Welcome to day three of the Hipsters of the Coast 4th Anniversary Celebration Countdown! All week we’ll be counting down the top 25 articles of all time on Hipsters of the Coast. We’ll include some updated commentary where we can so you can relive all of the excitement of the past four years in the Magic community. If you haven’t checked out Chief Hipster Rich Stein’s welcome article for Anniversary Week, make sure you check it out first.
Each day we’ll also highlight more great content. First, prior to the countdown, will be an honorable-mention article. This list was primarily compiled by page views but some of the earliest articles from the site’s history did not have the benefit of the audience size we currently hold. These are still incredibly important articles for Hipsters of the Coast’s history and we want to highlight them. After each day’s countdown checkout a bonus Top 10 countdown list, sans commentary.
Today, before we dive into the list, we have some thoughts from Kate Donnelly on one of the seminal pieces in our back-catalog, one that Kate is incredibly proud of, and one that you’ll find mentioned again later in today’s post.
I’m really proud of “The View From Here.” For me I finally felt like I had really contributed something truly important to the discussion on women in Magic. It’s such an important topic and to be able to use the platform that Hipsters kindly gave me to jump into a conversation that not only means so much to me as a woman but I feel like I revitalized the topic shortly after something so negative had happened (Jim Davis). I was also really impressed by how much attention it got. I couldn’t believe how many people read it and how many people reached out to me afterwards. I would have never expected that in a million years to be honest and it has lead to some really amazing experiences for me since then as well as some more respect and recognition throughout the community, something that I hope I can use to help bring more women into magic (especially Legacy) as well as help make a better environment for women everywhere.
Day 3 Honorable Mention: I Won a PTQ by Carrie O’Hara
Commentary by Rich Stein
I think it’s safe to say that Carrie is the most skilled Magic player to grace Hipsters of the Coast’s pages. Today’s honorable mention recounts Carrie’s journey through the now-defunct PTQ system to play on the Pro Tour. As a regular competitor in the Denver scene Carrie hones her skills by traveling throughout North America to Grand Prix events working her way back to the pinnacle of the game’s competition. Every week she writes commentary on the game, mostly focused on limited but sometimes talking about her constructed experience as well. Oh, and she somehow finds time to serve as editor-in-chief of this site too.
#15 – My Theros Bucket List by Hunter Slaton
This is a feature that is sorely missed in my opinion. Having a bucket list is a great way to create your own new meta-game around drafting Magic cards. I can already envision what Hunter may have put on a Kaladesh bucket list. Use Furious Reprisal to kill Pia Nalaar? Cast Live Fast and Die Young on the same turn? What will be on your Kaladesh bucket list?
#14 – Map of Every “Dewey” PTQ by Rich Stein
One of the great moments in Hipsters of the Coast history was when Helene Bergeot took time out of her schedule at the Pro Tour to directly address this article. It gained a lot of traction in the community by exposing the incredibly imbalanced nature of the PPTQ/RPTQ arrangement. It is, unfortunately, a topic that remains relevant today, more than two years later.
#13 – Crackgate by Rich Stein
No one should be proud that this was the most up-voted post to Reddit of all time when it was posted and remains #4 on that list. Sidney Blair became a household name in the Magic community and earned an 18-month ban for his controversial and offensive photo essay from Grand Prix Richmond in 2014. Shaming people is not okay.
#12 – Khans of Tarkir Instants and Morphs by Monique Garraud
Four times a year, Monique graces the Magic community with her indispensable guides to instant-speed hidden information in the upcoming limited environment. If you’re a competitive limited player, or even if you’re just looking to gain a bit of an edge at FNM, these features should be bookmarked.
#11 – The View From Here by Kate Donnelly
There isn’t a lot that I can say about “The View From Here” other than that it is an incredibly important piece of work for Kate, for Hipsters of the Coast, and for the Magic community.
Bonus Countdown: Top 10 Magic Strategy Articles
- Modern Hero by Rich Stein
- Every Last Theros Common Reviewed by Hunter Slaton
- What are Some Common Player Tells by Monique Garraud
- Khans of Tarkir Instants and Morph Creatures by Monique Garraud
- Fundamentals by Hunter Slaton
- Bogle: The Gateway Drug by Matt Jones
- 10 First-Pick Commons in Khans of Tarkir by Hunter Slaton
- Negotiating with Terrorists by Hunter Slaton
- Early Picks from Khans of Tarkir by Carrie O’Hara
- The Last Article I Will Ever Write About Miracles by Tim Akpinar