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A staggering amount of Magic content is publish each day each day on a plethora of content sites, blogs, podcasts, and discussion forums. No matter how honest an effort you make, it is very easy to fall behind and miss some 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!
Approaching Legacy
Legacy is generally considered to be the most complex, diverse, and skill-intensive constructed format that is regularly featured in competitive events, and this complexity barrier can make the format inaccessible. Fortunately, Hall of Famer Paulo Vitor Damo Da Rosa shared his thoughts on the format, from high level theory down to specific decklists and card choices:
Channelfireball.com: Paulo Vitor Damo Da Rosa (@PVDDR) - Preparing for Legacy
Swindled Again!
Right around the release of new sets, we've been getting a few awesome articles from the Jenna Helland and more recently Adam Lee that really introduce you to the world and characters that the new set is built in. This week, John Dale Beety put his own spin on these styles of articles, telling a short story featuring some of the less prominent characters from recent blocks. The story and writing are fast-paced and engaging, and John manages to convey much more than he actually says. If that doesn't have you sold, you've got to read it for the awesome twist at the end!
Starcitygames.com: John Dale Beety (@jdbeety) - The Tavern Swindler
The Acid Horse was emptied of paying customers, and the serving-crew was three-fourths done cleaning up the night's mess when Sigrid returned. Her cloak was inside out, and a thin line of dried blood decorated the black leather of her dagger-sheath.
"Welcome back, Sigrid."
Judges, Judge Calls, and You
Throughout 2012, there has been a lot of back and forth about the pros and cons of the new IPG and trigger rulings, particularly the different behaviors which are incentivised and discouraged by the two systems. All of this, in addition to the perception that calling a judge is somehow offensive to your opponent, means that there is plenty of room for misunderstandings about the role of judges and when judge calls are necessary and appropriate. Jackie manages to clearly outline the role of judges, and lay down some ground rules for when and, more importantly, why judge calls should be made.
Magic.TCGPlayer.com: Jackie Lee (@JackieL33) - A Player's Guide to Judge Calls
You might still worry that by calling a judge, your opponent might think you're a jerk. There's a simple solution for this: are you a jerk? Is your goal to annoy your opponent?
If the answer is no, then don't worry. The judge will do what is most fair to both players, and if the opponent has a problem with it, rest assured that they are only projecting; you know your true intentions, and if you have no ill-will, you shouldn't be made to feel badly. Your opponent is probably not cheating, and so, there will probably be no issue.
Calling a judge does not mean you are judging.
Lessons from the Past
How did modern Magic come to be what it is? How did we move from Necropotence and Tolarian Academy to Thragtusk and Jace, Memory Adept? Jon Corpora takes a look at the design lessons learned from the Urza's Saga and Mercadian Masques blocks, and how they set the stage for the design of sets like Return to Ravnica.
GatheringMagic.com: Jon Corpora (@feb31st) - Past in Flames
I have this theory.
Stay with me for a minute.
I have this theory, this theory that the design and development blunders committed during the Urza’s Saga and Mercadian Masques blocks may have been the impetus for not only modern block design, but an entire revamping of R&D within Magic.
Disqualification in Denver
In the modern age of Magic coverage, with livestreams of multiple tournaments most every weekend of the year, there is a new controversy almost every weekend. Everything from in-game decisions to sketchy game actions on camera to rulings or disqualifications that spectators may or may not agree with is immediately judged by the hundreds of people watching a particular match or event. Caleb has written a great piece that provides context and perspective on the disputatious topics of commentary, judge calls, cheating, and the community's reaction to each of these.
ChannelFireball.com: Caleb Durward (@CalebDMTG) - Disqualification
These last several months have seen a slew of game losses and disqualifications applied to some standup players. Now, nobody can crawl into another person’s brain to know their intent with certainty. Because of this, penalties exist that occasionally punish nice guys, in order to keep the game working.
That said, I’ve noticed a sort of angry, witch hunt mentality in the community at large. The part that scares me is that the judges are a subset of the general Magic population, and they are sensitive to our interests, desires, and moods. After all, they are players too. They are fans, rooting on their favorite players from home. They’re as invested as the rest of us, and when they see an injustice, they also get hot under the collar. They are fallible.
Boros Stands Strong
Mark Purvis is doesn't usually work in Magic R&D. By day, he's a Brand Manager. By night, he designs sweet cards and writes great articles about them. The last project he was involved in was designing and developing the Commander preconstructed decks, specifically Tariel. Mark brings a fresh perspective to Magic design, and gives a voice to the casual player in all of us. Mark's article on designing Tariel, Reckoner of Souls was a great rea, and this one, detailing the design of Aurelia's Fury, is no different.
DailyMTG.com: Mark Purvis (@WotcPurv) - The Question of Life and Death
I thought that this spell would be the perfect tool for Boros. It could be used to "stun" a large crowd of unruly denizens, really put the hurt on a small gang of criminals, or utterly incinerate one really problematic foe. I also thought it was awfully powerful, and I was pleased when Dave Humpherys decided to put it into the set for the next round of playtesting. As a Star Trek fan, it also tickled me that it had many of the same "settings" as Captain Kirk's phaser.
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.
