Eternal Durdles

EternalDurdles

Become a Paid Subscriber: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eternaldurdles/subscribe Eternal Durdles is a weekly Magic: the Gathering podcast focusing on the Legacy format. Hosted by long-time MTG veterans Zac Clark and Phil Blechman.

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Thursday · 32 min
Magic Needs More Events Like DuressFest
Competitive Magic isn't dead. We just miss what it used to feel like. DuressFest is coming, and Zac and Phil are incredibly excited—not simply because it's another Magic tournament, but because it represents something that has been missing from competitive Magic: the experience. We used to have Grand Prix events with thousands of players. You'd travel with your friends, play the main event, fire off side events, buy and sell cards, meet other players, grab dinner afterward, and spend an entire weekend immersed in Magic. DuressFest feels like a return to that experience. The conversation starts with the size of modern competitive events versus the old Grand Prix era, but quickly becomes a much bigger discussion about why competitive play matters to Magic's ecosystem. We talk about: Why competitive Magic isn't necessarily dead Why Wizards hasn't cultivated the competitive-player experience What the old Grand Prix ecosystem provided Why vendors need major events Why competitive play creates demand for real cards Why Legacy, Premodern, Classic and Peak have their own ecosystems Why Magic's original premise was that you were the wizard How Universes Beyond changes that relationship Why named characters can make the player feel like a spectator The difference between Magic and games like D&D or Zelda Why self-expression is so important to competitive play Why 60-card 1v1 Magic feels like the purest version of the game What DuressFest needs to become Why a Friday/Saturday/Sunday Grand Prix-style event would be incredible And why DuressFest could be a proof of concept for more community-run events The bigger idea is simple: People don't just want to play Magic. They want somewhere to go play Magic. And DuressFest may prove that there is still a huge audience for that experience. Keeping this to 10 chapters: 00:00 — DuressFest Is Bringing Back Grand Prix Magic 01:24 — Competitive Magic Isn't Dead 03:04 — Why Competitive Events Matter 05:19 — The Magic Card Ecosystem 09:03 — Why Magic Has Lasted 30+ Years 12:09 — Universes Beyond & Losing Immersion 14:19 — Are We Still the Wizard? 19:15 — What Does DuressFest Need to Be? 24:04 — Why We Miss the Grand Prix Experience 26:27 — Why 60-Card Magic Is the Purest Magic Timestamps
Thursday · 32 min
Magic Needs More Events Like DuressFest
Competitive Magic isn't dead. We just miss what it used to feel like. DuressFest is coming, and Zac and Phil are incredibly excited—not simply because it's another Magic tournament, but because it represents something that has been missing from competitive Magic: the experience. We used to have Grand Prix events with thousands of players. You'd travel with your friends, play the main event, fire off side events, buy and sell cards, meet other players, grab dinner afterward, and spend an entire weekend immersed in Magic. DuressFest feels like a return to that experience. The conversation starts with the size of modern competitive events versus the old Grand Prix era, but quickly becomes a much bigger discussion about why competitive play matters to Magic's ecosystem. We talk about: Why competitive Magic isn't necessarily dead Why Wizards hasn't cultivated the competitive-player experience What the old Grand Prix ecosystem provided Why vendors need major events Why competitive play creates demand for real cards Why Legacy, Premodern, Classic and Peak have their own ecosystems Why Magic's original premise was that you were the wizard How Universes Beyond changes that relationship Why named characters can make the player feel like a spectator The difference between Magic and games like D&D or Zelda Why self-expression is so important to competitive play Why 60-card 1v1 Magic feels like the purest version of the game What DuressFest needs to become Why a Friday/Saturday/Sunday Grand Prix-style event would be incredible And why DuressFest could be a proof of concept for more community-run events The bigger idea is simple: People don't just want to play Magic. They want somewhere to go play Magic. And DuressFest may prove that there is still a huge audience for that experience. Keeping this to 10 chapters: 00:00 — DuressFest Is Bringing Back Grand Prix Magic 01:24 — Competitive Magic Isn't Dead 03:04 — Why Competitive Events Matter 05:19 — The Magic Card Ecosystem 09:03 — Why Magic Has Lasted 30+ Years 12:09 — Universes Beyond & Losing Immersion 14:19 — Are We Still the Wizard? 19:15 — What Does DuressFest Need to Be? 24:04 — Why We Miss the Grand Prix Experience 26:27 — Why 60-Card Magic Is the Purest Magic Timestamps
Wednesday · 30 min
The Eternal Weekend Meta Is Taking Shape
Eternal Weekend is coming. So... what are you playing? Zac and Phil break down the latest Legacy results from Buffalo Chicken Dip, looking at the decklists and trying to figure out what the current metagame actually looks like heading into Eternal Weekend. On paper, the format looks pretty diverse. We've got: Sneak & Show Blue-Red Delver Beanstalk Black Saga Storm Dimir Doomsday But once you start looking at the actual cards being played, things get a lot more interesting. Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student is everywhere. Daze continues to show up across multiple shells. Flow State has become a major engine for tempo decks, while Stock Up fills a similar role in bigger-mana strategies. And Orcish Bowmasters continues to dictate the terms of interaction. Phil's argument is that the Legacy metagame may look like a collection of different archetypes while actually functioning around a surprisingly small collection of cards. We also talk about: Sneak & Show's new Flashback technology Whether Flashback belongs in Legacy The eternal debate over Daze The strange rise and fall of Bilbo Blue-Red Delver Prismari Command vs. Brazen Borrower Beanstalk's incredibly low-risk engine Black Saga Storm Dimir Doomsday Why Orcish Bowmasters is still the best thing to be doing The disappearance of Planar Nexus decks Whether the previous ban actually solved the right problem Why self-perpetuating engines are dangerous for format health What your opponent's first land + Tamiyo tells you about their deck How all of this should influence your Eternal Weekend sideboard And Zac's upcoming Breakfast Masterclass with Larson The big question: What are YOU playing at Eternal Weekend?
Wednesday · 30 min
The Eternal Weekend Meta Is Taking Shape
Eternal Weekend is coming. So... what are you playing? Zac and Phil break down the latest Legacy results from Buffalo Chicken Dip, looking at the decklists and trying to figure out what the current metagame actually looks like heading into Eternal Weekend. On paper, the format looks pretty diverse. We've got: Sneak & Show Blue-Red Delver Beanstalk Black Saga Storm Dimir Doomsday But once you start looking at the actual cards being played, things get a lot more interesting. Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student is everywhere. Daze continues to show up across multiple shells. Flow State has become a major engine for tempo decks, while Stock Up fills a similar role in bigger-mana strategies. And Orcish Bowmasters continues to dictate the terms of interaction. Phil's argument is that the Legacy metagame may look like a collection of different archetypes while actually functioning around a surprisingly small collection of cards. We also talk about: Sneak & Show's new Flashback technology Whether Flashback belongs in Legacy The eternal debate over Daze The strange rise and fall of Bilbo Blue-Red Delver Prismari Command vs. Brazen Borrower Beanstalk's incredibly low-risk engine Black Saga Storm Dimir Doomsday Why Orcish Bowmasters is still the best thing to be doing The disappearance of Planar Nexus decks Whether the previous ban actually solved the right problem Why self-perpetuating engines are dangerous for format health What your opponent's first land + Tamiyo tells you about their deck How all of this should influence your Eternal Weekend sideboard And Zac's upcoming Breakfast Masterclass with Larson The big question: What are YOU playing at Eternal Weekend?
August 21 · 33 min
The Classic Legacy Cards You NEED to Know
What cards do you actually need to know if you're getting into Classic? We're starting a new series looking at the cards that define Eternal Durdles' various Legacy-era formats, beginning with Classic. Zac and Phil go through a compiled list of commonly played and powerful cards in the format, looking at everything from planeswalkers and creatures to spells, artifacts, enchantments, and lands. The goal is simple: give you a radar for the cards you're going to see—and the cards you should keep an eye out for when you're buying collections or digging through bulk. Along the way, we talk about: Jace, the Mind Sculptor, Elspeth and Gideon Dark Confidant, Emrakul and Eternal Witness Tarmogoyf and Knight of the Reliquary Stoneforge Mystic and Sword of Fire and Ice Vendilion Clique Cabal Therapy, Duress and Hymn to Tourach Brainstorm, Force of Will, Daze and Lightning Bolt Wrath of God and Damnation Aether Vial, Chalice of the Void and Grindstone Counterbalance and Sylvan Library Academy Ruins, Ancient Tomb and Dark Depths Dual lands, fetches, Wasteland and Tabernacle And the absolutely gorgeous Bands-with-Other-Legends lands We also get into one of our favorite parts of playing older formats: finding playable cards for pennies in bulk bins. Because sometimes the best part of building a new deck isn't buying the cards. It's finding them. 00:00 — The Classic Staples List 01:03 — Planeswalkers & Classic Creatures 05:53 — Stoneforge Mystic, Vendilion Clique & Equipment 07:27 — Sorceries: Therapy, Duress & Hymn 09:45 — Instants: Brainstorm, Force & the Countermagic Suite 12:17 — Artifacts & the Classic Tribal Decks 15:38 — Enchantments: Blood Moon, Counterbalance & Sylvan Library 17:30 — The Most Beautiful Bad Lands in Magic 23:01 — Academy Ruins, Dark Depths & Turbo Depths 28:40 — The Classic Treasure Hunt The 28:40 chapter is a particularly good ending because the conversation comes back around to the actual purpose of the list: using it as a shopping/collection-building guide and finding these cards in bulk. Timestamps
August 21 · 33 min
The Classic Legacy Cards You NEED to Know
What cards do you actually need to know if you're getting into Classic? We're starting a new series looking at the cards that define Eternal Durdles' various Legacy-era formats, beginning with Classic. Zac and Phil go through a compiled list of commonly played and powerful cards in the format, looking at everything from planeswalkers and creatures to spells, artifacts, enchantments, and lands. The goal is simple: give you a radar for the cards you're going to see—and the cards you should keep an eye out for when you're buying collections or digging through bulk. Along the way, we talk about: Jace, the Mind Sculptor, Elspeth and Gideon Dark Confidant, Emrakul and Eternal Witness Tarmogoyf and Knight of the Reliquary Stoneforge Mystic and Sword of Fire and Ice Vendilion Clique Cabal Therapy, Duress and Hymn to Tourach Brainstorm, Force of Will, Daze and Lightning Bolt Wrath of God and Damnation Aether Vial, Chalice of the Void and Grindstone Counterbalance and Sylvan Library Academy Ruins, Ancient Tomb and Dark Depths Dual lands, fetches, Wasteland and Tabernacle And the absolutely gorgeous Bands-with-Other-Legends lands We also get into one of our favorite parts of playing older formats: finding playable cards for pennies in bulk bins. Because sometimes the best part of building a new deck isn't buying the cards. It's finding them. 00:00 — The Classic Staples List 01:03 — Planeswalkers & Classic Creatures 05:53 — Stoneforge Mystic, Vendilion Clique & Equipment 07:27 — Sorceries: Therapy, Duress & Hymn 09:45 — Instants: Brainstorm, Force & the Countermagic Suite 12:17 — Artifacts & the Classic Tribal Decks 15:38 — Enchantments: Blood Moon, Counterbalance & Sylvan Library 17:30 — The Most Beautiful Bad Lands in Magic 23:01 — Academy Ruins, Dark Depths & Turbo Depths 28:40 — The Classic Treasure Hunt The 28:40 chapter is a particularly good ending because the conversation comes back around to the actual purpose of the list: using it as a shopping/collection-building guide and finding these cards in bulk. Timestamps
August 20 · 29 min
The Best Deck for Eternal Weekend?
Are you prepared to die on Turn Two? With Eternal Weekend approaching, Zac and Phil take a look at the Legacy metagame and ask a very important question: what decks are actually going to define the tournament? While everyone is talking about Bilbo, Karn, and the other obvious threats, Phil thinks there's a deck that isn't getting nearly enough attention: Surveillance Cam Combo. The deck combines Goblin Welder + Surveillance Cam with a huge number of compact artifact interactions to create potentially infinite loops—and it can kill incredibly quickly while still having access to powerful cards like Urza's Saga, Emery, Loki, Force of Will, and Agatha's Soul Cauldron. We also discuss: The upcoming B&R window before Eternal Weekend Whether anything is likely to get banned Why Breakfast may be seriously underplayed The latest Breakfast lists and innovations Why Urza's Saga is so important to Breakfast The Surveillance Cam + Goblin Welder combo Infinite mana and damage loops Hawkeye's Bow Painter's Servant / Grindstone variants Why the deck has so few "bad" cards Why Surveillance Cam may be one of Legacy's best-kept secrets What you need to be prepared to beat at Eternal Weekend And the big takeaway: If Legacy is becoming a Turn-Two format, your deck needs to be able to interact on Turn Two. Start getting your reps in now. 00:00 — What Will Legacy Look Like at Eternal Weekend? 01:55 — Could the B&R Window Actually Change Anything? 06:42 — Breakfast Is WAY Too Underplayed 08:02 — The Two Best Decks for Eternal Weekend 12:37 — The Latest Breakfast List 19:01 — Is Surveillance Cam the Best Deck Nobody Talks About? 21:27 — How Surveillance Cam Combo Actually Works 24:18 — Why This Deck Has Almost No Bad Cards 27:23 — The Turn-Two Legacy Problem 28:21 — Start Your 100 Games NOW Timestamps
August 20 · 29 min
The Best Deck for Eternal Weekend?
Are you prepared to die on Turn Two? With Eternal Weekend approaching, Zac and Phil take a look at the Legacy metagame and ask a very important question: what decks are actually going to define the tournament? While everyone is talking about Bilbo, Karn, and the other obvious threats, Phil thinks there's a deck that isn't getting nearly enough attention: Surveillance Cam Combo. The deck combines Goblin Welder + Surveillance Cam with a huge number of compact artifact interactions to create potentially infinite loops—and it can kill incredibly quickly while still having access to powerful cards like Urza's Saga, Emery, Loki, Force of Will, and Agatha's Soul Cauldron. We also discuss: The upcoming B&R window before Eternal Weekend Whether anything is likely to get banned Why Breakfast may be seriously underplayed The latest Breakfast lists and innovations Why Urza's Saga is so important to Breakfast The Surveillance Cam + Goblin Welder combo Infinite mana and damage loops Hawkeye's Bow Painter's Servant / Grindstone variants Why the deck has so few "bad" cards Why Surveillance Cam may be one of Legacy's best-kept secrets What you need to be prepared to beat at Eternal Weekend And the big takeaway: If Legacy is becoming a Turn-Two format, your deck needs to be able to interact on Turn Two. Start getting your reps in now. 00:00 — What Will Legacy Look Like at Eternal Weekend? 01:55 — Could the B&R Window Actually Change Anything? 06:42 — Breakfast Is WAY Too Underplayed 08:02 — The Two Best Decks for Eternal Weekend 12:37 — The Latest Breakfast List 19:01 — Is Surveillance Cam the Best Deck Nobody Talks About? 21:27 — How Surveillance Cam Combo Actually Works 24:18 — Why This Deck Has Almost No Bad Cards 27:23 — The Turn-Two Legacy Problem 28:21 — Start Your 100 Games NOW Timestamps
August 19 · 34 min
We Just Played the First Peak Legacy Event
Peak Legacy is officially a paper format. On August 16th, we held the first-ever paper Peak Legacy event, bringing together 10 players and 8 different archetypes for a tournament that was as much about exploring an old format as it was about competing. The event was won by Grixis Control, featuring Baleful Strix, Gurmag Angler, Snapcaster Mage, Kolaghan's Command, and a pile of spicy one-ofs and unusual numbers. We break down the decks that showed up, including Grixis Delver, Infect, Dark Maverick, Goblin Stompy, Lands, Death & Taxes, and Phil's Blue-White Miracles list. But the most exciting part wasn't necessarily the winner. It was seeing what happens when you take a historical Legacy format and give players the time and incentive to explore it without another set immediately changing everything. We talk about: The first Peak Legacy paper event The winning Grixis Control deck Goblin Stompy and Goblin Caves Mulch Lands and modern deckbuilding ideas Two very different Death & Taxes builds Phil's Blue-White Miracles experiment Unexpectedly Absent Why Peak games feel so strategically deep Proxy-friendly Peak Legacy Building decks from bulk-bin discoveries The future of Peak Legacy paper events We're planning to keep the momentum going with more Peak Legacy events in NYC, with the goal of eventually getting close to a monthly event. If you're interested in Peak, Classic, Premodern, Pre-War, or other locked Legacy formats, subscribe to Returnal Durdles. This is where we're building that community.
August 19 · 34 min
We Just Played the First Peak Legacy Event
Peak Legacy is officially a paper format. On August 16th, we held the first-ever paper Peak Legacy event, bringing together 10 players and 8 different archetypes for a tournament that was as much about exploring an old format as it was about competing. The event was won by Grixis Control, featuring Baleful Strix, Gurmag Angler, Snapcaster Mage, Kolaghan's Command, and a pile of spicy one-ofs and unusual numbers. We break down the decks that showed up, including Grixis Delver, Infect, Dark Maverick, Goblin Stompy, Lands, Death & Taxes, and Phil's Blue-White Miracles list. But the most exciting part wasn't necessarily the winner. It was seeing what happens when you take a historical Legacy format and give players the time and incentive to explore it without another set immediately changing everything. We talk about: The first Peak Legacy paper event The winning Grixis Control deck Goblin Stompy and Goblin Caves Mulch Lands and modern deckbuilding ideas Two very different Death & Taxes builds Phil's Blue-White Miracles experiment Unexpectedly Absent Why Peak games feel so strategically deep Proxy-friendly Peak Legacy Building decks from bulk-bin discoveries The future of Peak Legacy paper events We're planning to keep the momentum going with more Peak Legacy events in NYC, with the goal of eventually getting close to a monthly event. If you're interested in Peak, Classic, Premodern, Pre-War, or other locked Legacy formats, subscribe to Returnal Durdles. This is where we're building that community.
August 17 · 30 min
Can Bilbo Revive Affinity?
Bilbo has been showing up everywhere—but I think we may have found one of the most interesting homes for him yet. Zac and Phil take a first look at Eight Emery, a new take on the classic Artifacts Blue / Affinity Stompy shell that uses Bilbo, Emery, and Loki, God of Mischief as a redundant set of powerful artifact engines. The idea is simple: instead of relying on Thoughtcast and Thought Monitor to generate card advantage, the deck uses Bilbo and Loki alongside Emery to repeatedly recur artifacts, generate value, and grind through removal. We break down: Why Affinity has fallen off the Legacy radar The evolution from Thoughtcast/Thought Monitor to Bilbo + Loki Pinnacle Emissary and the current artifact shell Urza's Saga and Kappa Cannoneer How Loki actually works Why Bilbo needs help getting into combat Aether Spellbomb loops Pithing Needle's role in the deck Brazen Borrower + Bilbo Sink into Stupor as a land Odawara and legendary permanents How the deck handles Null Rod Whether Eight Emery could be an Eternal Weekend contender And most importantly: Is Eight Emery actually better than traditional Eight-Cast?
August 16 · 30 min
Can Bilbo Revive Affinity?
Bilbo has been showing up everywhere—but I think we may have found one of the most interesting homes for him yet. Zac and Phil take a first look at Eight Emery, a new take on the classic Artifacts Blue / Affinity Stompy shell that uses Bilbo, Emery, and Loki, God of Mischief as a redundant set of powerful artifact engines. The idea is simple: instead of relying on Thoughtcast and Thought Monitor to generate card advantage, the deck uses Bilbo and Loki alongside Emery to repeatedly recur artifacts, generate value, and grind through removal. We break down: Why Affinity has fallen off the Legacy radar The evolution from Thoughtcast/Thought Monitor to Bilbo + Loki Pinnacle Emissary and the current artifact shell Urza's Saga and Kappa Cannoneer How Loki actually works Why Bilbo needs help getting into combat Aether Spellbomb loops Pithing Needle's role in the deck Brazen Borrower + Bilbo Sink into Stupor as a land Odawara and legendary permanents How the deck handles Null Rod Whether Eight Emery could be an Eternal Weekend contender And most importantly: Is Eight Emery actually better than traditional Eight-Cast?
August 13 · 42 min
The Most Dangerous Cards in Premodern
The Premodern Threat Levels are back, and this time we have three months of new data to dig through. Zac and Phil revisit the cards they've been tracking across the format, using the Blackman threat metric to measure both how widely cards are played and how many copies appear in those decks. The new browser extension makes it easier than ever to snapshot the format and compare how these numbers change over time. We look at Swords to Plowshares, Counterspell, Wasteland, Mishra's Factory, Mogg Fanatic, Phyrexian Dreadnought, Parallax Wave, Survival of the Fittest, Grim Lavamancer, Jackal Pup, Terravore, Exalted Angel, Wall of Roots, Wall of Blossoms, Squee, Masticore, Chain of Vapor and more. Then Phil discovers something potentially much more important: ZOMBIE TRAILBLAZER. Is this the next great Premodern brew? Probably not. But we're absolutely going to find out. 00:00 — Welcome to Returnal Durdles 01:36 — Premodern Threat Levels Are Back 02:01 — The Cards We're Tracking 03:27 — Swords to Plowshares 04:27 — The Threat Level Extension 05:01 — What Is a Blechman? 05:36 — What Does a Threat Level Actually Mean? 06:50 — Premodern Is a Healthy Format 08:28 — Gush Is Everywhere 09:19 — What Is Premodern's Next Most-Played Land? 10:27 — Counterspell Breaks the Data 11:08 — City of Brass?! 11:32 — Mogg Fanatic Is Everywhere 12:16 — The Goblins Math 14:34 — Goblin Sharpshooter Needs More Respect 16:03 — The Phyrexian Dreadnought Package 17:28 — Dreadnought vs. Parallax Wave 19:19 — Survival of the Fittest & Squee 20:40 — Jackal Pup & Burn 22:00 — Portent Is Apparently a 4-of 22:21 — Terravore & Wall of Roots 23:20 — Exalted Angel Falls Off 24:17 — Where Is Meddling Mage? 25:30 — Wall of Blossoms Is Disappearing 25:54 — The Zombie Trailblazer Discovery 27:06 — THIS CARD IS BUSTED 28:36 — "It Dies to Swords" 29:28 — How Many Blackmans Is Zombie Trailblazer? 30:13 — The Deepest Part of the Data 31:24 — Orcish Lumberjack Is MOVING 33:09 — More Zombies?! 33:55 — Zombie Trailblazer Deck Incoming 34:54 — Masticore & Chain of Vapor 35:52 — Dark Ritual Is a 36-Blackman Card 36:03 — Stifle & Portent 37:09 — Subscribe to Returnal Durdles 38:46 — Why Your Subscription Matters Right Now 39:14 — The Zombie Trailblazer Challenge 40:11 — Final Thoughts
August 13 · 42 min
The Most Dangerous Cards in Premodern
The Premodern Threat Levels are back, and this time we have three months of new data to dig through. Zac and Phil revisit the cards they've been tracking across the format, using the Blackman threat metric to measure both how widely cards are played and how many copies appear in those decks. The new browser extension makes it easier than ever to snapshot the format and compare how these numbers change over time. We look at Swords to Plowshares, Counterspell, Wasteland, Mishra's Factory, Mogg Fanatic, Phyrexian Dreadnought, Parallax Wave, Survival of the Fittest, Grim Lavamancer, Jackal Pup, Terravore, Exalted Angel, Wall of Roots, Wall of Blossoms, Squee, Masticore, Chain of Vapor and more. Then Phil discovers something potentially much more important: ZOMBIE TRAILBLAZER. Is this the next great Premodern brew? Probably not. But we're absolutely going to find out. 00:00 — Welcome to Returnal Durdles 01:36 — Premodern Threat Levels Are Back 02:01 — The Cards We're Tracking 03:27 — Swords to Plowshares 04:27 — The Threat Level Extension 05:01 — What Is a Blechman? 05:36 — What Does a Threat Level Actually Mean? 06:50 — Premodern Is a Healthy Format 08:28 — Gush Is Everywhere 09:19 — What Is Premodern's Next Most-Played Land? 10:27 — Counterspell Breaks the Data 11:08 — City of Brass?! 11:32 — Mogg Fanatic Is Everywhere 12:16 — The Goblins Math 14:34 — Goblin Sharpshooter Needs More Respect 16:03 — The Phyrexian Dreadnought Package 17:28 — Dreadnought vs. Parallax Wave 19:19 — Survival of the Fittest & Squee 20:40 — Jackal Pup & Burn 22:00 — Portent Is Apparently a 4-of 22:21 — Terravore & Wall of Roots 23:20 — Exalted Angel Falls Off 24:17 — Where Is Meddling Mage? 25:30 — Wall of Blossoms Is Disappearing 25:54 — The Zombie Trailblazer Discovery 27:06 — THIS CARD IS BUSTED 28:36 — "It Dies to Swords" 29:28 — How Many Blackmans Is Zombie Trailblazer? 30:13 — The Deepest Part of the Data 31:24 — Orcish Lumberjack Is MOVING 33:09 — More Zombies?! 33:55 — Zombie Trailblazer Deck Incoming 34:54 — Masticore & Chain of Vapor 35:52 — Dark Ritual Is a 36-Blackman Card 36:03 — Stifle & Portent 37:09 — Subscribe to Returnal Durdles 38:46 — Why Your Subscription Matters Right Now 39:14 — The Zombie Trailblazer Challenge 40:11 — Final Thoughts
August 11 · 34 min
We Only Found 8 Legacy Cards in the Hobbit Set
The Hobbits are coming to Magic, but how much are they actually going to change Legacy? Zac and Phil go through the new Hobbits from Vetter Breath cards and find something surprisingly refreshing: there aren't that many cards worth talking about for Legacy. We break down the eight cards that caught our attention, including Bilbo, Thief in the Night, The Great Goblin, Giant's Boulder, Thirandil, the Elven King, Inside Information, Bilbo's Gambit, Plunder the Trollshaws, and Riddles in the Dark. Bilbo is the clear standout, looking like a powered-up version of a card that's already on Legacy's banned list. But does that actually make him a problem? We also discuss: Why Universes Beyond sets keep feeling like Commander products The new Storied mechanic Bilbo vs. Dreadhorde Arcanist Whether The Great Goblin can enable a combo Why Giant's Boulder isn't the next Astrolabe Can Thirandil actually save Elves from Orcish Bowmasters? Why Inside Information probably isn't a Storm payoff Bilbo's Gambit and the Legacy "Silence" problem Why Riddles in the Dark isn't Fact or Fiction And why we're actually happy that the set has a lower Legacy power level If we missed a card, let us know in the comments. And if you're done with Universes Beyond and want to play Classic, Peak, Pre-War, or Premodern, check out Returnal Durdles. 00:00 — The Hobbit Set Isn't Breaking Legacy 00:57 — Flavor vs. Power Level 02:37 — The Storied Mechanic Is Metalcraft+ 04:40 — Urza's Saga Is Already Storied?! 05:56 — Why We're Building Locked Formats Instead 06:48 — Peak Legacy Event Announcement 07:17 — Bilbo, Thief in the Night 10:02 — The Great Goblin 12:55 — Giant's Boulder vs. Astrolabe 16:27 — Does Giant's Boulder Work With Scry Payoffs? 17:40 — Thirandil, the Elven King 19:40 — Inside Information 21:36 — Bilbo's Gambit 24:30 — Bilbo Is an EDH All-Star 26:29 — Plunder the Trollshaws 27:39 — Riddles in the Dark 28:48 — Riddles vs. Fact or Fiction 30:14 — Just Play Three Wishes 31:27 — The Eight Cards That Matter 32:00 — Why We're Happy the Power Level Is Lower 32:40 — Returnal Durdles & Locked Formats 33:00 — Submit Your Own Legacy Takes Timestamps
August 11 · 34 min
We Only Found 8 Legacy Cards in the Hobbit Set
The Hobbits are coming to Magic, but how much are they actually going to change Legacy? Zac and Phil go through the new Hobbits from Vetter Breath cards and find something surprisingly refreshing: there aren't that many cards worth talking about for Legacy. We break down the eight cards that caught our attention, including Bilbo, Thief in the Night, The Great Goblin, Giant's Boulder, Thirandil, the Elven King, Inside Information, Bilbo's Gambit, Plunder the Trollshaws, and Riddles in the Dark. Bilbo is the clear standout, looking like a powered-up version of a card that's already on Legacy's banned list. But does that actually make him a problem? We also discuss: Why Universes Beyond sets keep feeling like Commander products The new Storied mechanic Bilbo vs. Dreadhorde Arcanist Whether The Great Goblin can enable a combo Why Giant's Boulder isn't the next Astrolabe Can Thirandil actually save Elves from Orcish Bowmasters? Why Inside Information probably isn't a Storm payoff Bilbo's Gambit and the Legacy "Silence" problem Why Riddles in the Dark isn't Fact or Fiction And why we're actually happy that the set has a lower Legacy power level If we missed a card, let us know in the comments. And if you're done with Universes Beyond and want to play Classic, Peak, Pre-War, or Premodern, check out Returnal Durdles. 00:00 — The Hobbit Set Isn't Breaking Legacy 00:57 — Flavor vs. Power Level 02:37 — The Storied Mechanic Is Metalcraft+ 04:40 — Urza's Saga Is Already Storied?! 05:56 — Why We're Building Locked Formats Instead 06:48 — Peak Legacy Event Announcement 07:17 — Bilbo, Thief in the Night 10:02 — The Great Goblin 12:55 — Giant's Boulder vs. Astrolabe 16:27 — Does Giant's Boulder Work With Scry Payoffs? 17:40 — Thirandil, the Elven King 19:40 — Inside Information 21:36 — Bilbo's Gambit 24:30 — Bilbo Is an EDH All-Star 26:29 — Plunder the Trollshaws 27:39 — Riddles in the Dark 28:48 — Riddles vs. Fact or Fiction 30:14 — Just Play Three Wishes 31:27 — The Eight Cards That Matter 32:00 — Why We're Happy the Power Level Is Lower 32:40 — Returnal Durdles & Locked Formats 33:00 — Submit Your Own Legacy Takes Timestamps
August 10 · 34 min
The Best Decks Haven't Been Discovered Yet
What happens when you take a Magic format from 10 years ago and attack it with everything we've learned since? That's the experiment behind Peak, Classic, and the other locked formats we're exploring on Eternal Durdles. Instead of simply copying old tournament lists, Zac and Phil discuss how modern deckbuilding theory can reveal cards, strategies, and entire archetypes that may have been overlooked when these formats were originally played. Phil has been digging through old Miracles lists and finding cards like Unexpectedly Absent and Sylvan Library that seem dramatically underexplored. Zac is doing the same thing with Classic and Peak decks, looking for forgotten strategies that might be ready for a second life. We also talk about: Why you shouldn't blindly copy old decklists How locked formats create new brewing opportunities The danger of "getting lost in the sauce" of metagame tuning Unexpectedly Absent in Peak Four-of Sylvan Library Rebuilding forgotten Classic decks Nahiri + Emrakul Miracles What modern Magic players know that players didn't know then The upcoming Peak event in New York And yes, Zac has acquired Un-Glued Islands. 00:00 — Why Locked Formats Are So Exciting 01:25 — The First Big Peak Event 02:45 — Don't Just Copy Old Decklists 03:45 — We Know More About Magic Now 04:15 — Phil's Miracles Rabbit Hole 07:50 — The Unexpectedly Absent Breakthrough 10:40 — Why Nobody Played Sylvan Library 13:30 — The Untapped Territory of Locked Formats 15:20 — Optimizing Forgotten Classic Decks 17:45 — Getting Lost in the Sauce 19:45 — Zac's TradeMagic Pickup 22:00 — Esperzoa: The Forgotten Brew 24:45 — What If We Rebuilt These Decks Today? 27:00 — The Nahiri Miracles Experiment 30:20 — Why Old Decks Were Never Fully Explored 31:55 — Come Play Peak! 33:20 — Locked Formats Beyond Nostalgia 34:00 — Welcome to a New Magic
August 10 · 34 min
The Best Decks Haven't Been Discovered Yet
What happens when you take a Magic format from 10 years ago and attack it with everything we've learned since? That's the experiment behind Peak, Classic, and the other locked formats we're exploring on Eternal Durdles. Instead of simply copying old tournament lists, Zac and Phil discuss how modern deckbuilding theory can reveal cards, strategies, and entire archetypes that may have been overlooked when these formats were originally played. Phil has been digging through old Miracles lists and finding cards like Unexpectedly Absent and Sylvan Library that seem dramatically underexplored. Zac is doing the same thing with Classic and Peak decks, looking for forgotten strategies that might be ready for a second life. We also talk about: Why you shouldn't blindly copy old decklists How locked formats create new brewing opportunities The danger of "getting lost in the sauce" of metagame tuning Unexpectedly Absent in Peak Four-of Sylvan Library Rebuilding forgotten Classic decks Nahiri + Emrakul Miracles What modern Magic players know that players didn't know then The upcoming Peak event in New York And yes, Zac has acquired Un-Glued Islands. 00:00 — Why Locked Formats Are So Exciting 01:25 — The First Big Peak Event 02:45 — Don't Just Copy Old Decklists 03:45 — We Know More About Magic Now 04:15 — Phil's Miracles Rabbit Hole 07:50 — The Unexpectedly Absent Breakthrough 10:40 — Why Nobody Played Sylvan Library 13:30 — The Untapped Territory of Locked Formats 15:20 — Optimizing Forgotten Classic Decks 17:45 — Getting Lost in the Sauce 19:45 — Zac's TradeMagic Pickup 22:00 — Esperzoa: The Forgotten Brew 24:45 — What If We Rebuilt These Decks Today? 27:00 — The Nahiri Miracles Experiment 30:20 — Why Old Decks Were Never Fully Explored 31:55 — Come Play Peak! 33:20 — Locked Formats Beyond Nostalgia 34:00 — Welcome to a New Magic
August 7 · 36 min
Legacy Bans Incoming - Here's the Threat Breakdown
With the next Legacy Banned & Restricted announcement just days away, Zac and Phil dive into the latest Threat Level Report to see which cards are dominating the format—and which ones deserve a closer look. Using Blackmans, our custom metric that combines play rate and copies per deck, we analyze the current Legacy metagame and discuss how cards like Tamiyo, Force of Will, Orcish Bowmasters, Urza's Saga, Flow State, Doomsday, Kozilek's Command, and Fantasticar have shifted over the past month. Topics include: The rise and fall of Legacy's biggest threats Why combo continues to dominate the format Fantasticar's impact on gameplay What the data says Wizards should ban Our predictions for the August B&R announcement Will Wizards act decisively—or will Legacy stay the same? Let us know your predictions in the comments! 00:00 Legacy Ban Announcement Preview 02:00 What Is Threat Level? 04:10 Wasteland & Force of Will Trends 05:45 Tamiyo, Murktide & Bowmasters 10:00 New Cards to Watch (Felia, Fleshraker, Kaaito) 13:30 Urza's Saga & Combo Trends 20:40 Flow State, Thoughtseize & Doomsday 25:00 Kozilek's Command & Eldrazi 26:00 Fantasticar's Threat Level 28:40 The Candelabra Debate 33:30 Ban Predictions & Final Thoughts Timestamps
August 6 · 36 min
Legacy Bans Incoming - Here's the Threat Breakdown
With the next Legacy Banned & Restricted announcement just days away, Zac and Phil dive into the latest Threat Level Report to see which cards are dominating the format—and which ones deserve a closer look. Using Blackmans, our custom metric that combines play rate and copies per deck, we analyze the current Legacy metagame and discuss how cards like Tamiyo, Force of Will, Orcish Bowmasters, Urza's Saga, Flow State, Doomsday, Kozilek's Command, and Fantasticar have shifted over the past month. Topics include: The rise and fall of Legacy's biggest threats Why combo continues to dominate the format Fantasticar's impact on gameplay What the data says Wizards should ban Our predictions for the August B&R announcement Will Wizards act decisively—or will Legacy stay the same? Let us know your predictions in the comments! 00:00 Legacy Ban Announcement Preview 02:00 What Is Threat Level? 04:10 Wasteland & Force of Will Trends 05:45 Tamiyo, Murktide & Bowmasters 10:00 New Cards to Watch (Felia, Fleshraker, Kaaito) 13:30 Urza's Saga & Combo Trends 20:40 Flow State, Thoughtseize & Doomsday 25:00 Kozilek's Command & Eldrazi 26:00 Fantasticar's Threat Level 28:40 The Candelabra Debate 33:30 Ban Predictions & Final Thoughts Timestamps

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