http://www.mtgfanatic.com/articlesIncludes opinion stories about rules, historic analysis and other things that don't fit elsewhereCopyright 2001 - 2013 MtgFanatic.com. All rights reserved.Gaming. To those who remain uninitiated to this hobby, that word can represent one in a variety of interests, from playing console video games and arcades, to participating in sports, to secluding oneself in front of a computer screen and playing online titles such as World of Warcraft and League of Legends. For those of us in the know, gaming has little to do with those exploits. It isn't a label or social identifier, it’s a calling, a passion. It is a pursuit that gets into the blood. It forges relationships and brings out some of the best qualities in human nature. Fellowship, competition, cooperation, mutual respect and most importantly direct human contact.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=209420Thu, 23 May 2013 23:02:15 GMTThe third set in the Return to Ravnica block is upon us and I am pleasantly surprised with quite a few of the cards. I think it has far fewer playable cards than Gatecrash but what it lacks in numbers it gains in quality. I am really excited about a few of these cards, some of them for competitive constructed play and one or two for their casual deck possibilities. At this very moment in my head, regardless of when you read this article, there are ideas swirling in my head on how to use some of these cards.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=208281Sun, 05 May 2013 01:12:29 GMTThe third set of Return to Ravnica Block will soon be upon us, and in the last few days, spoilers have been coming in abundance. So far, there’s been a mix of useful and not-so-useful cards spoiled, including many of the champions of each guild and a new planeswalker. As of this writing, the champions for eight of the possible ten guilds have been spoiled; we are only missing the Boros and Selesnya champions. In addition, several powerful creatures that are not the uniquely named champions of each guild have been revealed, and the new Fuse mechanic has also been shown; we are getting new split cards, some of which are enormously useful.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=207663Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:02:28 GMTTimes are hard. America is slowly climbing out of her worst financial mess since the Great Depression. In challenging times like these, I’m only too happy to announce that our friends at Wizards of the Coast have chosen to give us extra Magic cards in Dragon’s Maze for no additional cost. Buy a booster pack of Dragon’s Maze at regular price and get one free Magic card. Sort of.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=207450Fri, 19 Apr 2013 20:47:40 GMTFor the past six years the Bazaar of Moxen, a high stakes series of tournaments, has offered Europeans the pleasure of battling for stacks of Power Nine and dual lands. I could just end the article here by proclaiming how awesome it is, and there would be no more facts to check. I could post a picture because it's worth a thousand words (my editor's minimum) and be done with it. This tournament is to Europeans what the GenCon Legacy and Vintage championships are to those Stateside.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=202819Sat, 09 Feb 2013 21:52:14 GMTThis week brings a long overdue interview with one of our new writers. He’s been writing for bit now, putting out a column called ‘The Modern Mage.’ I wanted to pick his brain get to know him a little better. Everyone has a story to tell about their history with Magic, and I asked Tomas if he’d be willing to share a little bit of his with the crew here at MTGFanatic.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=202372Sun, 03 Feb 2013 19:34:21 GMTHello Mages! Welcome back to the Gatecrash preview! Today we’re going to see a lot more about the multicolored cards, especially the Orzhov and Gruul-related spells. I’m most excited about Orzhov Charm, Clan Defiance, and Rubblehulk out of today’s card discussions. All three are going to be very interesting in the forthcoming metagame.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=201604Fri, 25 Jan 2013 02:46:43 GMTThe holidays are history. The Christmas trees are out of the house and on the curb waiting for pick up. The ball has dropped in Times Square and the confetti has been swept away. Before we get any further into the new year, I’d like to share a few best-of-2012 lists.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=200188Sun, 06 Jan 2013 19:10:19 GMTHappy Holidays and many well wishes to you and yours, MTG players. Today I’m examining some of the newly-released cards from Gatecrash. Patrick Chapin at Star City Games has done a wonderful write-up of what Domri Rade and Aurelia, the Warleader offer to people, a large part of which I agree with, so I will defer to him on those cards. There are still eight other cards to look at, however, aside from the well-known reprinted shock lands.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=199903Thu, 03 Jan 2013 02:09:36 GMTNo doubt you have your own history with the Thanksgiving Day holiday. This year, I’d like to take one moment in time, and one article, to thank the creator and Wizards of the Coast (the OTHER creators) for some things that have happened in the world of Magic. http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=196672Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:28:25 GMTNormally I don’t talk about why stuff gets created in the MTG world. Like you, I tend to focus on cards, or decks, or gaming concepts. But this week I’m taking a detour form all that to share with you guys another part of the hobby that I enjoy. A little bit of the Altered Art world and, in particular, the world of Stylized Abacus Life Counters.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=194748Wed, 31 Oct 2012 20:30:26 GMTI wonder what it’s like to be that guy that everybody is talking about, to create a buzz before you even enter the room. In Magic, that guy is Jace, the only planeswalker with four different versions of his card. The closest competitors for ‘most personalities’ are: Liliana, Ajani, Chandra, and Garruk, all with three versions. It may surprise you, maybe not, that these are the original five that were printed in Lorwyn block, before mythic rarity was introduced. Other planeswalkers have been given a second version such as Sorin, Tezzeret, Elspeth, and Sarkhan while Nicol Bolas, Tibalt, Tamiyo, Karn, Gideon, and others have stayed true to themselves without changing.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=192611Thu, 11 Oct 2012 17:05:26 GMTWhat’s your favorite Magic card? Not the card you think is [i]the best[/i] Magic card, the one that you personally like the most? Maybe this is the card that was the key to the first deck you were successful with. Maybe it’s simply the card that first grabbed your attention, the first Magic card that caused you to stop doing whatever useful things you were doing so that you could devote thousands and thousands of hours to the best game ever made.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=192393Tue, 09 Oct 2012 18:53:25 GMTThe new set has been unleashed, pun intended, and it’s time to pore over all the new goodies that Return to Ravnica has given us. All of us that remember the first foray into the plane of Ravnica have been waiting for this with bated breath. Will it live up to our expectations? My inclination is to say a resounding ‘yes’. Zanman gave us a blast from the past with his experience with the original Ravnica, one that I really appreciated. Dark Confidant is indeed the best card from Ravnica: City of Guilds, hands down. This time around it’s not as clear-cut. I’ll be keeping an eye on the trends that spring out of the various eternal formats I follow: Legacy, Modern, and Pauper. Today I’m going to try and pinpoint the best card of each rarity, the same as I did for Magic 2013.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=192392Tue, 09 Oct 2012 18:26:10 GMTRecycling has apparently caught on in a big way. Hollywood has certainly gotten into the act, recycling stories, characters, and sometimes entire movies. When you go to the movies these days, you can expect to encounter a lot of sequels, remakes and reissues. Two years ago, Wizards of the Coast got into the sequel business with Scars of Mirrodin, a second visit to the world introduced in the Mirrodin block from 2003-04. This year, Wizards takes us back to Ravnica. While we take in the full spoiler of the new set this week, I’d like to take a look back at the place that Wizards wants us to return to Ravnica: City of Guilds.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=191296Sun, 30 Sep 2012 15:03:19 GMTThis week, Commanding Magic is taking a back seat to look at something very near and dear to my heart: collecting cards. Everyone has their favorite Magic cards. Be it a wacky card with few real uses, or a tournament-defining staple, or even just a card with particularly amusing flavor text, it’s rare to find someone that can’t quickly come up with a card that simply “speaks to them”. As a result, we might try collecting some extra copies of this card, buy a playmat with the card’s art, or get some foil or altered versions to use in our decks. Even if we just refuse to trade away our lone copy of a card “because we like it”, there is something special about these cards that transcends the rest of Magic, creating something special out of an otherwise unassuming card.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=190861Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:17:35 GMTMagic gives you lots of opportunity to show your personality. Some players show fierce loyalty to a specific color, others a specific strategy. Some exclusively play Commander while others keep pace with the ever-changing Standard format. Regardless of where you pitch your tent in the Magic world, there are others like you that share the same passion and excitement for this nineteen year old game. It has been a little while since I scribbled out an interview and today’s interviewee is none other than yours truly. While I am not narcissistic, I would be lying if I didn’t admit to having a small nugget of vanity. One of the best parts about writing for MTGFanatic is the opportunity to share my own viewpoints about, well, everything.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=190394Mon, 17 Sep 2012 12:56:53 GMTToday, Commanding Magic is going to look at a card that “All the Singleton Magic Decks” should care about. For those of you who have a decent number of Commander games under your belt, you’ve probably come across this card staring across from you after one of your opponents finished their first turn of the game, or perhaps you’ve cast it on the first turn yourself: Sol Ring.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=189981Wed, 12 Sep 2012 18:12:39 GMTI hope you all waded into battle Saturday in Magic 2013 prerelease events all across the land. I battled during the weekend and I feel I have barely gotten my feet wet with this set. Before I strap on my helmet, I want to take a look at what’s new, as well as what’s not so new, in Magic’s latest core set. http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=183314Thu, 12 Jul 2012 16:32:51 GMTThe world of Magic: the Gathering is a fluid, ever-changing one. Players have a ravenous appetite for new cards and new ways to play. Wizards of the Coast has bills to pay and investors they need to satisfy by serving up products that will fly off game store shelves. An important consequence of this continual evolution is that what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=178853Mon, 28 May 2012 16:02:33 GMTOur first official look at Avacyn Restored comes this weekend in prerelease events all around the world. However, players and collectors have already been speculating about Magic’s newest set for months. A lot of the intrigue has centered on a unique mechanic being introduced in Avacyn Restored called Miracle. Cards with the keyword ability called Miracle can be cast for a much lower mana cost when they are the first card you draw in a turn. Some consider these cards a dream come true for players who live and die by “top decking”. But once the hype is over will these cards truly be miracles or will they whip us to death?http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=175651Sat, 28 Apr 2012 02:22:25 GMTI don’t usually get into arguments about the banning of cards and such, but someone has to say something. Wild Nacatl was banned recently from modern. What I find puzzling is the fact that Wizards thought that it needed to be taken care of, that it was too big of a threat. So today, we are going to take a look at some of the other cards in comparison to Wild Nacatl. In the end you can tell me if you really think it deserves to be banned. http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=173348Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:06:58 GMTDo you like recognition when you achieve great success? Do you like blingy gaming accessories? How do you feel about free stuff?http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=172666Tue, 27 Mar 2012 18:39:43 GMT‘Roots’ has a simple vision: examining how and why we all play this great game. One of the treats of being the author of Roots has been the semi-regular interview opportunities that I dig up. Today brings Jeff Zandi, our resident limited format guru, Jedi master at remembering detailed information, and writing connoisseur. Jeff is the editor-in-chief for MTGFanatic.com, bringing us all the fantastic material we get to read every week. Having been addicted to Magic almost from its inception, Jeff has a unique perspective on the game that can help us all dig our roots a little deeper.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=171322Tue, 13 Mar 2012 22:28:38 GMTDon't miss this exciting first issue of Abandoned Outpost, Zanman's Magic newspaper parody.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=170236Fri, 02 Mar 2012 21:31:00 GMTIt seems that the success of the Star City circuit has had an impact on the rest of the world in more ways than one. Never mind the advances in live coverage, the Sports Center-like statistics and scoreboards. What's happening on a larger scale is that more people are playing more Magic, and that's a good thing. http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=166046Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:21:57 GMTThere has never been a single year so full of big changes to the game of Magic than 2011. We moved from DCI ratings to Planeswalker Points. The Modern constructed format was created to functionally replace Extended. Cards were introduced with two faces and no Magic back. We witnessed the last Pro Tour-sized World Championship event. Wizards ended their fifteen year relationship with Tournament Organizers not linked with their own Magic shops. These big moves included changes to improve the game along with business moves intended to protect the bottom line of the company that prints and sells us our cards.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=165188Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:46:59 GMTThe Year of Our Lord 2011 is rapidly disappearing into the rearview window. Here are a few best-of lists that I have compiled.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=164356Fri, 30 Dec 2011 23:31:53 GMTToday’s article will be a little different, possibly setting up a recurring theme in future Roots articles. I wanted to dig a little deeper into the minds of members here on Fanatic and try to understand how and why they play this fantastic game. As you may have read in past articles, that’s what Roots is all about, and is the mission of yours truly. I wanted to start out with a long-time friend and fellow casual junkie Andre Lacoursiere. Hockey team rivalry aside (GO BRUINS!), we’ve been trading ideas and cards for the past 4 years. Magic is more than just a game; it’s an opportunity for comradely fun.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=163615Wed, 21 Dec 2011 23:16:56 GMTIt’s a month before Halloween, but we can all get an early look at a season of classic monsters in Magic’s newest expansion set, Innistrad. Prerelease events take place this weekend all over the world in many of your favorite game shops. Innistrad is a shadowy land full of vampires and werewolves. It’s like Twilight… for boys.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=154509Fri, 23 Sep 2011 20:13:28 GMTThey say you can learn a lot about a person by seeing where they live or work. Recognizing the risk of a massive over-share, I’d like to let you in on my own unique work environment, as well as a bit of my life story. I have a large window next to my desk that looks north and provides gentle light and a view of some trees and sky. On this window’s ledge a large collection of things have accumulated over time. I took at look at the collection of kitsch and decided to reveal the secrets therein.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=152585Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:05:51 GMTI was making the long drive home from Grand Prix Kansas City two weeks ago when my iPhone started blowing up with Facebook messages. All my Magic friends, and let’s face it, the only friends a guy like me has got are Magic friends, were talking about one thing: the announcement of the banning of Jace, the Mind Sculptor and Stoneforge Mystic from Standard.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=144277Sun, 03 Jul 2011 21:33:52 GMTI often hear players complaining about how unfair a decision made by a judge against them was. When they tell their stories, there’s always something I would have done differently. It takes some time and experience to know exactly what to do (and not to do) when a judge is at your table. http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=135941Mon, 25 Apr 2011 23:12:34 GMTThe following trivia questions were created by yours truly for the Guildmage 700 party last week. There are seven categories consisting of ten questions each. The answers are arranged at the bottom of this article so that you can challenge yourself and your friends. Understand that the seventh category, Guildmage Confidential, is rawthur self-referential. It was a good category, however, for a party full of Guildmages. I included here just for the sake of completeness. One of the answers in this category, however, has been deleted. I couldn’t decide if it was needlessly gross. I left the question in, I’m sure people will be able to figure it out. Now, somebody drag Alex Trebek in here and let’s get this thing underway!http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=135816Sun, 24 Apr 2011 22:27:03 GMTWelcome to the 700th weekly meeting of the Texas Guildmages. For fifteen years we’ve been meeting at my house just northwest of Dallas. Over time, the faces change but the desire to have fun and keep improving at the game we love continues. Every time we reach another 100th meeting milestone, which happens roughly every two years, we make a big Magic party out of it, and this time was no exception.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=135722Sun, 24 Apr 2011 00:48:46 GMTThis article is part of my continuing celebration of the fifteenth anniversary of the Pro Tour. We will examine the kinds of constructed decks that were played in the first eight constructed Pro Tour events with a particular focus on the first eight constructed Pro Tour champions.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=133124Sat, 02 Apr 2011 13:59:16 GMTThis article is part of my continuing celebration of the fifteenth anniversary of the Pro Tour. We will examine the kinds of constructed decks that were played in the first eight constructed Pro Tour events with a particular focus on the first eight constructed Pro Tour champions.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=131167Sat, 19 Mar 2011 01:53:29 GMTAn unusual thing happened in New York City on February 16, 1996. A successful, but still very young, game company called Wizards of the Coast assembled over two hundred players to play Magic: the Gathering. For serious money. http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=129639Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:26:45 GMTThanks for sticking with me through the first two parts of my review of every single card in Mirrodin Besieged. In this third and final installment, I examine the red cards, the artifacts, and the rest of the set.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=128608Sun, 27 Feb 2011 23:17:00 GMTThis is the first of a series of articles celebrating 2011 as the fifteenth year of Magic’s professional tour. The Pro Tour has been a very big part of our favorite card game’s success. Today, I will be focusing on one of the legendary top eight decks from the very first Pro Tour event, New York 1996 and the modern-age deck it resembles.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=124070Tue, 25 Jan 2011 13:47:18 GMTIn this article, we’ll explore the two magic play styles: Aggro and Control. Before we have a look at classic decklists, I’d like to start an interesting case to study.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=121618Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:52:13 GMTWelcome to the 685th weekly meeting of the Texas Guildmages. For almost fifteen years we’ve been meeting at my house just northwest of Dallas. Over time, the faces change but the desire to have fun and keep improving at the game we love continues. http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=120056Fri, 24 Dec 2010 20:36:33 GMT]In this article, we’ll be exploring the basics of the damage race. In my previous articles in this series, we have been through a lot of theory. Now is the time to use some specific examples. We’re going to see here a very basic game situation in several different circumstances. http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=115646Wed, 17 Nov 2010 21:19:48 GMTThere has been no hotter player in the past eighteen months than Brian Kibler. After several years away from the game he returned to the Pro Tour with quite a flourish, finishing in the top eight in Honolulu and then winning at Pro Tour Austin, both in 2009. Add another top eight at this year’s Pro Tour Amsterdam and a win at Grand Prix Sendai. Brian gets around. He has been at nearly every Grand Prix this year stacking up one great result after another; a top four at GP Minneapolis, eleventh at GP Sydney, fifty-fourth at GP Portland, sixteenth at GP Manila, seventeenth at GP Washington and twenty-eighth in GP Kuala Lumpur.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=113426Mon, 01 Nov 2010 23:25:29 GMTIn casual play, we’re allowed to use any card we want. Conveniently, websites such as the one you are currently surfing sell darn near any card we can find if you’re willing to shell out for it. Effectively, we have every card ever printed as a potential resource. The question is, which card is the one you’re going to go buy after reading my expertly crafted and painfully self-advocating article? The answer will be undoubtedly located using the Gatherer tool.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=104169Wed, 30 Jun 2010 01:01:03 GMTHere at Fanatic, we are going to bring you, the players, the best independent event system out there. In order to do this we feel we can not do all the organization alone. At this point we are seeking representatives for our cause. The introduction of a Fanatic Event Organizer for each district will greatly improve the effectiveness and overall quality of our events. As it stands now, we will have a greater amount of cash events than anyone in the world. Setting up Fanatic Event Organizers in each district will be a one time operation. http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=99807Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:21:56 GMTMTGFanatic.com is on a nationwide tour to promote and set up its esteemed War Card System with any and all stores that feature Skrimish events. The system will be set up based on geographical districts. For example, larger states will be their own districts while smaller states will be set up in multi-state districts. The point of this is to hold more events so that more people have a chance to attend. Players will not be able to jump districts in order to grind Fanatic points. This is due to the huge payout in which the level system allows.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=99634Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:20:42 GMTIn the beginning, there was darkness. At least, as far as learning about Magic cards before they went on sale in stores. In the first years of Magic: the Gathering, there were no pre-release events.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=93580Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:11:44 GMTBefore we bring 2009 to a close, we should take a look back on it and all that it's done for us, both for better and for worse.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=91193Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:09:43 GMTA comic strip depicting the experiences of some of the MtgFanatic Crew in Missouri.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=90458Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:37:33 GMTSomeone asked me, the other day, if I thought it was worth his time to travel to the State Championships this weekend. Since I am “in the know” about the event, I told him all the reasons why I believe it certainly is worth the trip. Here’s the what and the why.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=88595Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:40:46 GMTAn article demonstrating how understanding the rules in depth can help your game.http://www.mtgfanatic.com/Articles/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=83315Sun, 06 Sep 2009 17:16:02 GMT