Code of the Cardboard Samurai

In episode 49, Kevin and I delve deeper into the effect of Guilds of Ravnica on the Frontier format and discuss how we think Ravnica Allegiance will impact it further. We could easily surmise that some cycles would be continued, and that the format would get the remaining shock lands as well so we started from there. Aside from what affect those cards would have on the Frontier format, we also talked about what we hoped the new set had that could fill some holes in the Frontier metagame. 

A good look at what decks were good in Frontier during the Guilds of Ravnica metagame and which Guilds of Ravnica cards saw play.

It wasn't too long ago that MTG Arena had considered adding a non rotating format to their platform (which only recently became Historic) There was speculation far and wide as to what this Arena Modern would look like and how it would work, but the general thought was that it would start from Ixalan and lose everything that made Frontier great. In this episode we discussed what we thought this Arena "Modern" (aka Historic) would be like metagame wise, as well as what Frontier archetypes would no longer be viable. If you're looking to compare a possible Historic format on Arena to the paper Pioneer format, this is a good episode for you.

Getting people to try new formats can be a struggle from time to time. Not everybody wants to invest time and money into an untested format, so finding people to play with can be a challenge. Frontier was one of those formats that both myself and my close friends enjoyed immensely but we had trouble to grow that community of players. Therefore the podcast crew decided to help those scattered Frontier players around the world organize and to give them a variety of ideas to grow the game in their area. 

In today's podcast, we talk about how you can promote Frontier to your friends and at your Local Game Store, with various tips on how to get people started, how to keep people interested, and even some ideas for events you can offer at your store to get people playing regularly. If Historic doesn't take off in paper right away, this episode could give you some good ideas to help it grow where you live!

With Guilds of Ravnica in the mix, Frontier once again was thrown into chaos. As with most new sets that add to the Frontier pool, each one has a noticeable impact in the metagame. In today's topic Kevin and I go over some online deck lists as well as the top decks from Hareruya and talk about which cards from the new set showed up. Some were expected, but some caught us off guard. A great look at playable decks in more 'extended' Historic format as we get closer and closer to the current pool of cards in the format.

Does being a great card in standard equal being a great card in Frontier? Not necessarily. In today's episode Kevin and I explore what past standard staples couldn't cut it in Frontier and why. An expanded pool of cards means there are a lot more answers to problem cards that were allowed to run rampant in standard. If you're looking to build Historic decks in the future, this is a must listen so that you don't run into the same problem new Frontier players ran into when they tried out cards they thought would be good in the format.

Finishing up our review of Guilds of Ravnica for the Frontier format, we go over the remaining colors and also our top 5 lists from the set. While we might not have gotten everything right, there are some good deck ideas as well as some possible brews in this episode that could do well in Historic.

With the full set of Guilds of Ravnica spoiled, the hosts spare no time to dive into what the set has to offer to the Frontier format. For the first part we cover most of the mono colored cards, talk about what cards we think have potential to warp the format, as well as which cards will easily find a home in already viable Frontier decks. As we get closer and closer to the current pool of cards available to us, Historic strategies start to become clearer and clearer. Another good listen for those of you wanting to play the new format between standard and modern.

With the announcement that shock lands will return in the fall 2018 set, the Frontier community erupts into absolute pandemonium. Kevin, Matt, and I talk about just how big of an impact having shock lands will have on the Frontier format. The mana base (which was already good) is the obvious winner, especially with fetch lands in the format, but what cards and decks get better with the inclusion of such an eternal staple? As an added bonus, we also discuss some of the new mechanics from Guilds of Ravnica and how we see them fitting in to Frontier. 

If the Historic format DOES end up going back further than the Ixalan block, this would be a good topic for those players as well to see how to optimize your use of shocks in the mysterious  post modern format.

After a few weeks of the M19 metagame in Frontier, there were quite a lot of results to look through and developments to talk about. In this episode we poured over all of the decks that had been showing up in Tokyo at Hareruya's Frontier tournaments, as well as how the online metagame had evolved. A good look at competitive Frontier with some great insights for Historic if you're planning on playing that new format in the future.

If you've lived or played Magic the Gathering in Japan before, then you've probably noticed that events here have always been hit or miss when it comes to trading. The Grand Prix/Magic Fest circuit is no stranger to drama related to trading, and even trading in stores is frowned upon most of the time. So what's a person going to an event to do with their trade binders and boxes? In Episode 10, I once again have Ed Nguyen of the Cartel Aristocrats podcast on to discuss what it's like trading cards in Japan compared to other parts of the world he's traveled to, and how trading has evolved since the laws surrounding how vendors do business was changed. We hope the advice and tips we give you in this episode help you out the next time you go to a big event in Japan!