Lab Report 30: Breaking the Arena Rut

Lately, logging into MTG Arena has felt like déjà vu—every match a mirror of the last with the same handful of aggro or control decks steamrolling the ladder. That happens because players chase the quickest win for rank, net-deck the “safe” lists, and reinforce a cycle that favors consistency over creativity. But you don’t have to settle for monotony. Switch it up: dive into Historic or Alchemy to rediscover oddball mechanics, queue Brawl or Momir for pure silliness, or even try off-peak hours when the meta softens. Better yet, brew your own 60-card rogue list—mix 30% proven hits with 70% personal favorites—and give yourself mini-challenges like “only one-drop wins” or “no mulligans below six.” Join a community league with house rules or bans to force fresh strategies. Arena’s default shows you what’s “best” right now, but your real fun comes from breaking that mold. Shake up your queues, embrace the weird, and remember why you fell in love with Magic’s endless possibilities.

— madsaxxon, Tibalt’s Apprentice

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Lab Report 059: I Hate Alchemy (and Why Nice Guys Finish Last on Arena)

I Hate Alchemy (and Why Nice Guys Finish Last on Arena) “A wise ruler ought never to keep faith when by doing so it would be against his interests.” Let me get this out of the way up front: I hate Alchemy. Hate it. Despise it. The digital-only nonsense, the endless “rebalancing,” the half-baked mechanics that would collapse under their own weight if they ever had to exist in cardboard form—Alchemy feels like Magic’s integrity got fed into a paper shredder just so someone in accounting could hit their quarterly bonus. Sure, the official line is that it keeps the game “fresh” and “exciting.” But let’s not kid ourselves. This isn’t about fresh gameplay—it’s about milking the cow until it keels over. And here’s the real kicker: nobody cares. Nobody at Wizards cares that Alchemy cheapens the game. Nobody on the Arena ladder cares if you’re stubbornly refusing to play the busted cards. Nobody gives you a shiny badge of honor for “staying true to real Magic.” If anythin...

Lab Report 001: The Binary Trap — Why Fun Should Be the Goal

LAB REPORT 001: The Binary Trap — Why Fun Should Be the Goal Commander is one of the richest formats in Magic, but all too often I see players fall into what I call the binary trap . It's the idea that there's only one acceptable outcome: winning. When winning is your only goal, the game becomes black and white—either you win and have fun, or you lose and walk away disappointed. Every card, every turn, every interaction is judged by whether it contributes to a victory, and if it doesn’t, it’s seen as a waste. That’s a lot of pressure to put on a game. But when you make fun your primary objective, the whole game opens up. Suddenly, there are infinite shades of gray between winning and losing. You start to notice the little victories—the perfect topdeck, the unlikely combo that almost goes off, the chaos you unleash with a single card. You laugh more. You engage more. You remember more. Fun doesn’t have to be the opposite of winning—it can include it—but it’s far more susta...

Lab Report 24: Why Archenemy is the Perfect Format for Streaming

Lab Report 24: Why Archenemy is the Perfect Format for Streaming by madsaxxon, Tibalt’s Apprentice So here’s a spicy take for the streamers, the guests, and the chaos gremlins alike: Archenemy might just be the perfect way to play Commander on stream. I had the chance to join a streamed Archenemy game hosted by Jake the Lithomancer . Jake’s known for combining janky brews, flavorful storytelling, and just enough chaos to keep things unpredictable. You’ll find him streaming these wild Commander sessions on Twitch and sharing game highlights and deckbuilding thoughts over at @jake_the_lithomancer . Now, let’s get the basics out of the way—Archenemy is a variant format where one player becomes “the archenemy” and takes on a team of three opponents. The twist? The archenemy starts with 40 life, draws two cards per turn, and gets a ridiculous bonus each turn from a deck of scheme cards—oversized, splashy effects that feel like a blend between cheating and plot armor. And yes, it’...

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