Explore every episode of the podcast Magic Numbers
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| #130 - Causal Magic with Shivam Bhatt | 22 Aug 2024 | 01:19:23 | |
Today, a different episode. I started offering coaching, and to give you the insight into my method, I invited a Commander legend, Shivam. He told me he was struggling a bit with BLB draft (aren't we all) and wanted a second pair of eyes on his drafting. We go through his draft and try to identify where the potential problems lay. As it is Shivam, plenty of anecdotes in between, but eventually we identify some problems with his lane and hopefully - his next drafts will be better for it. You can find Shivam 24.7 on twitter - and it is a joy. A true oasis of positivity in the bitter world of Magic content creation. https://x.com/ghirapurigears If you are interested in coaching - ping me a message. On Discord. On Twitter. You can find my socials on https://linktr.ee/sierkovitz Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! Watch this episode and see the slides: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbviD8zbFaU This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. You can get the BulkBox at https://www.bulkbox.co.uk/store/ if you are in the UK. Remember to use SIERKO10 code for a 10% discount! If you are outside of UK, you can find your local distributor on the BulkBox website. Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 | |||
| #129 - Why top Limited players win more? Bloomburrow Edition | 13 Aug 2024 | 01:49:13 | |
Some players win more consistently. Surely there is more to that than pure luck? I look at the data of the top 17Lands.com users from Bloomburrow BO1 draft to try to see - what cards do they prioritise and what cards do they win more with. And try to speculate why that might be so. But wait, there's more! Some cards are generically good and will make the vast majority of decks they are in better. Some cards are more niche. Bloomburrow being a typal synergy decks has some not-so-secret gold cards - cards that work in only one archetype, but not another. But it is not alway obvious. There are "false friends" among us. Some Racoons secretly want to be played with Mice. Some Bats are Lizards in disguise. I go through most commons and uncommons and using data try to figure out best homes from them. And worst homes for what it is worth. Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! Watch this episode and see the slides: https://youtu.be/MvR7clSuFIg This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. You can get the BulkBox at https://www.bulkbox.co.uk/store/ if you are in the UK. Remember to use SIERKO10 code for a 10% discount! If you are outside of UK, you can find your local distributor on the BulkBox website. Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 | |||
| #120 - OTJ set re-review with Chord_o_Calls | 31 May 2024 | 01:14:57 | |
This week me and Alex, AKA Chord_o_Calls, come back to our prerelease predictions of the OTJ set. We evaluated every card then - but how did our predictions pan out? This review is not design to pat ourselves on the back - we focus on mistakes and try to figure out why we made them. Do we have one-off issue or is there some systematic bias in how we assess the cards. This episode is key if you want to improve in card evaluation - might be useful with MH3 on the horizon. Yes. I went there. Alex is one of the leading limited brains on this planet. If you don't follow him or his podcast - Limited Level-Ups - you are missing out. Check out his YT to learn more!
Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. You can get the BulkBox at https://www.bulkbox.co.uk/store/ if you are in the UK. Remember to use SIERKO10 code for a 10% discount! If you are outside of UK, you can find your local distributor on the BulkBox website. Watch this episode and see the slides: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw_7BqDU9sc Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 | |||
| #27 - Marrying Your First Pick | 19 Mar 2022 | 01:02:01 | |
Today I will be looking at differences between how late you will see cards in Pack 1 and Pack 3 of the draft. We will look at the 17Lands ALSA measure to find those differences. What is ALSA you might ask? Well I will describe it in detail and even visualize it. Looking at differences between P1 and P3 may seem unnecessarily deep, but there are big differences between how we draft pack 1 and pack 3 and knowing how it works could give you a nice edge. Which cards are almost ungettable in P1 but will travel further in P3? Which cards are relatively easy to get in P1 but get trickier to get in P3? I also look at the impact of playing your first pick. Do you get a boost from playing it or not? Spoiler: the boost is tiny, which means that all the advantages of sticking to your first pick are eaten by the drawbacks of forcing the 1st pick when you should pivot. I will also look at the anatomy of draft decks. Do trophy decks differ from others in terms of playing the first picks? Maybe they play more later picks? Well, only one way to find out. Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/watch?v=MVvuwXsNz6I Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #26 - Aggro, Midrange, Control | 10 Mar 2022 | 01:21:26 | |
Today I look at the early evolution of the Kamigawa draft format. How did Arena users' evaluations change over the first two weeks? What does it mean to your drafting? I also try a new method of quantifying if a deck is aggro, midrange or controlling and look at the colour combinations from that perspective to see what do they "want" to achieve. And I shed some light on the Neon Dynasty worst-kept secret. Look at that clickbait. Ok, it is about the numbers behind Kami of Terrible Secrets, I can't bait. Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqjTgIhPYnc Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #25 - Breaking the Sealed | 05 Mar 2022 | 01:15:24 | |
This week I look at the differences between NEO Draft and Sealed - which cards do differently, which cards to consider more carefully while building your pool. Apart from that, I look at the Artifact-Enchantment spectrum within the format. What are the optimal numbers of those two types in your deck, are there any trends in relation to the number of cards of those types you play? Based on that I also look at some of the interesting cards in Kamigawa and try to provide numbers that will help you decide whether you should play them or not. Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeOO8Lb8ukU Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #24 - The Sagas Begin; First Dive in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Limited Data | 21 Feb 2022 | 01:33:17 | |
Today we look into the early data from Kamigawa BO1 drafts. I try to explain how Ninjas can sneakily influence win rates of other cards and how to see just how naughty they have been with the data (spoiler: the effect is not that big but can lead you to thinking some cards are a bit better than they really are). I also look at which color pairs are open and speculate a bit on which colors can improve in the future. I also talk about each color pair, their MVPs and cards that have surprisingly high win rates. As always, all the data is courtesy of 17Lands.com Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeVw5PSGO84 You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #23 - Kamigawa Primer: From Neon Loneliness to Motorcycle Emptiness | 10 Feb 2022 | 02:02:55 | |
This episode is a primer for the new set, Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. I look at the vital statistics of the set, look at how the removal aligns with the creatures and compare it with some previous sets, to get you up to date on which conditional removal is particularly interesting and which can be potentially a dud. Then I go through all 10 archetypes, looking at cards that are key to them and trying to find some overlooked pockets of synergy and two card interactions. You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #22 - Kamigawa Neon Dynasty Limited Archetype Skeletons | 10 Feb 2022 | 02:54:56 | |
A bonus episode: audio of the Kamigawa Neon Dynasty skeleton discussion between myself, SLKerstens and JasonILTG. Cards to watch, combinations to test and a good general overview of what NEO has to offer. And it seems it has to offer a lot. VOD of the stream can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6et5lk3Mr0&feature=youtu.be You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #21 - When Two Become One | 04 Feb 2022 | 01:35:54 | |
This week I look at the numbers behind Double Feature drafts on Arena based on 17Lands data. Which colour pairs do best, why splashing sometimes matters, what cards over and underperform, what are the top commons and uncommons for each colour and why. I also look at each colour pair and talk about best signpost, best cards and overachievers worth mentioning for (almost) each of them. Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRLDgbY95RM You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #20 - VOW Takes a Bow | 26 Jan 2022 | 00:47:54 | |
Look at the VOW draft from the perspective of the whole format and a general look at the format evolution. What are the stages of the format getting mature? How can you use data to position yourself well in a more settled format? What numbers should you be looking at and at what stage? How does card evaluation change and how does it impact color pair strength? See the episode slides: https://bit.ly/magicnumbers20 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5ECEW5O_pg You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #19 - The Hand Smoother | 19 Jan 2022 | 00:42:59 | |
How does BO1 hand smoothing work? Based on +500k first hands from 17Lands.com, I could decipher what is going on. And knowing what it does and how it differs from paper/BO3 will help your deckbuilding. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8ijQCd55hI You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #18 - The Art of Forcing | 10 Jan 2022 | 00:59:35 | |
I look at Evidence Based Forcing: When and how to force decks, plus how to use data to do it in an organised fashion. Drafting the hard way is hard, but actually proper forcing is not easy either. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26QC8Vzgw9Y You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #119 - Figuring game plans using data | 31 May 2024 | 01:21:05 | |
Some draft archetypes are relatively straightforward. This will naturally mean that the data related to those archetypes will be of high quality as people are playing right cards in those decks. But some color pairs turn out to be more elusive for Arena users. And this means that a lot of the data related to those archetypes is based on badly built decks, which will underestimate the color pair's power in the generic datasets, leading to players undervaluing the color pair. This is an exploit you can use to gain some edge in the late season by evaluating the power of color pairs correctly. And data can help. Here I use data to figure out the plans for each color pair and then use it to identify cards essential for few undervalued color pairs. Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. You can get the BulkBox at https://www.bulkbox.co.uk/store/ if you are in the UK. Remember to use SIERKO10 code for a 10% discount! If you are outside of UK, you can find your local distributor on the BulkBox website. Watch this episode and see the slides: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5OzX00hMn0 Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332
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| Bonus: How to Draft Ikoria on Arena | 21 May 2024 | 01:35:51 | |
Ikoria is coming back to Arena for a week. It is my favourite draft format of all the ones I played. The definition and a gold standard of a high synergy format, fun, unique in so many ways - I would not be myself if I didn’t preach its merits. And there are so many. Hopefully after listening to this bonus episode you can try it and learn that it has so much more to offer than the common knowledge suggests. What is the Ikoria philosophy? What are its features? How to tame the micro synergies? How to master the macro-synergies? And what are some of my favourite build-arounds in the set of 1000 build-arounds. Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. You can get the BulkBox at https://www.bulkbox.co.uk/store/ if you are in the UK. Remember to use SIERKO10 code for a 10% discount! If you are outside of UK, you can find your local distributor on the BulkBox website. Watch this episode and see the slides: https://youtu.be/zdYuGdWLxqg Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332
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| #118 - Drafting OTJ | 17 May 2024 | 01:39:28 | |
This episode we look at the pack composition of OTJ play boosters. How many rares are there acually? What is the common frequency and how often do you get the cards from each of the many bonus sheets? On top of that - How should we approach pack one? Is sticking to one color a sustainable strategy? Should you diversify? And we look at the most attractive wheel targets, which also sheds some light on the most underdrafted archetypes. Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. You can get the BulkBox at https://www.bulkbox.co.uk/store/ if you are in the UK. Remember to use SIERKO10 code for a 10% discount! If you are outside of UK, you can find your local distributor on the BulkBox website. Watch this episode and see the slides: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s76bxbfC2I Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 | |||
| #117 - Learning to draft OTJ from top players | 08 May 2024 | 01:52:22 | |
Some strategies in draft are easier to reproduce at any skill level than others. In this episode I look at the cards, color pairs and strategies that top 17Lands.com users mastered but the general population still struggles with. What are the secrets of the best players? How do they build the decks others struggle with? Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. You can get the BulkBox at https://www.bulkbox.co.uk/store/ if you are in the UK. Remember to use SIERKO10 code for a 10% discount! If you are outside of UK, you can find your local distributor on the BulkBox website. Watch this episode and see the slides: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZhbzd_R4Aw Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332
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| #116 - Early Dive into OTJ data | 22 Apr 2024 | 02:08:44 | |
Early data from a draft format should be treated with caution, but also gives us some essential information on how to approach the format. I am talking about color power rankings, color pairs in the set to give you a general impression of the power level of each of them. But the real fun begins as I dive into each color pair and give you the best card, the hidden gem and the trap for each of the pairs at common and uncommon. Hidden in that data is some information on what each color pair wants to be doing in order to win. And this is the part where you will find the most surprising findings. Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. You can get the BulkBox at https://www.bulkbox.co.uk/store/ if you are in the UK. Remember to use SIERKO10 code for a 10% discount! If you are outside of UK, you can find your local distributor on the BulkBox website. Watch this episode and see the slides: https://youtu.be/hgW-Yu2IbuY Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 | |||
| #115 - Outlaws of Thunder Junction Draft Skeletons Stream with the Skeleton Crew | 10 Apr 2024 | 02:53:29 | |
It is that time of the Magic calendar again. I meet with Jason Ye, Adam (DDAVP) and Zach Kagan to talk about our vision for the upcoming set. Which cards are spiking our interest? Which cards are confusing us? Why do we think some archetypes are going to be great and some are going to be rubbish? We discuss our impressions of the new set, and after a lengthy debate, present our draft "skeletons" - realistically built propositions of decks you might want to try out yourself. From Azorius "I don't wanna cast things on my turn" to "Sultai deck that just wants 12 copies of Murder" - we have quite a collection of solutions. Not surprising really, given the selection of my co-host from among the most unique thinkers in Limited magic. Find my guests here btw: https://twitter.com/adam_ddavp Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Watch this episode and see the slides: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd4Sqr94LlQ Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 | |||
| #114 - Q&A | 10 Apr 2024 | 01:44:52 | |
This week I answered dozens of questions about data, how to analyse it, me, my pets, philosophy of analysing Magic, and more. Here are all the answers. Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Watch this episode and see the slides: https://youtu.be/9xHqge6vMY4 Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 | |||
| #113 - Playing multicolor in MKM draft | 26 Mar 2024 | 02:00:18 | |
In the late stages of the season it is nice to keep things fresh. And drafting a unique multicolor pile of cards might be the new lookout on the format you need to rejuvenate your interest in MKM. But 5 color decks on average have one significant problem. They tend to win less. Today's episode will look at how to make sure your multicolor deck is good. Which cards are essential, how much mana fixing do you need - I look in some detail to all those questions. On top of that, I use this episode to try and answer some more general questions related to multicolor decks. Like what is a better strategy: having a balanced 5C deck with each colors represented evenly, or a lopsided deck - when one color is dominant and other colors act as a support. Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Watch this episode and see the slides: https://youtu.be/XYAMUhMJcrA Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 | |||
| #112 - Revisiting MKM set review witch Chord_o_Calls | 19 Mar 2024 | 01:39:11 | |
This week we look back at the... BUT WAIT, WHO IS IT behind me with the steel chair!!!! Yes, Alex Nikolic AKA Chord_o_Calls came to visit me all the way from Canada and we used that time to record our set rereview. Set reviews are fun - you can speculate about which cards and colors are good, gives you the opportunity to think about the upcoming format. But usually noone comes back to them. Not us. Our main driving force in playing Magic is continuous improvement. And what better way to improve at card evaluation than see where you got it wrong and wonder why? We look at the cards we missed in evaluation, but, perhaps more importantly, at more general trends - which colors did we underestimate consistently, which colors did we (ok, mainly me) grossly overestimate. I am looking at you black. But this is not only an excercise in card evaluation. MKM proved to be a really good format, and I still draft it regularly. Looking at it through the lens of our review you get a good summary of how our understanding of the set evolved and get some good tips in playing it in the late format. If you don't follow Alex - grave mistake. He is one of the best Limited (imho THE best) educators so check out his YT, Twitter and Podcast. Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Watch this episode and see the slides: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmPFetpCAww Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 | |||
| #128 - Early Bloomburrow Draft Data | 06 Aug 2024 | 01:40:39 | |
Early data for every format is a bit of a minefield. On one hand it provides valuable information, on the other, can be misleading as it is largely based on the decks where players were still finding their footing in the new format. Join me in trying to decipher the data and find some cards that are obviously good or bad and some that may still be flying under the radar. I look at color and color pair power rankings and look at top, hidden gem and trap cards in each archetype.
Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! Watch this episode and see the slides: https://youtu.be/pD7La6IbEUM This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. You can get the BulkBox at https://www.bulkbox.co.uk/store/ if you are in the UK. Remember to use SIERKO10 code for a 10% discount! If you are outside of UK, you can find your local distributor on the BulkBox website. Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 | |||
| #111 - How to train a Pro Player in draft with Eduardo Sajgalik | 13 Mar 2024 | 02:19:29 | |
This week I have a guest - a Pro Player, caster, Magic theorist Eduardo Sajgalik, AKA Walaoumpa and we talk about his role as the Limited coach for the Pro Tour team Worldly Counsel. What differences and similarities are there in coaching the cream of the crop of Magic players? How can you use their strategies in self improvement - all in the context of MKM draft. Plus a completely unscripted bonus part with some chat questions and analysis of the current format which is imho an amazing depth insight into the format. Give Eduardo a follow at https://twitter.com/Walaoumpa Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Watch this episode and see the slides: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAm0eF9azXc Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 | |||
| #110 - The Secrets of ALSA (and MKM draft data) | 08 Mar 2024 | 01:05:01 | |
ALSA is a term that gets thrown around a lot in data-adjacent content about Limited. But what exactly is ALSA? And what is the full meaning of the number that hides itself behind those four letters? I take a deeper dive on that metric, looking to answer what it really is. And the first 17Lands data is publicly available so it is time to dive into draft data. Which cards go later in pack 3? What are the best 1st picks? And which cards can you wheel reliably - all that in the episode. Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Watch this episode and see the slides: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5SFxNrsvXU Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 | |||
| #109 - Learning to draft MKM from the top players through data | 04 Mar 2024 | 01:28:25 | |
Limited is hard. You need to be at a decent level of playing, know what is going on in the format, be able to build a coherent deck. Starting to draft can be a scary process. You get so much advice that is unintuitive, conflicting, confusing. A part of that is: advice is usually targeted at a particular group of players, but that group is rarely specified. Not today though. I look at the data from different win rate groups of players and try to tailor the advice to people whose win rate is slightly lower than the groups I talk about. You win ~50% of your games? No problem - look at what people winning 55% do differently from you. Winning 55% of the games already? Take a peek at the differences between your cohort and people winning 60% of their games. Winning 60%? No worries - look at some details of what your peers do and try to find your weakness. Hopefully seeing what types of cards better players prefer and thinking about why do they prefer them will aid you in your development as a drafter and make the process of learning to play Limited less scary. Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Watch this episode and see the slides: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAm0eF9azXc Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 | |||
| #108 - Early Dive into MKM Draft Data | 19 Feb 2024 | 02:00:16 | |
New format is pretty complicated and it may be tricky to find your footing in the first days. But fear not - the data is here to help us and I dive deep into card win rate to test what makes each color pair tick, which cards over-perform, and which are traps you should avoid. We look at the general picture of the format, speculate on what can the next few weeks bring and explore archetypes and what do the y want to be doing in the context of MKM. Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Watch this episode and see the slides: https://youtu.be/-UbCRz2Faf0 Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 | |||
| #107 - Cooking Limited Decks at Karlov Manor | 11 Feb 2024 | 01:12:52 | |
Magic has surprisingly lot of similarities to cooking and today, we are moving to haute cuisine. Deck-building theory-crafting. While waiting for the new set to be released I spend an amount of time I can't really excuse thinking about build-arounds in this formats. All those thoughts can't go to waste so this week we are looking at how I imagine some potentially fun off-piste decks in this format. Lot of it is theoretical, but aside from this, I lay out a framework for anyone on how to approach limited theory crafting. A great excercise to improve your Limited skills without spending a single gem. I look at three separate builds. One centered around Insidious Roots, Golgari enchantment that generates Plant tokens and grows them as creatures leave your graveyard. The second one is trying to turn Case File Auditor and Case of the Shattered Pact from a 5 color dream to a 5 color reality. Thirdly I look at how to make UR artifact sacrifice built around a powerful combo of the Case of the Filched Falcon and Gleaming Geardrake that lets you attack for 5 in the air on turn 3. But how to make that deck resilient when you don't draw the combo? We also talk a bit about Arena Economy, but following my philosophy of learning from the best - why not look at this article I mentioned in the seminar that dives deep into how to make Arena cheaper to play: https://www.cardmarket.com/en/Magic/Insight/Articles/inside-the-new-arena-economy Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Watch this episode and see the slides: https://youtu.be/71ekmv-eRlM Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 | |||
| #106 - Murders at Karlov Manor Draft Skeletrons | 01 Feb 2024 | 02:15:10 | |
Me, JasonILTG, Tajoordan and DDAVP look at the upcoming set and try to figure out how would we want a deck in each color pair to look like. To do so we first explore the format synergies and the cards we like and later assemble them in simple limited deck with some reasonable limitations (1-2 rares, 6-8 uncommons and rest just commons). Check this out if you are prepping for the prerelease and want to exercise your brain before the format hits Arena. My esteemed guests are all accomplished limited players: JasonILTG - https://twitter.com/jasoniltg Check out their site with some great articles: experimentalsynthesizer.blog/articles Adam AKA DDAVP - https://twitter.com/adam_ddavp And Tajoordan: They all stream so check their links in their Twitter bios. Slides for this episode are available for everyone at https://www.patreon.com/posts/slides-for-106-97522251 so you can look through our builds in your own time, or even modify them Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 | |||
| #105 - LSV^3: Talking Arena Cube with Luis Scott-Vargas | 23 Jan 2024 | 01:20:15 | |
My guest this week needs no introduction (he still gets one, though), being one of the game's all-time greatest players. But apart from his pro player credentials, LSV is a cube fanatic, and I tap into his vast expertise to look through the latest edition of Arena Cube and see which cards and which strategies I, a cube rookie, should focus on over the following days. A side effect of that - you might learn something too. We look at some data from previous cube iterations and at the changes that were made to try and figure out what is going to improve and what is nerfed this time. You can find LSV and his vintage cube exploits on his popular YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LSVargas Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! Reminder: This podcast is a recording of a stream, which relies heavily on graphics. Check the YouTube recording of it to see any graphs that are hard to imagine in the audio-only format: https://youtu.be/O4Ka3nGvW0c This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 | |||
| #104 - Prince or Pauper | 22 Jan 2024 | 00:47:35 | |
This episode I am looking into what does it mean for a set to be prince or pauper and how do recent sets align with different definitions of that term. Because there are plenty definitions. Some will focus more on the power of rare cards, some on the power (or lack thereof) of the commons and uncommons. A data exploration episode - most useful if you want to spend some time thinking on how rarity shapes limited formats. Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! Reminder: This podcast is a recording of a stream, which relies heavily on graphics. Check the YouTube recording of it to see any graphs that are hard to imagine in the audio-only format: https://youtu.be/bVMUfPwCIi4 This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 | |||
| #103 - Revisiting LCI set review with Chord_O_Calls | 15 Jan 2024 | 01:05:26 | |
This week I am joined by Limited content behemoth, Chord_O_Calls AKA Alex Nikolic to talk about out set reviews for LCI from the perspective of an almost finished format. I was always thorn about set reviews. On the one hand, they are useful to get accustomed to cards before the format starts, but on the other, they are frequently based on wild speculations and - to my knowledge - rarely scrutinized for their accuracy. To change that, my set reviews are reversed. I invite a guest and review the set with them but do not release it. Instead of that, our grades wait locked up for the format to end. Then we can see what we got wrong and right. Where are the typical mistakes and how can we avoid them in the future. And who to do it better than one of the best card evaluators in the business? See how we did and what we missed in LCI. Also - this is a sort of a send off of the format - in wait for the previews to hit. You can find Alex on Twitter, Twitch, and YouTube. Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! Reminder: This podcast is a recording of a stream, which relies heavily on graphics. Check the youtube recording of it to see any graphs that are hard to imagine in the audio-only format: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTR35T-8rdU This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #102 - 2023 Limited Awards with Uncle Cardboard | 05 Jan 2024 | 01:59:09 | |
Time of the year to sum up 2023 and look at best commons, uncommons in each color, most desired cards, most played color, etc. Not 100% serious with Uncle Cardboard on special day for both - as we are birthday neighbours as well. But don't be fooled by fooling around - between bad puns you get to think about set design and why some designs are more successful than others, which types of cards prove to be generally successful, etc. Follow Jake on Twitter Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! Reminder: This podcast is a recording of a stream, which relies heavily on graphics. Check the youtube recording of it to see any graphs that are hard to imagine in the audio-only format: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTR35T-8rdU This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #127 - Draft archetype analysis for Bloomburrow with the Skeleton Crew | 25 Jul 2024 | 02:39:13 | |
My traditional set review. Which is also a star-studded panel discussion. But instead of looking at individual cards, we look at the decks. How do we see decks in the upcoming format, what cards are we hopeful and what synergies excited about. My guests are: Jason Ye, a Pro Tour star and one of the brains behind the Slogurk decks. But we all know that in reality, Jason only wants is to develop quirky draft build-arounds. And you are in for a treat here! https://x.com/JasonILTG Adam (aka Ddavp) - don't get fooled by his joviality, there is a sharp and competitive mind behind the cordial exterior. And jokes that would make many-a-dad blush. https://twitter.com/adam_ddavp Springbok7 - a second time guest and already an integral part of the team. The level-headed member of the skeleton crew, internally tutting at our shenanigans. You can find them streaming on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/springbok7 Mike, AKA Tresio, this editions newcomer, but entering with a bang. Just showing how becoming a patron and putting some effort can connect you with the creator. Tresio started by asking me question for Magic Numbers episodes and now advanced to co-hosting the show. And pulled their weight fearlessly with some excellent takes! Follow them on https://x.com/tresio Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. You can get the BulkBox at https://www.bulkbox.co.uk/store/ if you are in the UK. Remember to use SIERKO10 code for a 10% discount! If you are outside of UK, you can find your local distributor on the BulkBox website. Watch this episode and see the slides: https://youtu.be/MsFMWW3nVfo Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332
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| #101 - How to find game plans using data in Limited? | 22 Dec 2023 | 01:24:31 | |
Finding the right strategy for a color pair is a key element to winning more. Many drafts were lost when a player tried to play controlling game in a color combination that doesn't support it well, or trying to be aggressive using cards that are just not good in doing that. This week I look at the game duration data in LCI to try and figure out what should you be focusing on when drafting your decks. Why Azorius is not particularly good in being aggressive? Why RG Dino decks are more aggro than you might think? And why control decks struggle and how can future design address that problem. Plus I look at key cards for selected archetypes and try to find out what it means for your future drafts. If you are interested in getting to know me better - I have a discord now. Join to chat about data, limited and see my futile attempts to make food that looks as good as it tasted. Also - cat and dog pictures. Reminder: This podcast is a recording of a stream, which relies heavily on graphics. Check the youtube recording of it to see any graphs that are hard to imagine in the audio-only format: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbfX_QNrvEE This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Discord: https://discord.gg/druhnK8yXn Patreon: https://patreon.com/sierkovitz Find all other things Sierkovitz here: https://linktr.ee/sierkovitz Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie
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| #100 - Khans of Tarkir with Ben Seck | 15 Dec 2023 | 02:29:05 | |
This week we look at the new set on Arena: Khans of Tarkir. Is it new though? Released in 2014, Khans is considered to be an all-time best draft set by many Limited experts. But 2014 is the time I was happily retired from Magic, so in order to get some valuable information and correct me where I am wrong in my evaluations, I invited a multi-Limmie award winning magic historian and pro player, Ben Seck. Yes. THE Ben Seck. You may and even should know him from being a regular guest in Limited Resources, the episodes where they talk about older sets. The result is a 2h talk on KTK, Limited in general, differences in set design over the years, mechanics, predictions and many more. I couldn't have wished for a better way to celebrate my 100th episode. You can find Ben on Twitter: twitter.com/TBSdash Reminder: This podcast is a recording of a stream, which relies heavily on graphics. Check the youtube recording of it to see any graphs that are hard to imagine in the audio-only format: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbfX_QNrvEE This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Discord: https://discord.gg/druhnK8yXn Patreon: https://patreon.com/sierkovitz Find all other things Sierkovitz here: https://linktr.ee/sierkovitz Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #99 - Drafting the Right Way | 07 Dec 2023 | 00:59:04 | |
Improvement in Magic is hard. Where to start? Diagnosing the problem can be a daunting task. Today I look at how to measure your draft strategies and figure out how you draft - are you a forcing type of a drafter or a durdly drafter who bobs and weaves for too long before making a decision to settle on a path. Both strategies have their pros and cons, so finding the right balance should improve both your win rate and in some cases also the trophy rate. Apart from this we have a collection of data from LCI draft dataset of 17Lands.com - great first picks, what can be wheeled reliably etc. If you are interested in getting to know me better - I have a discord now. Join to chat about data, limited and see my futile attempts to make food that looks as good as it tasted. Also - cat and dog pictures. https://discord.gg/druhnK8yXn Patreon: https://patreon.com/sierkovitz to get extra access, perks and the good feeling of supporting my work. This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Reminder: This podcast is a recording of a stream, which relies heavily on graphics. Check the youtube recording of it to see any graphs that are hard to imagine in the audio-only format: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHGxUdSFaN0 Find all other things Sierkovitz here: https://linktr.ee/sierkovitz Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #98 - Early Draft Data for Lost Caverns of Ixalan | 21 Nov 2023 | 01:43:42 | |
This episode we look into the early draft data of the new format. Which colors started off strongly, which cards make each archetype tick. I look into each color pair and talk about best common and uncommon, hidden gems in each archetype (cards that surprised me or cards that still go late in the draft but perform very well), and traps (cards that look like they should fit in but data suggests they don't). Based on those I try to analyse what makes each color pair tick and what doesn't to give you an early boost in LCI drafts. Patreon: https://patreon.com/sierkovitz to get extra access, perks and the good feeling of supporting my work. This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Reminder: This podcast is a recording of a stream, which relies heavily on graphics. Check the youtube recording of it to see any graphs that are hard to imagine in the audio-only format: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCjv0VQZBcI Find all other things Sierkovitz here: https://linktr.ee/sierkovitz Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #97 - Draft Primer for Lost Caverns of Ixalan | 14 Nov 2023 | 01:41:03 | |
This week we look at the upcoming set: how will the synergies play out, what do I consider good and bad before we dive into proper drafting. Where can you find some synergies and how to theory craft a Caves deck. Plus a couple of cute two card combos you might be interested in! This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. There is a companion article to this primer that talks about all the removal in the set - make sure to visit it: Patreon: https://patreon.com/sierkovitz to get extra access, perks and the good feeling of supporting my work. This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Reminder: This podcast is a recording of a stream, which relies heavily on graphics. Check the youtube recording of it to see any graphs that are hard to imagine in the audio-only format: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCjv0VQZBcI Find all other things Sierkovitz here: https://linktr.ee/sierkovitz Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie
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| #96 - Lost Caverns of Ixalan draft deck skeletons with guests | 09 Nov 2023 | 03:03:20 | |
New set is upon us - time to theory craft all 10 2-color decks in the new set and speculate on what we think is going to be great and what is doubtful in Lost Caverns of Ixalan. And to do that I lean on the expertise of my illustrious guests: A 100k sealed tournament winner, JasonILTG Freshly from winning a Mox Jet, Zakagan Winner of the most recent tournament back home, ddavp_mtg And me after 2-1ing a 6 person modern tournament in my LGS Discussions were furious, heated, and full of insights into what will be a hit and what will be a dud. Watch and be entertained, informed, and hopefully amused. You can find my guests on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jasoniltg Patreon: https://patreon.com/sierkovitz to get extra access, perks and the good feeling of supporting my work. This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Reminder: This podcast is a recording of a stream, which relies heavily on graphics. Check the youtube recording of it to see any graphs that are hard to imagine in the audio-only format: https://youtu.be/qXipvj1b0iI Find all other things Sierkovitz here: https://linktr.ee/sierkovitz Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #95 - WOE set re-review with Trumpetman | 06 Nov 2023 | 01:06:46 | |
Going back to original set review and re-evaluating it based on how the set played out is an under-appreciated activity. Me and Trumpetman come back to our pre-release evaluations and try to look at cards we got wrong, and speculate why. Which cards are harder to predict, which ones are easy and why - we try to answer those questions based on our successes and failures from WOE. Just in time to draw some lessons on card evaluation for the LCI set coming out on Friday.
Patreon: https://patreon.com/sierkovitz to get extra access, perks and the good feeling of supporting my work. This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Reminder: This podcast is a recording of a stream, which relies heavily on graphics. Check the youtube recording of it to see any graphs that are hard to imagine in the audio-only format: https://youtu.be/2KOn_SOr1Qs Find all other things Sierkovitz here: https://linktr.ee/sierkovitz Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #94 - Personal Data of Pasta Pirate | 26 Oct 2023 | 01:26:29 | |
This week we look at the data of the most drafting person in 17Lands - which almost certainly means, most drafting person on Arena, period. Pasta Pirate does an average of 9-10 drafts a day. What can we learn from his data? What can he learn from it himself? Patreon: https://patreon.com/sierkovitz to get extra access, perks and the good feeling of supporting my work. This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Reminder: This podcast is a recording of a stream, which relies heavily on graphics. Check the youtube recording of it to see any graphs that are hard to imagine in the audio-only format: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKGtbn2PEGw Find all other things Sierkovitz here: https://linktr.ee/sierkovitz Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #93 - Navigating WOE drafts | 18 Oct 2023 | 01:16:42 | |
Players focus a lot on how to build a deck, but i think most improvement in win rate for starter/intermediate players that is easy to achieve comes through good draft navigation. This week I give some (hopefully) useful tips on how picks differ depending on the pack number, which picks will make your deck more frequently. I also talk about learning how to wheel specific cards - how to select the card as your pick 1 in such a way, that you give yourself a good chance of getting another decent card as your pick 9 from the same pack. We also answer some Patron questions! Patreon: https://patreon.com/sierkovitz to get extra access, perks and the good feeling of supporting my work. This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Reminder: This podcast is a recording of a stream, which relies heavily on graphics. Check the youtube recording of it to see any graphs that are hard to imagine in the audio-only format: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF6pYSmwE9g Find all other things Sierkovitz here: https://linktr.ee/sierkovitz Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #92 - Exploring new 17Lands.com features with the site creator | 14 Oct 2023 | 01:16:57 | |
This week I have a very special guest: Rob Conroy, AKA Viralmisnomer - Mr 17Lands himself. And there is a great reason for that. 17Lands has a whole bunch of new patron-only features and Rob and I will show you why you should seriously consider getting them not only to support the site we all love and cherish, but also in your own interest. From a great card evaluation tool, through personal data up to a tool that lets you improve your mana-base building skills - all the new toys make me excited to get my paws on the final results of them! And hopefully after watching this, you will get excited too! Patreon: https://patreon.com/sierkovitz to get extra access, perks and the good feeling of supporting my work. This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Reminder: This podcast is a recording of a stream, which relies heavily on graphics. Check the youtube recording of it to see any graphs that are hard to imagine in the audio-only format: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF6pYSmwE9g Find all other things Sierkovitz here: https://linktr.ee/sierkovitz Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #126 - MH3 set re-review with Chord_o_Calls | 25 Jul 2024 | 01:32:12 | |
As with every set, at the end of the format me and Chord_o_Calls come back to the grades we gave each card in the format and see how far off were the grades from the card's actual performance. Did we nail our pre-release predictions? If not - where were the most mistakes? Were there any trends in colors, rarity? And with that information we try to speculate - what went wrong and what were right, so we can improve our card evaluation for the next time. Alex is one of the leading limited brains on this planet. If you don't follow him or his podcast - Limited Level-Ups - you are missing out. Check out his YT to learn more! Join the Discord, sign up for Patreon, and use this Linktree for everything else! This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. You can get the BulkBox at https://www.bulkbox.co.uk/store/ if you are in the UK. Remember to use SIERKO10 code for a 10% discount! If you are outside of UK, you can find your local distributor on the BulkBox website. Watch this episode and see the slides: https://youtu.be/MsFMWW3nVfo Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332
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| #91 - Learning to draft from Top players, WOE edition | 09 Oct 2023 | 01:23:20 | |
Drafting in Magic: the Gathering is not easy. There re dozens of factor you need to try and synchronise in your head while the ruthless clock continues ticking. But data can help! Today I look at what the best of the best do differently. Which cards do top players draft higher than others? Which cards do they use more efficiently and win with more than it would result from just the average win rate difference between top players and the rest? Identifying those cards is a key to unlocking strategies and solutions top players use to dominate Arena draft queues. Patreon: https://patreon.com/sierkovitz to get extra access, perks and the good feeling of supporting my work. This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Reminder: This podcast is a recording of a stream, which relies heavily on graphics. Check the youtube recording of it to see any graphs that are hard to imagine in the audio-only format: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYpOARqJoZA&t Find all other things Sierkovitz here: https://linktr.ee/sierkovitz Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #90 - First look at Wilds of Eldraine Draft | 12 Sep 2023 | 01:52:23 | |
New format is upon us and time to look at what can early data tell us about it. Which cards are key, which ones are traps, what do decks want to be doing and what do other Arena drafters leave open for the cunning grinders to abuse.
Patreon: https://patreon.com/sierkovitz to get extra access, perks and the good feeling of supporting my work. This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Reminder: This podcast is a recording of a stream, which relies heavily on graphics. Check the youtube recording of it to see any graphs that are hard to imagine in the audio-only format: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAiaA6M25_o Find all other things Sierkovitz here: https://linktr.ee/sierkovitz Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #89 - Wilds of Eldraine Draft Primer | 12 Sep 2023 | 02:07:04 | |
Before we dive into the new format - I look from theory point of view at the set design. What looks as if it is possible, how do the set mechanics intertwine, what to look out for in the first days, and what sweet build-arounds does the set have to offer. Patreon: https://patreon.com/sierkovitz to get extra access, perks and the good feeling of supporting my work. This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Reminder: This podcast is a recording of a stream, which relies heavily on graphics. Check the youtube recording of it to see any graphs that are hard to imagine in the audio-only format: https://youtu.be/rA4mBJdYCiY Find all other things Sierkovitz here: https://linktr.ee/sierkovitz Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #87 - LTR Set Re-review with Trumpetman | 30 Aug 2023 | 00:56:53 | |
In my opinion the most interesting part of set review is not the review itself, but returning to it after the format has passed and reevaluating your grades in order to see where did you miss, where did you hit and try to answer why this happened. This is why our set reviews with Trumpetman are designed in such a way as to easily reanalyse them after the format is done. They are linked to 17Lands.com win rates so we can see how large was our miss for each card. Today we look at our review performance for the LTR looking what trends do we observe - did our misses link to bad evaluation of one color, which cards are we most likely to miss on and why - all those questions will be answered. You can follow Trumpetman at https://twitter.com/Trumpetman__ Patreon: https://patreon.com/sierkovitz to get extra access, perks and the good feeling of supporting my work. This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Reminder: This podcast is a recording of a stream, which relies heavily on graphics. Check the youtube recording of it to see any graphs that are hard to imagine in the audio-only format: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbA8bw3ecVw Find all other things Sierkovitz here: https://linktr.ee/sierkovitz Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||
| #86.5 - Arena Cube with Jean-Emmanuel Depraz | 21 Aug 2023 | 02:38:25 | |
This episode was originally recorded in December 2022 but never appeared in the podcast feed. Now you can use it before the Arena Open this week as a unique window into the mind of one of the best (or looking at 17Lands.com data - the best) cube players in the world. Apart from iteration-specific arguments lots of general theory surrounding this format with someone who is a true expert theorist of the game and an all round nice person. Patreon: https://patreon.com/sierkovitz to get extra access, perks and the good feeling of supporting my work. This podcast is sponsored by mtgazone.com - get your reading fix from the best and brightest Magic writers in the business. Reminder: This podcast is a recording of a stream, which relies heavily on graphics. Check the youtube recording of it to see any graphs that are hard to imagine in the audio-only format: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KeYwaMLuNU Find all other things Sierkovitz here: https://linktr.ee/sierkovitz Theme song: You Do You, Mana Junkie by essesq (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/essesq/61332 Ft: Mana Junkie | |||