Code of the Cardboard Samurai: Recent Episodes
thejapanhobbyist
A podcast all about Magic the Gathering in Japan from a Foreigner's Point of View, as well as the home of the Magic Final Frontier podcast archive about the format that was created in Japan to bridge the gap between the modern and standard formats.
With the God of Pioneer 7 tournament in the books and still fresh on everybody's mind, The Japan Hobbyist and his "cohost" Taichi invite new friend and local MTG player Mickey (Swampmouse on Discord) to talk about his experience at the event. We go over what the metagame was like, the top 16 decklists, and also discuss the overall state of the Pioneer format in Japan at the moment.
In the second half of the podcast we move onto a discussion about organized play in Japan to help foreign players living or visiting the country. Taichi gives us some insight on what OP was like in the past in Japan and his opinions on how this year will be different, then offers us the unique perspective of a level 1 Magic the Gathering Judge. If you're thinking about playing Magic the Gathering in Japan and want to hop into competitive play this year, you don't want to miss this episode!
If you have questions about MTG in Japan don't be afraid to drop into our discord or hitting me up on Twitter!
Discord: https://discord.gg/JGKxHhy
Twitter: @YoJapanHobbyist
In this episode past guest and local Magic Player in the Tokyo area, Taichi Nishizawa, joins me to talk about Kamigawa Neon Dynasty from a Japanese person's point of view. I was really interested in hearing his opinion about not only the plane of Kamigawa itself, but also how it was portrayed by Wizards of the Coast in this set.
After listening to this episode, feel free to hop into my discord to discuss the show or give me a follow on Twitter as well!
Discord: https://discord.gg/JGKxHhy
Twitter: @YoJapanHobbyist
I don't know about you, but the moment Wizards of the Coast announced that Godzilla and many other Toho studio monsters would be in the next Magic the Gathering Set, Ikoria, my heart skipped a beat. Seeing all of these monsters appear on paper in my favorite hobby brought out all sorts of memories. Many people probably haven't seen many of these original Godzilla movies, if at all. Being the Japan Hobbyist, I felt that the gospel of Godzilla must be spread so I recruited a fellow foreigner living in Japan who is also a 'Kaiju' enthusiast and we proceeded to "nerd out" about the new monster cards in the plane of Ikoria. If you're interested in learning the history of the Toho monsters, or if you are wondering how close the MTG Ikoria counterparts are to the originals, be sure to listen!
The Pioneer format has exploded in popularity in Japan recently due to the upcoming Magic Fest in Nagoya. GP Nagoya will be the first ever Pioneer GP along with GP Brussels in Belgium. As some of you might know, I started my blog around Avacyn Restored and soon afterwards I began keeping an up to date Japanese to English vocabulary page on my blog, www.thejapanhobbyist.com. If you've been listening to my past podcasts then you know that I posted another episode about basic Magic the Gathering vocabulary you need to know to play MTG in Japan. You can find that episode here. In today's episode I'm joined by a special guest and level one judge in Japan, Taichi Nishizawa. We go over all of the vocabulary from Return to Ravnica block to Theros Beyond Death, and explain how to use the vocabulary while playing a game in Japanese. If you're a Magic player living in Japan, visiting for a Grand Prix or other event, or just want to practice speaking Japanese, give it a listen!
Having lived in Japan for more than 10 years now, I've been all around the country and have met a lot of people playing Magic the Gathering. Doing so has allowed me to get to know all sorts of people in my travels, and while the majority of them have been Japanese players, I've also met quite a few foreigners. Some of the first Americans I met were when I was playing at Grand Prix around Japan. However, not everybody was over here in Japan to work like I was.
Over the years I realized just how many of the foreigners I met and played were actually serving in the military. While many of these players are only in Japan for a few years before shipping out to other parts of the world, they have become good friends of mine. Since moving to the Yokohama area, where there are a handful of military bases, I've come to meet more and more of these service members. That's why I thought it would be a good idea to do a podcast for people serving in the military in Japan, to give them some resources and information so that if they wanted to play MTG while living here, they could do so without worrying.
If you're currently in the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines, or just know some Magic players in the military that are on their way over to Japan in the near future, be sure to let them know about this episode, as well as the others!
And just like that the Final Frontier podcast ends. In episode 69 we talk about how Historic was finally announced officially by Wizards of the Coast and then talk about what excited us the most from the M20 Core set. We discussed how the cards fit into Frontier since we were hoping that the new format would go back further than Ixalan, so luckily the episode does a good job of showcasing how M20 fits into the scheme of things in Pioneer. I'd like to thank you for taking the time to listen to our old shows. If you'd like to follow us in our journey through the new Pioneer format you can pick up where we left here in our new podcast, The First Pioneers. Thanks for listening!
https://thefirstpioneers.podbean.com/
Before Pioneer was announced, all we knew was that Wizards was working on a new format for the Arena platform. That format eventually morphed into what we now know as Historic, but we were hoping that the format would also translate into some kind of paper format as well. In our second to last Frontier episode we talked about everything we learned from the Frontier format after 2 years plus of playing and made suggestions for Wizards of the Coast to follow so they didn't run into the same problems that the format had from start to finish. Did they listen? Did our wishes come true with the Pioneer format? You'll have to listen to find out!
As Ryan gears up for the 13th God of Frontier tournament in Tokyo at Hareruya, He and Kevin talk about how the War of the Spark Frontier metagame has been evolving both online and in paper. They cover how each archetype has changed and what cards to look out for going into a big tournament. This is one of the last metagame episodes we did prior to Pioneer, so you can get a good look at how the decks in the format were updated with almost the same pool we currently have.
Every format has their own plays that make players feel good when they play them. Emptying your hand turn one with a Modern Affinity deck, flashing back a Lightning Bolt with Snapcaster Mage for the kill, or even winning a counterspell battle in Legacy with Force of Will. Frontier is no different, and with the added pool of cards for Pioneer, some 'god' hands are just going to get crazier. In episode 66 we talk about what some of the best plays you can pull of in Frontier are. If you're looking to break the format in Pioneer, this is a great starting point. Whether you're a Timmy, Spike, or Johnny player you're bound to find something in this episode that will put a smile on your face.
We're down to our last 5 Frontier podcasts! Today's topic was more of a fun one based around Brawl. The format never really took off in standard due to poor promotion of the game and a limited pool, but some Frontier players had been having fun building Frontier Brawl decks so we thought we'd cover what a Frontier Brawl format would look like. What were the best legendary creatures and planeswalkers to use as Generals? What were the best spells? We explored what this possible format would look like and came up with some good results. If you're still not sure about jumping into competitive Pioneer, maybe you'll enjoy building Pioneer Brawl decks instead. Use this episode as a primer to get started!
Before the most recent rotation last summer, people were actually enjoying standard. Nowadays, not so much. No matter the season, standard usually has the most active players of any format. The power level of standard has been creeping up lately, and we thought that many of the decks might just have what it takes to be playable in Frontier. This can also be true of Pioneer. In all likeliness, you can take a standard deck and make a few changes and have a deck that is ready to go in Pioneer. One of the great things about having a format between standard and modern is that it's much easier to adapt standard to it. If you've played standard over the last few seasons and are thinking of making a Pioneer deck, listen to our suggestions on how to update it so you can play the new format right away!
The multicolor cards of War of the Spark and our top 5 most impactful cards from the set in Frontier wraps up our 3 part series on one of the most powerful sets to ever enter the format. Did your top 5 WAR cards for Pioneer match ours? Listen to what we thought were the Frontier playables and possibles from War of the Spark.
In our 2nd to last set review for Frontier, we talked about the main colors of War of the Spark and also discussed how the new and returning mechanics in the set would affect the format. It's a given that many of the planeswalkers will find their way into Pioneer, but where do the rest fit in? We explore the possibilities for the set and give you suggestions on what kind of deck to use the cards in. If you've already heard it the first time, it's worth a revisit to see how the playables would match up with the Theros and Return to Ravnica blocks that were added in the Pioneer format.
Pioneer started off with a bang here in Japan and it's been the talk of the entire Magic the Gathering Community for the past few weeks. It was only natural that we'd do a podcast about it. In this episode Ben and I talk with our good friend Bobby Birmingham about what it's been like to play the new format in Japan since the initial announcement. We talk about the initial reception of Pioneer from players, how the stores in the Tokyo/Yokohama area are changing their tournament schedules, as well as how the new format has affected the prices of cards. We also get a little personal and discuss what we are most excited to play in this new format and what we are brewing. To those of you that stick around until the 30 minute mark, we have a special treat for you.
We hope you enjoy today's show and if you have any suggestions or comments feel free to leave them down below!
(special thanks to Lain Kaplan for use of the beginning and end themes)
War of the Spark made a huge impact on standard, and some of the cards even made their way into modern, legacy, and vintage. But did any make it into Frontier? In this episode we cover each of the planeswalkers spoiled in the set and talk about where it might fit into the format. While cards like Teferi, Time Reveler and Ashiok, Dream Render have found there way into control decks and sideboards in Pioneer already, where would the other cards fit in? If you're looking for some ideas on where to play the WAR walkers, give this episode a listen.
Wizards of the Coast had played around with the idea of a new format between Modern and Standard for a very long time before finally pulling the trigger on Pioneer. As long time Frontier players we always knew that there would be a new format, but we never knew exactly what it would be. With the conversation shifting to the Arena Historic format a few months back, we realized that we might have to deal with a post modern format possibly starting from Ixalan. If that WERE to happen, we talked about what cards from the Frontier format would have to be reprinted in either core sets or some kind of Historic "Horizons" set in order to make the format worth playing. Since we ended up getting Pioneer, this episode isn't as relevant, however it does look at which cards should be looked at for reprints in Pioneer in the future.
Are you one of those players who enjoys a challenge? Do you like solving tricky situations on the battlefield? Or would you consider yourself a straightforward, linear player that doesn't like to have to make a lot of decisions? In episode 60 we talked about the difficult decks of the Frontier format. We covered the decks where decisions are key at all points of the game, and also talked about which decks you can pick up and play without having to learn it first. A good listen for the different levels of Pioneer players, whether you're trying to be a competitive "Spike" or just a casual "Timmy".
When War of the Spark was announced, all we had to go on was a picture showing all of the planeswalkers on a stained glass window in Ravnica. The Magic world was full of speculation and we were not immune. Before knowing anything about the new planeswalkers, we made a wish list as to what we'd like to see each of the planeswalkers do and how they might fit into the Frontier format. Did we get any of them right? Did we come close? Listen and find out.
Sideboarding is incredibly important in Magic the Gathering. If you're not prepared, a deck can catch you totally off guard and win the game without you being able to do anything about it. In episode 58 we go over all of the best sideboard cards in Frontier and talk about which type of decks you should play them in and against. While there are some better options now in the Pioneer format, there are some very good suggestions in this episode. Learn what you can use as alternatives in case you don't have the cards from Return to Ravnica or Theros block at the moment, as well as what decks you should be looking out for in Pioneer.
We made a lot of claims over the months about how good card X and card Y were when we did our set reviews. But were we right? Did we sometimes get it wrong? In this episode we go over all of the picks from our past set reviews and talked about why some of our choices didn't pan out, while others were underrated. A good discussion on how the Frontier metagame evolved and grew in directions we couldn't predict, and what eventually became staples in the format. A good in depth episode for all of you Pioneer players out there.
Are you a Spike? Do you enjoy winning games in Magic the Gathering more than anything else? If so, this episode is for you. Kevin and I talk with Tom Davis from the online Frontier community about what decks pull out all the stops to win. If you're going to a big Pioneer event in the future and looking to crush the competition, check out which Spike decks and cards we recommend. We talk in depth about aggro decks like Atarka's command, as well as how the Spike decks evolved from the inception of Frontier.
Not everybody has the money to play a few Liliana the Last Hope, a playset of Smuggler's Copter, or have the disposable income to buy Collected Companies for their Pioneer decks. But is there another card that's almost as good that you could use in its place? In today's episode we explored the alternatives to staple cards of the Frontier format. If you're currently waiting to buy cards in Pioneer but want to check out the format, why not build a slightly more budget version with different cards that can fill a similar role? This episode is also useful if you're worried about investing in a deck only to have the main card banned. Not to worry, just have a back up plan!
If you want more Pioneer content, follow our new podcast! https://thefirstpioneers.podbean.com/
In part 2 of the Ravnica Allegiance Frontier review we cover the remaining cards such as the multicolor, artifacts, and lands. We start by going guild by guild and discuss how they fit into the already existing archetypes of the format. If you're an Orzhov, Azorius, Gruul, Simic, or Rakdos player you'll want to check it out. Multicolor cards are always more powerful and we thought quite a few were good enough to make it into Frontier. They might also be good enough for Pioneer!
After Guilds of Ravnica the Frontier metagame really started to heat up. With the second Ravnica set being added, Ravnica Allegiance, we saw a number of new decks pop up and many more already established decks got a much needed shot in the arm to re-energize their strategies. In part one we talked about the main colors of the new set from white to red and which decks they slotted into in Frontier. If you're building new Pioneer decks and have just started playing MTG recently, this is a good episode to see which of your newer cards are playable in the format and which decks are worth checking out.
The Johnny Archetype from WotC's website: "Johnny likes a challenge. Johnny enjoys winning with cards that no one else wants to use. He likes making decks that win in innovative ways. What sets Johnny apart from the other profiles is that Johnny enjoys deck building as much as (or more than) he enjoys playing. Johnny loves the cool interactions of the cards. He loves combo decks. Johnny is happiest when he’s exploring uncharted territory."
When the metagame is zigging, the Johnny players like to zag. They love to play decks that can win out of nowhere, are hard to interact with, and come at you from angles you least expect. In this episode we have one of the well known members of the online Frontier community, Aaron Torres, come on to talk about decks like Rally the Ancestors, Jeskai Ascendancy, and a variety of other spicy Johnny decks that people have tried out in the format. If you're a Johnny player that is looking for the next best combo deck in Pioneer, you definitely want to listen to this episode!
Do you love playing giant creatures and smashing your opponent with insane amounts of damage to win the game? Are flashy plays and spells with lots of X's totally your thing? Then episode 52 is totally for you! In this episode we talk about everything related to the 'Timmy' player type in Magic. If you identify as a Timmy player (like myself) and want to know which decks and cards would make for great Timmy strategies in the new Pioneer format, give it a listen!
In episode 51 Kevin and I discuss what was on our Christmas wish list for Frontier in 2019. We discussed what reprints we'd like to see in the future, as well as what kind of cards the format needed to balance it out. Considering what cards are now available in the Pioneer format, we got a remarkable amount of picks right. If you're interested in learning about which of our 2018 Christmas wishes came true, I recommend this episode. Listen to what we thought the perfect Frontier format should be and compare it to Pioneer!
Planning on coming to Nagoya for a Magic Fest in the future? Or how about visiting it on the way to a Magic Fest in Shizuoka or Kyoto? If so, this episode is right up your alley. In episode 11 we continue our series on Magic Fest locations and talk about all things Nagoya. We discuss the upcoming event in November 2019, the new event hall, transportation, things you can do around the event both before and after, and all the delicious food you can eat in Nagoya! Check it out to get some ideas for your next MTG trip!
Part 2 of our History of Frontier podcast covers what happened in the format all the way from the middle of 2017 to around the present. We talked about milestones and big events, and continued to describe how the metagame changed. As new sets came out, new iterations of favorite archetypes evolved as to what you see today at the start of the Pioneer format. This is a must listen for Pioneer players that are looking to see how cards shaped competitive Frontier each season. If you want to learn about what decks came out on top in Frontier after the dust settled, this episode is essential.
The Pioneer format has its beginnings in the Frontier format, which was started back in 2016 by Hareruya and Big Magic. But how did we get from there to here? Why didn't Frontier take off? What were the highs and lows of the format, and how did the format change from its inception to right before the Pioneer format? If you're interested in learning the history about the predecessor of Pioneer and want to know how the metagames evolved over the months and months of tournaments both in Japan and online, this is a great episode for you. Part 1 covers the first year up until the end of 2017, giving you a look at Frontier's beginnings.
In episode 49, Kevin and I delve deeper into the effect of Guilds of Ravnica on the Frontier format and discuss how we think Ravnica Allegiance will impact it further. We could easily surmise that some cycles would be continued, and that the format would get the remaining shock lands as well so we started from there. Aside from what affect those cards would have on the Frontier format, we also talked about what we hoped the new set had that could fill some holes in the Frontier metagame.
A good look at what decks were good in Frontier during the Guilds of Ravnica metagame and which Guilds of Ravnica cards saw play.
It wasn't too long ago that MTG Arena had considered adding a non rotating format to their platform (which only recently became Historic) There was speculation far and wide as to what this Arena Modern would look like and how it would work, but the general thought was that it would start from Ixalan and lose everything that made Frontier great. In this episode we discussed what we thought this Arena "Modern" (aka Historic) would be like metagame wise, as well as what Frontier archetypes would no longer be viable. If you're looking to compare a possible Historic format on Arena to the paper Pioneer format, this is a good episode for you.
Getting people to try new formats can be a struggle from time to time. Not everybody wants to invest time and money into an untested format, so finding people to play with can be a challenge. Frontier was one of those formats that both myself and my close friends enjoyed immensely but we had trouble to grow that community of players. Therefore the podcast crew decided to help those scattered Frontier players around the world organize and to give them a variety of ideas to grow the game in their area.
In today's podcast, we talk about how you can promote Frontier to your friends and at your Local Game Store, with various tips on how to get people started, how to keep people interested, and even some ideas for events you can offer at your store to get people playing regularly. If Historic doesn't take off in paper right away, this episode could give you some good ideas to help it grow where you live!
With Guilds of Ravnica in the mix, Frontier once again was thrown into chaos. As with most new sets that add to the Frontier pool, each one has a noticeable impact in the metagame. In today's topic Kevin and I go over some online deck lists as well as the top decks from Hareruya and talk about which cards from the new set showed up. Some were expected, but some caught us off guard. A great look at playable decks in more 'extended' Historic format as we get closer and closer to the current pool of cards in the format.
Does being a great card in standard equal being a great card in Frontier? Not necessarily. In today's episode Kevin and I explore what past standard staples couldn't cut it in Frontier and why. An expanded pool of cards means there are a lot more answers to problem cards that were allowed to run rampant in standard. If you're looking to build Historic decks in the future, this is a must listen so that you don't run into the same problem new Frontier players ran into when they tried out cards they thought would be good in the format.
Finishing up our review of Guilds of Ravnica for the Frontier format, we go over the remaining colors and also our top 5 lists from the set. While we might not have gotten everything right, there are some good deck ideas as well as some possible brews in this episode that could do well in Historic.
With the full set of Guilds of Ravnica spoiled, the hosts spare no time to dive into what the set has to offer to the Frontier format. For the first part we cover most of the mono colored cards, talk about what cards we think have potential to warp the format, as well as which cards will easily find a home in already viable Frontier decks. As we get closer and closer to the current pool of cards available to us, Historic strategies start to become clearer and clearer. Another good listen for those of you wanting to play the new format between standard and modern.
With the announcement that shock lands will return in the fall 2018 set, the Frontier community erupts into absolute pandemonium. Kevin, Matt, and I talk about just how big of an impact having shock lands will have on the Frontier format. The mana base (which was already good) is the obvious winner, especially with fetch lands in the format, but what cards and decks get better with the inclusion of such an eternal staple? As an added bonus, we also discuss some of the new mechanics from Guilds of Ravnica and how we see them fitting in to Frontier.
If the Historic format DOES end up going back further than the Ixalan block, this would be a good topic for those players as well to see how to optimize your use of shocks in the mysterious post modern format.
After a few weeks of the M19 metagame in Frontier, there were quite a lot of results to look through and developments to talk about. In this episode we poured over all of the decks that had been showing up in Tokyo at Hareruya's Frontier tournaments, as well as how the online metagame had evolved. A good look at competitive Frontier with some great insights for Historic if you're planning on playing that new format in the future.
If you've lived or played Magic the Gathering in Japan before, then you've probably noticed that events here have always been hit or miss when it comes to trading. The Grand Prix/Magic Fest circuit is no stranger to drama related to trading, and even trading in stores is frowned upon most of the time. So what's a person going to an event to do with their trade binders and boxes? In Episode 10, I once again have Ed Nguyen of the Cartel Aristocrats podcast on to discuss what it's like trading cards in Japan compared to other parts of the world he's traveled to, and how trading has evolved since the laws surrounding how vendors do business was changed. We hope the advice and tips we give you in this episode help you out the next time you go to a big event in Japan!
Whenever a new set comes out Wizards of the Coast releases starter decks which target the newer players of the game, as well people who like to play casually. If a new format such as Frontier or Historic really took off, the community would be best served by an ample amount of supply. Wizards has done great with recent starter decks and other supplemental materials in the recent past, so Kevin and I took it upon ourselves to discuss which cards we'd supply in a Frontier starter deck, and which deck archetypes would be the best experience for players getting into the format. A good idea for Historic in the future as well!
No, your eyes aren't deceiving you. There was an episode 38 but there were technical issues which made it un-listenable and so we had to scrap it. Instead I'm sharing episode 39 today, where we talked about which reprints we'd like to see show up in Frontier. We discussed which cards would absolutely wreck the format if printed, and we also talked about which could really super charge the Frontier and "toe the line" so to speak. Lots of cool ideas for new decks if the cards were reprinted!
If you love drafting and playing Frontier, or if you wanted to get your friends to play the format with you, there's really only one way to make it happen: Cubing. There are a number of reasons to build a Frontier cube. It mixes some of the best draft formats in recent memory (KTK block), puts some powerful cards in your hand such as Ulamog and Emrakul, and also lets you field a variety of archetypes from past standards that really became fleshed out with the Frontier card pool.
In this episode Kevin and I had on a Cubing aficionado to help us build a Frontier cube. We covered the basics of building a cube, talked about what cards we'd include if we were building a cube for Frontier, and also talked about various ways you could build the cube to keep it fresh and fun for you and your friends. Great topic for casual players everywhere!
After 3 new sets had been added to the Frontier format, it was time to take a look once more at tribal strategies. Quite a few new cards were added in Rivals of Ixalan, M19, and Dominaria so Kevin and I sat down to discuss which of those new cards either added to previous tribal decks or finally made some of them viable. Considering all of these mentioned sets are playable in Historic, this is a great topic to see how each deck would fare without the cards that were only in Frontier.
Not everybody can afford a playset of fetches or Ulamogs for Frontier. Even though the format itself is comparatively much cheaper than other eternal formats (and standard for the most part), there are quite a few decks that will break the bank. Because of this, the we discussed how you could play Frontier competitively without going broke to do so. We focused on decks that you could easily get for around $100, and discussed how to make other competitive decks cheaper as well. Might be worth listening to so that you can get an idea on cheap Historic decks as well.
The hosts talk about how the M19 Frontier metagame is shaping up and which cards seem to be showing up most often in decks both online and in paper. As Ryan gears up for a weekend God of Frontier trial in Tokyo, he and Kevin discuss how best to attack the metagame and what deck Ryan should play.
Part 2 of our M19 set review covers the rest of the colors, artifacts, and multicolor cards from the Core set. We also talk about the top 5 cards we think will make the biggest impact in Frontier, which was actually kind of hard considering how much power came in the form of reprints and other chase rares. In my opinion, this set had a lot of potential for Frontier, but was overshadowed by the stronger sets that came before it. In Historic, M19 should shine even brighter.
It seems like only a few weeks ago the hosts discussed how Dominaria would change the Frontier metagame, yet here they are again talking about how the M19 core set would impact the format. Lots of great points from the "Spikes" Kevin and Matt, and some crazy dreaming by the resident "Timmy", myself. If you're planning on building a Historic deck in the near future, this is another must listen so you can learn how the newer cards interact with the older ones, as well as get some deck ideas from the us.
It's hard to think that Mardu vehicles from Kaladesh block standard could get any better, but that's exactly what it did in Frontier. In this show Kevin and I interviewed another player from the online Frontier community to talk about not only his top 8 Mardu Vehicles deck, but also the various Black/Red/White Mardu archetypes. We discussed what was viable in the format as well as which cards in those colors stood out the most. A great in-depth talk for people that want to explore what the Frontier format was like, as well as the possibilities of Historic if it goes back to Kaladesh block or earlier.
The online Frontier community had been around almost as long as the format itself. One of the regulars who played on platforms like Xmage and Cockatrice was Csquared. He had amazing success with mono black Eldrazi over a few seasons, making many top 8s and winning a few as well. We had him on to talk about strengths of the deck and why it was so good against the other Frontier decks season after season. If you're interested in decks that are unique to Frontier, this is a great episode.
Frontier is a fast format. There's no shortage of quick creatures at 1 and 2 mana that can bring the pain quickly against an opponent. But how about on the opposite side of the coin? What cards at the top of your curve that cost 5 mana are the best in Frontier? In this episode the crew and a special guest discuss what 5 'drops' make the biggest impact in the format, including the newest set to be added to Frontier, Dominaria. There are a decent amount of cards from Historic legal sets to make it worth listening to if you're getting ready for the new format's launch this fall.
In episode 28 of the Final Frontier podcast, Kevin, Matt, and I hold a thought experiment about what the pros would play if the Frontier format suddenly became a competitive format that was played in pro level events. We cover a large amount of decks and cards and touch on many archetypes. This episode would be a good starting point if you planned on playing Historic in the future and wanted to see which cards from recent sets were playable in the format, as well as get some deck ideas so you can pick up and play right away.
One of the unique selling points of Frontier is that you get a chance to play with a lot of cards that don't see much, if any play in other formats. The lower power level than Modern, and bigger card pool than standard, put the format in an interesting place. Also in this episode, I join the podcast crew as a permanent member to talk about my experiences overseas in Japan, as well as to connect the two metagames together. Very fun topic that allows you to explore the format more in depth.
The crew talks about initial Dominaria decklists in episode 26 and run them through the Frontier metagame from past seasons to see if they have what they take. A very 'spikey' episode focusing heavily on competitive Frontier decks and strategies. These guys have played a lot of Frontier and can teach you a thing or two about what cards and archetypes you should be looking at when Historic becomes a thing.
With the new season just around the corner, the hosts talk about which cards they are most excited about and talk about their testing process for the next online Frontier tournament season. Having a week to sit on the spoiler and think of Dominaria, the hosts come up with some rather interesting combinations! They also talk about the 11th God of Frontier event in Tokyo at Hareruya that happened the week prior to the podcast and go over the results. Another good resource for Historic players to see what to play from Dominaria!
Another great podcast to listen to if you're thinking of getting into Historic this fall. Episode 25.1 covers the entire Dominaria spoiler and how we thought it would affect the Frontier format. If you've been following us this far, then you know that in Frontier EVERY new set that comes out has a substantial impact on the format. Which cards from Dominaria made the cut? Well, you'll have to listen!
With so many new mechanics and new playable cards, Dominaria definitely brought a lot of excitement into Frontier. As a pre-cursor to the set review episode, the podcast boys discussed what they liked about how Dominaria was designed and speculated on the use of quite a few cards in the Frontier format.
With only a few tournaments every season to explore the Frontier metagame, a large amount of decks never see any of the limelight or top 8's because there simply aren't enough people to play them and showcase what the deck has. In this episode, the hosts talk about archetypes they really like in Frontier that haven't really put up results or seen a lot of play in the format at all. Lots of cool deck ideas and cards to discuss, and a great starting point for Historic players looking to see what other decks might be playable.
If you plan on visiting, living, or are currently in South Korea and want to know more about Magic the Gathering scene in the country then look no further. In this episode Ben and I interview Brian Meijer out of Nagoya about his time living in South Korea and playing MTG there. We talk about the best stores to go to, where the best places to play MTG are, and also what the Magic scene in general is like. We look forward to doing more episodes like this in the future to help people who travel in Asia and play Magic know where to go and where they can play. I hope some of you find this episode useful and that most of you find it interesting!
With Dominaria just around the corner, the Rivals of Ixalan metagame wraps up with a number of events online and in paper happening. The hosts talk about the Untap Open online league top 8 results, as well as what happened at a handful of paper tournaments at Hareruya in Tokyo over the last few weeks. Mostly a 'house cleaning' episode as they would say, analyzing results and what cards did well. Good to listen to so you can see which archetypes were powerful and which cards to watch out for in future metagames.
The topic of ban lists almost always came up in the Frontier circles. If people like the pros actually played the format, would they break it? Would a ban list be needed to restore order? During the entire time of Frontier's existence, not one card was ever banned. However, should some have been? In this episode, the Frontier podcast crew discusses which bans they think would be necessary in the format, and why. They also talk about leaks from the Dominaria set that happened before the set itself was released.
With the new Dominaria set on the horizons and the Rivals of Ixalan set reaching it's end in the spotlight, Kevin and the crew talk about what they'd like to see in the Dominaria set before spoilers started to come out. This type of episode ended up becoming common place whenever a new set came out, especially if it was really hyped like Dominaria was. If anything, it's interesting to see how what they thought was going to happen and then compare it to what actually did.
The North American and Japan Frontier worlds collide when yours truly is invited on as a guest on the Magic the Final Frontier podcast. In this podcast I talk with the hosts about the Frontier format is like in Japan and go over the differences between the two metagames. I also share some stories about what Frontier was like in those first few months starting out in Japan. If you're looking to learn more about the history of Frontier and to get a different point of view on the format, look no further!
We're halfway through our initial rankings of every color of the Frontier format up to Rivals of Ixalan. Today's episode covers black, which usually has the best removal, hand disruption, and also powerful creatures with special powers. Which ones would be powerful enough to be played in Historic? Well you'll have to listen to find out.
The ranking of the colors in Frontier continues. Today's episode covers blue and the hosts cover a variety of cards from Magic 2015 all the way up to Rivals of Ixalan. A great topic for fishing out the best cards to use in the new Historic format. If you want to know what the best draw spells, counters, and best blue creatures are in Frontier, definitely give this a listen.
After quite a few large tournaments in Japan, the podcast crew decide to discuss the results and to also compare how Japanese players go about building decks differently than their North American counterparts. The hosts also talk about the upcoming 4th season of the online Frontier league tournament and how it could be affected by the recent results from Japan and the shifting metagame. Today's podcast is a good look at how the format evolved from Ixalan to Rivals of Ixalan in a matter of a few months and how the new cards made a name for themselves in the format.
The Magic the Final Frontier crew wrap up their thoughts on how Rivals of Ixalan will impact Frontier, covering the lands, artifacts, and multicolor cards in part 2. They also go over their top 5 list, explaining why they think their cards will have the biggest impact on the Frontier format. Another great resource for people looking to explore the Historic format more. It's one thing to play something directly from standard, but thanks to Frontier, we know what XLN block work well with Amonkhet and Kaladesh cards as well.
Rivals of Ixalan brought a lot of fresh ideas and new cards into the Frontier format. In part 1 of the 2 part RIX set review episode, the podcast crew digs deep into the White, Blue, Black, Red, and Green cards. They discuss quite a few cards and talk about how they would fit into existing Frontier decks. This will easily translate into a must listen episode for people wanting to get into the new Historic format.
Episode 14 of the Magic the Final Frontier podcast starts to wrap up the Ixalan metagame after weeks of playing the Frontier league online as well as at local events. The hosts bring on a league teammate of theirs and they chat about what they think are the most competitive decks and cards at the end of the Ixalan Meta. They discuss how each type of previously strong strategies fared this season, as well as which new ideas did well and which never got off the ground.
Taking a break from the metagame talk, the podcast crew embarks into some new territory and discusses what the best cards are in Frontier in each color. It's quite a weighted topic with tons of possibilities so of course they only covered one color at a time. The first is white, and the rest of the colors would be coming over the next few shows. This is a great episode to think about what cards would be playable in the Historic format from some of the newer sets, as well as show you how much of an impact the sets from Khans and Origins had on Frontier.
While it seems like the Professor over at Tolarian Academy Community College has come around to the idea of a new non rotating format between standard and modern, about 2 years ago he wasn't convinced by the Frontier format. While talking about some supplemental products he made some statements that weren't 100% accurate about Frontier, so the crew over at the Magic the Final Frontier podcast took it upon themselves to record a response to what he had talked about in in video about Frontier, as well as educate people about the format.
A few weeks into the Ixalan Frontier format, the Magic the Final Frontier hosts and a member of their online league team talk brews that hit and missed at they prepared for a new season, what and how they've been testing, as well as what they expect to see that season. Another great episode for people looking to learn more about the possible cards of Historic as it covers more of the technical side of the Frontier format.
At the height of Frontier interest, events were firing all over North America and Japan. No place outside of Japan was bigger than Toronto, and after Face to Face games slowed down their support of it, another store rose up to take its place and keep the games coming. Hear which store took over the mantle of Frontier leader in North America, as well as how the metagame was shaking up in Canada near Toronto.
This ended up being a regular series on the podcast whenever a set made a big impact on the metagame. In episode 9, the cast took at look at the standard decks popular during Ixalan standard, and updated them with Frontier cards. This ended up being a good mental exercise and should prove helpful for people to refer to when they end up building Historic decks. You get a chance to see how the older cards in Frontier interacted with those currently in standard, as well as the reasons you should use them.
The Magic Final Frontier podcast might be the longest running Frontier podcast out there, but it wasn't the first. Episode 8 of the podcast brings back the original Frontier hypemen, Tony Cameron and Matt Mealing. I listened to their Frontier podcast back when I was first getting into the format and they got my really excited about the format. They brought a unique gravitas and excitement to Frontier that has been hard to duplicate since. The Final Frontier podcast crew and them had an great conversation on the state of the format and shared some spicy card interactions and deck ideas.
With over 70 people in attendance, the 10th God of Frontier tournament at Hareruya in Tokyo, Japan was a great look at what what the format had the potential to do. The podcast crew uses their deep knowledge of the Frontier format to compare competitive decklists between Japan and North America and to discuss what they liked and didn't like from the God of Frontier tournament.
There are quite a lot of playable tribes in Frontier, but which are the best? The podcast crew talks about decks like Bant Humans in today's episode and they debate which tribe is the strongest in the format. Good building blocks for future Historic decks if you're looking for where to start with your favorite tribe as well.
As a bonus, the hosts also discuss the numbers of Ixalan cards that showed up in decks at a recent Frontier tournament in Japan to give you an idea of what made the biggest impact.
The hosts take a break from talking about the Frontier metagame in Episode 5 of the podcast to talk all about sideboarding. They cover what cards work against the best decks in the format, as well as what the best sideboard cards were in Frontier at the time. While not all of the cards or advice might be viable depending on where the Historic format starts set wise, there are some valuable nuggets of information from 3 very accomplished Frontier Magic players.
In episode 4 of the Frontier podcast, the crew pours over recent tournament results and talks about various deck types and card choices in the popular and winning decks. The focus is definitely more on the competitive nature of Frontier, and if you're looking to get some ideas on deck building for Historic later this year, this is another great episode that helps you to evaluate what cards are playable after Ixalan was introduced to the format.
It's important to know that unlike Modern and Legacy which are self sustained in terms of metagames, Frontier is more like standard and influenced by new sets as they come out.
By the time the 3rd episode of the Magic the Final Frontier podcast came out, the full Ixalan spoiler had just been released. While it usually takes weeks for cards to be fully tested in order to gauge their impact on the format, the podcast crew come up with a list of what cards they thought would change the Frontier format.
Since the new Historic format will be starting from Ixalan, this would be a good episode to listen to get an idea as to what's playable from the set and whats not. While not all of the picks might have panned out, the guys were right on quite a few of them.
At the height of Frontier's popularity in North America, the North America Championship was held by Face to Face games in Canada. In episode 2 of the Magic the Final Frontier podcast, the hosts interview the winner of the event. They discuss the match ups, the metagame at the time, as well as what they thought would happen in Frontier after the event.
As stated in my my blog article on www.thejapanhobbyist.com, I'll be working on archiving all of the Magic the Final Frontier podcasts for posterity. I've been working on the Frontier podcast project for quite a long time, and I feel that a lot of information we covered over our two years doing the show could be helpful to people when the Historic format finally becomes a thing later this year on MTG Arena. The podcast starts from around the time Ixalan block entered the Frontier format, so a lot of the topics we talk about should have some relevancy to Historic.
Episode 1 is the introduction to the format to our listners, and a discussion of what was happening in Frontier at the time of the post.
For episode 8 of the Code of the Cardboard Samurai podcast I thought I'd try something new. I took the show on the road last week at Eternal Weekend and met up with a good Japanese Magic friend of mine from Aichi prefecture, who is also a level 2 judge; Ken Sawada.
In this episode I interviewed Ken about what being a judge in Japan is like. We discussed some of the things that make the Japanese judge system different from others, he gave me a Japanese point of view on the new Judge Academy system that Channel Fireball is rolling out in the near future, and we talked about what direction he sees the Judge community going.
I hope to have more Japanese players on the show in the coming months, and while we might not always be able to communicate perfectly all the time, I look forward to telling their stories and allowing them to share their thoughts with an English speaking audience. If you have any ideas or topics for future podcast episodes, be sure to leave them in the comment section!
Welcome to episode 7 of the Code of the Cardboard Samurai podcast! In this episode, I'm joined once again by Ed Nguyen of the Cartel Aristocrats podcast as we talk about trends in Japan Magic finance scene, Magic things you can only really find in Japan and Asia, and also everything you need to know about Magic Fest Chiba. If you're looking for things to do around the city before or after main event (or just want to know about the Chiba area for future reference) give this episode a listen!
(Special thanks again to Lain Kaplan for creating the opening and ending theme of the show.)
In episode 6 of Code of the Cardboard Samurai, we welcome Ben Payne to the team and talk about everything that's going on in Japan this summer such as recent news, events, and announcements. A lot has happened on the MTG scene in Japan over the last few months so there is quite a lot to unwrap. We'll be continuing this series every season to let people know what's going on during that time. If you're going to be in Japan this summer, or are currently living here and looking for some information about summer MTG events in Japan, give it a listen!
Magic the Gathering has a deep, well documented history in the USA, but what about Japan? It's one of the biggest places for MTG, yet it has remained relatively unknown to people outside of Japan, especially if you can't read Japanese. In today's podcast, we travel back in time with new co-host Lain Kaplan to talk about what the early days of Magic the Gathering were like in Japan. Living in Japan from 2000-2008, Lain has experienced a lot of Magic's history and has lots of stories to tell. Join us as we talk about magic shops, pro players, Grand Prix, and even Buddhist Monk Magic players!
If you've lived in Japan before, live here now, visited Japan, or have always wondered about MTG in Japan give it a listen! Hopefully Japanese MTG won't be such a mystery afterwards!
If you're planning to visit Japan for an event in the future or are just coming over for vacation and some sightseeing, Dan and I have you covered. In this episode we talk about all of the places we've visited in Japan over the years and discuss which places are the best for Magic the Gathering. From Osaka to Nagoya to Tokyo, we got you covered!
Special thanks again to Lain Kaplan for the intro and outro, and to all of those that helped put the list together! We will keep exploring and hopefully have more places for you to visit in the future.
Currently living in Japan and want to play some Magic the Gathering but don't speak Japanese? Thinking of coming to Japan for a Magic Fest in the near future but worried about the language barrier? Then look no further! In this episode, Dan and I go over all the Japanese vocabulary and grammar you need to know in order to play a game in Japan with the help of our good friend and fellow player Hiroaki Oyama!
In this episode Dan and I welcome Ed Nguyen from the Cartel Aristocrats podcast to talk all about what MTG finance is like in Japan. We cover a variety of topics and answer questions most people have about what it's like to buy and sell cards over here. Also our top 5 list of the Japanese alternate art planeswalkers from War of the Spark!
Welcome to the Code of the Cardboard Samurai! Hosts Ryan Schwenk from Yokohama and Daniel Ostrander from Nagoya welcome you to our inaugural Podcast all about Magic the Gathering in Japan! In our first episode, we talk about the upcoming Magic Fest in Yokohama, what the Magic scene is like in the Yokohama area, as well as general facts about visiting and sightseeing in the city.
Special thanks to Eli "Lain" Kaplan for assisting with the opening/closing music!