Bloomburrow Draft Guide

Bloomburrow Draft Guide

Tom AndersonLimited

Bloomburrow was one of the most hotly-anticipated sets I can remember from the very first announcement, and the product itself hasn’t disappointed. The fuzzy critters who inhabit the land known as Valley are cute – but not always so cuddly! This set has fierce field mice and resolute rabbits dicing it up with spooky squirrels and rowdy raccoons, and that’s …

Commander Archetype Inspection: Typal

Commander Archetype Inspection: Typal

Tom AndersonCommander

Over the years, Magic has invented a multitude of mechanics to build decks around, each with its own unique advantages, dedicated support cards and memorable payoffs. But when all of those archetypes are thrown together into the grand melting pot of Commander, a few top-tier choices stand out. They offer versatile deck building options, consistent performance across different areas of …

Animated Army Bloomburrow Commander Precon Upgrade Guide

Animated Army Bloomburrow Commander Precon Upgrade Guide

Tom AndersonCommander

With so many great commander options are being printed these days, the biggest challenge for a new precon deck is to stand out. Newer players want a strong identity to latch onto and guide their early card choices, while veterans want unique themes that let them approach deckbuilding and gameplay with fresh eyes. The Bloomburrow Commander decks answer this call …

The Bear Necessity of 2/2 Creatures

The Bear Necessity of 2/2 Creatures

Tom AndersonDesign

If you ask “why is ‘bear’ accepted Magic slang for a 2/2 creature?”, the answer is simple. Grizzly Bears was printed as a vanilla 2/2 in Limited Edition Alpha and set the precedent for describing similar low-complexity combat creatures. But maybe that answer isn’t good enough, and you ask: “no, I mean why would that term be the one to …

Everything Old is new In Modern

Everything Old is Modern Again

Tom AndersonModern

It shouldn’t really come as any surprise that Modern Horizons 3 has been a transformative event for the Modern metagame. We’ve seen two previous examples of the format “rotating” after a set’s worth of new pushed cards were added – three if you count Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth. It’s also clear that the designers of these sets …

The Fall and Rise of Phasing

The Fall and Rise of Phasing – From Forgotten Mechanic to Commander Staple

Tom AndersonCommander

For over two decades, phasing was a “dead” mechanic. It was a gruesome museum piece, maligned as an arch-example of archaic, confusing design. Even Time Spiral shied away from it when choosing old mechanics to highlight, despite it being a perfect fit for the time-manipulation themes of the block. So then why is phasing suddenly making a comeback? Not just …

Stone Cold Killers: Magic’s Best Assassin Cards

Tom AndersonDesign

Assassin’s Creed is the latest huge crossover event under the Universes Beyond banner, celebrating 17 years of the legendary gaming franchise. Given the series’ broad roots in historical fiction, this set also has the fun side effect of introducing famous names like Leonardo Da Vinci, Socrates and Cleopatra to Magic! No Pope or Doge cards though – guess we’ll have …

Modern Horizons 3 Draft Guide

Modern Horizons 3 Draft Guide

Tom AndersonLimited

The Modern Horizons sets are some of the most unique Magic products ever released, concentrating years worth of archetype support and intricate new rules into a single expansion! Modern Horizons 3 keeps that high standard going, with a Draft format that can support a range of nuanced playstyles! Last week, I discussed how Modern Horizons approach to card and set …