M15 Standard G/B Midrange

We've looked at a lot of the new cards from M15, and now that the entire set has been spoiled it's time to look at a sample decklist that I came up with. The list is a RB Midrange deck that curves out into Garruk, Apex Predator.


Creatures - 15
4 Sylvan Caryatid
4 Courser of Kruphix
4 Desecration Demon
3 Nightveil Specter

Spells - 19
4 Hero's Downfall
4 Sign in Blood
2 Ultimate Price
4 Thoughtseize
2 Whip of Erebos
3 Abrupt Decay

Planeswalkers - 3
2 Garruk, Apex Predator
1 Vraska the Unseen

Lands - 23
4 Temple of Malady
4 Overgrown Tomb
1 Golgari Guildgate
3 Mutavault
11 Swamp


Now obviously this is a very basic first draft, but I think the idea deserves some consideration. The deck already has a lot of great tools in cards like Courser of Kruphix and Nightveil Specter, and with the reprinting of Sign in Blood and the addition of cards like Garruk, Apex Predator, I think a GB Midrange deck could find a place in the new standard format.

It has the versatility of the current GB lists with cards like Abrupt Decay, Hero's Downfall, etc, and while it does not pack Underworld Connections, Sign in Blood definitely makes up for it. Some people would argue that Connections is better because it draws you more cards over the course of the game, but the advent of the other GB decks has made them fodder for opposing Abrupt Decays to a point where it's almost not worth playing it unless you are playing Gray Merchant of Asphodel as well.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below!

The Legacy Archive

After writing my full-length article titled Breaking Into Legacy: A How-To, it dawned on me that it would be nice for my readers to see all the Legacy content that I have posted since this blog started. There have been Top 5 posts, deck construction posts, and much more, and as always there is more to come.

Today, I just wanted to give you links and brief descriptions of each of the most relevant Legacy-related posts I have put up since the inception of this blog.

To Ban or Not To Ban? Brainstorm

This post relates to the recent SCG Top-8 in Columbus where 6 of the top 8 decks featured Delver, and 7 out of the 8 decks featured 4 copies of Brainstorm. The internet was in a kind of uproar that week, and thoughts about banning Brainstorm in Legacy ran rampant. This article goes over my opinions on whether or not it should happen, and why.

Top 5 Cards in Legacy

Not sure which cards to be playing in Legacy right now? This post goes over what I believe to be the 5 most powerful spells in the format right now, and rationale behind each of them. Brainstorm was not included in this list however, for obvious reasons.

Shardless Order vs other BUG Variants

Gerry Thompson, the innovator of the Shardless BUG archetype, goes into detail in his article for StarCityGames about a new BUG-colored deck he wants to try in Legacy. This post goes over my thoughts on the deck, and whether or not it would be a good call in the meta right now.


So there you have it, as time goes on I will add more posts to the Legacy archive, but hopefully this list will keep your cravings for content at bay for now!


[Class Purpose: Sneeze post]

[Channel Review] Gathering Magic on YouTube

Ever wondered exactly how specific abilities work? Curious about learning the rules of the game? Thankfully, I plan to write quite a few posts about both of these topics and much more, but in the mean time I've found a great resource that is incredibly helpful for all players.


Cool Stuff Inc. is a LGS (local game store) located in Florida that has a wide variety of board games, cards games, and other great products. They have also started a YouTube Channel called "Gathering Magic", which hosts videos every week.

My personal favorite segment is titled "Judge's Corner", where David Greene (a level 2 judge) talks about the ins and outs of the various rules the game presents. While this may seem like a silly thing if you are unfamiliar with the game, it is actually a phenomenal resource as the intricacies and specifics to the rules leave even veteran players stumped on occasion.

In addition to Judge's Corner, the channel hosts many budget deck construction videos, how-to videos, and draft videos. They even have full playlists dedicated to specific decks across all the formats, which allow newer players to understand the different lines of play each deck has to offer.

It is also very cool to note that they often have guests on the show, typically pro players that they sit down with to discuss the game or a deck they might be working on. It is always interesting to hear professional players talk about their mindset when playing the game because it helps other players develop their own skills.

Here is an example video about The Stack, one of the most elementary concepts used while playing Magic:

If you want more content like this, I highly suggest you visit Gathering Magic's channel on YouTube. 

Click here to visit their channel!

What do you think about their channel? Do you like the content provided? Let me know in the comments!

[Analyzing] StarCityGames.com

Today I want to take a look at another blog-type site that is undeniably one of the best sites for quality content on Magic the Gathering. Most people who play Magic are aware of Star City Games (SCG), as they are one of, if not the largest Magic shops in the country. Their popularity stems from their ability to have well-known pro players write articles for them on a frequent basis, as well as players who do well at larger events also hosted by SCG.

There are two distinct areas on their blog that jump out at you: Premium, and Select. Select articles are free for anyone who visits their site, while Premium articles require a membership to read. Thankfully, whenever you sign up and attend a large-scale SCG event (Opens, IQ, etc), they give you 1 free month of SCG Premium just for playing. Not only does this incentivize players who want to read the Premium articles, but it also allows players who are unfamiliar with their site to try it out before paying for it.

I have been a Premium subscriber for almost 2 years, and while I don't read their articles as much as I'd like to these days, I'm still very pleased with the in-depth content they provide on a near-daily basis. They provide content about all the relevant formats (Standard, Modern, Legacy) and are definitely all about providing quality content.

Here is a link to SCG's website, and subsequent links to their Premium and Select areas:

Website:  http://www.starcitygames.com/

Premium Articles: http://www.starcitygames.com/tags/Premium

Select Articles (remember, these are always free!): http://www.starcitygames.com/tags/Select

Let me know in the comments what you think about SCG!


(Class purposes: Analyze top blog in your niche)