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Guest Article:
Deck Progressions: Giants.
8/27/08 - Hey guys, and welcome to the column! I
am the almighty Potatobrain, and it is my pleasure to invite you into my
wonderful world of whacky deck building. ~PotatoBrain~
Discuss Here. |
 Featured
Article:
Joining the
Writers Guild...
8/25/08 - The Writers Guild of MDV is the
external shell of the MDV forum: A collection of the greatest writers,
deckbuilders, rule-checkers, and artists all in one place. And you want
to join? ~MZ~
Discuss Here. |
Featured
Article:
The Apprentice
Magician, Part Three.
8/22/08 - At some point in the life of many spell slingers, there
comes a realization that building decks that are flashy and fun to play is not
always the same as building decks that are good. For some this spawns a desire
to advance to an intermediate skill level of deck construction. Whether acquired
intuitively through experience or by a deliberate effort to study the game, or
often a little of both, this advance is characterized by an understanding of
some of the foundational theoretical concepts of Magic: the Gathering.In this series we follow such a player as his eyes are
opened to the world of Magic theory and it's application to constructed decks
built for a “competitive casual” environment. In the previous installments we
looked at resources and
lineup theory. In this episode these concepts
are pulled together into a discussion of card advantage, one of the most
essential theoretical concepts for budding deck builders and players alike.
Cue theme song. ~Amadeus~
Discuss
Here. |
Featured
Article:
The Diabolic
Effect: Tutoring in the Casual Setting.
8/20/08 - Welcome all casual wanderers! Remember,
of course, that not all who wander are lost. In fact, some of us make it
a point to wander quite a bit. I'd like to talk today about a necessary
mechanic found at, most likely, all kitchen tables. I'm talking about
tutoring.
When you're not buying booster boxes, or stopping by
the card shop to pick up a playset of your favorite rares, alot of us
are often found trying to play a deck with one copy(maybe two) of the
best card we pulled out of the three or four(or one) booster packs we
could afford this week. Many times we try to play with one card in a
deck, only to remove it several games later out of frustration and a
lack of consistency.
Today I hope to lay out in front of you some excellent
options to keep you playing those cards. ~hamsandwich~
Discuss Here. |
Featured
Article:
Uncommon and
Common Magical Treasures - Part 5.
8/18/08 - Did you miss me? Hmmph. What I really should be asking is
‘did you miss this series?’ I’ve had a number of people email me asking me when
I’m going to pick this one back up and the answer is: NOW! I won’t be able to
kick it into overdrive and finish off all of the sets in today’s article. I
will, however, talk a little about Shadowmoor, a little about Eventide and a lot
about the Onslaught block.Does this excite you? Does this tantalize the very
existence of your soul to know which cards in your collection are worth more
than the cardboard they are printed on and that you might someday be able to
trade one or several of these cards for a Mox Ruby? I don’t know about a Mox,
but maybe a card from Arabian Nights… If this interests you I would encourage
you to keep reading. ~Streetz~
Discuss Here. |
Featured
Article:
The Apprentice
Magician, Part Two.
8/15/08 - In this series we follow such a player as his eyes are
opened to the world of Magic theory and its application to constructed decks
built for a “competitive casual” environment. In the last installment we looked
at the basic structure of a game of Magic from the point of view of the
rulebook. This introduced the basic concept of resources and how these are
affected by time. But what happens when you actually play cards other than
lands? That, of course, is when the game gets interesting. Part Two adds to the
basic foundation of Magic theory with a discussion of lineup theory. ~Amadeus~
Discuss Here.
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Featured
Article:
Card Spotlight:
Spiritmonger.
8/14/08 - As the scene opens, we see an old man
sitting behind a desk, dwarfed by the monstrosity that has just entered
the room.
"Hello there young... man. And you are?"
"Spiritmonger."
"Ok, Mr. Monger, what can I..."
"It's Spiritmonger."
"Is Spiritmonger your first or last name?"
"Yes."
"Yes?"
"Yes."
"Okay then.… Well, what can I do for you today, Mr. Spiritmonger?"
"I want to apply for Eventide..." ~Drathro~
Discuss Here.
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Featured
Article:
Design on a Dime:
The Lunch Meat Edition!
8/12/08 - Luther: Damn that DBB; even in a budget contest he still
manages to beat me down! I'll have to practice against a few people; but who...
*Sound of cups being knocked over, coming from the
direction of the water cooler….*
Luther: You, new kid—ham! Come over here!
Ham: Who, uh, me?
Luther: Yes you; Daz has spent enough time away from the
water cooler to actually be considered a crew member. You on the other hand...
*blank stare from hamsandwich*
Luther: Yeah, sorry about that—just ‘cause I've been handed
a can of whoop-ass doesn't mean I should shovel the mess down on you. Hey, you
busy at the moment?
Ham: *glances at wrist and realizes he doesn't own a watch*
Not really, why?
Luther: How would you like to get one of these new fangled
[Mini-Articles] under your belt?Ham: Really? Me and you? Working together? Uh, yeah! Of
course!.... ~hamsandwich & Luthervamplord~
Discuss Here. |
Featured
Article:
Fit the Flavor
2008 - FINALE!
8/11/08 - Welcome back! It is the moment that we
have all been waiting for.No, not time to see
how maple syrup tastes on a cheeseburger..
It’s time to reveal the final results of the MDV Fit
the Flavor 2008 contest!!
Who will win? We had a three way tie for first place
heading into the finals, will someone slip up? Will someone choke under
the pressure? Will it go into Sudden Death?
Step inside and let’s find out together! ~Chris
Newton~
Discuss Here. |
Featured
Article:
The Apprentice
Magician, Part One.
8/8/08 - At some point in the life of many spell
slingers, there comes a realization that building decks that are flashy
and fun to play is not always the same as building decks that are good.
For some this spawns a desire to advance to an intermediate skill level
of deck construction. Whether acquired intuitively through experience or
by a deliberate effort to study the game, or often a little of both,
this advance is characterized by an understanding of some of the
foundational theoretical concepts of Magic: the Gathering.
In this series we follow such a player as his eyes are opened to the
world of Magic theory and its application to constructed decks built for
a “competitive casual” environment. Part One lays the basic foundation
of Magic theory as a game of resources.
Cue theme song. ~Amadeus~
Discuss
Here. |
Featured
Article:
First
Impressions: Eventide - White & Blue - Perspective #2.
8/7/08 - Warning: The opinions
expressed in the following are those of the Author, and do not express
Magic Deck Vortex in anyway.Here it is, the
last set in the Lorwyn/Shadowmoor block, Eventide. What new cards has
Eventide brought us? Well I'm going to look at them in what I like to
call. ~AlasterEisaroh~
Discuss Here.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
Alaster, a member of the Forum [Wizards] clan, is a guest writer and he
is covering the same topic (colors really) that Streetz did last week
during the unofficial Eventide First Impressions Theme Week on MDV.
Let Alaster know how you like his writing. Let him know how you
feel overall about the writing. |
Featured
Article:
Raiding the
Dollar Bins: First Impressions - Eventide.
8/6/08 - Last week was First Impressions Week
here at MDV, and like all the other articles from last week, this week
I’ll be reviewing the latest set, Eventide, for your casual playing
pleasure. Eventide has got some pretty amazing cards in it, and it’s got
some uncommons that are definitely worth playing around.
That means it’s time for another Lite Raiding the
Dollar Bins. And this time, it’s Eventide themed ~Death_By_Beebles~
Discuss Here. |
Featured
Article:
First
Impressions: Eventide - Part 6 (Hybrid Part Two).
8/1/08 -
[Article pending.]
...
...
...
~Maleficent~
Discuss Here.
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Featured
Article:
First
Impressions: Eventide - Part 5 (Hybrid Part One).
7/31/08 - Eventide, the follow-up to Shadowmoor
and giving us several new things while repeating more of the same.
Hybrids are now Enemy Paired, A new set of Demigods, more Lieges, and A
few cards worth building a deck around.
Today I'll be taking responsibility for giving my
impressions on three of the hybrid color pairs...
Which ones you ask? Well, you'll just have to
keep reading to find out. ~MZ~
Discuss Here. |
Featured
Article:
First
Impressions: Eventide - Part 4 (Mono-Green & Artifact).
7/30/08 - So here we are, smack in the middle of First Impressions
Week, getting geared up to take a look at our Green and artifact cards from
Eventide. I can honestly say that after playing with Shadowmoor at my casual
table I have become a fan of the hybrids and the seemingly disenfranchising of
tribal cards. I felt like Lorwyn had us choosing a race or class and having to
stick with those cards. Shadowmoor blew the doors wide open making tribes matter
less, and colors matter more. So you can imagine my excitement (being a Simic
man) when I first heard that Eventide would breach the enemy hybrids once again,
possibly harking back to the days of the Ravnica block.
Unfortunately today I will only be looking at Green and
colorless, keeping my impressions of the hybrids to myself for now. However, I
do appreciate Green and as I broached in my last FI article, I love the
possibilities Green can bring to the table. ~hamsandwich~
Discuss Here. |
Featured
Article:
First
Impressions: Eventide - Part 3 (Mono-Black & Mono-Red).
7/29/08 - Since I am not heading up this series
this time around, Ryu made the executive decision (which also makes me
duck and head for cover) to slap me with Black in addition to Red.
Look, we all know that I hate Black. We all know that you
guys hate it when I bash on Black. But we all have to face the facts of
life. I win and you lose because you are reading my article! HA!
*EHEM!!*
Let’s start with Black and just get it out of the way.
I’ll try not to be too rough on you guys. No promises though… ~CPN~
Discuss Here. |
Featured
Article:
First
Impressions: Eventide - Part 2 (Mono-White & Mono-Blue).
7/28/08 - The last time Wizards of the Coast made
a set themed around "enemy" color pairings (colors opposite one another
on the color wheel), it was a powerful set indeed. For instance,
Apocalypse had cards like Vindicate, Pernicious Deed, Spectral Lynx,
Desolation Angel and Spiritmonger. While that’s just naming a few, those
are some powerful cards!So now that Eventide is
officially spoiled thanks to the recent pre-release and last weekend's
release events, I’m wondering as I’m sure you are too, will Eventide be
a good set? Will it have as many or as powerful of cards as Apocalypse
had? Will it be more Johnny orientated? Or will it even, gasp, be more
casual minded than any other set before it?
I hope to answer all of these questions, with a twist.
While you’ll have to keep reading to find out that twist, I’ll be
forward enough to tell you I’m feeling mono-white and mono-blue in First
Impressions: Eventide!!! …Click the
button…
~Streetz~
Discuss Here. |
Featured
Article:
First
Impressions: Eventide - Introduction (Lands).
7/23/08- Welcome to another set of First
Impressions! This time around we're looking at Eventide. Now there seems
to be a bit of discussion on how bad Eventide is, and how little hope
there seems to be with the set. Some are holding out until every last
card just to be sure, and some have already packed their stuff and left!
Maybe they're making a big deal out of it, we'll find out today!
Eventide is the second set of the Shadowmoor block, and
is expanding on the multi-color theme that we saw in Shadowmoor. With
new creature types, and odd mechanics, what's to be expected of
Eventide? ~Ryuzaki~
Discuss Here. |
Featured
Article:
X Card Blind on
MDV!
7/23/08 - I have a question for you. Do you like
playing chess? Do you like to metagame? Perhaps you are just an instant
gratification kind of person?If so, then we
have a game for you, and it is called X Card Blind.
Do yourself a favor, step inside and let me show you
around this quick little game that will give you a different perspective
of Magic and let you skip that whole boring part of the game. You know,
the waiting around, building up resources to blow your opponent away
part of the game. ~Chris Newton~
Discuss Here. |
Featured
Article:
Fit the Flavor
2008: Round 4!
7/21/08 - Here it is… the Fourth and Final Round
of the contest. There are a lot of people still alive and in the hunt.
How badly do you want to win?
You are going to have your chance, as you can score big points here in
Round 4.Let’s get the show started!
~Chris Newton~
Discuss Here. |
Featured
Article:
The Games People
Play - Market & EDH.
7/18/08 - For everyone that remembers my previous
writings for the site, you’ll remember that I’m a big fan of Limited
Magic. Give me a booster draft over a T2 tournament any day of the week.
Give me a cube draft over just about everything any day of the week. So
when I saw this format being proposed over at MTG Salvation, I knew I
had to write about it. Unfortunately I couldn’t get involved in the
actual testing of it, but I hope writing about it brings it some
popularity and more people willing to try it out. They call it Market
Sealed.The game of
Magic has such a great following because it is such a multi-faceted
game. There are so many different ways to play the it, as this column
has explored in the past. But it goes beyond just that. Magic is a
Trading Card Game. You can be completely satisfied with Magic without
ever playing a single game. Market Sealed is cool because it mixes
elements of both trading and playing. ~Lionden_56~
Discuss Here.
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Featured
Article:
Raiding the
Dollar Bins: Glint Eastwood.
7/16/08 - We’re back to Nephilim this week, and
now we’re going to be looking at the most interesting combat-oriented
Nephilim, Glint-Eye Nephilim. It grows by discarding cards, and then
draws you a card for each damage it does to your opponent. It’s clear
that any deck using this creature is going to have to turn its obvious
weakness into a strength.So, how do you cheat a
discard? That’s simple: play the spell anyway! Glint Eastwood is ready
to fight and is taking no prisoners in this week's Raiding the Dollar
Bins! ~DBB~
Discuss Here. |
Featured
Article:
Delusions of
Mediocrity: Manipulating the Dragon Part II.
7/15/08 - Welcome back, fellow spell casters, to
the article series best known for using the cards that most of us don’t.
If you haven’t read the first part of this two-part article, you can
find it here.
Last time we discussed the finer points of our friend the Cytoplast
Manipulator, and explored a few ways to use and abuse her
creature-stealing ability.
We also covered a deck built with the troublesome
Dovescape. Of course, I’m sure many of us were left wondering, “Well,
what happened to this dragon in the title of the article? I mean, was it
all a clever ruse to get us to read this drivel?” In response, I will
just have to say, "Maybe." Well… no, we are going to do something
dragon-like. But first, we’re going to dust off one of the bad boys of
broken cards (cue theme music to Knight Rider): ... ~hamsandwich~
Discuss Here. |
Featured
Article:
Fit the Flavor
2008: Round 3.5!
7/14/08 - Thanks can be offered to the guys who
all did really well in round two. Why should you be thanking them? It is
because of them (almost half of the players received perfect scores)
that I have been forced to sit at the drawing board and figure out how
exactly to increase the difficulty level of this competition.
As I told them in the discussion forum, I have a plan; I
always have a plan. It just so happened that I did not have a plan for
this situation, but that does not mean that the creative evil genius
that lives in my head doesn’t thrive on competition.
You are going to have to step inside to see what is in
store for you this week however. ~Chris Newton~
Discuss Here. |
Featured
Article:
Casualties of
Standard.
7/11/08 - It may sound a little odd to say, but
I'm new to casual Magic. Having participated mainly in semi-competitive
Standard and Legacy for quite some time, I find it fascinating here at
MDV to be part of an entire sub-culture of MTG that loves alternate win
conditions, theme decks, and White mana. I realized that, if other
players have similar experiences to myself, it is likely that many
casual players have friends who only play Standard and aren't really
interested in playing their FNM deck against their friend's Spike deck
from the Tempest block. So I set out to build some Standard decks that
casual players might enjoy, while hopefully providing a moderate
challenge for their more tournament-minded buddies. I also decided to
include sample sideboards, because I know that there are folks who use
them, even in casual settings.From my short
time running in casual circles (I'm already dizzy), I have noted that a
lot of players tend to like the same types of decks, and variations on
the same themes are seen repeatedly in MDV's deck submission forum.
Always up for a challenge, I decided to take a few of these more popular
deck types and use them as inspiration to create casual Shadowmoor-legal
Standard decks. ~Drathro~
Discuss Here. |
Featured
Article:
Fit the Flavor
2008: Round Three!
7/7/08 - We are back! Week three of the Fit the
Flavor major contest hits today. Are you ready to step your game up and
take over the lead? The scores for round one are up, now let’s see where
we are in the MSS, as this contest will have a huge impact on it.
Don’t worry guys, I know how to get you to read. Everyone
likes to see their name in print, and I am doing some nice name dropping
here. If you think you are doing good in the Overall Contest, step
inside, and you might just find yourself in the news. ~Chris Newton~
Discuss Here. |
Featured
Article:
The Games People
Play: Structured Magic.
7/4/08 - For this column, I like to have theme of what I’m going to
talk about over the course of the article. For instance, last time was all about
math, and the time before that was a tactical look at the game. While today’s
variants do have a theme they follow, it is tough to put that theme into a one
or two word description. So for now, I’ll describe it like this: every card in
your deck serves a specific purpose. Yes, every card in a deck serves a specific
purpose, but as you read on, you’ll see what I mean. ~Lionden_56~
Discuss Here.
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Featured
Article:
The Apprentice
Magician, Part Six.
7/3/08 - At some point in the life of many spell
slingers there comes a realization that building decks that are flashy
and fun to play is not always the same as building decks that are good.
For some this spawns a desire to advance to an intermediate skill level
of deck construction. Whether acquired intuitively through experience or
by a deliberate effort to study the game, or often a little of both,
this advance is characterized by an understanding of some of the
foundational theoretical concepts of Magic: the Gathering.
In this series we follow such a player as his eyes are
opened to the world of Magic theory and its application to deck
construction. In this episode the discussion of deck strategy is
developed by introducing the problem of consistency and a number of ways
that it can be addressed.
Cue theme song. ~Amadeus~
Discuss Here. |
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