Since the release of The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth, Modern has received a few powerful, new options. Those include The One Ring, Orcish Bowmasters and cards that line up well against those cards, with players trying to gain an edge before Modern settles into its new metagame. I’ve been playing a lot of Modern to try and …
Your Commander Deck Should Be Playing Synergistic Removal
It’s very easy to reach for the classics: Swords to Plowshares, Anguished Unmaking, Toxic Deluge — but what do you take beyond those, or as a budget alternative? Let’s dig in to how to pick synergistic removal for Commander and not screw yourself over at the same time. It’s about the time of year again, and I don’t mean the …
Regional Championship Check-in: Pioneer
With so much to explore in Modern thanks to The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, it has been about a month since I last wrote about Pioneer. In that time, a lot has happened, and there are some Pioneer decks you need to know about that might have an impact on any upcoming Regional Championship Qualifiers. Boros Pia …
Why is Emrakul Banned in Commander?
While Commander’s grassroots origins make it different from many other Magic formats, it still has a ban list like the rest of them. However, since Commander is not a format with tons of tournament data to back up banning certain cards, some players are unsure why certain offenders end up on the list. And since we’re just a few weeks …
Commander Masters Predictions
Commander Masters previews are starting, which means it’s time to get a few predictions for the multiplayer-focused set in under the wire! Given the nature of the set and the four Precon decks that are coming with it, here’s how this is going to work: I’ll make one prediction centered around each of the four separate Precon decks, and then …
Riot – MTG Mechanics Explained
Riot appears on creatures and is a static ability that gives you a choice: you may have the creature enter the battlefield with either haste or a +1/+1 counter. And as far as rules go, that’s about it! But there are some notes to help you out: Riot worked rather well, allowing some flexibility in your game plan depending on …
The Benefits of a Hard to Remove Commander
It’s super frustrating to have your Commander removed over and over again, especially when it’s key to your deck’s strategy. Why not choose a Commander that’s hard to remove? Kristen shares her thoughts on what makes these resilient Commanders so popular. The best games of Commander are the ones with a healthy amount of interaction. That said, people don’t tend …
The Lord of the Rings Tales of Middle-earth Satisfying Design
Tales of Middle-earth proved how well Magic can adapt itself to capture the identity of other blockbuster media products through its design. As with the Warhammer 40,000 Commander decks last year, Wizards of the Coast bet a lot on their ability to draw in new and returning players from among fans of the source material. It’s a confident move; Magic …
Regional Championship Prep: Modern
The next Regional Championship Qualifier season begins in just a month or so and will use the Modern format for the first time. While many are still competing in Pioneer, it’s important to start looking ahead. Modern is also a format that many haven’t touched, so figuring out which deck to buy can be an incredibly daunting decision given the …
Why is Sylvan Primordial Banned in Commander?
While Commander’s grassroots origins make it different from many other Magic formats, it still has a ban list like the rest of them. However, since Commander is not a format with tons of tournament data to back up banning certain cards, some players are unsure why certain offenders end up on the list. Today, we’re going to look at Sylvan …