Tom is a Level 2 judge who frequently works in the MD, DC, and PA areas. He is also an active player, and has written articles from both perspectives. Tom has judged numerous Pro Tours, but would like to make it there as a player at least once.

• Cranial Insertion: Liches Aren’t Quitters (October 6th, 2008)

  Liches Aren’t Quitters By Eli Shiffrin, Tom Fowler, and Diane Colley “Welcome to the new world, sir.

• Cranial Insertion: Exercises in Existentialism (September 8th, 2008)

  Exercises in Existentialism By Eli Shiffrin, Tom Fowler, and Diane Colley Greetings, loyal readers,

• Cranial Insertion: Form of...a Snake! (August 18th, 2008)

  Cranial Insertion Form of . . . a Snake! or, Anything Beats the Sucky Wonder Twin Who Always Turned

• Cranial Insertion: Swimming in the Reflecting Pool (July 28th, 2008)

  Swimming in the Reflecting Pool By Eli Shiffrin, Tom Fowler, and Diane Colley Random plug! Eventi

• Cranial Insertion: Fireworks Elemental (July 6th, 2008)

  Cranial Insertion Fireworks Elemental By Eli Shiffrin, Tom Fowler, and Diane Colley [Editor's note:

• Cranial Insertion: Oh, What a Tangled Web we Mirrorweave (June 22nd, 2008)

  Cranial Insertion Oh, What a Tangled Web we Mirrorweave By Eli Shiffrin, Tom Fowler, and Diane Colle

• Cranial Insertion: The E-Postman Always Dings Twice (June 1st, 2008)

  You would think all this Standard play would cause an influx of Standard questions to our mailbox, but we have quite the assortment this week.

• Cranial Insertion: Seasons of Wither (May 18th, 2008)

  This week, we’re covering all kinds of questions, [i]Shadowmoor[/i] and otherwise.

• Cranial Insertion: Shadowmoor Infiltrator (April 27th, 2008)

  Greetings from the dusky, twisted shores of what used to be Lorwyn! Last weekend, Prerelease events for Shadowmoor happened all over the world.

• Cranial Insertion: Godheads on Pikes (April 6th, 2008)

  Q: Can you answer some questions about how Godhead of Awe interacts with some other cards? A: Generally we don’t answer questions about preview cards.

• Cranial Insertion: The Logical Song (March 9th, 2008)

  Today, we’re turning our mailbag upside down, shaking it, and seeing what falls out.

• Cranial Insertion: Always Avoid Affected Alliteration (February 17th, 2008)

  Fly, you fools![/float] Morningtide has been on store shelves for weeks, but it's Extended that's getting the PTQ season love at the moment.

• Cranial Insertion: More Than Morningtide (January 27th, 2008)

  We got several questions about [i]Morningtide[/I] cards this week, but with Extended PTQs in full swing, we also got questions about old favorites.

• Cranial Insertion: The Mystery Continues to Be Guile (January 13th, 2008)

  A bright, shiny no-prize will go to the person who can identify which song gave us the subtitle to this week's column.

• Magical New Year Resolutions: 2007 Edition (December 31st, 2007)

  The new year is upon us.

• Cranial Insertion: Decorating the Christmas Treefolk (December 23rd, 2007)

  It's Monday, so it's time for another edition of Cranial Insertion.

• Cranial Insertion: The Fire Is Not Delightful (December 2nd, 2007)

  Well, the weather outside is frightful.

• Cranial Insertion: Quizzing Phelddagrif (November 11th, 2007)

  It’s been a few months (the Future Sight release) since we did one of these, and we know they’re always popular with you, our awesome readers.

• Cranial Insertion: Lorwyn Looms Large (October 21st, 2007)

  Another week, another CI – and plenty more questions plucked from our overflowing mailbox.

• Cranial Insertion: Legends and Lorwyn (September 30th, 2007)

  Now that the Lorwyn Prerelease is in the record books, it’s time to start focusing on Magic’s latest expansion.

• Cranial Insertion: Love's Labor Days Lost (September 2nd, 2007)

  Welcome to another CI that's just dripping with knowledge and fun.

• Cranial Insertion: The Power of Vesuvan Skulls (August 12th, 2007)

  Welcome back to another edition of Cranial Insertion! US and UK Nationals are in the books, so it’s time for Standard to become irrelevant in those countries again.

• Cranial Insertion: Conspiracy to Commit Delay (August 5th, 2007)

  It's been quite the week for us here at CI.

• [MTGS Classics] Caveat Ch34tz0r: How to Avoid Getting Cheated (August 1st, 2007)

  If you’ve played competitive Magic, you've probably been cheated at some point.

• Cranial Insertion: Big Arrow! (July 22nd, 2007)

  Welcome to another fun- and fact-filled edition of CI.

• Vox Populi: Selecting 9th Edition (July 18th, 2007)

  A time of change is coming to Standard, as 9th Edition prepares to yield to the black-bordered 10th on this very day.

• Cranial Insertion: Enchant Dead Creature (July 1st, 2007)

  Happy July, and welcome to another edition of Cranial Insertion.

• Cranial Insertion: All Standard, All The Time (June 10th, 2007)

  Regionals events just wrapped up in the US, as thousands of Magic players across the country battled it out for the invitations to Nationals.

• Cranial Insertion: Three Spheres for Sister Sara (May 20th, 2007)

  It's Monday, so it must be time for another edition of Cranial Insertion.

• Seeing the Future: Extended (May 8th, 2007)

  A set themed around possible futures is an interesting one for Extended, since the future of this format includes a major set rotation in October 2008.

• Cranial Insertion: Suture Fight! (April 29th, 2007)

  This just in! As a special bonus to you, our esteemed readers, we’re doing part of this column quiz-style! It’s been a few months since we did one, and what better time to dust it off than with the release of a new set? However, because this is a n

• Cranial Insertion: Easter Eggs, Dingus Eggs (April 9th, 2007)

  It's bunny season for a lot of people right now, but a look at our banner will show you that we always have bunnies on the brain at CI.

• Cranial Insertion: Layer Cake (March 5th, 2007)

  No, it's not that other movie with Daniel Craig.

• Cranial Insertion: Agents of KAOS (February 5th, 2007)

  Color pie shenanigans have taken the Magic world by storm as Planar Chaos hit stores Friday.

• [MTGS Classics] Ten Really Well-Designed Cards (February 1st, 2007)

  In this article originally published April 12, 2006, Tom takes a look at cards that aren't quite broken and aren't quite junk, but are designed "just right.

• Cranial Insertion: The Calm Before the Chaos (January 15th, 2007)

  Planar Chaos is looming.

• Magical New Year's Resolutions: 2006 Edition (December 31st, 2006)

  The new year is rapidly approaching.

• [MTGS Classics] The Lightning Bolt Metric (December 28th, 2006)

  In this article originally published on Oct.

• Cranial Insertion: Deck the Halls with Rules Questions (December 18th, 2006)

  In the spirit of gift-giving, we here at CI have a gift for you, our loyal and awesome readers.

• [MTGS Classics] Magical New Year's Resolutions (December 15th, 2006)

  The new year is rapidly approaching.

• Cranial Insertion: 'Tis the Season (November 27th, 2006)

  By now, Thanksgiving has come and gone in the USA.

• Cranial Insertion: Standards and Practices (November 6th, 2006)

  Champs events are in the books for most of the world now.

• Cranial Insertion: Get a Life! (October 15th, 2006)

  Welcome back to another edition of Cranial Insertion! It’s the third Monday of the month, so we’re going to do a single-topic article this time.

• Cranial Insertion: Time Spiraling out of Control (September 24th, 2006)

  This week, we’re all about Time Spiral! We’re going to cover general questions on the set, including its new and returning mechanics, and answer some questions lifted directly from the floors of the Prerelease.

• Cranial Insertion: DQ or Not DQ? (August 13th, 2006)

  Welcome back to another edition of Cranial Insertion, kids.

• Cranial Insertion: Paradoxes of Defense (July 23rd, 2006)

  From time to time, we’ve done several one-topic articles here, where we spend the entire piece telling you all there is to know about one Magical subject.

• Cranial Insertion: From the Frozen Tundra (July 9th, 2006)

  Welcome to this week’s Cranial Insertion, from the frozen tundra of Dominaria.

• Cranial Insertion: Live (On Tape) From Charleston (June 25th, 2006)

  Last weekend, a record 525 players, representing 175 teams, descended on Charleston, SC for the first ever Team Constructed Pro Tour.

• [MTGS Classics] Caveat Ch34tz0r: How to Avoid Getting Cheated (June 21st, 2006)

  If you’ve played competitive Magic, you’ve probably been cheated at some point.

• Cranial Insertion: Who's Afraid of Shining Shoal? (June 4th, 2006)

  Dissension is in the books, we’ve emptied the mailbag, and we’ve taken a look at the wonderful word of abilities and effects.

• The Voice of Dissent: Extended (May 18th, 2006)

  The effects of Ravnica Block have already been felt in Extended.

• Cranial Insertion: Bureaucracy is Best (May 14th, 2006)

  WHEREAS, it has been resolved that this entertaining, informative column (hereafter “Cranial Insertion”) dedicated to explaining the rules and intricacies of Magic: the Gathering trading card game (hereafter “Magic”) to an audience of thousands (h

• Cranial Insertion: A Dissident is Here (April 23rd, 2006)

  The Prerelease weekend for Dissension is now officially behind us, and the final set in the Ravnica Block has been welcomed to the Magical landscape.

• Ten Really Well-Designed Cards (April 12th, 2006)

  Over the years, thousands and thousands of cards have rolled off the presses.

• Friends in PA: A Team Standard PTQ Report (April 5th, 2006)

  As soon as it was announced as a Pro Tour format, Team Constructed has generated a lot of buzz in the player community.

• Cranial Insertion: Paper Anniversary (March 26th, 2006)

  First, I’m going to do some Q&A, like we always do.

• Cranial Insertion: All That Glitters (March 5th, 2006)

  Welcome, ladies and germs, to yet another stellar edition of the most stupendous rules column on the internet.

• Updated 5-Color Primer (March 2nd, 2006)

  Word begins to spread of a new unsanctioned format that got its roots in Wisconsin.

• Cranial Insertion: Enchantments Can't Scream (February 5th, 2006)

  Last week, all of us were treated to a rare and gracious appearance by Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind.

• Guildpact and Extended (February 2nd, 2006)

  Will Guildpact have an impact similar to Ravnica's, or will it barely be a blip on the Extended radar? Let’s find out.

• Cranial Insertion: My Lips are Sealed (January 15th, 2006)

  Should auld acquaintance be forgot? Let’s hope not, because then you might not read this column anymore! I hope everyone had an awesome new year and didn’t resolve to do the impossible.

• Magical New Year's Resolutions (December 29th, 2005)

  The new year is rapidly approaching.

• Cranial Insertion: Yule Be Smarter for Reading This (December 25th, 2005)

  By the time you peruse this column, friends, it will be Christmas Day.

• MTGS Mini #4: The Allure of Blowing Things Up (December 22nd, 2005)

  Then my friend Anthony told me about this card game he’d been playing.

• Cranial Insertion: I <3 Tournaments (December 5th, 2005)

  Worlds this weekend gives us the perfect backdrop for this edition of Cranial Insertion.

• Cranial Insertion: City of Angels (November 6th, 2005)

  Cranial Insertion City of Angels By Eli Shiffrin, Thijs van Ommen, and Tom Fowler Edited by Goblinboy Magic players the world over had their eyes trained on Los Angeles this past weekend, and not just for the celebrities and Hallowe’en costumes.

• The Lightning Bolt Metric (October 16th, 2005)

  by Tom Fowler Sherman, set the Wayback Machine for 1993.

• Cranial Insertion: Matters of State (October 8th, 2005)

  Cranial Insertion Matters of State By Tom Fowler, pinch-hitting for Eli Shiffrin, Thijs van Ommen, and Jeff Vondruska Edited by Goblinboy “Hey, you’re awesome and all, but you don’t normally write this column.

• Extended Matchups: Affinity vs. Goblins (September 19th, 2005)

  by Tom Fowler Two good Extended decks, AND comments by two people?! NOW how much would you bid?!By the time Pro Tour LA and Extended PTQs come around, Disciple of the Vault and Aether Vial will have been banned for over a month.

• Back to the Drawing Board: September 1st Bans and Restrictions (September 6th, 2005)

  by Dr.

• Vox Populi: Selecting 8th Edition (August 30th, 2005)

  The release of Eighth Edition in 2003 marked the 10th anniversary of Magic.

• If I Had a Hall of Fame Ballot (July 27th, 2005)

  By Tom Fowler In a June 6th feature article on magicthegathering.

• 9th Edition and Extended (July 7th, 2005)

  By Tom Fowler As it has in the past and will in the future, world without end, MTGSalvation has used mad ninja skills to obtain the full 9th Edition spoiler.

• Regionals Matchups: Ponza vs. TNN (June 20th, 2005)

  By Tom Fowler With Regionals looming close on the horizon, you’ll need to be armed with knowledge of the important matchups.

• Saviors Set Review: Sinking Into Takenuma (May 30th, 2005)

  Saviors Set Review: Sinking Into Takenuma By Tom Fowler Fresh from the worldwide Prerelease events are the 165 cards in Saviors of Kamigawa.

• Caveat Ch34tz0r: How to Avoid Getting Cheated [Article of the Month: May] (May 24th, 2005)

  By Tom Fowler If you’ve played competitive Magic, you’ve probably been cheated at some point.

• Bring the Pain: MBC in T2 (May 2nd, 2005)

  BRING THE PAIN: MBC IN TYPE 2 By Tom Fowler Pop Quiz: What deck could clear the board with a unique Wrath of God effect, make you discard your hand, remove over half your library from the game, and then kill you with one hit from an arbitrarily large mon

• 5-Color Primer (March 25th, 2005)

  by Tom Fowler In its earliest days, Magic was a game played for ante.

• Were The Bans Right? (March 14th, 2005)

  Were the Bans Right? by Tom Fowler Necro.

• GP Boston Report (March 6th, 2005)

  What began as an offhand suggestion (in the “Hey, wanna make a road trip to GP Boston?” way) turned into a very good trip.