Ponder

The Standard Scapeshift deck took Denver by storm! Jamie and even Melvin had to play it. We talk about why it's so neat and what could be next. We also talk about the next set, Throne of Eldraine and ponder faerie cards and fairy tale mechanics.

We promise to talk more Magic in this episode! It's time for this podcast to get back to work, so we break down the top performing Standard decks from the weekend. We go over why agro is so good early in a new meta, and we ponder pancakes and production values.

M20 is out on Arena and Jamie is not only crushing limited, she's smashing Standard too! She shares the deck that got her to Mythic in eight days. We talk about the most recent banned and restricted announcement, why the bridge got burned, and we ponder theme decks.

This week Melvin is on vacation! Jamie and TJ are joined once more by Sam Tang during his journey around the world to explore the topic of self doubt, converting that doubt into action, and practicing self care in a way that doesn't stop you in your tracks.

Seattle has come to a close and we discuss the atmosphere of the event, TJ's recent campaign of D&D, Rebranding for TJ as well as lessons learned in how to brand yourself, and a conversation about preview season burnout from all the Magic sets that are coming out.

It's back to back tournaments, with MagicFest DC just over and Seattle up next. We catch up with how Jamie did in DC and get some of her perspectives on winning, losing, and learning. Then it's on to Seattle, where TJ and Jamie are already planning a super team up in person. Will TJ's energy push Jamie to a trophy? Will they get snacks? We also ponder how to deal with burnout.

MagicFest Seattle is coming up, and two of our wonderful hosts will be there. Jamie is looking to crush the limited GP and gives us tips for Modern Horizons. TJ is going to have fun and hang out. (Melvin is just jealous at home.) The hosts also try to make some sense of the invites for Mythic Championships III (The Search for Spark) and what they mean as an esports move.

Magic is getting its own animated series on Netflix, and we can't wait to see more. Will this be Magic's Game of Thrones, or more like a Rick and Morty? We also talk about our thoughts on the new London mulligan rule and what getting an official preview card means as a content creator.

Is there snow on the horizon? You bet there is! We check out the new snow cards in Modern Horizons, as well as the classic themes and tribes that are back or being completed. We also check up on how Jamie's GP Providence weekend went with a surprise guest.

The previews for Modern Horizons have barely started, but we are so excited to start talking about them. From TJ's new best friend to the card that's effectively an everything bagel, we dive into the preview hype. Jamie has an early lead for cutest card, and we ponder the challenges of content creation networking. The Ponder Discord

Gerry Thompson's withdrawal from the MPL took everyone by surprise, especially Wizards of the Coast, it seems. Between Gerry's explanation for leaving and WotC's confusing explanation at the replacement process, we try to figure out what the heck is going on. We also bring back our favorite game, Battle of Wits, pitting the planeswalkers against each other in lively competition. And we ponder your questions, like the best reality show for the hosts to star in.

War of the Spark has been declared by some as the most 'Prince' set in recent history on the 'Prince vs Pauper' scale of bombs. In this episode, we talk about why Wizards would choose to make a set so power-heavy. We take a look at how all these powerful cards are affecting limited and standard, cover some sweet standard decks, and ponder both the blundered Mythic Edition release and how our performance as players can cause us stress and anxiety.

Doubt, the constant companion of content creators and players. Are we doing what we need to in order to be successful? Is it worth it? To help us talk it through, we are joined by Sam Tang, host of the Kitchen Table Magic podcast. Sam talks about how he's dealt with doubt and helps us think about ways to face it as we answer listener questions.

Jamie, TJ, and Melvin are getting ready for the War of the Spark prerelease, and there's just so much to talk about. In this episode they each talk about some of the most exciting cards, prerelease strategies, and what they hope to open. They also ponder cutest cards and the one card in the set that drives TJ crazy every time he sees it. The Ponder Discord: https://discord.gg/3pBwev5

Although they do a lot of different things related to Magic, TJ, Jamie, and Melvin are Twitch streamers at heart. This episode dives head first into streaming, talking about their starts at streaming, what makes a good stream, and what's important for starting streamers to focus on. We also ponder the future of Twitch add-ons.