The TCG Shack

     I posted in my blog on this site a few minutes ago about the new format coming out, Kaleidoscope.  I was mentioning how I plan on most likely beginning to write articles about the format to keep the community up to date on the format and the metagame.  I also wanted to let everyone know that I plan on having a "real" website up within a month (hopefully more along the lines of roughly two weeks).  I have yet to determine the domain name that I really want.  I am actually going to make a forum post for you guys to throw in your feedback if you have any suggestions/ideas.  

     As a final note for this post,  as I continue to produce/attempt to improve "The TCG Show", I am looking to reach out to the community and potentially team up with another person with entusiasm for the game and willing to put forth the effort to publish a good show.  I would love to have a co-host for the show in order to get a more rounded view of topics brought up for discussion.  It will also fill in gaps in content/coverage that I may have breezed over that someone else, aka the co-host, would have read that they can fill everyone else in on.  It will not only increase the content of the show, but it will also increase the quality if done properly.  The co-host would also be able to run their own series of articles or whatnot for that community, whatever they wanted to publish, granted it is quality material.  I would obviously want to get to know the potential co-host(s) and make sure that they would fit the style of the show, show enthusiasm for wanting to prduce a quality show, and be willing to do the research required to know the subject being brought up for topic in the coming show.  I just want to put forth the effort and quality in production for my contribution to the community.  

     So the preview card has been out a while and everyone has had time to disect it.  Turns out that the Alara Reborn set is going to be ALL GOLD!  That's right.  As you can tell from the card it is 1/145.  With how Wizards has compiled sets in the past, this would imply that the entire set would be gold.  Thanks to MTGCast, their most recent episode was accompanied by a link to a pdf page that is being sent to distributors.  It specifically states that they can market this set as the first all gold set ever! (Promo guide for Alara Reborn)  Anyways, I think this is going to be an exciting, albeit interesting move for Wizard.  Shard of Alara brought us three color decks again, and Conflux began to lean us in a potential five color deck with some great 5-color cards.  Now, with the upcoming Alara Reborn, we will have an all gold set to accompany the current playstyle.  I think this will make for an interesting end to the block and could make for some very fun limited play.  I will be out of town for the weekend, but I wil try my best to add an update or two while I am gone.  I also plan on doing a Singapore write-up potentially as well as some form of Beginner's guide for the MTGO community.  But until next time....

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Also going to be working on other mediums (i.e. Facebook/Myspace, etc.) to allow people to stay up to date if they would like. 

     Just a few days ago, a new website was launched relating to Magic, Channel Fireball.  If any of you watched Pro Tour Kyoto, you will know this is a new site run by LSV (Luis Scott-Vargas) and many other respectable/knowledgable pro tour vets, judges, etc.  This site is still rather bare, but it is bound to be an incredible website backed by arguably one of the best player in the world right now, and his circle of friends.  I know I have already read all the articles on the site and am looking forward to more.  As the content gets filled out on Channel Fireball I am sure it will be an incredible MTG strategy/new website, and it also has a Store!  They have many things including Grad Prix: Los Angeles cards (spoils of winning GP:LA, LSV?  Anyways I recommend the site and will be recommending more in the future.  Grats LSV and the entire crew on the new website, good luck!

     I have added most of the footage of the top 8 from Pro Tour Kyoto now in my videos section.  I have also posted many new draft videos with many more on the way (I will be doing another Swiss AAC event this afternoon).  I am sticking with the Swiss events at the moment just because I feel as though it is giving me the most "bang for the buck".  I get to do the draft and the get the experience of three tournament style games instead of a potential early finish and get sent packing.  I will definitely play 4-3-2-2's and 8-4'sin the future, (in fact, that's what I began on) but I just like getting the extra footage in which I can teach myself where I went wrong and where I did good and have you guys do some of the same.  I will have the finals of Pro Tour Kyoto on my viddler.com page very soon (they finished uploading, they just need to encode now).  Also, full coverage of yesterday's draft will be up tonight, as well as hopefully today's draft.  Until then, please keep visiting as many new things will be getting added, and please continue the feedback, Thanks.

    Hello and Welcome to TCG Shack. This website was founded March 2, 2009 with the intent of providing videos, articles, deck tech, and generally anything important regarding TCGs (mainly my two TCGs of choice: World of Warcraft and Magic: The Gathering). This website will look at learning to play either of these games and how to improve upon one's play. I am new to TCGs myself, so I by no means consider myself and expert or anything close. I simply wish to bring insight into these two games with the hope that people will learn a thing or two they didn't know, myself included.

     I just finished up a Swiss draft...went 1-2 but all with close games. I will be putting up a write-up of the draft itself as well as the three rounds sometime this evening most likely. I will also be recording my first draft(CCC) for you views/critiques tonight as well, although it probably wont be up until sometime tomorrow. With the videos I am posting, if I made a wrong move or a wrong decision drafting, let me know. I am making this site for people who would like to learn a thing or two to improve their magic prowess and I need improvement as well. Only way I can learn something is if someone points out my mistakes so I can go see where i went wrong.

      Anyways, I'm off to a friends house to celebrate his 21st Bday. I will hopefully have a few of my own articles up and ready in the next few days whether it be draft coverage or beginner's articles as well as my first deck tech which will involve a budget RDW deck that has given me good success in my experience. Thanks for stopping by, until next time....