Getting into Magic can be a chicken-and-egg situation: you can’t play without a deck, but how do you build a deck without knowing what any cards do? The upcoming Jumpstart set solves this issue in a fun and natural way, meaning this might be the best product ever for teaching new players! Jumpstart gives curious first-timers their titular boost by …
Nothing like the advent of a new spoiler season to remind us how fast 2020 is speeding by! Core Set 2021 is an important one: it’s coming at a time of significant change in competitive Magic, and it’s the last set to release before the next Standard rotation. That makes it something of a signpost for where Wizards of the …
Ding dong, Winota is dead (well, suspended) in Historic. It’s a great time if you enjoy brewing, especially if you enjoy brewing linear, explosive decks that make silly things happen. Oh, you do? Well, let’s cut off this preamble right here so I can fit in more lists. Get ready to tick some fun stuff off your Magic bucket list… …
Last week, Wizards of the Coast released a much-anticipated Banned and Restricted announcement that has ramifications for Standard, Historic, and companion cards as we know them. As always, I recommend reading the official announcement yourself to get the long-form reasoning behind the changes. But for convenience: Agent of Treachery and Fires of Invention are banned in Standard Agent of Treachery …
Magic has a rare distinction among games, in that for many players it has become a lifelong preoccupation. The incredible depth and variety of the card pool is what supports this long-term interest. But for newcomers, that variety can be intimidating. There’s such a range of formats and play styles to choose from, each of which appeals to different kinds …
“How much are Magic cards worth?” “Which Magic cards are worth the most money?” “What makes Magic cards so expensive?” Believe it or not, these are the most-asked Magic: The Gathering questions on the internet. As experienced players dive deeper into Magic, we may lose sight of how unusual and unpredictable the price tags are on rare and staple cards. …
We’re somehow into May now, and I’ve found myself writing more and more about Ikoria Standard in recent weeks. We’re at what I’d call the “mature” end of the format, with the largest and deepest card pool possible all on the table to tinker with until the Ravnica sets and M20 rotate out in a couple months. With so much …
I’ve been thinking these last few days about a popular phrase: “a good problem to have.” Some of the best players in Magic have made earnest complaints about Zenith Flare — the all-star uncommon of Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths — and the cycling-heavy deck which has arisen around it. The deck is certainly winning a lot in the last week …
Editor’s Note, 4/29/20: This article was originally published on October 28, 2019. We want to ensure you have the most up-to-date information about popular decks, so we’ve updated this article and re-published it on April 29, 2020. Editor’s Note, 8/3/20: Cauldron Familiar has been banned in Standard effective August 3, 2020. Read the full announcement from Wizards of the Coast …
Hop in, magicians — we’re going Brawling! If there’s one thing Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths has in abundance, it’s cool legendary creatures to build around! The Apex cycle opens up powerful three-color options, and the various companions can be used as your Brawl commander even if you don’t meet their special deck-building requirements. The various legendary humans and new Planeswalkers …
