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Since at this point it’s safe to assume that you know what’s going on in this outstanding series, we figure it’s easier to give you a sample of today’s article as incentive to read: “ The Deceiver cycle have very unpleasant names. Cruel, Brutal, Feral, Harsh, Callous. They’re getting such a bad press… Where are the nice Deceivers? The Fluffy Deceiver, the Is-Kind-to-Animals Deceiver, the Generous-to-a-Fault Deceiver? Remember, kids: Deceivers have feelings too. Equal Rights for Deceivers! “

…I’d rather play Shock. - Uncontrollable Anger is a card I am in two minds over. Okay, so it pumps…

Ingrid, my wife, was out of town for a few days. I had Thursday off, and nothing but some chores over the weekend. I had a couple dozen tix, a virtual pile of unopened packs, and some ideas for new decks I wanted to try out. I was ready to play Magic — what could possibly go wrong?

…Game 2 he opened with Elf / Rootwalla / Rootwalla, Shock / Rootwalla, Hammer. Despite bad plays, like Blazing for zero and pumping…

…Whether you have access to “ABUR Duals” or just want to swap in some shock and fetch lands, being able…

…can survive things like Hideous Laughter, Pyroclasm, Shard Phoenix, Shock, and the like. Thus I think both the transmute ability…

…Zoetic Cavern Future Shock That's all I got for today. I hope the peek into some of the specific…

First, I’ll make the obligatory comments on Draft and Limited. The set looks like it’s more aimed at these formats. It has a lot of creatures with combat related abilities, lots of combat tricks, and the new Legends rule* makes Legends a lot more playable. This is not too surprising – we came off a block built around combo and Constructed play (although the Affinity mechanic proved excessive), so a more Limited-focused block was predictable. This isn’t Masques block II, however: Masques was all about horrible creatures with big price tags. CoK has some amazing 5/5s for bargain prices. In fact, let’s take a look under the hood and see exactly what Champions offers, shall we?

…For example, Glacial Ray is a 1R, Arcane Shock with splice. If you had two Glacial Rays in hand, you…

What do you do when you have two decks you’re only having half as much fun with as you used to? Combine them into one new deck and have even more fun than ever before! Jess answers the call to marry a reader’s Animar, Soul of Elements to Karn, Silver Golem!

…Ion Storm works well with anything that’s proliferating counters since it lets you Shock for a relatively low mana…

…Blood Crypt Steam Vents Watery Grave You've got the shock lands Blood Crypt, Steam Vents, and Watery Grave. Smoldering…

Constructed calculations aplenty this week, as Rich Hagon brings you lots of quality ways to stretch those dollars even further in pursuit of the perfect 75 cards. Also includes the closest thing in Magic to Car-Crash TV – ripping open boosters for No Good Reason! Look away now!

…2 – Fiery Temper, Looter il-Kor, Chromatic Star, Sudden Shock (wow, an Extended card!!!!) <br> PC 2 – Aven Riftwatcher, Mana…

A reader is in desperate need of advice for their Horde of Notions deck, and Cassidy works his magic after being told that he has an unlimited budget to work from to make this Elemental playable for GenCon.

…The cool thing here is that you’re already on the ‘Logical’ path, with the four green shock lands on…

After sleeping for the first half of the flight from Washington, DC to Kansas City, I finally wake up and pull out my notebook. Since the first grinder begins in about six hours, I should probably come up with my decklist. The maindeck looks pretty good, at least on paper. I haven’t actually tested it yet. But finalizing the sideboard is the hardest part. After much scribbling and scratching out, it finally looks good.

…I get hit by the occasional Shock or Arc-Slogger activation, but none of Brandon’s threats stick. Eventually, I…

New documents have been uncovered by Magic archaeologists that show us a glimpse into ancient Magic history! See renowned Magic scholar Brian Braun-Duin transpose these ancient (and hilarious) texts!

…What do you think about this format? Is Miracles poised to come back?”* *The figure stared back in silent shock…

Why would I declare these decks as the first tier? Is it their power that leads me to this belief? No, not really. While these are all powerful archetypes, the only reason I would present them as tier one decks is simply because – as the Deck Editor who inputs every deck into StarCityGames.com’s Deck Database – these are the ones I find myself entering over and over again.

…Pup ” and”If you’re at two, I’ll Shock you” you’ve probably gotten most of the strategy down…

Craig “The Professor” Jones has high hopes for Grand Prix: Amsterdam. This Level 4 Pro is currently the highest-ranked Two-Headed Giant player in the UK… of course, it’s a Limited format, which means his English heritage proves he’s likely no more than passable. Today’s From The Lab takes a detailed look at both 2HG Sealed and Draft. And after this weekend, maybe Prof will be a Grand Prix Champion once again…

…Lightning Axe, Sudden Shock, and Dead / Gone. As Green had no color fixing apart from a Utopia Vow, it made…

…you had to put direct burn (say, a functional Shock reprint) into a color that wasn't red, which would…

Tuesday, September 9th – With Nick Eisel constantly forcing the archetype over in Drafting With Nick, it seems the Red spells are pretty popular right now. Nick himself brought us a Mono-Red primer pre-Eventide, and now BPM brings his take on the strategy with Eventide in the mix. [Editor’s Note – Ben Bleiweiss, currently in Italy, will be appearing later in the week!]

…Plus there’s the built-in Shock, I guess. Traitor’s Roar – Another board card that can be nice to…

With Theros about to be released, it’s time to consider it in the context of Cube. Read on to find out what Usman Jamil has to say about the new set!

…We’ve seen comparisons between Think Tank concluding that Thassa isn’t very good, but honestly Cruel Edict and Shock…

…It swung its head, blinking, and not even the shock of being alive again was enough to distract the monstrosaur…

…Has anyone ever listened to the words in a Liz Phair song? Shock value is high. Anyway, the core of…

…s Thoughtseize displayed a panapoly of Warleader's Helix, Shock, Lightning Strike and an Ash Zealot. Once the Zealot hit…

New cards mean new opportunities! Chas Andres kicks off his Financial Set Review for War of the Spark with big-ticket preorders and lower-costed cards that might be worth your while!

…over multiple bodies, three life, and (potentially) a free Shock. That’s a Constructed-level card right there. I don…

…Undertaker, Maggot Therapy, Snuff Out, Sever Soul, Kris Mage, Shock Troops, Lunge, Thunderclap, Volcanic Wind, and an Overtaker. Holy cow…

Join Magic finance expert Chas Andres as he reviews all of the Journey into Nyx spoilers released between April 7 and April 10 (with one notable exception) this week!

…good despite the poor interaction between those two. - The shock lands are continuing to rise as we approach Modern season…

Wednesday, November 19th – Following last week’s backward look at the Theme Decks of old, this week sees shiny wrappings being unwrapped as the Intro Packs take center stage. Is this the missing piece in the quest to find the ultimate teaching tool that’s great for beginners to learn from, and yet won’t drive experienced players mad?

…not a criticism by the way, just an observation. Shock is a tournament staple, but I’m struggling to visualise…

…Vannifar swayed, expression one of pure shock. Ezrim turned to start snapping orders at his agents as Aurelia snapped her…

Following up on his Tips and Tricks column for Theros Limited, AJ is back to examine all of the intricacies and delicacies of Born of the Gods Limited in time for Grand Prix Philadelphia this weekend!

…Not only do they curve into each other and come with a shock stapled to the combo already, but every…

…Sadly, the best way to get back in is to jump in feet first, suffer the shock of the unfamiliar…

If this here article hits this here site here on time and if you’re reading it on that day, Tuesday, July 25th, 2006, then, I turn forty tomorrow. If you’re reading it the day after it hit the site, then, it’s my birthday, and I’m forty.

…For example, when casting a one-mana burn spell like Shock or Seal of Fire, do I tap my Ravnica…

…The pay-life clause shuts down shock lands, fetch lands, and cards like Necropotence. Even silly stuff like Carnophage or…

…Information spreads out and people are in utter shock; the crowd gets electric. The Azorius representatives start to question everyone…

…The Arc killed my Bottle Gnomes, then a Shock predictably killed my Highway Robber enchanted with Followed Footsteps (my deck…

Grand Prix: Kyoto saw a number of new and exciting decks hit the Planar Chaos Standard metagame. One particular deck that raised a few eyebrows was the innovative U/G Urzatron deck packed with morphs and card drawing, created by Constructed specialist Naoki Shimizu. He made the Top 8 that day, after topping the swiss… and here’s his report on the both deck and the tournament!

…Kyoto, while few players played Sudden Shock. It seems to be difficult to produce GG, but you know Cell has…

Our previous set reviewer may have ascended to the ivory towers of Wizards of the Coast, but in his place we have one of the hottest deckbuilders around and best Magic writers in history to give you the lowdown on every card in Ravnica. Today we start with the White cards, and rest assured – with this set it only gets better from there.

…Shatter, Shock *Playable – Staple*<br> <br> This card is played in whatever decks and strategies where it would be appropriate…

…Third, it allows you to maximize your fetch land to shock land ratio. To cast Leyline Binding on turn two…

Ari Lax returns to give you a Pro’s-eye view of last weekend’s Open Series event! Ari’s analysis is top notch, and you’ll need it to keep you fighting fit for #SCGINVI!

…I think that the absence of Denver local pros in Day Two is a bit of a shock, but it…

…I am literally in shock at losing a match that I had in the bag due to poor luck, but…

…2.5-3.0 This is worse than Shock but has much of the same functionality, putting it close in…

…When your opponent gets burned by removing Scornful Egotist in game one, and he does not shock your Daru Lancer…

…crop, because everyone else just stood there in total shock. Just then, I felt Mister Beleren's mind-touch again…

…When we get into the tournament site, Kenny Hsiung spots us from across the room and is in shock. At…

Craig “The Professor” Jones takes time out from his twisted experiments to bring us the low-down on Planar Chaos Limited. Not content with a mere one or two Prerelease tournaments, Prof decided to go balls to the wall and submit to a straight 24 hours of Magic! There are thrills! There are spills! There’s also a dose of Planar Chaos card advice, and a bushel or two of quality fun – strategy and humor in perfect harmony.

…tempo so important, Dead / Gone is another quality common. Shock was important in the Onslaught morph wars, and we have…

…3.5 Shock plus Lava Spike all in one is not something you are sad to have in your Limited…

…It can be tempting to unload your awesome arsenal of damage spells like Shock and Incinerate on your not-yet…

Before new sets overtake Modern Horizons 2, six SCG creators give their exit interview. What are their no-holds-barred opinions of Ragavan, Asmor, and friends?

…I’m in utter shock that a set this powerful doesn’t have any elements that require a banning yet…

…The pump, at best, only kept pace with SoFI’s p/t boost and shock, so I decided the protection…

Monday, April 5th – In today’s edition of So Many Insane Plays, Stephen Menendian tackles a number of Eternal Magic issues that are close to his heart. There’s talk on his reaction to the new Reserved List, The Legacy Banned List, Bant CounterTop, and The Myth of Power… [Editor’s Note – Due to a fine performance at GP Houston, Patrick Chapin will be here tomorrow!]

…Ancestral Recall to Concentrate, Lightning Bolt to Shock. We don’t say that a $50 bill is more powerful than…

…Norn's oil-slicked mouth hangs open in shock; she clutches a talon to the cluster of wounds on her…

…It can be tempting to unload your awesome arsenal of damage spells like Shock and Incinerate on your not-yet…

About once every three months, readers absolutely demand a good rant about the color wheel where someone complains loudly about the fact that Blue remains very good in spite of supposedly neutering from R&D. This is one of those articles, so you know, Green mages rejoice and such…

…As a morph, too vulnerable in a world full of Shock, as a 3/4, too expensive to play fair…

Eternal fan favorite Geordie’s back — again! — this time packing a new deck that he thinks can clean house against Flores Blue and Combo. If you’re sick to death of Hinder and Keiga, he’s got a deck packing a card that you’ll never expect. No, really, you won’t expect it.

…eighteen life.” And sometimes they don’t have the Shock / Frostling when you have a Bird on the play. It…