The Dive Down

By The Dive DownLeisure Games

The Dive Down episodes

July 07, 2022 Episode 181: The Synergies of Pioneer's Metagame, ft. Todd Anderson
Friend of the show and Pioneer aficionado Todd Anderson joins us this week to go over the top decks, up and comers, unsung heroes, and potential traps in the format. Mono-Green continues to reign supreme, but could Young Pyromancer put up a fight?
We also look into the Mono-Green vs Rakdos matchup, how well control is positioned, what happened to Lotus Field, and more! This episode is high flying, fast talking, and really in depth... try to keep up!
The Dive Down: Mono-Green Devotion
The Dive Down, cont: Izzet Pyromancer
The Dive Down, cont: The Other Ones
Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown
Check out our sponsor Barrister and Mann! https://www.barristerandmann.com/ Use code THEDIVEDOWN15 for 15% off your first order of some incredible fragrances, soaps, beard oils, and more.
Get 15% off your first 2 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.com/?medium=thedivedown and use code THEDIVEDOWN15
Timestamps:
2:13 - Housekeeping and a special announcement
7:31 - Hanging with the Todd Squad
19:02 - How does Pioneer function as a format?
25:13 - What's the best deck in the format?
30:50 - How do the best decks play against each other?
32:33 - What makes a strong Pioneer deck?
37:02 - What are underappreciated decks in Pio?
38:50 - Summer Fridays
42:25 - Thoughts on some other decks
46:45 - Preparing for a Pioneer RCQ
48:37 - Todd talks Izzet Pyromancer
55:29 - Are there any "trap" decks or cards, and why is Rakdos Midrange good?
1:02:24 - Is Mono-Green too good?
1:06:20 - Stan's Pioneer ban burns
1:12:51 - Revisiting Izzet Pyromancer
1:16:50 - Final verdict: How to approach a Pioneer RCQ
1:22:02 - Closing out with Todd
Links from this week's episode:
Todd on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Tandy
Todd on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/tandy
Todd on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TandyMTG
Izzet Pyromancer: https://twitter.com/TandyMTG/status/1543230873222381568?s=20&t=fkQba52rNy8QU6XqKxl5MA
Our opening music is Nowhere - You Never Knew, and our closing music is Space Blood - Goro? Is That Your Christian Name?
Watch us stream our episodes every Sunday night at 8pm Central: https://www.twitch.tv/thedivedown_shane
email us: [email protected]
twitter: https://twitter.com/thedivedown
Support The Dive Down
1 hr 27 min
June 30, 2022 Episode 180: Life Lessons and Level Ups
Though we do have some frustrations to air at the start of the show, we eventually turn it around to discuss the many ways Magic (the Gathering) has improved our lives. Then we take a brief trip down memory lane to remember how some people improved our Magic playing skills too.
Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown
Check out our sponsor Barrister and Mann! https://www.barristerandmann.com/ Use code THEDIVEDOWN15 for 15% off your first order of some incredible fragrances, soaps, beard oils, and more.
Get 15% off your first 2 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.com/?medium=thedivedown and use code THEDIVEDOWN15
Timestamps:
7:38 - Housekeeping
12:32 - The Dive Down begins
14:28 - Leveling up in Magic - Have a plan
29:06 - Having a collective 75 cards
39:51 - Stan on mulligans
45:23 - Do the math
52:47 - Sometimes the best deck isn't for you
59:29 - Don't be ROTty
1:15:35 - The latest Barrister & Mann releases
1:18:43 - Don't tilt
1:29:26 - Appreciate community
Links from this week's episode:
Limited Resources Episode 57: Tilt Less Win More: https://lrcast.com/limited-resources-57-tilt-less-win-more/
Collins' Tweet: https://twitter.com/collinsmullen/status/1540050234788683779?s=20&t=43m5QektO51r128fOWp3Cw
Mason's Tweet: https://twitter.com/masoneclark_/status/1539653313335263232?s=21&t=JSJTZV16R3_pkSgOUOw8nQ
Our opening music is Nowhere - You Never Knew, and our closing music is Space Blood - Goro? Is That Your Christian Name?
Watch us stream our episodes every Sunday night at 8pm Central: https://www.twitch.tv/thedivedown_shane
email us: [email protected]
twitter: https://twitter.com/thedivedown
Support The Dive Down
1 hr 35 min
June 23, 2022 Episode 179: 10 Takes on Modern, Pioneer, & Magic
What can Izzet decks in Pioneer play instead of Expressive Iteration? How crazy was the MOCS meta from the weekend? Is Glimpse of Tomorrow a good card in Modern? This week's show answers these questions and more in a format-spanning Dive Down of takes hot and cold.
But first, off the top we deliver a little announcement about the future of The Dive Down (nothing big, we swear — but you should listen).
Shane doesn't even need Nykthos. Stan can quit cascading any time he wants to. Dave actually seems to get mad about something.
Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown
Check out our sponsor Barrister and Mann! https://www.barristerandmann.com/ Use code "THEDIVEDOWN15" for 15% off your first order of some incredible fragrances, soaps, beard oils, and more.
Get 15% off your first 2 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.com/?medium=thedivedown and use code "THEDIVEDOWN15"
Timestamps:
10:01 - Housekeeping
13:11 - 1a: Expressive Iteration isn't irreplaceable in Pioneer
19:51 - 1b: EI in Izzet Control
25:52 - 1c: EI in Izzet Phoenix
30:42 - 2: Mono-Green Devotion is good, even without Nykthos
35:57 - 3: Mono-Blue Spirits is solidifying itself, but for how long?
43:44 - 4: Humans might be underexplored in Pio
49:25 - 5: What is there to like, and not like, about Pioneer?
1:02:45 - #smellovision
1:05:14 - 6: The MOCS final
1:17:00 - 7: Stan plays Calibrated Blast
1:21:59 - 8: Stan plays Glimpse Elementals Cascade
1:28:25 - 9: The sad loss of random playables
1:32:52 - 10: Stan plays... Commander?
1:37:47 - Closing out
Links from this week's episode:
MOCS Modern Decks: https://magic.gg/decklists/2022-magic-online-champions-showcase-season-1-modern-decklists
Stan plays Commander on Brainstorm Brewery: https://www.twitch.tv/brainstormbrewery
Mono-Green Devotion: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/pioneer-mono-green-ramp-2d53d633-2a78-4eb9-a5e7-52ad849c7a82#paper
Mono-Blue Spirits: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/pioneer-mono-blue-spirits#paper
Pioneer Humans: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/4895735#paper
Calibrated Blast: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/modern-calibrated-blast#paper
Glimpse Elementals: https://twitter.com/GR_DONKIN/status/1537259984702124032
Our opening music is Nowhere - You Never Knew, and our closing music is Space Blood - Goro? Is That Your Christian Name?
Watch us stream our episodes every Sunday night at 8pm Central: https://www.twitch.tv/thedivedown_shane
email us: [email protected]
twitter: https://twitter.com/thedivedown
Support The Dive Down
1 hr 40 min
June 16, 2022 Episode 178: NRG Modern & Pio: Is 4c 2 Good 4 U?
It's a hot one on The Dive Down this week. We take a deep look at NRG's recent set of Modern and Pioneer Trials in Lansing, Michigan and tackle the big questions about our favorite formats. Is 4c too good for Modern? What can even be done if it is too good? What's happened to Pioneer without Winota and Expressive Iteration? How many words can the three of us get beeped out in one episode? And more! Stan fights through jet lag and still brings the insights. Shane loves talking about bad decks that performed badly. And, finally, Dave gets his comeuppance.
The Break Down: An Intro for Our Times
The Break Down: NRG Modern: A Format With Great Playstyle Diversity
The Break Down: NRG Pioneer: No Alarms and No Surprises, Please
Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown
Check out our sponsor Barrister and Mann! https://www.barristerandmann.com/ Use code THEDIVEDOWN15 for 15% off your first order of some incredible fragrances, soaps, beard oils, and more.
Get 15% off your first 2 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.com/?medium=thedivedown and use code "THEDIVEDOWN15"
Timestamps:
4:30 - Housekeeping
6:15 - The NRG Lansing Event
9:40 - The NRG Modern overall metagame
15:39 - The Top 64 meta
36:10 - The Top 8
39:07 - Is 4-Color too good?
54:45 - Stan's back, and he smells good
57:30 - The NRG Pioneer metagame
1:02:33 - How the good Pioneer decks performed
1:21:20 - What decks didn't do well?
1:26:30 - The Top 8
1:28:47 - Even more thoughts on Pioneer
1:32:02 - Closing out
Links from this week's episode:
NRG Modern $10k: https://mtgmelee.com/Tournament/View/9604
NRG Pioneer: $5k: https://mtgmelee.com/Tournament/View/9605
Our opening music is Nowhere - You Never Knew, and our closing music is Space Blood - Goro? Is That Your Christian Name?
Watch us stream our episodes every Sunday night at 8pm Central: https://www.twitch.tv/thedivedown_shane
email us: [email protected]
twitter: https://twitter.com/thedivedown
Support The Dive Down
1 hr 34 min
June 09, 2022 Episode 177: Ban Reacts, a Dream Hacked, & Some Mid Rakdos
Shane and Dave are totally blindsided by this week's Pioneer bans — especially since they happened after we recorded this ep. But don't worry, we use the power of technology to travel into the past and add a segment of hot reactions and speculation on what's next for Pio. After that, we continue with our regularly scheduled episode breaking down the Modern $10k at DreamHack Dallas and diving into Pioneer's most mid deck — Rakdos Mid! Shane hates all the creatures. Dave loves all the spells. Stan loves having a week off.
The Break Down: A Record Scratched — Surprise Pioneer Bans
The Break Down: A Modern $10K Where Mill 7-0-1’d
The Dive Down: A 14% Meta Share Deck that Wasn’t Banned
Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown
Check out our sponsor Barrister and Mann! https://www.barristerandmann.com/ Use code THEDIVEDOWN15 for 15% off your first order of some incredible fragrances, soaps, beard oils, and more.
Get 15% off your first 2 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.com/?medium=thedivedown and use code "THEDIVEDOWN15"
Timestamps:
4:55 - Housekeeping
9:28 - The Break Down begins - SURPRISE it's some Pioneer bans!
23:18 - What is the impact on Pioneer?
29:16 - The Dallas Dreamhack Modern 10k
31:34 - The top 64 breakdown
41:08 - The top 8
53:51 - Cool Decks, Inc.
1:06:50 - Scent of the Day
1:12:20 - The Dive Down begins - Rakdos Midrange in Pioneer
1:16:02 - What's the deal with Midrange?
1:20:07 - Hand disruption
1:32:45 - Removal
1:41:08 - Creatures
1:57:11 - Planeswalkers
2:06:15 - Strengths and weaknesses
2:14:49 - Closing out
Links from this week's episode:
Dreamhack Modern 10k down in Dallas: https://mtgmelee.com/Tournament/View/10457
Rakdos Midrange in Pioneer: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/pioneer-rakdos-midrange#paper
Our opening music is Nowhere - You Never Knew, and our closing music is Space Blood - Goro? Is That Your Christian Name?
Watch us stream our episodes every Sunday night at 8pm Central: https://www.twitch.tv/thedivedown_shane
email us: [email protected]
twitter: https://twitter.com/thedivedown
Support The Dive Down
2 hr 17 min
June 02, 2022 Episode 176: The People's Meta(s): Modern and Pioneer
This week the three friends dive into an examination of not one but two metas — Modern and Pioneer — using some recent 5-0 league decks. We collect em, dissect em, and... tierect (???)... em. You know what we mean... we're placing them into groups and discussing what decks we think are going up, down, and sideways. Dave tries to run through Modern quickly. Stan and Shane dilly dally and then get mad when we don't have as much time as we'd hoped for Pioneer. Dave resists the urge to say I told you so.
Please note/CW: this episode starts with a message of a serious nature from the team. Start at Housekeeping if you'd like to skip.
The Dive Down: The People's Meta: Modern!
The Dive Down, pt.2: The People's Meta: Pioneer!
Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown
Check out our sponsor Barrister and Mann! https://www.barristerandmann.com/ Use code "THEDIVEDOWN15" for 15% off your first order of some incredible fragrances, soaps, beard oils, and more.
Get 15% off your first 2 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.com/?medium=thedivedown and use code "THEDIVEDOWN15"
Timestamps:
5:23 - Housekeeping
11:20 - The People's Meta - Modern ed.
16:20 - The mainstream decks of Modern
52:12 - Outside the Modern mainstream
1:09:40 - The People's Meta - Pioneer ed.
1:37:00 - Outside the Pio mainstream
1:43:30 - Some takes on Pioneer
1:53:25 - Closing out
Links from this week's episode:
Modern League 5/27: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/tournament/modern-league-2022-05-27#paper
Why it is time to cut Murktide Regent by Michael Rapp: https://blog.cardkingdom.com/why-it-is-time-to-cut-murktide-regent/
Pioneer League 5/23: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/tournament/pioneer-league-2022-05-23#paper
Our opening music is Nowhere - You Never Knew, and our closing music is Space Blood - Goro? Is That Your Christian Name?
Watch us stream our episodes every Sunday night at 8pm Central: https://www.twitch.tv/thedivedown_shane
email us: [email protected]
twitter: https://twitter.com/thedivedown
Support The Dive Down
1 hr 55 min
May 26, 2022 Episode 175: Sleeve/Believe/Heave: Streets of New Capenna Edition
The three friends are taking it back to the streets on more time. This week we evaluate three different decks that were improved or created by the addition of SNC to our formats. Shane pods his way through a Naya deck full of combos in Modern. Stan shreds his way through infinite turns in Modern. Dave explains so he's falling short of virtuosity in Explorer. It's a real journey through a few more cards making an impact. Before that, though, we break down the top 8 of NRG Minneapolis where three other friends (of the pod) take the whole thing down.
The Break Down: NRG Minneapolis
The Dive Down: Combos in Modern!
The Dive Down, pt.2: Prowess in Explorer!
Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown
Check out our sponsor Barrister and Mann! https://www.barristerandmann.com/ Use code THEDIVEDOWN2022 for 15% off your first order of some incredible fragrances, soaps, beard oils, and more.
Get 15% off your first 2 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.com/?medium=thedivedown and use code "THEDIVEDOWN15"
Timestamps:
6:06 - Housekeeping
8:34 - The Break Down - The NRG Team Tournament
11:06 - The Top 8 teams
33:34 - The Top 8 meta
41:45 - It's Soap Time
44:56 - The Dive Down begins - Shane on Naya Combos in Modern
51:45 - The strenghts of the deck
55:08 - The weaknesses of the deck
1:08:55 - Shane's final thoughts
1:12:04 - Stan on Dimir Asmo Food Combo in Modern
1:22:50 - How to turn 3 combo
1:26:16 - Sideboarding with combo decks is hard
1:32:45 - Stan's final thoughts
1:34:48 - Dave on Boros Aggro in Explorer
1:45:27 - Dave's final thoughts
1:49:32 - Wrapping up
Links from this week's episode:
Modern Naya Combos: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/4818579#paper
Modern Dimir Asmo Food: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/modern-asmo-food#paper
Modern Boros Prowess: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/4841502#paper
Our opening music is Nowhere - You Never Knew, and our closing music is Space Blood - Goro? Is That Your Christian Name?
Watch us stream our episodes every Sunday night at 8pm Central: https://www.twitch.tv/thedivedown_shane
email us: [email protected]
twitter: https://twitter.com/thedivedown
Support The Dive Down
1 hr 53 min
May 19, 2022 Episode 174: Explorer’s First Ban & More Pioneer Testing
This week's episode starts with Dave telling a shaggy dog story while fumbling through the Seinfeld theme on his bass — so you know it's going to be a loose one. Fortunately, Shane and Stan quickly bring the three friends back on track (within the first 4 minutes, we swear) and take us all through Winota's ban in Explorer, four different challenges across Modern and Pioneer, and finally some of their testing results with Winota and Izzet Phoenix in Pioneer. Stan rolls to a non-interactive 4-1. Shane can't stop shreddin. Dave can't stop slappin the bass.
The Break Down, I: Winota's Gone in Explorer!
The Break Down, II: Kicking Bass in a Bunch of Challenges
The Dive Down: Winota's Here in Pioneer! So is Phoenix!
Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown
Check out our sponsor Barrister and Mann! https://www.barristerandmann.com/ Use code THEDIVEDOWN2022 for 15% off your first order of some incredible fragrances, soaps, beard oils, and more.
Get 15% off your first 2 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.com/?medium=thedivedown and use code "THEDIVEDOWN15"
Timestamps:
5:40 - Housekeeping
8:46 - The Break Down begins - The first Explorer bans
17:11 - Saturday's Pioneer Challenge
28:49 - Sunday's Pioneer Challenge
35:30 - Cool Decks, Inc - Pioneer ed.
38:48 - Saturday's Modern Challenge
46:23 - Sunday's Modern Challenge
52:26 - Public Smelling Stories
55:58 - The Dive Down - Stan's hot takes on Winota
1:00:16 - Fable of the Mirror breaker is a protection spell
1:04:00 - Esika's Chariot = Splinter Twin
1:06:58 - Deck mull good
1:09:25 - Enablers are good
1:12:05 - Modern vs. Pioneer gameplay discussion
1:20:05 - Shane casts blue and red cards
1:34:00 - Shane's thoughts on Izzet Phoenix in Explorer
1:41:56 - Stan cracks a pack
1:44:35 - Closing out
Links from this week's episode:
May 11 B&R: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-digital/may-11-2022-banned-and-restricted-announcement
Saturday's Pio Challenge: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/tournament/pioneer-challenge-12418751#paper
Sunday's Pio Challenge: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/tournament/pioneer-challenge-12418755#paper
Saturday's Modern Challenge: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/tournament/modern-challenge-12418748#paper
Sunday's Modern Challenge: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/tournament/modern-challenge-12418754#paper
Naya Winota in Pioneer: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/4818484#paper
Izzet Phoenix in Explorer: https://mtgazone.com/explorer-izzet-phoenix-deck-guide/
Our opening music is Nowhere - You Never Knew, and our closing music is Space Blood - Goro? Is That Your Christian Name?
Watch us stream our episodes every Sunday night at 8pm Central: https://www.twitch.tv/thedivedown_shane
email us: [email protected]
twitter: https://twitter.com/thedivedown
Support The Dive Down
1 hr 47 min
May 12, 2022 Episode 173: Do You Even Shred, Tho?
The boys flap their little wings and scream caw caw as they dig their beaks into the hottest bird lawyer in Magic this week. Whether it's ripping up contracts, filtering hands, shouting 'objection!' or pumping flyers, Ledger Shredder does it all. But does it have what it take to be a multiformat staple? Yes, apparently yes.
The Break Down: Living End Won't Die
The Dive Down: New Bird Learns to Fly
The Dive Down, cont: Filling Graveyards Can Be Sly
Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown
Check out our sponsor Barrister and Mann! https://www.barristerandmann.com/ Use code THEDIVEDOWN2022 for 15% off your first order of some incredible fragrances, soaps, beard oils, and more.
Get 15% off your first 2 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.com/?medium=thedivedown and use code "THEDIVEDOWN2022"
Timestamps:
4:02 - Housekeeping
5:56 - The Break Down - The Modern Showcase Challenge
6:54 - The Top 32 breakdown
10:25 - The Top 8
16:44 - Cool Decks, Inc - Modern edition
25:17 - The Pioneer Showcase Challenge
38:55 - Cool Decks, Inc - Pioneer Edition
41:53 - #Sponsored
45:16 - The Dive Down - Do You Even Shred?
52:03 - Why is Ledger Shredder good?
1:11:24 - Ledger Shredder in Explorer/Pioneer
1:27:55 - Ledger Shredder in Modern
1:41:42 - Closing Out
Links from this week's episode:
The Modern Showcase: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/mtgo-standings/modern-showcase-challenge-2022-05-08?xd28
The Pioneer Showcase: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/mtgo-standings/pioneer-showcase-challenge-2022-05-09
Izzet Flyers: https://tinyurl.com/izzetflyers
Esper Greasefang: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/4806004#paper
Esper Reanimator: https://mtgdecks.net/Modern/ledger-shredder-reanimator-decklist-by-kanister-mtg-1365778
Grixis Death's Shadow: https://www.streamdecker.com/deck/3m-EJaUSq
Grinding Breach: https://twitter.com/tiddypills/status/1523323490866192386?s=20&t=6DB3Mg4lDJQPdZ54ohn7BA
Our opening music is Nowhere - You Never Knew, and our closing music is Space Blood - Goro? Is That Your Christian Name?
Watch us stream our episodes every Sunday night at 8pm Central: https://www.twitch.tv/thedivedown_shane
email us: [email protected]
twitter: https://twitter.com/thedivedown
Support The Dive Down
1 hr 44 min
May 05, 2022 Episode 172: Exploring the Streets of New Capenna
Our three friends begin their visit to the Streets of New Capenna with some Explorer, Pioneer, and Modern decks. We take a look at Ob Nixilis, The Adversary and Stan's uncharacteristic BW Blink brew with Getaway Car and Extraction Specialist.
The Break Down: New Cards in Pio + Modern Challenges
The Dive Down: 20 Mostly Good Minutes on Mob Nixilis
Stuff We Forgot: We’ll Talk About Ledger Shredder Next Week, Ok?
Become a citizen of The Dive Down Nation!: http://www.patreon.com/thedivedown
Check out our sponsor Barrister and Mann! https://www.barristerandmann.com/ Use code THEDIVEDOWN2022 for 15% off your first order of some incredible fragrances, soaps, beard oils, and more.
Get 15% off your first 2 months of ManaTraders! https://www.manatraders.com/?medium=thedivedown and use code "THEDIVEDOWN2022"
Timestamps:
3:17 - Housekeeping
11:17 - The Break Down begins - The Pioneer Challenge!
32:09 - Pioneer Cool Decks, Inc
40:16 - The Modern Challenge!
47:05 - Modern Cool Decks, Inc
58:20 - Stan's Razor Digression
1:02:37 - The Dive Down begins - The decks of New Capenna
1:05:55 - Rakdos Midrange in Explorer
1:15:30 - Evaluating Ob Nixilis, the Adversary
1:32:38 - More thoughts on Explorer
1:40:45 - Stan's Pioneer experiments
1:51:15 - Closing out
Links from this week's episode:
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/4774204#paper
Our opening music is Nowhere - You Never Knew, and our closing music is Space Blood - Goro? Is That Your Christian Name?
Watch us stream our episodes every Sunday night at 8pm Central: https://www.twitch.tv/thedivedown_shane
email us: [email protected]
twitter: https://twitter.com/thedivedown
Support The Dive Down
1 hr 54 min

About The Dive Down

From the publisher's feed

The Dive Down is a weekly podcast for people who love Magic: The Gathering but like talking about other things too. From videogames, to parenting, to 3D printing, and beyond. Each week hosts Dave,…