Welcome back to Magic Gatherings! We’ve spent the last few weeks talking about Standard and how the cards from Battle for Zendikar have helped shape it. But the Magic calendar waits for no column, and there’s already have a new release on the horizon: Commander 2015, the latest in Wizards’ now-annual multiplayer precon series. I won’t cover every …
Welcome back to Magic Gatherings! Last column I introduced the Standard format. I wrote a bit about the requirements and spotlighted the new decks from the first major tournament that used Battle for Zendikar cards. The major question at the end of the column was whether Pro Tour Battle for Zendikar—which happened this past weekend in exotic Milwaukee, Wisconsin—would shake up …
Welcome back to Magic Gatherings! Last week I spent some time writing about archetype guides in Battle for Zendikar limited—I hope you all had a chance to get to a booster draft this past week! I made it to Friday Night Magic draft at my local store, Pandemonium Books and Games, where they hosted a …
Welcome back to Magic Gatherings! I hope you all had a great Battle for Zendikar prerelease last weekend! This week is more Battle for Zendikar limited. While I spent time last week scoping out BFZ‘s set mechanics and the overall texture of the format’s limited play, this week I’ll be specifically looking at booster drafting. In case you’re new to …
Welcome back to Magic Gatherings! It’s that time again. A new set is around the corner, prerelease tournaments are this weekend, and I’ve spent the weekend crunching numbers to review the set for limited play. First we’ll review the major mechanics, then we’ll put it all together with some overarching thoughts about Battle for Zendikar‘s limited …
Hey all, and welcome back to Magic Gatherings! I hope everyone enjoyed last week’s trip down memory lane. This week, I’m back from vacation and we’re back to business: Battle for Zendikar previews have been rolling in for the last week and a half, and it’s time to start talking about them. This set is …
Do you remember your first game of Magic? I’ll never forget mine. I learned about Magic in the August 1995 issue of Disney Adventures magazine—the literature of choice for the sophisticated ten-year-old, and also a giant advertisement I paid Disney to send to me. In between page-turning news of the upcoming Power Rangers movie, there was a short article on …
Welcome back to Magic Gatherings! It’s hard to believe it—the Magic Origins prerelease feels like it was just yesterday—but the seasons are turning, and that means it’s time to look ahead to Magic‘s new fall expansion, Battle for Zendikar. This past weekend at PAX Prime, a gaming convention of which you may have heard, Battle for Zendikar had its …
Welcome back to Magic Gatherings! Last week I spent some time breaking down the results from Pro Tour Magic Origins, highlighted some cool new decks, and talked a little more about drafting the set. But after several weeks talking about Standard, Sealed, and Booster Draft, it’s time to go back to Commander. Casual mages, this …
Welcome back to Magic Gatherings! Last time I regaled you with stories of Tim Lanning’s and my struggles at the Magic Origins prerelease. By now, though, Origins has been street-legal for two full weeks. At the same time, players around the world have been drafting Magic Origins—it’s been very popular at my local store—so we’re getting a better sense of …