Explore every episode of the podcast So Many Insane Plays

Steve and Kevin review the year that was 2025, for Vintage, and award their annual Moxies for best new card, best new set, best new deck, and best story of the year.

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Steve and Kevin review the year that was 2024, for Vintage, and award their annual Moxies.

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steven Menendian discuss the August 26th, 2024 Banned and Restricted List update.

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Steve and Kevin review Modern Horizons 3, for Vintage.

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Steve and Kevin vote on their Moxies for 2023, and discuss the recent unrestriction of Ponder.

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Steve and Kevin review the 2023 year-to-date metagame results.

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian review 2022, for Vintage. In this episode: our 2022 Year in Review, and our annual Moxie Awards for Best New Set, Best New Deck, Best New Card, and Best Story of the Year.

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian review The Brothers’ War, for Vintage.

Show Notes

– The Brothers’ War visual spoiler

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian discuss the recent Banned and Restricted List announcement, which held no changes for Vintage, but included a rare write-up on the state of the format. Also, we deconstruct the Magic 30th Anniversary product announcement.

Show Notes

– October 10 2022 Banned and Restricted List Announcement
– Magic 30th Anniversary product announcement
– Magic 30th Anniversary product ordering
– What Happened at Magic 30?

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian review Dominaria United, for Vintage.

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Steve Menendian and Kevin Cron review the 2022 year-to-date Vintage metagame results.

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian review Streets of New Capenna, for Vintage.

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Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian review Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, for Vintage.

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Another time capsule episode. Better Late Than Never: Our 2021 Year in Review.

In this episode:
– Year in Review
– 2021 Moxie Awards

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Released from its time capsule, our 2020 Year in Review. That’s right: 2020.

In an ironic twist of fate, our next episode will be our 2021 Year in Review.

In this episode:
– Vintage community issues and what we can do to improve it
– Year in Review
– 2020 Moxie Awards

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian return, and this episode is a long-overdue effort to play catch-up on episodes that were recorded throughout the last year and have become less able to stand on their own, given the passage of time. In an effort to not completely abandon this content, we’ll be presenting snippets and summaries of these shows; which will include: Kaldheim, Strixhaven, and Modern Horizons 2.

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian conclude their 100th episode spectacular with their final review of Limited Edition Alpha. In this episode, they review Unsummon through Wrath of God.

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian continue their 100th episode Centennial Celebration spectacular with their ongoing review of Limited Edition Alpha. In this episode, they review Soul Net through Unholy Strength.

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian continue their 100th episode Centennial Celebration spectacular with their ongoing review of Limited Edition Alpha. In this episode they review Simulacrum through Sol Ring.

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian continue their 100th episode Centennial Celebration spectacular with their ongoing review of Limited Edition Alpha. In this episode they review Phantasmal Forces through Rock Hydra.

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian continue their 100th episode Centennial Celebration spectacular with their ongoing review of Limited Edition Alpha. In this episode they review Meekstone through Pestilence.

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian continue their 100th episode Centennial Celebration spectacular with their ongoing review of Limited Edition Alpha. In this episode they review Instill Energy through Mana Vault.

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian continue their 100th episode Centennial Celebration spectacular with their ongoing review of Limited Edition Alpha. In this episode they review Goblin Balloon Brigade through Illusionary Mask.

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian continue their 100th episode Centennial Celebration spectacular with their ongoing review of Limited Edition Alpha. In this episode they review Dwarven Demolition Team through Gloom.

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian continue their 100th episode Centennial Celebration spectacular with their ongoing review of Limited Edition Alpha. In this episode they review Conservator through Drudge Skeletons.

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian continue their 100th episode Centennial Celebration spectacular with their ongoing review of Limited Edition Alpha. In this episode they review Black Vise through Consecrate Land.

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian begin the celebration of their 100th episode by discussing their favorite Vintage formats of all time, as well as a review of Limited Edition Alpha. In this episode, they review Air Elemental through Black Lotus.

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian review Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths, with bonus Commander 2020 cards!


0:01:00: Announcements
0:02:00: Theros Beyond Death Report Card
0:14:00: Ikoria Mechanics
0:47:52: Lurrus of the Dream Den
1:06:25: Lutri, the Spellchaser
1:15:20: Zirda, the Dawnwaker
1:31:45: Sprite Dragon
1:57:25: Heartless Act
2:05:00: Rielle, the Everwise
2:20:20: The Ozolith
2:24:15: Dranith Magistrate
2:29:34: Of One Mind
2:31:30: Triomes
2:46:40: Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy
2:52:45: Ethereal Forager
3:12:12: Manascape Refractor
Total runtime: 3:24:58

Show Notes

– Ikoria Card Image Gallery
– Commander 2020 Card Image Gallery

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian discuss six Vintage scenarios.


0:01:00: Announcements
0:11:20: Scenario 1: Find the Win: Doomsday vs. Dredge
0:30:20: Scenario 2: Sequencing Artifacts: Shops vs. Unknown
0:39:40: Scenario 3: What to Take?: Dredge vs. Stax
0:56:03: Scenario 4: Focus on What Matters: Dredge Mirror
1:05:28: Scenario 5: Speed to Market: Doomsday Mirror
1:24:00: Scenario 6: Doomsday’s Necropotence: Doomsday vs. UWx Control
Total runtime: 1:36:57

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian review Theros Beyond Death, for Vintage.


0:01:00: Announcements
0:02:40: Throne of Eldraine Report Card
0:27:15: Theros Beyond Death Mechanics
0:31:15: Underworld Breach
1:09:50: Thassa’s Oracle
1:23:32: Dryad of the Ilysian Grove
1:36:27: Ashiok, Nightmare Muse
1:45:13: Ox of Agonas
1:50:15: Kuneros, Hound of Athreos
1:57:44: Soul-Guide Lantern
2:13:09: Eidolon of Obstruction
2:19:53: Whirlwind Denial
2:28:46: Nadir Kraken
2:31:15: Kroxa, Titan of Death’s Hunger
Total runtime: 2:37:34

Show Notes

– Theros Beyond Death Visual Spoiler

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian review the year in Vintage, and award their annual Moxy awards for Best Card, Best Set, Best Deck, and Best Story of 2019.


0:01:00: Announcements
0:05:40: The Year in Data
0:45:00: Best Card
1:13:35: Best Set
1:26:27: Best Deck
1:36:29: Story of the Year
2:06:00: Rise of Skywalker Review
Total runtime: 2:51:32

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian discuss the results of the North American Vintage Championship 2019, as well as the November 1st Banned and Restricted List update.


0:00:57: Announcements
0:02:40: Vintage Champs Summary
0:08:30: Vintage Champs Metagame Breakdown
0:26:20: Top 8 Decks
0:56:00: Our tournament experiences
1:30:39: Narset Restriction: Analysis and Impact
Total runtime: 1:58:45

Show Notes

– November 1, 2019 Banned and Restricted List Announcement
– North America Vintage Champs 2019 Coverage and Results
– Vintage 101: US Eternal Weekend NA Vintage Championships 2019

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian review Throne of Eldraine, for Vintage.


0:01:00: Announcements
0:16:25: Modern Horizons Report Card
0:59:00: Throne of Eldraine Mechanics
1:04:12: Wishclaw Talisman
1:46:50: Once Upon a Time
2:01:00: Mystical Dispute
2:06:10: Shimmer Dragon
2:10:10: Witch’s Vengeance
2:20:00: Questing Beast
2:27:20: Emry, Lurker of the Loch
2:34:51: Deafening Silence
3:22:55: Stonecoil Serpent
3:34:47: Robber of the Rich
Total runtime: 3:50:50

Show Notes

– Throne of Eldraine visual preview

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian reviw their War of the Spark report card, examine Commander 2019, and dissect the August 26, 2019 Banned and Restricted List update for Vintage.


0:01:00: Announcements
0:05:40: War of the Spark Report Card
0:32:45: Sevinne’s Reclamation
0:48:25: Elsha, the Infinite
0:55:46: Idol of Oblivion
0:57:48: Scroll of Fate
0:59:30: Dockside Extortionist
1:03:00: Banned and Restricted List Announcement – General
1:21:25: Karn and Mystic Forge
1:29:30: Golgari Grave-Troll
1:41:05: Mental Misstep
1:50:00: What makes a “safe” unrestriction?
2:02:09: Fastbond
2:10:40: Conclusion and Predictions
Total runtime: 3:04:24

Show Notes

– August 26 2019 Banned and Restricted List Update

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian review Core Set 2020 for Vintage.


0:01:00: Announcements, report card update
0:09:10: Steve’s recent Dredge performance
0:26:38: SCGCon 2019 Predictions/Results
0:33:10: Core Set 2020
0:34:05: Mystic Forge
0:52:25: Flood of Tears
1:00:40: Drawn from Dreams
1:01:55: Cavalier of Flame
1:07:30: Lotus Field
1:09:45: Embodiment of Agonies
1:13:35: Chandra, Acolyte of Flame
1:22:30: Drakuseth, Maw of Flames
1:24:30: Mu Yanling, Sky Dancer
1:27:22: Manifold Key
1:33:22: Veil of Summer
Total runtime: 1:45:40

Show Notes

– Core Set 2020 card gallery
– SCGCON 2019 Vintage Power 9 Series Coverage and Results

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian review Modern Horizons for Vintage.


0:01:00: Announcements: The London Mulligan Adopted
0:25:50: Modern Horizons Mechanics
0:27:20: Collector’s Ouphe
0:42:44: Goblin Engineer
0:46:10: Urza, Lord High Artificer
0:55:51: Force of Negation
1:08:06: Shenanigans
1:14:18: Force of Vigor
1:26:30: Force of Despair
1:31:00: Mirrodin Besieged
1:37:10: Planebound Accomplice
1:42:42: Seasoned Pyromancer
1:44:50: Echo of Eons
1:52:03: Cabal Therapist
1:54:59: Bazaar Trademage
1:59:49: Scrapyard Recombiner
2:03:47: Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis
2:09:39: Wrenn and Six
2:23:36: Archmage’s Charm
2:25:06: Mox Tantalite
2:27:24: Horizon Lands
2:33:14: Prismatic Vista
Total runtime: 2:55:05

Show Notes

– Modern Horizons card gallery

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian discuss the Spring 2019 Vintage metagame and make predictions for SCGCon.


0:01:00: Announcements: Eternal Weekend! And Steve’s n00bcon experience.
0:17:45: Paper Results
0:25:37: Magic Online Results
1:00:00: SCGCon predictions
Total runtime: 1:07:32

Show Notes

– So Many Insane Plays – Adventures with Alpha at the Wizards Tournament II

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian review War of the Spark, for Vintage.


0:01:00: Announcements
0:05:40: VSL Season 9 Finals
0:45:40: Bolas’s Citadel
0:53:40: Jace, Weilder of Mysteries
0:57:16: Flux Channeler
1:02:40: Dreadhorde Arcanist
1:19:30: Burning Prophet
1:23:50: Teferi, Time Raveler
1:40:25: Karn, the Great Creator
1:56:03: Narset, Parter of Veils
2:01:57: Saheeli, Sublime Artificer
2:08:36: Blast Zone
2:15:55: Return to Nature
2:19:18: Price of Betrayal
2:22:35: Dovin’s Veto
2:26:21: Ral, Storm Conduit
2:31:16: Tomik, Distinguished Advokist
2:37:00: Deliver Unto Evil
2:42:05: Dovin, Hand of Control
2:54:28: Ashiok, Dream Render
3:06:16: God-Pharaoh’s Statue
3:10:48: Ugin, the Ineffable
Total runtime: 3:18:06

Show Notes

– War of the Spark Visual Spoiler

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian discuss the London Mulligan for Vintage, including its impact on individual decks, pregame procedures, matchups, and the metagame.


0:01:00: Announcements
0:02:40: VSL Updates
0:25:40: The London Mulligan announcement and general impacts
0:58:00: Mathematics and specific impacts
1:51:15: Predictions and likelihood for implementation
Total runtime: 1:55:07

Show Notes

– London Mulligan Announcement
– 2015 Article on Mulligans
– Reddit Post on Mathematics

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian review Ravnica Allegiance, for Vintage.


0:01:00: Announcements
0:05:40: VSL Updates: First Semester Complete!
0:48:00: Guilds of Ravnica Report Card
0:55:10: Lavinia, Azorius Renegade
1:36:55: Pteramander
1:40:50: Sphinx of Foresight
2:16:30: Electrodominance
2:23:50: Light up the Stage
2:31:51: Cindervines
2:36:40: Emergency Powers
2:40:28: Dovin, Grand Arbiter
2:44:05: Kaya, Orzhov Usurper
Total runtime: 2:51:32

Show Notes

– Ravnica Allegiance Card Image Gallery

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian discuss the year that was 2018, for Vintage; its key tournaments, cards, sets, and stories. In the end, we award our annual Moxies!


0:01:15: Announcements
0:02:00: Vintage Super League Season 9 Updates
0:13:00: Sperling/Vergo Scenario Show
0:22:30: Set Releases
0:28:30: Major Events
0:37:30: Metagame Shifts
0:53:00: New Cards
1:05:30: New Sets
1:07:15: Best Deck
1:09:40: Stories
1:17:00: Moxies
1:50:00: Looking Forward to 2019
Total Runtime: 1:57:22

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian discuss six Vintage scenarios.


0:01:00: Announcements: VSL season 9 coming soon!
0:08:37: Scenario 1: What Would Mishra Do?
0:48:50: Scenario 2: Schrödinger’s Ancestral
1:05:40: Scenario 3: A Paradox of Mediocrity
1:24:34: Scenario 4: The Balance of Power Does Not Last
1:37:05: Scenario 5: An Embarrassment of Monks
1:48:55: Scenario 6: Survival of the Richest
Total Runtime: 1:57:30

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian discuss the results from the 2018 North American Vintage Championship and Eternal Weekend.


0:01:00: Announcements
0:05:40: Overall Impressions: Pittsburgh, trial structure, etc.
0:12:00: Metagame results vs. our predictions
0:43:40: Kevin’s Tournament Report
1:08:00: Steve’s Tournament Report
1:45:00: Top 8
2:08:00: Wrap Up
Total Runtime: 2:13:52

Show Notes

– North America Vintage Champs 2018 Coverage, Decklists, and Results

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian review Guilds of Ravnica, for Vintage.


0:01:00: Announcements
0:05:40: Prior Show Discussion: The Best Vintage Metagames of All Time
0:05:40: Report Card: Core Set 2019
0:23:30: Guilds of Ravnica: Mechanics
0:28:50: Mission Briefing
0:55:15: Lotleth Giant/Molderhulk
1:10:15: Creeping Chill
1:13:40: Ral, Izzet Viceroy
1:28:55: Vraska, Golgari Queen
1:31:30: Mnemonic Betrayal
1:34:30: Niv-Mizzet, Parun
1:51:00: Notion Rain
1:53:21: Assassin’s Trophy
Total Runtime: 2:11:12

Show Notes

– Guilds of Ravnica Card Gallery

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian bring your their preview card for Guilds of Ravnica – Mnemonic Betrayal – as well an analysis of the Asia Vintage Championship and the 2018 Vintage Challenges.


0:01:00: Announcements
0:05:40: Guilds of Ravnica Preview: Mnemonic Betrayal
0:38:30: Asia Vintage Championship Results
1:14:00: Metagame Update
Total runtime: 1:56:35

Show Notes

– Vintage Metagame Update

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian review Core Set 2019 for Vintage.


0:01:00: The Announcement
0:05:00: Team VSL Reflections
0:11:30: Dominaria Report Card
0:35:05: Remourseful Cleric
0:43:00: Mistcaller
0:45:00: Sai, Master Thopterist
0:51:45: Tezzeret, Artifice Master
1:00:00: Infernal Reconing
1:06:43: Alpine Moon
1:10:15: Amulet of Safekeeping
1:17:10: Meteor Golem
1:20:00: Nicol Bolas, the Arisen
1:25:40: Runic Armasaur
1:36:37: Isolate
1:39:55: Nexus of Fate
1:41:42: Chromium the Mutable
Total runtime: 1:47:28

Show Notes

– Core Set 2019

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

​Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian discuss the results of the SCGCon Power Nine tournament, and review Battlebond for Vintage.


0:01:00: Announcements
0:10:00: Team VSL Update
0:41:40: SCGCon Power Nine Results
1:05:30: Kevin’s Tournament Report
1:19:00: Steve’s Tournament Report
1:54:00: Stunning Reversal
2:01:00: Sentinel Tower
2:12:45: Spellseeker
2:25:15: Archon of Valor’s Reach
Total runtime: 2:42:26

Show Notes

– SCGCON 2018 Power Nine Deck Lists

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian preview two Battlebond cards, as well as the upcoming return to Star City Games’ Power Nine Vintage tournament series at SCG Con. Thanks to Wizards of the Coast for sending us these preview cards to share!


0:01:00: Battlebond Previews
0:09:40: VSL Update
0:29:30: Tournament Results: TMD Open 19 and Eternal Weekend Europe
0:45:00: SCG Con Metagame Predictions
Total Runtime: 1:16:23

Show Notes

– TMD Open 19 Top 15 Decklists
– TMD Open 19 Organizer’s Report
– TMD Open 19 Winner’s Report
– Eternal Weekend Europe 2018 Top 32 Decklists
– Eternal Weekend Europe 2018 Metagame Breakdown

Battlebond Preview Cards

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian discuss the recent Banned and Restricted List announcement, and review Dominaria for Vintage.


0:01:00: Team Vintage Super League
0:04:15: Banned and Restricted List Update
0:34:30: Rivals of Ixalan
0:40:00: Dominaria: Nostalgia and Mechanics
0:55:45: Damping Sphere
1:36:00: Squee, the Immortal
1:37:45: Broken Bond
1:41:15: Yargle, Glutton of Urborg
1:42:45: Weatherlight
1:55:00: Karn, Scion of Urza
2:14:45: Mox Amber
2:25:15: Jhoira’s Familiar
2:39:00: Traxos, Scourge of Kroog
2:49:00: Zhalfirin Void
2:50:45: Voltaic Servant
2:53:15: Lich’s Mastery
Total Runtime: 2:56:13

Show Notes

– Dominaria Card Gallery

Contact us at @ManyInsanePlays on Twitter or e-mail us at SoManyInsanePlaysPodcast@gmail.com.

Kevin Cron and Steve Menendian preview Masters 25 with the reprint of Doomsday, and review Arabian Nights.


0:01:00: Masters 25 Preview: Doomsday
0:42:15: Announcements: Eternal Weekend North America Date and Location
0:44:00: Team Serious Invitational Results
0:55:00: Arabian Nights
Total Runtime: 4:16:09

Show Notes

– Eternal Weekend North America 2018
– DDFT Wiki

A Short History of Doomsday

In June 1997, Weatherlight, the 11th Magic expansion, set sail. This conclusion to Mirage block was the beginning of a new storyline. Although a smaller set, it packed a punch. The most explosive card in the set was a mystifier that has intrigued Magic players for more than two decades now: Doomsday.

Some Magic cards unavoidably induce a whir of mental activity, as the discovery of their mere existence prompts the mind to search for ways to abuse it. Doomsday illustrates this principles to the extreme. At its most basic level, Doomsday is a drastic and irrevocable action that compresses all that a player has, and might ever draw, into a five card library, washing out the rest of the library and graveyard in the process. Being able to tutor for your best cards raises a natural question: how can you win the game, and quickly, by doing so?

The compression effect belies the adroit skill needed to wield such a tool. Not only must a player simultaneously select 5 cards from a graveyard and library (one more than the infamous Gifts Ungiven can tutor up), but you must then order them in an optimal constellation. The sheer quantity of possible Doomsday piles in any given 60 card deck is enormous, like calculating the odds a perfect NCAA March Madness bracket.

Casting Doomsday is a play that is as risky as it is bold. It is not simply the fact that with so many possible options in both card selection and sequencing that there is ample room for suboptimization. It’s that the cost of making a mistake is so great. A single miscue or miscalculation is prelude to defeat. At the same time, the precariousness of resolving Doomsday is belied by the number of ways an opponent might disrupt your plan. If an opponent plays a card that shuffles your library, like Extirpate, they can disrupt your sequencing and timing, perhaps fatally so. If an opponent counters a single draw spell or threat, there is rarely a viable backup plan. Doomsday is an all-or-nothing play.

The risks and inherent danger of wielding such a powerful spell are hardly enough to keep the most daring players from trying. It did not take players long to find ways to abuse this tremendous card.

The Timetwister Loop Kill

Creating Timetwister loops is one of the earliest combinations in the game of Magic. In the Wild Era of Magic, a Timetwister could recycle a played Timetwister in an endless cycle. After the institution of Banned and Restricted Lists, Regrowth and Timetwister were paired as a potential endless combo.

These strategies had various names: Recursion, Vercursion, and so on. But the heart of these decks was casting Timetwister for a burst of cards, and then Regrowth to replay Timetwister, which puts Regrowth back into your library to eventually recycle Timetwister. This simple 3 step sequence could be conducted ad infinitum. With his “looping deck,” the inaugural Magic Champion Zak Dolan was a pioneer of this strategy, and built a deck that was designed to set up this combo to gain infinite life and inflict infinite damage. But it took enormous effort to reach that point. One needed to survive long enough to develop a board, draw most of one’s library, and resolve cards like Stone Calendar. It was not until the printing of Doomsday that this combo could be set up nearly effortlessly.

A Norwegian by the name of Kristoffer played a Type 1 Doomsday deck to a Top 4 finish in a local tournament in December 1997, with an innovative concept.

Doomsday, by Kristoffer (December 1997)Business (29)
3 Doomsday
3 Arcane Denial
2 Abeyance
2 City of Solitude
2 Mystical Tutor
3 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
2 Brainstorm
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Timetwister
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Meditate
1 Braingeyser
1 Fastbond
1 Regrowth
2 Squandered Resources
1 Zuran Orb

Mana Sources (30)
3 Dark Ritual
3 Lion’s Eye Diamond
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Strip Mine
4 City of Brass
2 Reflecting Pool
4 Gemstone Mine
4 Underground Sea
2 Bayou
Sideboard (15)
2 Abeyance
1 City of Solitude
1 Arcane Denial
4 Pyroblast
3 Hydroblast
4 Barbed Sextant

As he explained in his report, the concept is simple, but heady. The deck operates around the Timetwister/Regrowth axis, but requires a lot of work to gain just 1 mana each loop for a lethal Braingeyser. Here’s the Doomsday pile:

Here’s how it works, after resolving Doomsday:

1) Draw (however you can) and cast Timetwister. You should have at least 1 card in your graveyard (Doomsday itself), 4 more cards in your library, and you will need at least 2 cards in your hand before you cast Doomsday to not deck yourself.
2) Play Black Lotus and Lion’s Eye Diamond.
3) Cast Regrowth targeting Timetwister, holding priority so that you can sacrifice Lion’s Eye Diamond for UUU.
4) Replay Timetwister, with one mana floating.
5) Repeat steps 2-4 until you have enough mana to cast Braingeyser on your opponent to deck them. This can mean Timetwistering as many as 50 or so times.

This combo is protected by having a City of Solitude in play before you cast Doomsday, or even better, by having cast Abeyance on the opponent before playing Doomsday. The combo is much easier, however, if one of the additional cards is another Lion’s Eye Diamond, as this will speed up the number of times you need to loop each combo to win.

In the Origins Team Challenge in the summer of 1998, Andrew Cuneo of Team CMU refined this strategy into a more streamlined deck. Teammate Randy Buehler posted a brief write-up of this amazing event that described one of Andrew’s kills on behalf of their team.

The entirety of the Duelist Team Challenge tourney report where I found that Doomsday decklist. @SMenendian pic.twitter.com/MI12jBRT5J

— Randy Buehler (@rbuehler) January 7, 2017

Doomsday was unceremoniously restricted in Type I in 1999, in a sweeping cleanup of the Type I format, along with 17 other cards. Whether it deserved to be restricted at that time or not is open to debate, but there it lived for half a decade.

The Beacon Kill

Doomsday was unexpectedly unrestricted in Vintage (Type 1 was rebranded at the same time) in September 2004. It did not take long to find a new, more efficient way to win the game with this enabler.

The deck won after resolving Doomsday, by performing these simple steps:

1) Cast Ancestral Recall
2) Cast Dark Ritual and Black Lotus
3) Cast Mind’s Desire (generating 4 more copies)
4) Reveal Beacon of Destruction (allowing it to shuffle back into your library upon resolution), and flip it three more times to inflict 20 damage and win the game.

I happily took advantage of this combo to Top 4 at the StarCityGames Power Nine tournament in November 2004, with this list:

Doomsday, by Stephen Menendian – 3rd Place SCG P9 3 11-09-2004Business (34)
4 Force of Will
4 Unmask
4 Duress
1 Hurkyl’s Recall
4 Brainstorm
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Timetwister
1 Necropotence
1 Gush
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Lim-Dul’s Vault
4 Doomsday
1 Mind’s Desire
1 Beacon of Destruction
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Yawgmoth’s Will

Mana Sources (26)
4 Dark Ritual
2 Cabal Ritual
1 Chromatic Sphere
1 Lion’s Eye Diamond
1 Lotus Petal
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Sapphire
4 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
4 Underground Sea
3 Island
1 Swamp
Sideboard (15)
3 Back to Basics
3 Energy Flux
3 Old Man of the Sea
2 Null Rod
3 Defense Grid
1 Chain of Vapor

The printing or Research/Development a few years later gave Doomsday players more flexibility, as Owen Turtenwald illustrates here. Research could replace the final deck slot, and Mind’s Desire could now cast any card you could imagine from your sideboard (or main deck), giving much greater flexibility in execution. This was a powerful upgrade over the Beacon kill.

In 2009, the institution of Magic 2010 rules changes neutered this kill by creating the exile zone, and re-interpreting the functionality of cards “removed from game.”

But the real game changer came with Innistrad.

Laboratory Maniac was the most synergistic win condition ever crafted for the Doomsday pilot. Doomsday created the conditions by which Laboratory Manic would easily trigger to win the game, while also tutoring up the Maniac and the cards to cast and resolve him. This became the default Doomsday stack for the Maniac Doomsday deck:

After resolving Doomsday you can follow these steps:

1) Cast Ancestral to draw Lotus and Maniac.
2) Cast Maniac off of Black Lotus.
3) Cast Gush to win the game.

Or, if you already had Gush in hand, this is another commonly-used pile:

After resolving Doomsday, you would instead follow this line:

1) Cast Gush to draw Ancestral Recall and Lotus Petal.
2) Play Ancestral off of the Petal to draw Black Lotus, Maniac, and Probe.
3) Cast Maniac off of the Lotus.
4) Cast Probe to win the game.

I Top 8’ed the large annual Waterbury tournament with this updated Doomsday deck.

Doomsday, by Stephen Menendian - 1st PlaceBusiness (43)
4 Force of Will
4 Mental Misstep
2 Flusterstorm
2 Spell Pierce
4 Thoughtseize
1 Duress
2 Hurkyl’s Recall
4 Gush
4 Preordain
1 Ponder
1 Brainstorm
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Merchant Scroll
4 Doomsday
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Laboratory Maniac
1 Fastbond
1 Yawgmoth’s Will

Mana Sources (17)
1 Lotus Petal
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Sapphire
2 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
2 Misty Rainforest
1 Scalding Tarn
4 Underground Sea
1 Tropical Island
1 Island
Sideboard (15)
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Yixlid Jailer
2 Xantid Swarm
3 Teferi’s Realm
2 Hurkyl’s Recall
2 Island

The restrictions of Gush and Gitaxian Probe collaterally damaged Doomsday’s current potential in Vintage, but not likely forever. As this short history lessons shows, Doomsday is a powerful spell for a Vintage mage and will come to the fore when the moment – and cards – are right.

Doomsday Fetchland Tendrils, in Legacy

But Vintage is not the only format to employ Doomsday. It has also proven to be a force in in Legacy.

Legacy Burning Doomsday, by g0ld_rook – 2nd Place MTGO League 12-10-2017Business (32)
3 Duress
3 Cabal Therapy
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Conjurer’s Bauble
2 Preordain
4 Ponder
4 Brainstorm
3 Burning Wish
3 Doomsday
1 Act on Impulse
1 Laboratory Maniac

Mana Sources (28)
4 Dark Ritual
1 Rain of Filth
4 Lion’s Eye Diamond
4 Lotus Petal
4 Polluted Delta
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Underground Sea
1 Volcanic Island
1 Badlands
2 Island
1 Swamp
Sideboard (15)
1 Doomsday
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Void Snare
1 Cabal Therapy
1 Infernal Contract
1 Massacre
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
1 Shelldock Isle
1 Tropical Island
2 Xantid Swarm
3 Abrupt Decay

A common pile here is:

Act on Impulse has the valuable effect of allowing Lion’s Eye Diamond to function similar to Black Lotus. With just a few storm, this is a lethal finish.

There is an entire website dedicated to exploring Legacy Doomsday piles and kills, which illuminates the complexity and possibilities created by such a powerful spell

A little more than a half decade back, I developed a powerful Legacy list around another innovative combo, which can be found in the free puzzle articles below.

The sky is the limit. So what a fitting way to celebrate Magic’s 25th anniversary but with a reprint of its most skill intensive card?

We are proud to announce DOOMSDAY, in Masters 25.

Enjoy!

Stephen Menendian

Doomsday Resources & Further Reading by Stephen Menendian
– The Doomsday Device: The Coolest Win Condition in Magic (11-10-2004)
– Rehearsing the Doomsday Scenario: Learning How to Build Optimal Doomsday Piles (04-07-2005)
– So Many Insane Plays – Eternal Potpourri: Doomsday, Gifts, and Legacy Flash (05-21-2007)
– Doomsday Returns! How to Build Doomsday Piles and Win in Modern Vintage (10-11-2011)
– Top 8 with Doomsday at the Waterbury, and Forward Thinking (10-17-2011)
– The Legacy Doomsday Device (06-01-2012)
– Doomsday: The Puzzling – Five Puzzles to Blow Your Mind! (10-21-2012)
– Doomsday: The Puzzling – The Double Deathrite Conundrum (08-22-103) and Solution
– Doomsday: The Puzzling – The Dream Halls Dilemma (09-20-2013)
– Understanding Gush: Strategies and Tactics (07-04-2016) (The Appendix is entirely focused on Doomsday)

Doomsday Resources, by Others
– Doomsday Fetchland Tendrils Wiki
– Focus on Legacy – Ad Nauseam Doomsday Hybrid
– So Many Insane Plays #15 – Doomsday Scenarios