Episode 007 — Legacy in the Land of the Rising Sun

Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back! This week the Brainstorm crew talks GP Kyoto. There were some crazy card choices and a metagame very different from the US’s or Europe’s showed up. Given the limited information Wizards released about the event, we did our best to go over what was popular, what dominated, and what was new. Please refer to the links below for the Top 8 decklists and a really quality SNL sketch.

GP Kyoto Top 8 Decklists

SNL’s Maine Justice

Episode 005 — Invi (and Other Deadly Sins)

The Brainstorm Show is back after a weekend off playing at the SCG Invitational in Richmond. In this (much shorter) episode, we discuss how Phil and Wilson chose their deck, how the metagame felt, and which decks you should consider for the near future. The Richmond Invitational was full of bittersweet moments, and some utter depravity. We hope you enjoy!

Episode 004 — Miracles

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Brainstorm Show. In this episode, we bring back Phil Braverman for his first episode as an official co-host! This week we give Miracles the same treatment we gave ANT, with deck building philosophy and two-way matchup analysis. If this show format appeals to you and you want us to continue doing these deep deck analyses, please let us know in the comments. Links to referenced decklists are including below. Enjoy the show!

Phil Braverman’s current list (March 2015)

4 Sensei’s Divining Top
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Counterbalance
2 Counterspell
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Councils Judgement
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4 Force of Will
4 Terminus
2 Entreat the Angels
3 Dig Through Time

2 Arid Mesa
4 Flooded Strand
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Island
2 Plains
3 Tundra
3 Volcanic Island

Sideboard
1 Pithing Needle
1 Spell Pierce
2 Flusterstorm
2 Pyroblast
1 Red Elemental Blast
1 Wear//Tear
2 Rest in Peace
2 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Batterskull
2 Blood Moon

Phil’s GPNJ Top 8 List (Stoneforge Miracles)
RiP/Helm Miracles
Joe Lossett’s Legendary Miracles
Philipp Schonneger’s Ponder Miracles
Jim Davis’ BUG Delver

Episode 003 — The Good Side of Bad

After a short hiatus, Wilson and Paul are back to talk about the “bad” decks in Legacy and why you should not only be prepared for them but also appreciate them. Phillip “Tremaine” Braverman is off galavanting on a nude beach somewhere with his parents, so Wilson and I decided to have a little fun with this episode. Next week, expect Phil and Wilson to tell everyone how they approach Miracles, its matchups and how to play/combat it. For your reference, below you will find links to the most recent and highest placing finish of each deck that we discuss here. Hope you enjoy!

LED Dredge
Manaless Dredge
Belcher
Oops! All Spells
Big Zoo
Cheerios
Pox
MUD (Metalworker)
Burn
Tezzerator
Enchantress (G/W)
12-Post
Dragon Stompy

Episode 002 — Ad Nauseam Tendrils (ANT)

In this episode, we invite GP New Jersey Top 8 competitor, Phillip Braverman, onto the show to help us discuss ANT. Wilson and Phil go back and forth about key matchups, what cards matter in each, and how to craft the game from both sides of the table.

We also talk about Wilson’s most recent ANT list and we hear why he thinks you shouldn’t even be playing Ad Nauseam in the mainboard! Here is the list for your reference:

Main:

4x Polluted Delta
2x Flooded Strand
1x Misty Rainforest
1x Scalding Tarn
1x Bloodstained Mire
2x Underground Sea
1x Volcanic Island
2x Island
1x Swamp

4x Lion’s Eye Diamond
4x Lotus Petal
4x Dark Ritual
4x Cabal Ritual

4x Brainstorm
4x Ponder
4x Gitaxian Probe

4x Duress
3x Cabal Therapy

4x Infernal Tutor
2x Grim Tutor
2x Past in Flames
1x Empty the Warrens
1x Tendrils of Agony

Sideboard:

1x Tropical Island
2x Xantid Swarm
3x Abrupt Decay
1x Ad Nauseam
2x Chain of Vapor
2x Thoughtseize
2x Massacre
1x Inquisition of Kozilek
1x Ill-gotten Gains

Episode 001 – Overview of the Legacy Metagame

In this, the inaugural episode of the Brainstorm Show, Wilson and Paul talk a little bit about themselves and a lot bit about the Legacy metagame as it stood in February 2015. We lay out our philosophy as a show — that we will never take card choices as givens and we will seek to objectively analyze the deckbuilding decisions we make to compete in various metagames.