It's Episode 100, so we pulled out all the stops for a live streamed recording of mini-dives into the 100 most important/cool/powerful decks of Modern, from inception to today. That's... a lot of decks! Join us for an extra-long episode full of fun and surprises! We would have never made it to 100 episodes without the ongoing engagement and generous support from all of you out there in The Dive Down Nation. Thank you so much for being part of who we are as a podcast community. Please support our...
Nov 20, 2020•2 hr 26 min•Ep. 100
We took things a little easy this week as we prepare for the big episode 100 live stream, and asked The Dive Down Nation to prompt us with: "What's your favorite ____?" We got a TON of awesome questions, so thank you, Nation! We talk about our favorite spells, overheard conversations, books, draft formats, and more. Prior to that we have an installment of Cool Decks, Inc, where we talk about a few recent... well... cool decks that we've seen popping up in Modern. The Break Down: Cool Decks Inc. ...
Nov 13, 2020•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 99
We spend this week looking at an up-and-coming deck in Modern: Mono-White Taxes. We spend some time looking at the history of Taxes decks, how this deck works, and if we think it's actually that good. Before that we breeze through some Modern Challenge and Qualifier results from Magic Online. The Break Down: Challenging Tournaments The Dive Down: Challenging Sandwiches The Dive Down, cont: Challenging Playpatterns Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Get ...
Nov 06, 2020•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 98
In our latest bonus episode, musician and comedian MTGRemy joins us for a conversation about making Magic-inspired parody songs and sketches for YouTube. Remy's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/mtgremy Remy's Twitter: https://twitter.com/mtgremy Remy's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mtgremy Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Now get 15% off your first 3 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.com/?medium=thedivedown and use code "thedivedown" O...
Nov 03, 2020•1 hr 12 min
On the one year anniversary of Pioneer, we give the format a performance review. We look at what happened over the last year, and what are the Goals, Obstacles, Opportunities, and Decisions that we can evaluate and make for the newest competitive Magic format. The Break Down: A Call From Corporate The Dive Down: A History Lesson The Dive Down, cont: A Performance Review Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Get 15% off your first 3 months of ManaTraders! h...
Oct 30, 2020•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 97
This week Stan and Shane pair up to explore what can make Magic great, and why Modern has been a fan favorite in 2020. Before that, we look at a quartet of Modern and Pioneer challenges to see where the meta is headed. The Break Down: Breaking it Down The Dive Down: Building it Up The Wind Down: Moving it Around Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Get 15% off your first 3 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.com/?medium=thedivedown and use code...
Oct 23, 2020•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 96
In the first installment of "We Did It For Science," we look at two cards we just aren't (or weren't) that interested in playing with: Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath and Omnath, Locus of Creation. Are these cards good, REALLY good, or TOO good? You're going to have to listen to find out. Before that, we take a (fairly) quick look at a few recent Challenges to see what's going on in the metagame. The Break Down: Always Challenging The Dive Down: Jump Into the Pile The Dive Down, cont: Four Arms to ...
Oct 16, 2020•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 95
Stan and Shane are on their own this week, so they talk about their recent playtesting in Modern and Pioneer in a vaguely Sleeve/Believe/Heave part two. Before that, they go over the weekend's Pioneer and Modern Showcase Challenges to see what's performing well and what the meta looks like. And then they finish with an extended Wind Down where they answer a bunch of listener questions. The Break Down: Dave's Not Here, Man The Break Down, pt. 2: Just Kidding The Dive Down: Stan and Shane Play Dec...
Oct 09, 2020•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 94
This week we apply our patent-pending Sleeve/Believe/Heave rating system to 3 potentially breakout Modern and Pioneer decks. Are they the real deal, or not worth your time? Only one way to find out. Prior to that, we look at the winning decks and statistics from the most recent Manatraders Modern tournament. The Break Down: Manatraders Modern 15k The Dive Down: Oops All Spells! The Dive Down, cont: Oops No Life! Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Get 15...
Oct 02, 2020•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 93
We take a good, long look at the latest decks, trends, and strategies in Modern and Pioneer, but this time with the cards of Zendikar Rising! We start with Cool Decks (and cards!), Inc, as we look through 2 Modern and 2 Pioneer Challenges. Then we head into The Dive Down and do a mini-dive on Gruul Goblin Charbelcher, and look at changes to Jeskai, Mill, and Death's Shadow. And look suspiciously at Omnath... The Break Down: Challenging Challenges The Dive Down: Recrossing, Reforging, Rebelching ...
Sep 25, 2020•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 92
Stan's on vacation, which means we get to have Evart Moughon (aka AspiringSpike) on as a returning guest host to talk about the second week of Zendikar Rising spoilers. We revisit some cards from last week to get Evart's takes and give some more picks to click from the latest set. Before that, we look at some Modern and Pioneer Challenges to see what's happening in the meta. The Break Down: Modern & Pioneer Challenges The Dive Down: A Few Redos The Dive Down, cont: The Last of the Spoilers B...
Sep 18, 2020•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 91
We take a look at the first batch of spoilers from Zendikar Rising and identify some picks to click from the upcoming set. Before that, we have a conversation about the 2021 Magic roadmap in a non-meta Break Down! The Break Down: DDN FNM MTGG The Break Down, cont: Cool Set, Inc. The Dive Down: Spoilers, Spoilers, Spoilers! Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Now get 20% off your first 3 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.com/?medium=thedivedo...
Sep 10, 2020•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 90
This week we revisit Dredge! In our first repeat deck dive, we talk about what's changed for the deck, how that makes it better.. or worse.. or just different? What did playing this deck feel like in the current meta? What's up with Silversmote Ghoul? Before that, we dive into 3 recent Modern tournaments to see what's up. The Break Down: Modern MOCS & Challenges The Break down, pt.2: More Cool Decks, Inc. The Dive Down: Shane Beeps Returns to Play Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: h...
Sep 04, 2020•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 89
This week it's back to Modern for the TDD crew as they peruse Prelim pivots for a format pulse and then dive into one of the oldest and Izzetest decks in Modern — Gifts Storm. Stan gets emotional. Dave gets self-deprecating. Shane gets quiet. It's another week on The Dive Down. Housekeeping: A Winner is Announced! The Break Down: Surprises in the Modern Prelims The Dive Down: Grapeshot: The Gift That Keeps on Giving Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown No...
Aug 28, 2020•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 88
For this bonus ep, we welcome Patrick Sullivan to the pod to talk Magic, game design, and broadcasting! He shares some great insights with us from his long career in gaming. Find Patrick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BasicMountain Donate to the Denver Justice Project: http://www.denverjusticeproject.org/ Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Now get 20% off your first 3 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.com/?medium=thedivedown and use code "...
Aug 26, 2020•1 hr 11 min
First on this week's show, the TDD crew do a quick check in on Pioneer a couple of weeks after the bannings. After that they do a deep dive into the financial implications of Double Masters and chat about how they approach the most fun part of Magic in general — buying stuff. Turns out it's more complicated than even Shane thought. The Break Down: Pioneer Challenges The Dive Down: Double the Masters The Double Dive Down: Putting the Fun in Financial Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: htt...
Aug 21, 2020•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 87
This week we break down the post-ban Pioneer Challenges and Prelims and talk about what's over and under-performing. Then we head into the Dive Down to talk about our experiences playing Pioneer, our thoughts on the state of the format, and answer some listener questions! The Break Down: Pioneer is Back, Baybee! The Dive Down: Are We Having Fun Yet? The Wind Down: Dive Down is that You? It's Me, Listeners. Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Now get 20% ...
Aug 14, 2020•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 86
This week we break down the 4 new bans in Pioneer, and talk about what this means for the format! In the Dive Down we go over the many flavors of Prowess in Modern: Red, Izzet, Gruul, Rakdos - how to choose?! The Break Down: A Lovely Surprise Banning! The Dive Down: Not Everyone's Tempo The Dive Down, cont: We Could Bolt or Not Bolt Forever Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Now get 20% off your first 3 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.com...
Aug 07, 2020•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 85
This week we take a look at one of the most popular and powerful cards in Modern - Mystic Sanctuary. What makes it good, how is it being played, and what can you do with it? Before that, we break down the Manatraders July Modern 15k tournament. The Break Down: Modern Manatraders The Dive Down: Making Mystic Mighty Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Now get 20% off your first 3 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.com/?medium=thedivedown and us...
Jul 31, 2020•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 84
On this week's episode, the team does a long break down on what's happened in Pioneer and Modern in the week since our most recent bans. Takes are given... and returned? Moods are had... and worked out? Then we talk about what we've been playing lately. Ponza! White Tokens! UR Prowess! Mono Green Devotion! We'll let you guess who is who! The Break Down: Modern/Pioneer: Similar/Same The Dive Down: Our Decks: That's the Same Picture Timestamps: 4:42 - Break Down Begins 5:24 - Modern Analysis Begin...
Jul 24, 2020•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 83
On this week's episode, friend of the show Evart Moughon aka Aspiring Spike drops in for a reaction to the latest Banned & Restricted announcement. Then we talk about some of Evart's latest takes on Modern Control. The Break Down: July 2020 B&R in Modern & Pioneer The Dive Down: Modern Control Concepts Wind Down: Spiking Listener Questions Timestamps: 5:10 - Break Down Begins - July 2020 B&R 57:24 - Dive Down Begins - Current State of Modern Control and Evart's Izzet Deck 1:35:05...
Jul 17, 2020•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 82
This week the team tries to just chill (for once) and ends up with a 60min+ Break Down of the last 6 months of Modern and Pioneer, some ban speculation (before the upcoming announcement was announced), and answering listener questions. Shane brings some takes. Stanislav disagrees with Dave. Dave opens packs on air in retaliation. It's another week on The Down Down! The Break Down: 6 months of Modern + Pioneer The Dive Down: Listener questions Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www...
Jul 10, 2020•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 81
In this bonus episode, Stan sits down with Nick Valdez, AKA Deezy MTG to talk about the art of content creation, MTG comedy, and what it's like being the #1 Magic Tik Tok account in America and maybe the world! Find Nick Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickvaldeezy Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/deezy_mtg Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@deezymtg Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Now get 15% off your first 3 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.c...
Jul 07, 2020•1 hr 7 min
On this week's episode we take three (or more!) decks featuring Core Set 2021 cards through the Sleeve/Believe/Heave gauntlet. Did they have what it takes to get the coveted "Sleeve" rating? Following that, we discuss how new cards are impacting classic decks in Modern and Pioneer! The Dive Down: Stanislav Snoops The Dive Down, pt 2: Dave Stormwings The Dive Down, pt 3: Shane Selesnyas ... And more! Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Now get 15% off you...
Jul 03, 2020•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 80
This week we dive into both Modern AND Pioneer to explore Naya Winota! Did she successfully recruit us into joining her forces, or did we remain unaffiliated? We also do a quick break down of the latest Modern Challenge to explore the variety of decks finding success, and wind down with some Patreon questions. The Break Down: Stanislav <3s Modern The Dive Down: History's Best BoP Deck? The Wind Down: A Few Questions Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown...
Jun 26, 2020•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 79
This week we receive a short but substantial ray of sunshine about Pioneer from Shane and then talk about our our second and final batch of picks to click from Core Set 2021! The Break Down: Pioneer is Actually Good The Break Down, cont: But What About Inverter? Stan Speaks The Dive Down: Spoilers, Spoilers, Spoilers (again) Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Now get 15% off your first 3 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.com/?medium=thedive...
Jun 19, 2020•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 78
This week we look at the post-Companion metas for Pioneer and Modern, then talk about our picks to click from the first batch of Core Set 2021 spoilers! The Break Down: Our Companions Leave Us Alone The Break Down, cont: Modern & Pioneer Metas The Dive Down: Spoilers, Spoilers, Spoilers Timestamps: 2:42 - Housekeeping 5:45 -The Break Down begins - the post-Companion meta 10:38 - The Pioneer meta 16:30 - Some top 8s 23:55 - Pio Companion check in and cool decks 34:37 - Pioneer meta takes 35:2...
Jun 12, 2020•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 77
The hosts of The Dive Down want to make our beliefs clear: Black Lives Matter. We share the commitment of many of our listeners in educating ourselves on the unfathomable pain faced by people of color in the United States and beyond. All proceeds from this week’s episode will go to the Black Lives Matter Global Network, and several other organizations that fight for justice on behalf of oppressed people and communities. We encourage our friends and listeners to support marginalized communities w...
Jun 05, 2020•2 hr 3 min•Ep. 76
We dive into one of the most powerful and popular decks in Pioneer - Jeskai Lukka Yorion Sharknado Fires Control! Or whatever it's called! The Break Down: The latest Pioneer SQ The Dive Down: TapouT The Dive Down, continued: Agents of Snap Concessions Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Now get 15% off your first 3 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.com/?medium=thedivedown and use code "thedivedown" Timestamps: 2:35 - Housekeeping 6:25 - The ...
May 29, 2020•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 75
This week Aspiring Spike is back to help us understand the Companion metagame in Pioneer and Modern. What's good, what's not so good, and how to next-level your opponents! The Break Down: Lotus Box Modern The Dive Down: Shane Has Facts The Dive Down, pt. 2: A Love/Hate Relationship Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Now get 15% off your first 3 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.com/?medium=thedivedown and use code "thedivedown" Timestamps: ...
May 22, 2020•1 hr 55 min•Ep. 74
