Mana Brain Podcast

Mana Brain Podcast

By AmmiOLeisureGames
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Mana Brain Podcast episodes

  • Fixing Magic

    Timestamps

    0:00 Intro Thesis

    2:06 Gameplay - Problem Cards & Risky Mechanics
    19:01 Bans
    25:17 Ban Timing Windows
    30:09 Cards to Ban and How to ban them
    36:30 Fun is more important than Data
    38:01 Actually Playtest the Cards
    48:32 Simplify the Cards
    53:32 Not Learning Lessons, Repeating Mistakes
    58:04 Play Draw Problem
    1:03:42 Big Spell Finishers, ETBs, Planeswalkers
    1:13:52 Tournament Rounds are Too Long
    1:22:24 Prices & Finance - MH3 Pro Tour
    1:26:42 Too Many Sets Too Fast
    1:37:14 Anecdotal Player Reactions to MH3
    1:40:34 Staples are too Expensive
    1:42:45 Collector Boosters
    1:45:00 Mythic Rarity
    1:49:32 Standard Rotation
    1:50:05 Financial Barrier to MTG
    1:55:36 Premium Priced Packs
    1:57:42 Arena Economy
    1:59:51 Precon Deck Viability
    2:07:29 Digital Redemption
    2:13:06 Prize Support
    2:16:59 Promos
    2:21:53 The Value of Tournament Coverage
    2:27:32 Consistency & Simplicity
    2:34:47 Too Many Card Variants
    2:45:42 Missing Cards on MTGO & Arena
    2:59:08 Digital Exclusive Cards
    3:01:00 Organized Play Problems
    3:09:12 Game Stores & Singles Distribution
    3:22:13 Card Stock Quality & Foil Curling
    3:33:27 Don't Fire Your Most Talented People
    3:35:56 Viewer Comments
    3:52:49 Force of Will is Duct Tape
    3:55:22 More Comments
    4:05:27 Time to Sell Out
    4:13:51 Goodbye

    4 hr 15 min
  • Outlaws of Thunder Junction Set Review

    0:00 Intro

    0:29 Ping Lands
    3:44 Overall Set Impressions
    4:54 Akul, the Unrepentant
    7:18 Annie Joins Up
    9:48 Archmage's Newt
    12:47 Arid Archway
    13:42 Assimilation Aegis
    15:56 Aven Interrupter
    19:10 Beastbond Outcaster
    23:42 Bovine Intervention
    26:23 Bristly Bill
    27:40 Bruse Tarl, Roving Rancher
    31:06 Canyon Crab
    32:59 Caught in the Crossfire
    37:06 Caustic Bronco
    39:51 Claim Jumper
    43:18 Collector's Cage
    47:00 Colossal Rattlewurm
    50:53 Conduit Pylons
    52:19 Demonic Ruckus
    54:23 Duelist of the Mind
    56:44 Dust Animus
    59:11 Ertha Jo
    1:01:59 Esoteric Duplicator
    1:04:21 Fblthp, Lost on the Range
    1:07:31 Final Showdown
    1:12:51 Fomori Vault
    1:14:04 Forsaken Miner
    1:16:27 Fortune, Loyal Steed
    1:18:16 Freestrider Lookout
    1:20:01 Frontier Seeker
    1:24:12 Geralf, the Fleshwright
    1:25:57 Getaway Glamer
    1:27:44 Ghired, Mirror of the Wilds
    1:29:56 Gisa, the Hellraiser
    1:31:41 Grand Abolisher
    1:34:19 Great Train Heist
    1:36:02 High Noon
    1:38:02 Highway Robbery
    1:40:54 Honest Rutstein
    1:42:07 Insatiable Avarice
    1:45:46 Jace Reawakened
    1:48:56 Kaervek, the Punisher
    1:51:08 Kambal, Profiteering Mayor
    1:53:02 Kellan Joins Up
    1:54:21 Kellan, the Kid
    1:56:43 Kraum, Violent Cacophony
    1:57:35 Lavaspur Boots
    1:58:21 Legion Extruder
    1:59:49 Lilah, Undefeated Slickshot
    2:02:37 Lively Dirge
    2:04:02 Lotus Ring
    2:06:40 Magda, the Hoardmaster
    2:08:07 Magebane Lizard
    2:10:59 Make Your Own Luck
    2:12:49 Malcolm, the Eyes
    2:14:45 Memory Vessel
    2:16:00 Nexus of Becoming
    2:16:53 Nurturing Pixie
    2:18:39 Oko, the Ringleader
    2:21:35 One Last Job
    2:24:24 Outcaster Trailblazer
    2:26:32 Pest Control
    2:27:15 Phantom Interference
    2:29:10 Pillage the Bog
    2:31:13 Pitiless Carnage
    2:33:01 Railway Brawler
    2:34:39 Requisition Raid
    2:36:25 Riku of Many Paths
    2:38:42 Ruthless Lawbringer
    2:40:12 Satoru, the Infiltrator
    2:43:03 Scorching Shot
    2:44:17 Seize the Secrets
    2:45:06 Seraphic Steed
    2:48:20 Shoot the Sheriff
    2:50:34 Simulacrum Synthesizer
    2:52:25 Slick Sequence
    2:53:57 Slickshot Lockpicker
    2:55:30 Slickshot Show-Off
    2:57:17 Smuggler's Surprise
    2:58:55 Spinewoods Armadillo
    3:00:46 Step Between Worlds
    3:01:47 Tarnation Vista
    3:04:18 Three Steps Ahead
    3:06:16 Thunder Salvo
    3:07:02 Tinybones Joins Up
    3:08:55 Tinybones, the Pickpocket
    3:10:38 Torpor Orb
    3:12:10 Unfortunate Accident
    3:13:05 Vadmir, New Blood
    3:14:57 Visage Bandit
    3:15:39 Vraska Joins Up
    3:16:05 Wylie Duke
    3:19:17 Commander Exclusive Cards
    3:23:04 Outro


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    3 hr 26 min
  • The Dream Is Dead - How Bad Card Designs Ruined Magic

    0:00 Intro & Topics

    3:09 2017 Jund
    10:26 vs. Pioneer Rakdos Midrange
    29:10 2013 Standard UW Control
    34:02 vs. Pioneer UW Control
    39:06 Gifts Storm
    42:25 vs. Pioneer Lotus Field
    46:31 Everything is an Avengers Level Threat
    52:57 Powercreep
    55:20 Balanced ≠ Fun
    56:22 Dark Souls - Bed of Chaos
    1:00:36 Too Many Beds of Chaos in Magic
    1:05:25 Commander-Fication of Magic
    1:09:14 Overly Wordy & Complicated
    1:12:05 Examples of Powerful yet Fair Cards?
    1:13:22 Made-for-Commander Cards
    1:16:41 Problematic Designs - Lack of Consistency
    1:19:43 Gotcha Cards
    1:23:09 Incompetent Designers
    1:28:37 Abilities in the Wrong Order
    1:30:25 Unnecessary Extra Abilities
    1:31:44 No Limits or Safety Valves
    1:32:10 Titan Triggers
    1:32:49 Asymmetrical Stax
    1:34:15 White Removal Hits Everything
    1:35:11 Randomness - Determining Games via Dice Rolls
    1:45:34 Breaking the Color Pie
    1:50:15 Interaction Windows
    1:52:22 Every Format is Unfun
    1:54:13 What about Standard?
    1:59:20 The Unfun Isn't Endemic to Magic
    2:02:00 Pioneer Horizons
    2:07:16 Large Tournament EV
    2:20:59 Other TCGs Tournament EV
    2:23:56 What's Wrong With Me?
    2:25:21 Q&A
    Background Music:
    The Thought of You - TrackTribe
    Space Jazz - Kevin MacLeod
    MydNyte - Noir Et Blanc Vie
    Inspired - Kevin MacLeod
    Jazz Club - Kriss
    FynestLyk - Noir Et Blanc Vie
    Baeb Steps - Noir Et Blanc Vie
    A Typical Ride Out - Noir Et Blanc Vie
    A Brand New Start - TrackTribe
    Cosmic Groove - Cooper Cannell
    Great Whyte 18 - Noir Et Blanc Vie
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    2 hr 50 min
  • Every Ring is Fine

    Discussion on what has gone wrong with the Modern format and why it's so bad now, as well as proposed solutions.


    *This episode contains visual elements and is recommended to be viewed rather than only listened to.


    You can follow Dylan at his Twitter or support him on Patreon.

    ► https://twitter.com/PariahPopular
    ► https://www.patreon.com/iHumanMTG


    Music:

    Anchors Aweigh - Charles Zimmerman
    Etude Op. 10 No. 3 (Tristesse) - Chopin
    Siegfried Idyll - Wagner


    Timestamps:

    0:00:00 Intro

    0:01:16 August 7th Bans and Lack Thereof
    0:14:18 Main Topic (Modern Bad)
    0:14:44 Bad Play Patterns
    0:35:00 Problems Summarized
    0:35:47 Everything is an Avengers-Level Threat
    0:37:50 Other Format Issues
    0:39:39 43 Banworthy Cards
    0:40:11 Ban the Evoke Elementals
    0:41:25 Ban Force of Vigor
    0:42:45 Ban Force of Negation
    0:44:06 Problems with Free Answers
    0:47:21 Ban The One Ring (financial discussion)
    0:54:12 Ban Orcish Bowmasters
    0:57:06 Ban Wrenn & Six
    0:59:30 Ban the Triomes
    1:03:45 Ban LotR Landcyclers (Lorien Revealed)
    1:06:39 Ban Boseiju
    1:08:07 Ban Urza's Saga
    1:10:45 Ban Blood Moon
    1:14:09 Ban Ragavan
    1:16:48 Ban DRC
    1:17:34 Ban Murktide
    1:18:58 Ban Creativity
    1:19:44 Ban Amulet
    1:20:28 Ban Hammer
    1:21:10 Ban Cascade
    1:22:40 Ban the War Walkers
    1:24:23 Ban Companions
    1:25:26 Ban Yawgmoth
    1:25:51 Ban Breach
    1:26:25 The Cost of Bans
    1:30:08 The Price of Modern
    1:40:34 Technically Diverse
    1:42:21 2023 Modern is the worst format ever
    1:47:19 Who likes Modern?
    1:52:57 How to fix Modern
    1:57:11 What's safe to unban?
    2:19:21 Pioneer
    2:22:04 Balanced ≠ Fun
    2:32:02 In Memoriam


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    2 hr 41 min
  • Phyrexia All Will Be One - Set Review

    Set review of Phyrexia All Will Be One, covering new cards' applications in Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, and Commander.  


    Timestamps:

    0:00 Intro 

    0:33 Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines

    2:48 The Mycosynth Gardens 

    3:32 Green Sun's Twilight 

    4:38 Nahiri, the Unforgiving 

    7:41 Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler 

    8:56 Unctus, Grand Metatect 

    10:19 Venerated Rotpriest 

    12:17 Vindictive Flamestoker 

    13:58 Ally Fast Lands (reprint) 

    14:10 Blue Sun's Twilight 

    14:34 Cankerbloom 

    15:09 Capricious Hellraiser 

    16:27 Conduit of Worlds 

    17:12 Geth, Thane of Contracts 

    17:57 Kemba, Kha Enduring 

    18:45 Kethek, Crucible Goliath 

    20:04 Melira, the Living Cure 

    20:54 Minor Misstep 

    21:59 Mirran Safehouse 

    23:24 Norn's Wellspring 

    23:54 Phyrexian Arena (reprint) 

    24:14 Phyrexian Obliterator (reprint) 

    24:34 Skrelv, Defector Mite 

    25:31 Skrelv's Hive 

    26:17 Soulless Jailer 

    26:54 The Filigree Sylex 

    27:35 Thrun, Breaker of Silence 

    28:08 Tyrranax Rex 

    29:00 "Battle" Card Type 

    29:35 Outro  

    Music (in order):

    ---

    Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

    https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org/

    ---

    Acid Jazz by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

    https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    Source: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Jazz_Sampler/AcidJazz_1430

    Artist: http://incompetech.com/

    ---

    Commander Impulse - DivKid

    ---

    Baeb Steps - Noir Et Blanc Vie


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    31 min
  • Interview with a Local Game Store Owner

    Topics: Running a game store; Tabletop games; Card game singles and  sealed product; Competing with big box stores and online retailers;  Direct-to-Consumer products (Secret Lairs); MTG 30th Anniversary;  Tournaments and Organized Play; Standard's decline and other formats;  MTG Arena; Wallet Fatigue; The MTG audience and player base; Covid  lockdown's effect on stores; WPN Premium.

    Timestamps:

    0:00:00 Preview

    0:00:39 Intro

    0:01:44 Why did you want to open a game store?

    0:04:28 MTG sales compared to other games

    0:08:36 What's more profitable: Sealed or Singles?

    0:09:44 Problems with buying and selling Singles

    0:12:15 Difference in singles amongst various card games

    0:13:25 Should you Buy Trade-ins or Open Sealed product?

    0:14:58 Card Game Accessories

    0:16:36 Board Games

    0:18:03 Competing with Big Box Stores and Online Retail

    0:22:29 Letting go of your dream

    0:24:56 Profit Margins on Snacks and Merch

    0:25:39 How to handle Players who Don't Buy Anything

    0:26:50 Competing with Big Box Stores and Online Retail continued

    0:28:22 Effects of Wotc removing MSRP

    0:32:17 Why you should support your Local Game Store

    0:34:00 Direct-to-Consumer products (Secret Lairs)

    0:37:23 MTG 30th Anniversary controversy

    0:42:14 Expensive Products

    0:44:12 The Value of Hosting Tournaments

    0:49:42 Bad Prize Support

    0:52:28 The Value of Giveaways & Raffles

    0:54:33 Why has Standard declined?

    0:58:29 Why has Drafting declined?

    1:01:01 Is Legacy dead?

    1:03:03 Vintage format

    1:05:02 Why isn't Pauper more popular?

    1:06:37 Pioneer & Modern

    1:07:20 Is Commander the most profitable format?

    1:09:28 MTG Arena Economy

    1:14:15 Organized Play

    1:17:39 Wallet Fatigue

    1:23:22 Is the MTG Audience growing or shrinking?

    1:25:33 Are Collectors Panic-Selling due to MTG 30?

    1:27:16 Covid Lockdown effects on Game Stores

    1:30:50 Who is the Typical Player?

    1:33:17 Why are there so few Female Players?

    1:35:06 WPN Premium Benefits

    1:42:21 Advice for Opening a Game Store

    1:51:08 Closing Thoughts

    1:52:04 Where to find Collector Legion


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    1 hr 54 min
  • Brother's War Review and Dominaria Postmortem | Mana Brain #7

    In this episode, I'm once again joined by Nicolas Johnson to talk about the cards from Dominaria United we underrated, overrated, and which still have potential, then move on to Brother's War previews.

    Timestamps:

    0:00:00 Intro   

    0:00:24 Dominaria United Postmortem

    0:22:57 The Brother's War 1st look

    0:23:26 Urza, Lord Protector

    0:26:14 Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor

    0:27:22 Awaken the Woods

    0:28:08 In the Trenches

    0:28:42 Teferi, Temporal Pilgrim

    0:32:16 Mechanized Warfare

    0:33:34 Titania, Voice of Gaea

    0:35:27 Siege Veteran

    0:36:35 Painful Quandary

    0:37:26 Brotherhood's End

    0:38:57 Loran of the Third Path

    0:39:50 Drafna, Founder of Lat-Nam

    0:41:41 Diabolic Intent

    0:46:04 Fauna Shaman

    0:46:51 Kayla's Reconstruction

    0:48:12 Hurkyl's Final Meditation

    0:48:58 Ashnod, Flesh Mechanist

    0:51:04 Visions of Phyrexia

    0:52:24 Fade from History

    0:53:29 Soul Partition

    0:54:38 Commands

    0:59:39 Feldon, Ronom Excavator

    1:00:49 Hurkyl, Master Wizard

    1:03:04 Gruesome Realization

    1:03:38 Obliterating Bolt

    1:04:35 Audacity 

    1:04:51 Tocasia's Welcome

    1:06:22 Dreams of Steel and Oil

    1:06:55 Obstinate Baloth

    1:08:18 Great Desert Prospector

    1:08:48 Zephyr Sentinel

    1:09:30 No One Left Behind

    1:10:30 Forging the Anchor

    1:12:19 Calamity's Wake

    1:13:49 Corrupt & Flow of Knowledge

    1:14:45 Go for the Throat

    1:16:22 Urza, Powerstone Prodigy & Mishra, Excavation Prodigy

    1:17:14 Lay Down Arms

    1:18:40 Gaea's Gift

    1:19:26 Splitting the Powerstone

    1:20:04 Recruitment Officer

    1:20:20 Machine Over Matter

    1:20:42 Fallaji Archaeologist

    1:21:40 Bitter Reunion

    1:22:37 Overwhelming Remorse

    1:23:47 Stern Lesson

    1:24:07 Saheeli, Filigree Master

    1:24:42 Mishra, Claimed by Gix

    1:25:16 Deathbloom Ritualist

    1:25:41 Tocasia, Dig Site Mentor 

    1:26:21 Hajar, Loyal Bodyguard

    1:26:42 Harbin, Vanguard Aviator

    1:27:29 Tawnos, the Toymaker

    1:27:54 Urza, Prince of Kroog

    1:29:01 Mishra, Tamer of Mak Fawa

    1:29:23 Queen Kayla bin-Kroog

    1:30:43 Third Path Iconoclast

    1:31:51 Yotian Dissident

    1:32:59 Platoon Dispenser

    1:33:46 Liberator, Urza's Battlethopter

    1:34:04 Stasis Coffin

    1:35:07 Portal to Phyrexia

    1:35:45 Urza's Sylex

    1:37:17 Arcane Proxy

    1:39:54 Clay Champion

    1:41:06 Skitterbeam Battalion

    1:41:50 Phyrexian Fleshgorger

    1:44:03 Surge Engine

    1:44:25 Perennial Behemoth

    1:44:58 Steel Seraph

    1:46:42 Simian Simulacrum

    1:46:57 Thran Spider

    1:47:24 The Stone Brain

    1:48:24 Transmogrant's Crown

    1:49:10 Phyrexian Dragon Engine

    1:49:56 The Mightstone and Weakstone

    1:51:10 Mishra's Research Desk

    1:52:02 Combat Thresher

    1:52:41 Fortified Beachhead

    1:53:47 Argoth, Sanctum of Nature

    1:55:00 Mishra's Foundry

    1:55:14 Demolition Field

    1:55:51 End of Main Set review

    1:56:25 Brother's War Commander

    1:59:14 Outro


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    2 hr 1 min
  • Unfinity in cEDH and Legacy | Mana Brain #6

    In this episode, we discuss Unfinity's Attractions and Stickers for cEDH and Legacy, and highlight notable cards from the set.

    00:00 Intro

    00:32 Attractions

    05:21 Dice Rolling Cards

    07:44 Attractions continued

    09:28 Stickers

    14:17 ____ Goblin

    20:31 Clown Car

    23:34 Comet, Stellar Pup

    27:38 Embiggen

    29:45 Magar of the Magic Strings

    34:07 Myra the Magnificent

    36:46 Pair o' Dice Lost

    42:24 Saw in Half

    47:59 Strength-Testing Hammer

    50:19 Our Top Picks

    52:43 Outro


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    54 min
  • Overrated cEDH Cards | Mana Brain #5

    In this episode, I'm joined by Alex, Jesse, and John of "Spite Plays" to discuss overrated cards in cEDH.

    Spite Plays YouTube channel.

    Music: Straight Fuse - French Fuse


    Timestamps:

    0:00 Intro

    1:20 Cantrips (Brainstorm, Ponder, Preordain)

    3:35 Food Chain

    6:13 Grim Hireling

    11:32 Gitaxian Probe

    15:17 Cyclonic Rift

    20:10 Imperial Seal

    23:06 Mnemonic Betrayal

    26:16 An Offer You Can't Refuse

    33:47 Mental Misstep

    40:36 Miscast

    45:15 Boseiju, Who Shelters All

    47:45 Tarnished Citadel & Forbidden Orchard

    55:11 Noxious Revival

    58:54 Praetor's Grasp

    1:02:33 Isochron Scepter & Dramatic Reversal

    1:07:38 Stax cards in non-Stax decks

    1:14:11 Snapback

    1:14:58 Outro


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    1 hr 17 min
  • New Capenna Set Review Modern and cEDH | Mana Brain Podcast #4

    In this episode, I'm joined by Jesse and John of "Spite Plays" to talk about New Capenna cards for Modern and cEDH.

    Check out the Spite Plays YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/SpitePlays/


    Timestamps:

    0:00 Intro

    1:09 A Little Chat

    5:31 An Offer You Can't Refuse

    12:28 Anhelo, the Painter

    14:53 Bootlegger's Stash

    18:39 Brokers Charm

    20:46 Courier's Briefcase

    24:23 Cryptic Pursuit

    28:15 Endless Detour

    30:56 Evelyn, the Covetous

    38:40 Extract the Truth

    40:27 Falco Spara, Pactweaver

    43:40 Jailbreak

    46:27 Luxior, Giada's Gift

    49:42 Maestros Charm

    52:48 Mysterious Limousine

    54:02 Ob Nixilis, the Adversary

    58:38 Obscura Charm

    1:00:30 Ognis, the Dragon's Lash

    1:01:55 Oskar, Rubbish Reclaimer

    1:04:47 Patch Up

    1:07:20 Riveteers Charm

    1:09:33 Rob the Archives

    1:12:19 Rocco, Cabaretti Caterer

    1:16:30 Scheming Fence

    1:19:11 Shadow of Mortality

    1:21:37 Structural Assault

    1:23:09 Titan of Industry

    1:26:10 Unlucky Witness

    1:28:00 Vivien on the Hunt

    1:31:09 Void Rend

    1:32:41 Witness Protection

    1:33:51 Witty Roastmaster

    1:35:42 Additional Thoughts


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    1 hr 41 min

About Mana Brain Podcast

From the publisher's feed

A Magic the Gathering podcast covering a variety of MTG related topics. Hosted by AmmiO.