Ponder: Recent Episodes
TJ Rogers, Melvin the Muppet
TJ Rogers, Jamie Rigatti, and Melvin the Muppet ponder all things from the world of Magic: the Gathering. Each episode, your hosts will discuss anything and everything related to the world of Magic and will answer listener questions of any kind.
The show may be over but we have one last parting gift! It's a collection of outtakes from all our episodes.
It's our 200th official episode! It's been a long journey, and we take a look back at the beginning and some good times along the way. We also ponder what to do when it's time to say goodbye.
Thank you again to all our Patreon patrons, past and present.
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There's too much in this lounge episode to describe here. We celebrate hitting 200 episodes! A lot of laughs in this one, and a little peek at next week.
We all heard about how Magic 30 in Vegas went, but we get Jamie to give us her first hand experience of the weekend. Then she gives us her insight into early Brothers War limited, and we all ponder what Hasbro's stock is doing.
TJ marries some folks, we ponder Twitter's potential demise, and we explain why you're overrating fast food places.
It's Halloween time, and without Jamie here, TJ and Melvin decide to play a little game of Pondering. They go through a bunch of planeswalkers and ponder who they would dress up as for a Halloween party, and what their favorite candy might be. Would Jace bring back the sexy pirate look? What candy does Ugin like? They try and figure it all out.
How much does the recipe matter in drinks? What better to chat about in a bar than cocktails?
There's a bunch of ways to celebrate Magic 30, and some are better than others. Jamie's going to Vegas to celebrate with friends, which is a much better way than buying Magic 30th Anniversary Edition boosters for $1000. We pretend to buy a bunch and see what happens. And speaking of boosters, are regular collectors boosters worth the money anymore?
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TJ talks about his murder mystery part that sort of isn't. We give some early opinions on Overwatch 2, ponder if She-Hulk is liable for the damages she causes legally, and Jamie tells us why Disney's Dreamlight Valley is really a jump scare game.
To Unfinity and Beyond! Today we go over the new Un sets, as well as Magic 30! What cards are exciting? Are we looking forward to Black Borders? What's cooking at the Summit in Salt Lake City!?
Early Mornings, Furbies, Art, Chasing Dopamine, favorite games, and sorting the steam library, we get ready for the next episode with drinks, games, and cheese
Jamie sparked a debate this week when she asked Twitter if people were playing magic or just trying to solve it? We ponder what we're doing when we play, and why. Then, Melvin has a Dominaria United game to play: Precon Stud or Draft Dud?
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TJ regales us with Vegas stories, and how it made him feel old. He also talks about his new job and where the term "cocktail" comes from. Melvin went to an actual party (gasp!) and we ponder guy smells, Portland, and a Marvel viewing party for Jamie.
Dominaria has been brought to the world! Jamie has had early access and we go over the new card game from Disney! Beyond that we have a healthy heaping of tangents.
What defines fast food? This week we dive further into food and really try to determine what makes food fast. Also it's home repair season for Melvin and Jamie! Hooray for cleaning the carnage.
Melvin is a little burned out on Limited right now, and TJ fondly remembers some of the better special events that Arena used to run more often. Are those what's missing? We also ponder the new mobile game Magic Spellslilngers and the odd lack of news or marketing around it. Is no news good news?
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We ponder how great Fleetwood Mac is and still don't know if Stevie Nicks is a witch. We catch up on our Netflix recommendations and grump a little bit about why D&D Twitch streams kind of suck.
It's time for another year's State of Design article from Mark Rosewater, Jamie, Melvin, and TJ go through the last four sets and discuss the highs and lows. Concerts and Storybook Brawl are also fresh on our minds.
It's the Three Moon's Lounge and Summer is fresh on our minds. With sunburns on backs and cool drinks in mind we ponder the Old Fashioned, the truth about goobers, and our ideal sleep environments.
Melvin's back from vacation, and he's just in time to get some tournament reports from Jamie who has been playing actual constructed decks in actual tournaments. What did she play and how did she do? We also ponder what it actually means to be the best at a game like Arena and Storybook Brawl, and if it's even quantifiable.
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Jamie has super grown up bank stories, TJ and Melvin talk jorts, Melvin willingly subjects himself to Morbius, and everyone loves hammocks
This Week Melvin is on vacation! Jamie and TJ take over the show and talk about upcoming tournaments for Jamie, fun new sponsorships, and the glory days as paper boomers.
With Jamie out this week, but probably not dead, we asked long time friend of the show Coleman to join us once again. He shares his recent experience at an actual paper modern tournament, talks about the current meta, and we all ponder what's good in Double Masters.
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We're joined in the lounge by special guest Coleman, who talks with us about old TV shows, TJ recounts almost being murdered by a murder, and we decide to sell knockoff fantasy novels online.
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Can New Capenna Alchemy drafts save Jamie from burnout? We try and figure out why we can’t stop doom scrolling. We also ponder which dragons from Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's gate would be cool to party with.
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Is TikTok turning into every other platform? What’s a good candy for old people? What do you do when your mom gives you a Dutch oven?
What happens when you expect a set to play a certain way, but it varies wildly from expectation? New Capenna Limited is nothing like what people expected it to be, and we ponder how this effects players interest. We also check in on how the Weekend Qualifiers went and suggest a few changes.
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TJ gets some life advice from Jamie, we talk about Scythe and our other favorite board games, and we ponder things that spark joy.
Jamie is back from SCG CON to tell us how her team sealed did and what she thinks of the format. She shares what it was like to be back at a big tournament. We also ponder how good New Capenna is as a limited set, using the cheeseburger scale.
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Coffee, Mother's Day, the games we've been playing, choppin wood, and no spoilers talk of Marvel. It's a new lounge episode!
New Capenna is out and we've tasted the halo. Jamie and Melvin talk about their first impressions of the set, what they like and don't. Jamie also tells us about her new strategy for collection sorting and maintenance.
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TJ tells us about his 30th birthday, we ponder how high deer can jump, someone just got an Oculus VR, and we dispute ostrich fables.
New Capenna is out and we're excited to take a look at the cards. We talk about Jamie's preview card, what the five families are up to, and how the mechanics are going to play out in Limited.
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Its our Four Year anniversary. We discuss belly buttons, applebees as a first date, pet peeves, and Q tips.
Sometimes you have to look at what you're doing and ask yourself, is this actually fun? This week we talk about what's fun for us right now, like Storybook Brawl, what other people think is fun but might not be (Arena Packs) and what to do when the fun is gone.
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We ponder what to do with leftover movie popcorn, working at Chuck E. Cheese, and go over TJ's red flags.
TJ, Melvin, and Jamie discuss what problems, if any, that Alchemy Solves, Storybook Brawl continues to tempt us all, and we ponder about the halos that will be above our heads for New Capenna
TJ, Melvin, and Jamie discuss artsy movies, high level dating strategy, and how likely we would to eat food from a stranger.
The return to Kamigawa has been amazing with Neon Dynasty, but the stay is short-lived with New Capenna around the corner. Are we leaving too fast? We ponder what's the right amount of time to spend on a plane for a story arc, and if that leads to better sets and play.
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Jamie explains Storybook Brawl to Melvin, Melvin is playing Raft, TJ is getting busy, and we ponder which movies have better sequals than originals.
Neon Dynasty is out and Jamie has been having a blast drafting. She's loving the set and even Melvin has said it's better than he thought. Could this be one of the top 5 Limited formats of all time? We also talk about the Hasbro 2021 earnings report and what that means for WotC and Magic.
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Valentines Day, Virtual Reality, Game of Thrones Books, and finally the latest nonsense in NFTs to reach Magic. The Three Moon's Lounge for Episode 180 is here
This episode is an emotional rollercoaster, as we have some low lows reviewing Double Feature and trying to understand why it was so poorly done. Then we take a big step up looking at cards and mechanics that excite us in Neon Destiny.
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TJ gets a vacation, Jamie goes over her New Years resolution, Melvin invents a new bathroom technology, and everyone ponders the Artist's Way.
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This week we welcome David aka MyHandsAreBlank to chat about Magic Content Creation on TikTok!
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We have a guest today! David, better known as MyHandsAreBlank joins us in the lounge! We talk about Canada, animation, TikTok and more in anticipation of the full episode next week!
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Jamie is back from a well earned vacation and she talks about how important breaks are for content creators. We were also rocked by the resignation of Star City Games coverage teams. Is this the end of their coverage or a chance for a rebrand. And we wrap up pondering what Huey Jenson's new job at WotC could mean for organized play.
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Someone got a tattoo, TJ and Melvin both love Deathloop, Melvin worries about eggnog ice cream, and we all ponder other streaming platforms and V-Tubers.
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This week we prepare for the holidays by talking about Jamie's recent Ham Fam Draft invitational that was hosted on her Twitch. We also discuss The year 2021 and look forward to 2022.
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We get ready for the holidays, get some take out, nap a bit, and look up which Muppets have gotten real honorary doctorates from universities.
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Magic Arena just launched Alchemy the format that answers the question "What if we could adjust cards after printing?" It's bringing a fresh look to Standard and also a few problems. We ponder it's merits and how it will affect other formats and paper in general. We also catch up on how the Draft Open went and get grumpy about NFTs and cryptocurrency.
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We announce a bit of a format change, go over our favorite Futurama bits, simp for Arcane, and ponder the best Taco Bell menu items to use as a warming device.
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It's Thanksgiving this week! Jamie returns and tells us about her time in Crimson Vow. The hosts discuss Vegas, Secret Lairs, duck bites, and transparent eyelids.
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Jamie couldn't join us this week, so we decide to save the deep dive into Crimson Vow for our next episode. TJ and Melvin go over some of the broad concepts in Crimson Vow and explain how the Cleave mechanic could have been done better. We also talk about how Flesh and Blood has stolen the competitive scene and is making some of the same mistakes Magic has in the past.
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Jamie and Melvin discuss the results of recent drafts within the Midnight Hunt as Halloween Approaches, Meanwhile TJ needs some help from them to ensure he doesn't become a ghost. Ponder This is back for the end of the episode where we Ponder some questions from listeners.
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Money is on the mind this week in Magic. We start by checking in on the high stakes Magic World Championship and what effect having draft in it may or may not have had. We also ponder the Twitch leak and have some real talk about salaries and expectations of both content creators and supporters.
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We've had a few weeks to get into Midnight Hunt, and Jamie has somethings about the boogeyman of the Limited format, Blue/Black. We ponder how sets like this and AFR can get through design with over powered color pairs. We also check in on Magic: Las Vegas and ponder if and when its okay to start going to big events again.
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As Magic heads back to Innistrad, Jamie, Melvin, and TJ dive into the flavor and mechanics of the world. Jamie breaks down the speed of the format for Melvin and TJ, and we make absolutely ZERO tangents.
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Wizards aired their Magic 2021 showcase on Twitch this week, and it was chocked full of announcements. We look at the new sets, new products, new IP crossovers, and ponder what's important about what they didn't say.
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Digital-only cards are coming to the Historic format on Magic Arena via Jumpstart: Historic Horizons packs. What does this mean for Magic and why uses a format like Jumpstart? Can we still consider Magic to be a "paper" game? We also ponder AFR Limited a few weeks in and notice that Flesh and Blood card game's future Organized Play is looking surprisingly familiar.
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Adventures in the Forgotten Realms is out and Jamie Topples and Melvin the Muppet share their experiences with the format. Do the Class Cards really bring out the flavor? Is the set even fun? After that TJ and Melvin take a look at the situation surrounding Standard 2022. How did we get here? What could we do to avoid it?
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Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms is about to be released and we are excited about what we've seen so far. Does the set capture the feel of D&D? Is it too much for a core set? But before we ponder these questions and can venture forth, we need the Countess of Cuties to give us her Top 10 from Strixhaven and Modern Horizons 2.
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With massive changes to organized play, cuts to tournament prize support, and the elimination of sponsored streamers, maybe it's time to rethink what Magic is and who it's for. With the vast majority of players being casual, we ponder if Magic is fundamentally a party game with a minor competitive element, and if this paradigm would better serve all players, casual and competitive alike.
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It's TJ's turn to take a week off, so Jamie has pulled in her wonderful husband (and possibly robot) Jon to be on the show with us. As a long time Magic player and fellow limited drafter, he tells us his history with the game, how Jamie "really" got introduced to Magic, and what it's like to love and support a full time streamer.
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With Melvin on vacation, Jamie and TJ asked Ethan of the Lords of Limited Podcast to join the podcast for a discussion of Streaming, Limited, and Podcasting.
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It's preview time for Modern Horizons 2 and we have been blown away by what we have seen so far. There's so much going on in this set, including new spins on old favorites, Legacy cards moving into Modern, meme cards, and even an army of squirrels. MH2 looks like it will be a blast to draft, shake up Modern, and inspire new Commander decks. With all this going for it, we have to ponder if this is the greatest Magic set there has ever been.
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This week we welcome to the podcast Jamie's friend Duncan, who works at Legions, her local game store. We ask what it's been like for an LGS these days between the pandemic, multiple booster products, and Secret Lair competition. Duncan gives us the inside scoop and we all ponder what the future holds for our favorite local game stores.
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We're back from an exciting weekend of tournament play and tournament coverage, and TJ shares what it was like to be back in the booth again. We also give our thoughts on the most recent announcement about Magic Organized Play, and then we play a game to figure out which Strixhaven college is the coolest by pondering which of them some popular fictional characters would choose to join.
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We talk about becoming hot tub streamers again, someone hates greeting cards, and we have to figure out what "mise" means.
[We've decided to release this lounge episode to everyone. Please enjoy! You can get access to the lounge every week by supporting us on Patreon.]
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Like a romantic relationship, our feelings toward Magic have gone through phases. From that first infatuation, to admitting that we "like-like" them, to falling head over heals in love. We share some stories from our past about how we've gotten to where we are now and why, despite everything we say, we still love Magic.
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This week we welcome fellow streamer and friend of the show Garbage Andy to the podcast. As a professional video editor and producer, Andy is bringing his own style, flare, and skills to his stream. What has helped him be so successful in his first year on Twitch? We also ponder why he wears the name "garbage" with pride.
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The most recent earning reports from Hasbro has revealed that Wizards of the Coast and Magic is at the most profitable it's ever been. After a year of drastic change, from the disappearance of large paper events, to the massive promotion of Arena, and the constant sales of Secret Lairs, is this the new way things are? We ponder if Wizards has any reason to go back, move forward, or just keep steamrolling ahead.
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Strixhaven is getting all of the attention right now. It's the first week of a new draft format, and Jamie shares how she feels about it. We look at the way the community has been engaging with the set, with promotional videos from the Command Zone and online quizzes that sort us into houses...er...colleges. We also ponder if we're happy with the way Strixhaven is going so far.
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Ham Fam (2Wet2Lettuce) Draft Signup
It's been a controversial week for Wizards of the Coast, to say the least. From forgetting who their own MPL members are, to cancelling the Arena Early Access program, it's left the Magic community in a tailspin. We ponder what the heck is going and and what the fallout will be.
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The votes are in and Twitter has decided via poll who is the cutest Kaldheim critter. Except not really because only Jamie, the Cutie Countess, can make such a decision. She walks us through her bracket and we see how Twitter did. Melvin also exposes a Magic Arena conspiracy that might be about to change how the game is played.
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With his band, Intergalactic Mystery, needing another member, Tommy is searching the galaxy great musicians. He has landed on Earth to take some time off and interview local rocker, Jon Topples. The appearance of a surprise guest threatens to break up the interview. How will Tommy and his manager, Aluisius, handle this unexpected twist?
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This week we are joined by special guest, Taalia Vess! She and TJ share their enjoyment of the new Magic Legends game. We also discuss her love of Commander and get her thoughts on the new Time Spiral Remastered cards. We also ponder dangerous food.
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It's March Madness, cuties-style! We introduce 16 cute contestants to find out who will win the cutie crown by the Countess of Cute, Jamie. TJ also rants a bit about what happens when "Premier" Magic coverage just isn't premier and what can be done about it.
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You know limited is in a weird place when Jamie starts meme drafting. She tells us about the new pants deck that other people are forcing. We look at Universes Beyond and ponder why WotC would use other people's IP beyond making money. Oh, and Melvin has a breakdown.
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We've got a whole bunch of rants this week. Despite how cool the old bordered cards on Time Spiral Remastered look, we still can't calm down. We rant about the Arena ladder, dumb Magic Twitter, people hating on using non-Magic IP, and other stuff.
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The Sealed Arena Open is over! Jamie made Day 2, while Melvin made...some decks! We talk about how it went, how streaming on a delay was, and what happens when people complain about players choosing not to stream it at all.
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There's a Sealed Arena Open this weekend, and you know Jamie's getting ready for it. We check in on how her preparation has been going and get some tips. TJ shares his revelation of what White is missing in abilities, and we catch up on all the bans what they mean to their formats.
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It's our second episode recording live on Twitch! Jamie Topples, Melvin the Muppet, and TJ Rogers examine Kaldheim's impact on limited and Constructed and go on absolutely zero tangents.
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Jamie's been crushing Kaldheim drafts in the first week, and she gives us the early info. We also take a quick look at what Arena is like on Android and what it could mean for the game. Then we ponder the color pie, how it could be updated, and how it could taste.
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The Kaldheim marketing has leaned heavily into using heavy metal, but is it too much or not enough? Also, we're putting Tacobell crunchwraps on our faces and learning from TJ why horses are useless killing machines.
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With no TJ this week, Jamie and Melvin go deep on limited. Jamie tells us how much fun Tinker's Cube is on Arena, Melvin worries that Mythic Tokens on MTGO might destroy its economy, and we both take a look at the highlights in the Kaldheim previews so far.
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We're so happy to be joined this week by special guest, friend of Jamie, and popular Magic streamer Voxy! In her very first (of many) podcast interview, we talk about full time Magic streaming, what makes Limited fun, and we ponder the best Ravnica guild for cats.
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It's our first episode that's also streamed live on Twitch! We take lots of viewer questions, Jamie talks about her prep for the VML, and we ponder what happened to the Magic Greenlight Fund.
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We are joined this week by friend of Jamie's and pro player Brian Coval. Brian is known as a Legacy expert and is a co-host of the Eternal Glory Podcast. This week he shares with us how he got into Legacy, why he loves the format, and where it's going in the future. We also ponder 2021 new year resolutions.
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The Eternal Glory Podcast
In a shocking twist no one saw coming, both Jamie and Melvin have been playing Standard on Arena. Jamie has been crushing with Rogues in best of three, but Melvin has some thoughts on best of one. TJ has been having a delight with Supreme Vintage draft, and we ponder Kaldheim, the new planeswalkers, and hair styles.
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This week we are joined once again by Coleman Falk, friend of the show and co-host of the Building Blocks podcast. Coleman catches us up on how Building Blocks has been going and what's its like to do a podcast based on famous decks and cards from Magic's history. We also ponder Commander theme songs.
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We're back from Thanksgiving, and we've got some stuff that we're thankful for. TJ shares his experiences with Commander Legends and Melvin has been having fun (?) with Standard on Arena. We also ponder signature moves.
Magic will soon be traveling to the plane of Kaldheim, a Norse mythology-inspired set. We ponder what the themes and mechanics could be. We also catch up with Jamie on Kaladesh Remastered and why it's a great limited format.
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This week we are celebrating our one year anniversary with CFB! We look back a little bit, hear about TJ's fast food challenge, Melvin looks for some offers, and we all ponder being Kaladesh inventors.
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The controversy over Jeweled Lotus has been high and opinions differ on how good it is. Is it an intentional chase rare to drive sales or just a well designed card? We also ponder how Kaladesh Remastered will play compared to the original and look back to Amonkhet remastered for hints.
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Wizards announced that Magic Arena Mobile won't be released in 2020. Are we shocked even a little bit? We ponder what to really expect for mobile and when. We also bring back our favorite Ponder game, Battle of Wits. We take some of the Commander Legends creatures and debate what jobs they are best suited for, like three inept high school guidance counselors.
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Melvin's Minute 10/25/2020
Racism has reared its ugly head in the community again in the form of card alters, and we talk about how to handle those who create it and those who support it. We also ponder what happens when the Magic finance community exploits leaked cards for a profit.
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After a more than grand showing at the Grand Finals, Omnath is out of here! We look towards a locus-free Standard future. We also ponder tostadas.
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The Walking Dead Secret Lairs set has caused an uproar, but is it any more predatory than the Booster Pack lottery we're used to? We ponder if this is the start of a bad trend. But don't worry, Jamie lifts our spirits with her Zendikar Rising Certified Cuties list.
Magic is a big part of our lives, but what happens when it's the only thing? Jamie shares how she feels when Magic becomes too, and TJ recalls when it almost overwhelmed him. We also ponder Omnath's future and with whom we really want to party.
Zendikar Rising has been out for a week and your hosts are already having problems. TJ explains why a ramp card might get banned before it's even legal to play. Jamie shares her frustration with Arena's release, and the whole gang ponders more shoes for the Gatewatch.
Zendikar Rising has been fully revealed, and Jamie is back to help us out with her professional limited opinion. Will it be fast or slow? What's the bombiest bomb for draft? What will shake up Standard? We ponder what the new set will bring to both limited and constructed play.
Previews are rolling in, and we are starting to get a feel for the theme of Zendikar Rising and what it has to offer. We look at some of the cards that excite us, might be game changers, or are just plain fun. We ponder if this set finally ends the Zendicurse of past blocks.
It's preview time, and the party is coming to us! We look at the party mechanic and the new spin on modal cards, check in on the Hall of Fame update announcement, and ponder who we'd want to see in and why.
All players have bad runs, get cold, and just can't seem to win a game. Jamie talks about hers from last week and how losing streaks affect streamers. With our listeners, we ponder some ways to handle them when they do show up in our games, pro or casual.
Mark Rosewater released his annual "State of Magic" article this week about what WotC has learned in a year. We go over it and give our own opinions. We also check in with Jamie on how Amonkhet Remastered is going and ponder what it takes to truly remaster a previous set.
We all love the smell of fresh cards straight out of a booster pack, but did you know that each pack has its own unique aroma? We act as your set sommeliers this episode, weaving a sensory story with our descriptions. We also ponder what to do when our relationship with Magic starts to get unhealthy.
There's only a few weeks left until Standard rotation, but this week's Banned and Restricted announcement has finally axed the cards that people have been unhappy about for a long time. Will the fun return? Is it too late? We also ponder how people are expressing their frustrations on social media and if these are justified or just the fallout of "Angsty Magic Twitter".
Want to buy some packs but can't stand the draft chaff? Well check out the new set boosters! It's a new product to get more playables into your hands. We talk about who they're for and why they even exist. There's also been some conflict between the old school paper playing boomers and the new digital arena zoomers, but we're okay with that. We also give Jamie a bunch of extra work in this one.
Normally only available to our patrons, we decided to give everyone access to this preshow. We talk about comedy, death, and starting some only fans channels. (Warnings: mature content)
As a surprise to no one, there have a lot of complaints about the latest premium product, Double Masters. Unfortunately, your friends on Ponder are here to break it to you that not every product is designed just for you. We ponder the outrage of entitlement that seems to come with each new premium product.
After a quick look at the B&R announcement, TJ breaks down how the pro Magic 20-21 season works, and we see what it takes to get into the MPL and Rivals and what it takes to stay there. We also ponder if it's good or bad for current pros, rising stars, and players hoping to get there.
This week it was our listeners who did the pondering for us when we asked "What is your one big rule or complaint for Magic Etiquette?" We share your stories, advice, rules, and complaints from tournaments, casual paper, online, and everything in between.
After some powerful sets and complex mechanics in the last few sets, it's nice to get a bit of a break with Magic Core Set 2021. The limited play feels like a return to the comfortable, while still being challenging. We give our early impressions of the set this week and also ponder picking new creature types for ourselves.
The WotC Content Creator Program has a lot of people scratching their heads after some players were removed from it. Who is it even for and what's it serving? Why are people upset with it? We ponder what it is now, what's not working, and what it could be.
Core set 2021 is out and we.... well, we're having a hard time focusing on Magic right now, and it feels like it's been pushed into the background of our lives. We strive to carry on and summon the core set cuties to help us lift our spirits. We also ponder Core Set 2022, because it's never too early.
It's preview season for Core Set 2021 and we're feeling the puppy love. Dogs are running rampant, and we talk about which ones (and other cards) we're already excited about. We also get hyped on some great reprints, a twist on some old favorites, and a new planeswalker. We finish up by pondering planeswalker talk shows.
Wizards of the Coast has taken a mulligan on the Companion mechanic, and the newest version is, well, you read the title. We try to figure out how this particular version came to be and what it means to limited and constructed going forward. We also ponder the bannings and share a must-listen segment from the Color of Magic Podcast.
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Changes are coming for Companion, but we don't know what. Why bother critically hypothesizing about them when you can make crazy, outlandish guesses instead? We try both. We also ponder even more secret lairs, a leak, and rocks.
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The Arena Open was just announced. Is it for you? We look at what the Arena Open structure is and compare its format and cost to similar paper tournaments. We also look forward to the CFB Pro Showdown, and Jamie gives us a Curated Cuties of ICoria list.
What's more important when designing future sets? Innovation is important to keep the game fresh, but without balance power creep and narrow strategies can take over. We each ponder which is more important, how this trade-off has affected past sets, and what might be coming in the future. We also ponder krakens.
From the days of Superstars to the creation of CFBPro, from Magic TV to Magic FM, our special guest Mashi Scanlan has been innovating Magic content. In our first Channelfireball podcast crossover, Mashi weaves the tales of his life's story and CFB's together. Then we ponder mutating our pets.
Human drafts have finally arrived on Magic Arena, and people (especially Jamie) couldn't be happier. Was it a make or break necessity for Ikoria? We discuss how people are returning in droves after frustration with bot drafting and what that means for players. We also say goodbye to our DCI numbers.
She's had a week to sink her teeth in, but that's all she needs. Jamie is here to give us the run down on Ikoira limited. We ask her what the early strategies are, what's good and what's overrated. We also get hyped for her Eleague competition and wrap up by pondering porcuparrots.
After a quick celebration for human drafts on Arena, we start the deep dive into Ikoria. To review some of the most powerful cards, we decide to pit them against each other. We review the mythic Apex beasts, the Mythos cycle, and the new planeswalkers in a head to head elimination to find out which will be the last cards standing.
Forget "Battle-Cruiser Magic". Ikoria is bringing us giant creatures so big that we had to create a whole new term, "Dreadnought Magic". We talk about mutating giant monsters, why TJ loves cycling, and ponder if Companions are just Magic's version of Pokemon waiting to happen.
This episode may be coming out on April Fool's, but the world's crazy enough right now. Magic is moving on with changing ways to play, and we look ahead towards the release of Ikoria and future releases and tournaments. We also ponder replacing TJ with more Jamie.
In the wake of large tournaments being cancelled, the Magic scene is being forced to adapt, and leading the way is CFBEvent's MagicFest Online. We breakdown how you can play and when. We also cover some other new events to watch out for.
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Melvin Reads Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Our 100th Episode! This episode has 10 questions, 10 answers from the Magic podcast community, and 1 great time. Special thanks to Lords of Limited, Color of Magic, 75 Card Pickup, Best of 3 Podcast, Building Blocks Podcast, Eyes on the Mise, Midweek Metagaming, The Dive Down, The Vorthos Cast, and Scry Me a River.
Getting to Mythic Rank is every competitive Arena player's goal, and this week Jamie made the top 10! But how hard do you have to work to maintain it, and what happens if you can't? Jamie shares her experience with us. We also say good bay to some cards hit by the B&R and ponder the solitude of Arena.
This week we welcome a special guest who has built his brand up in a unique way. Keith (AdamAntMTG) joins us to talk about how his love of teaching others the game helped grow his stream to a surprising success. He gives us tips on how to engage directly with viewers to teach the game. We also ponder pop-tart improvements.
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Last weekend was the biggest Magic tournament that no one knew about. DreamHack was in Anaheim, had a ridiculous prize pool, but an extremely small attendance. If you blinked, you might have missed it. Speeding right along behind it is even more Secret Lairs. We ponder why they're coming so fast and what you might miss out on if you don't plan accordingly.
Sixteen players. Three days of Magic. A million dollars in prizes. Some quickly thrown in pineapples. The weekend was huge in the world of Magic, and we talk about what we liked and didn't, from the players, to coverage, and Arena tie-ins. We also ponder a design for PV's champion card.
Even though Jamie was trying to finish up her Arena Mythic rank, she still had time to catch some of the PT Phoenix limited play and gives us her professional opinions. And in case you haven't had enough yet, there's another Secret Lair release coming up. Is this too much yet? We finish up by pondering where we'd be right now without Magic.
We've got a whole lot to cover this week! There were not one but two Player Tours last weekend, and we go over the hot new Inverter deck that was all over the place. TJ gets hyped for the new Magic phone game, Manastrike, and we talk about the Magic Creator Program and what that could mean to content creators of all sizes. We also ponder lasagna.
Jamie is back from MagicFest New Jersey and we can't wait to hear about her experience. She not only tells about how the tournament went, but she confides in us with a couple of uncomfortable situations that happened while she was playing. We also get our first look at what the new "Un" product, Unsanctioned, will consist of and how it's different than the previous ones. Finally, we loudly argue about, er, we ponder the perfect nachos.
Jamie has been crushing sealed pools all week getting ready for MagicFest New Jersey, and she tells us what she's learned early about the format. It also seems that Legacy has disappeared from the 2020 schedule, but TJ has a reason why. Then we wrap it all up with pondering our own replacements.
We take advantage of our professional limited expertise, Jamie Topples, to look at the themes we can expect to see in Theros Beyond Deck limited decks and what we should expect in color sets and decks. Then, remember Modern? There were several bans this week and TJ gives us the whys and the impact. Finally, we all get to ponder having a Theros god for a roommate.
A special bonus, listen the the preshow for episode 90. These are normally a Patreon patron exclusive but everyone once and a while one escapes into the wild. Enjoy.
The previews for Theros Beyond Death are coming out, and we've already got so much to talk about. We reminisce about the original block and see which mechanics are back and which have been reborn. We highlight the cards that have excited us so far and talk about what to expect from the set. Then we round out the episode by pondering a Magic-themed yearly holiday.
Magic has been through a lot in 2019, and we take a little time to reflect on the highs and lows, the good times and the bad. We also decided that a good way to end the year would be with an extended mail bag segment, where we ponder personal teleportals and hot dogs.
It's the holidays, and we thought that a seasonal game was in order. So this episode we decide which planesewalkers are naughty and which are nice. And since Jamie is sick, we asked our pal Crocodile MTG to join us. He's an up and coming content creator bringing you multiple formats each week. We go on to ponder what Melvin did for a Klondike bar.
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The After Party event on Arena gave everyone a chance to see and play with some of the new Theros cards early, including two new planeswalkers. We look at how they played as well as the other set mechanics. We go on to ponder the past and those player haters (not really) at WotC.