Dominaria's Judgment

<p>I won a lot at PT Lorwyn Eclipsed... until I didn't. A <a href="https://ia802808.us.archive.org/33/items/dj-173-pt-ecl/DJ%20173%20PT%20ECL.mp3">reflection</a> on a bizarre and confounding format and the mental trials of Pro Tour success + failure.</p>

<p>I've been joking about scheduling a Premodern episode for a slow news week but right now there's one topic that's the talk of the town and... it's Premodern! As the format gains momentum online and offline, I wanted to give a <a href="https://dn720900.ca.archive.org/0/items/dj-172-premodern/DJ%20172%20Premodern.mp3">quick runthrough</a> of what to expect, what the format is about/for, and how it compares (for better and worse) to modern and Modern Magic. </p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MegT2y1aXuM&pp=ygUUc2FtJ3MgdGFibGUgcHJlbW9lcm4%3D">Sam Black's Premodern summary</a></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZjg7DbMCw8vLwgv91rn_TUPH_82BleIE">Spike Colony Podcast</a></p>

<a href="http://twitter.com/joedpuglisi">Joseph Puglisi</a> made his mark on Modern very emphatically this RC season, developing the Jeskai list that took his Scrapheap teammate Vinnie Fino to the trophy in Houston (beating his brother John in the finals) and reviving the Izzet Opal/Cutter deck for his own finals appearance in Vegas - but he may not even be the best player in his own household! Before jetting off for an extended victory lap in Japan, he <a href="https://ia801700.us.archive.org/1/items/dj-171/DJ%20171.mp3">drops by</a> to glaze his brother/team and discuss how he and they manage to ambush formats (and the English language...) so often.  <div><br /></div><div><a href="https://ia801700.us.archive.org/1/items/dj-171/DJ%20171.mp3">Jenga vs Slop</a></div>

<p>Reformed podcaster Ari Lax <a href="https://dn710109.ca.archive.org/0/items/dj-170-ari-legacy/DJ%20170%20Ari%20Lega">relapses</a> briefly to talk through his stint suiting up for Legacy commentary with Jarvis for Nathan Steuer's clinical domination of the DMV Legacy League 5k + Invitational and what the bans mean for a newly disentombed Legacy before turning our attention to... well, everything else! </p><p>00:00 Legacy commentary + bans</p><p>48:00 Other (non/)bans + the future of Standard</p>

<p>After another pair of barnstorming performances with a deep run at PT EOE and a Top 4 at RC Houston, reformed 'caster and relapsed grinder Collins Mullen returns to <a href="https://ia803102.us.archive.org/14/items/dj-169-final/DJ%20169%20final.mp3">wax lyrical</a> about Amulet Titan - the (too?) good, the malevolent, and the beautiful </p>

<p>Shortly after PT EOE I had a thoughtful (+ occasionally, delightfully nonsensical) <a href="https://ia801004.us.archive.org/30/items/dj-168-paul-green/DJ%20168%20Paul%20Green.mp3">chat</a> with rising star and Modern lover Paul Green about his rise from local + casual Magic to becoming a Pro Tour mainstay and getting ready for his first Worlds. If his thoughts on preparation + process don't help you, his infectious enthusiasm for Modern surely will!</p>

<p>The show is back, the Modern PT is back, Amulet is back (did it ever leave?!)... we're all so back. Here/there for the first time is <a href="http://x.com/mshadaro">Mason Buonadonna</a>, whose PT Top 8 debut here is no surprise to grinders, Legacy players, or the great nation of Iowa. He joins Dom for a personal and primeval <a href="https://ia800804.us.archive.org/2/items/dj-167-pt-eoe-mason/DJ%20167%20PT%20EOE%20Mason.mp3">victory lap</a> and a look at a thriving (?) Modern post-PT as the RCs draw near.</p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/was-amulet-all-141223467">Dom's Amulet primer/guide for RC Houston</a></p><p><a href="https://metafy.gg/guides/view/amulet-titan-for-2025-rcs-edhvEjlbrCn">Mason's Amulet primer/guide for RC Houston</a></p><p><a href="https://discord.com/invite/HH3GTD65bV">Discord</a> </p>

<p>There are fifteen sets to cover and one intrepid host to cover them - a <a href="https://dn721907.ca.archive.org/0/items/dj-167-ff/DJ%20167%20FF.mp3">monologue</a> on the hits and misses of the set, its implications for Magic, and the many weird little guys within </p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/dominarias_judgment">Patreon</a> <span face=""ABC Oracle Plus Variable", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">/ </span><a href="https://discord.com/invite/HH3GTD65bV">Discord</a> </p>

<p>With Ari attending to a baby sprite dragon and Dom left to judge on all his own, the streams crossed this week as former MTG Grindcast co-host Collins Mullen <a href="https://dn721601.ca.archive.org/0/items/dj-165-w-collins/DJ%20165%20w%20Collins.mp3">drops by</a> to talk about requalifying for the PT at RC Minneapolis, Standard lessons for RC Hartford and beyond, and what preparing for tournaments looks/feels like as we all get older (and wiser?)</p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/dominarias_judgment">Patreon</a> <span face=""ABC Oracle Plus Variable", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">/ </span><a href="https://discord.com/invite/HH3GTD65bV">Discord</a> </p>

<p>No last hurrah would be complete without a timeless (...and somewhat overdue) theory article so here Ari <a href="https://ia600801.us.archive.org/13/items/dj-164/DJ%20164.mp3">shares</a> what's on his mind as he gallops off into the sunset - the hard problems in Magic then, now, and in between</p><p><a href="https://articles.starcitygames.com/articles/playstyles-of-the-rich-and-famous/">Sam Black on Playstyles</a></p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/dominarias_judgment">Patreon</a> <span face=""ABC Oracle Plus Variable", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">/ </span><a href="https://discord.com/invite/HH3GTD65bV">Discord</a> </p>

<p>Bans have struck and every format is about to be caught up in a dragon storm... or are they? We go over the <a href="https://ia600709.us.archive.org/6/items/dj-163/DJ%20163.mp3">changes</a> coming everywhere - including the podcast itself!</p><p>00:00 Intro + Pauper<br />05:15 Legacy<br />27:55 Pioneer/Explorer<br />30:50 Modern<br />38:44 Standard + Tarkir<br />1:15:15 Special Announcement</p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/dominarias_judgment">Patreon</a> <span face=""ABC Oracle Plus Variable", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">/ </span><a href="https://discord.com/invite/HH3GTD65bV">Discord</a> </p>

<p>With Dom on the move this week, Jarvis Yu <a href="https://ia600809.us.archive.org/30/items/dj-162/DJ162.mp3">joins the podcast</a> to yell at clouds during the quarterly pre-B&R announcement airing of grievances. One format is safe from our ire, the others.... who knows, and that's even ignoring that Underworld Breach is finally over. <br /><br /><a href="https://www.patreon.com/dominarias_judgment">Patreon</a> <span face=""ABC Oracle Plus Variable", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">/ </span><a href="https://discord.com/invite/HH3GTD65bV">Discord</a> </p>

<p>As Breach's reign of terror drags on, we <a href="https://ia800704.us.archive.org/20/items/dj-161/DJ%20161.mp3">look</a> to a post-ban and post-Breach future and ask whether Modern is fixable as it becomes the focus for RCQ grinders everywhere. After that, we have an exciting first batch of Tarkir: Dragonstorm previews to sink our teeth into - but first, yet another slippery character finds himself in the eye of the storm...</p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">00:00 Breach + post-ban Modern<br />33:30 Wily Goblins<br />40:45 Dragonstorm Previews </p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><a href="https://www.patreon.com/dominarias_judgment">Patreon</a> <span face=""ABC Oracle Plus Variable", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">/ </span><a href="https://discord.com/invite/HH3GTD65bV">Discord</a> </p>

<p>There's a <a href="https://ia600602.us.archive.org/3/items/dj-160/DJ%20160.mp3">lot</a> to catch up on this week - the Domain-ation of Standard at the PT, the sloppy and scandalous plays on- and off-camera, a smattering of previews from universes within and beyond, and a truly baroque Nonsense of the Year segment...</p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">00:00 Standard<br />52:27 Limited<br />1:04:30 "Sloppiness"<br />1:14:36 Secret Lairs<br />1:25:15 Previews </p><p><a href="https://scryfall.com/sets/psldsc" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Planes</a></p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/dominarias_judgment">Patreon</a> <span face=""ABC Oracle Plus Variable", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">/ </span><a href="https://discord.com/invite/HH3GTD65bV">Discord</a> </p>

<p>It's Pro Tour weekend and Dom is finally qualified for a Pro Tour pundit take-a-thon again! The volatile chimera of Dom, Ari, and Jarvis <a href="https://ia800109.us.archive.org/20/items/dj-159-w-jarvis/DJ%20159%20w%20Jarvis.mp3">tries</a> to glimpse the future without too much boomer reminiscing about the past...</p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/dominarias_judgment">Patreon</a> <span face=""ABC Oracle Plus Variable", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">/ </span><a href="https://discord.com/invite/HH3GTD65bV">Discord</a> </p>

<p>After a barnstorming weekend for Breach silenced our local haters and doubters, it was actually a common Amulet W as Primeval Titan enthusiast <a href="https://x.com/peter_husisian">Pete Husisian</a> and his intimidatingly large arms held a tragically mislabelled trophy. The champ <a href="https://ia600600.us.archive.org/3/items/dj-158-w-pete-husisian/DJ%20158%20w%20Pete%20Husisian.mp3">joins</a> us to talk through the tournament, the deck, and preparing for all the tougher challenges his sun run just qualified him for. </p><p style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.18px; line-height: inherit; margin: 20px 0px !important; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">00:00 RC Portland/Chiba + Aetherdrift impact<br />57:55 Interview with Pete</span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.18px; line-height: inherit; margin: 20px 0px !important; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-JlXSGknVA" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; font-weight: var(--global-fontWeights-body-bold); text-decoration-line: none;">Pete's Portland VOD Review</a><br /><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-SvyrW1YYsWgQmBmE2-YzRwE3Yb2ZqaBi0ZsF5Lnj84/edit?tab=t.0" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; font-weight: var(--global-fontWeights-body-bold); text-decoration-line: none;">Keeping Bad Amulet Hands</a></span></p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/dominarias_judgment">Patreon</a> <span face=""ABC Oracle Plus Variable", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">/ </span><a href="https://discord.com/invite/HH3GTD65bV">Discord</a> </p>

<p>Dom's (so) back from Ottawa with a Pro Tour invite in tow and <a href="https://ia800407.us.archive.org/19/items/dj-157-final/DJ%20157%20final.mp3">tales</a> from the trenches of Ringless Modern. With the underworld officially breached and the weird space aliens in the ascendant, are the cute cats and dogs of Boros and Sewer the heroes now? And how has Amulet remained Tier 0 or 1 through formats will all of this nonsense?!</p><p>Then, we're one-and-done with Aetherdrift spoilers as Dom finally finds his nemesis...</p><p>00:00 Modern at/post RCs <br />1:14:05 Aetherdrift</p><p><a href="https://t.co/h7KPAdKHqc">RC report + post-RC list/guide on Dom's Patreon</a></p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/dominarias_judgment">Patreon</a> <span face=""ABC Oracle Plus Variable", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">/ </span><a href="https://discord.com/invite/HH3GTD65bV">Discord</a> </p>

<p>Modern RC season is in full swing and the underworld is open for business. We (Dom, his cat, and Ari) break down the hype around the latest and greatest Mox Opal deck, the curious case of the missing Faithless Lootings, and the deck Dom would play (if he wasn't locked on a deck that's hopefully remained Tier 0 or 1 through metas with Underworld Breach, Phlage, Abhorrent Oculus...). This is largely unedited to get this out before everyone hops on their planes and trains so excuse any issues with audio or take quality!</p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/dominarias_judgment">Patreon</a><span face=""ABC Oracle Plus Variable", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;"><a href="https://www.patreon.com/dominarias_judgment"> </a></span><span face=""ABC Oracle Plus Variable", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;"><a href="https://twitter.com/dominaria_pod"> </a>/ </span><a href="https://discord.com/invite/HH3GTD65bV">Discord</a></p>

<p>There are weeks where decades happen, and last year had a lot of those. We <a href="https://ia800603.us.archive.org/31/items/dj-155/DJ%20155.mp3">revisit</a> the sets, events, cards, and takes that defined the year - with a cheeky peek at 2025.</p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/dominarias_judgment">Patreon</a><span face=""ABC Oracle Plus Variable", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;"><a href="https://www.patreon.com/dominarias_judgment"> </a>/ </span><a href="https://twitter.com/dominaria_pod">Twitter</a><span face=""ABC Oracle Plus Variable", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;"><a href="https://twitter.com/dominaria_pod"> </a>/ </span><a href="https://discord.com/invite/HH3GTD65bV">Discord</a></p>

<p>Monday saw a much-needed hard reset in Modern and beyond, with many of its most notorious heroes and villains (?) set free. We do our best to <a href="https://ia600606.us.archive.org/7/items/dj-154/DJ%20154.mp3">break down</a> this earthquake - with the help of some real-time nonsense of the day from the usual suspects. </p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/dominarias_judgment">Patreon</a><span face=""ABC Oracle Plus Variable", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;"><a href="https://www.patreon.com/dominarias_judgment"> </a>/ </span><a href="https://twitter.com/dominaria_pod">Twitter</a><span face=""ABC Oracle Plus Variable", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;"><a href="https://twitter.com/dominaria_pod"> </a>/ </span><a href="https://discord.com/invite/HH3GTD65bV">Discord</a></p>