This is the final episode of Allied Strategies, and we have none other than the original co-host of the show, Neal Oliver, to reminisce about the past 6 years we’ve spent together! As the primary reason the show’s ending is that Benjamin is going to work for WOTC, we’ve also picked out some of our favorite Magic card designs to plant some good ideas in his head as he starts working to create this game that we love so much! Thank you to all of our supporters, Patrons, and listeners – making this show has been a delight and the messages we’ve received from you over the years and the hellos you’ve said at Magic tournaments have meant the world to us.

This is the final episode of Allied Strategies, and we have none other than the original co-host of the show, Neal Oliver, to reminisce about the past 6 years we’ve spent together! As the primary reason the show’s ending is that Benjamin is going to work for WOTC, we’ve also picked out some of our favorite Magic card designs to plant some good ideas in his head as he starts working to create this game that we love so much! Thank you to all of our supporters, Patrons, and listeners – making this show has been a delight and the messages we’ve received from you over the years and the hellos you’ve said at Magic tournaments have meant the world to us.

Episode 268 – Finality Found

Benjamin’s competing in the upcoming Zendikar Rising Championship – learn about the decks he’s chosen for both Standard and Historic and hear some bold claims about the power level of his cards!

Benjamin’s competing in the upcoming Zendikar Rising Championship – learn about the decks he’s chosen for both Standard and Historic and hear some bold claims about the power level of his cards!

Episode 267 – Ben Registers Ancestral Recall for the PT

This week’s episode features the debut of a fun new magic-card naming game, inspired by Alex Horne’s No More Jockeys. There’s also sporadic discussion of magic strategy, but really not very much so skip this episode if that’s what you’re looking for!

This week’s episode features the debut of a fun new magic-card naming game, inspired by Alex Horne’s No More Jockeys. There’s also sporadic discussion of magic strategy, but really not very much so skip this episode if that’s what you’re looking for!

Episode 266 – No More Doppelgangers

This week we’re taking a look at what went down at the MOCS, both in broad terms of how the metagames looked for the constructed formats and how Vintage Cube worked as a limited format, as well as some analysis of specific moments.

This week we’re taking a look at what went down at the MOCS, both in broad terms of how the metagames looked for the constructed formats and how Vintage Cube worked as a limited format, as well as some analysis of specific moments.

Episode 265 – MOCS Retrospective

This weekend is the MOCS – read about it here: https://magic.gg/news/2019-magic-online-championship-viewers-guide In this episode, we break down how Modern, Pioneer, and Cube are looking going into the weekend.

This weekend is the MOCS – read about it here: <a href="https://magic.gg/news/2019-magic-online-championship-viewers-guide" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://magic.gg/news/2019-magic-online-championship-viewers-guide</a> In this episode, we break down how Modern, Pioneer, and Cube are looking going into the weekend.

Episode 264 – MOCS Formats Overview

This week we’re taking a look at several of the decks that occupy the most sizeable portions of the Standard metagame. Though there are some clear pillars of the format, there’s a lot left to explore and a lot of opportunity for a savvy player to be rewarded for good deck selection, building, and tuning, and it’s shaping up to be a format that remains interesting for some time.

This week we’re taking a look at several of the decks that occupy the most sizeable portions of the Standard metagame. Though there are some clear pillars of the format, there’s a lot left to explore and a lot of opportunity for a savvy player to be rewarded for good deck selection, building, and tuning, and it’s shaping up to be a format that remains interesting for some time.

Episode 263 – ZNR Standard Metagame Snapshot

This week we’re busting out an old segment, Will of the Council, in which we present two options, vote on them, and then declare the loser stupid. We also discuss the new style of broadcasting for organized play, and some fun games to play during quarantine. Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”)

This week we’re busting out an old segment, Will of the Council, in which we present two options, vote on them, and then declare the loser stupid. We also discuss the new style of broadcasting for organized play, and some fun games to play during quarantine. Download this episode <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.wordpress.com/f271b1e8-2ada-4e8b-a2d2-d2a6d5d8fb6e" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”)

Episode 262 – Will of the Council

This week we’re taking a strategic look at the London Mulligan and discussing how it impacts gameplay, deck selection, deck building, and mulligan decision-making. This was inspired by a blog post by Alex Majlaton, read that here: https://neverdraftingagain.blogspot.com/2020/10/we-probably-dont-understand-london.html Here’s the reference image for the end story:

This week we’re taking a strategic look at the London Mulligan and discussing how it impacts gameplay, deck selection, deck building, and mulligan decision-making. This was inspired by a blog post by Alex Majlaton, read that here: <a href="https://neverdraftingagain.blogspot.com/2020/10/we-probably-dont-understand-london.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://neverdraftingagain.blogspot.com/2020/10/we-probably-dont-understand-london.html</a> Here’s the reference image for the end story:

Episode 261 – London Mulligan Strategy

FLASH

This week we covered the 2020 Season Grand Finals. Topics include Benjamin’s tournament results and deck thoughts, Intentional Draws in the digital age, and the future of Standard. Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”)

This week we covered the 2020 Season Grand Finals. Topics include Benjamin’s tournament results and deck thoughts, Intentional Draws in the digital age, and the future of Standard. Download this episode <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2020/10/allied-strategies-260.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”)

Episode 260 – Omnath’s Flash in the Pan

This week Benjamin is getting ready for a tournament he’s decided to refer to as Worlds! Learn all about the Standard and Historic metagames he’s expecting and the decks he’s picked for each format. Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”)

This week Benjamin is getting ready for a tournament he’s decided to refer to as Worlds! Learn all about the Standard and Historic metagames he’s expecting and the decks he’s picked for each format. Download this episode <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2020/10/allied-strategies-259.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”)

Episode 259 – Benjamin Prepares for Worlds

Each week, our three expert hosts dive into competitive Magic strategy. We create deck guides, explore theoretical concepts, and examine cards from upcoming sets to predict how they'll affect the metagame.

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑

Expert analysis by pro-tour competitors and PTQ grinders.  The sound quality is also now excellent.

Good sound, better strategy

Allied Strategies Magic the Gathering Podcast

We’ve been to hundreds of Magic tournaments in the real world, and there are some nuances to the process that we decided to spend an episode discussing. Learn about the process of choosing which tournaments to attend, how to get there, where to stay, what to eat, and more! Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”) https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/allied-strategies-228.mp3

We’ve been to hundreds of Magic tournaments in the real world, and there are some nuances to the process that we decided to spend an episode discussing. Learn about the process of choosing which tournaments to attend, how to get there, where to stay, what to eat, and more! Download this episode <a href="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/allied-strategies-228.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”) <a href="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/allied-strategies-228.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/allied-strategies-228.mp3</a>

Episode 228 – Optimizing IRL Tournaments

For the millionth week in the row we’re going to talk about Dominaria cards! Theorizing about this set hasn’t gotten old yet – and after prerelease weekend we got together to talk about how some of these cards might impact the Modern metagame, which is famously stable and diverse at the moment. Ben’s already gotten an unassuming 1-drop creature into a Modern deck, one that you may not even have heard of before this episode! We’ve also got a twitter handle now, @alliedstrats! Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”) https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/allied-strategies-135.mp3

For the millionth week in the row we’re going to talk about Dominaria cards! Theorizing about this set hasn’t gotten old yet – and after prerelease weekend we got together to talk about how some of these cards might impact the Modern metagame, which is famously stable and diverse at the moment. Ben’s already gotten an unassuming 1-drop creature into a Modern deck, one that you may not even have heard of before this episode! We’ve also got a twitter handle now, @alliedstrats! Download this episode <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/allied-strategies-135.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”) <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/allied-strategies-135.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/allied-strategies-135.mp3</a>

Episode 135 – Dominaria in Modern

There’s a whole new format that’s been announced since we last Podded – read all about Pioneer here: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/announcing-pioneer-format-2019-10-21 We’re examining the format’s crucial characteristics – what is the mana like? What are the cards legal in this format that are banned in others? What’s the removal like? Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”) https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/allied-strategies-212.mp3

There’s a whole new format that’s been announced since we last Podded – read all about Pioneer here: <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/announcing-pioneer-format-2019-10-21" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/announcing-pioneer-format-2019-10-21</a> We’re examining the format’s crucial characteristics – what is the mana like? What are the cards legal in this format that are banned in others? What’s the removal like? Download this episode <a href="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/allied-strategies-212.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”) <a href="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/allied-strategies-212.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/allied-strategies-212.mp3</a>

Episode 212 – Musings on Pioneer

This episode is an in-depth guide to another great Modern deck powered by Mox Opal and Ancient Stirrings! Hardened Scales is an enchantment that combines with every creature in the deck to generate ridiculous bursts of value that are often immediately lethal through surprising board states and life totals. We went over every card in the 75 and talked about their synergies, sideboard strategies, and the vulnerabilities of the deck. Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”) Here’s the full decklist: 1 Evolutionary Leap 2 Welding Jar 3 Throne of Geth 4 Mox Opal 4 Hardened Scales 4 Ancient Stirrings 2 Sparring Construct 4 Walking Ballista 4 Steel Overseer 4 Hangarback Walker 4 Arcbound Worker 4 Arcbound Ravager 1 Pendelhaven 2 Horizon Canopy 2 Blinkmoth Nexus 4 Darksteel Citadel 4 Inkmoth Nexus 7 Forest Sideboard 4 Nature’s Claim 1 Nissa, Voice of Zendikar 2 Relic of Progenitus 2 Gut Shot 2 Dismember 3 Damping Sphere 1 Evolutionary Leap https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/allied-strategies-146.mp3

This episode is an in-depth guide to another great Modern deck powered by Mox Opal and Ancient Stirrings! Hardened Scales is an enchantment that combines with every creature in the deck to generate ridiculous bursts of value that are often immediately lethal through surprising board states and life totals. We went over every card in the 75 and talked about their synergies, sideboard strategies, and the vulnerabilities of the deck. Download this episode <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/allied-strategies-146.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”) Here’s the full decklist: 1 Evolutionary Leap 2 Welding Jar 3 Throne of Geth 4 Mox Opal 4 Hardened Scales 4 Ancient Stirrings 2 Sparring Construct 4 Walking Ballista 4 Steel Overseer 4 Hangarback Walker 4 Arcbound Worker 4 Arcbound Ravager 1 Pendelhaven 2 Horizon Canopy 2 Blinkmoth Nexus 4 Darksteel Citadel 4 Inkmoth Nexus 7 Forest Sideboard 4 Nature’s Claim 1 Nissa, Voice of Zendikar 2 Relic of Progenitus 2 Gut Shot 2 Dismember 3 Damping Sphere 1 Evolutionary Leap <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/allied-strategies-146.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/allied-strategies-146.mp3</a>

Episode 146 – Hardened Scales Deck Guide

You can learn a lot about a format from its cycle of multicolored uncommons. At the very least, they hint at what sort of archetype each two color pair might default to, but their relative power level can also influence which of those color pairs is strongest to draft. This week on Allied Strategies we’re taking a thorough look at all ten of Dominaria’s gold uncommons, discussing how they might play, and eventually ranking them on power level. Download this week’s episode here! (right click and “save as…”) https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/allied-strategies-134.mp3

You can learn a lot about a format from its cycle of multicolored uncommons. At the very least, they hint at what sort of archetype each two color pair might default to, but their relative power level can also influence which of those color pairs is strongest to draft. This week on Allied Strategies we’re taking a thorough look at all ten of Dominaria’s gold uncommons, discussing how they might play, and eventually ranking them on power level. Download this week’s episode <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/allied-strategies-134.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”) <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/allied-strategies-134.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/allied-strategies-134.mp3</a>

Episode 134 – Dominaria’s Gold Uncommons

Last week we were excited by the cards that had been spoiled from Dominaria. This week things have gotten even more promising, with a bunch of spoilers that offer great potential to the deckbuilder willing to build around them. We’ve picked some such cards to talk about to try to determine which might be Standard all-stars and which might not pan out. We also have each created our very own Signature Spellbooks in our newest and flashiest segment, ‘This Week in Magic.’ There’s a twist though – we each reveal seven of our eight cards, then the other hosts guess the final one. How well do we know each other? Find out in this episode! Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”) https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/allied-strategies-132.mp3

Last week we were excited by the cards that had been spoiled from Dominaria. This week things have gotten even more promising, with a bunch of spoilers that offer great potential to the deckbuilder willing to build around them. We’ve picked some such cards to talk about to try to determine which might be Standard all-stars and which might not pan out. We also have each created our very own Signature Spellbooks in our newest and flashiest segment, ‘This Week in Magic.’ There’s a twist though – we each reveal seven of our eight cards, then the other hosts guess the final one. How well do we know each other? Find out in this episode! Download this episode <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/allied-strategies-132.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”) <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/allied-strategies-132.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/allied-strategies-132.mp3</a>

Episode 132 – Dominaria Cards that Might be Great

With Limited Grands Prix fast approaching, we decided to use this week to talk about our initial thoughts of the M19 Sealed format now that we’ve played some combination of physical and online Prerelease events. We’ve also got a Mailbag episode coming up for Episode #150 (so 5 episodes from now) – if you have any questions you’d like us to answer, send them to us here, on our Patreon, on our Twitter, via carrier Pigeon, in person at GP Sacramento, or really any other way you can think of. Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”) https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/allied-strategies-145.mp3

With Limited Grands Prix fast approaching, we decided to use this week to talk about our initial thoughts of the M19 Sealed format now that we’ve played some combination of physical and online Prerelease events. We’ve also got a Mailbag episode coming up for Episode #150 (so 5 episodes from now) – if you have any questions you’d like us to answer, send them to us here, on our Patreon, on our Twitter, via carrier Pigeon, in person at GP Sacramento, or really any other way you can think of. Download this episode <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/allied-strategies-145.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”) <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/allied-strategies-145.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/allied-strategies-145.mp3</a>

Episode 145 – M19 Sealed Primer

The full spoiler for Guilds of Ravnica is out and there are dozens of cards (and millions of lines of text on them) that are interesting in the context of Standard. Join us this week as we select a few such cards and discuss their potential merits in the post-rotation world. You may also get a leg up on your competition as you learn from Ben’s mistakes how the cards actually function rather than how they would function if you were illiterate. We’ve also made some changes to our Patreon rewards and added an exciting new tier of benefits – check it out over at https://www.patreon.com/alliedstrategies Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”) https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/allied-strategies-155.mp3

The full spoiler for Guilds of Ravnica is out and there are dozens of cards (and millions of lines of text on them) that are interesting in the context of Standard. Join us this week as we select a few such cards and discuss their potential merits in the post-rotation world. You may also get a leg up on your competition as you learn from Ben’s mistakes how the cards actually function rather than how they would function if you were illiterate. We’ve also made some changes to our Patreon rewards and added an exciting new tier of benefits – check it out over at <a href="https://www.patreon.com/alliedstrategies" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/alliedstrategies</a> Download this episode <a href="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/allied-strategies-155.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”) <a href="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/allied-strategies-155.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/allied-strategies-155.mp3</a>

Episode 155 – Guilds in Standard

Ben’s been trying to make dinosaur decks work in Standard for the past few weeks, and this week he’s sharing that process and the resulting decks with us! We also talk about a few of the other decks Ben’s been working with, as well as Bant Approach, a deck that Tristan has been having success and fun with. Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”) Here is a link to Ben’s R/G dinos list as featured on Channelfireball. https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/allied-strategies-126.mp3

Ben’s been trying to make dinosaur decks work in Standard for the past few weeks, and this week he’s sharing that process and the resulting decks with us! We also talk about a few of the other decks Ben’s been working with, as well as Bant Approach, a deck that Tristan has been having success and fun with. Download this episode <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/allied-strategies-126.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”) <a href="https://www.channelfireball.com/articles/deck-of-the-day-r-g-dinos-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Here</a> is a link to Ben’s R/G dinos list as featured on Channelfireball. <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/allied-strategies-126.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/allied-strategies-126.mp3</a>

Episode 126 – A Slice of Standard

The 2019 Core Set is fast approaching, and in classic Allied Strategies fashion, we’ve picked out a few cards each to talk about in terms of constructed (almost entirely Standard). We also spent a bit of time talking about Grand Prix Vegas, which was the first GP in half a year that all three of us attended. Right now, the poll for the subject of our next Patreon Deck Episode is up on our Patreon for Friends of the Podcast to vote on – it’ll show up in this feed for everyone one week after Patrons get access to it! Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”) https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/allied-strategies-142.mp3

The 2019 Core Set is fast approaching, and in classic Allied Strategies fashion, we’ve picked out a few cards each to talk about in terms of constructed (almost entirely Standard). We also spent a bit of time talking about Grand Prix Vegas, which was the first GP in half a year that all three of us attended. Right now, the poll for the subject of our next Patreon Deck Episode is up on our <a href="http://patreon.com/alliedstrategies" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a> for Friends of the Podcast to vote on – it’ll show up in this feed for everyone one week after Patrons get access to it! Download this episode <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/allied-strategies-142.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”) <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/allied-strategies-142.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/allied-strategies-142.mp3</a>

Episode 142 – M19 First Look: Constructed

How will the mechanics of Guilds of Ravnica play in the limited environment? We’ve analyzed each of them individually to bring you thorough predictions about how they’ll play, what patterns they’ll incentivize, and how highly you’ll need to prioritize certain effects. We also discussed the tension or accord created by mechanics overlapping in colors, and how that could lead to fierce competition over certain types of cards in draft while leaving other powerful effects to the only drafter at the table who is interested. Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”) https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/allied-strategies-153.mp3

How will the mechanics of Guilds of Ravnica play in the limited environment? We’ve analyzed each of them individually to bring you thorough predictions about how they’ll play, what patterns they’ll incentivize, and how highly you’ll need to prioritize certain effects. We also discussed the tension or accord created by mechanics overlapping in colors, and how that could lead to fierce competition over certain types of cards in draft while leaving other powerful effects to the only drafter at the table who is interested. Download this episode <a href="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/allied-strategies-153.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”) <a href="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/allied-strategies-153.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/allied-strategies-153.mp3</a>

Episode 153 – Guilds of Ravnica Mechanics

Ben joins us from the past this week for a special timeshifted episode to discuss the decks that he tested for Pro Tour Dominaria. This Pro Tour was notably different than most due to the longer time gap between the set’s release and the event – how did this affect testing? This set also brought an unusually high number of potentially great cards – what does that mean for a team’s Pro Tour testing plan? Find out answers to these questions and more on this week’s episode! Next week we’ll return to our usual schedule with non-timeshifted content! Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”)   https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/allied-strategies-139.mp3

Ben joins us from the past this week for a special timeshifted episode to discuss the decks that he tested for Pro Tour Dominaria. This Pro Tour was notably different than most due to the longer time gap between the set’s release and the event – how did this affect testing? This set also brought an unusually high number of potentially great cards – what does that mean for a team’s Pro Tour testing plan? Find out answers to these questions and more on this week’s episode! Next week we’ll return to our usual schedule with non-timeshifted content! Download this episode <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/allied-strategies-139.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”) <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/allied-strategies-139.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/allied-strategies-139.mp3</a>

Episode 139 – PT Dominaria Prep

Last week’s formula worked so great that we decided to run it back – we’ve picked even more M19 cards that are even equally as exciting as last week and we broke down how they might fit into standard. Don’t worry, we didn’t forget to account for the 1-toughness tax! Next week, on this feed, you’ll get access to our most recent Patreon Deck Episode one day before our next episode airs. If you’re a Patron, you already can listen over on your Patreon Feed! Next week’s regularly scheduled episode will cover M19 limited. Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”) https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/allied-strategies-143.mp3

Last week’s formula worked so great that we decided to run it back – we’ve picked even more M19 cards that are even equally as exciting as last week and we broke down how they might fit into standard. Don’t worry, we didn’t forget to account for the 1-toughness tax! Next week, on this feed, you’ll get access to our most recent Patreon Deck Episode one day before our next episode airs. If you’re a Patron, you already can listen over on your Patreon Feed! Next week’s regularly scheduled episode will cover M19 limited. Download this episode <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/allied-strategies-143.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”) <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/allied-strategies-143.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/allied-strategies-143.mp3</a>

Episode 143 – M19 Second Look: Constructed

This week’s Episode is coming out early, partially due to holiday timings, and partially so you can hear it before too many of the Pioneer PTQs that are scheduled for this week are in the past! We’re taking a look at the format through the lens of the Pillars of the Format, like Thoughtseize, and Field of the Dead, and will try to help explain what the field looks like and what strategies work well against each other. We also have a Special Guest this week, Carolyn Kavanagh, host of the FAM: Friends and Magic Podcast! Check it out anywhere you can find a Podcast, or find her at https://www.twitch.tv/themightylinguine and https://twitter.com/MightyLinguine Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”) https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/allied-strategies-217.mp3

This week’s Episode is coming out early, partially due to holiday timings, and partially so you can hear it before too many of the Pioneer PTQs that are scheduled for this week are in the past! We’re taking a look at the format through the lens of the Pillars of the Format, like Thoughtseize, and Field of the Dead, and will try to help explain what the field looks like and what strategies work well against each other. We also have a Special Guest this week, Carolyn Kavanagh, host of the FAM: Friends and Magic Podcast! Check it out anywhere you can find a Podcast, or find her at <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/themightylinguine" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.twitch.tv/themightylinguine</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/MightyLinguine" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/MightyLinguine</a> Download this episode <a href="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/allied-strategies-217.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”) <a href="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/allied-strategies-217.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/allied-strategies-217.mp3</a>

Episode 217 – Pillars of Pioneer with Carolyn

Sam Pardee joins the show this week to dive deep into the nuances of Red decks in Standard. Many guides lump all Red decks together, but you can gain an edge by figuring out what specific plan your opponent is enacting, and by carefully paying attention to which cards they’ve played you can infer much of their decklist. This episode also goes into how figuring out which specific Red deck you’re up against can inform how you play the match and how you approach the sideboarded games. Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”) https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/allied-strategies-152.mp3

Sam Pardee joins the show this week to dive deep into the nuances of Red decks in Standard. Many guides lump all Red decks together, but you can gain an edge by figuring out what specific plan your opponent is enacting, and by carefully paying attention to which cards they’ve played you can infer much of their decklist. This episode also goes into how figuring out which specific Red deck you’re up against can inform how you play the match and how you approach the sideboarded games. Download this episode <a href="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/allied-strategies-152.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”) <a href="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/allied-strategies-152.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/allied-strategies-152.mp3</a>

Episode 152 – The Flavors of Red

This week’s episode is all about the Mulligan – largely focused on one controversial mulligan in particular made recently by Ross Merriam. Here’s the post he made about it, which we reference heavily during the show: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qJ-c6wVr09evcVdTim09lE_EiHPMSRUkFniyMV0PlMk/ – huge thanks to him for making this reasoning public, which made this episode possible! Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”) https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/allied-strategies-191.mp3

This week’s episode is all about the Mulligan – largely focused on one controversial mulligan in particular made recently by Ross Merriam. Here’s the post he made about it, which we reference heavily during the show: <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qJ-c6wVr09evcVdTim09lE_EiHPMSRUkFniyMV0PlMk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qJ-c6wVr09evcVdTim09lE_EiHPMSRUkFniyMV0PlMk/</a> – huge thanks to him for making this reasoning public, which made this episode possible! Download this episode <a href="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/allied-strategies-191.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”) <a href="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/allied-strategies-191.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/allied-strategies-191.mp3</a>

Episode 191 – The Mulligan

This week, after a healthy amount of nonsense and Happy Birthday singing, we covered the 8 decklists in the MPL this weekend. Here is a link to those lists if you’d like to follow along: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/competitive-gaming/eldraine-split-sapphire-division-decklists Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”) https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/allied-strategies-209.mp3

This week, after a healthy amount of nonsense and Happy Birthday singing, we covered the 8 decklists in the MPL this weekend. Here is a link to those lists if you’d like to follow along: <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/competitive-gaming/eldraine-split-sapphire-division-decklists" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/competitive-gaming/eldraine-split-sapphire-division-decklists</a> Download this episode <a href="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/allied-strategies-209.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”) <a href="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/allied-strategies-209.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/allied-strategies-209.mp3</a>

Episode 209 – First Decks of the Format

This week we’re covering Red Black Fires – Ben’s been playing the deck a ton so he has a bunch of information to share! Here’s John Rolf’s list: 4 MIDNIGHT REAPER 4 CAULDRON FAMILIAR 4 CAVALIER OF FLAME 4 MAYHEM DEVIL 4 GOD-ETERNAL BONTU 4 STORMFIST CRUSADER Sorceries: 2 COVETOUS URGE (this is the most flexible spot in the list) Artifacts: 4 WITCH’S OVEN Enchantments: 4 FIRES OF INVENTION Lands: 7 SWAMP 2 MOUNTAIN 4 FABLED PASSAGE 4 BLOOD CRYPT 4 STEAM VENTS 2 CASTLE LOCTHWAIN 3 BLOODFELL CAVES Sideboard: 3 DURESS 1 FLAME SWEEP 4 RITUAL OF SOOT 2 SCORCHING DRAGONFIRE 1 REDCAP MELEE 2 BEDEVIL 2 COVETOUS URGE Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”) https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/allied-strategies-218.mp3

This week we’re covering Red Black Fires – Ben’s been playing the deck a ton so he has a bunch of information to share! Here’s John Rolf’s list: 4 MIDNIGHT REAPER 4 CAULDRON FAMILIAR 4 CAVALIER OF FLAME 4 MAYHEM DEVIL 4 GOD-ETERNAL BONTU 4 STORMFIST CRUSADER Sorceries: 2 COVETOUS URGE (this is the most flexible spot in the list) Artifacts: 4 WITCH’S OVEN Enchantments: 4 FIRES OF INVENTION Lands: 7 SWAMP 2 MOUNTAIN 4 FABLED PASSAGE 4 BLOOD CRYPT 4 STEAM VENTS 2 CASTLE LOCTHWAIN 3 BLOODFELL CAVES Sideboard: 3 DURESS 1 FLAME SWEEP 4 RITUAL OF SOOT 2 SCORCHING DRAGONFIRE 1 REDCAP MELEE 2 BEDEVIL 2 COVETOUS URGE Download this episode <a href="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/allied-strategies-218.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”) <a href="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/allied-strategies-218.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/allied-strategies-218.mp3</a>

Episode 218 – RB Fires

Sam Pardee breaks down the nuances of the aggro matchup against control on this week’s episode. You’ll learn how to change your plan of attack against your control opponent based on the specifics of each player’s deck. We’ll also cover the complicated art of playing around sweepers and countermagic, cards that your control opponents are sure to be playing and about which you’ll need to make tough choices to play into. Finally, we’ll dive into how the matchup can change with the introduction of the sideboard. The episode is full of examples from current and past Standards, Modern, and even a bit of Legacy! Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”) https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/allied-strategies-154.mp3

Sam Pardee breaks down the nuances of the aggro matchup against control on this week’s episode. You’ll learn how to change your plan of attack against your control opponent based on the specifics of each player’s deck. We’ll also cover the complicated art of playing around sweepers and countermagic, cards that your control opponents are sure to be playing and about which you’ll need to make tough choices to play into. Finally, we’ll dive into how the matchup can change with the introduction of the sideboard. The episode is full of examples from current and past Standards, Modern, and even a bit of Legacy! Download this episode <a href="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/allied-strategies-154.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”) <a href="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/allied-strategies-154.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/allied-strategies-154.mp3</a>

Episode 154 – Playing Aggro against Control

Playing a Magic tournament with only a dozen or two other players is a very different experience from the large fields of a Grand Prix or even a Pro Tour. Especially with a format like modern, you can make metagame predictions based off your knowledge of other players’ preferences, such as Reid Duke’s Jund, Craig Wescoe’s Thalia, and Corey Burkhart’s Grixis. This week we took a close look at the recent MOCS event and discussed how to approach tournaments like it, using some knowledge gained from Ben’s experience at last year’s MOCS. We also spent some time talking about Modern in general, and how great Bloodbraid Elf is. Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”) https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/allied-strategies-128.mp3

Playing a Magic tournament with only a dozen or two other players is a very different experience from the large fields of a Grand Prix or even a Pro Tour. Especially with a format like modern, you can make metagame predictions based off your knowledge of other players’ preferences, such as Reid Duke’s Jund, Craig Wescoe’s Thalia, and Corey Burkhart’s Grixis. This week we took a close look at the recent MOCS event and discussed how to approach tournaments like it, using some knowledge gained from Ben’s experience at last year’s MOCS. We also spent some time talking about Modern in general, and how great Bloodbraid Elf is. Download this episode <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/allied-strategies-128.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a> (right click and “save as…”) <a href="https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/allied-strategies-128.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://alliedstrategiespodcast.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/allied-strategies-128.mp3</a>

Episode 128 – Modern at the MOCS

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