday at the New Yorker hotel in New York City. Sponsored by top8magic.com, it was known as the Mockvitational. I played in it, and here is my story of what happened. Sadly, some deadline problems related to Fearless Leader’s trip to Valencia means that I will be unable to give you the Standard results until next week. Up until then…
…Also, one of the better “Boston bars” in New York is a short walk from her apartment. So I spent…
Why do you play Magic? Is it to win? Is it to innovate? Is it for the glory, money, or fun? Shaheen Soorani tells you how to get the most out of your hobby.
…Every time we walk up to that scorekeeper’s booth to turn in a winning match slip, we have a…
…Phoenix, and there was no need for me to Time Walk myself or to take 2 extra damage, so I…
First, I know you’re all dying to know how I did at the prerelease. Well, the news is mixed, but largely good. I roared out of the gate to a 4-1 start — a much more pleasant mirror reflection of my Nemesis record. Since I was a mere match win away from prizes, I kept…
…At this point I stare at the power 3 I have drawn (ancestral recall, time walk, timetwister) and they mock…
Thursday, October 22nd – Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa, Brazilian’s finest mage, put in countless hours of testing for Pro Tour: Austin… and they paid off in spades! Today, he shares his preparation stories and part 1 of his exhaustive tournament report. Congratulations, PV!
Hello! I am writing this from Orlando, where I will spend some time before Grand Prix: Tampa with a ton…
…The oracle text of Mask has changed nearly as many times as [card] Time Vault [/card], but at the time…
Tuesday, August 5th – Magic’s 15th birthday party took place over the weekend at the home of U.S. Nationals. From Standard to Vintage and back again, join Rich for a cornucopia of tales from the land of the free and the home of the brave.
…National Championship, but there’s a lot more than that for me to get my teeth into, especially this time…
Wednesday, October 14th – The PTQ season is about to get rolling, and I’ve got my first one this coming weekend. Zendikar Limited has yet to disappoint, and I feel as though the sealed format in particular is incredibly balanced.
…The subsequent jubilations last for a good time, but then we realize what had happened: I had stolen his chance…
Ross Merriam is proud to go it alone for this Pro Tour, despite being among the Roanoke crew! He has no one to fool, so he’s spelling out his plans for the big tournament! The pros and cons of each big Standard list is here for your SCG Louisville prep!
…Should we Drive or Walk? Last season we saw Mardu Vehicles morph into midrange deck, shedding the most aggressive elements…
With zero byes and low expectations, Mark managed to impress the world and confound the odds to finish in the Top 8 of Grand Prix Toronto! Today he regails us with part 1 of his report, cataloging his Day 1 performance and Sealed deck building techniques. Cracking the good stuff helps, but you need more than luck to raise hell from zero byes… read on to hear Mark’s tale!
…I wasted no time in striking up a conversation, since I’m the kind of PTQ scrub that would have…
Last weekend I had a chance to head judge the very last (at least locally) Valencia PTQ. I’ve got the Top 8 decklists (for those of you planning on playing the format on MTGO, I guess), plus one “how the hell can that be in contention” deck, and the mystery of the phantom judge. It’s the dog days of Magic writing, with only a handful of Lowryn cards released. Could be worse — I could be writing about how the Lowryn basic land artwork will impact Legacy.
…Prep for head judging a tournament starts a week or two ahead of time, with identifying the other judges, assigning…
…Battle for Baldur's Gate*? Even if you walk past the colonnade, that's still at least 61 steps. Of…
Zvi explains why he played The Aristocrats very differently than other members of #TeamSCG in this article full of helpful deckbuilding theory.
…Sam has been building decks centered on sacrificing creatures for a long time now, calling it the most powerful ability…
I have failed you. Remember a few weeks ago how we had a vote on which card I should use in my next deck? No Rest for the Wicked won. However, Shivan Wumpus and Lord of the Pit tied for second, missing the top slot by only one vote. I promised to do decks on the two runners-up too. I’ve done a Shivan Wumpus deck. I was going to do Lord of the Pit this week. I even had a great name for the deck: Pit Boss. But I chickened out and went for an Elf deck instead.
…Each time this happened, the Lord just didn’t matter. If I had enough creatures to facilitate the Lord, I…
First, I know you’re all dying to know how I did at the prerelease. Well, the news is mixed, but largely good. I roared out of the gate to a 4-1 start — a much more pleasant mirror reflection of my Nemesis record. Since I was a mere match win away from prizes, I kept…
…At this point I stare at the power 3 I have drawn (ancestral recall, time walk, timetwister) and they mock…
He came, he saw, he comboed. SCG is proud to welcome Ivan Jen, a man who doesn’t like to simply win, but win with flair! Ivan shares his thoughts on the crazy deck he used to bring Standard to its knees last weekend.
…Jeskai Charm is tempo and putting a card on the opponent’s deck (i.e., quasi-time walk)<br> or…
…Discussion of this topic couldn't come at a better time as the debate heats up in the United States…
…Probably the number one question I've gotten about *Aether Revolt* is “Where are the rebels?” Let me walk you…
Wednesday, September 3rd – While our attention builds towards the arrival of Alara, savvy deckbuilders know the importance of learning the lessons of Yesterday before looking to build the future of Tomorrow. Combining historical perspective, anecdote, and trading advice, Rich Hagon brings us a long hard look at the 907 cards that are going to leave Standard in just a few short weeks. What should you hold onto and why? Coldsnap launches the series.
…So why would I waste my time, and not coincidentally yours, by looking back at Time Spiral and its Timeshifted…
We're done with *Oath of the Gatewatch* previews, so it's finally time for card-by-card design stories…
…That gives you more time to refill your hand. For the first time in I don’t know how long…
…Sol Ring and Time Walk. *No protection and no hosing:* There is a place for these situational mechanics: it's…
…How will this Mox fare? Only time will tell. Multani, Yavimaya's Avatar When Michael Ryan and I were writing…
…During previews, I spent a little bit of time talking about how Brian Tinsman and his design team decided to…
Todd Anderson got 17th place at Pro Tour Dark Ascension with his Mono-Green Aggro deck! Find out how his Dungrove Elders and Bellowing Tanglewurms did, along with an updated decklist!
…I used Garruk Relentless to shoot his bird, effectively casting Time Walk. I continued adding threats to the board, assuming…
…plan is to have your last card be a Time Walk and draw many more cards on the extra turn…
…He gave me a run for my money, but the Shimmer was effectively a Time Walk every other turn. I…
…In the testing to come we'd both blow out out games with it, and essentially Time Walk our opponent…
To paraphrase George Santayana, those who do not learn from the past are condemned to repeat it. If so, let’s hope Mark Rosewater didn’t get a life sentence.
…We listened intently the first time, but now, despite the obvious good intentions behind his latest column, we’re just…
…By the time of the handoff, though, we had settled on the creature types and their colors: - Pirates (blue-black…
…I am moving on because time demands it. In two different ways. Time Demands, #1 Time_Walk First, when it…
…You can walk the tightrope a long time, but everyone slips up sometime, and when you do with this deck…