We have a new Standard format upon us and it's time to get our hands dirty.  The first event using the new format is going to be SCG Atlanta.  I have the fortune of being able to attend this event.  That means I need to find a deck.  Picking the right deck can be difficult, though.

Imagine for a moment a Modern format without Jund as we have known it for the past several years (Standard, Extended and then Modern).  Now imagine a Modern format without Storm.  This PTQ season was just disrupted by an episode of the Twilight Zone...

Sorry for the delay.  Technical issues prevented me from posting this yesterday.

This week boys and girls, let us talk about the direction that Magic: the Gathering has gone over the past few years. I would like to offer up a stroll down memory lane...

Prereleases are always exciting events.  Players are getting their hands on the new cards for the first time and really seeing what they can do.  Sometimes a card will look powerful in the abstract, but when you actually play with it, it does not live up to expectations.  And sometimes, cards you had written off as unplayable will surprise you.  I run the prereleases for my local shop, and, this week, I’m going to go over a Prerelease Preparation Guide.  I am going to do this in two parts.  Today will be about playing sealed deck in general and how it pertains to the prerelease.  In the second part, tomorrow, we will look at the five guilds of Gatecrash and some sealed deck strategies specific to each one.

We are currently about a month into the Modern PTQ season and so far Jund still dominates the landscape.  Jund is an archetype that uses the best cards within its color range (mostly RBG or the Jund shard) but will splash for other colors too.  Some players have clamored for cards in Jund to be banned (like Bloodbraid Elf, Tarmogofy, or Dark Confidant).

Today, I am going to do something a bit differently.  As you might have heard, Pro Tour Atlantic City featured a couple of decks in the finals that might surprise some people:

Unfortunately, I am having to cancel the Arcane Melee segment tonight.  I am having to do some last minute testing for a PTQ on Saturday as my deck choice has decided to fall apart recently online.

We will return next week at our regularly scheduled time next Thursday!

Bradley Reeves
@Yawgmothswill

Hello, and welcome to Ideas Unbound.  This will be a weekly article covering various aspects of Magic strategy.  This is my first attempt at writing Magic strategy so it will improve over time.  Since we are deep into spoiler season for Gatecrash, I thought we would take a look at a card with a lot of hype around it.  Let’s take a look at a few different ideas as to how best to utilize our newest Planeswalker.

Hello world, my name is Jeremy Skelton, and I love Magic.  I hope you, the readership, does as well.  The fact that you are reading this article would indicate that you share a fondness for cardboard.  If not, I appreciate you stopping by to take a gander.

With the return of the Thirst for Knowledge, I have several weeks of data to catch us all up on.

Sorry for the delay guys.

Hope you guys like the new layout!

I would like to introduce a new writer, Eddie Walker (aka Praethus) to the team.  He will be taking over the Ideas Unbound column.

As far as the schedule, here is our update:

Mondays: Thirst for Knowledge
Wednesdays: Ideas Unbound with Praethus
Thursdays: Arcane Melee with YawgmothsWill

"Two magi could trade spells all day and never crown a victor. The real battle is not one of power but of will. If your confidence breaks, so too shall you." —Venser