Men at Werk
09-03-2005
Things have a funny way of coming full circle when you live long enough. I remember spending countless hours as a child trying to convince my mother to let me out and play with the other boys. Twenty years later, I find myself in the exact same positions asking for my misses' permission instead. For someone who doesn't play any Trading Card Games (TCGs), it is difficult for her to understand why I would spend every Tuesday and Thursday flipping cardboards when we could be doing stuff together. I guess being away one Sunday a month and the 3 interstate/overseas trips I make to attend tournaments can put a strain on her understanding.
Theories and Magic
01-06-2003
After 3 years of writing and who knows how many articles, I have finally decided to call it quits. Sure, I still play in the occasional draft and win boxes at pre-releases but I am finding it more and more difficult to find time to write and play Magic with work and other social commitments. With my decreased exposure to the game, I am also out of ideas on what I can write about. If I really want I can probably still come up with some mediocre stuff like posting a random deck list or do a card-by-card limited review (just kidding Dan) but it is my belief that if a person has nothing interesting to say, they should simply keep their mouth shut. After all, who wants waste their time reading an article about how to tap Islands properly?
Not Another Suicide Black Deck
27-02-2003
The lives of Sydney MTG Paradise writers seems to be rather perilous in the
past few months as none of us have managed to qualify for the Australian Nationals
on points even though we claim to be experts on the game. Scott Hunstad has
developed a new love for the LoTR card game and therefore neglected what is
truly important, while Dan Turner has been struggling with Onslaught/Legions
drafts even though he reviewed the sets. I on the other hand, made the mistake
of taking a rogue deck to a major constructed event and ended up losing 60 points
before I realized that the deck is absolute shaft...
In Grand Prix Melbourne Part 2
11-12-2002
One of the 3 things I love most about Melbourne is the city's vibrant nightlife. Unlike Sydney where most nighttime activities are restricted on George street (due to parking limitations and dodgy public transports), the entertainment in Melbourne is scattered throughout the whole city, which is made easier with their trams. In Melbourne, there are always restaurants in abundance, shops that never seem to close and even romantic horse carriage rides around the city for men who need a sure way to score...
The Morphing Guide for Dummies
05-10-2002
With the Onslaught pre-release over and the spoiler out early, everyone from Timmy to Zvi is giving a detailed analysis for the latest expansion of Magic: The Gathering. There are generally two ways to review a card set; the first is to give a detailed card-by-card analysis like Gary Wise has been doing for many years, or you can review it with a general overview by uttering astonishingly insightful comments like 'Hey, this set is pretty good'....
When Black is Back (with decklist!)
11-08-2002
Everyone is excited in Sydney with the worlds coming up. The formats being played in the main event will be Type 2 constructed, OBC booster draft and OBC constructed. At the moment, Type 2 is a relatively dead format since we all know that the most popular decks are limited to Deep Dog, Opposition, variations of Psychatog and possibly a Hunting Grounds deck so there isn't really much worth talking about. OBC booster draft is also a complicated subject as it's nearly impossible to pass the right signals if you happen to open one of the shaft packs. I am sure that there is skill involved in drafting OBC, it is just that I haven't quite figured out what it is yet. So the only format that is remotely worth a mention at the moment is OBC constructed...
The MTGParadise Coverage of the Australian Nationals 2002 (part 3)
10-05-2002
Though I wanted a feature match, I did NOT want one under my current condition. You can see the match coverage on Sideboard (whenever they decide to post it), which is a good thing since I don't really remember what happened. All I recall is that Andrew ripped opened his jacket in a very superman style half way through the game, revealing a Death Dealer t-shirt. He also had little Richard Johnson tokens to beat me up with...
The MTGParadise Coverage of the Australian Nationals 2002 (part 1)
22-04-2002
After attending the Australian Nationals last year, I ending up failing my exam on the following Wednesday because my mind was so packed with magical knowledge that it was impossible to remember how to do statistics on SPSS. Well this year my exam has moved up from Wednesday to Monday giving me even less time to study, so by logic, one would imagine that I would have learned my lesson from last year and stay home studying instead of playing cards in Canberra...
Theory Behind Magic: The Rules of Engagement
23-03-2002
As some of you might have known, I have managed to qualify for the Nationals through the Sydney Regionals again, (who needs DCI points when they have skill? :P) so I will probably go to Canberra again this year. Since I have to complete all my university assignments and make arrangements before I go down to Canberra, I have little time to come up with an article idea this month. Thus I will tell a story instead, a story about the proper mannerism in Magic...
Theory Behind Magic: Odyssey has Emptied My Life's Savings!
30-12-2001
It has been around 2 and half months since Odyssey has been released and
although this set is "deeper" then what most people first thought, I still
think that it is a rather dismal set. For starters, it is always a lost
cause to purchase Odyssey packs because there are simply too many unplayable
rares. Although Wizards of the Coast might be able to make the graveyard
cards like Entomb and Buried Alive to work in Extended, but I would like to
REALLY see any deck that would make the Shrines work...
Theory Behind Magic: Odyssey, an MtG Flashback
07-09-2001
With Wizards of the Coast putting up their web site about the new Magic
expansion Odyssey, I thought I might make a few cracks about it before
anyone else does. Like any other Magic expansion, my main focus is not
on the broken rare or the new mechanics but the storyline. Personally, I
am really sick and tired of reading what Urza and his lackeys are up to,
since they are always battling villains and trying to save the world. It
is hard to get emotionally attached to these characters because most of
them don't have a life or any feelings that I can relate to. Afterall,
what do I know about blowing up Phyrexia and fighting freaky machines?
...
Theory Behind Magic: The IBC Blues
04-09-2001
If you have read my previous articles, you would know that I am not one
of those losers who blame losing the game on luck, but with the beats I
have been receiving that day, I cannot help but to feel that some
greater force was working against me. Thus I intend to make a come back
in IBC, to take my revenge on this greater force and to win my points
back...
Theory Behind Magic: The Colors In My Eyes
24-07-2001
Normally, we treat these booster drafts pretty casually even though they are DCI sanctioned. We know each other pretty well, and most of the time the prize (which is the first 2 picks for the rares in the pod) isn't something to fret about. However, Ben West managed to rip open a foil Spirit Monger that night, which meant that the person who came first would get it. You would think that he opened a hot blond holding a 6 pack in each hand with all the excitement that was going on in our pod...
Theory Behind Magic: How to find your perfect teammate?
04-06-2001
Unlike all the other formats in Magic, Team Sealed actually requires you to sacrifice yourself for others if your team wants to win and you would actually feel a rare sense of comradeship when your find yourself cheering for your teammates in the deciding game...
