Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Strategy”
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 …
Deciding when to mulligan is one of the hardest skills to develop in Magic. I, like everyone else, have found myself scratching my head and wondering if I have a functional hand whenever I look at seven cards. I have found the single biggest factor in determining if a starting hand is keepable or if I should mulligan is not …
Magic is a game of variance. It’s probably something you’ve heard a million times before – I know I have. But in the heat of the moment, when your opponent finds the perfect one-outer on the top of their deck or you draw what must be your twelfth land in a row, it can be easy to forget, and for …
“My Squirrels get +10/+10, trample, and haste.” I said this to an opponent while playing one of many Oathbreaker games at MagicFest Seattle. Before that weekend, I had never played this command-zone-oriented format. But by the time the Fest was over, I had played eight Oathbreaker matches and was completely sold on it. Not sure what Oathbreaker is? Interested in …
Magic: The Gathering, the tabletop game about powerful plane-hopping wizards, has seen a spike in popularity with the release of its new digital analogue, MTG Arena. For years, people have been discovering Magic at their local game stores and through their D&D groups. Now more than ever before, players are coming to Magic from other digital games, including other collectible …
Jurassic Park is one of my sister’s favorite movies. While it is an amazing film, we only had one TV, so I’ve seen this movie more than most people. However, it wasn’t until recently that I realized the film has lessons that can be applied to Magic. Building up to your game plan while avoiding being eaten is difficult. Luckily, …
Winning isn’t the same thing as getting better. In fact, sometimes they might be diametrically opposed. “But Chantelle,” you may ask, “how do I know if I’m getting better if I’m not winning?” I think this is best answered by an anecdote – one about me as a young planeswalker (and by “young” I mean “just a few short months …
The release of Core Set 2019 has been the cause of widespread celebration throughout the Magic community. Core Sets are a great time for Magic players, since they supplement other sets throughout the year and also help get back to the basics of the game. They’re also a great entry point for many players, since Core Sets rarely introduce new …
Last weekend, Sin City was home to one of the largest Magic events of the year, and the town transformed as over 5,000 competitors, cosplayers, content creators, and lore lovers descended on the Las Vegas Convention Center. Grand Prix Vegas is unique in the Magic community, as it’s the closest thing to a traditional convention that we typically get. With …
Think back to a time when you didn’t know how to play Magic. Back when you were ignorant to the subtleties of mana curves and card advantage, combat tricks and counterspells. For some of you, that time may have only been a few months ago. Maybe a couple years. Maybe you’re even like me, and you’ve been playing Magic for …
