Best Magic Card Designs of 2020

Bradley RoseDesign

From Elder Giants to Giant Pirates, 2020 saw plenty of exciting, new Magic cards. We escaped from the underworld and battled it out in the Underdome. Our creatures mutated, formed parties, and partnered with other commanders.  With 2020 coming to a close, let’s review the new cards released this year. Each of these cards are exemplary in their own ways. …

Evaluating Commander Legends Design

Bradley RoseDesign

Nine years ago, Commander (2011) broke new ground by introducing new cards in a Magic deck product. With the release of Commander Legends, we’re seeing a similarly large milestone. Designing Commander Legends is a unique puzzle to solve. It inherits Commander’s problem of naturally-slow games, and the drafting portion of Limited is tough to combine with Commander’s color identity restrictions. …

A Guide to Full-Art Lands

Bradley RoseDesign

As Zendikar rises, the land falls. That’s right, we’re back on the plane where lands matter. And I’m not just talking about how many times you can trigger landfall. The very lands we put in our decks also matter, including the basic Plains, Islands, Swamps, Mountains, and/or Forests we choose to express ourselves with. While there are many choices for …

Building a Cube with Double Masters

Bradley RoseCube, Limited

Double Masters is fun to draft because of the powerful cards you open, and many of these cards are popular in multiple formats, including cube. So how are you adding these cards to your cube? If you haven’t built a cube before check out our article, How to Build a Cube. In this piece, we will go cover building a …

“Double” Commander Deck Tech

Bradley RoseCommander

Prepare for trouble. And make it double. Inspired by Double Masters, I created a Riku of Two Reflections Commander deck with a doubling theme. This means going slightly off the beaten path with unique card choices to copy. In this article about Battlebond, Magic product architect Gavin Verhey talks about examining cards through the lens of “twosieness.” This term refers …

Building Decks with Jumpstart

Bradley RoseStrategy

By now, you’ve probably played with Jumpstart, and maybe you’ve found a few cards or packs in particular that resonated with you. Maybe you want to build a deck with cards you opened, but you’re not sure where to begin. If you’re looking for some tips on how to transform your Jumpstart pack into a full-fledged deck, this article is …

What is a Mana Curve?

Bradley RoseStrategy

In your time playing Magic: The Gathering, you might’ve heard the term “mana curve.” Or perhaps “curve out” or “on-curve.” If you’re wondering what these words mean – or if this is your first time hearing them – you’re in luck! This article’s got you covered. I’ll be going over what a mana curve is and what a good one …

How to Organize Your Magic Collection

How to Organize Your Magic Collection

Bradley RoseCommunity, Products

The heart of Magic: The Gathering is playing with others, and COVID-19 has brought major challenges to our community. Thankfully, though, you can still enjoy and engage with Magic on your own. One solo activity you could try is organizing your Magic collection! Sometimes, card organization can be time-consuming. In fact, you might have been putting off this task because …

Top 10 Biggest Monsters in Magic

Bradley RoseDesign

“Today, we face the monsters that are at our door.” — Pacific Rim Monsters. I don’t mean ones found under the bed or in Frankenstein’s laboratory. I’m talking Godzilla proportions. Massive monstrosities. Periodically, Magic debuts a creature that makes even Gigantosaurus seem small. The upcoming Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths? Probably a lot more monsters coming. Until then, let’s look back …

A History of Un-Cards

Bradley RoseDesign, Products

You’re at Gen Con at a Magic: The Gathering prerelease. The head judge of the event is dressed in a chicken suit. You might think this is some kind of joke. You’re exactly right. It’s… 1998 — Unglued For the first time, Magic cards are printed with a silver border. Each card with this silver lining tells you, “I don’t …