MTG In Quarantine

On this episode of Control Room, guest host Ryan and I discuss two ways of building decks.  Planned decks are defined as decks that are mostly built in theory before the cards ever come together into deck form, such as a decklist or deck tech.  Play-testing/chaotic deck building is defined here as the science of "What If?" building in that you have an idea and try to find cards that can...

In this episode, CoachJRo and I discuss the expectations players should have handy when they try to join an existing playgroup, whether over vEDH (video camera) or at their LGS/a MTG event along with expectations for how playgroups should interact with Rule 0 before starting a game.  It's what you want to get out of the game that is important, not just "power level".  JRo also discusses...

On this episode of Control Room, guest host Ryan and I discuss our thoughts on the recent information released about the new Strixhaven set and the Command cycle.  We also go in-depth on the 2-color pairings of the five Colleges and explore possible room for WotC to take these concepts.  Lastly, we discuss the keyword change from "Converted Mana Cost" to "Mana Value". You can find me on...

You read that right! White in MTG, especially mono-white, is widely considered the worst color combination in EDH because it lacks many of the same value engines that other colors/combinations have access to.  Along with guest collaborators Peter (MonoWhiteBorder) and J Ro (CoachJRo/Unsummoned Skull), we tackle this misconception and outline several ways to generate card advantage in mono-Whi...

On this episode, I welcome Chris, Your Commander Mechanic, to the show to talk about Technical Deckbuilding as well as some of our thoughts on the cards of Kaldheim and the set's potential future legacies.  In the first segment, we go over Building vs. Brewing and the differences in how to go about optimizing a deck or brewing a deck with an interesting and unique concept.  We use some o...

In today's episode of Control Room, Ryan and I discuss some of our picks for underrated Commander options from the CMDR Legends set.  Most of the picks have not seen much play per EDHRec since the set's release, and we would like to challenge some of those assumptions here.  A Jank Alert is in effect! You can find more MTG In Quarantine on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Casts. I am...

Building a colorless EDH deck can be a major challenge given that colorless doesn't have the same arrangement of spells that the main 5 colors of the MTG color pie have access to.  However, that is not to say that colorless decks can't be interesting and varied in their approach to the game.  I use my current Karn, Silver Golem build to explain some of the challenges that I faced buildin...

On today's episode, guest collaborator Ursa Bearwalker and I discuss his BEARS system for determining some of the different ways EDH players can analyze their decks/style of play beyond simply looking at established archetypes.  BEARS stands for: Bombs, Electioneering, Aggressive, Restricted, Safe.  Each category has its own unique traits that define how decks falling under that category...

In the third episode of "Control Room", Ryan and I discuss our thoughts on the "Set" Commander precon product starting with Zendikar Rising in Fall 2020, including insight into how the decks play, reprints, and the overall value that each of the decks contain. You can find me on Twitter at @MTGInQuarantine.  My podcast can be found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Casts. Intro/Outro: "A...

In Episode 2 of Control Room, Ryan and I discuss our favorite and least-favorite memories from prereleases past and why we look forward to attending them in-person.  While we discuss a bit about Kaldheim since it dropped the day this episode was released, we put our general thoughts on the events regardless of the set being released. You can find more of my work on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, an...

I outline 6 simple steps on how to truly win at your next prerelease event, whether you are there to rip open packs, win packs, or to hang out with your friends. I can be found at @MTGInQuarantine on Twitter, and my podcasts are available on Google Casts, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Intro/Outro: "Atlantica" by Speed Limit 35, used under a Creative Commons license.

I've heard a lot of folks saying that Temple of the False God is unplayable in EDH, but it is in fact quite playable in the right scenarios.  I outline when this card shines and what decks I use it in. You can find my podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Casts. I am on Twitter at @MTGInQuarantine. Intro/Outro Track: "Atlantica" by Speed Limit 35, used under a Creative Commons licen...

There are a lot of definitions for "jank" in the MTG Community, and a lot of them hinge on decks/strategies/commanders/cards that are deemed "unplayable" and "bad".  I make my case as to why jank decks and cards can still be powerful in the right situations as well as FUN. We play this format to have FUN, so why always need to build the most optimal decks? Building janky decks is an interesti...

In the first episode of the "Control Room" segment on the MTGIQ channel, guest collaborator Ryan and I discuss five of our favorite MTG cards.  These cards were presented in no particular order, and all opinions are ours. You can find more of my content on Spotify, Google Casts, and Apple Podcasts. You can also find me on Twitter at @MTG_In_Quarantine. Intro/Outro Song: "Atlantica" by Speed L...

On today's episode, I give my thoughts on another random common from my card long-box: Coalition Honor Guard. Its ability makes it suitable to run as a disruptive piece of deterrence in white decks looking for a creature-based form of protection for their board state. You can find me on Twitter at @MTGInQuarantine and on Spotify, Google Casts, and Apple Podcasts.

In my first guest collab episode, I talk about the upcoming Time Spiral Remastered set (due to release in March 2021) with my friend Ryan and what we liked/disliked from the original set/block as well as what we would like to see from the upcoming set.  With very little information to go on right now, this is just speculation and not spoilers. You can find more of my podcasts on Spotify, Appl...

In this episode, I talk for a bit about the Kaldheim set reveal that occurred earlier today (1-7-2021) from Wizards of the Coast and what my thoughts are on some of the major cards and trends currently in the set.  There will be spoilers. The Intro/Outro music was done by: Die Leere im Kern Deiner Hoffnung, track "30 Tage Nacht", used for this project under a Creative Commons license, per htt...

In 2020, Reserved List cards were being bought out at ridiculous mark-up prices.  With the beginning of 2021, I decided to take a closer look at the market prices of some Reserved List cards in my personal collection and compare how much they are worth now versus what they may be worth in 6-12 months' time.  I intend to return to these cards later to see if their prices have changed.

Battlecruiser EDH, per my definition, is a low-powered meta where pretty much every card ever printed can be viable in the right deck. I personally find this format very enjoyable because it allows for lots of 'ah-ha!' moments and tons of interaction. You can find more episodes of my podcast on Spotify, Google Casts and Apple Podcasts.  I can also be found on Twitter at @MTGInQuarantine.

MJ wishes you a safe and happy holiday season and previews some of the things that he would like to create going forward into 2021. You can find him at @MTGInQuarantine on Twitter and at mtginquarantine@gmail.com.

Everyone has a different definition of what constitutes a "jank" deck. Using my beloved Kothophed, Soul Hoarder deck, I explain some of my criteria for how I build a jank deck and things to look for when building your own.  These opinions are solely my own.

After playing a few rounds of Commander Legends sealed (6-booster pack sealed), I share my thoughts on why I really enjoy this format and the new options that it brings to the table.

With Commander Legends coming out soon, I discuss what I enjoy most about reprints and reprint-heavy sets.

My thoughts on the upcoming Commander Legends set.

A lot of Magic Social Media has gone ballistic over the reveal of the new "The Walking Dead" Secret Lair cards, which for a variety of reasons can cause concern to players across multiple formats.  While I am not going to disagree with the issues that have cropped up over morality of character decisions, issues with Magic's ongoing story (with crossovers with TWD) or the direct-to-players car...