Places to Know: MTG Strategy

In today’s Top 5, we’ll be looking at my favorite Magic streamers on Twitch. These might not be the most popular streamers at any given time, but they’re the streamers who have earned a special place in my heart. My heart can be won over by great technical play, entertaining content, or good thought processes the streamer shares with their audience to get a glimpse into their mind. Without any more delay — here we go!

1. Todd Stevens – Todd is the streamer I watch the most. Todd plays mostly modern, which is my favorite format. He’s also a writer for StarCityGames and has a number of strong finishes on the SCG Tour to pad his resume outside of tight technical play, which can be seen on stream. If you’re looking to get better at Magic, I would recommend giving Todd some attention. This is especially true if you play decks revolving around green creatures. These decks tend to have a lot of permanents in play and that’s where Todd thrives, never leaving a bit of value left on the table.
2. Caleb D – Caleb is much more of a variety streamer. He will play a much larger variety of formats be it Cube, Limited of the newest set, Standard, Vintage, or even flashback drafts. These are older sets being rereleased on Magic Online for newer plays to enjoy for the first time as if jumping in a time machine to draft a set right out of 2005. Caleb is known for being a bit eccentric and loves a great meme, but that is what draws me to his channel. He’s great for entertainment while being a strong player in his own right with success on the Grand Prix level and the SCG Tour. The only reason he’s not first on my list is that my love of modern pushes me towards streamers who focus primarily on it.
3. Gabriel Nassif – Gabriel Nassif, or YellowHat, is one of Magic’s all-time greatest players. He’s a Hall of Fame member and is a master control player so it’s hard to say when it comes to counterspells being played if there is anyone better you could be watching. Nassif is another streamer who plays a variety of formats. He is above all else a competitor and will play Magic Online live to the highest levels. He’s won a Magic Online Championship event while live streaming it and if that doesn’t convince you he’s one of the strongest players on Twitch, you’ll just have to watch for yourself.
4. Luis Scott-Vargas – Luis Scott-Vargas, known as LSV, is a great streamer to watch for a good laugh. He most frequently streams while cube is live as it appears to be his favorite format to load up. LSV is another Hall of Fame member and many regard him in the top 5 players to have ever played the game. Luis might not be known for sharing thought processes or reasons for making his plays, but he more than makes up for that with quick play and witty remarks. He’s one of the sharpest players in every sense of the word and I’d I wholeheartedly recommend giving his channel a chance.
5. Jody Keith – Jody is by far the streamer on this list with the lowest viewership, but Jody is a great entertainer. Jody is known for his storytelling prowess, but that is a vast understatement. Jody Keith was a cab driver in New Orleans for almost a decade and in that line of work you really accumulate a vast swath of interesting interactions that create some truly unique experiences. To say that Jody is just a great storyteller undersells his Magical abilities. Jody has multiple Grand Prix top 8s and Pro Tour appearances as well as being one of the most respected legacy players in the world. Jody is a fun, skilled player I would recommend watching if you’re a night owl like me.

There are too many great Magic streamers to make a definitive list of the best, but these are my personal favorites. If you have some favorites of your own then keep loving their content. If you’re looking for something new, I’d recommend giving these creators a follow and maybe even a subscription!

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.