Tag Archives: Magic: the Gathering

Pt. 1: The State of Magic, a Quarterly Update from the Chi Style POV

Chris recaps where Magic is at after the first three months of 2023 and he lays the foundation for Part 2 in the series where he will share thoughts on the year ahead.

(Unlocked) Five at Five, a Collaboration with Jake & Joel Are Magic

Conviction Gaming is excited to announce a collaboration with Jake and Joel Are Magic! The Five at Five series will explore specs, future and past, from Chris Martin, as both an article and video series. Check it out and let us know what you think!

First Impression Review: Mana Moon Tower Deck Box

Jesus returns with his first MTG Accessory review of 2023, this time covering the Mana Moon Tower Deck Box product line. This is a time sensitive, collectible MTG Accessory, and the article is loaded with great information!

Chris’s Commander Corner: My First Spec of 2023

Happy New Year! I have my first spec of the year to share predicated on a combination of price action and precedence of other cards with the similar ability this card possesses. The spec is Prosperous Innkeeper, an uncommon from Adventures in the Forgotten Realms. The rate and utility of this card is fantastic sinceContinue reading “Chris’s Commander Corner: My First Spec of 2023”

(Unlocked) Should You Buy the December Secret Lair Superdrop?

Chris shares a detailed write up covering the December Secret Lair Superdrop. The Just Add Milk Drop is a buy because of Ulamog, but what other ones should you be thinking about? Chris has the answers inside!

Patron Exclusive: Price Alert

This content is available exclusively to members of Conviction’s Patreon at “Any patron” or higher tier, or having at least $.01 pledged in total. Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to access this content.

Should You Buy the October Secret Lair Superdrop?

Chris shares a detailed write up covering the October Secret Lair Superdrop “Big Bundle”. Should you buy the bundle or individual drops for value? He tells you why or why not!

(Unlocked) Chris’s Commander Corner: Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph

Chris’s Commander Corner is back and he’s talking about Magic’s latest precons from Warhammer 40K. This article is loaded with five picks and an MTG finance analysis for your “Tim” aka Ghyrson Starn, Kelemorph deck!

Jesus’s Accessory Bling Reviews: Deck Boxes

Jesus’s first review of MTG accessories is here! It is LOADED with info ranging from big name vendors to custom creators and limited edition accessories. You will learn something new about the MTG accessories finance space from this piece!

Picking the Top 5 Commanders from Dominaria United

Jesus and Chris discuss their top 5 commander choices from the main Dominaria United set. The episode contains a bonus sixth commander discussed especially for cEDH purposes, and it is chalk full of cards to be watching and specs to be buying!

Chris’s Commander Corner: Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief

Hello Patrons! We have a new Simic commander, and whoo-boy is it a unique design for the color pairing! Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief could end up being among the more popular new commander options from Dominaria United, and it should have a shot at moving at least a few cards up in price. The strategies IvyContinue reading “Chris’s Commander Corner: Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief”

Ep. 2 (War Room): What Defines Power Level in Commander?

Jesus and Chris are back for the second installment of War Room, a new variant of the Conviction Gaming podcast which focuses on all-things Commander from a player’s point-of-view. The cast takes on a tough, somewhat controversial topic in this one.

Ep. 69: Double Masters 2022 Finance Review

Jesus and Chris return for the 69th episode of Brewin’ With Conviction to cover one of the most hyped sets in recent MTG memory: Double Masters 2022. Tune in for tips on what to buy, when to buy it, and a prediction for how the set will mature long-term.

Evaluating Magic Cards: the Prelude

One question I sometimes get asked by consumers of my MTG finance content is how I approach evaluating the power-level and synergy of cards previewed during spoiler season. If you are reading my content for the first time, context on why I get this question is important. I’m not a professional player, and my credentialsContinue reading “Evaluating Magic Cards: the Prelude”

Patron Exclusive: Price Increase Alert

Hi All, Back with the usual price alert but first, as always, I want to circle back to a prior call and update on where it stands: Tamiyo’s Safekeeping foils. These have been on fire since the original call pegged them as a buy for $0.50-$1. TCG Direct has been selling at $5 consistently, andContinue reading “Patron Exclusive: Price Increase Alert”

Ep. 63: Talking with Andy Floury from Guardian Project Podcast

Agenda: Introducing Andy (6:40) Origins of the Guardian Project Podcast (22:40) Andy’s “Year of EDH” and Game Tracker (54:30) Using the data to influence game play and deck building in 2022 Socials: Twitter: @AndyFloury & @GuardianPod Website: guardianprojectpodcast.com Andy’s Game Tracker Template

Chris’s Commander Corner: Reviewing Piru

Back in August, I didn’t want to use any online search or EDHREC to build my next deck, so I turned to the Twitter MTG community for ideas instead. Here’s the original tweet: What ensued was amazing. For me, a small timer in the community to get so many interactions was awesome. There were 149Continue reading “Chris’s Commander Corner: Reviewing Piru”

Rotation Prep Pt. 4: Core Set 2021

The first three rotation articles are in the books and the final one awaits us! If you missed any of my coverage on the other three rotating sets, you can start from the beginning by clicking here. Core Set 2021 dropped in the heat of the global coronavirus pandemic last year, and it was admittedlyContinue reading “Rotation Prep Pt. 4: Core Set 2021”

Rotation Prep Pt. 3: Ikoria, Lair of Behemoths

Welcome to the third article in my four part series covering the rotating Standard sets from an MTG finance perspective. Check out my respective reviews of Throne of Eldraine and Theros: Beyond Death as well. This rendition of coverage is going to be a shorter article than Theros: Beyond Death because Ikoria: Lair of BehemothsContinue reading “Rotation Prep Pt. 3: Ikoria, Lair of Behemoths”

Rotation Prep Pt. 2: Theros Beyond Death

Welcome back to the second of my four part series covering the rotating Standard sets from an MTG finance perspective. If you missed my review of Throne of Eldraine last week, check it out here. Much like Eldraine before it, Theros: Beyond Death is a deep set, boasting two uncommons worth $2+ and a handfulContinue reading “Rotation Prep Pt. 2: Theros Beyond Death”

Rotation Prep Pt. 1: Throne of Eldraine

For years, the power-level of Standard sets seemed like it had been relatively consistent and stable. Set after set, the storyline and lore fused with limited and Standard design to make for a typically-balanced, almost-always solid drafting experience. This statement includes Dominaria and the Ixalans, the second Return to Ravnica (Guilds of Ravnica and RavnicaContinue reading “Rotation Prep Pt. 1: Throne of Eldraine”

Playing and Selling: a Balancing Act

For over 20 years, I have been active with Magic: the Gathering in some capacity. There have been many stretches where that activity involved playing some kitchen table Magic or going to FNM. But somewhere into that second decade, I evolved into a financially-focused, money-driven human that saw the value in my cards. It startedContinue reading “Playing and Selling: a Balancing Act”