Allied Strategies Magic The Gathering Podcast

We’ve been to hundreds of Magic tournaments in the real world, and there are some nuances to the process that we decided to spend an episode discussing. Learn about the process of choosing which tournaments to attend, how to get there, where to stay, what to eat, and more! Download this episode here! (right click […]

The first set of Players Tour events are now behind us, and Ben (briefly) and Sam have competed in one! We’re talking all about their experience in the new type of tournament, as well as the debut of Pioneer at this type of event. Ben also won a GP after he scrubbed out so we […]

Three mini topics make up this week’s show: Firstly, Worlds is coming and we’re previewing the tournament and the competitors. Next, Pioneer’s land imbalance has led to a suggestion of completing the cycles that only have half of their cards in the format. We’ll discuss that idea, and then finally move on toe the suggestion […]

This week we’re covering each of the two-color pairs in Theros Beyond Death. This limited format is being received quite well so far, and our hosts have already got several drafts under their belts, so we have a pretty good idea of what each of the color pairs is supposed to look like, though there […]

With the full spoiler out, we’ve each picked some commons and uncommons we think are interesting to discuss in terms of Theros Beyond Death Limited. The plan is to report back on our findings next week, with another episode focused on this new limited format. Here’s a link to this week’s show!

This week we’ve each picked out some cards we think are interesting in Constructed from the cards spoiled so far from Theros: Beyond Death. Next week we’ll probably run the same plan, so let us know which cards you’d like to hear about! Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”)

This episode, we’re taking a look at the best things from the last decade – mostly Magic-related with a few random other topics thrown in for good measure. Next week we’ll start diving in to Theros: Beyond Death stuff! Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”)

Let’s take a look ahead to the New Year in Magic. We’ll talk about what we know about the sets that are coming, and the structure of Organized Play in Magic, as well as our personal goals and expectations for the year. How about you? Do you have any MTG New Years Resolutions? Let us […]

This week we’re taking a retrospective look at the year in Magic the Gathering. You’ll hear about our years, and what we think of the direction the game has taken in terms of Design, Organized Play, and as a developing eSport. How was your 2019? Let us know on twitter @alliedstrats Download this episode here! […]

After several waves of bannings, we’ve finally moved into a Standard Format that our hosts find to be quite good. This week’s show, we’re taking a broader look at the characteristics of good standard formats for us, drawing from our full breadth of Magic and Game Design experience. Download this episode here! (right click and […]

This week we’re covering Red Black Fires – Ben’s been playing the deck a ton so he has a bunch of information to share! Here’s John Rolf’s list: 4 MIDNIGHT REAPER 4 CAULDRON FAMILIAR 4 CAVALIER OF FLAME 4 MAYHEM DEVIL 4 GOD-ETERNAL BONTU 4 STORMFIST CRUSADER Sorceries: 2 COVETOUS URGE (this is the most […]

This week’s Episode is coming out early, partially due to holiday timings, and partially so you can hear it before too many of the Pioneer PTQs that are scheduled for this week are in the past! We’re taking a look at the format through the lens of the Pillars of the Format, like Thoughtseize, and […]

Many of the skills we hone by playing Magic competitively can transfer to other parts of life! This week, that’s our main topic, as well as the recent Bans and Restrictions, of course! Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”)

In limited, most people know to usually play 17 lands, but why is that the number? What are the reasons to deviate? This episode will tackle these topics and also catch up a little with our hosts’ results from the recent Mythic Championship!

This week we’re diving into Ben and Sam’s Mythic Championship prep by going over the decks they’ve been working on – tune in this weekend to discover what they ended up playing! We’ll be back next week with a regularly recorded episode. Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”)

Oko, Thief of Crowns looks like a format-warping mistake, and one that causes serious problems for the format beyond mere power level considerations. What causes led to this card making it to print? For reference, here’s Ari Lax’s article on the subject: https://armlx.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-actual-problem-with-oko-thief-of.html And here’s Jon Finkel’s tweet: https://twitter.com/Jonnymagic00/status/1188918066824011782?s=20 Download this episode here! (right click […]

There’s a whole new format that’s been announced since we last Podded – read all about Pioneer here: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/announcing-pioneer-format-2019-10-21 We’re examining the format’s crucial characteristics – what is the mana like? What are the cards legal in this format that are banned in others? What’s the removal like? Download this episode here! (right click and […]

The exact same Magic card can vary wildly in value from format to format. This week we’re examining the factors that cause this fluctuation, as well as some specific card examples that have gone from unplayable to premium between the years. Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”)

This week we’ve identified some of the most insidious types of errors we see people commit in Limited, and we’re unpacking them all! If there’s anything you think we missed, let us know and we’ll mention it next week! Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”)

This week, after a healthy amount of nonsense and Happy Birthday singing, we covered the 8 decklists in the MPL this weekend. Here is a link to those lists if you’d like to follow along: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/competitive-gaming/eldraine-split-sapphire-division-decklists Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”)