So Many Insane Plays

By Kevin Cron & Stephen MenendianLeisure Games

So Many Insane Plays episodes

May 31, 2017 So Many Insane Plays Podcast Episode 66: StarCityGames Power 9 Retrospective
Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian discuss the history and legacy of the StarCityGames Power 9 tournament series.

0:00:10: Announcements: Upcoming events, including NYSE V
0:03:00: New MTGO Weekly Vintage Challenge
0:11:00: GP Las Vegas Eternal events
0:12:30: Swedish Old School Restricted List Update: Maze of Ith
0:14:45: Old School Combo article
0:21:00: The beginning of the StarCityGames Power 9 Series
0:31:00: Storm 10 / Meandeck Tendrils
0:40:00: SCG Syracuse 2006
1:05:00: Trinisphere’s Restriction
1:20:00: Proxies and their effect on the series and format
1:24:00: The Legacy of the SCG Power 9 Series
Total Runtime: 1:27:34
Show Notes
– Quarterfinals – Kevin Cron vs. Jeff Anand
– Semifinals – Eli Kassis vs. Kevin Cron
– The Two-Headed Finals – Kevin Cron
– The Two-Headed Finals – Bob Kochis
Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at [email protected].
1 hr 28 min
April 27, 2017 So Many Insane Plays Podcast Episode 65: Banned & Restricted List Updates, TMD Open Results, Amonkhet Review
Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian discuss the restriction of Gush and Gitaxian Probe, The Mana Drain Open results, and their review of Amonkhet for Vintage.

0:01:00: Announcements: Eternal Weekend North America 2017
0:06:21: Banned & Restricted List Updates
1:02:00: The Mana Drain Open #18 Results
1:11:30: Aether Revolt Report Card
1:16:15: Amonkhet Mechanics
1:18:45: Shadow of the Grave
1:20:15: Gideon of the Trials
1:25:20: As Foretold
1:31:40: By Force
1:37:45: Glorious End
1:43:00: Harsh Mentor
1:50:30: Soul-Scar Mage
1:55:00: Manglehorn
1:58:30: Failure // Comply
Total Runtime: 2:11:37
Show Notes
– Amonkhet Visual Spoiler
– Eternal Weekend North America 2017
– April 24 2017 Banned & Restricted List Update
Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at [email protected].
2 hr 12 min
April 13, 2017 So Many Insane Plays Podcast Episode 64: Amonkhet Preview, Eternal Weekend Europe, and a Restricted Mentor
Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian discuss their Amonkhet preview card – Shadow of the Grave, the results of Eternal Weekend: Europe, and the hypothetical world in which Monastery Mentor is restricted.

0:01:00: Shadow of the Grave
0:57:30: Eternal Weekend: Europe Metagame
1:24:00: Eternal Weekend: Europe Top 8
1:56:00: What if Monastery Mentor was restricted?
Total Runtime: 2:39:25
Show Notes
– Eternal Weekend Europe 2017 Results
Without further adieu, here is our special Amonkhet preview card…
Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at [email protected].
2 hr 40 min
March 24, 2017 So Many Insane Plays Podcast Episode 63: Where Do We Go From Here?
Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian look at the recent Banned & Restricted List update, the 2017Q1 Vintage metagame, and what they mean for the future of the Vintage format.

0:00:00: Announcements
0:00:00: March 2017 Banned and Restricted List Update
0:54:40: Gitaxian Probe
1:07:00: Mental Misstep
1:25:15: Paradoxical Outcome and Gush
1:37:00: Preordain
1:52:00: Metagame Updates
Total runtime: 2:10:05
Show Notes
– March 13 2017 Banned & Restricted List Announcement
– Eternal Weekend Europe (Paris, France – 3/31/2017 through 4/2/2017)
Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at [email protected].
2 hr 11 min
February 01, 2017 So Many Insane Plays Podcast Episode 62: Aether Revolt Set Review
Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian review Aether Revolt for Vintage, check on their Kaladesh report card, and talk Vintage Super League updates.

0:00:52: Announcements: NYSE 5, TSO Sandusky, Vintage Champs Europe, History of Vintage Chapter 4
0:09:00: Kaladesh Report Card
0:27:15: Aether Revolt: Mechanics
0:30:00: Hope of Ghirapur
0:33:00: Walking Ballista
0:57:18: Crackdown Construct
1:01:33: Baral, Chief of Compliance
1:14:19: Tezzeret the Schemer
1:23:55: Inspiring Statuary
1:25:38: Spire of Industry
1:30:33: Fatal Push
1:37:13: Reverse Engineer
1:39:15: Scrap Trawler
1:43:45: Aether Revolt Summary
1:45:07: VSL Play-in Tournament Update
1:54:00: Reader Mail: Doomsday sideboarding
Total runtime: 2:09:26
Show Notes
– Aether Revolt Visual Spoiler
– Bazaar of Moxen
– Vintage Super League
Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at [email protected].
2 hr 10 min
January 05, 2017 So Many Insane Plays Podcast Episode 61: Aether Revolt Preview – Hope of Ghirapur
Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian preview a special card from the forthcoming set Aether Revolt.

When invited to preview Magic cards for new sets, authors must sometimes feel pressure to stoke enthusiasm and demonstrate exaggerated excitement for their subject, especially for flavorful cards that, sadly, have little chance of Top 8ing a Pro Tour or making a splash in tournament play.
Although we would be honored to unveil any new card to Magicdom, we are fortunate that our subject requires no hype whatsoever. We confidently predict that this card will not only become a staple in the Eternal format diet, but a broadly playable spell (to an almost comic degree) in the grandest of all formats, Vintage. This is a card that will be played for years, if not decades, to come.
To fully enjoy our preview, we encourage you to play our special episode of So Many Insane Plays, where we carefully unveil and analyze this new masterpiece. But if you can’t wait a few more minutes, scroll down a little bit further, and we will whet your appetite for more…
Although aptly named to represent a critical part of the story in Aether Revolt, resolving this creature in Vintage will inspire more despair and fear than hope. Although most obviously comparable to Xantid Swarm, a creature that, when triggered, prevents the opponent from countering any threat you may subsequently cast, Hope of Ghirapur is so much more powerful than those green insects.
Unlike Xantid Swarm, which only “shuts off” the opponent on your turn, this Legendary Thopter prevents your opponent from casting any non-creature spells on their turn as well. When used with recursion such as Auriok Salvagers or Goblin Welder, this may be the closest thing in Vintage to a one-mana Mindslaver or Scepter-Chant lock. The only window of opportunity for the opponent to disrupt it is between your upkeep and combat step. And, when tutored with cards like Trinket Mage, or more creatively, Artificer’s Intuition, this is a threat that can be reliably iterated even before it can be recurred.
In this episode, Kevin and I carefully explore the design spaces opened in Vintage by this wondrous little marvel, and identify applications both mainstream and speculative. Welcome to Vintage little thopter. Let the fun begin!
– Stephen Menendian
Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at [email protected].
49 min
December 30, 2016 So Many Insane Plays Podcast Episode 60: 2016 Year in Review
Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian review 2016 and award their annual Moxies.

0:00:17: Announcements: VSL Play-In Tournament, History of Vintage, Annual Vintage Playables Checklist
0:12:45: MTGO Metagame Update
0:22:00: Moxies: Categories
0:23:32: Best New Card
1:01:00: Best New Set
1:12:00: Best Story/Narrative
1:24:00: Best New Deck
1:32:15: Listener Feedback
Total runtime: 1:36:18
Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at [email protected].
1 hr 37 min
November 10, 2016 So Many Insane Plays Podcast Episode 59: Eternal Weekend 2016 Wrap-Up
Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian wrap up Eternal Weekend 2016, including both European and North American Top 8s, the metagame, our Paradoxical Mentor deck, and the future of the Vintage format.

0:01: Announcements
0:11: Eternal Weekend Paris: Top 8
0:15: Eternal Weekend Columbus: Attendance
0:20: Eternal Weekend Columbus: The Event Structure
0:27: Eternal Weekend Columbus: The Overall Metagame
0:43: Eternal Weekend Columbus: Archetype Conversion to the Top 8
0:51: Eternal Weekend Columbus: Top 8
1:35: The future of the format
1:43: Our Paradoxical Mentor deck
Total runtime: 2:10:39
Show Notes
– Eternal Weekend 2016 Europe Top 8 Coverage
– Eternal Weekend 2016 North America Decks & Metagame Analysis
My deck from Champs today: good for 6-3. pic.twitter.com/2QzPJPZ2NV
— Kevin Noël Cron (@kevincron) October 29, 2016
LOVED my deck today, Thoughtcast Mentor w/ Paradoxical Outcome, a deck of the future, I believe. One of the most fun decks you can play. pic.twitter.com/DIM9IcrU2W
— Stephen Menendian (@SMenendian) October 29, 2016
Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at [email protected].
2 hr 11 min
October 20, 2016 So Many Insane Plays Podcast Episode 58: 2016 Eternal Weekend Preview
Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian preview Eternal Weekend 2016, including the Q3 metagame, recent set impacts, Eternal Extravaganza 5 results, and their Vintage Championship metagame predictions.

0:01:00: Announcements
0:10:00: Old School and Columbus
0:18:00: Q3 Metagame – Paper
0:29:30: Q3 Metagame – MTGO
0:43:30: Eternal Extravaganza 5 Results
1:05:00: Predictions
Total runtime: 1:33:04
Show Notes
– Eternal Weekend
– Vintage Champs 2015 Coverage
– EC Old School 93-94 at Eternal Weekend 2016
– Books on Eternal Central
Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at [email protected].
1 hr 34 min
September 21, 2016 So Many Insane Plays Podcast Episode 57: Kaladesh
Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian review Kaladesh for Vintage.

0:01:00: Announcements
0:10:30: Kaladesh Masterpieces/Inventions
0:20:15: Eldritch Moon Report Card
0:38:10: Kaladesh Mechanics
0:47:15: Paradoxical Outcome
1:50:20: Aetherflux Reservoir
2:08:10: Fragmentize
2:28:10: Torrential Gearhulk
2:36:04: Ghirapur Orrery
2:47:04: Inventor’s Fair
3:01:57: Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
3:18:53: Chandra, Torch of Defiance
3:43:38: Combustible Gearhulk
3:52:43: Saheeli Rai
4:05:56: Kambal, Consul of Allocation
4:43:48: Ceremonious Rejection
5:07:12: Metallurgic Summonings
5:30:48: Dovin Baan
5:34:23: Rashmi, Eternities Crafter
5:53:25: Metalwork Colossus
Total runtime: 6:08:14
Show Notes
– Kaladesh full visual spoiler
Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at [email protected].
6 hr 9 min