A.L. Walser

Journalist at Draftsim

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Articles

The 20 Best Grixis Combos in Magic Ranked

3 days ago | draftsim.com | A.L. Walser

Nekusar, the Mindrazer | Illustration by Mark WintersCombos are the most efficient way to end a game of Commander. You might not like that fact, but it’s true; killing three players at 40 life is a hefty ask for a board full of creatures. Simply tossing a few cards together to get infinite whatever and eliminate three players is the cleanest way to go about it. And Grixis () has plenty of combos.
All 15 Instant and Sorcery Tutors in Magic Ranked

3 days ago | draftsim.com | A.L. Walser

Solve the Equation | Illustration by Lie SetiawanMagic would be an awfully easy game if you always had the card you need the turn you need it, don’t you think? I’m firmly within the school of thought that Magic’s variance is a boon, not a curse, but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate some consistency now and again. That’s where tutors come in. If you can run it in your deck, you can probably tutor for it.
The 23 Best Zombie Lords in Magic Ranked

4 days ago | draftsim.com | A.L. Walser

Eternal Skylord | Illustration by Johan GrenierMagic has a great many iconic fantasy creatures appearing throughout its 30+ year history, but few are as recognizable as the zombies. A creature type largely localized to black, these are some of the most classic monsters in any media. Like any well-established creature type, zombies have plenty of support pieces and lords.
5 Must-Know Facts About the Edge of Eternities Prerelease

5 days ago | draftsim.com | A.L. Walser

Edge of Eternities card art | Illustration by Andreas ZafiratosEdge of Eternities (EOE) looks like a thrilling set, if only because it’s so far from what Magic has explored in the past. There’s always been some science-fiction elements in Magic; look at The Brothers’ War, effectively fought by mechs Urza and Mishra built, or the much more recent Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty that fully embraced technology within the fantasy. As such, the EOE prerelease looks like an excellent event to hit up.
Secrets of Strixhaven Spoilers and Set Information

5 days ago | draftsim.com | A.L. Walser

Archway Commons | Illustration by Piotr DuraAny set that returns to a plane we’ve visited previously gives us a chance to revisit old friends and explore them in new contexts. I personally enjoy revisiting planes; they have so much history and let us explore characters and the setting in a way we simply can’t when coming to a plane for the first time.
Rusko, Clockmaker Brawl Deck Guide

1 week ago | draftsim.com | A.L. Walser

Rusko, Clockmaker | Illustration by Samuel PerinCommander’s popularity has led to a variety of offshoot formats like Duel Commander, which focuses on 1v1, or Oathbreaker, which gives planeswalkers attention they don’t receive in Commander proper. One of the more popular alternate formats is Brawl, which lives on MTG Arena. You get access to all sorts of Arena-exclusive Alchemy cards, but it also asks you to build decks differently than you would in Commander.
The Ultimate Guide to Threat Assessment in Commander

1 week ago | draftsim.com | A.L. Walser

Tymna the Weaver | Illustration by Winona NelsonCommander is an endlessly complex format. Magic itself is plenty complex, and that only grows as you have to factor in more than two board states. With every player throwing around spells—probably ones you haven’t even heard of due to the huge card pool—keeping track of what threats are the most prominent can be tricky.
All 6 Dimir Commander Precons in Magic Ranked

2 weeks ago | draftsim.com | A.L. Walser

Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver | Illustration by Chris RallisPrecons are always an interesting thing to review. They invariably fall short of player expectations, but they’re a handy on-ramp for new players, or players looking to get into Commander. We have so many these days that choosing the perfect precon for you can be overwhelming. I want to cut through that a bit. I’m reviewing all the Dimir () precons, the ones with a blue and black color identity.
The 32 Best Artifact Board Wipes in Magic Ranked

2 weeks ago | draftsim.com | A.L. Walser

Wrath of the Skies | Illustration by Alexandre HonoréArtifacts are easily Magic’s strongest card type; between historically powerful cards like two-thirds of the Power Nine to more modern threats like Smuggler's Copter, Bolas's Citadel, and Cori-Steel Cutter, artifacts get up to some nonsense in whatever format they enter. Wouldn’t it be nice to handle every nasty artifact all at once?
The 39 Best Black Cards in Final Fantasy Ranked

3 weeks ago | draftsim.com | A.L. Walser

Cecil, Dark Knight | Illustration by Josu HernaizFinal Fantasy is one of the juiciest Magic sets in some time, and it has a host of powerful cards, from the reprints to the new ones, in all colors. Most decks and formats get a little something from these cards. So what do the black mages get? Support for classic strategies, a few new toys, and reprints of some of black’s most iconic and most powerful cards.