As a game with plenty of dark, fantasy roots, Magic has overlapped plenty with Halloween. Just look at how often we return to Innistrad, or Innistrad: Double Feature’s attempt to evoke that classic monster movie vibe. But despite our familiarity with ghouls and ghosts, demons and devils, vampires and Vorstclaws, Magic still holds certain horrors which can frighten the sleeves ... Read More...

Cipher is a little strange, and appears on instants and sorceries. When you cast a spell with Cipher, if you are casting the actual card (more on this weird clause in a minute), you may exile the card encoded on a creature you control. When a card with Cipher is encoded on a creature and that creature deals combat damage ... Read More...

2022 has been another bumper year for Magic so far. We’ve had a bunch of solid Standard sets and some neat supplemental products, too. However, with the sheer quantity of new cards to try out in Commander, it’s easy for some to slip through the cracks. Today, I’d like to reacquaint you with some cards I think deserve a second ... Read More...

Twenty Wizards of the Coast employees sat in an assembly line at Card Kingdom’s Ballard Campus, sorting cards and packing boxes for a few hours on a sunny Seattle afternoon. Some sorted commons from uncommons or separated out basic land cards. Others pulled card sleeves and deck boxes together for each of the 100 kits the volunteers constructed. In that ... Read More...

One of the sure fire ways to win a game of Commander is to take explosive turns. Kristen is here this week to refocus your deckbuilding on either taking or stopping explosive turns.  Among the easiest and most stylish ways to win a game of Commander, taking an explosive turn is something all players strive for and enjoy. It’s thrilling ... Read More...

Wizards of the Coast updated the Banned and Restricted list on Monday, which naturally led to the kind of discussion that always comes up when this happens  — whether the update hit everything players wanted. Naturally, some players ended up happy while others wondered if this approach was enough. Many players expected bans across Pioneer and Legacy, too, with additional ... Read More...

This Monday, a key, Modern player suffered a ban in the latest Banned and Restricted announcement: Yorion the Sky Nomad.  This is both a huge shake up for Modern while also keeping the rules of engagement relatively the same. Often, when a big ban shakes up the format, the cards you’re trying to beat and the removal you’re trying to ... Read More...