When the Pioneer format was announced last week, I was initially reserved. I wasn’t sure what to expect, as it was so sudden. Plus, I was already so neck deep in Modern and Standard, that I wasn’t sure if I could put time into another format. But after about twelve hours, I fell in love with Pioneer. All of the …
Intro to Innistrad
With Halloween on the horizon, let’s pay a visit to Magic‘s spookiest plane, Innistrad. The setting for the five sets in the Innistrad and Shadows Over Innistrad blocks, Innistrad is beloved for its gothic horror atmosphere, tribal themes, and flavorful mechanics. Creatures and Characters Innistrad is known for its ally-colored tribes, and a number of memorable characters associated with those …
Modern Urza Deck Guide
Since the release of Modern Horizons, Urza, Lord High Artificer has been one of the most impactful cards in Modern, spawning several new decks. With so many variants to choose from, it can be tough to decide which one to play. My goal today is to lay out a number of those variants and explain what they do so you …
Pioneer: Cards to Watch
Pioneer is Magic’s newest Constructed format, and it’s been the talk of the Magic community this week. It’s a non-rotating format whose card pool extends back through Return to Ravnica, one of the first sets released after the creation of the Modern format. Return to Ravnica also came out during a time of unprecedented player growth in Magic (I myself …
B&R Analysis: October 21, 2019
When Wizards of the Coast moved their latest Banned and Restricted List update up to October 21st, Magic players knew that change was coming – most likely in Standard. As many suspected, Field of the Dead has earned a spot on the Standard banned list due to its warping effect on the format. Bant Golos decks thrived in midrange mirrors …
Mythic Championship V Recap
This weekend saw 68 of the world’s best Magic players put their Standard skills to the test in the most high-stakes arena possible. Mythic Championship V was the definitive test of the early Throne of Eldraine metagame – and with Wizards announcing early B&R changes, it was likely also the final test. Many Standard players were begging for that B&R …
An Intro to Pioneer
Magic players were bracing for the latest Banned and Restricted list announcement today (more on that later this week), but they weren’t prepared for Wizards of the Coast to reveal a brand-new Magic format. Pioneer is coming to Magic Online and tabletop tournaments near you this fall, so here’s the low-down. What is Pioneer? Pioneer is a non-rotating Magic format …
How to Mulligan
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 …
Mythic Championship V: Top 10 Cards to Watch
The Mythic Championship is upon us, and we’ll be getting our first real look at competitive Standard since Throne of Eldraine was released. With Eldraine came many powerful new cards and synergies, from Planeswalkers to Food tokens. Let’s count down the Throne of Eldraine cards that will make the biggest splash at Mythic Championship V. 10. Fabled Passage A strict …
How to Beat Golos in Standard
Throne of Eldraine Standard has well and truly arrived, and there are all sorts of fun new cards and mechanics at play. But of course, one card from the previous set threatens to keep the entire plane of Eldraine in its shadow. The first big Standard tournaments have looked like Romero movies, and left some players just as horrified. With …