The Gam Podcast

War of the Spark is out and the first results from Magic Online are in! Join Bryan and Gerry as they dissect those decklists, talk about what has and hasn’t worked in their testing, and the all-stars they missed for their Top 10s. Music: Intro music Mario Kart 64 "Dreaming Racing" (OC Remix #396) • ReMixer: prozax | Composer: Kenta Nagata Outro music Mega Man X3 "Doppler Stage 1" (OC Remix #3903) • ReMixer: jnWake | Composer: Kinuyo Yamashita Timestamps: Modern - 1:35 WAR limited - 7:43 Big red - 23:58 Boros Heroic - 28:46 Gruul - 33:30 Mono-red - 37:44 Dimir midrange - 39:14 Simic Nexus - 42:36 W/B aristocrats - 47:27 W/B midrange - 50:48 Jeskai control - 53:57 Esper control - 56:37 Sultai - 59:48 Question of the week - 1:05:41

War of the Spark has finally arrived in its entirety, and that means it’s time for Gerry and Bryan’s Top 10 lists! But there is so much more to this episode than just a couple of lists. The guys attempt to lay out exactly how they see the early weeks of new Standard unfolding, and believe it or not, they’re actually in agreement about the most powerful themes of the set. Don’t worry though! Debate still rages on individual card rankings. Music: Intro music Mario Kart 64 "Dreaming Racing" (OC Remix #396) • ReMixer: prozax | Composer: Kenta Nagata Outro music Mega Man 2 "Air Man Stage" (OC Remix #3898) • ReMixer: DDRKirby | Composer: Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi Timestamps: Honorable mentions - 6:21 Gerry's #10 - 9:59 Bryan's #10 - 12:17 Gerry's #9 - 14:00 Bryan's #9 - 17:51 Gerry's #8 - 22:17 Gerry's #7 - 25:11 Bryan's #7 - 27:12 Gerry's #6 - 31:22 Bryan's #6 - 33:34 Gerry's #5 - 37:26 Bryan's #5 - 39:39 Gerry's #4 - 40:19 Gerry's and Bryan's #3 - 43:05 Gerry's #2 - 46:20 Bryan's #2 - 49:20

@G3RRYT and @BryanGo are ready to put a bow on War of the Spark preview season. While the top tier cards came fast and furious until the bitter end, the guys are starting to identify some overhyped ones as well. Tune in and get your first warning about some trap cards that have people way too excited. Plus, the hosts share their thoughts on the return of old school MCQs, and Gerry finally tells his tale from the Mythic Invitational! Music: Intro music Mario Kart 64 "Dreaming Racing" (OC Remix #396) • ReMixer: prozax | Composer: Kenta Nagata Outro music Hollow Knight "Greenpath" (OC Remix #3895) • ReMixer: Gabriel Tripp & RebeccaETripp | Composer: Christopher Larkin Timestamps: Finale of Glory - 13:18 Finale of Revelation - 16:46 Narset, Partner of Veils - 19:55 Commence the Endgame - 21:32 God-Eternal Kefnet - 23:36 Tamiyo's Epiphany - 27:17 Spark Double - 28:38 Silent Submarine - 31:04 Narset's Reversal - 32:50 Finale of Eternity - 35:30 Deliver Unto Evil - 38:37 The Elderspell - 41:30 Spark Ha

Previews for War of the Spark came out quickly, but we’re not done yet! @G3RRYT and @bryango dissect the latest cards that they think could make an impact. Plus, some unexpected news late in the podcast has them talking about the news right as it happens. Music: Intro music Mario Kart 64 "Dreaming Racing" (OC Remix #396) • ReMixer: prozax | Composer: Kenta Nagata Outro music Skies of Arcadia "Valua City" (OC Remix #3893) • ReMixer: Bree & Kylok | Composer: Tatsuyuki Maeda & Yutaka Minobe Timestamps: Nissa's Triumph - 5:30 Forced Landing - 8:31 Chandra's Triumph - 9:12 Jaya's Greeting - 10:30 Heartfire - 12:31 Jaya, Venerated Firemage - 15:19 Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin - 17:10 Illharg, the Raze-Boar - 18:59 Mizzium Tank - 24:05 Vizier of the Scorpion - 28:55 Massacre Girl - 29:46 Kasmina, Enigmatic Mentor - 32:15 Fblthp, the Lost - 34:01 Tomik, Distinguished Advokist - 38:26 Single Combat - 41:31 Domri's Ambush - 45:37 Living Twister - 47:22 Ral's Outburst - 49:36 Feather, the Redeemed - 51:46 Solar

Bryan and Jonathan are back for the twenty-second episode of Head GAMs! This week your hosts explore the automatic negative thoughts our brain creates. What do we do when our brain’s autopilot is getting in our way? What strategies have Bryan and Jonathan used in the past? Tune in to find out how to start battling all of the nasty thoughts your brain throws at you. Contact and Support: patreon.com/HeadGAMsPodcast twitter.com/bryango twitter.com/JonathanACarter twitter.com/HeadGAMsPodcast headgamspodcast@gmail.com

In this bonus episode, The GAM Podcast welcomes @AutumnLilyMTG to the show! We discuss their meteoric rise to Magic stardom, the mindset that drove their success, and... why they like land destruction?!? If you only listen to one podcast this year, it should be this one. Music: Intro music Mario Kart 64 "Dreaming Racing" (OC Remix #396) • ReMixer: prozax | Composer: Kenta Nagata Outro music Pokemon Red "Battle theme" (OC Remix #2194) • ReMixer: Fishy | Composer: Junichi Masuda

War of the Spark Previews! With almost 100 cards previewed so far, Gerry and Bryan have a ton of ground to cover. What do Gerry and Bryan think of the new Planeswalkers, easily the most difficult cards to evaluate. Is Dreadhorde Invasion the new Bitterblossom? Will the Ral plus double Expansion combo ruin Standard? They cover all of these things and many more! Music: Intro music Mario Kart 64 "Dreaming Racing" (OC Remix #396) • ReMixer: prozax | Composer: Kenta Nagata Outro music Mario Kart 7 "Victory Lap" (OC Remix #3892) • ReMixer: Lampje4life | Composer: Kenta Nagata Timestamps: Liliana, Dreadhorde General - 10:00 Dreadhorde Invasion - 16:00 Liliana's Triumph - 18:36 Bolas's Citadel - 19:57 Gideon's Blackblade - 22:36 Gideon's Triumph - 27:14 Jace, Wielder of Mysteries - 28:50 Augur of Bolas - 30:38 Flux Channeler - 34:25 Chandra, Fire Artisan - 36:31 Dreadhorde Arcanist - 38:57 Grim Initiate - 41:40 Nissa, Who Shakes the World - 42:25 Vivien, Champion of the Wilds - 44:50 Jiang Yanggu, Wildcr

With Gerry focused on last-minute prep for the Mythic Invitational, Bryan is at the helm and is using the opportunity to do a deep dive on one of his favorite Modern decks: Amulet Titan! Bryan is joined by Amulet master Edgar Magalhaes, and the two leave no (mana) stone unturned in a mammoth exploration of what might be the most misunderstood deck of all time. Learn the ins and outs of the only Modern deck with #nobadmatchups! Music: Intro music Mario Kart 64 "Dreaming Racing" (OC Remix #396) • ReMixer: prozax | Composer: Kenta Nagata Outro music Phantasy Star III "Town 1" (OC Remix #3824) • ReMixer: djpretzel | Composer: Izuho Numata Timestamps: Core decklist - 9:30 Manabase - 28:14 Sequencing - 35:53 Toolbox lands - 44:35 Possible card choices - 1:01:01 Sideboarding - 1:22:44 Question of the week - 1:55:14

Last weekend saw several large events (mostly) be dominated by Izzet Phoenix. Surprisingly, there was a different dominant deck at the Hunter Burton Memorial Open and a different take on Arclight Phoenix. There's also the Mythic Invitational in a week, so Gerry and Bryan discuss Duo Standard, best-of-one as a whole, and what sort of innovation there's been since players have been trying to break the format of the million dollar tournament. Intro music Mario Kart 64 "Dreaming Racing" (OC Remix #396) • ReMixer: prozax | Composer: Kenta Nagata Outro music Chrono Cross "Victory theme" (OC Remix #3884) • ReMixer: Lemonectric | Composer: Yasunori Mitsuda Timestamps: Hunter Open Modern Metagame - 7:50 Mythic Invitational Testing - 16:27 Question of the Week - 1:11:21

In the 121st episode of The GAM Podcast, there’s much to talk about. The Modern community was up in arms about the lack of changes to Modern, but why? Plus, Gerry has been busy testing Duo Standard for the Mythic Invitational. Is this format for real? Music: Intro music Mario Kart 64 "Dreaming Racing" (OC Remix #396) • ReMixer: prozax | Composer: Kenta Nagata Outro music Donkey Country 2 "Forest Interlude" (OC Remix #3875) • ReMixer: Mordi, Slaygon | Composer: David Wise Timestamps: Modern ban list - 0:48 Modern metagame - 18:09 Bo1 format - 49:04 Arena rankings - 1:12:38 Question of the Week - 1:18:50

Bryan and Jonathan are back for the twenty-first episode of Head GAMs! Finally, the hosts are tackling their all-time most requested show topic—tilt! Why did Bryan and Jonathan resist discussing this topic for so long? Do the hosts have their own tilt-monsters lurking in their closet? Why does Bryan think tilting is fundamentally incompatible with the way he chooses to live his life? If you have been dying for a way to get your tilt under control, this is the episode for you! Contact and Support: patreon.com/HeadGAMsPodcast twitter.com/bryango twitter.com/JonathanACarter twitter.com/HeadGAMsPodcast headgamspodcast@gmail.com

We’ve gotten the first glimpse of what’s in store for us at the end of June with Modern Horizons, so Gerry and Bryan are eager to talk about it. Plus, the Modern metagame has some linear decks at the top, which makes it difficult to pick the correct deck. How should you approach it? Music: Intro music Mario Kart 64 "Dreaming Racing" (OC Remix #396) • ReMixer: prozax | Composer: Kenta Nagata Outro music TMNT "Hudson River" (OC Remix #2409) • ReMixer: Shnabubula | Composer: Kozo Nakamura Timestamps: Modern Horizons - 0:56 Current Modern Metagame - 14:16 Whir Prison - 25:22 Amulet - 37:12 Question of the Week - 1:00:59

While the first Mythic Championship didn’t go Gerry’s way, he learned a lot and is ready to impart his knowledge. There’s also MF LA and RPTQs for Modern plus SCG Syracuse for Legacy this weekend, which Gerry and Bryan also cover. Congrats again to @AutumnLilyMTG for a dominating performance in Cleveland! Music: Intro music Mario Kart 64 "Dreaming Racing" (OC Remix #396) • ReMixer: prozax | Composer: Kenta Nagata Outro music Pilotwings 64 "Hang Glider" (OC Remix #3356) • ReMixer: KingTiger & YoshiBlade | Composer: Dan Hess Timestamps: Gerry's MC report - 5:57 Esper control - 24:19 London mulligan rule - 31:37 Modern metagame - 46:33 Legacy - 58:52 Question of the week - 1:02:29

They shot-called Mono-Blue Aggro for #SCGDFW then Rakdos Midrange for #GPMemphis. Can Gerry and Bryan go three for three with MC Cleveland this weekend? Music: Intro music Mario Kart 64 "Dreaming Racing" (OC Remix #396) • ReMixer: prozax | Composer: Kenta Nagata Outro music Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time "Sewer Surfin" (OC Remix #1730) • ReMixer: Juan Medrano & zircon | Composer: Harumi Ueko & Kazuhiko Uehara Timestamps: Hunter Burton memorial - 2:14 What deck should Gerry play? - 4:49 Limited discussion - 39:07 Question of the week - 52:45

Bryan and Jonathan are back for the twentieth episode of Head GAMs! This week the hosts are tapping into their favorite source of inspiration—listener questions! Jonathan and Bryan help listeners address a plethora of issues including decision paralysis and fatigue, dealing with an opponents off-putting attitude, and keeping a growth mindset even in the face of tremendous setbacks and adversity. If you’d like to participate in future listener focused episodes, don’t forget to check out our Patreon page at patreon.com/HeadGAMsPodcast The Good Place Podcast: https://www.nbc.com/the-good-place/exclusives/tgp-podcast Contact and Support: patreon.com/HeadGAMsPodcast twitter.com/bryango twitter.com/JonathanACarter twitter.com/HeadGAMsPodcast headgamspodcast@gmail.com

The first Mythic Championship is rapidly approaching and Bryan wants to get Gerry on the right track. They discuss Mono-Blue Aggro’s performance at #SCGDFW, the plethora of aggressive decks in the format, and finish off with some questions that Bryan would be asking himself if he were competing. Will Gerry pass or fail? Music: Intro music Mario Kart 64 "Dreaming Racing" (OC Remix #396) • ReMixer: prozax | Composer: Kenta Nagata Outro music Snowboard Kids "Avalanche" (OC Remix #3865) • ReMixer: Miso29 | Composer: Isao Kasai & Tomohiko Sato Timestamps: Mono-blue going forward - 5:29 Rakdos - 19:09 Where is mono-red? - 49:30 Question of the week - 1:03:14

As the Standard metagame moves closer to being dominated by Esper Control and Sultai Midrange, only one deck looks poised to take the crown — Mono-Blue Aggro. Whether you’re playing with or against it, you cannot miss this episode. Music: Intro music Mario Kart 64 "Dreaming Racing" (OC Remix #396) • ReMixer: prozax | Composer: Kenta Nagata Outro music Star Fox "Sector Y" (OC Remix #3494) • ReMixer: Slimy | Composer: Hajime Hirasawa Timestamps: Mono-blue overview - 2:20 Main deck card analysis - 15:12 Sideboard - 55:57 Mulligans - 1:22:30 Matchups - 1:29:32 Question of the week - 1:47:25

Bryan and Jonathan are back for the nineteenth episode of Head GAMs! This week we get to hear about Bryan’s debut as a broadcaster and look back at how his preparation compared to the real thing. The hosts also discuss the nature of competitive ranked ladders in video games and the psychological dangers of committing completely to topping a ladder. Bryan and Jonathan leave you with tips to engage with ladders in a healthy way that maximizes how to increase your skill and find satisfaction. Don’t forget to head over to www.patreon.com/HeadGAMsPodcast to learn more about our exclusive bonus content! Contact and Support: patreon.com/HeadGAMsPodcast twitter.com/bryango twitter.com/JonathanACarter twitter.com/HeadGAMsPodcast headgamspodcast@gmail.com

It’s Episode 115 of The GAM Podcast and regular contributor Cedric Phillips is filling in for an ailing Gerry T. Cedric and Bryan were eye witnesses to the formation of the Week 1 standard metagame this past weekend in Indianapolis. What were their takeaways from the first SCG Tour event of new Standard? They’re happy to share and are also diving back into the Magic Online 5-0 decklists as they search for the next big thing in Standard! Music: Intro music Mario Kart 64 "Dreaming Racing" (OC Remix #396) • ReMixer: prozax | Composer: Kenta Nagata Outro music Spyro the Dragon "Artisans" (OC Remix #3592) • ReMixer: Laarx | Composer: Stewart Copeland Timestamps: SCGINDY - 3:29 Rakdos aggro - 10:32 Sultai - 17:50 Midrange Gates - 22:39 Big Gruul - 28:02 Azorius aggro - 30:13 Bant tokens - 40:31 Esper midrange - 46:49 Mono-red aggro - 50:20 Izzet Drakes - 58:01 Mono-blue - 1:05:02 Question of the week - 1:15:44

In Episode 114 of The GAM Podcast, Gerry and Bryan break down the first published Standard results. What worked, what didn’t, and what’s the best builds of these decks going forward? Also, how the hell do you beat Mono-Red? They answer all of it! Music: Intro music Mario Kart 64 "Dreaming Racing" (OC Remix #396) • ReMixer: prozax | Composer: Kenta Nagata Outro music Chrono Trigger "Save the Future" (OC Remix #3854) • ReMixer: StormSkuggan | Composer: Nobuo Uematsu & Noriko Matsueda Timestamps: Rakdos midrange - 10:43 Selesnya - 14:44 Mono-Blue aggro - 19:47 Bant midrange - 22:29 Sultai - 29:56 Esper Control - 35:38 Gruul - 39:19 Mono-Red aggro - 45:51 Temur Vannifar - 49:54 Simic - 53:07 Esper Control - 55:58 Mardu Judith - 56:58 Sultai - 1:00:14 Simic - 1:01:28 Temur Reclamation - 1:03:58 Mardu aggro - 1:06:51 Gruul - 1:07:48 Abzan - 1:10:42 Simic elfball -1:12:53 Boros - 1:15:26 Gruul - 1:17:14 Rakdos - 1:19:59 Big red - 1:22:11 Esper midrange - 1:23:29 Decks we would play at SCGINDY - 1:27:36 Q