CGB takes a vacation this week as Arjuna welcomes Draft and Draft's Cory to the show! This week we're talking Kaladesh Remastered draft, and there's a lot to talk about. In this show we cover some of the most relevant archetypes you'll encounter in the draft: Temur Energy, GB Counters, UW Fliers / Tempo, Boros Aggro / Vehicles, BW Artifacts, and more. This set is incredibly deep, so listen to discover what is possible in the format and how to go about it. See here for the complete Kaladesh Remas...
Nov 16, 2020•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 49
Kaladesh Remastered hits Historic this week, and it brings some serious jank and a few haymakers to the format. Going down the card list, there are actually a lot of cards that are set to become format staples, most notably the cycle of 'fast lands' that ETB untapped if you control 2 or fewer lands. However, we also get constructed staple Fatal Push, powerful counterspells like Disallow, fun haymakers like Aetherworks Marvel, and some solid players from Standard's past to try in the form of Ener...
Nov 09, 2020•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 48
Covertgoblue stood up for the podcast's honor this last week by winning his pod in the LFM Streamer Showdown, getting knocked out only by Standard master Brad Nelson who won the other pod. We share his reflections on the meta and his games, including some stonkers against some of the best Magic players of all time! Then we discuss the results of the MPL weekend and our thoughts as to the best decks currently in the format. Exciting times for Standard! CGB's LFM Azorius Yorion Decklist Find Cover...
Nov 02, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 47
Standard is wide open, and with the MPL firing up over the past weekend, we have data to start to work with. Yorion looks to be a strong option, as does Rogues, although nobody can seem to agree on the best build of either. There are also plenty of other things to try – Gruul Aggro is continuing to put up good results, and decks like Rakdos Midrange and Temur Ramp still have some fight left in them. Enjoy this metagame before it gets solved... MPL Decklists Rivals Decklists Find Covertgoblue on ...
Oct 26, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 46
Today, Arjuna is thrilled to welcome draft master Deathsie to the podcast... and Covertgoblue finds ways to stay awake while we discuss something other than his beloved Standard format. We go into how being on the play vs. the draw affects key Zendikar Rising mechanics like landfall, and how you need to be building your decks to be resilient on the draw. Deathsie also goes into his theory of removal (spoiler: a lot of it is overcosted and underperforming) and how to properly rate it. Hear more a...
Oct 19, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 45
We thought it'd never happen... ok, that's not true. We thought it'd take a while... ok, actually, a lot of us were expecting Omnath to get banned today... AND IT DID! Cheetofingers has been unceremoniously ejected from Standard, Historic and Brawl. Also leaving Standard are Lucky Clover, as well as another card that both Covertgoblue and Arjuna are a little surprised to see leaving Standard – Escape To The Wilds. Lots to discuss and unpack here about what this means for Standard, and which deck...
Oct 12, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 44
And then they banned Uro. And then everybody kept playing Omnath. The end. Also, the beginning. Of more discussion about Omnath. So if you were looking for a port in the storm of Omnath, we offer no safe harbor here. Today, we go over tournament results from Red Bull France and midway through the CFB Clash Showdown. Rogues, 4C Omnath Adventures, Mono Green, and some interesting Rakdos and Grixis lists help to flesh out the format somewhat. We're not clear where this is all going to end up, but o...
Oct 05, 2020•54 min•Ep. 43
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath, and NO OTHER CARDS, banned in Standard. Covertgoblue and Arjuna dive into what this means, and why Standard will continue to be broken until Omnath is banned. Read the announcement directly from Wizards . Find Covertgoblue on his YouTube channel and at his personal site . Find Arena Craft on: Discord Twitter Twitch YouTube Facebook Email Us This show features the track 'Real Virtuality' from Eero Johannes released on the Sound P...
Sep 28, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 42
So. Much. To. Talk. About. This. Week! We have a week of Zendikar Rising Standard under our belts, and it has been very revealing... of how busted these Omnath decks are. Neither aggro nor control has been definitely able to keep them down, and midrange is a laughable joke by comparison. We discuss the different angles we and others have been taking to attack this deck: Monogreen Aggro by Rumti. Gruul Adventure by Jason Fleurant. Azorius and Dimir Control by Covertgoblue and DanyTLaw. The announ...
Sep 28, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 42
Zendikar Rising Standard week 1 is here, and SURPRISE surprise... the Uro ramp deck is insane. Specifically the Omnath one. Covertgoblue predicted accurately that this card would be at the top of the format, and oh baby was he ever on the money! These Omnath decks are pretty consistently going off turn 4 or 5, playing their whole deck and killing with alarming speed. This is not Gyruda all over again. This is a bold new villain in the Standard metagame, so we're going to have to return to the dr...
Sep 21, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 41
This episode, Rogues get their lord in Soaring Thought-Thief, the card that gels the archetype. We anticipate this to be a real deck in Standard, and may be the central flash archetype moving forward. Expect this to be a counterpoint to the over-the-top Omnath strategies. Exciting! Find Covertgoblue on his YouTube channel and at his personal site . Find Arena Craft on: Discord Twitter Twitch YouTube Facebook Email Us This show features the track 'Real Virtuality' from Eero Johannes released on t...
Sep 20, 2020•50 min•Ep. 40
Yet another preview episode, and this time we're tackling such spicy meatballs as Forsaken Monument and the next sweeper Covertgoblue thinks is a trap, Shadow's Verdict. Stick with us as this is NOT actually the conclusion of this series -- there will be a stunning conclusion in PART 7 that we will release over the weekend! Stay tuned. Find Covertgoblue on his YouTube channel and at his personal site . Find Arena Craft on: Discord Twitter Twitch YouTube Facebook Email Us This show features the t...
Sep 18, 2020•53 min•Ep. 40
This is part #5 of our Zendikar Rising epicsode! More funtimes from ZNR for your listening enjoyment. This week we talk about how Luminarch Aspirant is a key card in White Aggro decks, and other spicy meatballs. Find Covertgoblue on his YouTube channel and at his personal site . Find Arena Craft on: Discord Twitter Twitch YouTube Facebook Email Us This show features the track 'Real Virtuality' from Eero Johannes released on the Sound Pellegrino label and is used with permission....
Sep 17, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 40
Zendikar Rising spoilers continue! We have the whole set now, and Covertgoblue and Arjuna continue their trek into the set and the possibilities it provides for us. Some fun notables in this episode – we go through many of the cards you may want to cast in Standard with Seagate Stormcaller, another controversial card in the set. Feed the Swarm is a card that has been creating a lot of controversy with its potentially color-pie-breaking design. And Arjuna gives a hot take that Roiling Regrowth ha...
Sep 15, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 40
This is part #3 of our Zendikar Rising epicsode! More spoiler discussion, more land flip cards. Bala Ged Recovery looks like it's going to be looping midrange and control decks into oblivion. Nighthawk Scavenger is a card that Arjuna is unimpressed with that Covertgoblue thinks is playable. We also travel to the Skymall to window shop with Maul of the Skyclaves, another rare equipment in the set. Find Covertgoblue on his YouTube channel and at his personal site . Find Arena Craft on: Discord Twi...
Sep 13, 2020•53 min•Ep. 39
This is part #2 of our Zendikar Rising epicsode! We continue discussing spoilers to date. In this episode we talk about some juicy rogues and rogue payoffs, and some other very weird cards... Zareth San, the Trickster looks like it could do more than just being an EDH commander. Nissa of Shadowed Boughs looks poised to enable some nonsense alongside Omnath and other heavy-hitting creatures. And Skyclave Apparition looks to be a very versatile answer that could pose a problem for aggro, control a...
Sep 11, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 39
It's that time of year, the time that brings us cheer, the time we welcome our dear, dear rotation of old cards out, and new cards in! This week Covertgoblue and Arjuna go through the list of spoiled cards and deep dive on the ones we think could have an impact on constructed. There's landfall, there's kicker, there's fliplands, and a raging party to boot! Spoiler alert: Lotus Cobra into Omnath, Locus of Creation will be STRONG. Join Arjuna on the Arena Craft Podcast twitch stream this Wednesday...
Sep 07, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 39
Standard rotation is almost upon us, and holy heck are there a lot of cards being sent to the blind eternities! Today we go through the major cards, archetypes and mechanics affected by the change. We revisit some golden oldies that got there but faded, some that never did, and of course we reserve some time to castigate the true gangsters of the format. Oh, and Zendikar previews started. And Field was banned in Historic. Find Covertgoblue on his YouTube channel and at his personal site . Find A...
Aug 31, 2020•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 38
Covertgoblue and Arjuna spent the week working on the Standard 2021 format, a BO1 sneak peek around the corner to post-rotation Standard. It all culminated in a 4 deck showdown from which only one victor could emerge... This episode we go over the testing process, our thoughts on what was playable and what wasn't, the pillars of this unique format, and what ultimately prevailed (and what you should be playing if you want to be competitive until rotation). While this format is not an accurate sam...
Aug 24, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 37
Amonkhet Remastered is upon us, and it's a doozy. It brings 339 cards into Arena, including the durdliest buildarounds and the leanest format staples not originally printed in the set. We go through most of the hard-hitters and ask if they're good enough to see any sustained play. This week we are fortunate enough to be #sponsored by Wizards of the Coast as a featured content creator! Arjuna got a hooked up account and will be streaming this week to celebrate. Be sure to tune in to the featured ...
Aug 18, 2020•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 36
The Standard format is fresh, and this week we're fresher with our takes on what decks are at the top of the metagame moving forward. Sultai vs. Temur Adventure vs. Rakdos Sac, and a bunch of mono-colored control decks to boot. We cover all the major archetypes we're seeing and check in on the power level of outliers like Winota and Yorion. Then, we switch over to Historic to cover the imminent release of Amonkhet Remastered. Spoiler alert: they've added some non-Amonkhet cards to this release, ...
Aug 11, 2020•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 35
This is the show we had lined up before the surprise ban announcement. We covered last week's news, basically, including the PT top 8 and Crokeyz' Paper Boomer showdown. It's a bit outdated now, but we thought we'd include it for anyone who wants to hear what we recorded. Enjoy! Find Covertgoblue on his YouTube channel and at his personal site . Find Arena Craft on: Discord Twitter Twitch YouTube Facebook Email Us This show features the track 'Real Virtuality' from Eero Johannes released on the ...
Aug 10, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 34
We're speechless! They did it! They actually banned (most of) the cards everyone's been complaining about in newer-than-Modern formats, and this is 100% going to shake up every Arena format. Arjuna and Covertgoblue convene to give our take on the bans, what they mean for the format, the cards that got a boost or a nerf as a result, and the decks you should be thinking about playing moving forward (hint: Expansion / Explosion shouldn't be in them). Enjoy the analysis, the soapboxing and the bile,...
Aug 03, 2020•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 34
To the surprise of many, Standard finally has a new deck to speak of! Several, by the looks of it. We look at decklists and meta breakdown from the Players Tour finals, and go over Mono White's place in the metagame, alongside some other spicy brews like Esper Midrange and Mardu Winota. We round it out with a discussion on whether Wilderness Reclamation needs to be banned, and other thoughts for keeping Standard interesting over the next two months. Here are all 145 decklists registered for the ...
Jul 27, 2020•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 33
This week, CGB and Arjuna are joined by niceguy and streamer extraordinaire, DanyTLaw! We discuss his fast track to streaming success and catch up on his history with MTG, then go into some of the new cards and archetypes in Historic bolstered by Jumpstart. Expect to see Goblins, Elves, Spirits and more on the Historic ladder moving forward. Find DanyTLaw on his Twitch stream and YouTube channel. Find Covertgoblue on his YouTube channel and at his personal site . Find Arena Craft on: Discord Twi...
Jul 20, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 32
This is Part 2 of the Monogreen deep dive! Arena's most prominent Monogreen mage Maxim 'Rint' Salmin returns to the show! With the recent rise of the archetype into the metagame, and top 8 performances at various tournaments, it's time to take a deeper dive into the many ways you can build the deck. No two lists look exactly alike, and we have a wealth of options to choose from. Arjuna and Rint go through (almost) every card you could ever want to put in this deck, and give their thoughts on the...
Jul 17, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 31
Arena's most prominent Monogreen mage Maxim 'Rint' Salmin returns to the show! With the recent rise of the archetype into the metagame, and top 8 performances at various tournaments, it's time to take a deeper dive into the many ways you can build the deck. No two lists look exactly alike, and we have a wealth of options to choose from. Arjuna and Rint go through (almost) every card you could ever want to put in this deck, and give their thoughts on the ones you can't leave home without. Find Ri...
Jul 17, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 31
This week, we have a grab bag of topics to discuss related to Standard. Not many new developments in the format, except that Mono Green's rise to Tier 1 has been confirmed (with much gloating from Arjuna). We take a deep dive into what comparing Growth Spiral with Hydroid Krasis teaches us about Magic and what's good in Standard right now. Also up for discussion is the weakness of Red's offerings in M21, adding basically no relevant cards to the Standard format whatsoever. Finally, we wrap it up...
Jul 13, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 31
We're back with another week 1 roundup of a new Standard format, this time with M21! We've had an SCG event, a CFB Pro tournament, and various other smaller tourneys to help us start to get the shape of the metagame. That Bant Ramp and Temur Reclamation are still at the top of the metagame should surprise nobody. However, the builds and the cards being used should raise some eyebrows, and give us some information about what cards from the new set are revealing their relevance in the format. M21 ...
Jul 06, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 30
It's finally here: M21 is out of Early Access and onto the Arena ladder! Arjuna and Covertgoblue reflect on the decks we played at the #sponsored Early Access event (including the epic grudge match the two of us ended up in by chance - see link to that video below). Then we talk about what's making waves in the current Standard right out the gate. We've got (unsurprising) news for you: it's Ugin, the Spirit Dragon. We talk about Bant Ramp and other decks running this powerful planeswalker. We al...
Jun 29, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 29
