One Mana Short: Recent Episodes
Eric Landes, Jake Traver, and Jessie Pilcher
A hangout-style podcast focused on the more casual side of Magic: the Gathering with a special focus on the Commander format.
Between family issues, work issues, and technical issues, these two Modern Horizon preview episodes have been a royal pain to get out the door. But they’re here! Part one today, part two coming soon.
This one was recorded halfway through preview season, so it only covers what we’d seen to that point. Interesting to see how things have developed in the month since we did this and now.
Any thoughts on the cards we covered? Favorites? We’d love to hear from you!
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog), Jake Traver (@WCPower9), and Jessie Pilcher (@StrictlyWorseLV)
Edited by Jake Traver
Music by Eric Landes
This week, we talk about cards with the phrase “you win the game” in their rules text. Alternate win conditions are a fundamental part of the EDH experience, and we talk about ALL of them! (At least, the ones that are Commander-legal.)
Got any favorites? Cool stories? Let us know!
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog), Jake Traver (@WCPower9), and Jessie Pilcher (@StrictlyWorseLV)
Edited by Jake Traver
Music by Eric Landes
If you’re a fan of the “some guys talking Magic between EDH games” style of episode we’ve done a few times, then you’re in for a treat this week. We start by talking about things we would love to see Wizards of the Coast (or the Rules Committee) add to the format. Over the conversation we divert into a whole bunch of topics like the power of fetches, some game and product design, and a lot more. Plus a little Dack Fayden love.
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog), Jake Traver (@WCPower9), and Jessie Pilcher (@StrictlyWorseLV)
Edited by Jake Traver
Music by Eric Landes
We’re back digging for diamonds again! This time, we take a look at Tempest Block (Tempest, Stronghold, and Exodus). Probably really where “modern” Magic began.
Jessie: Shadow Rift, Mirri's Guile, Tempting Licid, Shard Phoenix, Spike Cannibal, Anarchist
Jake: Vhati il-Dal, Magnetic Web, Shaman en-Kor, Invasion Plans, Manabond, Theft of Dreams
Eric: Needle Storm, Dracoplasm, Volrath's Gardens, Spitting Hydra, Skyshroud War Beast, Shattering Pulse
Got any favorites we missed? Let us know!
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog), Jake Traver (@WCPower9), and Jessie Pilcher (@StrictlyWorseLV)
Edited by Jake Traver
Music by Eric Landes
This week, the crew talks about the new set of five Commander 2021 preconstructed decks officially releasing on April 23. Favorite new cards, reprints, and more. Also, there might be a bit of a rant. Language warning. I get it out of the way early, at least.
Decklists: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/commander-2021-edition-decklists-2021-04-05
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog), Jake Traver (@WCPower9), and Jessie Pilcher (@StrictlyWorseLV)
Edited by Jake Traver
Music by Eric Landes
It’s set review time! The latest Magic: the Gathering set, Strixhaven: School of Magic, is about to release. We take the One Mana Short trademarked informal approach to our set review, and just talk about cards whenever the conversation takes us there. We cover the set as a whole first, then just start riffing on cards.
Any favorites we didn’t talk about? Hidden favorites you’ve got? Let us know!
Full set: https://scryfall.com/sets/stx?order=set&as=grid
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog), Jake Traver (@WCPower9), and Jessie Pilcher (@StrictlyWorseLV)
Edited by Jake Traver
Music by Eric Landes
It’s come down to two! Grixis vs. Sultai. Who’s going to take the crown? (And yes, there’s Marchesa references in the podcast, so that’s relevant.) We’ve heard a lot of the arguments for and against each color combination before, so this episode gets a little more conversational, anecdotal, and references other formats a little more.
First, though, we discuss the Mystical Archive. The set-within-a-set coming in Strixhaven. There are some powerful, and needed, reprints in here and we’ve got some thoughts.
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog), Jake Traver (@WCPower9), and Jessie Pilcher (@StrictlyWorseLV)
Edited by Jake Traver
Music by Eric Landes
We’re down to four! In this episode, we try to answer the questions: Which is the best Shard, and which is the best Wedge? Do you agree with our findings? How’s the tournament gone for you so far?
Also, happy birthday to our podcast! It’s been almost exactly a year since we released the first episode, and we couldn’t have done it without you loyal listeners. Thanks!!!
The matchups:
Shards:
Esper vs. Grixis
Wedges:
Sultai vs. Mardu
The tourney continues on! In our biggest slate of matchups, we have the Quarterfinals (or the conference semi-finals, if you prefer). Who’s going to move on? Who gets left behind? The matchups this week:
Shards:
Esper vs. Jund
Band vs Grixis
Wedges:
Sultai vs. Abzan
Temur vs. Mardu
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog), Jake Traver (@WCPower9), and Jessie Pilcher (@StrictlyWorseLV)
Edited by Jake Traver
Music by Eric Landes
It’s tourney time! Honoring the annual NCAA college basketball tradition, we’re going to have a playoff featuring all the 3-color combinations in Magic.
In this episode, we run down the tournament structure and seeding, then have our play-in matches!
Naya vs. Jund and Jeskai vs. Abzan! Who’s coming out on top?
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog), Jake Traver (@WCPower9), and Jessie Pilcher (@StrictlyWorseLV)
Edited by Jake Traver
Music by Eric Landes
This week, Jessie and Jake talk about the Kynaios and Tiro deck they mindcrafted while driving back to Las Vegas after GP LA in 2016. The deck’s secret commander is Storm Herd, a 10-mana sorcery that will win the game if not dealt with. The deck is completely focused around digging for and casting Storm Herd as many times as necessary. Come listen as they talk about the deck’s inception, how it performs, and how they’d update it.
The list: https://deckstats.net/decks/90542/1960131-jessie-s-k-t/en
Also, preview for our upcoming March Event! Get your Brackets ready!
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog), Jake Traver (@WCPower9), and Jessie Pilcher (@StrictlyWorseLV)
Edited by Jake Traver
Music by Eric Landes
We've all been there, right? One day, you look down, and you've got more decks built than you're comfortable with. Something's got to go. But, how can you make the decision on what deck to dismantle when it's so easy to get attached to all of them?
Erik Tiernan (@Erik_Tiernan) wrote a quick article that gives an objective process for deciding which of your decks you should keep, update, or dismantle.
In this episode, the three of us talk about applying this process to our portfolios, and how we go about maintaining the decks we keep. Hopefully our discussion can help you through the process when it's time to update!
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog), Jake Traver (@WCPower9), and Jessie Pilcher (@StrictlyWorseLV)
Edited by Jake Traver
Music by Eric Landes
One of the defining features of every Magic set are the mechanics used in the set. Some have only appeared once or twice, some are around all the time. Some, we hope never return again.
This week, Eric, Jake, and Jessie talk about their favorite mechanics throughout Magic’s history.
Check our website (onemanashort.com) for the full list!
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog), Jake Traver (@WCPower9), and Jessie Pilcher (@StrictlyWorseLV)
Edited by Jake Traver
Music by Eric Landes
This week we continue our series looking at the guilds with a dive into the Simic Combine. We look into the Simic’s role on Ravnica, whether they’re still fulfilling it, and round things out by talking about all things blue and green in Magic.
Question for the listeners: As we mention in the cast, it’s real easy to just build a UGx goodstuff deck. What’s the most “out there” UG deck you’ve built? The least simic feeling? Love to see your ideas!
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog), Jake Traver (@WCPower9), and Jessie Pilcher (@StrictlyWorseLV)
Edited by Jake Traver
Music by Eric Landes
This week, we go over the upcoming set, Kaldheim. Magic finally gets its Viking-themed expansion, and there’s a load of interesting cards in this one.
We talk about the new and returning mechanics, then each of us brings up our 10 favorite cards in the set. Anything catch your eye in this one? It’s a really deep set, so it’s probably pretty likely we didn’t even talk about your favorite card.
Eric:
Weathered Runestone
Dream Devourer
Starnheim Unleashed
Tibalt’s Trickery
Fynn, the Fangbearer
Glorious Protector
Valki, God of Lies
Mystic Reflection
Tergrid, God of Fright
Esika, God of the Tree
Jake:
Maja, Bretagard Protector
The World Tree
Blizzard Brawl
Doomskar
Blessing of Frost
Narfi, Betrayer King
Axeguard Armory
Rally the Ranks
Firja’s Retribution
Shimmerdrift Vale
Jessie:
In Search of Greatness
Tyrite Sanctum
Eradicator Valkyrie
Calamity Bearer
Goldspan Dragon
Reflections of Littjara
Magda, Brazen Outlaw
Koma, Cosmos Serpent
Immersturm Predator
Toralf, God of Fury
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog), Jake Traver (@WCPower9), and Jessie Pilcher (@StrictlyWorseLV)
Edited by Jake Traver
Music by Eric Landes
This week, Jake, Jessie, and Eric go back to the old sets looking for underplayed, interesting cards. This week, we cover Alliances, Mirage, Visions, and Weatherlight.
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog), Jake Traver (@WCPower9), and Jessie Pilcher (@StrictlyWorseLV)
Edited by Jake Traver
Music by Eric Landes
We’re back! Rested and refreshed after the holiday break, we chat about the year that was 2020, with all that entailed.
There were 16 releases this year, half of which were booster pack releases. We look back at those sets, and talk about our favorite cards, mechanics, and arts. Also, we might talk about Hullbreacher a bit. And a bit more fawning over Commander Legends.
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog), Jake Traver (@WCPower9), and Jessie Pilcher (@StrictlyWorseLV)
Edited by Jake Traver
Music by Eric Landes
In this quick episode, Eric looks back at the year, thanks all those who have helped the podcast get to where it is now, and what’s to come in the future.
Also, giveaway!! Listen for details!
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog)
Edited by Jake Traver (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
In this episode, Jessie (@RavenousYeti) joins us to talk about his favorite tribe: Dragons! In what is the most popular tribe (according to EDHRec) and one of the most versatile, Jessie has built nearly every possible dragon deck out there. I’m sure we can all get some ideas for new decks from this one!
We talk about decks we’ve built, favorite Dragons, ones that didn’t pan out, and ways to approach building this tribe.
Jessie’s Decklists:
Chromium
Dragon Knights
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Jake Traver (@WCPower9)
Edited by Jake Traver
Music by Eric Landes
In this episode my son Jack (@jacklpup) joins me to talk about what it’s been like growing up playing Magic. A number of issues come up around dealing with emotions, maintaining collections with multiple players in mind, the maturation of a young player growing up with the game, Grands Prix, burnout, and what it’s been like being the parent of a young Magic player.
This episode leans a little more into the competitive side of the game as much of Jack’s draw to Magic has been the 60-card 1v1 formats.
Shout outs include The Command Zone, Masters of Modern, Shivam Bhatt, Helene Bergeot, and probably a couple more.
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog)
Edited by Jake Traver (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
And the last shall be first. In this last episode featuring Russel, we go back to our very first session recording together. Appropriately, the subject was “Managing Expectations” and, frankly, I don’t think we expected to make it to 30+ episodes together. At least, not at that point. It is also a call to you, the listeners, to bear with us as we get our feet under us again adjusting to a new crew on the cast in the future.
In this episode, we get a little philosophical at first, but bring it back to Magic in talking about what Expectations mean to all the phases of playing EDH. From deck building all the way through post-session. Many of the examples in this episode made bigger appearances in later recordings, but you get to see their genesis here.
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee
Edited by Jake Traver (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
This week, Jake and Eric finish up their look at the Commander Legends set by looking at our favorite new cards that aren’t commanders. We also take a brief look at the reprints in the set, and yes, we talk about THAT artifact. We also touch a bit on color wheel theory, the future of Commander now that The Year of Commander is winding down, and more.
Cassie LaBelle’s articles on TCG Player: https://infinite.tcgplayer.com/author/Cassie-LaBelle/
Commander Legends Card Image Gallery: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/card-image-gallery/commander-legends
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Jake Traver (@WCPower9)
Edited by Jake Traver
Music by Eric Landes
This week, Jake comes back to the show to talk with Eric about their favorite legendary cards in the upcoming Commander Legends set.
We also go over the mechanics, release information, etc. So you can be as informed as possible going into this landmark release designed for our favorite format.
Card image gallery: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/card-image-gallery/commander-legends
What’s in the different packs: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/collecting-commander-legends-2020-10-26
Release Notes: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/commander-legends-release-notes-2020-11-06
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Jake Traver (@WCPower9)
Edited by Jake Traver
Music by Eric Landes
It is with a heavy heart that I write these show notes, as Russel has decided to step back from Magic for a while. This podcast was his last tether into the game, and with the (seemingly) never-ending turmoil in the online MTG community, Russel decided he’s better off stepping away. We wish him the best (we’re still in contact, of course) and he’s got an open door back here should he ever decide to return.
This is not the end of the podcast, though, as Jake is going to step in and do the Commander Legends set reviews over the next couple weeks, and we’ve got some ideas beyond that. I don’t have a set-in-stone plan for a co-host yet, but things are in motion.
In the meantime, we do have a couple more old recordings that, with Russel’s blessing, we’re going to turn into episodes. This is one of them. We recorded this back in February, before the pandemic hit, and as a result it’s not as topical as we intended it to be. Also, it’s the return of Squeaky Chair!
At the time, we called this topic “Playing With Strangers”, but it’s as much about prepping for an unknown meta as anything. We do ramble a bit, and get into some parenting philosophies and whatnot, but we hope you enjoy the listen!
Mark Wischkaemper’s articles: https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Mark%20Wischkaemper
One of his Convertible Commander articles: https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/markwischkaemper-04032019-convertible-commander-emmara-soul-of-the-accord
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee
Edited by Jake Traver (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
This week, Russel and Eric continue their tour through the old sets with The Dark, Fallen Empires, Ice Age, and Homelands. A couple of these sets are among the worst ever released, but there’s still some good cards in there. Come check it out and see what we’ve dug up!
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Traver (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
This week, Russel and Eric look over and discuss an excellent article written by Kristen Gregory (@thekristenemily): The Cards you Play in Commander Don’t Matter.
This article covers a lot of different aspects in improving your play. And, in a multiplayer format, improving your play can have a massive effect on your results. Join us and maybe you’ll win a game or two more than you would have otherwise!
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Traver (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
We are very excited to welcome Sam from Rhystic Studies (@rhysticstudies) to the show to talk about a whole bunch of things. Gruul, art, fun, playstyles, Azorius music, and more.
If you don’t know Sam’s YouTube channel, we HIGHLY recommend checking it out. As Eric said on the show this is some of the best Magic content out there.
Where to find Sam:
Twitter: @RhysticStudies
YouTube: Rhystic Studies
Web: https://www.rhysticstudies.com/
Referenced information:
Aaaargh: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/aaaargh-2006-01-30-0
Rob Bockman’s Articles: https://www.hipstersofthecoast.com/author/robbockman/
Mechanical Color Pie: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/mechanical-color-pie-2017-2017-06-05
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Traver (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
This week, Russel and Eric take a look at Eric’s Isperia, Supreme Judge deck. It was originally a very basic build based on an extreme budget list. It wasn’t performing the way Eric had in mind, so he rebuilt it while keeping in mind the deckbuilding template we discussed back in Episode #23.
Original deck: http://deck.tk/53ck4Jm3
Rebuilt deck: http://deck.tk/3Q691gRD
Comparison: https://deckstats.net/decks/compare/1778086-1/1778085-0/en
DJ’s original YouTube video describing the starting point of this deck:
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Traver (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
We are very happy this week to welcome Michelle Rapp (@kilnfiendpotter) from the Loregoyfs Podcast to the show to talk about the Orzhov Syndicate. Who they are, their role on Ravnica, and how they relate to Black and White as a whole in Magic.
This episode was a blast to record, we hope you enjoy listening to it! Some topics touched upon: Shakespeare, The Expanse, The Ravnica World Cup (and how the Simic would cheat), and more. Yes, the three of us got a little silly in this one.
Where to find Michelle:
Twitter: @kilnfiendpotter
Instagram: @kilnfiendpottery
Loregoyfs Podcast: @loregoyfs
Etsy shop coming soon!
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Traver (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
We’re back!
After a brief hiatus, we’re back with our take on the latest Magic set, Zendikar Rising. We go over the mechanics, favorite cards, and overall feel for the set. Anything you particularly like that we didn’t talk about? Let us know!
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Traver (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
With this episode, Russel and Eric embark on a tour through the old sets, looking for old favorite cards. We’re digging for those hidden, under-appreciated gems that you might find useful or fun for your decks.
The idea is we’ll slowly work through the pre-modern-border sets a “block” at a time. And, since the early sets didn’t really have blocks, we’ll tackle those in trios. First up? Arabian Nights, Antiquties, and Legends.
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Traver (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
In this episode, Russel and Eric take a look at the Command Zone deck building template debuted over three years ago, and explain about how to use it as a starting point for decks you’re building or updating.
While this is a more fundamental episode, and targeted at newer players, sometimes it’s good to go over the basics again to refresh yourself. After all, chess masters constantly practice their basic tactics.
The original Command Zone episode is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ6m_3J1hjI
A nice infographic demonstrating the template is here: https://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/comments/fr6xol/command_zone_commander_deck_template/
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Traver (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
Arcades, the Strategist has a reputation of being a commander that’s built “on rails.” It’s pretty obvious what Arcades wants you to do, so there’s really only one way to build the deck, right?
Maybe not. This week, Russel and Eric compare their builds (well, it’s really Eric’s son’s build), and show that even a commander as “obvious” as Arcades can be built rather differently. It’s all in how you approach it.
Russel’s deck: https://deckstats.net/decks/69130/1199098-the-turtle-s-shell/en
Jack’s deck: https://deckstats.net/decks/90542/1664418-jack-s-arcades-deck/en
Comparison: https://deckstats.net/decks/compare/1199098-3/1664418-0/en
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Traver (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
This week, Russel and Eric look at some alternate ways to play Commander. Be it Two-Headed Giant, Planescape, or others, there are many ways to play commander beyond the 4-player Free-for-All we’re used to seeing. In this episode, we talk about some variants we enjoy or find interesting.
Bruce Richard’s Serious Fun article: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/serious-fun/truly-chaotic-2014-04-22
Magic’s Comprehensive Rules: https://magic.wizards.com/en/game-info/gameplay/rules-and-formats/rules
Kingdoms: https://www.reddit.com/r/EDH/comments/1plyyj/kingdoms_edh_variant/
Pinata (not a fan of some of the other variants in this post): https://generally-edh.tumblr.com/post/137057192421/edh-variants-a-guide
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Traver (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
This week, Russel and Eric welcome our editor Jake Traver (@WCPower9) onto the cast to talk about our personal Signature Spellbooks. First, though, we chat a bit about Double Masters before digging into our lists.
We've got the full 24 cards on our website: https://onemanashort.com/2020/08/11/episode-20-personal-signature-spellbooks-with-jake-traver/
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Traver (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
A few weeks ago, Command Zone released the second of their Commander statistics episodes, trying to answer some specific questions about what goes on in typical games of commander. They analyzed some videos, and reported some numbers.
A few days later, Bruce Richard looked at those numbers, didn’t like them, and wrote a reaction article.
This week, Russel and Eric look at both of these excellent pieces of information, and tell you what they believe has been learned, and how to use this data when building your decks.
Command Zone’s Commander Mythbusters episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr91Crzl7DI
Bruce Richard’s “It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way” article: https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/brucerichard-06222020-it-doesnt-have-to-be-this-way
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Traver (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
Commander players are familiar with deckbuilding constraints. Our format is defined by them, after all. But what are some of the more creative constraints you can use when building a new Commander deck? This week, Russel and Eric go into some of the ones they, or people they know, have used.
Be it budget, theme, or mechanics, picking and building to a constraint can provide that inspirational spark you might need to get your next deck together!
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Traver (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
Warning: the audio in this episode is glitchy. We believe we’ve tracked down the source of the issue, and hope this is the last episode with the problem.
Both of us have different ways in how we interact with, and approach, the game of Magic: the Gathering. In this episode, we talk about the game, other things we do, and Wizards of the Coast. This episode isn’t one that’s going to improve your EDH decks, but it’s one where you get a better feel for who we are as players and hobbyists.
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Traver (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
Many decks, particularly those with one or two colors, can have structural weaknesses due to their strategy, or simply due to restrictions imposed by the color pie. When you’re building a deck like this, how do you mitigate these weaknesses? Or do you?
In this episode, Russel and Eric talk about some of their decks, the weaknesses they have, and ways to build or play around them. Hopefully some of the ideas we bring up help you improve your existing and new decks!
(This is another of our older recordings that we’re releasing now. I would like to thank Wizards of the Coast for fixing the Hound/Dog issue we bring up in the episode, and rightfully correcting all Hounds to be Dogs in the game from here forward.)
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Traver (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
This week, Russel and Eric talk about the upcoming “limited” set, Jump Start. This is a very different product from what we’re used to, so we spend a little time talking about its construction and purpose before diving into some of the new cards they’ve printed in this release.
Deck lists: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/jumpstart-decklists-2020-06-18
Did we miss covering any of your favorites? What do you think of this product? Should we see more like it? Let us know!
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Travers (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
Russel and Eric go over all the top cards from the new set, talk a bit about lore, art, and what they might put in their decks.
Did we miss any of your favorites? Got a deck one of these cards is going in or a new deck they’ve inspired? Let us know!
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Travers (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
It would be irresponsible of us to continue producing a podcast without addressing the events of the past few weeks, how they relate to what’s going on in the world, and how we are feeling about them and the game itself.
This episode is Russel and I talking about what we don’t like about Magic, and what we do.
If you’re over-stressed right now, and want to just skip to the positive stuff, 38:40 is the timestamp you’re looking for.
I want to say up front that we’re just two white guys. Our perspective is, by necessity, shaped by that. We’re constantly trying to do better, and if we spoke from a mis-informed perspective, please let us know where we slipped up and how we can improve.
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Travers (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
Join us this week as we pull out an older recording where we talk about our different methods of building decks. We ramble on about general approach, manabase theory, staples, decks we’d built recently, etc. Also, I repeatedly forget that Atla Palani’s egg tokens are 0/1s, not 0/2s. Given we recorded the main topic back in January, we foreshadow a bit from episodes we’ve already released. (Russel’s thoughts on Sol Ring and Brainstorm, references to future (but now past) guests, a Flash ban prediction etc.)
Also, my squeaky chair features a little too prominently. I’m more conscious of that now.
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Travers (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
This week, we take an in-depth look at Eric’s Mayael deck that he’s become known for. Mayael spins the wheel for her activated ability, what if you don’t know what you’re spinning for? That’s the whole point of how this deck works!
Decklist: https://archidekt.com/decks/150370#Mayael
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Travers (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
This week, we're very happy to welcome Dana Roach (EDHRec, CMDR Central) to our cast. We talk about the definition of casual, netdecking vs brewing, how decks evolve, food, and a few other topics as we do our usual rambling around.
Where to find Dana:
Twitter: @danaroach
CMDR Central: https://cmdrcentral.libsyn.com/
EDHRec Cast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCApiDwDpn_JpzRGLZKrdr1g
Articles on EDHRec: https://articles.edhrec.com/author/dana-roach/
Book of firsts "Who Ate the First Oyster?": https://www.powells.com/book/-9780143132752
Link to Jonathan Medina's Kinnan article: https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/jonathanmedina-04302020-welcome-back-urza-kinnan-for-casuals
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Travers (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
Many (most? all?) of us have multiple Commander decks. When we’re taking decks out of the house to play, how do we choose what to bring? If you only have a couple of decks, how do you choose a new deck to build?
In this episode, we talk about how we choose the decks we play given where we’re playing, who we’re playing with, etc.
This is a little bit of an odd episode. We recorded it back at the end of March, just as the quarantine was fully kicking in. In a way, there’s a bit of optimism here when we’re talking about MagicFests, playing in shops, and so on. It’s really not clear when or if these will happen again.
If we had recorded this episode now, we’d also be putting in a section on building decks to play over webcam. We touch on it at the end, but it would have increased focus in a remake. Maybe that will be its own episode.
We do cover building or changing our decks for different environments, a little bit of manabase theory, and more. A good window into our approach to EDH night.
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Travers (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
This week, we're very happy to have Jonathan Medina (@medina_mtg) join us to talk about his creation: the EDH Battle Box (or, as he's calling it now, the Commander War Chest). An alternative, incredibly fun way to play Commander that lies some place between Commander and Cube (without the drafting).
Jonathan's article series starts here: https://bit.ly/36cOtoB
Jonathan's current Battle Box build: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/commanderbattlebox
Jonathan's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Medina_MTG
MTG Battle Box website: https://mtgbattlebox.com/
Plane of Thrones deck listing: https://bit.ly/2LAiO7c
Eric Klug: https://twitter.com/klug_alters
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Travers (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
It's our first guest! Let's welcome Eric (on twitter as @_kaburi_) to talk about their favorite color pair: Blue and Red. All things Izzet (and outside of Izzet.)
This is the start of a series we're planning where we'll talk about each of the color pairs and how they work together (and sometimes don't).
Sadly, there were some connection issues in this recording, and the sound is a little accelerated in places, and rather "clicky." Our profuse apologies for this. We're doing our best to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Izzet Commanders: https://edhrec.com/commanders/ur
Mark Rosewater's Izzet article: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/creative-differences-2006-02-27-0
Girl Genius: http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/
Rhystic Studies Theros video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H981fHM6Li8
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Travers (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
This week, Eric and Russel take a look at the Commander 2020 pre-constructed decks, and pick out particular commanders and cards they're interested in.
Commander 2020 product page: https://magic.wizards.com/en/products/commander2020
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Travers (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
We've mentioned in the past how Russel builds deck a little differently than many of us, with a strong focus on theme. This week, we look at Russel's Dreams of Dragonstorms deck, a dragon tribal deck led by Intet, the Dreamer.
Decklist: https://deckstats.net/decks/69130/1247942-dreams-of-dragonstorms
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Travers (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
This week, Eric and Russel take a quick look at Ikoria cards we like and the decks we might put them in, some of the mechanics and other various sundries.
Virtual EDH: https://www.virtualedh.com/
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Travers (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
This week, Eric and Russel look at a list of all the legal commanders in EDH sorted by their "Tier" or strength taken from a cEDH perspective.
Wait, isn't this a casual podcast? Why cEDH information? Well, take a listen, and you'll see that even information written for a different audience can be applied to the style of play we enjoy.
The Commander Tier List: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/list-multiplayer-edh-generals-by-tier/
Jumbo Commander's Budget Isperia List: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR9iBP7Emyk
Podcast (@OneManaShort) by Eric Landes (@ProggyBoog) and Russel Lee (@RogueArtificer)
Edited by Jake Travers (@WCPower9)
Music by Eric Landes
Join Eric and Russel this week as they go over lessons they've learned over time, both as players and deckbuilders. Maybe some of these tips can help you through the same hurdles more quickly!
Referenced deck: Arachnophobia. Last updated in 2015.
Podcast by Eric Landes and Russel Lee
Edited by Jake Travers
Music by Eric Landes
Additional input from Eric's Squeaky Chair
Recording date: Mar 9, 2020.
You can find the podcast on Twitter @onemanashort. Eric is @ProggyBoog, Russ is @RogueArtificer, and Jake is @WCPower9.
All episodes can be found at our website.
In this episode, Russ and Eric talk about growth in deckbuilding, game play, and other aspects of our approaches to the game.
Podcast by Eric Landes and Russel Lee
Edited by Jake Travers
Music by Eric Landes
Recording date: Feb 21, 2020.
You can find the podcast on Twitter @onemanashort. Eric is @ProggyBoog, Russ is @RogueArtificer, and Jake is @WCPower9.
All episodes can be found at our website.