Geekenstein

Category: Card Games

  • Beginner’s Guide to Magic Part 2: Your First Deck

    Preservation edition · October 3, 2026 · Geekenstein Editorial

    Historical source: Jake Petersen; January 3, 2013. This is a newly written, condensed account of the retained coverage, with original opinions attributed to their writer. It is not a full-text reproduction or a new firsthand review.

    The historical coverage

    The second instalment of Petersen’s beginner series continued beyond the initial introduction toward playing and making card choices. It followed the December 2012 article rather than replacing it with an unrelated advanced format guide.

    For a newcomer, the series’ lasting value is its order: acquire enough vocabulary to follow a game, then use that knowledge to understand decisions. A deck’s plan, mana requirements and the timing of its plays are more useful starting questions than chasing an impressive individual card.

    The historical January 2013 context is retained. Present card legality, product availability and competitive recommendations require current sources. The linked KLX lesson supplies new teaching examples and an explicitly illustrative deck shell; those examples are not attributed to Petersen and are not claimed as his missing original list.

    A present-day reading note

    The following is new editorial analysis, separate from the historical writer’s words and play report.

    For Standard, check the current legal sets and banned list before buying singles. A historical deck is not made legal by appearing in an old beginner article. Commander uses a different construction model; learning a 60-card duel first can make that larger multiplayer format less overwhelming.

    Continue with a sourced reference

    For the wider topic and primary references, read How to start playing Magic: The Gathering on KLXCards. The historical assessment above remains a separate, dated source.

    Source and omissions

    The original article container was retained in a Common Crawl capture dated 2015-09-02. Original prose, biography, advertisements and images are not republished. Named recordings are linked only where the original public upload is verified. Missing full deck quantities and media are stated rather than invented.

    Common Crawl source record · Historical capture 20150902103046.

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  • MtG: Beginner’s Guide to Cubing

    Preservation edition · October 3, 2026 · Geekenstein Editorial

    Historical source: Max Magnuson; July 16, 2013. This is a newly written, condensed account of the retained coverage, with original opinions attributed to their writer. It is not a full-text reproduction or a new firsthand review.

    The historical coverage

    The article’s closing credit identifies Max Magnuson, which is more specific than the generic contributor label in the surrounding template. He introduced a cube as a reusable draft environment shaped by its owner rather than a fixed retail set.

    His discussion considered archetypes, powered and unpowered environments, balance and pool size. A larger pool offered variety while making particular support cards less certain to appear. Storage, consistent sleeves and a separate basic-land supply were practical parts of the project.

    Magnuson described preferences and experience with his own cube. Those observations are attributed to him; this edition does not claim a fresh draft trial. The linked guide develops a new planning worksheet and explains the arithmetic of an eight-player, three-pack draft. That new example is labelled as a design exercise rather than the contributor’s complete cube list.

    A present-day reading note

    The following is new editorial analysis, separate from the historical writer’s words and play report.

    For example, a blue-black graveyard module might contain ways to stock the graveyard, rewards for using it and removal that buys time. A red-black sacrifice module can share expendable creatures with that plan. Shared pieces give drafters more routes to recover from a contested lane.

    Continue with a sourced reference

    For the wider topic and primary references, read A beginner’s guide to building and drafting a Magic cube on KLXCards. The historical assessment above remains a separate, dated source.

    Source and omissions

    The original article container was retained in a Common Crawl capture dated 2017-07-26. Original prose, biography, advertisements and images are not republished. Named recordings are linked only where the original public upload is verified. Missing full deck quantities and media are stated rather than invented.

    Common Crawl source record · Historical capture 20170726123019.

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  • The Dead Shall Serve – MtG Commander Deck

    Preservation edition · October 3, 2026 · Geekenstein Editorial

    Historical source: Jake Petersen; April 20, 2013. This is a newly written, condensed account of the retained coverage, with original opinions attributed to their writer. It is not a full-text reproduction or a new firsthand review.

    The historical coverage

    The Dead Shall Serve identified Sheoldred, Whispering One as its commander. It was a mono-black control and reanimation plan, not an unidentified tribal list inferred from the article’s title.

    Petersen discussed ways to move creatures into the graveyard and ways to return them. Searching, discarding and recurring served different roles in establishing the engine. The plan could generate value from creatures that were difficult to cast normally, while control elements bought time.

    The complete linked historical list is not recovered as a verified ninety-nine-card inventory. This edition does not manufacture one or repeat dramatic success language as a measured result. The new companion analysis considers graveyard removal, commander removal and independent recovery so readers can understand the archetype’s constraints alongside its appeal.

    A present-day reading note

    The following is new editorial analysis, separate from the historical writer’s words and play report.

    Do not confuse this deck with a generic “dead shall serve” tribal label. Its mono-black control and recursion plan has vulnerabilities to graveyard removal and repeated commander removal. A new list should include independent ways to function when its graveyard is unavailable.

    Continue with a sourced reference

    For the wider topic and primary references, read Classic Commander archetypes: Wrexial, Ghave, Ruric Thar and Sheoldred on KLXCards. The historical assessment above remains a separate, dated source.

    Source and omissions

    The original article container was retained in a Common Crawl capture dated 2017-08-22. Original prose, biography, advertisements and images are not republished. Named recordings are linked only where the original public upload is verified. Missing full deck quantities and media are stated rather than invented.

    Common Crawl source record · Historical capture 20170822184826.

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  • MtG Commander Decklist: Ruric Thar, the Unbowed

    Preservation edition · October 3, 2026 · Geekenstein Editorial

    Historical source: Jake Petersen; August 22, 2013. This is a newly written, condensed account of the retained coverage, with original opinions attributed to their writer. It is not a full-text reproduction or a new firsthand review.

    The historical coverage

    Petersen presented a creature-only Ruric Thar Commander build. He began with the commander’s incentives: a substantial penalty for noncreature spells, vigilance and a requirement to attack. The requirement also put the commander in danger rather than providing only upside.

    The article’s premise was to meet deck roles through creatures. That is more specific than simply calling the deck aggressive. Utility, recovery and answers still mattered, even when the construction constraint removed many usual noncreature options.

    The retained prose does not supply a recovered complete ninety-nine-card list with verified quantities. This edition therefore preserves the constraint and reasoning without inventing one. The companion guide examines creature-based utility and the costs of choosing exceptions to a creature-heavy plan; it does not claim Petersen tested a new list.

    A present-day reading note

    The following is new editorial analysis, separate from the historical writer’s words and play report.

    Examine your own noncreature spells as carefully as opponents’ spells. A necessary answer may be worth its penalty, but that is a decision to plan rather than discover mid-game. Creature-based utility can preserve the deck’s identity without treating every creature as an attacker.

    Continue with a sourced reference

    For the wider topic and primary references, read Classic Commander archetypes: Wrexial, Ghave, Ruric Thar and Sheoldred on KLXCards. The historical assessment above remains a separate, dated source.

    Source and omissions

    The original article container was retained in a Common Crawl capture dated 2015-08-28. Original prose, biography, advertisements and images are not republished. Named recordings are linked only where the original public upload is verified. Missing full deck quantities and media are stated rather than invented.

    Common Crawl source record · Historical capture 20150828065540.

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  • Ghave, Guru of Spores Token Swarm EDH

    Preservation edition · October 3, 2026 · Geekenstein Editorial

    Historical source: Jake Petersen; publication date unverified. This is a newly written, condensed account of the retained coverage, with original opinions attributed to their writer. It is not a full-text reproduction or a new firsthand review.

    The historical coverage

    Petersen explicitly described his Ghave build as an army-of-tokens plan with a smaller sacrifice subtheme. He distinguished it from a version built around broken combos. That stated intention matters because the same commander can support very different table experiences.

    Creating tokens, increasing their strength and finding another use for them when attacks were unattractive formed the article’s central connection. Its appeal was synergy and board pressure rather than repeated stack-heavy interaction with every opposing play.

    The linked full decklist has not been recovered as a verified quantified list. This edition preserves the stated plan without filling that gap. The companion worksheet explains how to distinguish a resource-consuming engine from an infinite loop and how to describe a deck’s intended pace before a multiplayer game.

    A present-day reading note

    The following is new editorial analysis, separate from the historical writer’s words and play report.

    For a learning build, write down the cost and result of each repeated action. Does the sequence consume mana, counters or creatures? Can it repeat without an outside resource? That worksheet helps distinguish a flexible engine from an infinite combo and makes the sequence understandable to the table.

    Continue with a sourced reference

    For the wider topic and primary references, read Classic Commander archetypes: Wrexial, Ghave, Ruric Thar and Sheoldred on KLXCards. The historical assessment above remains a separate, dated source.

    Source and omissions

    The original article container was retained in a Common Crawl capture dated 2013-12-08. Original prose, biography, advertisements and images are not republished. Named recordings are linked only where the original public upload is verified. Missing full deck quantities and media are stated rather than invented.

    Common Crawl source record · Historical capture 20131208105133.

    Browse Geekenstein · Attribution and corrections

  • Commander Profile: Wrexial, The Risen Deep

    Preservation edition · October 3, 2026 · Geekenstein Editorial

    Historical source: Jake Petersen; publication date unverified. This is a newly written, condensed account of the retained coverage, with original opinions attributed to their writer. It is not a full-text reproduction or a new firsthand review.

    The historical coverage

    Petersen’s Wrexial deck discussion used opponents’ graveyards as a source of value. Discard and milling could stock those graveyards, while Wrexial’s ability to connect with an opponent supported using their instant and sorcery cards.

    The plan also had a table-politics dimension. Broad discard effects could help create resources but attract hostility. The deck needed to develop a position and survive long enough to exploit its commander, rather than relying only on a single successful attack.

    The retained article supports the archetype and named card roles, but its linked complete decklist was not recovered as a verified ninety-nine-card list. We do not invent quantities. The new companion analysis examines enablers, payoffs, interaction and recovery and identifies it as archetype analysis rather than a reconstructed full historical deck.

    A present-day reading note

    The following is new editorial analysis, separate from the historical writer’s words and play report.

    Separate cards that stock graveyards from cards that exploit them. Include protection and interaction so the deck is not simply waiting to connect with its commander. Table-wide discard can create political costs: forcing several opponents to lose options may focus their removal on you.

    Continue with a sourced reference

    For the wider topic and primary references, read Classic Commander archetypes: Wrexial, Ghave, Ruric Thar and Sheoldred on KLXCards. The historical assessment above remains a separate, dated source.

    Source and omissions

    The original article container was retained in a Common Crawl capture dated 2013-12-05. Original prose, biography, advertisements and images are not republished. Named recordings are linked only where the original public upload is verified. Missing full deck quantities and media are stated rather than invented.

    Common Crawl source record · Historical capture 20131205132213.

    Browse Geekenstein · Attribution and corrections

  • Commander: Gatecrash In-Depth Set Review Part I

    Preservation edition · October 3, 2026 · Geekenstein Editorial

    Historical source: Jake Petersen; publication date unverified. This is a newly written, condensed account of the retained coverage, with original opinions attributed to their writer. It is not a full-text reproduction or a new firsthand review.

    The historical coverage

    Petersen’s first Gatecrash Commander assessment organised notable cards by colour and discussed them as multiplayer tools. He explicitly presented the choices as opinion informed by his own play, with hits and misses rather than a claim that every new card belonged in every deck.

    The discussion included the utility of effects such as Blind Obedience in a defensive plan. The important reasoning concerned what a card did for an existing strategy: delaying opponents, producing value or supplying an answer. That role-based approach is more informative than a rarity ranking.

    The second article continued into the guild cards. This edition keeps the two instalments distinct and supplies no fabricated full card-by-card ranking or present price forecast. The companion reference describes all five guild mechanics and a modern evaluation worksheet, clearly separated from Petersen’s historical opinions.

    A present-day reading note

    The following is new editorial analysis, separate from the historical writer’s words and play report.

    Extort can have multiplayer relevance because several opponents may be affected, but its payment still competes with other mana uses. Evolve wants a sequence of creatures with suitable statistics. A keyword’s presence alone does not establish that a card is a Commander staple.

    Continue with a sourced reference

    For the wider topic and primary references, read Gatecrash: guild mechanics, the prerelease and Commander roles on KLXCards. The historical assessment above remains a separate, dated source.

    Source and omissions

    The original article container was retained in a Common Crawl capture dated 2013-12-12. Original prose, biography, advertisements and images are not republished. Named recordings are linked only where the original public upload is verified. Missing full deck quantities and media are stated rather than invented.

    Common Crawl source record · Historical capture 20131212074649.

    Browse Geekenstein · Attribution and corrections

  • Geekenstein’s Definitive Commander Drinking Game

    Preservation edition · October 3, 2026 · Geekenstein Editorial

    Historical source: Jake Petersen; publication date unverified. This is a newly written, condensed account of the retained coverage, with original opinions attributed to their writer. It is not a full-text reproduction or a new firsthand review.

    The historical coverage

    Petersen’s Commander social variant tied game actions and table politics to drinking triggers. Its categories included ordinary gameplay, commander events, combat and interactions between players. It was a house-rule activity, not an official Commander rules document.

    The old article also belongs to a different rules period. References to commander tuck interactions must not be carried into present play without checking current rules. This edition records the variant’s subject and context without recreating a consumption schedule or encouraging escalating penalties.

    The companion resource offers a newly written alcohol-free alternative using optional tokens, capped at one milestone per turn. Players can decline it and normal game outcomes remain unchanged. That is an adaptation by the current editorial team, not a rule attributed to Petersen or evidence of his endorsement.

    A present-day reading note

    The following is new editorial analysis, separate from the historical writer’s words and play report.

    An optional alcohol-free alternative is to award at most one token per turn for a pre-agreed milestone such as casting a commander or saving another player. Ignore the tokens for game outcomes and let every player opt out. Keep the normal rules intact and avoid a system that punishes a player for being targeted.

    Continue with a sourced reference

    For the wider topic and primary references, read Classic Commander archetypes: Wrexial, Ghave, Ruric Thar and Sheoldred on KLXCards. The historical assessment above remains a separate, dated source.

    Source and omissions

    The original article container was retained in a Common Crawl capture dated 2014-03-08. Original prose, biography, advertisements and images are not republished. Named recordings are linked only where the original public upload is verified. Missing full deck quantities and media are stated rather than invented.

    Common Crawl source record · Historical capture 20140308082005.

    Browse Geekenstein · Attribution and corrections

  • Commander: Gatecrash In-Depth Set Review Part II: The Guilds

    Preservation edition · October 3, 2026 · Geekenstein Editorial

    Historical source: Jake Petersen; publication date unverified. This is a newly written, condensed account of the retained coverage, with original opinions attributed to their writer. It is not a full-text reproduction or a new firsthand review.

    The historical coverage

    The second Gatecrash Commander article continued the set review through the guild cards. Petersen considered utility and versatility as well as large payoffs. His Dimir discussion, for example, treated Dinrova Horror as a way to gain breathing room and Dimir Charm as a flexible answer.

    The review’s card evaluations belonged to the multiplayer environment and the writer’s choices at that time. They were not official rankings, guaranteed deck improvements or measurements of present demand. Keeping those limits visible preserves the article’s argumentative purpose.

    The first instalment covered the earlier colour-based discussion. The companion guide now places both alongside the five guild mechanics and the historical prerelease. Its general worksheet asks what a candidate replaces and which problem it solves; those new questions do not pretend to be missing passages from Petersen’s original review.

    A present-day reading note

    The following is new editorial analysis, separate from the historical writer’s words and play report.

    Choose a candidate and write its intended role before comparing price or rarity. For example, a card meant to provide repeatable value should be evaluated against other repeatable value sources, not against a one-shot finisher. This keeps a visually exciting addition from weakening the deck’s basic functions.

    Continue with a sourced reference

    For the wider topic and primary references, read Gatecrash: guild mechanics, the prerelease and Commander roles on KLXCards. The historical assessment above remains a separate, dated source.

    Source and omissions

    The original article container was retained in a Common Crawl capture dated 2013-12-08. Original prose, biography, advertisements and images are not republished. Named recordings are linked only where the original public upload is verified. Missing full deck quantities and media are stated rather than invented.

    Common Crawl source record · Historical capture 20131208003034.

    Browse Geekenstein · Attribution and corrections

  • Magic the Gathering Gatecrash Pre-release Primer

    Preservation edition · October 3, 2026 · Geekenstein Editorial

    Historical source: Jake Petersen; January 23, 2013. This is a newly written, condensed account of the retained coverage, with original opinions attributed to their writer. It is not a full-text reproduction or a new firsthand review.

    The historical coverage

    Petersen’s primer prepared players for the Gatecrash prerelease through its guild choices and associated mechanics. The event context made the choice of guild part of assembling a sealed pool, rather than a promise that every player would receive a finished powerful deck.

    The useful preparation question was how a pool supported a playable plan. A guild mechanic could guide that plan, but mana, curve and enough early plays still determined whether the deck functioned. Choosing a favourite guild did not remove those requirements.

    The event’s allocation, dates and promo rules belong to January 2013. This preservation edition does not recreate registration or present its kit as a current product specification. The linked reference covers all five mechanics and distinguishes the event instructions from Limited-building questions that remain useful.

    A present-day reading note

    The following is new editorial analysis, separate from the historical writer’s words and play report.

    Keep combat tricks and bloodrush decisions distinct from permanent board development. Holding every creature to use as a trick can leave you without attackers. Casting every bloodrush creature immediately may waste flexibility. Evaluate the board, mana and likely next turn before deciding.

    Continue with a sourced reference

    For the wider topic and primary references, read Gatecrash: guild mechanics, the prerelease and Commander roles on KLXCards. The historical assessment above remains a separate, dated source.

    Source and omissions

    The original article container was retained in a Common Crawl capture dated 2015-09-02. Original prose, biography, advertisements and images are not republished. Named recordings are linked only where the original public upload is verified. Missing full deck quantities and media are stated rather than invented.

    Common Crawl source record · Historical capture 20150902234335.

    Browse Geekenstein · Attribution and corrections