Braden Gardner
Nothing beats a good strategy game. The process of discovering the perfect game plan, the anticipation as you assemble the cards to set it in motion, the nervousness that comes from waiting to see if your opponents have foiled you, and the thrill of finding out immerse you in the gameplay, invest you in its …
7 Wonders was a fixture of my board game shelf long before I got dedicated board game cabinets, so you can imagine my surprise when I recently discovered the existence of a 2nd edition of this iconic card drafting game. Released in 2020 to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the game’s original release, well…suddenly …
Card drafting games are some of my favorite board games, offering everything I like about drafting Magic: The Gathering (MTG) without the expense of having to buy packs every time I want to do so. I find the best draft environments offer a wide variety of strategies and experiences that keep you coming back for …
Richard Garfield has created several games I’ve logged many hours playing over the years, including Magic: the Gathering (MTG), RoboRally, and King of Tokyo (including the significantly improved Dark Edition). I personally enjoy how relatively simple each of these games is on its surface when compared to the strategic potential found within, and consider this …
Released in Alara Reborn, a set famous for being exclusively made up of gold cards in 2009, Mage Slayer was part of a cycle of uncommon Equipment cards. These 5 (which also included Behemoth Sledge, Demonspine Whip, Mask of Riddles, and Shield of the Righteous), along with Unscythe, Killer of Kings, were the first colored …
One of the best parts of Dungeons & Dragons is identifying and divvying up loot. Whether your DM is sneaking in some homebrew items or you’re just getting cool swag from the Dungeon Master’s Guide, equipping your character with new gear always feels good. That’s why it constantly surprises me that it took Wizards of …
The mana system of MTG is one of the most important mechanics in the entire game. Each color traditionally gets access to specific types of cards and strategies, and powerful cards typically cost more mana than weaker cards. Since you can only play 1 land a turn, you’re gradually able to escalate the power level …
I’m often asked what makes a good Commander deck, and the answer I give sometimes surprises them, as they’ll expect me to say something along the lines of “power”, “speed”, or “win percentage”. While these are all useful statistics, my answer paraphrases a line from the book Rocket Boys (a fantastic read by the way!), …