Author Archives: Alex Ullman

August 21-22 Pauper Weekend in Review

There is not a ton to say at this point. After three weekends in the second block of Forgotten Realms season, only 8 archetypes clear the 2% threshold for Top 32 volume. I’m trying to think of other things to say – of other ways to talk about this format. But words are failing me.Continue reading “August 21-22 Pauper Weekend in Review”

August 14-15 Pauper Weekend in Review

We are in the second four week chunk of Adventures in the Forgotten Realms season. After the Saturday and Sunday Challenges here is what the winner’s metagame looks like over the past four events (minimum 3 Top 32 appearances): I am not going to spend a lot of time talking about the metagame as veryContinue reading “August 14-15 Pauper Weekend in Review”

Not Very Effective: Hitting Veteran

When we last left off I had a team set for my climb to Veteran. I had Roserade in the front with Gallade on the switch, Magnezone in the back. After running into one too many Dragonite leads I flipped my lead and close and was ready to make my run. And then I droppedContinue reading “Not Very Effective: Hitting Veteran”

Not Very Effective: Time for Premier Cup

It’s been a hot minute since I updated the world on my trials in PokemonGo Battle League. Participating in Open Ultra League was interesting. After settling into Gengar-Gyarados-Lapras, I had a fairly steady climb. After my last post where my ELO stood at 2248, here is how things went leading up to the switch toContinue reading “Not Very Effective: Time for Premier Cup”

August 7-8 Pauper Weekend in Review

We have entered the second four week chunk of the Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms season. This is normally a time to take stock and see where the format is trending. The August 7 and August 8 Challenges gave us an insight into which way the wind is blowing. Spoiler alert: NotContinue reading “August 7-8 Pauper Weekend in Review”

July 31-August 1 Pauper Weekend in Review

Let’s get on with it. After the July 31 and August 1 Pauper Challenge, the first four weeks of Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms season looks like this: It’s hard to separate this chart from the problems currently facing the format. Storm, Dimir, and Affinity represent a nigh-unassailable Big 3. Storm hasContinue reading “July 31-August 1 Pauper Weekend in Review”

What You Shouldn’t Do in GBL

If you’re the kind of person to go looking for Go Battle League advice on the internet, there’s going to be a few people who tell you to stick with a team. It’s a logical conclusion as good team comps should have play against a wide swath of the metagame. You’re also likely to findContinue reading “What You Shouldn’t Do in GBL”

The Search for a Shorter Title: GBL Open Ultra Day 2

Technically today was a success in that I gained ELO – up from 2193 to 2205. Such a small gain tells its own story. Let’s start with my first set where I ran the same squad as yesterday. Note: I won’t list every battle, instead only focusing on those that proved interesting. I went 1-4Continue reading “The Search for a Shorter Title: GBL Open Ultra Day 2”

Holding Myself Accountable in GO Battle League: Open Ultra Day 1

So this is something new for me – writing about Pokemon GO Battle League. I’m not going to go into too many details of the mechanics of battle in this piece (for my more Magic focused readers, I’m happy to answer questions and I’ll write something in this space soon), but instead I’m going toContinue reading “Holding Myself Accountable in GO Battle League: Open Ultra Day 1”