Places to Know: MTG Podcasts

In today’s installment, I will be going over the top 5 podcasts related to Magic that I like to listen to. I wish I could say I listen to them all for every episode, but it’s hard to with so much content available online. That said, I find myself coming back to these over and over depending what’s on my plate or interest at the moment.

1. GAM Podcast – The GAM Podcast is created by Gerry Thompson and Bryan Gottlieb. Gerry is one of the strongest players and thinkers in the game and Bryan isn’t anything to sneeze at either. Bryan performs as a great host prodding the mind of Gerry while bringing his own flair and perspectives from his distinct playstyle and method of deck selection. The GAM Podcast is a great resource for players looking to improve their game or get the pulse on the latest metagame trends.
   
2. Drive to Work – On the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of competitiveness, Mark Rosewater, the head designer for Magic, creates two podcasts a week with the intention of delving into the inner workings of Wizards and Magic design. Mark reviews sets that Wizards has created in the past and why the cards were made in particular ways, various interesting tales, and unique perspectives that are hard to get from anyone outside of someone in his position. Mark’s Drive to Work is a podcast I would recommend for anyone who loves to hear the inner workings of research and development as well as how to approach game design from one of the most respected people in the industry.
   
3. Limited Resources –  Limited Resources is a podcast created by Marshall Sutcliffe and Luis Scott-Vargas. This podcast is focused on limited and how each of these players approaches the format. Luis Scott-Vargas is one of the all-time greats of our game and Marshall is a limited specialist who has a good understanding of Magic as well. This is the single resource I would attribute to my improved limited play and understanding how to approach drafting, deckbuilding in sealed, and in-game decisions of limited games. If you’re looking to improve when it comes to 40-card formats there is no better place.
   
4. The Command Zone –  While The Command Zone isn’t a podcast I listen to regularly, I have never heard a single bad thing about it from any of its listeners. The Command Zone is hosted by Jimmy Wong and Josh Lee Kwai who are commander enthusiasts and even host a show on Youtube showcasing decks they’re playing at the time with a larger number of special guests from episode to episode. If you are a player who can’t get enough commander, I can almost promise this is the place for you. 
5. MTGGoldfish Podcast – The MTGGoldfish podcast is a great way to consume Magic news, finance, tournament results, and brews fresh from the minds of the MTGGoldfish crew. This is a podcast hosted by Seth and Richard with guests to bring fresh perspectives as well. If you are on the hunt for a general Magic podcast, I couldn’t recommend one more fitting for your needs. Seth also streams on Twitch with high viewer counts regularly, so it’s clear how much the community loves the people at MTGGoldfish and their brews to define all brews.

Honorable Mention:

Ponder: An MTG Podcast – This is a new podcast with less than 10 episodes as the time of publication. It is hosted by Todd Stevens, TJ Rogers, and Melvin the Muppet. I started listening to this podcast upon release and have been pleased with my listening experience, but it’s hard to rank it with only a few episodes so far. This is one to keep an eye on as its following grows.

Until next time,

Daryl Ayers

Editor’s note: The opinions reflected in this piece belong only to the author and do not represent an endorsement by Arcane Tinmen or Dragon Shield.