On this episode, Maria and Meghan get you ready to dominate in Arena Cube – running December 13th-January 1st. Learn what archetypes are the best to draft and what cards support each build. PLUS: Storytime with Meghan ramps up in Dominaria as the Phyrexian invasion grows ever more powerful, Maria can’t drink out of a can, and have you seen MTV’s newest hit Spider House? Become a GLH5 Patron Today! Listen to Weekly Magic News with The Upkeep Buy Some Sweet GLHF Merch Check out o...
Dec 06, 2022•56 min•Ep 515•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan get back to paper play with a primer in Pioneer! (Is that enough P’s for ya?) After a couple of weekends of Regional Championships, your hosts recap the top decks in one of competitive tabletop’s biggest formats. PLUS: An update on the Dominaria and Brothers’ War Magic story, Flavor Text Theatre: Movie Pitches, and can playing The Randomizer really predict the weather?! It just might! Become a GLH5 Patron Today! Listen to Weekly Magic News with...
Nov 29, 2022•55 min•Ep 514•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan attempt to evade a rogue wasp trapped inside their studio – all while trying to improve your Brothers’ War Limited game! Get the data behind big wins, as your hosts dive into 17Lands to let you know how to stop losing, already! PLUS: a crack-a-pack of the new Jumpstart set (ZOMBIES!) featuring new anime art and two brand-new-to-Magic cards. Judge Rob also stops by to teach you how to teach someone new how to play the game…just in time for the h...
Nov 22, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep 513•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan give you a first look at Magic’s newest set: The Brothers’ War! Find out what kind of deck Maria built at her prerelease and hear her first thoughts about the format. PLUS: A guide on how to draft this set (including what all the color pairs want to do). Meghan gives us a peek at what’s going on with the Magic story and those pesky Phyrexians and a rousing game of Pick, Lick or Flick! Become a GLH5 Patron Today! Listen to Weekly Magic News with...
Nov 15, 2022•54 min•Ep 512•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan welcome back Judge Rob (wasn’t he just here?!) to go over the mechanics and tricky cards from The Brothers’ War! Get prepped for your prerelease this weekend with all the knowledge about the new set that you can stuff into your head thopter. From corner cases to common misplays, Rob walks you through everything you need to head into your LGS with confidence. PLUS: Cutest and Grossest Card are crowned and, once again, Maria will NOT be pandered to! SP...
Nov 08, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep 511•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan wrap up all the action that was Magic30 this past weekend! PLUS: A look inside the 2022 World Championship (the best decks, players & moments), an exclusive Brothers’ War preview card and a peek at some of the most exciting cards previewed so far! Thanks to Wizards of the Coast for the free preview content! Become a GLH5 Patron Today! Listen to Weekly Magic News with The Upkeep Buy Some Sweet GLHF Merch Check out our Board Games YouTube Channel Look! I...
Nov 01, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep 510•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan get ready for the biggest Magic event in 3 years (!!): Magic30 and the World Championship! Find out who our hosts think will win, what the best strategies might be in Dominaria United Draft, and what decks they expect to see at the top tables in Standard and Explorer. If you’ve been looking for something fun to play on the ladder – they’ve got tons of awesome decklists for you! PLUS: Meghan will NOT stop saying *BLEEEP*. Become a GLH5 Patron To...
Oct 25, 2022•55 min•Ep 509•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan welcome back very special guest (and Head Designer of Magic the Gathering) Mark Rosewater to answer YOUR burning questions! Find out what it’s like to design a set of Magic, what’s the best part about game design and what’s the worst — what it’s really like to work in “The Pit” and more! Special shout-out to our patrons who supplied us with these amazing questions. Mark also joins in for a game of Flavor Text Theatre: Mo...
Oct 18, 2022•58 min•Ep 508•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan welcome two very special guests to the show: Ben Wheeler and Ben Ulmer of LoadingReadyRun! Whether or not you believe this quartet could be a great experimental jazz band or perhaps a gang of mystery-solving magicians, this episode is here to surprise and delight you. From a game of Stump the Expert, MadLibs that almost kill Meghan, to a few new additions to “Oops, This Card is Hot” — thankfully, as they say, everything that happens in Canada, ...
Oct 11, 2022•56 min•Ep 507•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan welcome extra, super, mega special guest: Head Designer for Magic the Gathering: Mark Rosewater! Mark joins our two hosts to chat about the brand new and extremely fun un-set Unfinity . Learn about the format’s draft archetypes before you throw down with your friends, hear stories from behind-the-scenes of the set’s development, and laugh along with the man, the myth, the Mark — the person who just might love this game more than anyone else. Be...
Oct 04, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep 506•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan welcome TWO very special guests to the show to learn all about the wide (wonderful?) world of Warhammer 40K! Minneapolis Warhammer expert and Demon Price Will Roberts joins the crew to teach everyone about Warhammer lore and the unique stories behind each of the four new Commander decks and their factions. Then, Judge Rob stops by to show you how to easily transform your Warhammer Commander precons into decks for Oathbreaker – a quick and easy multiplayer ...
Sep 27, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep 505•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan celebrate rotation with a look at the new & shiny decks hitting Standard after Magic’s yearly Fall cleanup! No matter what kind of deck you like to play, there’s an option for you on this list! PLUS: a first-look at an EXCLUSIVE Unfinity preview card, the first chapter of Dominaria United Storytime with Meghan, and Maria makes an unwise decision about additional arms. Become a GLH5 Patron Today! Listen to Weekly Magic News with The Upkeep Buy Som...
Sep 20, 2022•50 min•Ep 504•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan make like Scrooge McDuck and dive deep into a giant pile of Dominaria United draft data! Find out what cards you should be picking, what colors you should be playing, and what 2-color pair you should avoid like the plague! PLUS: an appropriately spooky game of The Randomizer (Halloween is now officially 2.5 months long, ok?!) and Maria has a new…strange…pickup line she’s using on…herself. Become a GLH5 Patron Today! Listen to Weekly Magic...
Sep 13, 2022•57 min•Ep 503•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan share their first impressions of Magic’s newest format: Dominaria United! Following a big prerelease weekend, find out what your hosts thought of this brand new Limited format — including what cards overperformed! PLUS: a look at the draft archetypes (including a few SECRET archetypes that are mega-powerful) and a very important question about what animal is the most religious. Become a GLH5 Patron Today! Listen to Weekly Magic News with The Upkeep B...
Sep 06, 2022•52 min•Ep 502•Transcript available on Metacast Get ready for your Dominaria United prerelease this weekend with the help of Judge Rob! Rob covers all of the new and returning mechanics as well as the tricky individual cards that might trip you up as you’re throwing down. Even if you think you know everything about how these new cards work, we promise you’ll learn something! PLUS: Cutest and Grossest Card of Dominaria United are crowned and a certain someone is Sleeveless in Seattle. Become a GLH5 Patron Today! Listen to Weekly Ma...
Aug 30, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep 501•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan celebrate the astonishing milestone of 500 episodes of this podcast! It is truly incredible – and everyone who’s listened (or watched!) over the years is to thank. Come hang out as they celebrate with a musical episode that touches on Magic turning 30, “bad guys” in the game, endless preview seasons and more! Oh…and did we mention there are some SICK giveaways?! Become a GLH5 Patron Today! Listen to Weekly Magic News with The Upkeep...
Aug 23, 2022•39 min•Ep 500•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan ask the important question: Why do you play Magic the Gathering? Is it because of the challenge? The community? The look of pain in your opponents’ eyes as you kill them from 20? Whatever it is, it gets mentioned on this episode! PLUS: what will Maria say that will get her cancelled? Find out! Become a GLH5 Patron Today! Listen to Weekly Magic News with The Upkeep Buy Some Sweet GLHF Merch Check out our Board Games YouTube Channel Look! It’s our Magic YouT...
Aug 16, 2022•51 min•Ep 499•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan look back over the Magic the Gathering sets released in 2022 and find out how Wizards of the Coast thinks they performed. What was awesome about Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (hint: everything), what could be fixed in Streets of New Capenna? And who remembers that Innistrad: Midnight Hunt was released THIS YEAR?! Time isn’t real. PLUS: a physics question for the ages, a highly questionable sponsor slogan and Maria keeps pushing her Halo agenda. Become a GLH5 Patr...
Aug 09, 2022•51 min•Ep 498•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan take a first look at the fall’s big upcoming release: Dominaria United! They’ll share TONS of new details about the return to Magic’s first-ever plane, including how cards from 1994 have found their way into Collector Boosters. PLUS: Meghan assaults Maria with basketball news, a discussion of the worst deaths in Willy Wonka and Very Fancy Words for the word “After.” Become a GLH5 Patron Today! Listen to Weekly Magic News with The Up...
Aug 02, 2022•49 min•Ep 497•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan showcase the best ways to play Magic the Gathering! Whether you’re new to the game and wondering how to connect with it (and the community), if you’re trying to introduce some friends to the joy that is Magic Brain Rot or you’re looking to get your groove back with different approaches to the game – you’re in luck! PLUS: some cards that have art that is somehow accidentally hot and Jiff peanut butter gets a catchy new slogan, courte...
Jul 26, 2022•52 min•Ep 496•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria regales you with the history of Magic the Gathering! Find out how exactly the game got its start, what was so cool about early playtesting, and what key element came to Richard Garfield in a “Eureka!” moment on an Oregon mountainside. PLUS: Meghan finds some of the…stranger…music hits of 1991. It’s a super interesting history lesson with details you definitely will hear here for the first time! Become a GLH5 Patron Today! Listen to Weekly Magi...
Jul 19, 2022•49 min•Ep 495•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan give you their first thoughts about Magic’s newest Arena-only set — Alchemy Horizons: Battle for Baldur’s Gate! Find out how Maria trophied her very first Sealed event (get yourself ready for the Qualifier Play-In this weekend!) and what archetype each color pair is trying to do in Draft. Don’t draft without the knowledge your hosts have loving packed into this episode of awesomeness, okay?! Become a GLH5 Patron Today! Listen to Weekly Ma...
Jul 12, 2022•52 min•Ep 494•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan sit back in a pool of their own sweat, turn down the volume on Judy Justice, and answer your burning questions! That’s right! It’s time for a Summer AMA, GLHF style! PLUS: Updates on a new Banned & Restricted announcement impacting Alchemy & Historic – as well as some buffs and nerfs that hope to shake up the format. Become a GLH5 Patron Today! Listen to Weekly Magic News with The Upkeep Buy Some Sweet GLHF Merch Check out our Board Gam...
Jul 05, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep 493•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan give you a preview of the upcoming MTG Arena release Alchemy Horizons: Battle for Baldur’s Gate! Even if you’re not into Alchemy (and, let’s be honest, not many people are) the design space around creating cool and unique digital-only cards is definitely interesting — and super WEIRD! Find out what bananas new designs Wizards of the Coast is sending out into the wild. PLUS: Flavor Text Theatre Presents: Song Lyrics and, get out your craft...
Jun 28, 2022•49 min•Ep 492•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan give you a preview of Magic’s newest set: Double Masters 2022! Find out what each color trio is hoping to do in Draft before you hit up your local prerelease or share a box with some friends. Find out what cards are being reprinted — and get a first peek at an exclusive GLHF preview card! It’s ICONIC. (You have to say “ICONIC” with a British accent.) PLUS: a giveaway that you’re definitely not gonna want to miss! Happy summer ...
Jun 21, 2022•44 min•Ep 491•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan unbox some surprise packages from Wizards of the Coast (!!) Find out what’s inside … and how they use it to play Flavor Text Theatre: Movie Pitches! PLUS: Meghan regales us with the final chapter of the New Capenna Story and Maria issues an ultimatum about a certain show everyone needs to watch. …She isn’t kidding. Become a GLH5 Patron Today! Listen to Weekly Magic News with The Upkeep Buy Some Sweet GLHF Merch Check out our Board Games Y...
Jun 15, 2022•48 min•Ep 490•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan grab their pickaxes, those cute hats with little lights on them, and their spelunking ropes (?) to explore a brand new Magic format: Explorer! Get inspired with tons of fun decklists (the format is the Wild West!) no matter your preferred play style. PLUS: It’s New Capenna Storytime Chapter 4, and your hosts taste the rainbow in a whole new…disturbing…way. Become a GLH5 Patron Today! Listen to Weekly Magic News with The Upkeep Buy Some Sweet GL...
Jun 07, 2022•53 min•Ep 489•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan are joined by very special guest Judge Rob to check out some of the new cards from Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate! More specifically, how to use the new planeswalkers (Tasha, Minsc & Boo, and Elminster) to build Oathbreaker decks that can be easily converted into Commander decks! The discussion is super interesting and the decks are wildly fun. PLUS: It’s Chapter 3 of the Streets of New Capenna story and Maria blows up the world with...
May 31, 2022•59 min•Ep 488•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan roll out the red carpet for Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate – diving into the new cards, mechanics, and flavor of Magic’s next set release. What would your background enchantment be called? And what would it do? PLUS: A recap of this past weekend’s exciting events at the New Capenna Championship, including the win rates of the top decks so you can figure out what to play on the ladder! Become a GLH5 Patron Today! Listen to Wee...
May 24, 2022•44 min•Ep 487•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Maria and Meghan get you ready for this weekend’s New Capenna Championship! They’ll let you know what the top decks in both Standard and Historic are heading into the last big tournament of the year (other than the World Championship, of course). And speaking of the World Championship, your intrepid hosts will also update you on the race for Worlds as 19 competitors get sent to battle on Magic’s biggest stage. PLUS: A basketball update??? Become a GLH5 Patron T...
May 17, 2022•47 min•Ep 485•Transcript available on Metacast 
