Magic The Flavouring
141 episodes - English - Latest episode: 15 days ago - ★★★★★ - 3 ratingsAndy and Nathan discuss the flavour highs and lows of the world's greatest card game, Magic: The Gathering. Join them as they talk through world building, lore, mechanics and art, on a meandering quest to explore the relationship between storytelling and gameplay.
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Episodes
Ep.36 Double The Masters, Double The Art
August 17, 2020 12:00 - 1 hour - 47.8 MBEvery Double Masters Box Topper (except for one...) has brought with it new art that puts fresh flavour spins on some of the games most iconic cards. But which ones do the guys think are the most interesting, not only for their visual beauty but also as space to expand lore and tell stories. Also, there are some of the negatives to come out of these premium pieces, so what do Andy and Nathan think were some of the oversights and missed opportunities that they hope see rectified in the future...
Ep.35 Player, Artist, Customer? The Value Of Magic Art Feat. Titus Lunter
August 10, 2020 09:00 - 1 hour - 51.9 MBToday the guys are joined by Magic: The Gathering Artist Titus Lunter! Titus talks about his experience with the game as both a creative and a player and explores the relationship between these two identities in both his deck building and illustration process. We also dive deep into the debate surrounding the artistic value of fantasy art created for commercial use. Can you divorce the final piece from its cardboard origins or is art created for a game that needs to make money always goin...
Ep.34 The Rise of Zendikar: Speculations, Rumours and Nonsense
August 03, 2020 09:00 - 1 hour - 48 MBZendikar Rising is within sight and the guys have a lot of speculation to throw around! Based on Mark Rosewater's SDCC online panel and key art that has been released, as well as picking up on clues from around mtg, Zendikar Rising seems to have many different avenues that it can go down, and they all seem to point towards an exciting set! Also Nathan has just found his new most hated/favourite card! Mark Rosewater's SDCC panel Video: https://www.comic-con.org/cciathome/2020/video/nqofe...
Ep.33 Flavourful Alternatives: Commander Staples!
July 27, 2020 10:00 - 1 hour - 48.4 MBThe guys look at some of the most played spells in Commander and suggest alternatives that may better fit your EDH deck's theme or aesthetic. The Commander format has one of the largest card pools of any format to choose from, so when crafting you pile, shop around! You may be surprised by some cads that are considered "strictly worse" than other cards but are actually more suitable for your play style, both mechanically and flavour wise. Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF...
Ep.32 Featured In Flavour Text
July 20, 2020 10:00 - 1 hour - 44.8 MBThis week the guys deep dive into characters that have only ever appeared on flavour text and throw around wild speculations on who of those characters will be getting a Legendary Creature card in the near future. Also Andy talks about some recent art that has been on his mind and Nathan espouses some feelings on character names. Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @TheFoxintheMoon, Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/chann...
Ep.31 Writing Flavour Text Feat. Anthony Tessitore
July 13, 2020 11:00 - 1 hour - 66 MBThis week the guys are joined by writer and game designer Anthony Tessitore! Ant worked on Magic: The Gathering from Magic Origin's to Modern Horizons and is currently running his own games company GuildHouse Games with their new game Varia! Ant was also a prolific writer for CoolStuffInc. and is co-host to the Snack Time podcast with Vorthos Mike. Andy, Nathan and Ant talk all things flavour text, naming cards and the relationship between written text and visual art on the cardboard. ...
Ep.30 Jumpstart: Smashing Flavour
July 06, 2020 11:00 - 1 hour - 44.6 MBJumpstart not only brings a whole new way to play and enjoy MTG, it also is packed to the brim with flavour! Andy and Nathan talk through their personal highlights from the set and dive into the art, mechanics and text of this fun new product. Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @TheFoxintheMoon, Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqEmU7KIqU4Bcwn2RfcJ-yQ Email: [email protected]
Ep.29 M21 Part 2: Core Ingredients
June 29, 2020 14:00 - 1 hour - 55.8 MBFor a core set, M21 has a tonne of flavour. Legendary's old and new, a wide art style and varied game play makes this set a force to be reckoned with. But with the highs also come some lows and Andy and Nathan, recording in 30'c heat are here to rant all about it! Also if you didn't think Ice Cream Vans could upset a person, think again... Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @TheFoxintheMoon, Youtube: https://www.youtube.co...
Ep.28 M21 Part 1: Core Blimey!
June 22, 2020 12:00 - 1 hour - 45.8 MBAndy and Nathan talk through the more mechanical aspects of Core Set 21 as well as looking at the broader flavour style that core sets offer. With new creature types, big reprints and a deeper level of game play than we are used to seeing from a set like this, M21 is looking to be one of the most interesting non-story sets in yet! Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @TheFoxintheMoon, [email protected]
Ep.28 M21 Part 1: Core Blimey!
June 22, 2020 12:00 - 1 hour - 45.8 MBAndy and Nathan talk through the more mechanical aspects of Core Set 21 as well as looking at the broader flavour style that core sets offer. With new creature types, big reprints and a deeper level of game play than we are used to seeing from a set like this, M21 is looking to be one of the most interesting non-story sets in yet! Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @TheFoxintheMoon, [email protected]
Ep.27 A Path To Blightsteel Feat. Wayne Reynolds
June 15, 2020 10:00 - 56 minutes - 38.5 MBThis week the guys are joined my MTG artist Wayne Reynolds! Wayne chats through his experiences leading up to working on magic, as well as other IP's such as Pathfinder and 2000AD, and shares with the guys his thoughts on the future direction of Fantasy art. Also Andy and Nathan pick Wayne's brains about his Double Masters Blightsteel Colossus art as well as some of their own favourite pieces of his extensive and iconic portfolio. Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Wayne Reynolds: ht...
Ep.26 Ravnica In Reflection
June 08, 2020 11:00 - 49 minutes - 33.9 MBAs we finally close the last chapter of the Bolas story with Ravnica and War Of The Spark rotating out of standard, Andy and Nathan look back at MTG's favourite Plane. How was it left, where will it go and what story threads seem like they would offer the best returning story lines for when we inevitably go back? Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @TheFoxintheMoon, [email protected]
Ep.25 Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe
May 30, 2020 11:00 - 1 hour - 44.2 MBFive Secret Lair drops in one week! That's a lot of cardboard to talk about. The guys talk through the latest offerings from Secret Lair and look at the creative space this controversial product has opened up. Also watch as the guys fail to avoid dipping their toes into the sea of public discourse and look out for some top tips on toilet etiquette when playing Virtual magic... Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @TheFoxintheM...
Ep.24 Alt Art Talk - Feat. Vorthos Mike
May 23, 2020 09:00 - 1 hour - 41.7 MBThe guys have a very special guest on the show, Vorthos Mike! Alternative art has been coming into its own over the past year and it looks like a trend set to continue, but Vorthos Mike is here to tell you that this trend has deep roots in Magic's history. Also Nathan and Andy get schooled on the secrets still hidden in MTG art and the importance of taking a careful look at every card in your booster. Vorthos Mike's latest article: https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/vorthosmike-05132020-art-g...
Ep.23 Flavourful Facades That Flip
May 16, 2020 13:00 - 1 hour - 50.8 MBThe guys go through the history of flip, split and double faced cards to explore the ways in which R&D have used space not only to try new mechanics but also broaden the stories they can tell. Also the guys talk about where they want to see these mechanics used in the future, and why naming conventions are just as important as any other part of a card. Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @TheFoxintheMoon, mtflavouring@gmai...
Ep.22 Trials and Tribal-ations
May 08, 2020 15:00 - 1 hour - 48.8 MBLooking ahead into this 'Year of Commander' the guys break down the Tribal Commanders they want to see introduced into the EDH format, as well as breaking down what criteria they want in their tribal support and why some of the more powerful tribal decks in the format are perhaps not the most flavourful. Also, bare witness as to why Andy and Nathan haven't been invited to design cards for WOTC... Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, N...
Ep.21 Hypothetical Content
April 30, 2020 15:00 - 56 minutes - 39 MBToday the guys take a moment to ask the important questions surrounding MTG lore. What Plane has the best pubs? Do Dragons have to deal with heart burn and much, much more (maybe too much). If you have any hypothetical questions that you want the guys to tackle in future episodes, send them in! No question is too asinine, no technicality too trivial! Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @TheFoxintheMoon, [email protected]...
Ep.20 Ikoria Lore: Humans
April 24, 2020 14:00 - 1 hour - 45.3 MBThe Human factions of Ikoria are perhaps not as splashy as their Monster counterparts, however as the guys find out, their design is far more nuanced and deep than appearances would lead you to believe. Andy and Nathan look at the use of the colour pie, visual aesthetics and narrative choices that make the Humans of Ikoria one of the big draws of this high concept Plane. Also make sure you hit up the show on Twitter and let the guys know what are your favourite flavour cards from the set! ...
Ep.19 Ikoria Lore: Monsters
April 18, 2020 12:00 - 1 hour - 42.5 MBThe Monsters of Ikoria are plentiful and each of them unique, so naturally the guys have quite a bit to say about them. At first glance Ikoria's lore seems to just be about giant monsters smashing the heck out of each other, but a closer look at the geography of the Plane and its relationship with the creatures that live in it reveals a much deeper mythos and one of the most interesting new planes in recent magic. Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- ...
Ep.18 Commander 2020 Overview
April 13, 2020 17:00 - 1 hour - 57.1 MBIt's Commander 2020, and foolishly the guys thought they could talk about it in the last 10mins of the previous episode. Never going to work. So enjoy this bonus episode as they talk through the new legendaries and some of the more king sized new toys for EDH. Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @TheFoxintheMoon, [email protected]
Ep.17 Ikoria: Monstrous Mechanics
April 10, 2020 14:00 - 1 hour - 48.5 MBIkoria has just finished spoiler season and the guys talk through it's mechanics and gameplay. Do the set's new abilities deliver on its kaiju battle aesthetic and is the actual gameplay deep enough to justify it's bold design? Also, Andy makes a feeble attempt to be even handed regarding magic player backlash and Nathan finds a Fox to fill an Otter shaped hole. Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @TheFoxintheMoon, mtflavou...
Ep.17 Ikoria: Monstrous Mechanics
April 10, 2020 14:00 - 1 hour - 48.5 MBIkoria has just finished spoiler season and the guys talk through it's mechanics and gameplay. Do the set's new abilities deliver on its kaiju battle aesthetic and is the actual gameplay deep enough to justify it's bold design? Also, Andy makes a feeble attempt to be even handed regarding magic player backlash and Nathan finds a Fox to fill an Otter shaped hole. Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @TheFoxintheMoon, mtflavou...
Ep.16 Magic Without The Gathering/Ikoria Spoilers
April 03, 2020 10:00 - 58 minutes - 40 MBThe guys run through the small steps you can take to engage with the game of Magic when you can't actually sit down and play it. With almost everyone around the world unable to get a face to face game in right now, how can you keep sane and still connect with MTG? Also Ikoria spoilers begin to drop right as recording starts, and Nathan goes on an emotional journey about a specific Otter... Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @T...
Ep.16 Magic Without The Gathering/Ikoria Spoilers
April 03, 2020 10:00 - 58 minutes - 40 MBThe guys run through the small steps you can take to engage with the game of Magic when you can't actually sit down and play it. With almost everyone around the world unable to get a face to face game in right now, how can you keep sane and still connect with MTG? Also Ikoria spoilers begin to drop right as recording starts, and Nathan goes on an emotional journey about a specific Otter... Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @T...
Ep.15 What's That Coming Over The Hill?
March 26, 2020 16:00 - 42 minutes - 29.4 MBThe guys talk through their predictions for Ikoria: Lair Of Behemoths and breakdown some of the hints given out by the Mtg Creative team in regards to its mechanics and creature types. What creature types do Andy and Nathan want to see, how much power can one Aura give and what the heck is a Whale Wolf? Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @TheFoxintheMoon, [email protected]
Ep.14 Legendary Potential
March 17, 2020 22:00 - 1 hour - 50.7 MBComing to you from what can only be assumed is some sort of cavernous Hall of Legends on account of all the echos, the guys talk through what qualities make a Legendary Creature in the game of Magic, and what Non-Legendary Creatures they would like to see ascend to glory! Also Nathan takes you through a brief history of the 'Legend' supertype, and bare witness to Andy in a particularly glib mood... Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, ...
Ep.13 Flavour Builds: Scarab God/Grenzo
March 10, 2020 17:00 - 1 hour - 58.1 MBThe guys run through some of their most flavourful commander decks and talk about the different levels of building with theme and flavour. What is the balance between form and function and what choices can you make when building a deck that still performs but also tells a story? Deck lists: Scarab God, http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/28-02-19-anything-you-can-do-i-can-do-better/ Grenzo, http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/grenzo-riot-starter Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: ...
Ep.12 The Great Snake Debate
March 06, 2020 18:00 - 1 hour - 51.6 MBIt's time to settle this once and for all! Is a Naga a Naga or is it a Snake? Well before they can answer that question, the guys have to go through every other humanoid race in Magic and find out where the lines are drawn. Should Leonin stay as cats, should Viashino be Lizards, and can WOTC just make up their minds about Jackals already!?! Also Nathan takes a pop quiz and Andy pines after a Werewolf commander worth its fur... Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring...
Ep.11 Tourist Traps Of The Blind Eternities
February 28, 2020 15:00 - 1 hour - 52.2 MBWhat new Planes do the guys want to see as a future setting in a main MTG set and which ones are they sick to death of visiting? Do the main characters matter more than the world they inhabit or is it the Plane itself that gets the Vorthos senses tingling? Let the ranting commence! Also the guys talk through the Planeschase product and why you should adopt it into your playgroup. Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @TheFoxintheMoon,...
Ep.10 Walking With Flavour
February 18, 2020 13:00 - 1 hour - 46.1 MBThe guys talk about Planeswalkers, both in their role as MTG story's heroes and as some of the games most powerful cards. Are Planeswalkers too bound by the needs of each set or would making each one unique break the game? And where are our non-bipedal walkers?!? Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @TheFoxintheMoon, [email protected]
Ep.9 State Of The Story
February 11, 2020 15:00 - 1 hour - 56.6 MBThe guys dig deep into one of the most hot button issues of recent magic, the handling and delivery of Mtg Story. In the past 12 months there have been so many twists and turns that sometimes it is hard to see a larger context and determine what has gone wrong, what has gone right and where. Andy and Nathan will be trying their very best to unravel this tangle, with only moderate amounts of ranting and face palming (maybe, no promises). Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @M...
Ep.8 Going Green- Green
February 04, 2020 20:00 - 1 hour - 56.6 MBRounding out their cycle of colour pie episodes, the guys talk through Green and its perceived domination of battle cruiser magic. Does a format's popularity effect how a colour is represented in the game and vice versa, and is this thematically justified in the colour's flavour? Also how many wolf tokens is too many and is there a beast within us all? Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @TheFoxintheMoon, [email protected]
Ep. 8 Going Green- Green
February 04, 2020 20:00 - 1 hour - 56.6 MBRounding out their cycle of colour pie episodes, the guys talk through Green and its perceived domination of battle cruiser magic. Does a format's popularity effect how a colour is represented in the game and vice versa, and is this thematically justified in the colour's flavour? Also how many wolf tokens is too many and is there a beast within us all? Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @TheFoxintheMoon, [email protected]
Ep. 7 Theros Beyond Death Flavour Review
January 28, 2020 21:00 - 1 hour - 63 MBThe guys breakdown Theros Beyond Death. From Titans to Demigods, this set has a dense lore and only one set to fulfill some high flavour expectations. What challenges come with returning to a fan favourite Plane? And does Andy have an irrational gripe about the number of creature types in the set (yes, yes he does)? For all that and more join the guys on a trip to the Underworld and back... Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @TheFo...
Ep.7 Theros Beyond Death Flavour Review
January 28, 2020 21:00 - 1 hour - 63 MBThe guys breakdown Theros Beyond Death. From Titans to Demigods, this set has a dense lore and only one set to fulfill some high flavour expectations. What challenges come with returning to a fan favourite Plane? And does Andy have an irrational gripe about the number of creature types in the set (yes, yes he does)? For all that and more join the guys on a trip to the Underworld and back... Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @TheFo...
Ep.6 Lightning Bolt Round- Red
January 18, 2020 12:00 - 1 hour - 57 MBThe guys discuss the colour Red and quickly uncover that there is more to this section of the colour pie than destruction and chaos. From Goblins to Dragons, from fury to joy, Red is one of the most versatile colours in Magic and can be used to express the very spark of creativity in this most flavourful of games. Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio. Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @TheFoxintheMoon, [email protected]
Ep.5 The Colour Of Spite- Black
January 10, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 57.2 MBDo the ends always justify the means? If you're anything like Andy and you play mostly Black, then you may subscribe to winning at all costs! Andy and Nathan breakdown the major tenets of Magic's most amoral colour and how a love of Vampires (from two different sets) sparked their MTG obsession. Once again the guys will also dive into Alpha and discover that maybe it is a good thing that many of these cards are no longer reprinted... Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavo...
Ep.4 Second The Best- Blue
January 10, 2020 22:00 - 1 hour - 52.5 MBContinuing with their cycle of Colour Pie Episodes, Andy and Nathan breakdown what is often thought to be Magic's best colour, Blue. Through looking at the colour's key principles and at its history starting with Alpha, its easy to see that Blue is a colour packed with flavour and has its roots in the highest of fantasy tropes. Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @TheFoxintheMoon, [email protected]
Ep.3 The First Is The Worst- White
January 09, 2020 21:00 - 1 hour - 59.5 MBIn the first installment of MTF's cycle of Colour Pie episodes, the guys tackle the big question: Is White the worst colour of Magic? Walking through White's main tropes and characteristics and how these are expressed on the battlefield as well as in lore, Andy and Nathan seek to get a picture of where the colour is and where it's going. They also take a trip back to Alpha to see how the colour pie was first imagined and what has carried all the way through to the modern game. Music by Mi...
Ep.2 Throne Of Eldraine Flavour Review
January 09, 2020 21:00 - 1 hour - 50.3 MBA legendary success, or a grim failure? How much flavour is packed into Throne Of Eldraine? Well, as it is the storybook set, the guys guess quite a bit actually! Andy and Nathan unpack the set and talk about the direction of Magic story, as well as the design choices and what they mean for the game moving forwards... Music by Michael Rawcliffe Audio Twitter: MTF- @MTFlavouring, Andy- @AndyMannface, Nathan- @TheFoxintheMoon, [email protected]
Ep.1 What Is Flavour?
January 09, 2020 20:00 - 50 minutes - 34.9 MBThis show is all about MTG flavour, but what is flavour anyway? Today the guys give an introduction to how Magic: The Gathering tells storys through the cardboard and how the game expresses itself outside of gameplay. Andy and Nathan talk about the elements of the game that first got them playing, and what continues to fasinate and excite them after years of slinging spells, as well as breaking down some of the terminology and language used when talking about Magic flavour. Music by Michae...