Gifts Ungiven

This weekend is Grand Prix Rimini 2008, the last major event of the Lorwyn-Shadowmoor Block Constructed season. I've already mentioned what I'd be playing if I were there. However, in a part of today's coverage, Dave Sutcliffe -- sometimes to be heard on Rich Hagon's podcasts -- addresses the question, "Why should I care about the decks being played in the last major event of Block season?"

The beginning and end of his few paragraphs covers the central point:

One of the most striking things about this Block Constructed season has been how closely it has mirrored the goings on in the Standard format. Of course there will always be some crossover between the two formats but it has rarely (if ever) been more marked.

...and..

Now, if you’re sitting at home reading the coverage and wondering why you would care what decks are being played in the last big tournament of a Block Constructed season I put it to you that what you’re actually looking at are the decklists that will define the Standard metagame in just a few weeks when we wave goodbye to the largest card pool there has ever been in Standard, and usher in the smallest.

Interesting thought. This is definitely something that we see in regional events (such as, you know, Regionals) that happen near set transitions -- they lean heavily on the old block and frequently don't heavily explore the new one. As such, Dave's assertion seems reasonable. That said, I'm looking forward to grabbing new cards and concepts from Shards of Alara and comprehensively integrating them into a fun and competitive deck to play at States in November.