As you learn the rules of Magic: The Gathering, there’s plenty of game terminology you have to learn, too. Creatures have all kinds of abilities – but what do they do, and how do they interact with one another? We’re here to break it all down for you on the CK Blog! Today, we’re covering trample – an ability designed …
Last week, Wizards of the Coast released a much-anticipated Banned and Restricted announcement that has ramifications for Standard, Historic, and companion cards as we know them. As always, I recommend reading the official announcement yourself to get the long-form reasoning behind the changes. But for convenience: Agent of Treachery and Fires of Invention are banned in Standard Agent of Treachery …
We have remained silent on Black Lives Matter until now because historically we do not comment on issues, and we don’t want to participate in performative allyship. Rather, we’ve tried to participate in fundraising and creating a welcoming environment in our spaces. However, we now acknowledge that this is an instance where we need to voice our opinion and respond to …
Wizards of the Coast released a new banned and restricted announcement this week, including updates to the companion mechanic. Effective June 3rd, companion will work as follows: At any time you could cast a sorcery, you may pay three generic mana to put your companion from your sideboard into your hand. This is a special action, not an activated ability; …
While I can’t pinpoint the exact moment in time my aversion to multiples in Magic began developing, I’m forever grateful that legions of like-minded singleton players empathized with my predicament. It was comforting to know that my preference for “one-ofs” and decks of mammoth proportions happened to be shared among Commander players and competitive singleton formats alike. Yet for me, …
Magic has a rare distinction among games, in that for many players it has become a lifelong preoccupation. The incredible depth and variety of the card pool is what supports this long-term interest. But for newcomers, that variety can be intimidating. There’s such a range of formats and play styles to choose from, each of which appeals to different kinds …
Welcome back to Card Kingdom for another “How to Play” archetype breakdown. Today, we’ll be focusing on the most popular macro-archetype in current Standard: Midrange. Be sure to check out Tom Anderson’s guide on aggro decks, and be on the lookout for control and combo primers in the future. What is Midrange? Magic decks exist on a spectrum, with fast, …
Each summer, Magic: The Gathering releases a new Core Set to provide an easy entry point for new and returning players. Core Sets are full of reprints of old favorite cards — perhaps even some you might remember if you played years ago. Their draft environments strike a balance between simplicity and complexity, providing a good first experience and plenty …
When you first learn to play Magic: The Gathering, building your first deck can be daunting. If you’ve only played a handful of games, you may not have enough cards in your collection to put a full deck together. And even if you were lucky enough to inherit some spare cards from friends, you may be stymied by decision paralysis …
Pioneer has been defined by companions, Inverter, and midrange amalgamations since the release of Ikoria. While things have mostly settled, I’m always up for shaking things up a bit. Here are five cards from the Modern format that I believe would be great additions to Pioneer. A lot of these cards would change the format for the better and allow …
