We kick off this week's show with an important announcement about the future of The Dive Down. Just listen since it's too long to explain in writing. Then we bemoan the B&R window before highlighting the fun times happening in Standard right now. And we wrap with a nice chat about our love-hate relationship with the new Pokémon TCG Pocket. The Break Down: A really important announcement The Dive Down: The new Foundations of Standard and Draft The Wind Down: Pokémon Pocket is a bad game we ar...
Nov 21, 2024•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 301
The doctor is in. For a very special episode 300, The Dive Down sits down with THE Richard Garfield, inventor of Magic: The Gathering and great-great-grandson of President James A. Garfield. What is Magic as Garfield intended? We finally have the answer. Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Show the world that you're a proud citizen of The Dive Down Nation with some merch from the store: https://www.thedivedown.com/store Upgrade your gameplay and your gam...
Nov 13, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 300
They said it couldn't be done, but one of the Dive Down boys (other than D00mwake) finally won an RCQ. On this week's show, Stan talks about piloting Boros Energy to qualify for RC Portland, and we break down the Standard metagame and results from the Magic World Championship in Las Vegas. The Break Down: 6 Matches to Portland The Dive Down: Congratulations, Javier Dominguez Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Show the world that you're a proud citizen o...
Oct 31, 2024•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 299
Hot off the presses of WOTC's Foundations announcement, we break down and discuss the impact of Universes Beyond sets entering the Standard format in 2025. The Break Down: Cards That Will Be Standard Legal for 5 Years The Dive Down: Squidward Reborn Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Show the world that you're a proud citizen of The Dive Down Nation with some merch from the store: https://www.thedivedown.com/store Upgrade your gameplay and your gameday ...
Oct 25, 2024•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 298
On this week's show, Dave tries to determine what to play during the one RCQ he can attend this season. We do our best to help him out by reviewing the latest Metagame Mentor, taking a closer look at Dimir Oculus, following in the steps of some Jeskai Control masters, and trying something new with Fear of Missing Out in Rakdos and Jund Delirium. The Break Down: Frank Loves Stats The Dive Down: Dave Needs a Deck Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Show th...
Oct 17, 2024•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 297
In the last part of our mini-arc on the current state of Pioneer, Devon, Dave, and Stan dive deep into what happened at this weekend's RC in Washington D.C. We cover the decks that took too long, the decks that aimed too high, and the decks that took it all down. Will Demons remain are force in the meta? Will we keep paying taxes to Selesnya after this event? How soon until we all get annoyed with Tree of Perdition? And then lastly — and most importantly — is Pioneer right now the Magic everyone...
Oct 10, 2024•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 296
It's time (for Devon) to get ready for the RC in DC this weekend, so we dive deep into Pioneer for the week. We talk through the RC that happened in Brazil last weekend, examine new/interesting decks, and go through some of Devon's considerations on deck selection. If you haven't been paying attention to Pioneer lately — post-Duskmourn seems like a good time to jump in! • An RC in Brazil! • Devon has been preparing! • There are lots of decks! Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www...
Oct 03, 2024•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 295
On this week's show, Stan and Dave are joined by a new guest to The Dive Down. Taking a break from preparing for Regional Championship Washington DC and next month's World Championship in Las Vegas , Mark Stanton stops by to talk about the competitive mindset and how to practice Magic better. We chat about first impressions from Duskmourn, the current state of Pioneer leading up to the RC, and how to prepare for tournaments that matter. Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patre...
Sep 26, 2024•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 294
On this week's show, d00mwake recaps his RCQ win with Gerry T's take on Boros Energy, Stan recounts all the reasons he hated Rakdos Aggro, the boys review results from the NRG Louisville Modern Open, and discuss our final picks from Duskmourn. The Break Down: Devon Wins an RCQ! The Break Down cont.: 70% Winrate Seems Good! The Dive Down: Goods Cards From the Bad House? Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Show the world that you're a proud citizen of The ...
Sep 19, 2024•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 293
A new Pioneer metagame is upon us, just in time for a slate of new cards from Duskmourn. On this week's show, we review Pioneer MTGO Challenge results following the Amalia and Sorin bans, take a closer look at the hot new Rakdos Aggro deck making waves in the format, and peer into the latest spoilers from Duskrmourn. The Break Down: Rakdos Aggro, So Hot Right Now The Dive Down: Duskmourn Spoilers, pt 1 Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Show the world t...
Sep 12, 2024•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 292
What a long strange trip it's been... from Chicago to Seattle! On this week's show, Stan shares stories and highlights from his visit to Wizards of the Coast headquarters. Then we look at the first batch of Modern results since the Nadu ban, and breath a sigh of relief at a format finding its footing. The Break Down: The Sights and Sounds of Renton, WA The Dive Down: Energy Looks Good, Modern Looks Better Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Show the worl...
Sep 05, 2024•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 291
This week we talk about... what else? With multiple cards banned in Pioneer and Modern — and a few cards left suspiciously untouched — we talk through what happened, how we feel about it, and what we think will happen next. • It Finally Happened • Sorin and Amalia Go in Pioneer • Nadu and Grief (?) Go in Modern Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Show the world that you're a proud citizen of The Dive Down Nation with some merch from the store: https://ww...
Aug 28, 2024•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 290
Despite Stan getting Nadu's out of a Modern RCQ, he brushed off the dust and went back to MTGO for some Rakdos Lizards in Standard. Then Shane casts Through the Breach to cheat some Eldrazi into play, and Dave revisits a few Modern Wizards in an updated Izzet shell. Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Show the world that you're a proud citizen of The Dive Down Nation with some merch from the store: https://www.thedivedown.com/store Upgrade your gameplay ...
Aug 22, 2024•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 289
On this week's show, we marvel at the return of Through the Breach in MTGO Modern events, followed by a couple level up topics about scooping and mulligans. Then Lee McLeod drops buy to educate us about some Nadu Loops, and we wrap with a walk down memory lane via Dave's box of former playables. The Break Down: Return of Through the Breach? The Dive Down: Conceding? Mulliganning? The Dive Down cont.: Nadu Looping with Lee McLoud! The Wind Down: Dave's Box of Secrets Become a citizen of The Dive ...
Aug 15, 2024•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 288
This week it's a bit of a grab bag — or bags? Or grabs bag? One is the state of Modern since MH3, the other is our first tests with Bloomburrow in Modern and Pioneer. We take a dive through several recent challenges and a whole mess of concerning stats from frequently cited Modern watcher, Anaël Yahi. After that, we take a look at a few Bloomburrow cards in Modern and Pioneer — does Thundertrap Trainer slap? Is Rottenmouth Viper the truth... in Pioneer? We talk about all this and more. • Anaël D...
Aug 09, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 287
Modern Boros Energy has quickly emerged as a Tier 1 Modern deck despite the ongoing menace of Nadu taking over tournaments left and right. On this week's show, The Dive Down is joined by YungDingo to break down how the deck functions, how to sequence its various 1-drops, and the benefits of splashing into black for Mardu Energy. Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Show the world that you're a proud citizen of The Dive Down Nation with some merch from the...
Aug 01, 2024•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 286
Someone finally did it... Crashing Footfalls has revealed its beautiful face again in a post-MH3 Modern tournament, so D00mwake and Stan had to try the deck out themselves. Then we share our favorite picks from Bloomburrow in the final week of spoilers for the upcoming set. The Break Down: Stan and Devon talk about the same deck again. The Dive Down: Dave talks about the same cards again. Shane has the same doubts again. Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedo...
Jul 25, 2024•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 285
Oh look, another Modern tournament dominated by Nadu decks! On this week's show, we break down the results from NRG Chicago, which included a Modern 10K and some cheeky side events featuring the rhino boys. Then we dive into our Bloomburrow spoilers. • No Surprises, All Alarms • Higher Highs for Nadu • The Cutest Little Cards Ever Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown Show the world that you're a proud citizen of The Dive Down Nation with some merch from t...
Jul 18, 2024•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 284
We couldn't get through an episode without mentioning the lack of a Nadu ban, but quickly dive into the huge batch of MTGO data that was finally unlocked after several weeks of downtime. Then we recap some of our favorite sideboard cards in the current Modern Metagame, and announce latest love of Basim Ibn Ishaq and Ocelot Pride. We kick off the show by asking the difficult question, "What is WOTC waiting for?" Then we dive into a ton of MTGO data, which finally came back this week with decks fr...
Jul 11, 2024•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 283
PT Amsterdam was last week and Modern will never be the same. This week Dave, Devon, and Stan talk about the huge impact MH3 cards had on the tournament — and, of course, spend a ton of time speculating about what's going to happen with Nadu. Bans? Errata? Only Fly Away? We'll see, but we mostly bet it won't happen until about 6 weeks from now (sorry). Devon shares what he thinks the next best deck will be. Stan gets energetic about his RCQ deck choice. Dave is torn between two ways to gain card...
Jul 03, 2024•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 282
On this week's show, we take a look at the results from Modern's first big paper tournaments since the release of MH3. We chat about NRG St. Louis, MXP Tacoma, our predictions for PT Amsterdam, Stan's experiences playing Bant Nadu, Devon's experiments with Kappa Cannoneer, and Dave (and Devon's) explorations of Energy Prowess. The Break Down: Paper Modern Shows its Colors The Dive Down: Nadu, Kappa, and Mutagenic Growth Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedow...
Jun 27, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 281
It's time to rev up those rental accounts because new cards are on the horizon. On this week's show, Shane and Stan (aka The Cool S Bros) share their war stories of leaguing with Modern Horizon 3 decks. Stan fires up some Boros Energy and Ruby Storm, while Shane locks his opponents out with Eldrazi Prison. We kick off the show with a high level check-in on format diversity in the weeks following MH3's release. Then we chat about the one-two punch of Guide of Souls and Ajani, flexible application...
Jun 20, 2024•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 280
Welcome to the new Horizon of Modern. That long awaited day is finally here — Horizons 3 has launched and is in the hands of anyone who wants to: 1) use a Bird Wizard to draw their whole deck, 2) Break a line with a bowl of spaghet monsters, 3) Pay life to draw cards, then DIE, and 4) explore an potentially incredible new format. This week Dave and Devon talk through early impressions of decks we're seeing, things we've tested, early results from an MH3-inclusive 5k in Las Vegas and more. Tune i...
Jun 13, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 279
It took another couple hours but we finally made it through the complete MH3 spoiler (even after skipping a ton of limited fodder). We wrap up our set review with the gold cards along with the new to Modern reprints, and cap it off with some of our favorite cards in the set and a few called shots about cards to watch. We at least mention every card by name so YOU KNOW if we don't think a card is good enough to see play. Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedow...
Jun 06, 2024•2 hr 23 min•Ep. 278
It's finally here! The Modern Horizons 3 spoiler is complete — and wow do we have a lot to talk about. Join us this week as Dave, Devon, and Shane talk through every card * in the set from Colorless and WUBRG. We debate which new Eldrazi titan is best, how much energy you need to feel paid off, some pet cards that we wish we good, and more! Lots more because we're talking about every card *. We at least mention every card by name so YOU KNOW if we don't think a card is good enough to see play. B...
May 31, 2024•2 hr 9 min•Ep. 277
The time has finally come for the sea change that is Modern Horizons 3. We dissect the first batch of official spoilers from Tuesday, and revisit some of our most embarrassing evaluations from MH2 spoiler season all those moons ago. We chat about Phlage, the Eldrazi Titans, the Flares and Medallions, new toys for Storm, and lots more! The Dive Down: The MH3 Spoiler Season We Always Wanted The Wind Down: The MH2 Spoiler Season We Hoped to Forget Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://w...
May 23, 2024•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 276
On this week's show, the four amigos break down the results of the Modern Open at NRG Indianapolis, the last big paper Modern tournament before MH3 changes everything (presumably). Plus, D00mwake joins the dark side and started playing Phoenix. And Stan tries some new cards in Ensoul, plus a bunch of OJT drafts. The Break Down: The Motor City is a Real Zoo Meta The Dive Down: Be the Bad Guy, Play Phoenix The Dive Down cont.: Stan Likes OTJ Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.pa...
May 16, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 275
After a brief intro, Stan is forced to drop out of the ep leaving Shane and Dave in the hot seat. First, they examine last weekend's 4 Modern Challenges in search of ideas, inspiration, and surprises. Do you know what the highest frequency deck was in all these Challenges? How about the one most likely to convert to an X-2 or better record? After all the event talk, the team goes deep into Andrea Mengucci's Gruul Prowess list from the weekend and welcome the return of the real king — Tarmogoyf. ...
May 09, 2024•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 274
Shout out to Wizards of the Coast for seeing some poor quality card pictures in the wild and letting us see them in high definition instead. Official MH3 spoilers dropped this week, on the heels of the latest Pro Tour. Stan and D00mwake discuss! Do Pro Tours still mean anything? Perhaps when the format they feature is fresh and exciting! We don't talk about Standard often, but enough innovations emerged at PT Thunder Junction, we were pumped to chat about the latest cards and winning decks. Spea...
May 02, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 273
A new spellslinger's in town — goes by the name Slickshot Show-Off. This week we focus on the most hyped card coming into OTJ season, where it's fitting across formats, and talk about a few tricks to making sure the show off goes off without a hitch... off. Is there anything we can do to keep Dave from falling into a deep Prowess hole again? Probably not, but we're going to try — and just in case you're trying to avoid catching Prowess, too, we also talk about a few other decks Devon is having s...
Apr 25, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 272
