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A huge thank you to Wizards of the Coast for giving us special early access through the MTG Arena Client for the preview of FINAL FANTASY x Magic: the Gathering! This episode would not be possible without their support, and we are so grateful to have been invited back to participate in another Early Access event.

Today we're talking about the cards we loved most from Final Fantasy and the cards that perhaps weren't as good as we were hoping. From Tifa to Vivi, this set has some standout legends and some incredible utilitarian spells--whether you're playing in paper or online, this set has something for everyone!

[ Note: Our regular recording location was unavailable due to technical issues, so we settled in at our LGS for today's episode! Please enjoy (and forgive) the game store ambiance in the background. Our microphones were a bit dodgy, too, so the quality of audio is a bit less than our standard. Rest assured, we will be back to pristine audio in no time! ]

| This episode of Raise the Standard was recorded at Plenty of Games. Raise the Standard and its hosts would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we operate on. We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong / Boon Wurrung peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land. We pay our respects to their elders past and present, and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.

| Music from HitsLab via ⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠⁠⁠.

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Welcome back, Standard friends! Today, we resume our discussion about FINAL FANTASY x Magic: the Gathering cards that we think are going to find their place in the Standard meta. From Summon creatures to everybody's friend Bob, we're taking you through Part 2 of our FF picks!

As this is Magic's first-ever Standard-legal Universes Beyond set, there was a lot of content to get through! How much will Final Fantasy affect the Standard meta? Will we see cards in other constructed formats? Let's discuss!

| This episode of Raise the Standard was recorded at the State Library of Victoria. Raise the Standard and its hosts would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we operate on. We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong / Boon Wurrung peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land. We pay our respects to their elders past and present, and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.

| Music from HitsLab via ⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠⁠⁠.

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The most anticipated and best-selling set in Magic: the Gathering history is finally here! Saddle up your chocobos, because today we're talking about our Standard picks for FINAL FANTASY.

This is Magic's first-ever Standard-legal Universes Beyond set, so we're bound to see an impact on the format. Join us today for part one of our long discussion about what cards and archetypes we think will emerge with the release of FINAL FANTASY!

| This episode of Raise the Standard was recorded at the State Library of Victoria. Raise the Standard and its hosts would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we operate on. We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong / Boon Wurrung peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land. We pay our respects to their elders past and present, and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.

| Music from HitsLab via ⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠⁠⁠.

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All audio is good audio! We're back with another episode of Time in the Round, where we bring you the tangents, discussions, and chats that didn't quite make it into the main podcast series. So sit back, relax, and laugh with us through the rants and bits that exist in the space between regular episodes!

| This episode of Raise the Standard was recorded at the State Library of Victoria. Raise the Standard and its hosts would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we operate on. We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong / Boon Wurrung peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land. We pay our respects to their elders past and present, and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.

| Music from HitsLab via ⁠Pixabay⁠.

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We've talked a lot about Tier 1 and Tier 2 decks, their place in the meta and how they define the Standard meta--but what about fringe decks? What about those strange 1- or 2-ofs in a tournament that barely see any play?

Today we're talking about Fringe Decks, or more frequently understood as the "Other" category when looking at a tournament meta breakdown. What are fringe decks? Why do they exist? And why should you play them?

| This episode of Raise the Standard was recorded at the State Library of Victoria. Raise the Standard and its hosts would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we operate on. We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong / Boon Wurrung peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land. We pay our respects to their elders past and present, and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.

| Music from HitsLab via ⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠⁠⁠.

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We're smack-dab in the middle of the competitive season, so today we're talking about the innovation that we see in the format during RC/RCQs! What makes the competitive season interesting? How does the format change during this time? And why should you participate in these events?

Topics Include:

• 'Tis the season to not get copyright struck
• Cori-Steel Cutter is a good card
• Magic is an endurance sport

| This episode of Raise the Standard was recorded at the State Library of Victoria. Raise the Standard and its hosts would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we operate on. We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong / Boon Wurrung peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land. We pay our respects to their elders past and present, and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.

| Music from HitsLab via ⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠⁠⁠.

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Congratulations! It's your first ever competitive REL event!...What happens now?

Fresh of the heels of RC 9 in Melbourne, today we're talking through competitive MTG events: what to expect, how they differ from FNM and weekly events, and how to prepare for your first attendance. Competitive events come in all flavours, from qualifying events to regional championships and beyond!

Topics include:

- The Not-So-Scary Infraction Procedure Guide

- Warnings, Game Losses, & DQ's

- The Beloved Milkshake Bracket

| This episode of Raise the Standard was recorded at the State Library of Victoria. Raise the Standard and its hosts would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we operate on. We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong / Boon Wurrung peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land. We pay our respects to their elders past and present, and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.

| Music from HitsLab via ⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠⁠⁠.

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There's been a massive shake-up in the Standard format, and it's in the form of one particular card that is absolutely cutting through the competition. We are, of course, talking today about Cori-Steel Cutter.

This 2-mana equipment is a force to be reckoned with! Join us as we chat about what makes this card so powerful, which decks it's popping up in, and why we're seeing it cut and slice through our beloved Standard format.

Topics include:

• The Cori-Steel linguistic challenge
• Temporary Lockdown stonks
• Can you beat the deck that beats Cori-Steel Cutter

| This episode of Raise the Standard was recorded at the State Library of Victoria. Raise the Standard and its hosts would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we operate on. We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong / Boon Wurrung peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land. We pay our respects to their elders past and present, and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.

| Music from HitsLab via ⁠Pixabay⁠.

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Sometimes, we here at Raise the Standard can go on a bit of a tangent. Perhaps more than sometimes...frequently, we go on a bit of a tangent. And rather than let perfectly good audio go to waste, we bring to you Time in the Round, a series dedicated to all of the rants and bits that didn't quite make it into the main episodes.

These pieces are taken from across numerous episodes that have already come out, but we wanted to give them their own special place in the Raise the Standard episode metagame! Pop on some headphones, sit back, relax, and enjoy these compiled moments that have never-before been heard on the pod!

| This episode of Raise the Standard was recorded at the State Library of Victoria. Raise the Standard and its hosts would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we operate on. We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong / Boon Wurrung peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land. We pay our respects to their elders past and present, and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.

| Music from HitsLab via ⁠Pixabay⁠.

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Today we bring you another episode courtesy of our experience during Early Access Tarkir: Dragonstorm on the MTG Arena client! Thank you to Wizards of the Coast for inviting us to participate in the early access streamer event for Tarkir--we had an amazing time and are so grateful that we got to experience Tarkir cards first hand so that we can bring you today's episode focusing on Tarkir Standard!

We're chatting about Tarkir cards we think will make an impact on the format as well as decks that have received some cool new upgrades and even thinking about what new decks might break in to Standard!

Topics Include:

• Yes, Orzhov Pixie
• Another otters deck?!
• Say Coalstoke Gearhulk five times fast

| This episode of Raise the Standard was recorded at the State Library of Victoria. Raise the Standard and its hosts would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we operate on. We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong / Boon Wurrung peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land. We pay our respects to their elders past and present, and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.

| Music from HitsLab via ⁠Pixabay⁠.