Our follow-up to the playing aggro episode. We talk about the different kinds of control decks, why they play different cards and the basic strategies they use to win. Playing Control http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/17667.html – “The Power of Making More Decisions” by Gavin Verhey This podcast is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. Music provided...

WARNING: THIS IS AN EPISODE FULL OF SPOILERS! We discuss some upcoming cards and our process for evaluating how those cards fit into various formats. Is card X constructed playable? Why might a seemingly bomb card not be so hot? This podcast is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. Music provided by Roots...

The great upheaval of the M10 rules changes are upon us! We discuss what these changes mean for how we play Magic. What gets better, what gets worse and how will it effect (or not) your typical game of Magic? Show Notes: Aaron Forsythe and Mark L. Gottlieb article on M10 Rules Changes – http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/feature/42a...

Do you shuffle enough? What about shuffling correctly? It’s a part of Magic most people don’t really consider very often but it can have a very significant impact on your opening 7. We discuss different kinds of shuffles, problems you can run into shuffling and things to watch out for in your opponent’s shuffles. Articles...

An often requested topic, we dive into the black art of sideboarding. What exactly is a sideboard, what is its purpose? What goes into a sideboard? When do you use it and how do you know what to take out for cards you’re bringing in? This podcast is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license....

We dive into the business of creating a deck from scratch. We discuss the ideas of mana curve, land distribution and sideboard selection. We also go through the process of choosing cards for a new Naya themed deck. Deck research resources http://magiccards.info http://gatherer.wizards.com http://deckcheck.net Crystal’s Example Deck —————— 4 Wooly Thoctar 4 Marisi’s Twinclaws 2...

You know the kind of card. You look at it, say “meh”, and pass it on by. But for some reason other people get excited by the card. What are they seeing? Why do seemingly “bad” cards get played in winning decks? We explore several examples of different kinds of “bad” cards that are, of...

Lots of listener feedback this week including several game play situations. We then investigate playing Aggro decks, how they operate and what trips them up. Some aggro deck related resources: http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/academy/30 http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/article/Aggro_deck This podcast is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. Music provided by Roots of Rebellion from their album The Looking Glass,...

We answer listener feedback and review a few game situations that were sent in. Crystal has a format she’d like to encourage new players to try out. Finally we talk about Evasion and ways of getting damage through when you turn your creatures sideways. http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/article/Evasion_ability Some history about Portal Three Kingdoms http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal_Three_Kingdoms This podcast is...

Combat, the setting for most interactions in Magic. Also, one of the easiest places to make a mistake. We break down the combat phase into its discreet steps, explain some of the tricks that can be performed, including our namesake, and hopefully clarify some of the more subtle interactions with trample, lifelink and regeneration. As...

We discuss what is a netdeck, why do some people consider it a bad practice, and how can using a netdeck make you a better player. http://deckcheck.net http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Default.aspx http://mtgsalvation.com http://starcitygames.com http://www.mtgthesource.com This podcast is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. Music provided by Roots of Rebellion from their album The Looking Glass, used...

Play mistakes? Who makes mistakes? We probably all recognize that Magic is a game of mistakes, and we all make plenty of them. We explore many of the common mistakes that are often habitual and then delve into some of the more subtle practices that should be recognized as mistakes that you should be aware...

Who’s this Bob guy, or Tim, and why do people keep referring to their Grizzly Bears? We delve into some of the slang of Magic and what it all means. We also have lots of feedback from last week’s show and a follow-up to last week’s puzzler. Articles about Interaction Advantage http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/misc/17038_Chatter_of_the_Squirrel_Interaction_Advantage_or_Card_Advantage_Is_Wrong_Kinda.html...

We’re joined this week by a new co-host, Jim Gorz. We are discussing The Stack, that most intimidating of constructs that is so essential to higher level Magic play. We look at different timings of effects in Magic, the main ways of generating those effects, and some of the many ways they can interact. We...

We explore the different basic archetypes of Magic: aggro, control and combo. We discuss what it is that makes a deck “aggro” or “control” and why it’s important to know which one your deck is. We discuss what an aggro deck needs to accomplish vs a control deck and why you need to understand the...

Damage On The Stack focuses on the technical aspects of Magic, specifically, how do we become better players. This is not a news show, although examples and references to the current metagame will certainly be brought up. Episodes are focused on various aspects of Magic such as how the tricker parts of combat work or...

Diving into “that other part of Magic” we look at the limited format. If you’re new to Magic or perhaps just a constructed stalwart, this episode introduces the basic ideas behind limited and some basic strategy. How do you evaluate cards in limited vs constructed, how do you decide what to draft, and how to...

Our follow-up to the playing aggro episode. We talk about the different kinds of control decks, why they play different cards and the basic strategies they use to win. Playing Control http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/17667.html – “The Power of Making More Decisions” by Gavin Verhey This podcast is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. Music provided...

WARNING: THIS IS AN EPISODE FULL OF SPOILERS! We discuss some upcoming cards and our process for evaluating how those cards fit into various formats. Is card X constructed playable? Why might a seemingly bomb card not be so hot? This podcast is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. Music provided by Roots...

Damage On The Stack #15 – M10 rules changes The great upheaval of the M10 rules changes are upon us! We discuss what these changes mean for how we play Magic. What gets better, what gets worse and how will it effect (or not) your typical game of Magic? Show Notes: Aaron Forsythe and Mark...

Do you shuffle enough? What about shuffling correctly? It’s a part of Magic most people don’t really consider very often but it can have a very significant impact on your opening 7. We discuss different kinds of shuffles, problems you can run into shuffling and things to watch out for in your opponent’s shuffles. Articles...

This week we delve into the complexities of timing and Magic is chocked full of them. How and when to best sac your pride mage for maximum effect. Can you respond to a sculler’s card stealing effects? Can a card played from under a Windbrisk Heights be countered? When is Double Negative maximally effective? This...

An often requested topic, we dive into the black art of sideboarding. What exactly is a sideboard, what is its purpose? What goes into a sideboard? When do you use it and how do you know what to take out for cards you’re bringing in? This podcast is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license....

You know the kind of card. You look at it, say “meh”, and pass it on by. But for some reason other people get excited by the card. What are they seeing? Why do seemingly “bad” cards get played in winning decks? We explore several examples of different kinds of “bad” cards that are, of...

Lots of listener feedback this week including several game play situations. We then investigate playing Aggro decks, how they operate and what trips them up. Some aggro deck related resources: http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/academy/30 http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/article/Aggro_deck This podcast is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. Music provided by Roots of Rebellion from their album The Looking Glass,...