The Gam Podcast

Gerry and Bryan are back, and reviewing what we’ve seen so far from Core Set 2021! The last Core Set was deceptively powerful. Do the guys think this new set can live up to its predecessor? What card do they feel is the surefire focal point for our next Standard format? Listen and find out! Music: Mega Man 2 "Ending theme" Remix by zookun | Music composed by Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi Timestamps: B&R Announcement - 3:18 Baneslayer Angel - 6:31 Basri Ket - 7:30 Basri's Lieutenant - 10:13 Seasoned Hollowblade - 13:19 Selfless Savior 13:56 Teferi, Master of Time - 16:47 Archfiend's Vessel - 22:57 Eliminate - 25:22 Liliana, Waker of the Dead - 28:08 Village Rites - 31:18 Chandra, Heart of Fire - 33:17 Chandra's Pyreling - 35:58 Conspicuous Snoop - 36:44 Garruk - 40:07 Llanowar Visionary - 42:31 Solemn Simulacrum - 43:20 Mazemind Tome - 44:33 Sparkhunter Masticore - 47:43 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon - 50:16 Question of the Week - 1:02:36 arenadecklists.gg patreon.com/arenadecklists youtube.com/arenadeckl

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was murdered by an act of police brutality. The eight minutes and forty-six seconds of silence contained in this podcast represent the amount of time the murderer spent with his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck as he struggled to breathe. The Arena Decklists Podcast stands with protesters. We stand with the Black Community. We call for an end to an oppressive system of “justice” that was designed from the ground up to perpetuate white supremacy. For thoughts on race in Magic, we recommend The Cedric A Phillips Podcast: shorturl.at/eQU28 #blacklivesmatter

Between upcoming bans, various PTQs, and all the other events, there’s a lot to talk about! Gerry and Bryan give their cliff notes on each format, from what’s happening to which deck to play. Eighth Edition Article: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/selecting-eighth-edition-wrapup-2002-11-25 Music: Mega Man 2 "Ending theme" Remix by zookun | Music composed by Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi Timestamps: WOTC tweet addressing Companion - 0:47 Historic - 16:31 Pioneer - 22:02 Modern - 30:03 Pauper - 39:55 Legacy - 43: 26 Question of the week - 56:40 arenadecklists.gg patreon.com/arenadecklists youtube.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango

Gerry and Bryan have thoughts on recently announced changes to upcoming Pro Tours and as you might expect, they’re fired up! Listen while they bring you up to speed on the curious case of the disappearing two million dollars, and why it’s completely disingenuous to write off the retroactive changes as a necessary reaction to Covid-19. In the midst of all of this, the guys are still bringing you their picks for the best decks in BO1 and BO3 for upcoming events. Plus, Gerry takes a victory lap and a display of the power of positivity! Music: Mega Man 2 "Ending theme" Remix by zookun | Music composed by Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi Timestamps: OP Discussion - 0:37 Arena Open - 24:12 Hearthstone Announcement - 35:03 B&R Announcement - 44:09 Redbull Untapped - 47:02 Positive moments - 57:32 Question of the week - 1:06:36 arenadecklists.gg patreon.com/arenadecklists youtube.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango

With two massive Standard tournaments on the docket this weekend, Gerry and Bryan got together to break down all the best decks. What successful archetype is Gerry finally ready to turn his back on? Does Bryan think Temur Adventures is here to stay? What off the radar aggro deck looks like it’s poised for a breakthrough? All this and more on this week’s episode! Music: Mega Man 2 "Ending theme" Remix by zookun | Music composed by Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi Timestamps: Jeskai Lukka - 10:58 Boros Cycling - 18:05 Temur Elementals - 22:15 Temur Adventures - 23:53 Temur Reclamation - 26:13 Mono-Red Obosh - 35:01 Bant Yorion - 40:42 Winota - 41:29 Jeskai Fires - 44:01 Azorius Control - 48:41 Knights - 54:36 Question of the week - 56:34 arenadecklists.gg patreon.com/arenadecklists youtube.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango

A meme deck quickly rose to the top of Standard, which left Gerry and Bryan reeling. How did this abomination, which completely ignores everything we've learned about Magic deck-building, get to be the best deck in Standard? It might be time we have to unlearn everything we thought was true. Music: Mega Man 2 "Ending theme" Remix by zookun | Music composed by Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi Timestamps: Why Jeskai Lukka is bad - 3:00 Misconceptions - 14:50 Matchups - 30:15 Growth Spiral vs Birth of Meletis - 33:19 Other decks to consider - 47:36 Question of the week - 1:00:30 arenadecklists.gg patreon.com/arenadecklists youtube.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango

Gerry and Bryan are back with an Arena Decklists’ classic: the Modern Deck Dump! Everyone knows Lurrus is public enemy #1 in Modern right now, but what else has Ikoria done to shake up the format? Listen and find out! Music: Mega Man 2 "Ending theme" Remix by zookun | Music composed by Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi Timestamps: Shadow - 11:12 RG Atarka - 13:11 Goblins - 16:35 Mono-Blue Tron - 18:45 UR Lutri - 19:54 GW Heliod - 22:10 GB Lurrus - 24:25 Abzan Lurrus - 26:36 Yorion - 28:35 Bant Stoneblade - 35:22 Mono-White Lurrus - 36:57 GW Hardened Scales - 39:35 Yorion Humans - 42:19 Rakdos Lurrus - 46:03 Jund Lurrus - 49:43 Bant Yorion - 54:21 4-color Shadow - 55:25 Burn - 57:00 As Foretold - 57:46 Lurrus Infect - 1:00:01 Living End - 1:03:19 Simic Nexus - 1:06:13 RG Land Destruction - 1:09:54 GrisShoalBrand - 1:15:57 Heartless Summoning Gyruda - 1:20:58 Obosh Gruul - 1:27:47 Dimir Lurrus - 1:33:56 Grixis Lurrus - 1:38:38 Yorion Niv Mizzet - 1:43:47 Question of the Week - 1:48:46 arenadecklists.gg

Have we ever seen such an enormous shake-up in every format due to a single set (or mechanic)? Gerry and Bryan break down each major constructed format but mostly discuss how Standard’s companion hype won’t last forever. Music: Mega Man 2 "Ending theme" Remix by zookun | Music composed by Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi Timestamps: Standard - 3:54 Fires - 17:24 Gyruda - 18:17 Yorion - 22:02 Winota - 28:15 Flash - 30:43 Thoughts on Standard Gameplay - 33:52 Pioneer - 44:19 Modern - 44:56 Legacy - 55:10 Question of the week - 1:05:09 arenadecklists.gg patreon.com/arenadecklists youtube.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango

After building a ton of new decks, Bryan and Gerry come together to form their Top 10 list for Ikoria, Lair of Behemoths. What card shot up their rankings in record time? What hyped cards didn’t even make the cut? Listen and find out! Music: Mega Man 2 "Ending theme" Remix by zookun | Music composed by Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi Timestamps: Gerry's #10 - 7:16 Bryan's #10 - 13:01 Gerry's #9 - 19:23 Bryan's #9 - 21:40 Gerry's #8 - 26:55 Bryan's #8 - 32:40 Bryan's #7 - 38:55 Gerry's #7 - 46:31 Gerry's #6 - 50:58 #5 - 58:15 #4 - 1:02:01 #3 - 1:05:41 #2 - 1:16:55 #1 - 1:20:40 arenadecklists.gg patreon.com/arenadecklists youtube.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango

In this MONSTER episode, Gerry and Bryan cover the first wave of Ikoria previews. In a vacuum, the set has a ton to offer but will it be enough to compete with Standard’s top tier? Music: Mega Man 2 "Ending theme" Remix by zookun | Music composed by Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi Timestamps: Snapdax, Apex of the Hunt - 10:09 Narset of the Ancient Way - 16:10 General Kudro of Drannith - 19:42 Offspring's Revenge - 24:03 Song of Creation - 27:22 Sprite Dragon - 33:04 Emergent Ultimatum - 34:15 Jegantha, the Wellspring - 40:34 Gyruda, Doom of Deaths - 49:44 Obosh, the Preypiercer - 51:56 Keruga, the Macrosage - 53:25 Lurrus of the Dream-Den - 55:39 Kaheera, the Orphanguard - 58:55 Fiend Artisan - 1:05:08 Mythos of Snapdax - 1:08:21 Sea-Dasher Octopus - 1:11:41 Question of the Week - 1:28:41 arenadecklists.gg patreon.com/arenadecklists youtube.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango

As a founding member of the podcast, Gerry and Bryan welcome back Michael Majors with open arms. He recently left his position at Wizards of the Coast and shares why, what he learned, and what his future in content creation will entail. As a master of deckbuilding and theory, Michael's return is the most exciting news for the Magic community in quite some time. Music: Mega Man 2 "Ending theme" Remix by zookun | Music composed by Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi arenadecklists.gg patreon.com/arenadecklists youtube.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango

Following a massive expansion of digital organized play, Gerry and Bryan find themselves drawn back into Standard. They’re breaking down the results from the first wave of Arena qualifiers. Do you have to play Uro to have a chance in this format? What former top-tier deck put up an absolutely miserable conversion rate? Plus, a bonus look at Pioneer and Modern events from Magic Online! Music: Mega Man 2 "Ending theme" Remix by zookun | Music composed by Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi Timestamps: Standard - 6:16 Temur Reclamation - 17:52 Simic Flash - 22:16 Jeskai Fire - 24:53 Simic Ramp - 28:18 Sultai Midrange - 33:20 Temur Adventures - 35:40 Mono-red - 39:24 Azorius Blink - 44:36 Modern - 58:56 Question of the week - 1:09:39 arenadecklists.gg patreon.com/arenadecklists youtube.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango

Gerry and Bryan planned to return to regularly scheduled programming this week, but the news just wouldn’t cooperate. After a rash of cancellations due to COVID-19, the future of Magic changed in an instant. While everyone’s primary focus should be on health and safety, the guys are optimistic that Magic can still play a role in our lives. They offer advice for improving your play in the absence of a competitive scene, and talk about how they intend to pass the time until we are all brought back together for the Gathering again! Music: Mega Man 2 "Ending theme" Remix by zookun | Music composed by Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi arenadecklists.gg patreon.com/arenadecklists youtube.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango

Gerry and Bryan sit down to discuss Magic’s latest B&R update and how it affects each format. First they have to talk about the massive impact of #coronavirus on competitive Magic. Music: Mega Man 2 "Ending theme" Remix by zookun | Music composed by Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi Timestamps: COVID 19 reactions - 1:17 B&R announcement - 18:40 Modern - 36:56 Azorius Stoneblade - 41:24 Standard - 54:28 Question of the week - 1:10:05 arenadecklists.gg patreon.com/arenadecklists youtube.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango

With a plethora of events on the horizon, Gerry and Bryan check in with each major format in order to prepare you for your upcoming events. Can Azorius Control be stopped? What did stop Amulet Titan? Is anything better than Dimir Inverter? Music: Mega Man 2 "Ending theme" Remix by zookun | Music composed by Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi Timestamps: Hunter Burton Memorial - 0:37 Standard - 9:22 Pioneer - 33:41 Modern - 49:24 Question of the week - 1:15:34 arenadecklists.gg patreon.com/arenadecklists youtube.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango

With Worlds in the books, is it time to change our opinions on who is the greatest player of all time? Gerry says no! Plus, they comb through one of the latest Pioneer deck dumps looking for new brews and new technology. Music: Mega Man 2 "Ending theme" Remix by zookun | Music composed by Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi Timestamps: Is PV the GOAT? - 1:45 Pioneer - 18:31 Mono-Red - 30:58 Simic Ramp - 34:54 U/W Spirits - 36:07 Bant Hexproof - 37:41 G/B Stompy - 42:19 Mono-Green Aggro - 43:54 Selesnya Heliod - 45:33 Sultai Inverter - 48:31 Gruul Possibility Storm - 51:31 Orzhov Midrange - 54:24 Simic Delirium - 1:04:25 Goblins - 1:05:33 U/W Control - 1:11:35 Izzet Ensoul - 1:15:36 Mono-Red Devotion - 1:17:47 W/B Doom Foretold - 1:24:04 Question of the Week - 1:30:00 arenadecklists.gg patreon.com/arenadecklists youtube.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango

Opinions on the Azorius VS Temur matchup are divisive, so Gerry and Bryan set out to find the truth! They streamed their testing process to their Patrons and now discuss the matchup in-depth, what matters, and how each archetype should be built going forward. Music: Mega Man 2 "Ending theme" Remix by zookun | Music composed by Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi arenadecklists.gg patreon.com/arenadecklists youtube.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango

In the aftermath of the biggest weekend in Pioneer history, Gerry and Bryan answer their Patrons' burning questions about Pioneer leading into MagicFest Phoenix. Is Niv-Mizzet down for the count? What are the best secondary win conditions in Dimir Inverter? Did Pioneer just become the new Modern overnight? All these questions and more, answered on this week's episode! Music: Mega Man 2 "Ending theme" Remix by zookun | Music composed by Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi Timestamps: Deck selection change for LCQ/other events? - 2:51 Do I have to respect Niv? - 11:55 Advice for a possible disappointing weekend? - 27:10 If I had to switch decks, what to consider? - 35:10 Which events have the best EV? - 39:08 Short list of decks you would play - 41:35 How often you curb deck selection to others? - 47:21 Extraction/leylines trap or good? - 53:12 Thoughts on Gideon of the Trials - 1:04:47 Sultai Inverter nonsense or sweet? - 1:08:03 arenadecklists.gg patreon.com/arenadecklists youtube.com/arenadecklists twitt

We finally return to tournaments this weekend! Gerry and Bryan keep you up to date on what’s been happening in Standard, Modern, and Pioneer for SCG Richmond and the PTs in Brussels and Nagoya. Get their picks for each format! Music: Mega Man 2 "Ending theme" Remix by zookun | Music composed by Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi Timestamps: Standard - 4:14 Modern - 30:58 Pioneer - 1:01:30 Question of the week - 1:24:48 arenadecklists.gg patreon.com/arenadecklists youtube.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango

Gerry and Bryan have been playing a ton of Standard on MTG Arena and are ready to share what the format looks like, what the best decks are, and how to build them. Music: Mega Man 2 "Ending theme" Remix by zookun | Music composed by Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi Timestamps: Tier 1 decks - 3:54 Mono-Black Devotion - 14:37 Simic Ramp - 20:04 Mono-White - 27:20 Tier 2 - 44:29 Gruul Aggro - 57:56 Temur Elementals - 1:05:48 Blue Devotion - 1:07:38 Izzet Phoenix - 1:13:54 Izzet Breach - 1:21:17 Question of the week - 1:26:36 arenadecklists.gg patreon.com/arenadecklists youtube.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango