Friend of the show and Pioneer aficionado Todd Anderson joins us this week to go over the top decks, up and comers, unsung heroes, and potential traps in the format. Mono-Green continues to reign supreme, but could Young Pyromancer put up a fight? We also look into the Mono-Green vs Rakdos matchup, how well control is positioned, what happened to Lotus Field, and more! This episode is high flying, fast talking, and really in depth... try to keep up! The Dive Down: Mono-Green Devotion The Dive Do...
Jul 07, 2022•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 181
Though we do have some frustrations to air at the start of the show, we eventually turn it around to discuss the many ways Magic (the Gathering) has improved our lives. Then we take a brief trip down memory lane to remember how some people improved our Magic playing skills too. Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Check out our sponsor Barrister and Mann! https://www.barristerandmann.com/ Use code THEDIVEDOWN15 for 15% off your first order of some incredi...
Jun 30, 2022•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 180
What can Izzet decks in Pioneer play instead of Expressive Iteration? How crazy was the MOCS meta from the weekend? Is Glimpse of Tomorrow a good card in Modern? This week's show answers these questions and more in a format-spanning Dive Down of takes hot and cold. But first, off the top we deliver a little announcement about the future of The Dive Down (nothing big, we swear — but you should listen). Shane doesn't even need Nykthos. Stan can quit cascading any time he wants to. Dave actually se...
Jun 23, 2022•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 179
It's a hot one on The Dive Down this week. We take a deep look at NRG's recent set of Modern and Pioneer Trials in Lansing, Michigan and tackle the big questions about our favorite formats. Is 4c too good for Modern? What can even be done if it is too good? What's happened to Pioneer without Winota and Expressive Iteration? How many words can the three of us get beeped out in one episode? And more! Stan fights through jet lag and still brings the insights. Shane loves talking about bad decks tha...
Jun 16, 2022•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 178
Shane and Dave are totally blindsided by this week's Pioneer bans — especially since they happened after we recorded this ep. But don't worry, we use the power of technology to travel into the past and add a segment of hot reactions and speculation on what's next for Pio. After that, we continue with our regularly scheduled episode breaking down the Modern $10k at DreamHack Dallas and diving into Pioneer's most mid deck — Rakdos Mid! Shane hates all the creatures. Dave loves all the spells. Stan...
Jun 09, 2022•2 hr 17 min•Ep. 177
This week the three friends dive into an examination of not one but two metas — Modern and Pioneer — using some recent 5-0 league decks. We collect em, dissect em, and... tierect (???)... em. You know what we mean... we're placing them into groups and discussing what decks we think are going up, down, and sideways. Dave tries to run through Modern quickly. Stan and Shane dilly dally and then get mad when we don't have as much time as we'd hoped for Pioneer. Dave resists the urge to say I told yo...
Jun 02, 2022•1 hr 55 min•Ep. 176
The three friends are taking it back to the streets on more time. This week we evaluate three different decks that were improved or created by the addition of SNC to our formats. Shane pods his way through a Naya deck full of combos in Modern. Stan shreds his way through infinite turns in Modern. Dave explains so he's falling short of virtuosity in Explorer. It's a real journey through a few more cards making an impact. Before that, though, we break down the top 8 of NRG Minneapolis where three ...
May 26, 2022•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 175
This week's episode starts with Dave telling a shaggy dog story while fumbling through the Seinfeld theme on his bass — so you know it's going to be a loose one. Fortunately, Shane and Stan quickly bring the three friends back on track (within the first 4 minutes, we swear) and take us all through Winota's ban in Explorer, four different challenges across Modern and Pioneer, and finally some of their testing results with Winota and Izzet Phoenix in Pioneer. Stan rolls to a non-interactive 4-1. S...
May 19, 2022•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 174
The boys flap their little wings and scream caw caw as they dig their beaks into the hottest bird lawyer in Magic this week. Whether it's ripping up contracts, filtering hands, shouting 'objection!' or pumping flyers, Ledger Shredder does it all. But does it have what it take to be a multiformat staple? Yes, apparently yes. The Break Down: Living End Won't Die The Dive Down: New Bird Learns to Fly The Dive Down, cont: Filling Graveyards Can Be Sly Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http:...
May 12, 2022•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 173
Our three friends begin their visit to the Streets of New Capenna with some Explorer, Pioneer, and Modern decks. We take a look at Ob Nixilis, The Adversary and Stan's uncharacteristic BW Blink brew with Getaway Car and Extraction Specialist. The Break Down: New Cards in Pio + Modern Challenges The Dive Down: 20 Mostly Good Minutes on Mob Nixilis Stuff We Forgot: We’ll Talk About Ledger Shredder Next Week, Ok? Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Check ou...
May 05, 2022•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 172
In a special patron-requested episode, our three friends provide a roadmap to improvement for key Magic skills and other useful habits. We also kick off the show with run downs and reactions to the latest Magic Arena announcements for Explorer and Pioneer. Huge thanks to Codi for supporting our show at the esteemed Double-Sided Diamond Dust Rare level, which has earned them the coveted opportunity to select an episode topic for the show. The Break Down: An Explorer Exposition Dump The Dive Down:...
Apr 28, 2022•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 171
The full set of New Capenna has been revealed, so on this week's show we complete our run through of all the cards in the set. We go through the families, argue about how good Luxior is going to be (or not be), try to avoid taking an endless detour as we speculate about Giada, and wonder if there's a shadow of a chance that Shadow of Mortality has what it takes. But before that, we spend some time looking through recent Pioneer results with a focus on Izzet Control. The Break Down: It's Back: Tw...
Apr 21, 2022•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 170
The Dive Down visits sunny Texas for SCGCON Dallas! We chat about our very first free preview card from Streets of New Capenna, other highlights from the set so far, and our experiences playing paper Magic all weekend. The Break Down: Move Shane Get Out Da Way The Dive Down: Cards in Shards The Wind Down: The Fort Worth Main Street Arts Festival Check out our NEW SPONSOR, Barrister and Mann! https://www.barristerandmann.com/ Use code THEDIVEDOWN2022 for 15% off your first order of some incredibl...
Apr 14, 2022•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 169
The gang is reunited this week for an episode full of new cards, pivot tables, and tournament surprises. We start off with our initial reactions to the new charms spoiled from Streets of New Capenna, and imagine the impact of the complete triome cycle on our favorite formats. Then we go over the results of March's Modern metagame, the Manatraders Modern tournament, and the latest NRG results to analyze the growing and shrinking popularity of various decks in a post-Lurrus metagame. Finally, we w...
Apr 07, 2022•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 168
This week Dave got lost in a cave while vacationing, so Dom Harvey joins the show to react and contextualize Wizard's official announcement that the Pro Tour is back! We break down the new competitive organized play systems, how it fits into the casual spike lifestyle, and how it supports Magic's highest level players. We warm up with a break down of some wild weekend top 8s. The Dive Down: Enter the Pyramid The Dive Down, cont: The Road to Regionals The Dive Down, cont: The Life of a World Cham...
Mar 31, 2022•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 167
Dave and Stan meet Saffron Olive from MTG Goldfish, and talk about Seth's sleep schedule, his MTG origins, and how the deck names in MTG Goldfish get fixed. Check out our NEW SPONSOR, Barrister and Mann! https://www.barristerandmann.com/ Use code THEDIVEDOWN2022 for 15% off your first order of some incredible fragrances, soaps, beard oils, and more. Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Get 15% off your first 2 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatrader...
Mar 28, 2022•1 hr 6 min
This week, Shane's on vacation and Stan's late so Dave gets to do whatever he wants. And what he's decided is to check in with friend of the show and certified shadow scientist Michael Rapp about where everyone's avatar is headed these days. That's right, it's time for a deep dive on (mostly) Grixis Death's Shadow (along with a few other things). But first, we chat about Michael's recent trip to Indy and break down the Modern meta there. The Break Down: Shane’s Gone, Stan’s Late The Dive Down: W...
Mar 24, 2022•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 166
We are back with the second installment of The People's Meta! With Lurrus gone, and the first big paper tournament happening in the Hunter Burton Memorial Open, there's no time like the present to take a look at what's happening in Modern. We categorize and talk about every deck in a recent 5-0 League dump and break down what's changing in the wide open world of Magic Online. We then take some time to look at the paper metagame of the HBMO, examine what's changing, and take a gander at what did ...
Mar 18, 2022•2 hr 1 min•Ep. 165
Shane and Stan sit down with the newly crowned Neon Dynasty Set Champion, Eli Kassis! We talk about Eli's deck selection and preparation for the Set Championship, the role of a testing team, and more. Check out our NEW SPONSOR, Barrister and Mann! https://www.barristerandmann.com/ Use code THEDIVEDOWN2022 for 15% off your first order of some incredible fragrances, soaps, beard oils, and more. Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Get 15% off your first 2 m...
Mar 16, 2022•49 min
Well they finally went and did it. Wizards of the Coast (kinda) surprised the entire Magic Non-Rotating Format World by sending everyone's favorite Nightmare Cat back to her den to think about what's she's done. In case that previous sentence isn't clear, I'm trying to say that they banned Lurrus of the Dream-Den in Modern and Pioneer. After (tearfully) throwing away an entire month of episodes we had planned out before this news, the three friends gather their composure and do what you pay (or ...
Mar 08, 2022•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 164
It's been a trying week. We needed a break. So this week, we're going to keep it positive by taking some time to discuss what we've been enjoying in Magic and beyond. It's a bit of a grab bag — we talk about the MOCS, Slogurk, Creativity, Oni-Cult, paper magic, hanging with Stan, hanging with Shane, and more. Stan gets a trophy. Dave loses creatively. Shane finds a deck he thinks is cool. We'll also be donating the proceeds of this week's episode to Trans Lifeline ( https://translifeline.org/ ) ...
Mar 02, 2022•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 163
Turns out that sleevin' neon is so fun we had to do it for a second week. So here it is — three or four or maybe more new decks that feature cards from Neon Dynasty including Modern Assault Loam with Boseiju (and Slogurk!), Modern Death & Taxes with Boseiju, Pioneer Auras with Light-Paws, and Pioneer Burn with Reinforced Ronin. But before we state them and rate them, we first go through last weekend's Modern Showcase Challenge and discover many shades of innovation in... red... and... white?...
Feb 24, 2022•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 162
Turns out that Neon Dynasty may have had a little more impact on our formats than we originally anticipated. The reason why? Why, it's (mostly) thanks to Magic's favorite no-downside card type: Artifacts. Tune in as we try out builds of Urzaful/Urzaless Affinity and UW Hammer in Modern, Vehicle Tribal in Historic, and a whole new Ensoul Artifact build in Pioneer. But first, we take a look across 3 high level Modern MTGO events from the weekend. Dave asks for forgiveness. Shane withholds a harsh ...
Feb 17, 2022•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 161
In the epic conclusion of our Neon Dynasty picks to click, we scan the complete set spoiler and shout out our favorite dragon, counterspell, samurai, and skyturtle. Before that, we kick off the show with break down of January's Modern MTGO metagame with another installment of the monthly report, and wrap up with a brief love letter to Legacy. The Break Down: Monthly Modern Metagame: January The Dive Down: Mode Cards Than You Could Ever Reconfigure The Wind Down: Stan's New Love: Legacy Check out...
Feb 10, 2022•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 160
It's time to head back to Kamigawa in the latest set... our Neon Destiny. I mean Density. I mean Dynasty. We take a look at cards from the first batch of spoilers we think are good in Modern, Historic, Pioneer, or just plain good! Before that, we break down the ManaTraders January Pioneer tournament. Intro: Green Socks Filled With Money The Break Down: Closing the Book on Pioneer The Dive Down: You're My Density Check out our NEW SPONSOR, Barrister and Mann! https://www.barristerandmann.com/ Use...
Feb 03, 2022•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 159
With Dave off this week, we are joined by streamer, former guest, and co-host of Mishra's Babble, SpiderSpace! In the Break Down we talk about the (lack of) bans in Modern, then dive deep into the Modern Super Qualifier and SpiderSpace's second place finish. We then head into the Dive Down to discuss our recent play experiences, and in the Wind Down talk about the somber announcement from SCG of their ceasing their competitive content coverage. The Break Down: Companions Live On The Dive Down: A...
Jan 27, 2022•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 158
Stan and Dave sit down with the wonderful Carolyn Kavanagh to talk about the latest season of the VML, how we make new friends as adults, and which tree-dwelling mammal is the best animal of all. We also check in on Carolyn's current relationship with Modern and Mono-Green Tron. Check out our NEW SPONSOR, Barrister and Mann! https://www.barristerandmann.com/ Use code THEDIVEDOWN2022 for 15% off your first order of some incredible fragrances, soaps, beard oils, and more. Become a citizen of The D...
Jan 25, 2022•1 hr 7 min
The heat is on in Pioneer town. Is the format back from the dead? Seems like everyone is talking about it, and it’s this month’s format for the Manatraders monthly tournament series. So we’ve invited the incredibly wise and skilled Dom Harvey to share his insights and analysis of Pioneer’s most popular decks, including Jeskai Ascendancy, Izzet Phoenix, Boros Heroic, Lotus Field, and more. The Dive Down, pt1: No Break Down This Week! The Dive Down, pt2: Because the Whole Ep is Just Decks! The Div...
Jan 20, 2022•1 hr 55 min•Ep. 157
This one goes out to the one I Yawg. It's been a long time coming, but it's finally time for us to sling some wither counters and get undying with everyone's favorite physician, Yawgmoth. Tune in to hear us fumble around with triggers, stacking, and life totals, and to hear Shane give his tepid approval to a deck beloved by millions. Stan's approval is even more tepid. Dave claims he'd rather be playing Titan (is that a bit?). Before we get into all this though, we go over one of this weekend's ...
Jan 13, 2022•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 156
It's 2022, and we're back with an episode that looks forward to the new year. We asked for listeners to submit their 2022 goals via audio and text, and everyone delivered! We give our thoughts and feedback on the goals of The Nation, and also discuss our own. Before that, we go over Stan's December 2021 Modern summary and the latest Modern Challenges. Here's to 2022! The Break Down: December Modern Check-In The Dive Down: Your Goals are Our Goals Check out our NEW SPONSOR, Barrister and Mann! ht...
Jan 06, 2022•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 155
