Ramunap Red is the hottest deck in Standard right now, but it may not stay dominant for long. While Pro Tour Hour of Devastation unfolded in Kyoto, stateside Standard players had a few extra hours to tweak their decks before heading to their local Friday Night Magic or PPTQ, and we’re already seeing the emergence of more viable midrange and …
Standard After Hour
Pro Tour Hour of Devastation has come and gone – and what a whirlwind it was! When we left off before the Pro Tour, there were over ten potentially viable decks putting up numbers. While the limited data from Magic Online showed strong results for aggressive Mono-Red decks, I don’t think anyone could foresee that most of the pro teams …
The State of Standard: Pre-PT HOU
It’s been a few weeks since Hour of Devastation was released, and the new format is in full swing. Teams have begun their testing gauntlets, and Standard leagues continue to be some of the most popular tournaments on Magic Online. With the Pro Tour looming on the horizon, I wanted to dive into what we might expect to see in …
Constructing Constructed: Hour of Devastation
With each new set come new cards, ready to make a splash in Constructed formats. Part of the joy of preview season and new set releases is beginning to figure out what cards can slot into existing strategies, what cards can bolster fringe decks, and what cards can facilitate the creation of completely new archetypes! Hour of Devastation has been …
Red Mages Quarterly: Hour of Devastation
Reports of the Red Deck’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. While much of this past Standard season was defined by the Aetherworks Marvel in the room, my red-deck-minded associates and I were enraptured by an entirely different strategy. I am of course talking about the SaffronOlive special, Two Tix Red. Despite some initial skepticism on my part, I’ve seen lists built …
U/R Control in Standard
With Aetherworks Marvel out of the picture and Hour of Devastation on its way, it’s open season once again in Standard. Players at our most recent Friday Night Magic at Mox Boarding House Seattle were happy to dust off their favorite decks from months’ past – they cast Metalwork Colossus, Emerged some Eldrazi, and ramped into Ulamog the old-fashioned way. …
Top 8 Cards of Pro Tour Amonkhet
With Felidar Guardian out of the picture, all eyes were on Pro Tour Amonkhet to see what might be next for Standard. If you’re looking to dive back into Standard at Amonkhet Game Day or your next Friday Night Magic, here are some cards and strategies you should keep in mind. (Honorable Mention: New Perspectives. The cycling combo deck may …
Amonkhet Standard, Now With Fewer Cats!
Whenever a new set comes out, we hope for some shakeups in the Standard format. Existing strategies get some new options, and with a little luck, some entirely new strategies will leap to the forefront of the format and keep everyone on their toes. Amonkhet was released a week and a half ago, and with it, a whole slew of …
Red Mages Quarterly: Amonkhet
(Editor’s Note: Welcome back to the Card Kingdom Blog! As we explained yesterday, we’ll be creating more content than ever before this year, thanks in part to our talented staff, who will be contributing articles and other creative work to this blog. Today, you’ll be hearing from Simon from the Retail team at Mox Boarding House Seattle. Simon has been …