The Dive Down

Today is the story of a deck that has been floating around for a long time in Modern, a deck that we won’t let Dave forget about, a deck that inspired us to invite our old pal Zach "Manacymbal" Ryl... that's right, it's time for a Indomitable Creativity deck dive. We chat about some of the different versions of the deck floating around, including the 5 color version with Leyline Binding and Grixis...

This week Dave and Stan review the results from the NRG Modern $10K in Minneapolis, where 5c Creativity beat Rakdos Scam in the finals. We also chat about the Sunday Pioneer $5K results, and other data that's been shared from across the weekend. Then we dip our toes in a couple new Modern decks to see if we like playing Scapeshift or Mono-Green Devotion. The Break Down: NRG Minneapolis Modern $10k...

The introduction of three new lords in Dominaria United was all the incentive we needed to do a tribal week on The Dive Down. We tested some Modern and a Pioneer deck featuring Leaf-Crowned Visionary, Vodalian Hexcatcher, and Rundvelt Hordemaster for another edition of Sleeve Believe Heave. We also kick off the show with a preview of NRG Minneapolis by looking at the recent Modern results from the...

This week it takes two to make a thing go right! And by two we me Dave and Shane. And by thing we mean podcast. This podcast. Stan is out this week, so Dave and Shane talk about early impressions of Pioneer and Modern with access to the powerful cards of Dominaria United. Topics covered include: Leyline Binding, Rundvelt Hordemaster, Boglins, Sheoldred, and more. Housekeeping: We Sent Out a Lot of...

Fresh off an amazing weekend at the NRG tournament in St. Louis, Jesse Robkin joins us to break down the Team Trios Trial and the Modern 5K. Then our old pal Aspiringspike drops in to go over the remaining cards from Dominaria United that have potential for constructed play. Jesse and team reached the finals of the NRG Team Trios Trial on Saturday, where she piloted Mono Green Devotion in the Pion...

This week it's all about the first batch Dominaria United spoilers as Dave and Shane talk through what cards have caught our eye so far. How much of a lock is Temporary Lockdown? Does Cut Down make the cut? What other cards does Shane think aren't constructed worthy imo. imo bb. But before we get into all that we get a special RCQ report from Stan (still on vacation!) where he takes us through his...

Our exciting first bit of Dominaria United spoilers are here, and the gang reacts to the addition of three new allied pain lands, Liliana of the Veil coming to Pioneer, and more. We also kick off the show with a Rhino tournament report from... Shane! The one and only took the deck out for his first Modern RCQ and did not disappoint us. Then we wrap up the episode with a discussion of a fascinating...

CCR from MTG Grindcast joins us to talk about all things Living End. On the heels of his RCQ win with the deck, Chris helps us break down the cards, the sickest plays, how to beat common hate strategies, and more! In another classic deck dive and pseudo follow-up to our recent episode on Rhinos, we discuss why the two cascade decks are fundamentally different, even though they share a common core....

This week it's all about the NRG Championship Series event in Chicago. We dive deep into the data, the most popular decks, the sickest plays, and the cherished friendships that make an event like this possible. We go over the top 10 (or so) decks of the weekend, break down the overall metagame, talk with a few players from the floor of the tournament, and hear how Stan did in the swiss (spoiler: p...

Temur Rhinos are craschading onto this week's show, in a classic deck dive into the midrangy combo deck. Plus a preview of the upcoming Nerd Rage Series Modern Trial in Mundelein! Stan's been playing a lot of Rhinos lately, and some recent discounts on Force of Negation finally got Shane to pull the trigger on buying the deck. So Dave said "let's do a deck dive!" and in the ensuing practice matche...

It's another nice week to try new cards and decks in the wide world of Modern. Dave takes another stab at Indomitable Creativity with Gab Nassif's recent list, while Shane assembles a Tron of Eldrazi proportions with the latest prison shell. Meanwhile, Stan chases the dinosaur in search of turn 2 wins with Gruul Prowess. The Break Down: Stan Plays a RCQ The Dive Down: Dave Can't Direct Creativity...

The current top dog of the NRG Series leaderboard joins us to discuss all things Modern for all your RCQ preparation needs. Zach Allen returns for a conversation about the various types of 4C Yorion decks, the merits of Murktide's flex spots, the position of green creature combo decks, and his favorite ways to cascade right now. Sure you can play the best deck when you try to take down your Modern...

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,...

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! h...

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 list...

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...

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...

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 m...

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...

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 th...

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...

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 N...

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...

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...

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...