This week we're joined by Esports evangelist and content creator Travis Gafford, and talk about Magic vs other games and how much better our Cons could be! Casual Magic is brought to you by Archidekt and Quiver, and by my patrons at Patreon.com/ShivamB.

00:00:00 Intro 00:17:02 DJ Ninja's take: DIG might fall apart during this break 00:34:05 KIA break! 00:37:20 Sharpie's take: Fans should be excited that IMT is in the LCS 00:57:11 Massy's take: double ADC / laneswap / 3min full clear jg meta is too sleeper 01:10:00 NZXT break! 01:13:48 icebreaker asks Berserker and Castle what their new coaches hav…

This week I'm joined by one of the winningest players in CEDH, Ian Flannery, to discuss playing high level tournament commander and still being casual about it! Casual Magic is brought to you by Archidekt, Quiver, and my patrons at patreon.com/shivamb.

00:00:00 Intro 00:17:40 HyperButter's take: LCS content needs more villains to be successful 00:33:35 ANOTHER NEW SPONSOR!?! Welcome, PrizePicks! 00:44:42 Jim is getting back on board with LCS 01:03:45 Tyler's BIG DIG SUMMER 01:17:23 NZXT break! 01:21:53 Jake's take: Talk Your Split format is corny 01:54:58 KIA break! 01:59:44 Skizzle's take: the S…

00:00:00 Intro 00:17:40 titan's take: the move to less teams has enhanced the fan experience 00:35:33 NEW SPONSOR: NZXT! 00:40:00 Allan predicts TL to win summer, and TL C9 DIG go to Worlds 00:58:13 purp0se asks Treatz what it's like working with so many veterans on the same team 01:15:10 KIA break! 01:17:50 rawnblade asks what it actually takes fo…

This week we're rejoined by Rachel Weeks, CAG member and host of the Command Zone podcast! We talk about the responsibility of having a platform that big and speaking to the entire commander community. Casual Magic is brought to you by Archidekt and Quiver, and by my patrons at Patreon.com/ShivamB!

Follow Travis on Twitch: http://twitch.tv/travisgaffordSupport: https://linktr.ee/tgisupport00:00:00 Intro00:28:28 boggles' take: though the changes feel bad now, they might be better for the long term00:51:24 NEW SPONSOR!! KIA break!00:57:30 LS joins HLL!01:17:40 darklight gives some CBLOL perspective, worries that an unhealthy rivalry will form n…

This week we're joined by former SCG Commentator, current LGS owner, and Cube afficionado Ryan Overturf! We discuss card frames and card communities and the art of making a cube, and what the hell a twobert is! Casual Magic is brought to you by Archidekt, Quivertime and my patrons at Patreon.com/shivamb!…

Follow Travis on Twitch: http://twitch.tv/travisgaffordSupport: https://linktr.ee/tgisupport00:00:00 Intro 00:26:30 kon's take: these are the best format changes in LCS history 52:40 Kisiel's take: the gauntlet is the best thing the lcs is bringing back 01:04:46 Jonathon's take: there's a bunch of factors keeping sponsors away from CLoL 01:25:20 Ma…

This week we're joined by Cube designer and Commander bon vivant David McDarby to talk about his time at WotC and SCG, and making Street Fighter Cards! Casual Magic is brought to you by Archidekt and Quiver, and by my patrons at Patreon.com/shivamb.

Follow Travis on Twitch: http://twitch.tv/travisgaffordSupport: https://linktr.ee/tgisupport00:00:00 Intro 00:20:50 Emily joins HLL 01:09:44 micspam is happy to purchase the Ahri skin 01:30:20 waka feels the Ahri skin sets a scary and exploitative precedent 01:58:55 Dirtymike's take: the DIG roster move highlights the need for players to market the…

This week I chat with my pal, the eternal grinder and streamer Tronisbad! We discuss mental health and the grind of competitive magic, and our mutual love of Serial Experiments Lain. Casual Magic is brought to you by Archidekt, Quiver, and my supporters at Patreon.com/ShivamB.

00:00:00 Intro 00:13:25 spacepope wants to talk about G2's master class in drafting 00:29:35 podras' take: Riot has catered to team owners far too much with too little return 00:49:38 zac's take: DIG will replace FLY as third seed in Summer if FLY can't fix issues 01:08:30 blade's take: Riot Games NEEDS to bring back Rift Rivals 01:22:38 dj8ninja's…

This week I'm joined by one of the best players on the Pro Tour, Simon Nielsen! We talk about his intro to competitive play and his mind blowing streak of four top 8s in a row! Casual Magic is brought to you by Archidekt and Quiver, and by my supporters at Patreon.com/Shivamb.

00:00:00 Intro - What's Chengdu like?00:12:20 rawnblade's take: this unpredictable MSI is the West's best chance to go far in a while00:22:55 tomas's take: NA's problem is lack of commitment00:40:45 ppdoc shouts out Raz and thinks TL has a chance to compete and win against T100:57:57 Nox's take: If DL is correct and IMT and TSM are merging, the com…

This week I'm joined by one of the leaders of Team Handshake, World champs competitor Anthony Lee! We talk about the art of testing on a team spread across the globe, and what it's like to play at the highest levels!

00:00:00 Intro 00:11:20 t-bone's take: FLY has to blow up their roster if they want to make Worlds 00:31:12 nohrii's take: TL v TES is the best stylistic matchup TL could get 00:47:57 GreenCervidae's take: as Zven said, NA will never win Worlds because pros don't play enough high elo 01:14:35 Tatami Galaxy's take: FLY's failure might set up an inte…

This week I'm incredibly honored to welcome one of my inspirations in Commander, Bennie Smith! His book on how to build and play EDH decks changed my outlook on the game, and his articles did too. Absolutely lovely chat! Casual Magic is brought to you by Quiver and Archidekt! You can also support me directly at patreon.com/shivamb.…

00:00:00 Intro 00:24:08 eBraum wants Nymaera's thoughts on LPL and LEC at MSI, and first int'l tourney without LFL 00:40:40 Yasukeh's take: MSI would benefit greatly from having more casters 00:56:24 Grayska's take: the LCS has entirely dropped the ball on MSI content 01:15:32 nocturnavi's take: the leaked third int'l tourney for 2025 should invite…

This week we're joined by Wizards Senior Game Architect Andrew Brown to discuss the art of balance and making magic cards! Casual Magic is supported by Quiver and Archidekt, and by listener support at Patreon.com/shivamb.

00:00:00 Intro 00:21:28 EzraSmiles's take: LCS should push more content during the break weeks to get through the lack of games 00:30:33 Rico Suave asks Mark about the plan to increase NA viewership and young viewers 00:53:21 Azikiel asks what Mark's take is on adding unbroadcasted games and fearless draft 01:26:45 Wakalino ask if there's any conte…

This week I'm joined by Amazonian, the world's premiere player of Brawl on Arena, to learn everything there is to know about this remarkable commander variant and her nearly 200 decks! Casual Magic is brought to you by Quiver, Archidekt, and the fine folks who support me on patreon at Patreon.com/shivamb!…

00:00:00 Intro 00:13:47 Davis's take: bring back Scouting Grounds as a content event 00:43:39 BreakingDreams is concerned for C9 due to lack of coaching staff support 01:01:03 Tzvi's take: colleges need to invest in lolesports through high school-focused roadshow 01:21:38 Braedan's take: C9 does best when they pull from their Academy team. Bring it…

This time we have the number one arena streamer on Youtube, CovertGoBlue! We talk about his incredible business acumen as well as the art of performing. Casual Magic is brought to you by Quiver and Archidekt! You can also support me directly at Patreon.com/shivamb.

00:00:00 Intro 00:18:15 Lord Audie asks CoreJJ about TL's growth since 2023 00:30:40 wombatbaby's take: FLY and TL makes sense because they're the only teams that have Challengers rosters 00:45:27 tbone's take: while Thanatos is a good pickup for C9, it won't solve their problems 00:55:47 skizzle's take: DIG firing Enatron was just a cover for poor…

This week we have an in depth conversation with Pro Player and Content Creator Jim Davis! We discuss the art of content creation and getting better at Magic, and the work life balance between the two. Casual Magic is brought to you by Archidekt and Quiver! Support me directly at Patreon.com/shivamb.

00:00:00 Intro 00:21:59 lymyion's take: TL is simultaneously the worst team to win the LCS and also the best team we've ever sent international. 00:40:33 David's take: the LCS Final should never be in the Riot Games Arena ever again 00:56:27 vash's take: teams need to give fans a reason to commit to them 01:11:34 Lord Audie's take: Bwipo and Inspir…

This week I'm joined by Cass Lynn, aka Devoted Druid, cohost of the Brainstorm Brewery podcast and phenomenal dealer of Magic Cards. She's also one of the people who i go out of my way to see at events, and we had a lovely conversation about cards and the culture they create, as well as fun legacy tricks. Casual Magic is brought to you by Archidekt…

00:00:00 Intro 00:16:18 Rico Suave's take: there should be definitive leaders in a team to help shape identity 00:28:09 eBraum's take: as a C9 fan, C9 is going to get swept by TL, TL will win over FLY 00:36:10 Bwipo's hot take: The difference between 100T and IMT was pure luck 00:46:30 Is Berserker's gameplay suffering without Zven? 00:51:10 micspa…

This time we're talking with Meaghan A, the creator of InfiniTokens! We talk all about the genesis of these ingenious play aids and the ups and downs of running a small community-supported business! Also, Infinitokens rule and you should use them! Casual Magic is brought to you by Archidekt and Quiver! You can support me on my patreon at Patreon.co…

00:00:00 Intro 00:16:44 rawnblade's take: NRG will get worse with roster changes, not better 00:30:05 LestForce's take: the LCS is trying too hard to make trash talk a thing 00:44:20 Zven wants to talk about IMT's branding 00:49:30 GreenCervidae's take: LCS needs more former pros on broadcast 01:04:40 Titan's take: TL will make it to LCS Finals aga…

This week I'm joined by Chief, Media Lead for the PlayEDH online community, and we go deep into the heart of Commander Matchmaking and Rule Zero! Casual Magic is brought to you by Quiver and Archidekt! Support me directly at Patreon.com/shivamb!

00:00:00 Intro - Playoffs incoming, a sprinkle of drama 00:20:30 Gambirino's take: shifting from a live patch to a fixed patch for Playoffs will test the teams 00:37:40 icebreaker's take: from a product/hype perspective, 100T is the best team to send to MSI 00:51:22 Human Boy YesYes's take: DIG and TL have better shots at MSI than NRG and C9 01:07:…

This week, Pauper expert Alex Ullman returns to teach me about his favorite style of play- sacrifice for value, or as we all know it, Aristocrats! Join us as we throw our beloved friends away and bring them back over and over again! Casual Magic is brought to you by Quiver and Archidekt! Support me directly at my patreon at Patreon.com/shivamb.…