The end of 2021 is upon us, which means it's time for our annual year in review episode! And this time, we've brought a friend, our reliable unofficial fourth co-host, Aspiringspike. We first talk about the biggest releases, bannings, and changes in 2021 for Modern and Historic, then head into the awards show to hand out this year's Diveys. We talk about our favorite cards, decks, and events of the year, then discuss our goals for 2022. Thanks to all of you for another great year of The Dive Dow...
Dec 22, 2021•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 154
In the second installment of We Did It For Science, we explore... gulp... Amulet Titan. Yes, our most hated card goes through our rigorous experimental testing regimen. We go over what these decks are about, gameplans, threats, tips & tricks, and, most importantly, just how much we still hate Primeval Titan. Prior to that, we dive into the metagame of the latest Modern Showcase Challenge. The Break Down: A Showcase Challenge The Dive Down: No Idea How to Play This Deck The Dive Down, cont: L...
Dec 15, 2021•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 153
It's another in our awesome series of top-tier Patreon request episodes, as we take on Mickey S's (no, the other Mickey S) challenge to explore the decks and metagame of best-of-one Historic on Arena. We played a bunch of fun decks and faced off against even more, and have a lot of thoughts on the format. Prior to that, we break down the Innistrad Set Championship and go over the announcement of Alchemy and its impact on Historic, and perhaps all of Magic. Thanks again, Mickey! The Break Down: T...
Dec 08, 2021•1 hr 55 min•Ep. 152
In this latest installment in our series of bonus eps, Shane is joined by the hosts of the videogame and culture podcast BAD END, Josh Calixto and Kyle Kukshtel. They talk about BAD END and the Superculture network, their thoughts on what makes games and Magic work, and, most importantly, what their least favorite video games are. It's a great conversation, and we hope you like it! Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Get 15% off your first 2 months of Ma...
Dec 05, 2021•1 hr 21 min
We come to you LIVE (well, sorta) from the recent MTG Las Vegas event, where we tapped some cards, hung out with friends, and talked to some big name players! We talked to some current and future household names about Modern, the decks they brought, and their tournament experiences. Thanks to our old and new friends Joe Lossett, Tannon Grace, Yamakiller, Aspiringspike, Sam Pardee, Reid Duke, Eli Loveman, Michael Rapp, and top 8 finishers Joel Lapray, Levi Sprung, and Steve Pearlman for the fun a...
Nov 24, 2021•2 hr 2 min•Ep. 151
It's episode 150!! In our final Road to Las Vegas segment, we are joined by SCG grinder, former host of Turn One Thoughtseize, and all around great guy Zach Allen. We first talk over the weekend's Challenges, then head into The Dive Down to talk about the decks of Modern, leveling up as a player, playing in a big tournament, why Aether Gust is the best card in Modern, and more. It's a can't-miss episode! The Break Down: A Huge Challenge The Dive Down: Preparation Makes Perfect The Dive Down, con...
Nov 17, 2021•1 hr 56 min•Ep. 150
This week the three friends go through the second half of spoilers from Crimson Vow and consider which ones they'd marry for Modern (and other formats). But first, friend of the pod Zach Ryl (aka Manacymbal) stops by to talk us through his Modern Challenge Victory on Saturday, November 6. The Break Down: A Victorious Challenger The Dive Down: Crimson Vow — More 1 Mana Spells Than We Thought! Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Get 15% off your first 2 mo...
Nov 11, 2021•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 149
The title says it all! We first talk the MOCS, the SCG Invitational, and some Modern Challenges to try to wrap our head around the Modern meta. Then Shane makes up for being off last week with a discussion of Esper Reanimator. Then we go over the first batch of Crimson Vow spoilers and talk about some Cool Cards, Inc. The Break Down: Several Events The Dive Down: Esper Reanimator The Dive Down, cont: Crimson Vow Spoilers Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedo...
Nov 03, 2021•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 148
Streamer, musician, podcaster, and ever-present Magic personality Zach Ryl, aka Manacymbal, joins Stan to talk about the Indomitable Creativity deck in Modern, content creation, and music! Recorded on October 7th. Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Get 15% off your first 2 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.com/?medium=thedivedown and use code "thedivedown2021" Links from this week's episode: Serum Visions Podcast: https://serumvisions.podbe...
Nov 01, 2021•1 hr 28 min
Shane's gone so Stan and Dave are finally free to do whatever they want. And what they want to do is play too many colors and evoke some elementals! At least that's what they thought they wanted to do — we think? That's right, for the third in our Road to Vegas series we tackle the element... als. But first enjoy a tour of one of last week's Modern Challenges and a live paper tournament from NRG. Stan talks about cool things. Dave reminisces about when he seemed cool. Somewhere, Shane is being c...
Oct 28, 2021•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 147
This week we dive into part two of our series in our anticipation of the return to paper Magic — The Road to Vegas. Dave, Stan, and Shane go through the ins and outs of the next tier of Modern's meta. We're looking at two boomer decks — Jund (secretly zoomer?) and UW Control — and one newmer deck in Hammer. Find out which one we think is best positioned for MTG Vegas. Before that we talk about the latest Historic changes, and go through the results of one of last week's MTGO Modern PTQs. Stan co...
Oct 20, 2021•1 hr 55 min•Ep. 146
This week's ep is a Patreon request by one of the first citizens of The Dive Down Nation - KilgoreTrout, aka Jason! He asked us to do a Q&A episode, and to make it even more fun we brought in some new technology to get audio submissions. We got questions from citizens around the world about Magic, collecting, and podcasting - so thanks to everyone who got involved! And special thanks to Jason for being a true citizen for so long! The Break Down: Still Had to Get A Challenge In The Dive Down:...
Oct 13, 2021•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 145
In the first episode of a new miniseries (???), Stan and Shane talk about their experiences testing two of the top decks in the format in their preparation for the CFB Vegas event in November. How do Izzet Murktide and Boros Burn perform right now? Why are they good, and what might be their fatal flaws? Only one way to find out! The Break Down: Dave's Not Here, Man The Break Down, cont: Some Good Good Challenges The Dive Down: Matchups and Putdowns Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http...
Oct 07, 2021•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 144
On this week's episode Shane and Dave explore the depths of Modern in what we are calling.... "The People's Meta." We look at every deck from a recent 5-0 League dump to discuss their place in the metagame, what makes them interesting, and how they are implementing new cards and strategies. Before that, we go through Saturday's Showcase Challenge to look at what people are bringing to the top tournaments. The Break Down: Showcasing Modern The Dive Down: Mainstreams and Roguestreams The Dive Down...
Sep 29, 2021•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 143
The latest set has hit the digital shelves of Magic Online and Arena, and we are here to dig into a few new decks and run them through the Sleeve/Believe/Heave wringer! We first look at Esper Reanimator and Jeskai Phoenix in Modern, then head over to Magic Arena and dive into Izzet Delver in Historic. Do the cards of Midnight Hunt have what it takes to make an impact? Let's find out! The Break Down: Star Studded Challenges! The Dive Down: Sleeve/Believe/Heave: Mend These Decks! Become a citizen ...
Sep 23, 2021•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 142
This week, Stan leave Dave and Shane to their own devices as he returns to a parental-leave induced bliss. With dad gone, the last two friends decide to go wild and cover SCG's recent Historic satellites in a quick and fun break down followed by arguing about too many cards for far too much time. And they thought this would be a short one! Dave considers light up the night. Shane says the world "cool" 500,000 times in two hours. Somewhere, in the midst of a dream, Stan cringes. The Break Down: S...
Sep 15, 2021•1 hr 56 min•Ep. 141
This week we're getting to band back together. Stan returns to take Shane and Dave through a tour of the format he's been playing most recently — Historic. He's learned a lot from playing at all times of the night and day and night and who knows what time it is anyway? After that, the team fully jumps into the Midnight Hunt. Dave likes some cards. Shane doesn't like them. Stan knocks the rust off. The Break Down: Stan's Back... But For How Long? The Break Down, cont: A Taste of Historic The Dive...
Sep 09, 2021•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 140
This week, Dave and Shane recruited our old friend Evart Moughon, aka Aspiringspike, to help us wrap our heads around all things Modern. We talk about his deck selection at the HBMO, the ever-changing Modern metagame, and his thoughts about the best decks in the format. Before that, we discuss Magic's 2022 product release roadmap. Does Spike think Hobbit aggro will be the new tier 0? Listen and find out! The Break Down: All About 2022 The Dive Down: Dress Down Dive Down The Dive Down, cont: Just...
Sep 01, 2021•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 139
With Stan and Dave out this week, Shane recruited the hosts of Mishra's Babble for another crossover episode. They spend time evaluating the metagame and decks from the Hunter Burton Memorial Open, then head into The Dive Down to evaluate the impact of MH2 on the meta, their deck selection, and how they think about the format. The Break Down: Meet The Babblers The Break Down Pt.2: HBMO The Dive Down: MH2 is Still Crushing It Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedi...
Aug 25, 2021•1 hr 59 min•Ep. 138
MTGO grinder and deck designer, Matt Hayashi, aka MHayashi, joins Stan to talk about Mono Red Obosh, Hammer of Bogardan, and some of Matt's other favorite strategies in Modern. Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Get 15% off your first 2 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.com/?medium=thedivedown and use code "thedivedown2021" MHayashi's Twitter: https://twitter.com/MHayash55780121 MHayashi's YouTube channels: https://www.youtube.com/channel/U...
Aug 20, 2021•1 hr 5 min
This week we tackle a top-tier Patreon request! Sean D asked us to look at Stoneforge Mystic in Modern, and we were more than happy to oblige. We each played a deck featuring Stoneforge in very different ways, and of course are happy to bring you our takes. Before that, we take a look at two wild Modern challenges that give us a lot of hope! And don't miss Housekeeping for some very important announcements! The... Housekeeping??: A Can't Miss Housekeeping The Break Down: More Modern Challenges T...
Aug 11, 2021•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 137
Jumpstart: Historic Horizons is upon us, and we are contractually obligated to have takes for you. So here they are. We go over the new mechanics, the economy issues, and, most importantly, the stand-out cards in the set. Before that, we look at some of the most recent high-level Historic tournaments to take a look at the current meta before it gets shaken up. The Break Down: Historic Insights The Dive Down: Seeking Perpetual Conjuration The Dive Down, cont: Just a Whole Lot of Cards Become a ci...
Aug 04, 2021•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 136
This week we do a deep dive into some STATS. We look at the big ManaTraders event from last weekend - what decks made it to the swiss, and how did they perform? We even get a tournament report from the one host who qualified! Following that, we take a look at the evolving Modern metagame from the last 3 weeks of tournament data to see how the format is shaking out. The Break Down: Historic What? The Dive Down: Crashing ManaTraders The Dive Down, cont: Hammer Seems Good Become a citizen of The Di...
Jul 28, 2021•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 135
In this weeks ep, we reveal the results of The Dive Down Nation's Modern Ban survey. What are the five cards you voted on to be removed from Modern, and more importantly.... what are our takes on the results?! Before that, we go over some Tasha's Hideous Laughter math that citizen of the Nation Stefan generated, and briefly discuss Sunday's Modern Challenge Top 8! The Break Down: Tasha's Hideous Mathter The Dive Down: The Nation Decides The Dive Down, cont: What if Nothing? Become a citizen of T...
Jul 21, 2021•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 134
First up this week, we take a quick spin through last week's Modern Leagues and pick out a few extremely cool decks to chat about. After that it's an Izzet world and we just delve right into it. That's right, it's UR week on The Dive Down (again) as we take a deep look at one of the latest best decks of Modern Horizons 2 Modern — Izzet Murktide. We discuss why we think the deck is suited to the meta right now, how to play it, and how to beat it (we think). Tune in to find out if this is a contro...
Jul 14, 2021•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 133
Well, we've finally arrived at The Forgotten Realms, and talk about what mechanics and cards from the latest set we think have the potential to impact Historic, Modern, and Pioneer. Before that, we talk about the weekend's Modern Challenges to continue to keep up with the dynamic Modern meta. The Break Down: Another Heartfelt Thanks//It's Darcy B's World The Dive Down: Spoiled by Spoilers The Wind Down: Venture Bros. Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown G...
Jul 07, 2021•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 132
SPECIAL NOTE: We had issues with Dave's audio this week, so he sounds bad! We are sorry! In this week's episode we continue to explore the developments and decks of the Modern Horizons 2 metagame. We first explore 4 Modern events that took place over the last weekend, then talk about our experiences playing some of the latest contenders in Modern. Is Stan converting to a full-time Enchantress player? Did Shane purchase another set of Stoneforge Mystics? Did Dave.... oh wait Dave always loves Rak...
Jul 01, 2021•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 131
Stan and Shane played a whole lot of blue spells for the latest installment of Sleeve/Believe/Heave, featuring some emerging Modern Horizons 2 strategies. We chat about our findings with the Izzet Delver decks, Izzet Food, Jeskai Monkey Blade, and more! The Break Down: Modern Challenges The Dive Down: Sleeve/Believe/Heave Modern Horizons 2 Blue Decks ed. Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Get 15% off your first 2 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manat...
Jun 24, 2021•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 130
In our latest bonus episode, we're joined by a genuine MTGO stalwart, Gabe Maxson aka SpiderSpace to chat about Modern, content creation, and white taxes decks. Find SpiderSpace at: https://www.twitch.tv/spiderspace https://twitter.com/spiderspacemtg Hear Mishra's Babble at https://anchor.fm/francisco-pawluszek/episodes/Ep-5-Modern-Continues-to-Evolve-e12qogj SpiderSpace's Flickerwisp Lines for Aspiring Taxes Players: https://twitter.com/SpiderSpaceMTG/status/1313308453041922048 Become a citizen...
Jun 18, 2021•1 hr
On this week's episode we attempt something ambitious - looking at every deck in the most recent Modern deck dump that features MH2 cards. And that's almost all of them! Join us as we talk about the latest decks, trends, and dare we say it, strategies in Modern. Housekeeping: A Heartfelt Thanks The Break Down: 99 Decks The Break Down, pt2: The Bell Returns Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Get 15% off your first 3 months of ManaTraders! https://www.man...
Jun 16, 2021•1 hr 55 min•Ep. 129
