WotC has announced a new matchmaking system for Commander players and it's their Brackets system! John has some thoughts on the new proposed brackets and their list of GAME CHANGERS that he wanted to share this week.

Introducing Commander Brackets Beta: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/introducing-commander-brackets-beta

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We've been exploring how many lands and how many mana sources to include over the past month, and today we're going to put that theory to practice as we focus on Reid Duke's article which argues that the simple answer is that adding more lands rarely hurts and will almost always help. John's got a casual brew this week that focuses on utilizing mana sinks to squeeze the most value out of every mana, turn over turn!

00:00 Introduction
02:20 Why Play Mana-Sinks?
05:40 The Commander
07:40 The Gameplan
11:42 So... How Many Lands?
17:24 Closing Thoughts

Duke, R. (2021). Managing Your Mana Base - Deep Dive. Channel Fireball. Retrieved December 24, 2024, from https://www.channelfireball.com/article/Managing-Your-Mana-Base-Deep-Dive/817630e3-756a-481c-8042-b2bf1e8bbd10/

Karsten, F., PhD. (2022). How Many Sources Do You Need to Consistently Cast Your Spells? A 2022 Update. Channel Fireball. Retrieved December 24, 2024, from https://www.channelfireball.com/article/Managing-Your-Mana-Base-Deep-Dive/817630e3-756a-481c-8042-b2bf1e8bbd10/

Karsten, F., PhD. (2023). What’s an Optimal Mana Curve and Land/Ramp Count for Commander? Channel Fireball. Retrieved December 24, 2024, from https://www.channelfireball.com/article/What-s-an-Optimal-Mana-Curve-and-Land-Ramp-Count-for-Commander/e22caad1-b04b-4f8a-951b-a41e9f08da14/

Karsten, F., PhD. (2024). How Many Lands Do You Need in Your Deck? An Updated Analysis. Channel Fireball. Retrieved December 24, 2024, from https://www.channelfireball.com/article/How-Many-Lands-Do-You-Need-in-Your-Deck-An-Updated-Analysis/cd1c1a24-d439-4a8e-b369-b936edb0b38a/ The Ancient One: https://moxfield.com/decks/1yTXVgMix06QFBpDelPrqg

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- Our theme song is "Lonely Satellite" by Bio Unit licensed via Creative Commons
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John has always hated building manabases for his #mtg and #edh decks. So, he went on a mission to learn from the pros and turn a weakness into a strength. After a deep dive on counting how many lands a deck needs, he decided to go even deeper and learn how pros like Frank Karsten balance all of the colors of mana that a deck needs to cast its spells reliably! If you can't stand building manabases and want to learn how it's done, don't skip this episode!
00:00 Introduction
02:13 Fixing Your Mana
05:58 Consistently Casting on Curve
06:58 What is a Mana Source?
10:46 Perfect Fixing
14:16 Karsten's Findings
18:38 The Art of Fixing Your Mana
21:56 Closing Thoughts

Karsten, F., PhD. (2022). How Many Sources Do You Need to Consistently Cast Your Spells? A 2022 Update. Channel Fireball. Retrieved December 24, 2024, from https://www.channelfireball.com/article/How-Many-Sources-Do-You-Need-to-Consistently-Cast-Your-Spells-A-2022-Update/dc23a7d2-0a16-4c0b-ad36-586fcca03ad8/

Tevesh Szat / Trelasarra: https://moxfield.com/decks/_rDPQC8bCEeVNdwRJXM0EA

https://www.FusionGamingOnline.com Want a 5% discount off all of your MTG order? Head over to Fusion Gaming Online and use exclusive promo code: CCOHOLIDAY

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Lands are an intrinsic part of how the resource system of Magic works, and there are some very bright people who have poured thousands of hours into trying to solve for the optimal land base. This week, John reviews the work of pro players like Reid Duke and mathematicians like Frank Karsten to understand how players are optimizing for 60-and-4 Magic and what we can learn as Commander players.

00:00 Introduction
02:23 Building a Better Manabase
06:27 Karsten Land Deficit
07:52 Critiquing Karsten
11:54 Is Trelasarra Playing Enough Lands?
13:57 Is Ghalta Playing Enough Lands?
17:05 Is Nyssa Playing Enough Lands?
20:43 Solving for Commander

Duke, R. (2021). Managing Your Mana Base - Deep Dive. Channel Fireball. Retrieved December 24, 2024, from https://www.channelfireball.com/article/Managing-Your-Mana-Base-Deep-Dive/817630e3-756a-481c-8042-b2bf1e8bbd10/

Karsten, F., PhD. (2022). How Many Sources Do You Need to Consistently Cast Your Spells? A 2022 Update. Channel Fireball. Retrieved December 24, 2024, from https://www.channelfireball.com/article/How-Many-Sources-Do-You-Need-to-Consistently-Cast-Your-Spells-A-2022-Update/dc23a7d2-0a16-4c0b-ad36-586fcca03ad8/

Karsten, F., PhD. (2023). What’s an Optimal Mana Curve and Land/Ramp Count for Commander? Channel Fireball. Retrieved December 24, 2024, from https://www.channelfireball.com/article/What-s-an-Optimal-Mana-Curve-and-Land-Ramp-Count-for-Commander/e22caad1-b04b-4f8a-951b-a41e9f08da14/

Karsten, F., PhD. (2024). How Many Lands Do You Need in Your Deck? An Updated Analysis. Channel Fireball. Retrieved December 24, 2024, from https://www.channelfireball.com/article/How-Many-Lands-Do-You-Need-in-Your-Deck-An-Updated-Analysis/cd1c1a24-d439-4a8e-b369-b936edb0b38a/ Trelasarra: https://moxfield.com/decks/ltopExpOgEivkY0_E6G28Q

Ghalta: https://moxfield.com/decks/rP3dDALPOUSi9TTY-qbaRw

Nyssa: https://moxfield.com/decks/kJ4O-cz-_k-gx3pChjVXlA

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Our theme song is "Lonely Satellite" by Bio Unit licensed via Creative Commons
Our background song is "Maze" by Bio Unit licensed via Creative Commons
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New decks are always coming with the never-ending tidal wave of new releases, but sometimes the most satisfying thing for a brewer like John is to take a long, hard look at an old deck: Trelasarra's Sweet Soul Sisters. It's been a favorite of his ever since the commander came out, and a staple of all of his MagicCon and CommandFest decks! If you want to see how to tune up one of your old favorite decks, be sure to check this one out!

00:00 Introduction
01:52 Interrogating Soul Sisters
03:02 Stages of a Game
04:01 Trelasarra's Gameplan
05:11 Curving Out
11:07 Many Types of Advantage
15:05 Interaction
17:34 Closing Thoughts

Trelasarra's Sweet Soul Sisters
BEFORE: https://www.moxfield.com/decks/fyQSTfhASUCXOshUtW_DPg 
AFTER: https://www.moxfield.com/decks/ltopExpOgEivkY0_E6G28Q
Aetherhub Hypergeometric Calculator: https://aetherhub.com/Apps/HyperGeometric

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https://www.Patreon.com/CCOPodcast Want your deck or topic featured on Commander Cookout? Become a patron today. There are a lot of fun and unique benefits to pledging. Like the CCO Discord or getting your deck featured on the show. -

Our theme song is "Lonely Satellite" by Bio Unit licensed via Creative Commons
Our background song is "Maze" by Bio Unit licensed via Creative Commons
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There are a *lot* of combos that Commander players can take advantage of, and with the flood of new sets coming down the pipeline, there are new ones being discovered every day! Which ones are right for your cEDH deck? How do brewers in cEDH integrate the new tech into their decks? This week, John tackles the oft-requested topic of how combos are built for cEDH!
00:00 Introduction
02:26 Combos in cEDH
05:05 Homes for Combos
06:25 Dionus, Elvish Archdruid
08:53 Mono-Green
10:46 Selesnya
11:56 Simic
13:30 Golgari
16:03 Jund
18:23 Sultai
19:25 Abzan
21:10 High-Color Identities
21:41 Closing Thoughts


https://www.FusionGamingOnline.com Want a 5% discount off all of your MTG order? Head over to Fusion Gaming Online and use exclusive promo code: CCOHOLIDAY

https://www.Patreon.com/CCOPodcast Want your deck or topic featured on Commander Cookout? Become a patron today. There are a lot of fun and unique benefits to pledging. Like the CCO Discord or getting your deck featured on the show. -

Our theme song is "Lonely Satellite" by Bio Unit licensed via Creative Commons
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John got a little excited when he heard about the new Marvel Secret Lair Superdrop, and not just because two out of the five new cards are members of the X-Men: there's also some really interesting options for cEDH builds here! This week, we take a look at how to analyze a potential commander from a cEDH perspective, then apply that to the five Marvel legends coming out this year!

00:00 Introduction
02:21 Analyzing Commanders for cEDH
04:36 Black Panther, Wakandan King
06:48 Captain America, First Avenger
09:54 Iron Man, Titan of Innovation
13:13 Storm, Force of Nature
17:03 Wolverine, Best There Is
18:57 Closing Thoughts

https://www.FusionGamingOnline.com Want a 5% discount off all of your MTG order? Head over to Fusion Gaming Online and use exclusive promo code: CCOSUMMER at checkout. For a limited time, you can also use promo code CCOPERKS to get 10% of your order credited back to your account, when you spend $100CAD, or more.

https://www.Patreon.com/CCOPodcast Want your deck or topic featured on Commander Cookout? Become a patron today. There are a lot of fun and unique benefits to pledging. Like the CCO Discord or getting your deck featured on the show. -

Our theme song is "Lonely Satellite" by Bio Unit licensed via Creative Commons
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Stax is back in cEDH, #mtg Commander's most competitive format!

- Malcolm/Kediss Decklist: https://www.moxfield.com/decks/CNk1WWgAIEyKEsNJhn6Wgw 

- Izzet Vhal Decklist: https://www.moxfield.com/decks/BeSZq1KvzE-rWlh9grRXZw 

https://www.FusionGamingOnline.com Want a 5% discount off all of your MTG order? Head over to Fusion Gaming Online and use exclusive promo code: CCOSUMMER at checkout. For a limited time, you can also use promo code CCOPERKS to get 10% of your order credited back to your account, when you spend $100CAD, or more.

https://www.Patreon.com/CCOPodcast Want your deck or topic featured on Commander Cookout? Become a patron today. There are a lot of fun and unique benefits to pledging. Like the CCO Discord or getting your deck featured on the show. -

Our theme song is "Lonely Satellite" by Bio Unit licensed via Creative Commons
Our background song is "Maze" by Bio Unit licensed via Creative Commons
Find us on Twitter at @gemstoneminemtg
Reach us via email at [email protected]

00:00 Introduction
01:25 Mana Denial in cEDH
03:23 Blue Moon
06:34 Better Call a Judge
06:15 Mana Crypt's Influence
08:20 Malcolm/Kediss Blue Moon
12:02 Izzet Vhal Blue Moon
14:39 Closing Thoughts

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09/23/2024 brought four new bans to the Commander format, and if you're going to be playing Commander competitively, you need to know how the bans are set to shake things up! This week, John shares his thoughts on how cEDH is set to change after the bannings! 00:00 For the Academy's Consideration...

01:00 Introduction
02:20 A Word from Future John
03:19 The Bans
06:15 Mana Crypt's Influence
08:57 Jeweled Lotus's Influence
10:51 Dockside Extortionist's Influence
14:47 Where cEDH Goes from Here
20:55 Closing Thoughts

• ComedianMTG -- "I Analyze The Top 50 Decks Of This Year and How They Look After EDH's Craziest Ban To Date" -- https://youtu.be/ZrSdAfg7ipw?si=sik8cAJT0iM55l1_
• Into the North -- "Where Do We Go From Here?" -- https://youtu.be/Yix2JhEISD0?si=qKhy3HCnfuQ73Cew 
• The Mind Sculptors -- "cEDH Just Got Completely Changed" -- https://youtu.be/P0B_aFXXoNY?si=GnMnl-jBTzbuF_YA
• 'Anna's Theme' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

https://www.FusionGamingOnline.com Want a 5% discount off all of your MTG order? Head over to Fusion Gaming Online and use exclusive promo code: CCOSUMMER at checkout. For a limited time, you can also use promo code CCOPERKS to get 10% of your order credited back to your account, when you spend $100CAD, or more.

https://www.Patreon.com/CCOPodcast Want your deck or topic featured on Commander Cookout? Become a patron today. There are a lot of fun and unique benefits to pledging. Like the CCO Discord or getting your deck featured on the show. -

Our theme song is "Lonely Satellite" by Bio Unit licensed via Creative Commons
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It's called "the Storm Scale" because Storm is a fundamentally powerful mechanic, so dangerous that designers are Wizards of the Coast are loathe to revisit it for fear that a format becomes dominated by spellslinging decks. This week, takes a look at how to play Storm in commander (and keep track of all of those triggers)!

00:00 Introduction 02:22 What is Storm?
03:55 Storm Finishers
05:21 Storm Enablers
07:02 Colors of Storm
10:25 Storm Commanders
12:46 Playing Storm Proficiently
15:37 Closing Thoughts

John's Ghalta Decklist is available at: https://www.moxfield.com/decks/rP3dDALPOUSi9TTY-qbaRw

Shoutout to guild_of_lotus_dice for Ghalta's favorite way to track storm count: https://www.instagram.com/guild_of_lotus_dice?igsh=NGVhN2U2NjQ0Yg==

https://www.FusionGamingOnline.com Want a 5% discount off all of your MTG order? Head over to Fusion Gaming Online and use exclusive promo code: CCOSUMMER at checkout. For a limited time, you can also use promo code CCOPERKS to get 10% of your order credited back to your account, when you spend $100CAD, or more.

https://www.Patreon.com/CCOPodcast Want your deck or topic featured on Commander Cookout? Become a patron today. There are a lot of fun and unique benefits to pledging. Like the CCO Discord or getting your deck featured on the show. -

Our theme song is "Lonely Satellite" by Bio Unit licensed via Creative Commons
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Find us on Twitter at @gemstoneminemtg
Reach us via email at [email protected]

Social media:
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