MTG Grindcast

After a couple of rad guests, CCR and Collins return to their roots: chatting about the Magical ideas that have been buzzing around their heads lately. This week: have you noticed that you play looser when you're ahead? That's percentage points that are ripe to be regained. We talk about how to do that: how to think about the game when you're ahead and how to start improving your decisions. Plus,...

We're back this week with a pleasantly accented guest! Stephen Murray's played in nearly every World Magic Cup and has top 8'd twice but, most importantly, has held the title of Scottish National Champion for over a decade. He's here to fill us in on tournament prep, team ratings (spoiler, Japan is a Crush of Wurms) and playing Magic in Europe. Find more of him at @jechtmurray! Thanks as always to...

Collins and Chris have known Rio for a minute, but this weekend he stepped into the limelight by becoming the youngest person to ever top 8 a Starcity Invitational! We spend this episode chatting with him about the tournament, what a 13-year-old does with 3 grand (hint, it includes buying more magic cards), and where he's going from here. Come hang out!

Collins is all prepped for the invitational! We go over his updates to modern humans (wait, is that a spoiler) as well as the strategy he's banking on to break the Temur mirror. Come hang out!

Modern episode! Ok, Collins's team made top 8 with him playing standard so we can't help talking about that for a little while, but the invitational's coming up so modern is back on the table. The meta's making some interesting shifts and reacting to humans, so we talk about where we want to be, and even philosophize a little about ways to be a good modern player. Plus! Black dinosaurs and multico...

With results from three GPs this weekend standard keeps chugging along, and we've got your ticket to ride. Whether your destination is energy, monored, tokens, energy, control, or energy, we're here to make sure you get where you want to go. Plus! Chris gets Collins to dish on what it's like being a grinder on the rise--or has he graduated to pro-in-the-making? Find out this week! Thanks as always...

So, somehow Collins did it again, winning his SCG Regionals and an IQ in the same weekend and, uh, going undefeated. For anyone who's not tired of him winning, hear about the latest changes to Humans from the man himself, plus all the secrets to not dropping a match in three tournaments. PLUS, apparently there was a Pro Tour this weekend as well! We break down the decks and the standard format aft...

Collins spikes Cincinnati, and he does it in style! Undefeated on the weekend with a mostly brand new 5 color humans deck featuring more Ixalan cards than most standard lists. Come hang out with us as we break down the deck, the card choices (including 0 Collected Company!) and where to go with the deck from here. Thanks as always to Wave Sunray for our music: https://soundcloud.com/wave-sunray

This week on the Grindcast: Collins is fresh off of a deep run at nationals, missing out on top 8 only because of a very prepared Gerry T. We talk about his run, his deck choice, and his draft philosophy, both as applied to Ixalan and to Magic Limited in General. Tune in! Thanks as always to Wave Sunray for our music!

So, standard's only three decks now, right? Don't bet on it, friends! On this episode we talk worlds and what we're excited to play at Nationals this weekend. Plus, Collins lets us in on a bit of a project he's got going in modern. Thanks as always to Wave Sunray for our music: https://soundcloud.com/wave-sunray

Chris's trip to Germany delayed the upload of this episode a bit, but we swear his Peach Garden Oath prediction was made well before Huey's run even began. Popeye, pirates, and new standard on this episode of the Grindcast!

Ixalan is finally here! And we've braved the depths of Magic Online to bring you only the finest in standard metagame updates and limited analysis. Is Ixalan "the worst limited format of all time?" Uh, no, probably not. Are dinosaurs rampaging through standard? Find out on this weeks's episode! Thanks to Wave Sunray for our music:https://soundcloud.com/wave-sunray

With Ixalan's release right around the corner, it's time to take an in-depth look at what's leaving standard and what we expect to see in the new format. Will it be all monored all the time? Or do the tribes of Ixalan have something in store for us? Plus we talk a little modern, including Goryo's Deathvine, which is an actual deck of Magic: the Gathering cards and not just a bunch of words strung...

It's been a busy week for Magic: the Gathering, and Chris and Collins are here with the hottest of hot takes on MTG Arena, the now-spoiled Iconic Masters, and some dope reprints and other spoilers from Ixalan. Listen up for literally all the info you need about these things. You do not need information from any other source. Only us. Thanks as always to Wave Sunray for our music: https://soundclou...

Collins ramped his way to (near) victory in DC this weekend! On this episode we talked about the deck and the innovative sideboarding strategy that got him to the GP DC Finals, as well as the evolution of his understanding of the game that's helped get him to this point. PLUS Lightning Strike and some other cool cards from Ixalan! Thanks to Wave Sunray for our music: https://soundcloud.com/wave-su...

Chris and Collins are back! After a brief hiatus to grind some trails in the mountains, it's time for standard, modern, and way, way more importantly: Ixalan spoilers! We got pirates, we got feathery dinosaurs, what more could you want? Put us in your ears! Thanks to Wave Sunray for our intro music: https://soundcloud.com/wave-sunray

Join us for a very special episode of the Grindcast, with celebrity guest Jonathan Rosum. Jon teaches us some very important lessons about love, life, and picking your spot with Jeskai Geist. Plus! We explore this weekend's insane top 8s, standard's godly new tech, and Collins reveals a deep, dark secret. Thanks to Wave Sunray for our music: https://soundcloud.com/wave-sunray

Here's Episode 6, full of hot takes and molten pinnacles. Collins took the Valakut deck from last week to an exactly 17th place finish at Syracuse, so we talk about his weekend, his matchups, and what changes he's going to make to the list going forward. Plus, modern and standard metagame updates and a look at some sweet new cats that may (or may not) be making the cut in a Death and Taxes list ne...

Episode 5 is here! Join Chris and Collins as we talk PT HOU/PT monored and how we'd attack this hasty format we've found ourselves in. PLUS Collins has a spicy new modern brew for SCG Syracuse, and we talk about two important, and maybe even related, concepts: feelings and cheating. Thanks to Wave Sunray for our intro music: https://soundcloud.com/wave-sunray

Welcome to episode 4 of the Grindcast, the spikiest podcast in all of central North Carolina. Join Chris and Collins as we take a look at the aftermath of SCG Atlanta and the changes to modern and standard that have come about since. Then stick around for our discussion of how to start making magic online work for you--from getting your first deck to figuring out your goals to choosing the events...

Trying to crack standard? Chris and Collins are here to help, with an up-to-the moment look at the rapidly evolving paper and Magic Online meta. Hear our thoughts on Monument, Mono Red and friends as we break down the matchups and strengths and weaknesses of each deck. Plus, hella WOTC announcements, affecting both local play and those pro tour dreamers among our listeners. We know you were waitin...

Welcome to episode 2 of the Grindcast! Today Collins and Chris finish talking about the SCG Invitational, including a look at Team LotusBox's prep for the tournament. Then we dive into HOU limited generally and an in-depth analysis of the early frontrunner for best draft archetype. Finally, Collins shares some of what he and his team have uncovered about this brand new standard format in preparati...

Welcome to the first episode of the Grindcast! Join Collins Mullen and Chris Castro-Rappl as they do their best to unravel the mysteries of Standard, Modern, and of becoming the most powerful wizard you can be. This week we're talking the SCG season 1 invitational and looking at the sauciest spoilers from Hour of Devastation. Thanks to Wave Sunray for the dope intro music!