In Limited Magic a build-around card is one that needs the right cards around it in order for it to pan out as an effective card in your deck. In other words, you usually have to “build-around” it. Typically, this term gets used for cards that ask for some type of synergy that isn’t one of the main themes in …
Dark Ascension is the second set in the original Innistrad Block. Released in 2012, the set is filled with lots of spooky creatures of the night, as all Innistrad sets are. With Innistrad Remastered on the horizon, it’s a good time to take a look back at one of the very first sets that takes place on this popular plane. …
Innistrad Remastered releases on January 24th, 2025. It’s going to feature cards from our various visits to the plane, including in original Innistrad Block, Shadows Over Innistrad Block, and Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Crimson Vow. To get you prepared for a return to one of the most popular planes, I’m going to recap the Innistrad story. INNISTRAD: THE PLANE OF …
As we near the end of 2024, we can look back on the year and see that there were several powerful, popular Commanders printed during our most recent trip around the sun. For example, Voja, Jaws of the Conclave and The Wise Mothman are ranked 48th and 58th respectively on EDHRec, despite being printed so recently. While these Commanders certainly …
Invasion is one of the most important sets in Magic history. Released in 2000, it represents both a very important moment in the history of Magic design, and an equally important moment in Magic lore. In the story, Invasion and its Block (the subsequent sets Planeshift and Apocalypse) was the culmination of several years of Magic story. The Phyrexian invasion …
As you probably know, it was recently announced that we’re going to be getting a whole lot of Universes Beyond sets in 2025, and they’re all going to be legal in Standard. These are sets that are based on an IP other than Magic: the Gathering. This got me thinking about our first Standard-legal Universes Beyond set – 2021’s Dungeons …
A few weeks ago I wrote about Foundations and the history of core sets more broadly. There, I discussed the fact that they are intended to be beginner products that help introduce new players to the Standard format, especially. This is often achieved by more simplified designs that help introduce players to the game’s basic mechanics and themes. For the …
Jumpstart 2025 is a supplement booster set that releases alongside Magic: the Gathering Foundations on November 15th. As with past Jumpstart products, you and your opponent simply buy two booster packs and shuffle them together to make 40-card decks. And then you’re ready to play. These boosters all have themes, so you end up with what feel like very synergistic …
It’s Halloween week and that means it’s time for a Halloween-themed article. Magic has no shortage of super spooky Magic cards. There’s even a card that directly references the holiday itself, in the form of All Hallow’s Eve. While there aren’t any other cards that directly reference the holiday, there are tons of cards that have Halloween vibes. In this …
Magic’s next standard release is Foundations. Preview season begins later this week and it releases on November 15th. It’s the first time we’ve seen a core set in four years. If you want a deep dive on core sets and their history, I wrote an article about that last week. Suffice it to say that core sets are beginner products …
