Sometimes, in Standard, we have access to a lot of lands that come into play tapped. These are exciting for deck-building purposes because they give you access to more colors of mana, which, in turn, provides players with a ton of flexibility. But lands that enter the battlefield tapped have major downsides. You don’t have immediate access to the mana …
Editor’s Note, 4/29/20: This article was originally published on October 28, 2019. We want to ensure you have the most up-to-date information about popular decks, so we’ve updated this article and re-published it on April 29, 2020. Editor’s Note, 8/3/20: Cauldron Familiar has been banned in Standard effective August 3, 2020. Read the full announcement from Wizards of the Coast …
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on February 27, 2020. We want to ensure you have the most up-to-date information about popular decks, so we’ve updated this post and re-published it on April 28, 2020. When Wizards first introduced Pioneer, the stated mission of the format was to give players who have been around for the last seven years …
Magic: the Gathering is a game about collecting resources, developing strategies that match your personal aesthetic, and competing with your friends. In those ways and others, it’s a lot like Minecraft. Here are some things you’ll like about Magic if you play a lot of Minecraft. Creative Expression Magic, like Minecraft, gives players a set of materials and rules for …
Welcome back to MTG Mindset, a series about the skills you need to succeed in competitive Magic. Today, I want to talk about confirmation bias: how to spot it, how it affects your plays, and why you should try your best to remove it from your game. What is Confirmation Bias? The definition of confirmation bias is “the tendency to …
Ikoria drafts went live on MTG Arena last week, and with it, we have several new ways to play. Many Magic players are excited to sink their teeth into this format, especially in the long-awaited player draft queues. But players may also find Ikoria a bit more complicated than other recent sets. Multicolor draft formats force us to answer hard …
Editor’s note: On June 1, 2020, Wizards of the Coast announced a change to the companion mechanic. Companions may no longer be cast from the sideboard; instead, players must pay 3 mana of any color to put a companion from their sideboard into their hand. The Commander Rules Committee has clarified that “[c]ompanion will operate in Commander similarly to other …
Hop in, magicians — we’re going Brawling! If there’s one thing Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths has in abundance, it’s cool legendary creatures to build around! The Apex cycle opens up powerful three-color options, and the various companions can be used as your Brawl commander even if you don’t meet their special deck-building requirements. The various legendary humans and new Planeswalkers …
In the wake of COVID-19, the Magic: The Gathering community has found new and creative ways to enjoy our favorite hobby. In the past few weeks, we’ve offered tips on how to play Magic at home and keep your collection organized. We’ve covered the new tournament series springing up online and the efforts Commander players are making to engage their …
At long last, it’s time for more new cards! Ikoria: Lair of the Behemoths is now available on digital Magic platforms and preselling at CardKingdom.com, which means we can start planning out what we want to plan in our favorite formats. As with any other set, the first thing I did was look to see which cards would make a …
