The unexpected announcement of the Pioneer format is shaping up to be a Magic highlight of 2019. We’ve seen a ton of unique decks emerge in the weeks since, many featuring cards and strategies which were banned or crowded out of Modern. As Michael Rapp observed in his metagame update, the Big Three decks right now seem to be Mono-Black, …
Oko, Thief of Crowns appeared in 69% of decks at Mythic Championship VI. Simic-based Food was the obvious best deck going into the high-stakes event, so the elite field of competitors were highly incentivized to beat Oko any way they could. (In the end, an unprecedented majority chose to join him instead.) The Oko build of Urza combo is arguably …
How many ways are there to count to twenty? Aggressive decks in Magic and similar card games are often characterized as simpler and less skill-intensive than others. The idea is that playing a reactive midrange or control deck forces you to adapt to each opponent. But to excel with aggro is to play predictively – you need to anticipate how …
The world of competitive Magic moves faster today than it ever has before. Just a few weeks ago, we watched Javier Dominguez win Mythic Championship V against a sea of Golos decks. Since then, we saw Field of the Dead banned, and players have had a much different Standard puzzle to solve. And now we’re rushing headlong into Mythic Championship …
This weekend saw 68 of the world’s best Magic players put their Standard skills to the test in the most high-stakes arena possible. Mythic Championship V was the definitive test of the early Throne of Eldraine metagame – and with Wizards announcing early B&R changes, it was likely also the final test. Many Standard players were begging for that B&R …
Throne of Eldraine Standard has well and truly arrived, and there are all sorts of fun new cards and mechanics at play. But of course, one card from the previous set threatens to keep the entire plane of Eldraine in its shadow. The first big Standard tournaments have looked like Romero movies, and left some players just as horrified. With …
Draw-Go decks created one of the original playstyles in Magic – one so fundamental their earliest incarnation was just called “The Deck.” Their most recent incarnation is called Simic Flash, and it has received some significant upgrades from Throne of Eldraine! In a Standard format heavily warped by Teferi, Time Raveler, this is the deck to sleeve up if you …
As one of the staple baddies of fantasy and myth since olden times, the mighty troll gets a bad rap in Magic. Since Sedge Troll debuted in Alpha, these hulking menaces have been constantly on the sidelines, while fairytale contemporaries like goblins, elves and giants have flourished. Even the troll’s signature ability, regeneration, has been removed from modern Magic design; …
Like children who can’t wait to hear their favorite bedtime story, the Magic community is once again giddy with excitement over spoiler season. Throne of Eldraine is looking to be one of the most flavorful sets of all time, tapping beloved fairy tales and Arthurian legend for resonant top-down designs. Just the thought of beating down with The Gingerbread Man …
In a much-anticipated move, Wizards of the Coast have used the Throne of Eldraine preview season as a chance to debut their Commander-lite format, Brawl, on Magic Arena. Fans of digital Magic finally have the opportunity to build decks commanded by their favorite legendary creature – or Planeswalker! Yes, one of the highlights of Brawl is that it allows you …
