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From Little Acorns to Mighty Oaks: Pauper Commander Continues to Grow in Detroit

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Magic: The Gathering has always thrived on creativity, accessibility, and community. In Detroit, once again that spirit continues to shine with an upcoming FREE Pauper Commander Tournament (PDH) hosted by All That Games. The event kicks off on October 19th at 12PM, with $100 store credit to 1st place and $50 credit each to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place. The best part? Entry is completely free. What is Pauper Commander (PDH)? Pauper Commander, often called PDH, takes the beloved EDH/Commander format and strips it down to its most accessible form: Commander is an uncommon creature, vehicle, or spacecraft  and  does not need to be legendary . All other 99 cards must be commons - note from PDH Homebase.com:   If a card has been printed at a specific rarity, it is classified under that rarity. This classification is based on paper and MTGO releases, excluding Arena. Commander damage is 16. Starting life is 30. This twist creates a level playing field, lowers costs,...

Fast Mana Doesn’t Mean It’s Labeled Competitive or Casual in EDH

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          By Ryan Sparks                                                                                               When people talk about “competitive Commander” (cEDH), one of the first things that comes up is fast mana. Sol Ring, Grim Monolith, Mana Vault, Chrome Mox, and Mox Diamond these cards often get labeled as automatic inclusions for “competitive” decks. But here’s the truth: fast mana alone does not make your deck competitive. (I wanted to write off something in contrast with Donovan Doust's article last week for ATG.) Why Fast Mana Feels Like Power Fast mana accelerates your game plan, giving you access to high-cost spells earlier than usual. That’s why Sol Ring has been an EDH ...

Why I Choose All That Games as My Home Shop and Joined Team ATG

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By Ryan Sparks There are a lot of places to buy cards, play events, and hang out with other TCG players - but for me, there’s only one place that truly feels like home: All That Games (ATG). From the moment I walked into ATG a few years ago, something felt different. The staff/owner remembered my name. Not just one time, but every time after. That familiarity turned into friendship, and soon, it wasn’t just a game shop anymore - it was a community I belonged to. Over time, I got to know nearly everyone who walks through those doors, and they got to know me. And I’m not alone- over 40–50 regulars across Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Lorcana, Pokémon, and more are known by name, not because of how much they spend or how often they win, but because they show up and love the game. You can walk around the shop, dig through boxes, and hunt for singles-and you’re never doing it alone. Regulars will stop what they’re doing to help you find what you’re looking for. Some will even sit down with you to h...