Commander Theory

In this episode, Valerio (probably better known as @golgariguy on Twitter) returns to the show to discuss the absolute state of monored. Although White has gotten a lot of community attention in ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/14061703-is-monored-goodstuff-possible-ft-golgariguy.mp3

Which cards from Lost Caverns of Ixalan are going to see the most play in Commander? How accurate were my predictions on which cards from Wilds of Eldraine would see the most adoption on EDHREC? ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/14029426-lost-caverns-of-ixalan-predictions.mp3

Nick and guest host Brian descend into the Lost Caverns of Ixalan (and the associated precons), exploring the many new staples being released in the set and discovering a few gems that you may ha...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13982774-the-maindeck-cards-of-lost-caverns-of-ixalan-and-lcc-precons.mp3

Taking a slightly different approach to this spoiler season, as I'm skipping past the limited fodder legends and only doing a highlight reel of the most interesting commanders from both Lost Cave...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13938745-the-commanders-of-lost-caverns-of-ixalan-and-lcc-precons.mp3

We're wrapping up our coverage of the Doctor Who Commander decks just in time for the end of Lost Caverns of Ixalan spoiler season! Nick is joined by patron Ben to discuss all the cards from WHO ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13892899-who-set-review-part-3-maindeck-cards.mp3

We've gotten through WHO's Doctors and Companions, but the set of precons still has over 30 new options for Commanders to discuss, including many of the show's most iconic villains! Nick is joine...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13813614-who-set-review-part-2-partners-and-standalone-commanders.mp3

With 15 doctors and 25 companions, WHO has unleashed a huge number of options for Commander brewers. Nick is joined by patron Jason to call out the most powerful of the 375 doctor/companion combi...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13770290-who-set-review-part-1-doctors-and-companions.mp3

Which cards from Wilds of Eldraine are going to see the most play in Commander? How accurate were our predictions on which cards from Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth would see the most a...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13720139-wilds-of-eldraine-predictions.mp3

Valerio (probably better known as @golgariguy  on Twitter) returns to the show to discuss which Commander archetypes have gained the most in the last year of Magic releases. You may be able to g...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13677104-what-decks-have-gained-the-most-with-golgariguy.mp3

Wizards recently released Ponies: the Galloping 2 as a Secret Lair Drop benefiting children's charity Extra Life. In addition to discussing the cards in this drop and their applications in Comma...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13677502-bonus-episode-ponies-the-galloping-2.mp3

Taking a break to enjoy the post-spoiler season afterglow; please enjoy this re-run of one of my favorite eps from the past year. Typal is a well you can come back to over and over because, well...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13635293-re-run-underplayed-creature-types-you-re-sleeping-on.mp3

Did you read through the Wilds of Eldraine spoiler and wonder where the heck the Faerie typal commander was? It's in the precons, as well as a Role so strong they couldn't release it into Standar...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13595763-wilds-of-eldraine-commander-precon-review.mp3

Nick is joined by patron Cary to review the new maindeck cards from Wilds of Eldraine! While the set's themes are on the weak side there are still plenty of new format staples, powerful role-play...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13545626-the-maindeck-cards-from-wilds-of-eldraine.mp3

Nick is joined by patron Cary to review a fresh crop of legends from Wilds of Eldraine! Do you have a hot take or a spicy brew for one of the set's commanders? Hit me up and share your secret tec...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13496368-the-commanders-of-wilds-of-eldraine.mp3

In this week's ep, Andy from the Legendary Creature Podcast swung by the pod to chat about our favorite keywords in Magic! Decks discussed in this episode: Everything Typal Skithiryx, the Bli...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13461860-our-favorite-keywords-ft-andy-from-the-legendary-creature-podcast.mp3

At GenCon this year Maro and the Magic: The Gathering Team released the plan for the next 3 years of magic sets, something they've never done before. They're calling these next 3 years the Omenpa...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13434695-the-next-3-years-of-magic-ep-244.mp3

Slothbear suggested this Episode in the CT discord server, and Nick and Zak thought it was a great idea for an episode. Slothbear asked how different formats affect the perception of build-around...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13392064-lessons-from-limited-ep-243.mp3

There have been a TON of updates to Mono-White's suite of cards in the last few years since Nick and Zak released the "Quantifying The Color Pie " Episode, and we've checked in since , but this l...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13342098-is-mono-white-fixed-now-ep-242.mp3

Commander Masters follows the tradition of being a reprint-only set. JK there are new cards in the commander decks and it doesn't have a separate set code! In this episode, Nick and Zak get to th...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13305057-commander-masters-precon-review-ep-241.mp3

Well, we finished the set reviews, so what are your bets on the cards seeing the most play in LOTR??? Nick and Zak have some ideas, and do a quick check-in to see what they got right from March o...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13220421-lord-of-the-rings-tales-of-middle-earth-predictions-ep-240.mp3

There comes a time in every review cycle when the two hosts of a podcast make time to get together and look at every new card in the Lord of the Rings, Tales of Middle Earth Commander Decklists. ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13176185-lord-of-the-rings-commander-decks-ep-239.mp3

There are a LOT of options for cards to play in Commander (basically all of them!), but that doesn't mean all cards get the love they deserve! On this episode Nick and Zak are joined once again b...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13135978-criminally-underplayed-cards-with-golgariguy-ep-238.mp3

What's middle earth bringing to the 111th birthday this year? Well, a whole lot of new Magic cards! Nick and Zak dive straight into the nitty-gritty of the new set, talking about all the cards th...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13100405-lord-of-the-rings-tales-of-middle-earth-maindeck-cards-ep-237.mp3

It's finally here! Nick and Zak get into the legends from the set that are poised to make a splash and there are a lot of them! If you don't hear us talking about your favorite new commander from...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13045349-lord-of-the-rings-tales-of-middle-earth-legendary-creatures-ep-236.mp3

Oh Boy! Our very first in the series before we knew we'd be doing it more! Due to some conflicts, this week will be a rerun episode, but we wanted to look back to an episode we really liked and t...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/13011597-re-run-seasons-past-the-dark.mp3

Nick and Zak are busy, which means more time away from the game table and friends. So how do they cope? Historic Brawl! The cohosts have sung the praises of the format before, but in this episode...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/12978558-how-we-d-change-historic-brawl-ep-235.mp3

There are so many new cards, maybe you'd appreciate a blast from the past? This episode looks back at Portal, one of the first supplemental products for Magic: The Gathering that was intended as ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/12923613-seasons-past-portal-ep-234.mp3

So you saw a cool legend on the backside of a battle and were wishing you could play it as a commander, huh? Well, Nick and Zak look back at not just battles, but a lot of cards that are part leg...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/12871440-rule-zero-to-hero-flip-commanders-ep-233.mp3

Does it count as lying if you didn't know it wasn't going to be true in a week? Nick and Zak have one last (we mean it!) spoiler episode for this cycle, and it's some of the most notable cards fr...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/12834322-march-of-the-machine-aftermath-set-review-ep-232.mp3

Nick and Zak try to stay on top of what people tend to want to play from sets as a thermometer on the format, so predictions are here! What happened with All Will Be One? Did the two co-hosts hit...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/12786908-march-of-the-machine-predictions-ep-231.mp3

Another set another bunch of precons! What's that? This set is special and concludes a years-long, multi-set storyline about the Phyrexian invasion of the multiverse? Huh! In this episode Nick an...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/12739128-march-of-the-machine-commander-preconstructed-decks-review-ep-230.mp3

Not much to say here! Nick and Zak get into the main deck cards they thought were notable and talk a whole lot of shop. Listen in and let us know what your favorite cards from the set were! Did y...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/12704059-march-of-the-machine-maindeck-cards-ep-229.mp3

That time again! With a huge swath of 33(!?!) new commanders, Nick and Zak get right to it! Digging into what decks might look like, what cards are really great within the decks, and the general ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/12652691-march-of-the-machines-legendary-creatures-review-ep-228.mp3

Much like the MOM story, we had problems too! While recording we didn't realize Zak's mic was being bypassed by the laptop mic (weird!) so please forgive the less-than-optimal quality on this bon...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/12610707-mom-story-had-problems-bonus-episode-ep-227-5.mp3

With the release of the Dungeons and Dragons movie comes a new Secret Lair Drop, complete with commanders for each main character from the movie, and one... large one! Did Wizards do a good job r...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/12610456-honor-among-slds-the-d-d-movie-crossover-cards-ep-227.mp3

What would your favorite non-Magic characters look like as a magic card? We asked and patrons and other followers responded with some rad designs! In this episode, Nick is joined by Andy from the...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/12565933-custom-commanders-universes-beyond-edition-with-andy-from-the-legendary-creature-podcast-ep-226.mp3

Today's episode highlights community member, CT friend and fan Jason Belk, who is back again for an episode about brewing better! Sometimes a deck concept sits in your mind for a bit too long. So...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/12503476-confessions-of-a-brewaholic-brew-better-with-jason-ep-225.mp3

Ever feel targeted because someone at the table didn't like that you were milling them? Ever get irrationally angry when you see someone play a plague stinger? Well, this episode might be for you...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/12466489-feelbads-and-threat-assessment-with-golgariguy.mp3

The hype train keeps rolling, and with March of the Machines looming on the horizon Nick and Zak wanted to take a look at some decks they liked from the last few months that ended up being budget...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/12411776-budget-builds-with-recent-commanders.mp3

New sets this, product fatigue that, all these commanders you've never heard of before. Isn't there any hope for a Magic boomer around here?! Well, the answer is, unsurprisingly, yes! So Nick and...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/12349435-bring-back-battlecruiser-magic-talking-predh-with-charlotte-sable.mp3

About a third of all colorless commanders have been printed in the last 2 years. The family is small, but they sure are mighty! And with more confirmed on the way combined with a fairly large swa...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/12322453-tips-and-tricks-for-colorless-lists.mp3

LAST CALL! Boy, I sure am glad everything is one! But it's time to move on, and we had fun! Right? In this episode, Nick and Zak spend time looking over the cards that were most popular in BRO an...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/12277263-what-cards-will-be-most-played-one-predictions.mp3

ALL WILL BE ONE... top ten list! Normally we'd do the legends, and then the main-deck cards, but we had gotten some feedback and wanted to try something different this time. Here are Nick and Zak...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/12229512-top-10-cards-from-all-will-be-one.mp3

ALL WILL BE ONE. Unless you're this review of ONE which is broken up into multiple parts. In this episode, Nick and Zak look at the commanders in the main set/theme boosters and see what each leg...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/12174806-all-will-be-one-legends.mp3

Welcome to preview season! Is that some oil dripping from your eyes, or are you just happy to see us? All Will Be One is here and with it, two whole commander decks! As is tradition Nick and Zak ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/12128988-all-will-be-one-commander-decks.mp3

Nick and Zak are off this week, but here's an episode from about a year ago they  "Many content creators on the internet have posted episodes of shows and podcasts where they discuss a baselin...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/12056568-rerun-the-commander-theory-deck-building-template-ep-182.mp3

Since the story is out, and so are we, why not try this fun module Nick put a lot of effort into?  "You read that right: this week on Commander Theory Nick and Zak discuss a project Nick has b...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/12056463-rerun-phyrexian-rebirth-adventure-module.mp3

Recently Sam Black Tweeted about lands in commander which started a whole fire of people online getting upset and discussing something that's just probably true: you probably run too few lands i...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11999207-when-to-run-ramp.mp3

Magic is hard! Sometimes there are corner cases in the rules that people never learn or interactions that don’t quite work the way people expect them to. Are there any cards that people are jus...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11953318-cards-you-re-playing-wrong-ft-charlotte-sable.mp3

What a wild time it was for Magic back in 1998! Cards were crazy powerful, interaction was basically non-existent, and there were bannings galore in the only real format at the time. People were ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11926843-seasons-past-urza-s-saga.mp3

How well did Nick and Zak do on their Dominaria United predictions? What made the top ten? And what's on the co-hosts lists for most played in BRO? But honestly, what were YOUR favorite cards fro...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11902679-what-will-be-the-most-played-cards-from-the-brother-s-war.mp3

AND NOW we return to the Brother's War! This time closing out the set with Maindeck cards. What caught Nick and Zak's interest and what looked like cool cards for specific decks? Listen in and fi...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11846026-brother-s-war-maindeck-cards.mp3

Hi! Hello! Took a little unintended break, but we're back! And no, we didn't forget about BRO. Brother's War maindeck cards will be releasing next week! This episode was short, sweet, and more ti...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11800673-jumpstart-2022-set-review.mp3

Time for the Legends of Brother's War! In this episode, Nick and Zak go over the many legendary creatures you can pick up in Brother's War packs. Which version of Urza is the strongest? Did Mono-...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11674022-legendary-creatures-in-the-brothers-war.mp3

WELL WELL WELL, if it isn't the perpetual hype machine coming to roost.  In this episode Nick and Zak review the new cards from the two Brother's War commander decklists. What's really hitting t...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11629006-the-brother-s-war-commander-precon-review.mp3

Typal is a well you can come back to over and over because, well, it's fun! And there are infinite possibilities! So in this episode Nick and Zak dive into which types have the highest ranking me...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11587629-underplayed-creature-types-you-re-sleeping-on.mp3

We asked our patrons for some episodes you might want to hear before ENDLESS HYPE started up and one of the topics was our decks! We try to keep Commander Theory free of deck techs for the most p...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11540566-our-decks-and-what-they-taught-us.mp3

Another spoiler episode? Would it be modern magic if it wasn't? Irrelevant! In this episode, Nick and Zak talk about the surprise cards you can find in BRO set and collector boosters: TRANSFORMER...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11491679-more-than-meets-the-eye-the-transformers-mtg-review.mp3

Better late than never! (for this podcast and the set at hand!) Nick and Zak split this one up a little differently, first the Non-Acron Stamped legends and main deck cards, THEN the Acorn cards....

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11460303-to-unfinity-and-beyond-a-set-review.mp3

In a violently long episode (sorry!) Nick and Zak dig pretty deep into the new commanders and cards of the Warhammer 40K Universes Beyond Commander Decks. There is A LOT going on, so best to just...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11378278-the-grim-darkness-of-the-warhammer-40k-commander-decks.mp3

BONUS: Well Disney is jumping into the TCG market full steam ahead with Ravensburger as the developer. What do the few cards we've seen look like? Can we guess the mechanics? Nick and Zak have th...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11328549-bonus-disney-s-lorcana-enters-the-scene.mp3

PREDICTIONS TIME. Nick and Zak check their work from Baldur's Gate and did pretty good! With some notable surprises... Then the hosts compile a list of what cards are gonna be bangers in DMU. Is ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11328470-dominaria-united-predictions-what-cards-will-see-the-most-play.mp3

Another spoiler season, another card-by-card analysis with your two hosts, Nick and Zak! This one is pretty short all things considered! The off-color kicker costs narrow the availability of many...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11286768-the-maindeck-cards-from-dominaria-united.mp3

HOOBOY. Studio X did not make this one easy! But in this episode, Nick and Zak get through every Legendary Creature in Dominaria United, including the boxtoppers! What do they like? what don't th...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11252462-the-legendary-creatures-of-dominaria-united.mp3

It's time again! The spoils phase back into view as Nick and Zak get into the two new Commander decks that release with Dominaria United! What do they like? What don't they like? Was it necessary...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11211177-dominaria-united-commander-decks-review.mp3

THE BIG 200! Nick and Zak cannot thank you enough for all you've done for them. In this special #200 episode, the two hosts take a note from Maro's book and look back at some of their favorite ep...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11163616-episode-200-commander-theory-s-greatest-hits.mp3

We looked at quantifying the color pie back in 2019, and one of the things we found was data to back up Mono-white (and white in general) was being underplayed in commander. Well, white's been th...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11124705-is-mono-white-fixed-yet.mp3

A week later and Nick and Zak had some time to rest! But first, an interview on the floor with Gavin Verhey! Senior Magic: The Gathering designer at Wizards! And one of the people responsible for...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11085166-an-interview-with-gavin-verhey-and-other-stories-from-commandfest-bellevue.mp3

Commander Theory is working with Pastimes Events to bring you this panel of Wizards of the Coast employees who you've probably heard of before: Sara Mox who's director of personnel for the casual...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11021267-commandfest-bellevue-2022-casual-play-design-panel-with-melissa-detora-gavin-verhey-and-sara-mox-hosted-by-pastimes-events.mp3

Commander Theory is working with Pastimes Events to bring you this panel of content creators from CommandFest Bellevue 2022. This panel focused on being a Magic: The Gathering content creator and...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11016418-commandfest-bellevue-2022-content-creator-q-a-panel-with-powrdragn-cedric-phillips-anna-margaret-and-commander-cookout-hosted-by-pastimes-events.mp3

There's a ton of tribal in magic, and always room for more, but are there any creature types that actively make the game worse? Nick and Zak have some hot takes and in this episode, they talk abo...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/11006353-the-worst-creature-types-in-magic.mp3

A blast from the past! Nick and Zak get into Tempest and its HUGE contributions to Commander, and Magic as a whole. The designs were amazing and the staples have stuck with us for over two decade...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10964579-seasons-past-tempest.mp3

Mark Rosewater always says, "restrictions breed creativity," so in this episode Nick and Zak look at some themed ideas that restrict your card choices but still let you get some good games in wit...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10927573-the-goofiest-novelty-commander-decks.mp3

We made a lot of deck lists for the CLB set reviews, and Nick noticed something about them: Baldur's gate leads you to playing with cheap cards!! So in this episode, without trying too hard, Nick...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10885326-budget-brews-from-baldur-s-gate.mp3

To mimic a famous, modern philosopher, "What's the deal with Commander Theory?!" Well in this episode Nick and Zak tell you! It's been a long time since the two of them ever talked about the actu...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10846025-commander-theory-101.mp3

Every set Nick and Zak like to take the temperature of the format and how the last set has affected Commander on the whole by looking at predictions and seeing what is and isn't true. So this epi...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10807160-baldur-s-gate-predictions.mp3

BONUS EPISODE: It's release weekend! And a lot of people have never gotten to participate in a commander draft before. So Nick and Zak decided to release a small primer on how one might go about...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10776114-bonus-commander-legends-battle-for-baldur-s-gate-draft-intro.mp3

HOOBOY The Last bit of CLB content, the Commander decks are here! In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss the new cards you can find in the decks right off the shelves.  What's the deal with horro...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10756579-commander-legends-battle-for-baldur-s-gate-commander-set-review.mp3

You've seen the legends, you've seen the backgrounds, but what about... Backgrounds in the 99? Yes! And also everything else in the 99! Nick and Zak dig into the main-deck cards from Commander Le...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10768021-clb-other-99-cards.mp3

Is that creature tapped? Because we're taking back the initiative in this episode, all about the new multicolor legends you can find in Commander Legends: Baldur's Gate! Nick and Zak get right to...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10727941-commander-legends-baldur-s-gate-multicolored-commanders.mp3

CLB IS HERE. The sequel to both Commander Legends AND Adventures in the Forgotten Realms is here! Commander Legends: Baldur's Gate is a draftable commander format with 85(!!!) New legends and... ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10684463-commander-legends-baldur-s-gate-backgrounds-and-choosers.mp3

The last of the episodes about #MTGSNC to keep us honest! It's prediction time!! How right were Nick and Zak about Kamigawa Neon Dynasty? What do they think about SNC? Any cards they're impressed...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10609719-streets-of-new-capenna-predictions-and-more.mp3

In this very special episode, Nick and Zak are delighted to talk to Megan Smith! Magic: The Gathering Designer and current Green Council Member on the Council of Colors in Studio X.  For those w...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10568007-consulting-the-council-discussing-green-with-megan-smith.mp3

HOOBOY! Welcome to a long episode! All about the new commanders and cards in the NCC set (That's New Capenna Commander). Nick and Zak get right deep into the decks starting off with the commander...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10534114-streets-of-new-capenna-commander-decks-review.mp3

AND NOW: Ladies and cephalids, boys and germs! We give to you, this doozy of an episode! And a bit early! The Maindeck cards from Capenna are many and there's a lot going on,  So Nick enlisted t...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10511278-streets-of-new-capenna-maindeck-cards-review.mp3

Here again! A new set is upon us in all its art deco wonder! Streets of New Capenna bring us a whole lot of new stuff to play with! So in this episode, Nick and supporter and friend of the show, ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10485626-streets-of-new-capenna-legendary-creature-review.mp3

You read that right: this week on Commander Theory Nick and Zak discuss a project Nick has been working on for a while.  Phyrexian Rebirth is a fan-made module to be run using the 5th edition Dn...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10446809-phyrexian-rebirth-a-5e-adventure-module.mp3

Last week's episode got us thinking: What are our favorite mechanics and why? So in this episode, Nick and Zak have a little chat about just that! What makes a good mechanic, and why? There's so ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10400542-our-favorite-mechanics-and-keywords.mp3

We asked for some custom commanders and you all delivered! In this episode of Commander Theory, Nick and Zak asked for custom legendary creatures that focused on underutilized mechanics from the ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10351510-custom-commanders-second-chance-for-old-mechanics.mp3

Sometimes life hands you lemons, and sometimes you gotta put out a rerun podcast to deal with all those lemons, so here we are! Nick and Zak are fine, just had a lot on their respective plates th...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10314545-rerun-calculating-color-pie.mp3

Many content creators on the internet have posted episodes of shows and podcasts where they discuss a baseline way to build decks. They're usually heuristics like, "You need 10 ramp spells" or "y...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10271182-the-commander-theory-deck-building-template.mp3

We're back with another retrospective! In this Seasons Past we look at a set that had a huge influence on Nick and Zak: Mirage! What did Mirage do differently than the sets before it? What cards ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10229899-seasons-past-mirage.mp3

One of the benefits of this whole New Secret Lair Cards thing is that, oh wow! A TON of new commanders to build around!! In this episode, Nick and Zak get into the legendaries from the (now in pr...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10186302-street-fighter-sld-commanders.mp3

YOU THOUGHT WE WERE DONE. Well, Nick and Zak wanted to take one more look back at the joys of Kamigawa Neon Dynasty and assess how well their predictions went from Crimson Vow. This episode is a ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10134256-neo-predictions-and-closing-thoughts.mp3

AND WITH THAT we have finished another review season! Nick and Zak get right to it, digging into possible builds for the two new Commander decks to come out alongside Kamigawa Neon Dynasty! There...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10076483-neo-commander-deck-review.mp3

A ratfolk on a hoverbike just zoomed by my house and painted graffiti all over the alley. Guess that means Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty is out! In this doozy of an episode, Nick and Zak review all the ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10053799-kamigawa-neon-dynasty-main-set-review.mp3

Commander Theory focuses a lot on what the format looks like if we observe the whole. Nick and Zak often use language about what you "should do" or "ought to do" or "ought to play" when describin...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/10009064-one-and-done-commander-decks.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak look at some builds that won't break the bank! Commander can be an expensive hobby, and it can often feel like you need to keep up in an arms race to compete, but th...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9960096-budget-mono-color-powerhouse-comanders.mp3

Nick and Zak do a little different take on a retrospective this year. The twist?  As they look back at their favorite cards from 2021 they have to pick cards that are WAY too good for how cheap ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9924011-commander-theory-s-cheap-pickups-from-2021.mp3

On this very special episode of Commander Theory Nick interviews Corey Bowen! Magic: the Gathering designer and the representative for Black on the Council of Colors in Wizard's of the Coast's St...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9884025-consulting-the-council-discussing-black-with-corey-bowen.mp3

WE ARE BACK! It's 2022 and we're kicking things off with a wonderful interview with Chris Mooney! GDS3 competitor and full-time Magic designer since 2019, working on wonderful sets you might have...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9844192-consulting-the-council-white-and-colorless-with-chris-mooney.mp3

As you've probably heard by now, the sky is falling! Oh wait, there are more digital-only cards! And a... new format? What does this have to do with Commander? And what does this mean for design ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9767539-alchemy-and-the-future-of-magic-design.mp3

Back so soon? You hardly finished your first few MID drafts. But that's alright, because on this episode Nick and Zak look at some preliminary numbers for their Innistrad Midnight Hunt prediction...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9695202-vow-predictions-and-pre-con-gameplay.mp3

A new installment, a new series! Now officially named Seasons Past! Where we look back at old designs to see how we got to where we are today. In this episode, Nick and Zak get friend-of-the-show...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9654321-seasons-past-alliances.mp3

In a short and sweet episode, Nick and Zak talk about, well, what it was like at MTG Las Vegas! We got to go and meet a ton of new people, some old friends, play a ton of Magic, and generally get...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9610437-mtg-las-vegas-2021-dispatch.mp3

Watch out! Behind you! It's the two Crimson Vow commander preconstructed decks! And they have dozens of new cards to brew with! In this episode Nick and Zak get into, you guessed it! The new card...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9554865-crimson-vow-preconstructed-commander-deck-review.mp3

Time again so soon - Grab your finest cloak and gown, stow your weapons at the door, and help yourself to the... blood fountain? Because Crimson Vow is upon us! And with it, a bevy of Magic: The ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9540167-crimson-vow-legendary-creatures-review.mp3

In 2017 Mark Rosewater released an article/resource for Magic: The Gathering fans and home designers called the Mechanical Color Pie. The article includes TONS of drop-down menus and various ways...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9494572-mechanical-color-pie-gets-a-tune-up.mp3

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! For this week Nick and Zak get back to the original set to bring horror to the MTG universe! Not Innistrad in 2011, but The Dark! Originally released in 1994 the cards have left ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9452891-seasons-past-the-dark.mp3

Best friends and mindflayers and clues, oh my! SLD Stranger Things features a bunch of new commanders and a special but familiar new mechanic. So Nick and Zak dig into builds, preferences, and wh...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9412342-friends-don-t-lie-stranger-things-sld-commanders.mp3

BONUS EPISODE: After every set review we check in to see what cards players are adopting from the previous sets, and Innistrad, Midnight Hunt is no exception! After a flood of content for MID we...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9335918-bonus-episode-mid-predictions.mp3

How much space is there left for new commander designs really? A WHOLE LOT. On this episode of Commander Theory, Nick and Zak solicited designs from you, the listeners, and you didn't let us down...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9331867-custom-commanders-fall-2021-unmined-potential.mp3

Midnight hunt wasn't the only boon for commander players this fall. With each Innistrad set we get this fall, there are an additional two new Commander Preconstructed decks with new cards! So Nic...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9290099-midnight-hunt-commander-precons-review.mp3

MID is here! The newest Magic: The Gathering set -  Innistrad Midnight Hunt - is here with a deluge of new commanders and a torrent of new main deck cards. Nick and Zak invite their good friend ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9245674-innistrad-midnight-hunt-set-review.mp3

In a startling turn of events, GOLOS HAS BEEN BANNED IN COMMANDER and Worldfire has been unbanned in commander! (Also  rule 11 is rule 10 now) This caught Nick and Zak by surprise, as well as ma...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9203865-golos-is-banned.mp3

Jumpstart Historic Horizons hit MTG Arena and it brought with it dozens of new to the format cards and commanders! Even digital-only cards! What does this mean for historic brawl moving forawrd, ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9162813-digital-brawlers-club-a-historic-brawl-update-post-j21.mp3

We had some record-breaking years for Magic in 2019, 2020, and 2021 which is almost over (!!!) And now we get to see what's on the horizon for 2022! The Magic showcase was set to announce most of...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9132879-here-for-the-show-magic-showcase-2022-with-charlotte-sable.mp3

Today is the release of Jumpstart Historic Horisons! Which honestly doesn't mean too much to commander players, but Nick and Zak liked some of the cards and thought you would too! The thing is, e...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9094869-bonus-episode-playing-with-digital-only-cards-in-paper.mp3

Almost every Magic: The Gathering set has a cycle of rare lands to help you cast your spells, and most have at least one utility land that does something either the set wants, or the standard env...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9093733-which-decks-want-lots-of-utility-lands.mp3

Part 2 of this series has Nick and Zak looking even further into cards they look out for in each release. Weird ramp? Enchantments dying? What about things that combo with... Allies? It's all her...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9063327-sub-critical-categories-part-2.mp3

A little while ago Hullbreacher was banned for crimes against the table when combined with "Wheel" effects, or cards that make each player discard their hand and draw 7 new cards. The ban was abr...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/9021820-no-more-breacher-a-conversation-with-charlotte-sable-on-the-hullbreacher-ban.mp3

You win some, you lose some. In this episode, Nick and Zak look back at old reviews to see what cards they got wrong from long ago. What cards did we undervalue? What cards were we really down on...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8983715-cards-we-were-wrong-about.mp3

There are so many Magic: The Gathering cards, and so many strategies that are supported across the thousands of options you have available to you. Every set adds a little more, and if you're luck...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8934703-sub-critical-categories-what-s-almost-there.mp3

Grab your friends! Grab a deck! And venture into the dungeon with Nick and Zak on this very special (and extra-long) episode where they delve into the nitty-gritty of the new Adventures in the Fo...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8866084-adventures-in-the-forgotten-realms-commander-set-review.mp3

This week, Nick and Zak dive into the ENTIRE Adventures in the Forgotten Realms set: the legends we hadn't seen, planeswalkers, maindeck cards, and we made sure to have a little Class... That was...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8839783-adventures-in-the-forgotten-realms-set-review.mp3

Our story begins with a modest showing of new cards! In this episode, Nick and Zak look over the first few cards from Adventures In The Forgotten Realms. What are the themes? How's the power leve...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8792741-first-venture-into-the-forgotten-realms.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak get to dive into what makes 100 card Historic Brawl FEEL like Commander, and what the format actually looks like once you put everything together. Did some decks get...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8760571-should-historic-brawl-stay-100-cards.mp3

Recently, and unexpectedly Magic: the Gathering Online got a creature type update. That update? PHYREXIA. That's right, the phyrexian creature type was retroactively added to over 200 magic cards...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8710180-all-will-be-one-creature-type.mp3

This week Nick and Zak had a smattering of cards for Modern Horizons 2 to go over. You can also see how we did guessing what cards would be popular from Strixhaven, and our guesses with what peop...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8688279-over-and-onward-with-modern-horizons-2-final-spoiler-episode.mp3

GET READY. In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss all the spoils from last week, and WOW is it a LOT! An accelerated preview season means we get cards faster, which is great! But in the modern age...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8640925-what-lies-beyond-the-modern-horizons-2.mp3

Most people, no matter how casual, like winning games. In games of Magic that's usually the goal: defeat your opponents and claim victory. Games of Commander are a little different though. You ha...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8590273-ascension-and-you-how-to-tie-the-game-in-commander.mp3

BONUS EPISODE!! Nick and Zak got the first taste of MH2 and couldn't wait to share some early thoughts. There will be a regular episode tomorrow not related to MH2, and next week we'll begin di...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8596718-modern-horizons-2-a-first-look.mp3

On our last episode, Nick and Zak looked into what a world with no access to the reserved list looks like for casual Commander and discovered some interesting tidbits about the format. Thing is, ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8566719-can-cedh-move-past-the-reserved-list.mp3

Lately, as many people have noted, the landscape of Magic has changed. There are more players than ever, and the MTG markets in the USA have been growing at an unimaginable rate.  One of these e...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8510963-have-players-moved-past-the-reserved-list.mp3

Preconstructed decks are one of the main ways Commander gets new cards and staples injected into the format. A lot of decisions are made about how the new cards are designed, what old cards get r...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8473187-are-precons-leaving-room-for-players-to-brew.mp3

You might notice that this episode is pretty short. Well, you're right! and you should head over to the Wizard Staff podcas t to listen to their C21 review episode Nick and Zak did with them! It'...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8388905-ct-and-the-half-correct-predictions.mp3

The maindeck cards overfloweth. On this episode Nick and Zak finish up the Strixhaven review with help from Blake and Guy from The Wizard Staff Podcast . What cards are we excited about? Is there...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8344747-ct-and-the-goblet-of-spoilers-strixhaven-maindeck-cards-with-the-wizard-staff.mp3

It is time to pick up your quills and begin your notes, because this episode has Nick and Zak joined by Blake and Guy of the Wizard's Staff podcast to look at the legendary creatures of Strixhave...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8298096-ct-and-the-chamber-of-spoilers-strixhaven-previews-with-the-wizard-s-staff-podcast.mp3

Ken Nagle has made his mark on Magic: The Gathering whether you were aware or not.  As Co-lead and Lead on over a dozen sets to date (and some of Nick and Zak's favorite sets too), Ken has a lot...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8257588-consulting-the-council-a-talk-with-the-green-mana-guru.mp3

Often times in press releases  Wizards of the Coast will diminish the value of the data on sites like mtgGoldfish and EDHREC.  Nick and Zak asked the question: WHY? So they did some digging, as...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8219791-finding-the-hidden-players-ft-charlotte-sable.mp3

Kaldheim brought a lot of stuff with it when those longboats landed on the shore. Standard was shaken up and very importantly Brawl and Historic Brawl were rocked pretty hard. What decks are you ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8162936-put-up-your-dukes-kaldheim-brawl-and-historic-brawl-updates.mp3

On the 25th of February, we got a pretty large announcement, and a lot of the Magic community was up in arms over it. Crossover IP's? In Magic: The Gathering? But what does Universe's Beyond real...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8125299-beyond-the-beyond-a-calm-look-at-the-universes-beyond-announcement.mp3

What if I told you that tutor commanders might have a place in this world? What if I told you that the gameplay doesn't have to be repetitive and tiring? Well do we have some news for you! The ph...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8079931-the-man-on-the-inside-secret-commanders-and-how-to-build-one.mp3

Faster than the flick of a wand! Quicker than uttering a true name! Strixhaven is already showing off some of what makes it tick! In this episode, Nick and Zak get into the lore, style, possible ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/8031833-commander-theory-and-the-order-of-the-quandrix-a-strixhaven-first-look.mp3

If there's one thing people have been led to believe it's that the Magic: The Gathering color pie is confusing. In this episode, Nick gets down into the weeds about Blue and Magic design in gener...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/7954522-consulting-the-council-a-talk-with-the-blue-mana-guru.mp3

Feeling like Kaldheim left you out in the cold in regards to some tribal rewards? Well some creative friends and listeners try to remedy that on this episode! Nick and Zak look at some tribal des...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/7820479-homegrown-good-beats-early-2021-custom-commanders.mp3

Tribal is a big component of design in Magic. Good tribal mechanics can make or break limited environments, and tribal legends almost always facilitate new decks in Commander. But what happens wh...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/7666867-invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-the-changeling-problem.mp3

We made it everyone! Made it through this turbulent spoiler season that is! In this episode Nick and Zak get into the final commanders and main deck cards before going deep on what this set and i...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/7547926-the-vikings-arrive-kaldheim-spoiler-wrap-up.mp3

Another week, another MASSIVE amount of spoilers! Kaldheim is here, and so is snow, some boasting, and a whole mess of other commanders. In this episode, Nick and Zak really get into the legends ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/7421938-the-vikings-arrive-part-2-week-2-of-kaldheim-spoilers.mp3

IT'S TIME The first week of spoilers has come (and gone) and Nick and Zak had to process A LOT of information. This episode is what was thought based on what the community knew this weekend, bef...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/7300717-the-vikings-arrive-kaldheim-spoilers-from-week-one.mp3

The top 20 Commanders over the last two years is one of the most interesting features on EDHREC. It's interesting to see it change over time and to see what commanders have the go-get-'em attitud...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/7185775-how-to-be-popular-a-look-into-the-top-20-commanders.mp3

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! On this very special episode, Nick and Zak have the red mana guru -Jules Robins - on to talk about, what else, but the color red in Commander! Jules was lead set designer for Co...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/7086007-consulting-the-council-talking-with-the-red-mana-guru.mp3

Happy Holidays! Nick and Zak's gift to you all is this nice little (maybe not so little) episode talking about what we know about Kaldheim! Wizards was kind enough to spoil cards from their Set a...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/6992872-ships-landing-first-look-at-kaldheim.mp3

Life and the holidays might have gotten in the way of finishing some new stuff, but Nick and Zak have been talking about this episode a lot lately and figured it was worth a relisten! Zak for sur...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/6903386-rerun-8-mana-game-enders.mp3

On this very special episode, Nick and Zak have a special guest, Ari Nieh! Great Designer Search 3 winner and the current White Mana Guru on the Council of Colors within Wizards R&D. He discusses...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/6793888-discussing-white-with-ari-nieh.mp3

Sometimes a deck is just not quite in the right spot for a fun gameplay experience. Sometimes another color exists that might handle it better. On this episode, Nick and Zak get into what a world...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/6681425-shifting-wavelengths-color-shifting-existing-commanders.mp3

On this episode Nick and Zak get into some tech that's so secret, EDHREC doesn't even list them on the commander's page! They discuss the cards themselves, why they're uniquely good, and what thi...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/6572830-bet-you-didn-t-know-a-super-secret-tech-episode.mp3

RE-REUN We apologize for the "heat" of the recording here. This was recorded a while ago with older equipment. The gain is pretty high(spicy even), but the conversation is relevant to what Nick ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/6472510-re-run-quantifying-color-balance-in-edh.mp3

The second half! Nick and Zak finish off the legends and some notable main-deck cards. But stay tuned, because there's set and color analysis as well as a look at what the two of them think this ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/6350269-commander-legends-set-review-part-2.mp3

Get ready to hit that times 1.5 speed, this episode is a doozy! Nick and Zak get through the first batch of spoils for Commander Legends, talking about tech, color pairs for partners, cards that ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/6244087-commander-legends-set-review-part-1.mp3

The zeitgeist in the Commander sphere of the internet has been alight with cries of "power-creep" and "acceleration" and "arms-races," but is this forever? Commander is a non-rotating, eternal fo...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/6135538-the-slowdown-how-do-we-decelerate-commander.mp3

Nick and Zak were hard at work on SECRET FUTURE PROJECTS and couldn't finish an episode this week. So please, enjoy this fun re-run and next week there'll be more new content!!  Follow Commande...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/6023071-re-run-lets-make-a-deal-advice-for-better-political-play.mp3

You all have been busy cooking up some really spicy custom commanders and sending them in, and Nick and Zak finally get to talk about them! We get to look at gaps in the format, what makes a comm...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/5916592-homegrown-good-beats-a-custom-commanders-episode.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak talk 'em dead with guest and friend of the show, Charlotte Sable (CAG, Magic Judge Tumblr). We go over what the Rules Committee decided to do about the Secret Lair D...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/5793295-where-do-we-go-now-moving-forward-after-sld-the-walking-dead.mp3

We can't meet up for Commander, and that standard environment post Zendikar Rising has been controversial for standard... SO LETS BRAWL!! In this episode, Nick and Zak talk about The format as a ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/5680060-put-up-your-dukes-a-brawl-update.mp3

What's so cool about lifelink? Is indestructible its own reward? WHAT COLORS SHOULD A TRAMPLE COMMANDER BE!? Nick and Zak discuss all of this and more, looking at what design room is left open fo...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/5589772-what-s-the-word-again-a-look-at-evergreen-keyword-lords-part-2.mp3

The other half! But more like the last few cards and some extrapolation. This set has been crazy, and on this episode Nick and Zak finish their reviews, dig into the Zendikar Commander Precons, a...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/5477347-zendikar-rising-set-review-part-2.mp3

Historic Brawl has turned into a great format with all the recent additions. Being that we're all stuck at home, Nick and Zak wanted to take a little bit closer look at the format as a whole. The...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/5444398-bonus-episode-top-5-tribal-decks-for-historic-brawl.mp3

IT IS TIME. That's a lot of spoils! In this massive episode Nick and Zak get into what Zendikar Rising will mean for Commander, and what individual cards could slot into your deck. This is a long...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/5389567-zendikar-rising-set-review-part-1.mp3

Ever wonder what it's like to have infinite mana? Ever realize your deck was full of combos and none of them were intentional? Are you afraid of combos or think that they're too antisocial? Well ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/5254114-sac-bounce-copy-combo-how-to-build-with-common-combo-engines-that-are-really-fun.mp3

On this episode, Nick and Zak talk about the flood of information about Commander Legends. Commander Legends will be a draftable commander-like experience with a whole 71 new legends, 41 of which...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/5153941-commander-legends-first-look.mp3

You might have noticed it's kind of hard to play magic in person in the US right now. Nick and Zak did too! So what is there to do? How about some Historic Brawl on Arena! Aggro was easy, control...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/5042780-top-5-combo-decks-for-historic-brawl.mp3

On this episode Nick and Zak dive into table politics! There's more to a game of commander than just technical skill and knowing the cards. You have a few other players who can be resources all o...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/4945244-lets-make-a-deal-advice-for-better-political-play.mp3

This week was the SDCC 2020 at Home panel for Magic presented by Mark Rosewater , head designer of Magic. There weren't any cards spoiled, but there was a lot of content that has a very large imp...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/4741346-first-look-at-zendikar-rising-and-set-boosters.mp3

We made it to triple digits! Thank you everyone for your support and for listening! In this episode, we're joined by friend of the show, Alex Whiteclay of Commander Manifesto to dig into trends ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/4521638-the-big-100-where-is-commander-today-and-where-are-we-going.mp3

WOW! These are a lot of spoilers! This week Nick and Zak get into builds for the jumpstart commanders, and where the maindeck cards should go. There are also some points about how the format has ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/4372490-jumpstart-set-review-and-discussion.mp3

On this episode Nick and Zak are joined by friend of the show Charlotte Sable! A level 3 magic judge, CAG member and owner of the Magic Judge blog on Tumblr , and we finish the last of the new c...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/4297688-m21-set-review-part-3-with-charlotte-sable.mp3

On this episode, Nick and Zak are joined by friend of the show, Charlotte Sable: level 3 magic judge, CAG member and owner of the Magic Judge blog on Tumblr to get through most of the M21 spoi...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/4230419-m21-set-review-part-2-with-charlotte-sable.mp3

On this episode, Nick and Zak are joined by friend of the show, Charlotte Sable: level 3 magic judge, CAG member and owner of the Magic Judge blog on Tumblr ! They discuss builds for the new c...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/4140359-m21-set-review-part-1-with-charlotte-sable.mp3

There's been a commander rules update! And friend of the show Charlotte Sable, of the CAG and Magic Judge Tumblr comes on to help Nick and Zak with the what and why of the change. We discuss th...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/4093619-an-update-to-commander-dies-triggers-with-charlotte-sable.mp3

Brawl has been going through changes! And in this episode Nick and Zak discuss the recent bans and changes to the meta. Nick talks about how to beat the best decks in the format, and there's a TO...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/3912818-time-to-brawl-a-big-brawl-update-for-may-2020.mp3

Get ready for a really theoretical episode! On this episode Nick and Zak welcome their friend Alex Whiteclay of Commander Manifesto to discuss an alternate universe for Commander. The Prompt...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/3719768-hypothetically-speaking-what-if-color-identity-was-different.mp3

Ikoria brought with it many new mechanics and design space. One of the most interesting and deep pools was the idea of a "Keyword Lord," or creature that rewards creatures with specific evergreen...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/3608899-what-s-the-word-a-look-at-evergreen-keyword-lords-part-1.mp3

Ikoria is here and Nick and Zak go over what cards from the new set will have an impact on commander as a whole. Decklists featured in the episode: Brokkos, Apex of Forever Snapdax, Apex of t...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/3535549-ikoria-set-review.mp3

In this episode Nick and Zak have a discussion with friend of the show Charlotte Sable, member of the CAG and the judge behind the Ask a Judge Tumblr. We ask questions about the banning of flash...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/3437929-4-20-2020-commander-announcement-explained-with-charlotte-sable-of-the-cag.mp3

In this episode Nick and Zak interview friend of the show Charlotte Sable, member of the CAG and the judge behind the Ask a Judge Tumblr. We discuss this historic banning, the thought processes...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/3277357-the-banning-of-lutri-an-interview-with-charlotte-sable-of-the-cag-and-ask-a-judge.mp3

The season for spoils has hit hard and in this episode Nick and Zak go over what cards from the new Commander set will have an impact on the format as a whole. The builds for a ton of the new com...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/3277441-commander-2020-set-review.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak examine commanders who look appealing on the surface, but once you dig in might not offer as much power as you originally thought. This episode is the first one wh...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/3194833-almost-there-commanders.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak dig through the second batch of popular tribes in Commander and find a few spaces where current commanders just aren't pulling their weight for a tribal list. Foll...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/3101842-the-best-commanders-for-each-tribe-part-2.mp3

It's time for another episode on custom commanders! We've solicited commander designs from our listeners, with a focus on commanders that create new archetypes, and we're sharing the best submiss...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/3015217-custom-commanders-for-unsupported-archetypes.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak dig through the most popular tribes in Commander, highlighting the best commanders for each and identifying when existing commanders don't serve the tribe's needs. ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/2969005-the-best-commanders-for-each-tribe-part-1.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss the pros and cons of two potential changes to Commander: allowing legendary enchantments, artifacts, and lands as commanders and allowing players to run hybr...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/2834566-noncreatures-as-commanders-and-half-color-hybrid.mp3

Nick and Zak discuss how to build around the new commanders in Unsanctioned and share what silver-bordered cards they would most like to play with in Commander. Decks discussed in this episode: ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/2653675-building-with-silver-borders-our-unsanctioned-set-review.mp3

Nick and Zak complete their set review of Theros Beyond Death, discussing how to build around the new commanders and which decks can best make use of the new nonlegendary cards. Decks discussed ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/2581696-theros-beyond-death-set-review-part-2.mp3

Theros Beyond Death spoiler season has begun in earnest and Nick and Zak have a ton of new cards and commanders to evaluate for the Commander format! Decks discussed in this episode: Heliod, Sun...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/2417717-theros-beyond-death-set-review-part-1.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss the post-Christmas trickle of spoilers from Theros: Beyond Death and walk you through their process as they build a deck for the newly spoiled Klothys, God o...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/2381009-how-we-build-decks-ft-klothys-god-of-destiny.mp3

In this episode, we're talking about the highlights of 2019 for Commander and for Commander Theory, as well as opening up our mailbag to respond directly to your questions. What was the best comm...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/2349023-2019-year-in-review-and-listener-mailbag.mp3

Currently, wish effects don't work in Commander; sideboards are not supported within the official rules. Despite their lack of rules support in the game's most popular format, we've seen more wi...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/2299265-bonus-episode-report-out-on-wishboard-testing.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss the new and returning mechanics from Theros Beyond Death, as well as the cards and commanders spoiled so far. Decks discussed in this episode: Athreos, Shro...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/2290049-theros-beyond-death-mechanics-and-first-spoilers.mp3

In this episode, we look at a few of the bogeymen of the format and offer some more prosocial builds that'll lead to fun games but won't terrify your playgroup. Decks discussed in this episode: ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/2204102-less-broken-builds-for-busted-commanders.mp3

We chat with Andy and Kyle from the Legendary Creature podcast and share stories about our most memorable games, from big plays to big personalities. You can listen to Legendary Creature here , ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/2170145-our-most-memorable-games-ft-legendary-creature.mp3

In this episode, we expand on our previous episode quantifying color power level in Commander by focusing on the power level of multicolor identities. We encourage you to listen to the previous ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/2104548-quantifying-color-power-level-in-commander-part-2-multicolor-identities.mp3

In the third episode in this series on budget decks, Nick and Zak talk about the best budget commanders in white/black, black/green, green/blue, blue/red, and red/white. Decks discussed in this...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/2047428-best-budget-commanders-part-3-enemy-colors.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss the banning of Oko in Brawl on Magic Arena, touching on whether the ban was warranted, which decks stand to gain or lose from the banning, and what cards wil...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/2004784-bonus-episode-oko-banned-in-arena-brawl.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss the many new Commander products announced for 2020, including the Ikoria Commander precons, the Zendikar Rising Commander precons, Commander Collection: Gree...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1988953-2020-commander-product-lineup.mp3

In honor of the release of Brawl on Magic Arena, Nick and Zak share their perspective on the current Brawl metagame, the format's most promising decks, potential format staples, and how to play B...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1945910-building-for-brawl-a-primer.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss what causes bad games of Commander and how players can shape their decks and their metagames to prevent them. Follow Commander Theory on Tumblr and Twitter...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1903064-what-leads-to-bad-games-and-how-to-avoid-them.mp3

In this episode, we share our expectations for Unsanctioned, the new silver-bordered product coming this February, and evaluate the new face cards being released in Game Night 2019. Follow Comma...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1869130-bonus-episode-unsanctioned-and-game-night-2019-announcements.mp3

In this episode, we set about quantifying color power level and offering suggestions for how Wizards could promote color balance in Commander. This episode has a companion article that dives a ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1863352-quantifying-color-power-level-in-commander.mp3

In this episode, we team up with Charlotte Sable, level 3 judge and member of the Commander Advisory Group, to evaluate fan-submitted custom commanders aimed at filling in the gaps in Commander's...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1826185-judging-custom-commanders-with-charlotte-sable-cag-member.mp3

In this bonus episode, we discuss how to build around the three silver-bordered legendary creatures in the new Magic/My Little Pony crossover product Ponies: the Galloping. Decks discussed in th...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1824574-ponies-the-galloping.mp3

While we were off enjoying ourselves at MagicFest Vegas, we made some time to chat with Shivam Bhatt, member of the Commander Advisory Group and co-host of the Commanderin' podcast, about his ban...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1786081-discussing-the-banlist-oathbreaker-and-brawl-with-shivam-bhatt-cag-member.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss the new commanders and non-legendary cards from the final week of Throne of Eldraine spoilers. Text Set Review Decks discussed in this episode: Torbran, T...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1758769-throne-of-eldraine-spoilers-final-week-and-wrap-up.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss the new commanders and non-legendary cards from the second week of Throne of Eldraine spoilers. Decks discussed in this episode: Legendary Creature's Syr Ko...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1714147-throne-of-eldraine-spoilers-week-2.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss the new mechanics, cards, and legendary creatures from the first week of Throne of Eldraine spoilers. Decks discussed in this episode: Alela, Artful Provoca...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1677808-throne-of-eldraine-spoilers-week-1.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak look at EDHREC rankings of all the ally color commanders in the format to find out which commanders are being slept on by the majority of Commander players. Decks ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1637287-the-most-underplayed-commanders-part-2-ally-pairs.mp3

We met up with Ryan and Brando from Commander Cookout while we were all at the biggest Commander event of the year: MagicFest Las Vegas. In this episode, we share some of the best stories from t...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1604383-stories-from-magicfest-las-vegas-with-commander-cookout.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss how to hold Commander's leadership accountable, Commander's competitive advantages and disadvantages relative to other formats, and how Commander's leaders c...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1567246-a-strategic-plan-for-commander.mp3

In this episode, Nick, Zak, and Alex complete their discussion of which cards and commanders from the Commander 2019 precons are likely to make an impact on the format. Decks discussed in this e...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1552768-commander-2019-set-review-part-2.mp3

In this episode, Nick, Zak, and Alex discuss the face commanders from the new Commander precons and the other new cards spoiled at Gencon 2019. Decks discussed in this episode: Anje Falkenrath ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1514764-c19-spoilers-from-gencon.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss the first two cards spoiled from Throne of Eldraine's Brawl precons and share a deck built around the newly-spoiled legendary creature Chulane, Teller of Tal...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1478533-brawl-precon-spoilers-and-chulane-deck-tech.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss news from San Diego Comic Con regarding the upcoming fall set, Throne of Eldraine, as well as exciting developments for the Brawl format. Follow Commander T...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1440970-throne-of-eldraine-and-brawl-news-from-san-diego-comic-con.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak interview Charlotte Sable, one of six members of the Commander Advisory Group (CAG), about the rationale behind the recent unbanning/bannings in Commander, as well a...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1434703-discussing-the-7-8-bans-with-charlotte-sable-cag-member.mp3

In this episode, Nick, Zak, and special guest Alex react to the July 2019 banlist changes, discuss their repercussions on gameplay and the Magic market, and predict how market volatility resultin...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1400437-the-july-8-banlist-update.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak look at EDHREC rankings of all the monocolor commanders in the format to find out which commanders are being slept on by the majority of Commander players. Decks d...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1378678-the-most-underplayed-commanders-part-1.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss which cards from the final week of Core Set 2020 spoilers are likely to have an impact on Commander. Decks discussed in this episode: Gargos, Vicious Watch...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1362265-m20-set-review-wrap-up.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss which cards from the first week of Core Set 2020 spoilers are likely to have an impact on Commander. Decks discussed in this episode: Vilis, Broker of Bloo...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1320934-m20-set-review-part-1.mp3

In this episode, we conclude our review of all the major creature types without a tribal commander and explore what these tribes would need from a commander in order to be viable. We encourage ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1287376-unsupported-tribes-part-2.mp3

Inspired by the printing of Morophon the Boundless , we're starting a new series that looks at all the major creature types without a tribal commander and explores what the tribe would need from ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1259669-unsupported-tribes-part-1.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss which cards from the final week of Modern Horizons spoilers are likely to have an impact on Commander. Decks discussed in this episode: Yawgmoth, Thran Phy...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1225448-modern-horizons-set-review-part-2.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss which cards from the first week of Modern Horizons spoilers are likely to have an impact on Commander. Decks discussed in this episode: Urza, Lord High Art...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1201682-modern-horizons-set-review-part-1.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak talk about their first Commander decks, what type of gameplay they enjoy, and what they're playing now. Follow Commander Theory on Tumblr and Twitter for more Com...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1163273-our-decks.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak define the characteristics of a win condition in Commander and provide examples for each color. Follow Commander Theory on Tumblr and Twitter for more Commander c...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1124288-8-mana-game-enders.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak interview Adam Styborski, one of six members of the newly formed Commander Advisory Group (CAG). Learn about Adam's Commander philosophy, his priorities as a CAG mem...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1093100-interview-with-adam-styborski-cag-member.mp3

Although the Commander Rules Committee has opted not to allow planeswalkers as commanders on either a permanent or temporary basis, we love brewing decks and figured it would be a fun thought ex...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1063097-war-planeswalkers-as-commanders.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak wrap up their discussion of which cards from War of the Spark spoilers are likely to have an impact on Commander and give their overall impressions of the set from a...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1049270-final-war-spoilers-and-overall-impressions.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss which cards from the second week of War of the Spark spoilers are likely to have an impact on Commander. Decks discussed in this episode: Ilharg, the Raze-...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1039321-war-spoilers-through-4-14-19.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss which newly-spoiled cards from War of the Spark are likely to have an impact on Commander. Decks discussed in this episode: Massacre Girl Krenko, Tin Stre...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1030056-war-spoilers-through-4-7-19.mp3

CAG member Charlotte Sable returns to the podcast to share her Sheoldred reanimator list and discuss the recently released CAG charter . Follow Commander Theory on Tumblr and Twitter for more...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1024886-interview-with-charlotte-sable-the-cag-charter-sheoldred-s-sleepless-cemetery-deck-tech.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss the new information, story tidbits, and cards spoiled at PAX East. They also discuss a Circu, Dimir Lobotomist deck that utilizes the powerful new engine Bol...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/1019158-war-previews-from-pax-east.mp3

Nick and Zak dig through more EDHREC data to determine which cards have the biggest mismatch between their power level and their popularity. Support the show You can reach me on Twitter or ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/999089-the-most-underplayed-cards-in-commander-part-2.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak dig through EDHREC data to determine which cards have the biggest mismatch between their power level and their popularity. Support the show You can reach me on ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/989786-the-most-underplayed-cards-in-commander-part-1.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak talk about what characteristics of commanders make for fun gameplay and what traits will lead to frustration. Support the show You can reach me on Twitter or e...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/980195-what-makes-a-good-commander.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss a Child of Alara list that uses Gods and a lot of land synergies to break the symmetry on Child's Planar Cleansing effect. Land of the Gods Decklist Su...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/970716-land-of-the-gods-a-child-of-alara-deck-tech.mp3

In the second episode in this series on budget decks, Nick and Zak talk about the best budget commanders in white/blue, blue/black, black/red, red/green, and green/white. Follow the links below t...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/962670-best-budget-commanders-part-2-ally-colors.mp3

In the first episode in a new series, Nick and Zak talk about the best budget commanders in monowhite, monoblue, monoblack, monored, and monogreen. Follow the links below to see the decklists the...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/952355-best-budget-commanders-part-1-monocolor.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak interview Charlotte Sable, one of six members of the newly formed Commander Advisory Group (CAG). Learn about Charlotte's Commander philosophy, her priorities as a C...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/943180-interview-with-charlotte-sable-cag-member.mp3

Sheldon Menery recently announced the creation of the Commander Advisory Group, a new body made up of prominent members of the Commander community who will advise the Rules Committee on important...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/935393-the-commander-advisory-group.mp3

In the final episode of this six-part series, Nick and Zak look at decklist aggregator EDHREC's stats on Commander's 4- and 5-color commanders and analyze the state of each color identity. We als...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/927799-deep-dive-into-edhrec-data-part-6-4-color-and-wubrg.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak complete their set review of Ravnica Allegiance, sharing their thoughts on the new cards likely to make an impact on the Commander format and offering their overall ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/919358-rna-set-review-final-week.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss the newly-spoiled legendary creatures from Ravnica Allegiance and predict which nonlegendary cards are likely to have an impact on Commander. Support the s...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/912058-rna-spoilers-through-1-5-19.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss the new Commander-playable cards and legendary creatures released in 2018, give a broad overview of the year as a whole, and share their hopes and prediction...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/905369-2018-year-in-review.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss the new guild mechanics in Ravnica Allegiance and predict which of the first cards spoiled are likely to have an impact on Commander. Support the show Y...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/899262-ravnica-allegiance-mechanics-and-first-spoilers.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak review fan-submitted custom commanders and offer ideas for how to build around them. Our listeners sent in some really interesting designs that have the potential to...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/892518-custom-commanders.mp3

Nick and Zak continue their deep dive into EDHREC data by moving on to the five shards, three-color groupings composed of a color and its two allies. Using data on popular commanders, staple card...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/883581-deep-dive-into-edhrec-data-part-5-shards.mp3

The Command Zone recently released data from hundreds of Commander games, which included variables such as deck color identity, who got an early Sol Ring, deck archetype, and most importantly, wh...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/877974-command-zone-gameplay-data.mp3

Nick and Zak continue their deep dive into EDHREC data by moving on to the five wedges, three-color groupings composed of a color and its two enemies. Using data on popular commanders, staple car...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/872283-deep-dive-into-edhrec-data-part-4-wedges.mp3

Nick and Zak continue their deep dive into EDHREC data by moving on to the five remaining two-color pairs. Using data on popular commanders, staple cards, and the associations between them, Nick ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/861676-deep-dive-into-edhrec-data-part-3-ravnica-allegiance-guilds.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak respond to Sheldon Menery's most recent article for StarCityGames. The article, "Commander Cards You Shouldn't Play," highlights several cards Menery considers to b...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/836343-on-the-merits-of-mindslaver.mp3

After finishing up the monocolor identities in their previous deep dive into EDHREC data, Nick and Zak move onto the two-color pairs, starting with the five pairs from Guilds of Ravnica. Using da...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/803119-deep-dive-into-edhrec-data-part-2-grn-guilds.mp3

Nick and Zak discuss the new cards spoiled in the final week of Guilds of Ravnica previews, sharing ideas for how to build around the new commanders and analyzing what decks could make use of the...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/811478-grn-set-review-part-2.mp3

It wouldn't be a Ravnica set without guild leaders, guild champions, and powerful multicolor cards. Nick and Zak suggest ways to build around the new legendary creatures and identify which nonleg...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/804478-grn-set-review-part-1.mp3

Nick and Zak discuss the mechanics of Guilds of Ravnica, GRN Mythic Edition, guild basics, and (spoilers!) how to build around the new Emmara. Support the show You can reach me on Twitter o...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/796694-guilds-of-ravnica-spoilers-from-pax.mp3

In this new series, Nick and Zak will use data from the popular decklist aggregator EDHREC to gain insight into the most popular decks in the format, how typical builds differ from optimal lists,...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/792829-deep-dive-into-edhrec-data-part-1.mp3

Recently, Magic has had a run of sets that have been great for Commander. However, this string of successes could not begin until we left the jungles of Ixalan behind. In this episode, Nick and Z...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/777408-ixalan-retrospective.mp3

Nick and Zak discuss which of the new nonlegendary cards from the 2018 Commander precons are likely to make their way into decks and which are better left in the trade binder. Support the show ...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/775538-c18-set-review-part-2-nonlegendary-cards.mp3

Nick and Zak discuss the successes and opportunities for improvement present in the 2018 Commander precons. They also share their thoughts on the new commanders: their impact on the format, their...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/768482-c18-commanders-and-first-impressions.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss which nonlegendary cards in M19 will have an impact on Commander. Support the show You can reach me on Twitter or email me here If you like the podcas...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/761806-m19-set-review.mp3

Last week, Wizards told us about the themes and color identities of the Commander 2018 precons. In this episode, Nick and Zak share their predictions for Commander 2018, critique the choice of co...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/754622-thoughts-on-commander-2018.mp3

Core Set 2019 has more legendary creatures than a typical Core Set, which makes it a boon for Commander deckbuilders. Nick and Zak discuss the new archetypes created by M19 commanders, as well as...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/754275-m19-s-commanders-and-planeswalkers.mp3

In this episode, we evaluate the new legendary creatures (and planeswalkers) released in Battlebond and suggest ways to build around them. Support the show You can reach me on Twitter or em...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/749516-the-commanders-of-battlebond.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak discuss which cards in Battlebond are going to make an impact on Commander. Support the show You can reach me on Twitter or email me here If you like the podc...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/749517-battlebond-set-review.mp3

In this episode, we discuss the information revealed on Announcement Day 2018. Support the show You can reach me on Twitter or email me here If you like the podcast, please support it on P...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/749593-announcement-day.mp3

In this episode, Nick and Zak share ideas for how to build around several commanders from Dominaria, including Jhoira, Teshar, Firesong & Sunspeaker, and more! Support the show You can reach...

https://www.buzzsprout.com/191406/749594-dominaria-decklists.mp3