The third month of the year is finally upon us, and it brings one of the most exciting periods of 2006 for Vs. System. In less than two weeks, a whirlwind of Organized Play activity is going to begin, and it won’t let up for more than a month. Things kick off on March 18 with $10K Los Angeles, the inaugural X-Men Sealed Pack event. This event is also right in the backyard of Vs. System HQ; I won’t be there, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some working stiffs from UDE decide to make the drive. Los Angeles’s debut of X-Men in Sealed Pack will be followed immediately by Pro Circuit Atlanta’s debut of X-Men in Constructed on March 24. Atlanta’s a big event, and my team in particular is very excited about it. I mean, think about it . . . Marvel Modern Age and the X-Men together in a single format. How can we possibly lose? But I digress. The fact is that there are a lot of teams out there vying for victory in Atlanta, and with two surprise-free formats—Modern Age Constructed and JLA Draft—whoever puts in the most time is likely to take home the trophy.

You would expect things to slow down after the PC. They won’t. On the very next weekend, there are $10K events in both Austin, Texas and Auckland, New Zealand. Two weeks after that, the $10K circuit has another stop in Minneapolis. This next month is going to be fantastically busy. And remember: even if there are no $10K events in your area, and even if you’re not qualified for the Pro Circuit, chances are there’s a PCQ event being held near you sometime soon.

I think that about wraps up news of upcoming events. Let’s move on to what’s been happening this week on Metagame.com. Our week began on Sunday with another installment of Paul Ross’s Cerebro. This week, Paul covered some loose ends with his “X-Men FAQ Appendix.” Paul was kind enough to note a few dozen questions people have asked him about the X-Men set and provide clear answers about why each card works the way it does. If there was something you were unclear about at your local Sneak Preview, I strongly recommend checking out this article to brush up on the rules.

Monday brought Rian Fike’s article, entitled “Seeding the Fertile Future.” Ryan has a lot of ideas about the new X-Men set (and specifically about Changeling) that are worth a read. To be honest, I was a little blindsided by this article. If you had asked me, I would have put money on a multi-page article on Multiple Man. I’m sure it’s coming . . . but you might have to wait a week or two.

On Tuesday, Ben Seck introduced an exciting new feature here on Metagame.com. With the Fan Card Crossover, you get to have some input into a character card that will actually see print in a future Vs. set! Each week, players can vote on a new aspect of the card. The final product will be released as legacy content in a future DC set. Voting is closed for this week, so if you missed it, be sure to check back during future weeks for voting results and a chance to have your say about how the card develops.

Also on Tuesday, R&D Grand Master Mike Hummel gave us a little history on the evasion mechanic. Originally introduced in Web of Spider-Man to a somewhat lukewarm reception, evasion has come back in a big way in the new set with the Morlocks. They’re a powerhouse in Modern Age . . . or so I hear. Mike explains how evasion went from concept to reality and how it was implemented in the development of the Morlocks team. Take a look—you might learn something.

Wednesday was the day that Nate was due to provide a hint to solving his “????” puzzle. Unfortunately (well, fortunately for one lucky reader), the puzzle was solved before the hint went up. Nate still provides a few clues to help aspiring puzzle solvers reach a solution.

Also on Wednesday, Michael Barnes closed out the month of February with  on Martian Manhunter, J’onn J’onzz. He came up with what’s honestly one of the most interesting, original ideas I have ever heard—he stuck the Manhunter in a Crime Lords deck! Think about it . . . reinforcement and stunning on defense are both things that the Crime Lords do well, and the Manhunter acts like a plot twist that never turns off. It might not be a Tier 1 deck, but it makes for a good read.

Thursday marked the end of an era. Nate Price’s billion-part series on drafting JLA was finally brought to a close. After going through the locations and equipment, Nate has analyzed every single card in the set. Just in time, too—PC Atlanta is just around the corner (have I mentioned that?) and the format for Day 2 is JLA Draft. If you’re attending the tournament, I strongly recommend that you read through all nine articles.

On Friday, there was a little heads up about a poll involving the new World of Warcraft TCG. This is only the first of many WoW-related features that you’ll see here. Release of the TCG is still far away, though, so for now you should just take the poll (possibly winning yourself some free product) and keep your eyes peeled.

Also on Friday, Tim Willoughby wrote an excellent horrible article about how to prepare for PC Atlanta. Under no circumstances should you heed anything he has to say. Especially if you’re attending the tournament. Move along.

Finally, Saturday brought Part Four of Ben Kalman’s Dark Phoenix Saga. As always, Ben provided more lore than you can shake a stick at. If you haven’t read Ben’s articles before, they’re a great way to learn about the history of Vs. System’s characters and how they tie into each other . . . without spending hundreds of dollars on comic books. After next week’s final installment of this series, I hear that Ben will be writing a PC preview article. You should be sure to check that out, as well.

That’s it for this week! I’ll be back next Monday with more news from Metagame and the Vs. world as we continue counting down to PC Atlanta. Until then . . .