|
Newsletter
Thursday, December 14th |
| Approaching the end of year is always a time for reflection, and the Magic year that was is no exception. The SCG crew is preparing for what Magic in 2018 will look like when the SCG Tour kicks off in Columbus in a few weeks! But before we get there, check out the excellent work from Hall of Famer Patrick Chapin who has nothing but great things to say about Modern ... and what Standard could learn from it! Over on the SCG Select side, the always entertaining Mark Nestico is back in the fray, but fatherhood hasn't changed him a bit. The only thing that's different is that he's now a Commander enthusiast! And last but not least, Chas Andres has spent the holidays studying all the Masters sets we've received lately! You'd think too many Magic cards is always a good thing, but Chas has a few viewpoints that go the other way! No matter what you're up to this holiday season, we hope you find some time to play Magic! — Danny West, Content Coordinator |
|
 |
How To Fix Standard: A Detailed And Surprising Format Comparison
By Patrick Chapin   The problem isn't wanting to ensure the new mechanics show up. It's a great goal, particularly when you believe in the mechanic's play pattern for Constructed. I believe the problem stems from attempting to brute-force the top with relative power. The rate on these cards is whatever. While it's useful to evaluate the "objective" power level of cards, it's really not that big of a deal, compared to how they fit into the format. While there is some of the "less Kings and more Jacks" experience being sought, I would like to see more of the new Kings made with built-in weaknesses that few (if any) cards or decks can exploit. Of course, with careful planning, a new mechanic may be the perfect foil, or something the format has been missing gets added. It looks to me that Kaladesh tried to do this with artifact destruction. There was noticeably poor artifact destruction when the set first came out, but the quality grew and grew until we reached this spot where Abrades, Dissenter's Deliverances, and Cast Outs are available to anyone who wants them. Unfortunately, it's not like Smuggler's Copter, Aetherworks Marvel, and Torrential Gearhulk are actually stopped by Revoke Existence.  |
|
 |
I Am Reanimated! (Nestico Commands The Dead!)
By Mark Nestico Sheldon Menery espouses the tenets of Commander in a way that I never quite understood up until a year or so ago. I would build decks meant to win as early as Turns 2 or 3, but consistently on Turn 4. My reasoning was simple: I played Magic to win, and winning was fun. That correlation drove me in multiple facets of deckbuilding, and because I drew parallels to, say, Standard or Modern when it came to a 100-card format, I tended to do as much as I could to end a game before it ever began. That type of competitive drive is great for some people, but it wasn't for me. But why? When I sat down in a pod, I convinced myself that I had to win as quickly as possible or that game would be "boring." What ended up happening to me was that those decks lost their luster swiftly. I was finding myself building deck after deck and selling off the pieces to the previous one, simply because I wasn't enjoying myself at all. I took some time to gestate on what was wrong. I knew I loved Commander, but I also knew I wasn't having fun with the decks I was piloting. Then it hit me. A few years ago I built Tariel, Reckoner of Souls. |
|
 |
| |
| |
   |
0 comments:
Post a Comment