Ponder

Episode 85 - PonderThis: Extra Helpings

December 05, 2019 05:52 - 1 hour - 85.2 MB

Back from our Thanksgivings, we check up on the latest Pioneer bans, look at what's in store for the coming Mythic Championship, and ponder an extra big helping of your questions, including a few about ourselves.

Episode 84 - Exploring Secret Lairs and Angle Shooters on the Scummy Scale

November 28, 2019 05:00 - 1 hour - 82.5 MB

After a quick catch up with what we're playing in constructed these days, we take a look at the new Secret Lair alternate art products, and how they could impact LGSs. We also take some examples of angle shooting and each rate them on a scale of how scummy they are. Then we ponder Thanksgiving guests.

Episode 83 - Fierce Rivals, Good Bans, and Bad Days

November 21, 2019 05:14 - 1 hour - 84.3 MB

Both Jamie and TJ got to compete in the Twitch Rivals event this week, and we get to hear how they did facing the new no-Oko meta. We chat about Oko's departure along with his fellow green cards in Standard and finish up talking with Jamie about dealing with bad days and hard times in a Magic career.

Episode 82 - Pondering Oko's Fate after MCVI

November 14, 2019 05:03 - 1 hour - 66.3 MB

With so much representation at the last Mythic Championship, something has to give. Will it finally be Oko, or will Veil of Summer take the fall? We puzzle out the impact of Mystery Boosters and round it out by pondering each other's flavor text.

Episode 81 - Pioneering Tournaments with Brad Brown

November 07, 2019 05:03 - 1 hour - 91.7 MB

This week TJ, Jamie, and Melvin are joined by special guest Brad Brown, a commentator and technical producer for the NRG Series. Brad talks with us about Pioneer and how it is saving the tournament scene. The hosts also ponder new Theros planeswalkers. Brad Brown on Twitter NRG Series on Twitter Will Jonathon's Mental Mana

Halloween Bonus! - Episode 80 Preshow

November 02, 2019 00:15 - 23 minutes - 26 MB

Normally, our preshows are only available to our Patreon patrons as a bonus for supporting the show, but we decided to make this one available to everyone, just for Halloween! If you enjoy this and want more you can get access to all of them at www.patreon.com/ponder for just $1 per episode, and you get to support the podcast at the same time! (There's also a lot of other exiting extras that come with being a patron as well.)

Episode 80 - Brawl Stars and Early Pioneers

October 31, 2019 04:25 - 1 hour - 82.1 MB

New formats are taking off all over the place! Brawl is booming on Arena and Pioneer is the choice of every competitor who can't bear to look at Oko-Standard right now. Jamie talks about her time brawling and TJ catches us up on commentating for The Chalice. We also ponder lots of spooky things.

Episode 79 - Pioneers and Mythic Championships

October 26, 2019 00:26 - 1 hour - 81.4 MB

This week we talk about the changes, or lack of some, to the ban list. We talk the recent Mythic Championship the impressions from the coverage as well as some of the controversy behind the scenes, and the new Pioneer format that is sweeping the community by storm! Where did it come from and why is now the time for it?

Episode 78 - Playing the Field at the Mythic Championship

October 17, 2019 04:17 - 1 hour - 78.9 MB

Mythic Championship V is right around the corner, and the lack of any bans the week before means a field full of ... fields. With so many similar decks, TJ gives his commentary perspective on how Wizards can keep the viewing exciting. We also ponder the emergency ban coming up and its ramifications and design our own unstable creatures.

Episode 77 - Throne of Eldraine: the Highs and Lows

October 10, 2019 04:26 - 1 hour - 68.5 MB

Throne of Eldraine is making waves, and people are already considering it for one of the best limited sets ever. Is it too good to be true? Jamie breaks down her early experience and shares the best and worst parts of the format. We talk about what makes limited sets good and bad in general and also cover the Banned and Restricted news (or lack there of).

Episode 76 - Throne of Eldraine Top Ten Lists

October 03, 2019 04:21 - 1 hour - 81.7 MB

Throne of Eldraine has proved to be a deep set with everything, including mechanics, story, and flavor. The only way to dive deep enough was to create some top ten lists, so we each have our own covering playability, story, and flavor. We also ponder cards that have seen more scoops than a Baskin-Robbins employee convention.

Episode 75 - Throne of Eldraine Highlights and Preprerelease First Impressions

September 26, 2019 04:01 - 1 hour - 70.7 MB

Throne of Eldraine is here! We are super lucky that Jamie had a chance to get her hands on the cards before anyone else at the LRR preprerelease. She gives us the scoop on her deck and early impressions. We highlight some of the best and most impactful cards and ponder what foods make good real life tokens.

Episode 74 - Kethis Kombo and Hall of Fame Results

September 19, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 68.1 MB

In a shocking reveal, Jamie admits that she might secretly be a combo player at heart. She talks to us about her love of the standard Kethis deck and how it works. We also discuss the Hall of Fame voting results and how it might work in the future. Finally, we look forward to seeing Jamie at the preprerelease and ponder what foods have the best stats in real life. Visit our new website at ponderpodcast.net

Episode 73 - Boosters, Brawl, and a Bread Lady

September 12, 2019 04:00 - 58 minutes - 64.2 MB

In an exclusive interview, we are excited to have Syr Gynger, the gingerbread lady who recently starred in the most recent Throne of Eldraine trailer. We see what's really up with her and Garruk now. We also look at the new booster packs coming out and talk about our Eldraine Brawl experience.

Episode 72 - A Stoneforge Modern with Zack Kanner

September 05, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 78.8 MB

Stoneforge Mystic is fresh off the Modern banlist and we called in our good buddy Zack Kanner to fill us in. A longtime pro player and coach of Team Tempest, Zack helps us see what's already doing well and what to expect. We also get hyped about Jamie's preprerelease announcement and ponder a planeswalker battle royale.

Episode 71 - Jamie's Back from Vegas and We Go Crazy

August 29, 2019 04:28 - 1 hour - 73 MB

The episode so nuts we had to add a disclaimer at the beginning to explain this bonkers and erratic episode. We catch up with Jamie on all the fun she had, talk about the Banned & Restricted announcement, say goodbye to a good friend, and ponder tournament sites and cat buses.

Episode 70 - Magic 2020 Vision and the HoF

August 22, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 75.6 MB

Wizards has announced major changes for the top tier of tournaments in 2020. MCs are out and PTs are in! We talk about the new structure and the Rivals League. We also talk about the Hall of Fame ballot announcement and ponder buddy cop movies.

Episode 69 - Dive Bar Magic with MTG Lexicon

August 15, 2019 04:20 - 1 hour - 94.3 MB

It's time to grab a cold one and sit back with our special guest Jeff from MTG Lexicon, the filthy casual EDH streaming group. Jeff talks about how Lexicon got started, his hype in the new C19 decks, and we ponder a how all of us deal with criticism. Twitter: @MTG_Lexicon Twitch: www.twitch.tv/mtg_lexicon

Episode 68 - Commander 2019 Previews with Kitchentable Commander

August 08, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 85 MB

Melvin and TJ are back from Gen Con, and Commander 2019 previews are right on their heels! We had to have our special guest, Brett from Kitchentable Commander give us the rundown of his exclusive preview card and the others so far. He lets us know what's exciting and what's going to be hot in the EDH community. You can find Kitchentable Commander at YouTube: Kitchentable Commander Twitter: @KitchentableCMD

Episode 67 - Crawly McDeadButts

August 01, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 64.2 MB

The Mythic Championship was dominated by a card so powerful, we dare not speak its name, but we have to talk about its effect on the tournament and the meta. We also have to ponder this whole Judges Academy thing and round out the episode by scientifically classifying pizza as a casserole.

Episode 66 - Scapeshift Zombies and Eldraine Faeries

July 25, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 84.1 MB

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.

Episode 65 - Top M20 Standard Decks Breakdowns

July 18, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 80.3 MB

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.

Episode 64 - Crushing M20 and a Bridge Too Far

July 11, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 65.3 MB

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.

Episode 63 - Converting Doubt into Action

July 04, 2019 20:55 - 1 hour - 99.9 MB

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.

Episode 62 - Seattle, Rebranding, and Preview Seasons

June 28, 2019 03:33 - 58 minutes - 58.4 MB

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.

Episode 61 - DC, Seattle, and Burnout

June 19, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 74.2 MB

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.

Episode 60 - Seattle Prep and MC Invite Ponderings

June 13, 2019 05:17 - 1 hour - 75.7 MB

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.

Episode 59 - Wanna Netflix and Spark?

June 06, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 82.1 MB

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.

Episode 58 - Horizons Mechanics, Themes, Tribes, and a Surprise Guest

May 30, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 77.9 MB

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.

Episode 57 - Modern Horizons Highlights

May 23, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 80.1 MB

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

Episode 56 - MPL Burnout and Battle of Wits: Planeswalker Edition

May 16, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 64.1 MB

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.

Episode 55 - Pushing Past Prince with #MTGWar

May 09, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 76.5 MB

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.

Episode 54 - Dispelling Doubt with Sam Tang

May 02, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 89.8 MB

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. You can find Sam Tang on Twitter @SamoTango And you can follow Sam's adventures @HumbleStory

Episode 53 - War of the Spark Prerelease Hype and Highlights

April 25, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 83.1 MB

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 Podcast Discord

Episode 52 - Diving into Streams

April 18, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 85.3 MB

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.

Episode 51 - Planeswalkers, Commanders, and Jamie

April 11, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 77.7 MB

In this episode we welcome Jamie Rigatti as the permanent third host to the podcast. Jamie is making a big push into creating more Magic content and she talks about her plans for the future. We also discuss all the new planeswalkers and ponder what the heck the Commander Advisory Group is doing. The Rhystic Studies article mentioned by TJ is here

Episode 50 - Mythic Invitational Recap with Jamie Topples

April 04, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 76.1 MB

To celebrate our 50th episode, what could be bigger than talking about the million dollar tournament that just wrapped up? Of course the best person to recap it would be someone who actually played in it, so we get our good friend Jamie Topples back to tell us all about it. She gives us the highs and the lows from the weekend, and we ponder some life or death planeswalker choices.

Episode 49 - Deck Building Past, Present, and Future with Coleman Falk

March 28, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 99.5 MB

With the Mythic Invitational this weekend, the double Best of One format has people asking how this affects deck building. Are there lessons from Magic's past that we can use? We talk to special guest Coleman Falk about the concept of deck building, trying to next level the meta. We also ponder weird baseball stats. You can find Coleman on Twitter @slowlycrashing You can find his podcast Building Blocks on SoundCloud

Episode 48 - Mat Bimonte and the NRG Series

March 21, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 77.6 MB

With Magic growing so quickly, people are looking for more between FNMs and the scattered major events. This is where Mat Bimonte and the Nerd Rage Gaming NRG Championship Series step in. Mat is a commentator for the third largest tournament scene North America. We talk how the series got started and how it has grown so fast. We also talk a lot about the Chili's restaurant. You can find Mat on: Twitter @matbimonte Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/matbimonte/ You can find more about the...

Episode 47 - Modern Horizons with Cardslinger Dave

March 14, 2019 05:18 - 1 hour - 71.4 MB

Modern Horizons is the first set ever to be printed with the intent to skip Standard and go directly into Modern. To figure out what this could mean, we have our in house Modern expert brewer Dave (AKA Boottodahead) join us to talk about the potential impact of a Modern set, which decks could get big improvements, and what mechanics we'd like to return. We also find out which creature type TJ hates. You can find Dave on: Twitter: @cardslingerdave Twitch: https//www.twitch.tv/boottodah...

Episode 46 - From Bronze to Mythic with Jim Davis

March 07, 2019 05:00 - 1 hour - 75.6 MB

With Magic Arena giving Mythic Invitational invites to the top players, people were giving it their all, including pro player and streamer Jim Davis! Jim returns to discuss his feelings on playing for and missing the invite, talks about the highs and lows of the massive influx of streamers and viewers, and also ponders a new career in the circus.

Episode 45 - Mythic Championship Highlights with Hallie Santo

February 28, 2019 05:00 - 1 hour - 69.2 MB

The very first Mythic Championship is in the books and to help up catch up on everything that happened is our returning guest, Hallie Santo! We talk with Hallie about what Autumn's win means to the community, how the Championship went overall, and we also ponder ...TJ recipes? You can find Hallie on Twitter: @halcansan Twitch: www.twitch.tv/halliemtg

Episode 44 - The Magic Lore in War of the Spark with Steven the Reveler

February 21, 2019 05:00 - 1 hour - 65.6 MB

A mysterious trailer for the next set, War of the Spark has everyone looking for meaning. To get a better idea of the symbolism involved and how it relates to the lore and story line, we are joined by special guest Steven, the Reveler. He gives us his thoughts on what the trailer could be telling us, and how important lore is to the game. You can find Steven on: Twitter: @Trapixieum YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/Trapixieum War of the Spark Official Teaser

Episode 43 - Mythic Invitational Player Jamie Topples

February 14, 2019 05:00 - 1 hour - 67.6 MB

It's the slayer of pros, the toppler of opponents, the mythical player, and the collector of tiny pigs. It's Jamie Rigatti! We get the scoop from Jamie on what it's like to be a Mythic Invitational player, and how she balances that with real life and prepares to face pros. We get to catch up with her on streaming, playing in tournaments, and find out why she's known as Jamie Topples! Twitter: @jamietopples Twitch: twitch.tv/jamietopples

Episode 42 - Chantelle Campbell and Emma Handy

February 07, 2019 06:15 - 1 hour - 80.3 MB

In this important episode, we have two great guests, Chantelle Campbell and Emma Handy, stop by to talk about the Magic community. Chantelle and Emma are both long time players and well known content creators, as well as prominent community voices. We discuss the difficulties they have experienced and how we can improve in supporting and uplifting marginalized players and communities in both our content and competitive play. (Due to technical difficulties, some of Emma's audio track at the e...

Episode 41 - MTG Finance and Commander with Jason Alt

January 31, 2019 05:00 - 1 hour - 71 MB

Finance might seem like a dirty word in Magic, but special guest Jason Alt helps explain what every Magic player should know about finances and managing their collection. We talk the finance impact of new sets and the importance of EDH. Speaking of Commander and EDH, Jason is a long time expert on the format and helped define an entire EDH philosophy.

Episode 40 - Early MTGRNA metas with Zack Kanner

January 24, 2019 05:00 - 1 hour - 61.8 MB

A long time friend of both TJ and Melvin, Zack Kanner joins us this week to see how the early Standard meta is shaping up with the release of Ravnica Allegiance. Zack, a pro tour player, SCG grinder, and fellow streamer, lets us know what decks got better, what brews are popular, and what to watch out for in Arena. TJ also decides to spice up our #PonderThis questions with some rapid fire doozies. @zkannermtg www.twitch.tv/zkannermtg

Episode 39 - Ravnica Allegiance Highlights with Jake Tilk

January 17, 2019 05:00 - 1 hour - 70.3 MB

The full list of Ravnica Allegiance is out, and we can't wait to talk about them. Joining us this week is pro player/streamer/podcaster Jake Tilk, who walks us through his picks for the hottest constructed cards. And it wouldn't be a set review without our old buddy, Smooth Bruce.

Episode 38 - Advanced TCG Class with Professor French

January 10, 2019 05:00 - 1 hour - 82.6 MB

Arena is pretty great, but how does it stack up to all the other TCGs out there? We brought in our buddy and TCG expert, Tucker French, to share his vast experience with the most popular TCGs. We ask him what Arena is doing better, and what it could learn. We also get some tips on applying our Magic skills to other TCGs. Find Tucker French streaming at: https://www.twitch.tv/professorfrench

Episode 37 - Hot 'n Ready with Nick and Olivia

December 20, 2018 06:30 - 1 hour - 74.4 MB

We're getting ready for MagicFests, but we're still kind of confused as to what they are. So we asked Nick Prince and Olivia Gobert-Hicks to discuss what they see as the possible future for these events, and what they could offer to players, cosplayers, casuals, and everyone. Then we ponder which planeswalker are smoochable. #SnogDack

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