The Mana Pool
Join Brian, Mike, Dirk and Chewie as they discuss all things Magic: The Gathering. Since there are plenty of tournament and strategy podcasts out there, we've decided to focus on the fun of the game in all its many forms, from Prereleases to multiplayer free-for-alls to whatever else we can come up with. Give us a listen!

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Syndication

Episode 18 - Some Useful Information

In this episode Squanto, Brian and I give out some generally useful information. First up is the Gatherer, the official Magic database. You can find it at http://gatherer.wizards.com. This is easily the most powerful tool out there for tracking down cards for any reason whatsoever. We'll tell you all about how to use it, including a few things that you might not know. Try searching for the word Ravager under Mirrodin Block. Didn't get anything did you? Find out why in this episode!


It's odd. At the end of the last episode, Squanto said we would be giving out tips for new players. After we recorded but before the show was posted, Molly (myboyfriendsagamergod on the forums) put up a thread asking for deckbuilding advice. Several of us on the forums chimed in with advice. For the second part of this episode, we go through this advice and even more advice for the novice deckbuilder. These are some fundamentals for building a deck, so even accomplished players should give it a listen. Note that this doesn't necessarily apply to building tournament-worthy decks, but primarily casual play decks.


Out of the Deck Box (Possibly Soon to be Renamed)

This week we take a look at Brian's WR Rescue deck, as requested in the forums.


Land (22):

9:Plains

9:Mountain

3:Terramorphic Expanse

1:Island

 

Creatures (23):

4:Whitemane Lion

4:Aven Riftwatcher

3:Stonecloaker

2:Stormfront Riders

2:Calciderm

2:Keldon Marauders

2:Icatian Javelineers

2:Magus of the Disk

1:Dust Elemental

1:Soltari Priest

 

Non-Creature Spells (15):

3:Cloudstone Curio

3:Momentary Blink

3:Lightning Helix

2:Fatal Frenzy

2:Dead//Gone

2:Brute Force


Due to a complete lack of intelligence on my part, there is no music on this episode. You can feel free to hum whatever bit of music you'd like to hear.


Forum thread for this episode: http://cardshark.freeforums.org/episode-18-some-useful-information-t138.html 
Email us at themanapool@cardshark.com
Send me an article at submissions@cardshark.com
Cardshark located at http://www.cardshark.com
RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/themanapool

Direct download: Episode_18_-_Some_Useful_Information.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 9:27pm EDT

Episode 17 - FNM with the Mana Pool

In this episode, your host dorks discuss the recent trip to Friday Night Magic. We also reinforce for everyone why we are definitely not a podcast for the hardcore tournament player. Dirk play Treefolk, Squanto played Merfolk Aggro, Brian played burn with Countryside Crusher, and I played Elves. The results were not pretty, but a good time was had by all. While we were there we got to meet PhoenixRising422 from the forums (Chris) and determined that he was, in fact, also a dork. So life is good.


Garthok84 on the forums (Jason) named an idea we mentioned a long time ago: Pimp My Deckbox. Give us your deck and we'll see what we can come up with for you. Note: We are not master deckbuilders and we're not going to help you tune your deck to win that Extended PTQ. But we can help you get a deck idea rolling or help you fix up a deck that just doesn't seem to be working properly.


In this episode's Out of the Deck Box (possibly soon to be renamed), we're going to take a look at my Poison Ping deck. Here it is in all its glory.

Poison

4 Marsh Viper

4 Sabertooth Cobra


Ping!

4 Viridian Longbow

2 Psionic Gift

2 Hermetic Study


Untapping

4 Seeker of Skybreak

2 Seedborn Muse

1 Patron of the Orochi

3 Intruder Alarm

2 Pemmin's Aura

4 Vitalize

2 Awakening


Setup

4 Sakura-Tribe Elder

2 Worldly Tutor

2 Defense of the Heart

 

Forum thread for this episode: http://cardshark.freeforums.org/episode-17-fnm-with-the-mana-pool-t135.html
Email us at themanapool@cardshark.com
Send me an article at submissions@cardshark.com
Cardshark located at http://www.cardshark.com
RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/themanapool

March is also Classical Music Month here at The Mana Pool!
Opening music: First Promenade from Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky
Closing music: Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland

Direct download: Episode_17_-_FNM_with_the_Mana_Pool.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 3:54pm EDT

Episode 16 - Timmy, Johnny, and Spike

What are all these people doing in my apartment?  In this episode, we, your host dorks, are discussing the three player psycographies that Magic R&D uses to design cards for certain types of players.  Those psycographies are Timmy, Johnny, and Spike.  Or, the Power Gamer, the Combo Player, and the Tournament Winner, to use their stereotyped and slightly misleading epithets.  After running Timmy, Johnny, and Spike out of my place of residence, we discuss their various attributes, as well as try to figure out where we all fall in the spectrum.  Also, the new month (since the last episode, that is) means you get to hear the Cardshark Member Promotions for March.  Check out the deals!

 

Listeners, help us figure out where Squanto falls (after he drinks your milkshake, that is).  He's unsure of his player type, so he's going to post some random cards instead of the usual Notable Cards so you guys can help him figure it out.

 

Mark Rosewater's articles about Timmy, Johnny, and Spike
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr11
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr220

 

Out of the Deck Box (Possibly Soon to be Renamed) this week is Brian's Korlash deck, as requested in the forums.  Here it is in all its glory.

23: Swamp
1: Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4: Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
2: Nightmare
2: Fleshwrither
4: Twisted Abomination
2: Lord of the Undead
2: Mournwhelk
1: Kagemaro, First to Suffer
4: Grim Harvest
4: Tendrils of Corruption
3: Nameless Inversion
1: Makeshift Mannequin
2: Consume Spirit
1: Revive the Fallen
3: Loxodon Warhammer
1: Mirror Gallery

 

Forum thread for this episode: http://cardshark.freeforums.org/episode-16-timmy-johnny-and-spike-t129.html
Email us at themanapool@cardshark.com
Send me an article at submissions@cardshark.com
Cardshark located at http://www.cardshark.com
RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/themanapool

 

March is also Classical Music Month here at The Mana Pool!
Opening music: Ode to Joy from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
Closing music: A Night on Bald Mountain by Modest Mussorgsky

Direct download: Episode_16_-_Timmy_Johnny_and_Spike.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 9:55pm EDT