Well, it’s my (Andy’s) final week of writing the show notes as punishment for losing a bet against Anthony. But that’s ok, because writing these particular notes is a privilege, as we are joined by special guest Emma Partlow on this episode! We’be been trying to get Emma on the show for a long time and I’m really glad we were finally able to make it happen. We use her Peasant Cube as a jumping off point to discuss playing Magic with rarity and budget restrictions, what traits describe the platonic ideal of an uncommon, how to navigate the endless sea of card variants spewing out of Wizards of the Coast these days, and the value of accessibility of all kinds.

My take on Thraben Inspector from last week, which you all have been ruthlessly dragging me for, did not come up. I presume she didn’t hear it and none of you better tell her!!! If you tell her I’m going to be so mad at you.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

5:17 - How did Emma get introduced to Magic

8:17 - When did Emma discover the joy of Cube?

11:53 - Emma’s roots in rarity and budget restrictions

17:41 - Downshifts and rarity restricted Cube design

26:33 - What is the most uncommony uncommon card?

30:57 - On Emma’s inclusion of controversially powerful cards in her peasant Cube

37:52 - Emma’s local Cube playgroup

45:34 - Does Emma think of herself as a casual or competitive player?

47:05 - How does Emma prioritize accessibility vs. bling in her card variant selection for her cube?

52:33 - Potpurri

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Musical production by DJ James Nasty.