Right on schedule, we have the release of the second set in the Return to Ravnica block in the form of Gatecrash. Considering how busy I’ve been over the last eight months, this set actually snuck up on me; it had only sunk in that “hey, yeah I get to draft” during the middle of the week. So, despite only following the spoilers leading up to the release of Gatecrash, I was going to have to try and not donate free packs to my friends regardless.

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This is a very, very late posting of the results of my second common cube draft, conducted in mid-September, 2012. The delay in posting this has a number of reasons, which will be explained later. Regardless, here is my recap of the second run through my common cube with some friend of mine, during a cottage excursion hosted by a friend and member of my regular play group.

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Since approximately half-way through the spoiler period for Avacyn Restored, I’ve been looking forward to Return to Ravnica. The final installment of the Innistrad block was severely disappointing to me, from both a constructed and limited perspective. Thankfully Magic 2013 delivered a return to normalcy, even in spite of it being a core set. The anticipation of Return to Ravnica was twofold; a new expert-level set release to wash away the sourness of Avacyn Restored, but also a chance to revisit one of the most highly lauded limited environments of all time. Read more

With the midly unpleasent Avacyn Restored now firmly in the rear-view mirror, the yearly iteration of the Magic: the Gathering core set has finally arrived. Magic 2013 comes as a welcome relief to this writer, as the lack of mention for the previously mentioned Avacyn Restored was not an accident — and that’s all I’m going to say about it. Ever since Wizards of the Coast shook-up the core set formula, opting for yearly releases and a better mixture of new and old cards, I have actually looked forward to their releases.

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Given my love of limited Magic, and my new found appreciation for cube drafting, I am please to announce the completion of my first Common Cube draft. After several months of acquiring cards and going through the preparatory work, the payoff finally came during a 2.5 day excursion to a friend’s cottage. Few things are more appealing to me than fresh air, a fridge full of cold beer, and the opportunity to play copious amounts of Magic.

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With the release of officially branded Commander products — including the official adoption of “Commander” as the format name, in lieu of “Elder Dragon Highlander” as it was known prior — it was not many months before Wizards of the Coast trademarked the name “Cube”. In the build-up to Wizards’ presentation at PAX East, the first glimpse at an official Cube offering was provided — a complete list of the cardpool for the Magic: the Gathering Online Cube.

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As with all set releases, my casual group and I held a draft on release day. Aside from the fact it’s a good excuse to open some more packs, drafting a brand new set is always a fun experience and, despite some disparities in general Magic skills, it puts the group on a relatively even playing field. Also, since we’ve opted to do Swiss style drafts, where everyone plays 3 matches, with each match win yielding a free pack, the drafts have been smother and arguably more rewarding.

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In an impromptu turn of events, our normal Friday Night Magic (FNM) games were cancelled at Kevin’s place, but our little Wednesday group was able to arrange to play at my house. Things didn’t run too late, but some good games were had. As usual for Wednesdays, there were three of us; Kevin, Marcel, and myself. Here is how things played out.

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Another week, and another set of mid-work-week games. For those who read last week’s recap, you’ll know that I was pretty much beaten up like I owed someone money. Will things be any different this week? Let’s find out.

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Finally, after a month-and-a-bit hiatus, the Wednesday night Magic games I’ve been hosting for the last 2-3 years are back in the swing of things. This past evening we were three people; we have a fourth who makes roughly as many yearly appearances as Sasquatch; or, I guess, a Mountain Yeti, given our context. Here’s how things played out.

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