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A staggering amount of Magic content is published each day each day on a plethora of content sites, blogs, podcasts, and discussion forums. No matter how honest an effort you make, it's easy to fall behind and miss incredible articles because there just isn't enough time to read everything.
To that end, we've collected some of the best articles of the week covering a broad range of topics. If you're looking for articles, these are the ones you don't want to miss!
On Pauper Introductions
Pauper is a very popular format on Magic Online because it is a very cheap format with diverse and powerful strategies. The format was recently shaken up with the bannings of Empty the Warrens, Grapeshot, and Invigorate, and we're still seeing the fallout from those changes. This week, Jason takes a look at the key interactions of the format, as well as what makes cards powerful in the new and dynamic metagame. If you're looking to try out Pauper, this is a great place to start:
MTGOAcademy.com: Jason Moore (@dimecollectorsc) - A Miniature Pauper Survival Guide
Today we’re going to discuss some principal concepts that will help us survive in today’s Pauper world. With a changing field come new challenges, and it’s important to establish a mental and tactical footing when tackling said challenges. Conversely, we must always be prepared to unlearn the preconceived notions that are professed on message boards and cemented by our own limited number of experiences. For that reason, I wholeheartedly welcome you to take the ideas that follow with a grain of salt and do with them what you will. Thinking for yourself is integral to surviving most challenges, and therefore no authority is sacred (not even me).
Now that we’ve gotten all that out of the way, let’s talk about how to survive the Pauper format!
On Terese Nielsen
Terese Nielsen is one of the most iconic Magic artists in the business, having worked on awesome pieces like Force of Will, the GURU Lands, and Eternal Witness among many others. This week, Josh Krause interviews Terese on what it's like to work on Magic art, the techniques and mediums used, and what the art industry is like. If you're a fan of fantasy artwork, you've got to check out this interview.
StarCityGames.com: Josh Krause (@OriginalMtGArt) - Artist Spotlight: Interview With Terese Nielsen
Few names are as recognizable in the Magic art world as Terese Nielsen. Starting her career in Alliances, Terese has been a constant influence in the world of Magic, even providing the modeling for cards such as Force of Will and Fact or Fiction. To say that she has proven her art instructor wrong, showing that a woman can succeed in the world of illustration, is an understatement. With over twenty years of industry success and seventeen Spectrum recognitions, Terese has been able to apply her talents to the benefit of many, especially Magic fans and collectors.
In an effort to learn more about her history and what the game has meant for her, I reached out to Terese and asked her a few questions.
On Brainstorm
Brainstorm. It's the card that defines Legacy as a format and is one of the most notoriously difficult cards to play correctly. It represents nearly limitless options and potential to sculpt a game in a profound way. Legacy aficionado Caleb Durward took this week to look at all of the different roles that Brainstorm can play in a deck, as well as some of the better and worse rules of thumb for how and when to cast your Brainstorms. Even if you don't play Legacy, this is a great article that demonstrates how much hidden text can be on your Magic cards.
ChannelFireball.com: Caleb Durward (@CalebDMTG) - The Depth of Brainstorm
Brainstorm is miscast in a variety of ways. Legacy newcomers might jam it turn one instead of waiting for a shuffle effect, not realizing that by redrawing one of the cards, they’re diluting the Brainstorm’s effectiveness. They might see the word “instant” and systematically cast it on their opponent’s end step, oblivious to finesse or timing. Perhaps they’ll jam it when their hand is already full of cards they want, lacking prospects to shuffle away. Sometimes, they might even do this when they need the mana for other things. If you are such a player, don’t get intimidated! Experience is necessary to develop any skill worth having.
Legacy veterans face a different set of problems. Well versed in Brainstorm theory, they might follow the guidelines too closely. It’s important to remember that, while a good player knows the rules, the talented one can see when said rules don’t apply.
On PV'S Mailbag
If you're looking to step up your game, there are some articles you have to read to learn how to think about Magic in a more fundamental way. Most of Paulo Vitor Damo Da Rosa's articles probably make the cut. Few articles are as informative as Paulo's without becoming incredibly dense and difficult to read. Rather than delving into a complex piece of Magic theory, Paulo takes questions from readers like you on how to get better, how to choose decks and sideboards, and his future as a professional player:
ChannelFireball.com: Paulo Vitor Damo Da Rosa (@PVDDR)- Mailbag
Every time I ask for suggestions on Twitter or Facebook, I always get plenty of topics that are way too small for an article—some of them I can even answer in a single tweet. So, today I’m going to group all those questions together and do a Mailbag article. I rather like doing this kind of article because it lets me address what people really want to know, and as I’m answering the questions, I can elaborate on certain topics without needing the inspiration to come up with them all on my own.
On Modern and Bogles
This week we're featuring Captain Canada himself, KYT from ManaDeprived. KYT played Slippery Bogle throughout the Modern PTQ season. After a number of PTQ Top 8's, the season is over and KYT is without an invitation. How has this affected his approach to tournaments and what is the future of Team Bogle?
ManaDeprived.com: Kar Yung Tom (@kytmagic) - It's a Process
In between the Montreal PTQ and this road trip, I did get to play at a PTQ in Quebec City where I started things off with a 1-2 record. It had been a long time since I had been eliminated from top 8 contention at such an early juncture of a tournament.
For the first time in my short competitive Magic career, I was upset with myself. I smiled and wished my opponent good luck as usual but I was eating at myself inside. It actually took me some time to calm myself down a bit. If you know me at all, you would never expect this out of me. This experience did help me realize a flaw in my mental game. My expectations were becoming way too unrealistic.
On Ravnican Cereals
If your favorite guild were a breakfast cereal, what kind of cereal would it be? That's what James Arnold is taking a look at in his article this week. From Golgari Grub to Boros Charms, is this what the diet of the average Ravnican citizen looks like? I certainly hope so:
GatheringMagic.com: James Arnold (@thatguyjames2) - Cereals of Ravnica
Artists are weird.
Trust me on this; I went to art school.
On Altering Black Lotus
How many people are willing to take brush and paint to the most iconic of all Magic cards: Black Lotus? Eric Klug has had the opportunity to alter five Black Lotuses since he started, and for his fifth he did something special. Three days and hundreds of scans later, Klug has assemble a time lapse view of the creation of this beautiful piece of personalized Magic history:
GatheringMagic.com: Eric Klug (@@klug_alters)- Black Lotus 5
If you have suggestions for next week's recap you can send them through to us on Twitter, or share throughout the week in the comments below.
