Articles

Darksteel Limited Review - Red/Black
04-03-2004
How many times have you walked away from a draft cursing under your breath "not a single piece of removal", I know that feeling well and it is especially frustrating in Mirrodin where there are so many artifacts. That's why I started drafting B/R with a vengeance. In pretty much every draft block B/R has been powerful because you are assured of getting some sort of removal. Sure you may have a few crappy creatures in your deck but if you can successfully blast, burn and terror away your opponent's defences and destroy their artifacts, who cares?

Darksteel Limited Review - Artifacts
19-02-2004
I've found the best time to write these limited reviews is straight after the prerelease when things are still fresh in my mind and I have the motivation to do it. The downside is I often underestimate or talk up certain cards and look like a total idiot in front of the virtual magic community when I am proved wrong. This hasn't happened that much in recent reviews as I usually ask someone else to review the cards with me so I have a scapegoat if things go pear shaped. Darksteel however is going to be a solo flight, so be prepared for some bold calls, dodgy deviations and lots of sarcasm.

Mirrodin Limited Review - Black
27-11-2003
There is always ONE colour in each set that gets the short end of the stick, the wooden spoon or the rubber duck; and this time around it's black's turn. Last time black got the shaft was in Odyssey and you all know what happened next, so can we expect Dark Steel to be black's set? Somehow I doubt it, although things can't get much worse. The biggest problem with black is its creatures - most of them have a toughness of 1 and are expensive for what they do. Combine this with the distinct lack of artifact removal and shazam! you have some real shite.

Mirrodin Limited Review - Green
30-10-2003
Green is my second-favourite colour in Mirrodin Limited after Red. I don't entirely understand why the two best artifact-destruction colours aren't everybody's favourite in Mirrodin Limited, but I'm very happy for them to be underdrafted (particularly in green's case) in the mean time. Where white has numerous bodies that don't get impressive until they're equipped, green's bodies are usually impressive from the get go, and occasionally CANNOT be equipped. As always, we will start with the commons.

Mirrodin Limited Review - Red
08-10-2003
Let's start by asking some of those questions I mentioned above: Is artifact removal better than direct damage? Is the flexibility of 2 to the dome better than the flexibility of an additional 2 to an artifact creature? Is a Gray Ogre that sacs to Shatter better than an inexpensive, fat-arsed fire-breather? My initial thoughts are no, yes and I think so, yielding a ranking of:

Scourge Draft Review Part 5 - Black
27-06-2003
Black hits the jackpot with its commons in Scourge and is by far the most powerful colour in the set. A good combination of strong creatures, like Twisted Abomination, Zombie Cutthroat and Carrion Feeder with decent removal spells such as Lingering Death and Clutch of Undeath put black way ahead of it’s colour compadres. There are also a lot of power cards in the rare/uncommon slot with Decree of Pain and Call to the Grave heading up the rares; Undead Warchief and Putrid Raptor lead the charge in the uncommon department.

Scourge Draft Review Part 3 - Green
08-06-2003
Green may have got the goods in Legions but the tables have turned in Scourge. Both green and blue are really lacking a good deep run of commons so if you are drafting those colours, don't rely on Scourge to "fix you up". However, it is not all bad as green receives 2 powerful fattie "accelerators" in Fierce Empath and Krosan Drover in the common slot, a hefty morph trampler and perhaps the biggest creature ever printed - Ancient Ooze.

Scourge Draft Review Part 1 - White
24-05-2003
On the whole, white has done pretty well in Scourge with 4 strong commons and a handful of other playables. Wingshards and Karona's Zealot lead the charge in the uncommon department and a pro-red knight finally gets printed. Eternal Dragon, Ageless Sentinels and Decree of Justice make up the power rare count in a set where each colour gets their fair share of bombs. It is also nice to see some instants and enchantments again!

Legions Limited Review - Red
17-04-2003
The red cards in Onslaught were so powerful and deep that they could often sustain 3 drafters in a row. Legions on the other hand is a different barrel of fish and the quality of commons is terrible. Skirk Marauder is red's saving grace, whilst Flamewave Invoker and Crested Craghorn are the only other salvageable cards from the common crapheap in Legions...

Legions Limited Review - Black
17-02-2003
I always look forward to reviewing black as you can pretty much guarantee there will be some decent removal, efficient creatures with a nasty drawback and overcosted creatures that look good but are in fact, really bad. Legions delivers all of this and more, making it one of the better colours in the set (along with Green)...

Legions Limited Review - White
02-02-2003
White was not a popular colour in Onslaught as the commons were too weak and the combat tricks few and far between. Legions gives White some decent commons including a flying healer and a Morph which gives a creature First Strike when it is turned face up. Never mind the fact it is also a 2/1 flyer!...

Onslaught Draft Archetypes
21-11-2002
Ever come away from a draft with a deck that is so bad you just want to throw it in the bin? Well this article is for you. By understanding the archetypes of Onslaught drafting and the key cards that make each one work, chances are it will be someone else aiming for that bin after the draft. Sure there are a lot of other factors that need to be taken into consideration, such as working out what your neighbours are drafting, whether or not to take that bomb rare from the first pack and when/how to counter-draft but a lot of this comes from experience...

Onslaught Limited Review - White
26-10-2002
There are over 18 soldiers in white (8 of which are common) ranging from the efficient Glory Seeker to the powerful Catapult Master. The new Gustcloak soldiers allow players to recklessly attack and then pull them out of combat if the blocks are not favourable ready for a counterattack on the next turn. It will be interesting to see how white stacks up against the other colours...

Onslaught Limited Review - Green
12-10-2002
Drawing cards and life gain on a stick, I must have the wrong colour! Interestingly enough green has both of these elements in Onslaught and it is payback time for all those sets of sub par creatures, stupid enchantments and cards that benefit your opponent more than you (well there are a few of those this time around!)...

Onslaught Limited Review - Black
03-10-2002
Black is back to full strength in Onslaught with no less than 20 zombies in the set and some very powerful rares like Visara the Dreadful and Cover of Darkness. There is finally a banishing spell that can target black creatures, a new "Oath of Ghouls" and a 6/6 demon for 4 mana...

Magic Online
18-07-2002
Someone has to talk about this sooner or later and hey - it may as well be me. For the uninitiated, Magic Online is a program that lets you play draft and constructed games (sanctioned and casual) over the internet. You buy the booster packs online (with the current exchange rate it costs around $18) and then have to purchase event tickets to play. The event tickets cost approx $2 and you need two of these tickets to play in a sealed deck/draft match...

Judgement Limited Review - Blue
29-06-2002
Blue has always traditionally been one of the strongest colours in magic but in Judgement it had to settle for third place behind Green and White...

Judgement Limited Review - Green
03-06-2002
Over the next couple of weeks I will be looking at Judgement and it's impact on the draft format. I am starting with green as it is the strongest colour in the set and I have rated each card according to when you would draft it. For example a high pick would generally be considered the 1st to 4th card in the pack and mid range would be the 5th to 10th card. Anything after that I have deemed "the scraps" includes cards you wouldn't want to play anyway unless you were desperate. This is by no means a definitive guide, as you have to take into account colour combinations, mana curve and what everyone else on the table is drafting...

Nationals – Tellin’ It Like It Is (Part 1)
17-05-2002
I originally was going to write this as a tournament report but I didn’t feel like inflicting you all with a blow-by-blow account of my matches, as it would have been excruciatingly boring. The leadup to the nationals was very hectic for me. I had only just arrived back in Australia after seven months overseas, had no job, no place to live and no type 2 deck. The fact that I had only drafted Odyssey once since it was released wasn’t good either...

State of Play: You don't care about us
22-02-2002
In Australia we have never hosted a Pro Tour and have only had 3 Grand Prix in the last 4 years. On the bright side we have had the Duelist Invitational and will be hosting this year's World Championship (which is in Sydney - hurrah!)...

Darksteel Limited Review - White/Green
23-02-2004
That's right folks I'm back with another limited review, I hope you enjoyed the last one because this one will knock your socks off (slight exaggeration but you need a big introduction, right?) This time I will be looking at both white and green since this is a smaller set and I wanted to pack more in for your reading enjoyment. White and Green got a good deal in Mirrodin and I always liked drafting W/G decks as you always have quality creatures, artifact removal and some decent combat tricks. One less Mirrodin booster means less Arrests, Skyhunter Patrols, Fangren Hunters, Predator's Strikes and Tel-Jilad Archers, so what's the deal in Darksteel? Let's take a look.

Mirrodin Limited Review - Blue
18-11-2003
Blue is perhaps the most underrated colour in Mirrodin, as it has solid evasive creatures and tempo cards (which can be easily splashed) that complement any draft archetype. The main problem with blue is its depth - if there are more than 2 blue drafters at the table your chances of getting the good stuff is slim. Blue also has a habit of being drafted by the "good players" because they are under the false assumption that everybody else except them thinks blue is crap.

Mirrodin Limited Review - White
16-10-2003
Hello and welcome again to another colour and yet another Limited review. It is now white's turn to get the once over by Mr Ross and myself and I'll tell you now, the cards aren't too shabby. White has a strong common creature base in Mirrodin and a few neat tricks that will keep your opponents on their toes. However, because the cards are so powerful everybody is going to want to draft them, and there is nothing worse than being caught in between 2 players who are drafting the same colours as you. Some of the white cards make good splashes (Arrest, Soldier Replica) so even if your fellow drafters give you the shaft you can still play those cards.

Tools of the Trade
30-09-2003
It has been a while since my last column but I'm sure this 6 part series will more than make up for it. With GP Sydney looming on the horizon, players all over Australia are quickly trying to come to terms with Mirrodin so they wont be caught with their trousers down come October 4th. The first review only covers equipment cards but hey, I can't write these things that quickly!

Scourge Draft Review Part 4 - Red
15-06-2003
Red's strength in limited seems to go through cycles. Back in Tempest block, red dominated with common staples such as Rolling Thunder, Fireslinger, Lightning Blast, Mogg Fanatic/Flunkies, Shock and Maniacal Rage. Urza's Saga was the opposite with only a handful of really decent commons split between the 3 packs - Heat Ray, Ghitu Slinger, Parch and Reckless Abandon were the best of the bunch. Masques block pushed red back in control with a lot of decent common creatures (Wild Jhovall, Shock Troops, Flowstone Crusher, Lacoliths) and solid removal (Lunge, Thunderclap, Seal of Fire, Rhystic Lightning) but was let down again in Invasion block.

Scourge Draft Review Part 2 - Blue
31-05-2003
Blue is so bad in Scourge that it is almost not even worth reviewing. Hell, you know things are bad when the best commons in the set are a 5 casting cost sorcery and an enchantment that prevents a creature from untapping. The common creature count weighs in at a hefty 5, with an eight casting cost 1/1, an inferior Aven Fisher, a pro green flyer, a handy islandcycler and a new target for Lavamancer's Skill. Overall, pretty average. Most tables won't be able to support many blue drafters so if you are thinking of playing with Islands make sure you start cutting it off in Onslaught really quickly.

Legions Limited Review - Green
28-02-2003
Green shapes up quite well in Legions and still provides strong support to both of the removal colours. There are plenty of decent elves which give green a significant tempo advantage in this set in addition to some powerful game breakers like Seedborn Muse and Tribal Forcemage. Overall Green is up there with Black as the best colour in Legions and so it should be, it is the colour of creatures after all...

Legions Limited Review - Blue
06-02-2003
To put it simply, Blue still sucks. There are some cards here that should not have been printed (i.e. Fugitive Wizard) and others, which only just make the cut in limited. It is not all bad though as most of the rares are actually pretty good for limited play such as the powerful Weaver of Lies and the sneaky Chromeshell Crab. Blue still looks like a support colour but it finally has a common bounce spell in the form of Echo Tracer and Pendrell Drake gets a reprint thanks to Keeneye Aven...

EPIC Preview
27-01-2003
For those of you that don’t know, Ben Seck has designed his own stand-alone set for casual, non-profit purposes. EPIC has been a long time in the making, but it is finally finished (Home Page) and is about to be released upon the unsuspecting Sydney magic community. Why did he do this, I hear you ask? One reason, plain and simple - for the love of the game. Ben has been a major force in the Australian magic scene over the last 6 years or so and I don’t think it would be where it is today without him. In fact I can’t think of anyone else who likes Magic as much (read addicted) as Ben does (okay that’s the sucky part over with)...

Onslaught Draft Archetypes Part 2
14-12-2002
In my last article I looked at the 10 draft archetypes in Onslaught with an emphasis on the key common cards for each deck. This time I will be discussing some of the trickier uncommons and rares with the focus on tribal themes. I will touch on some of the power cards in the set too, but I'm sure most of you are aware by now that Kamahl and Starstorm are no brainers that don't require much thought to draft...

Onslaught Limited Review - Artifacts and Lands
02-11-2002
This is the final instalment of my Onslaught review (hurrah - I hear you all cry!) and this time around it is going to be brief. With only 6 artifacts in Onslaught, only 4 of them are playable, which are 4 more than the previous set. The cycling and fetch lands will have more of an impact on constructed play than limited but are both good for thinning out your deck and should always be played in any draft/sealed deck...

Onslaught Limited Review - Red
16-10-2002
Red has always prided itself on cheap, expendable creatures, efficient burn and the odd Dragon here and there. Onslaught provides the red mage with all of this, including a 7/1 hasted trampler for 4 mana, an enchantment that creates 5/5 dragon tokens and a pro red goblin that can deal 10 damage to creatures and players...

Onslaught Limited Review - Blue
07-10-2002
Interestingly enough there are no pingers (or similar cards) which is ironic considering blue has always had this and also because there are more wizards than ever in Onslaught. Is this another attempt by R & D to dumb down blue or will these cards make an appearance in Legion? We will just have to wait and see...

Judgment Limited Review - Black/Gold/Lands
05-07-2002
With only sixteen cards in Judgement (five of them common) Black has been handed the short end of the stick. For the black drafter your gameplan has to be in place before Judgement comes around, as you will be getting nothing, zero, nada. Well there are a couple of exceptions, just make sure your other colour has some depth in Judgement...

Judgement Limited Review - Red
25-06-2002
Red has generally been the weakest colour of the Odyssey block and Judgement is no exception. There are a couple of little gems in the form of Fledgling Dragon, Lightning Surge and Arcane Teachings but otherwise nothing to write home about...

Judgement Limited Review - White
15-06-2002
White is the second best colour in Judgement and rightly so because Torment sucked. This time around white gets a lot of playable combat tricks, some great creatures and a nifty creature enchantment...

Nationals – Tellin’ It Like It Is (Part 2)
25-05-2002
I can remember opening a Painbringer and then drafting a few red cards like Chainflinger and Ember beast and thought I was on my way to drafting a solid R/B deck. The black dried up a bit but I was holding out for Torment as the draft order would be reversed. My second Odyssey booster was stellar with a first pick Last Rites cementing itself as the twenty-third card in my deck...

The Ratings Game
23-03-2002
In my opinion if you have not played in a sanctioned tournament in 2 years your DCI number (and thus ranking) should be "stricken from the record" so to speak. Even the most casual of players will play at least once or twice a year in a prerelease tournament, so I don't think this will penalise anyone who wants to retain their DCI number. I think this would make the system much fairer and give the opportunity for some players to compete at a national level, whilst cutting out the chaff from the system...