Useful Articles

[Ric_Flair]

So for a while there has been discussion of having a thread with the classic articles in Magic on it.  A while ago, I tried to gather the best of the best together.  I have the following articles on my list of classics.  This is by no means an exhaustive list, but I think that no list would be complete without these articles.

The Way of the Sideboard
by Rob Dougherty

http://www.wizards.com/sideboard/article.asp?x=sb20001220b

The Danger of Cool Things
by Chad Ellis

http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/expandnews.php?Article=3689

Who's the Beatdown?
by Mike Flores

http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/expandnews.php?Article=3692

Finding the Tinker Deck
by Mike Flores

http://www.wizards.com/sideboard/article.asp?x=sb20010607a

Everything is a Time Walk
by Scott Keller

http://www.newwavegames.com/strategy/articles/sep00/scke0907.html

Here's a working link:
http://members.fortunecity.com/dlanod/magic/theories/timewalk.html

Clear the Land and the Fundamental Turn
by Zvi Mowshowitz

http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/expandnews.php?Article=3688

The Rule
by Zvi Mowshowitz

http://www.wizards.com/sideboard/article.asp?x=sb20001016a

Tempo and Card Advantage
by Eric Taylor

http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/expandnews.php?Article=3690


I am sure there are others.  PM me with suggestions and I will add them to the list.  I ask that you do this instead of posting to prevent double posts and to keep this list neat in hopes that a mod makes it a sticky.  Matt and Steve I know you have lists of these things, share with us. 

Thanks everyone.

EDIT: Articles listed alphabetically by author
Stickied! Interesting stuff Ric, Great post!

Here's all the other articles suggested in the thread:

Advanced Strategy: Investment
by Mike Flores

The Metagame Clock
by Leon Workman

The Ferrett's List of Fundamental Articles

Know Thy Self - Introduction, Intuition, and Time Management - Scott Johns

Basic Rogue Deck Design: Natural Strategy, Anti-Strategy, and Strategy Superiority
By Mike Flores

Not so much about building decks, but still awesome (and so timeless)

Mind over Magic
By Robert Hahn

The philosophy of fire

This new article by Flores contains a good deal of interesting material to think about.

http://www.sirlin.net/Features/feature_PlayToWinPart1.htm

An excellent article about competitive gaming in general.

I think this article might be worth adding to the thread on articles to read (if we move it back).

http://web.archive.org/web/20000517175514/www.thedojo.com/school/decks/dcl.981231zmo.txt

It’s a  Zvi piece very similar in some ways to JP’s “there can be only one articleâ€?.

Realizing how bad you are - Mike Flores

The Mathematics of Magic: The Gathering - Jon Prywes

And of course, the best Tournament Report Ever:
Type 1 Players Have All the Fun - Bryce Reynolds

One of my personal favorites, because it's so easy and so powerful, especially in T1:

The Art Of The Mulligan - Ken Krouner

And the second part

[Jacob Orlove]

I hope nobody minds some shameless self-promotion, but here's the link to my article:

Putting it All Together
by Jacob Orlove

Please add more links, if you have any good suggestions.

[Chamelet]

Just a thought:
Could you guys organize the topic so it would be clearer to see what articles there are and what are them about?
You know, just formatting it in some kind of pattern. That's it

[Vegeta2711]

Doug Linn: Metagaming
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/8943.html

Ben Goodman: Lessons From Losses
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/11688.html
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/11711.html

Richard Feldman: The Process of Choosing Your Deck
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/11387.html

The Effects of Misplays
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/11401.html

[Space_Stormy]

This should keep you busy for a while:

Study and Grow Strong - Tournament Reports
Dan Paskins:

http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/8669.html

[Vegeta2711]

These are general and the premium ones I list are now un-premium, hence you mere mortals can read them and bask in their glory. Everyone who wants to get better at magic should read these.

Playing and Winning in The Zone by Noah Weil
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/11692.html

What Level Are You? Evaluating Magic Play by Raphael Levy
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/11419.html

Ben Goodman: Lessons From Losses
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/11688.html
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/11711.html

Richard Feldman: The Process of Choosing Your Deck
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/11387.html

The Effects of Misplays
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/11401.html

The Glass Cannon - Feldman
http://www.starcitygames.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=295985

Chapin - Information Cascades
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/12201.html

[Vegeta2711]

Maindeck Choices- Zac Hill
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/14313.html

Overcoming the 4-1 Dogma in Numbers - Adrian Sullivan
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/14482.html

Grinder Times - Standing Out in an Information Rich Time - Adrian Sullivan
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/9162.html

Forgiveness - Adrian Sullivan
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/13926.html

Fortress Theory - Richard Feldman
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/14347.html

Swallowing your Pride for Profit - Feldman
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/14580.html

Some of these are still premium, but about half of them aren't and are excellent.

[wiley]

So I've been trying to make a vintage encyclopedia over on the mothership's forums and have made up a collection of useful articles for magic players in general as well as vintage players.  Here is what I have so far (note this includes everything [I think] posted in this thread so far as well as some others)

#
2008 Vintage Year in Review - Stephen Menendian
2007 Vintage Year in Review - Stephen Menendian
2006 Vintage Year in Review, Part 2 - Stephen Menendian
2006 Vintage Year in Review, Part 1 - Stephen Menendian
2005 Vintage Year in Review, Part 2 - Stephen Menendian
2005 Vintage Year in Review, Part 1 - Stephen Menendian
2004 Vintage Year in Review - Stephen Menendian

A
Advanced Strategy: Investment - Mike Flores
The Art Of The Mulligan - Ken Krouner
The Art Of The Mulligan: Eight Case Studies - Ken Krouner

B
Basic Rogue Deck Design: Natural Strategy, Anti-Strategy, and Strategy Superiority - Mike Flores
The Basics of Playing the Game: Paranoia is Good - Peter Jahn
Better Lucky Than Good: Seven Ways to Get Lucky - Patrick Chapin
Bluffing Drains and Storming Brains: How to Play Control in Vintage - Stephen Menendian
Building God, Part 3: Any Given Sunday - Mike Mason
Building God, Part 4: Playtesting, Tweaking, Conclusion - Mike Mason

C
Clear The Land And The Fundamental Turn - Zvi Mowshowitz

D
The Danger Of Cool Things.... - Chad Ellis
Deck Clinic 4: Drifting toward Counterphoenix - Zvi Mowshowitz

E
The Effects of Misplays - Richard Feldman
Everything is a Time Walk - Scott Keller
Examining The Theories Of Card Advantage And Quality - Will Rieffer

F
Finding the Tinker Deck - Mike Flores
Forgiveness - Adrian Sullivan
Forgotten Lore: Mind Over Magic - Robert Hahn
Fortress Theory - Richard Feldman

G
The Glass Cannon - Richard Feldman
Grinder Times - Standing Out in an Information Rich Time - Adrian Sullivan

H
How to Do Your Very Own Metagame Analysis - Adrian Sullivan

I
Information Cascades in Magic - Patrick Chapin
Investigating Fetchlands - Christopher Coppola
Is That Your Card? - The Ferrett

K
Know Thy Self - Introduction, Intuition, and Time Management - Scott Johns

L
Learning From The Big Mistakes - Adrian Sullivan
Lessons from Losses: First (and Foremost) - Ben Goodman
Lessons from Losses: Four Skullclamp - Ben Goodman

M
Maindeck Choices - Zac Hill
Math, Chance, and Winning - Adrian Sullivan
Mathemagics: Onslaught Fetchlands - Garrett Johnson
The Mathematics of Magic: The Gathering - Jon Prywes
The Metagame Clock - Leon Workman
Metagaming - Doug Linn
Mmmmmmmmmana...Five Rules For Avoiding Mana-Screw - Jay Moldenhauer-Salazar

O
Overcoming the 4-1 Dogma in Numbers - Adrian Sullivan

P
The Past as Prologue: Extended 1999-2000 - Peter Jahn
The Past as Prologue: Extended 2000-2001 - Peter Jahn
The Past as Prologue: Extended 2001-2002 - Peter Jahn
The Past as Prologue: Extended 2002-2003 - Peter Jahn
The Past as Prologue: Extended 2003-2004 - Peter Jahn
The Philosophy of Fire - Mike Flores
Playing and Winning in The Zone - Noah Weil
Playing to Win, Part 0: Why Bother? - David Sirlin
Play to Win, Part 1 - David Sirlin
Playing to Win, Part 2: Mailbag. Rebuttals and Clarifications - David Sirlin
Playing to Win, Part 3. Not Playing to Win - David Sirlin
Playing to Win Example: Richard Hatch on Survivor - David Sirlin
The Process of Choosing Your Deck - Richard Feldman
Putting It All Together - Jacob Orlove
Realizing How Bad You Are - Mike Flores

R
The Rule - Zvi Mowshowitz

S
Schools of Magic -  Rob Hahn
School of Sligh-Kimes - Frank S. Kusumoto
Sheldon Menery's Archives - Sheldon Menery
Stuck In The Middle With Bruce - John F. Rizzo
Study and Grow Strong - Tournament Reports - Dan Paskins
Swallowing Your Pride for Profit - Richard Feldman

T
Tempo And Card Advantage - Eric "Danger" Taylor, a.k.a. EDT

V
The Vintage FAQ - [stew]

W
The Way of the Sideboard - Robert Dougherty
What Level Are You? Evaluating Magic Play - Raphael Levy
Who's The Beatdown? - Mike Flores
Why Decks Fail. - PipOC

Y
You CAN Play Type I series - Oscar Tan

EDIT 01-12-09: Added the Year In Reviews

[Mantis]

In my opinion the best game theory article ever: http://www.sirlin.net/articles/playing-to-win-example-richard-hatch-on-survivor.html

It's about the TV show Survivor where a few people get dumped on a deserted Island and vote each other off while playing dexterity games to achieve immunity (the game itself is pretty lame but that's not what it's about so don't judge too soon)

'A four person voting alliance was not something Rich stumbled into; it was his plan all along, starting before he ever set foot on the island. Not a single other player had even considered such a thing. The other players reacted in classic scrub fashion to Rich’s plan, calling it “no fun.” I was just waiting for someone to call it “cheap.” The other players were bound up by their own made-up rules of honor—rules the game has no knowledge of. The game knows nothing but winning and losing. One player said, “It’s no fun to sit around and get picked off one by one by an alliance. If that’s the way the game is going to be, then I don’t want to play.” Good. Get off. Why did you show up in the first place if not to win?'

[CorwinB]

I think the Complete Vintage Checklist deserves a spot in this thread, especially now that the article is free :
The Complete Vintage Checklist (Stephen Menendian)

[Cyberpunker]

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=8771

"No Such Thing as Luck" By Greg McCleery.

This article really shaped the way I viewed and played magic. Yes there is probability involved, but you can influence your own luck.

[CorwinB]

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=8771

"No Such Thing as Luck" By Greg McCleery.

This article really shaped the way I viewed and played magic. Yes there is probability involved, but you can influence your own luck.

I remember this one, where the author advises stacking your deck before shuffling in order to avoid land pockets. No wonder he claims there is no such thing as luck after that...  More seriously, there are a some good points in the rest of the article, although I found Patrick Chapin's work on the same subject in his book is a much more informative and enjoyable read.

[brokenbacon]

Sweet necro.....