About the show
The Dive Down is a Magic: The Gathering podcast focused on the latest decks, trends, and strategies for the casual spikes in Modern and constructed!
Each week your hosts Dave, Stan, and D00mwake discuss the latest innovations, competitive events, and level-up topics for paper and online players.
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedivedown
Proudly sponsored by Heavy Play, a new card gaming accessories brand that'll improve your gameplay and game day. Use code THEDIVEDOWN2025 for 10% off your first order at https://www.heavyplay.com/
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Episodes and Blog Entries
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Bonus12: Going Optimal with Ryan Spain
Episode | May 14th, 2021 | 1 hr 22 mins
In our latest bonus episode, we're joined by a godfather of Magic podcasts, limited extraordinaire, and former member of WOTC's Arena team, Ryan Spain! We chat about how the platform works, whether or not it's out to get you, and how to use two Arena accounts to draft more.
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Episode 124: The Summer of Legend Emergency React-i-sode
Episode | May 10th, 2021 | 1 hr 33 mins
We couldn't wait until Friday to get this out to you, so here's an early EMERGENCY REACT-I-SODE to Wizard's "Summer of Legend" announcement this past week. We talk about Modern Horizons II, the Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, the return of sanctioned Magic, Historic Anthology 5, and more!
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Episode 123: Sleeve/Believe/Heave: Strixhaven Modern Edition
Episode | May 7th, 2021 | 1 hr 48 mins
This week we are testing 2 new, and 1 not-really-new, decks featuring the latest cards from Strixhaven, and running them through the Sleeve/Believe/Heave ringer. Just how much DOES Dave love Magma Opus? Is Dredge back? Is Witchermancer the new Skelementals? Listen, and find out! Before that, we take a deep dive into the big weekend of Historic and analyze the winners and losers across the SCG Historic Satellite events.
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Episode 122: We're Going Rogue(s)
Episode | April 30th, 2021 | 1 hr 48 mins
This week is an old fashioned deck dive on the latest Hotness in Historic - Dimir Rogues! We explore the cards, the strategies, and the fun of the deck, and spend a LOT of time talking about Brainstorm. Is Shane finally ready to cast blue spells? Before that, we go over a recent Modern Challenge and talk about the latest winnings decks.
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Episode 121: Early Risers of Strixhaven: At the Head of the Class with Aspiringspike
Episode | April 23rd, 2021 | 1 hr 45 mins
The unofficial 4th host Evart Moughon, aka Aspiringspike, joins us yet again to go over his early testing and experiments in Modern. Dave talks about, what else, Modern Prowess and Historic Phoenix, and Shane says another aggro deck in Historic isn't good enough. Probably. Before that we look at two early Historic tournaments and have an extended jam session of Cool Decks, Inc.
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Episode 120: Snows Melt, Phoenixes Rise
Episode | April 16th, 2021 | 1 hr 51 mins
With our time on Kaldheim coming to an end, the Three Friends take a look back and a look forward. Stan takes us through Modern right now via a couple of MTGO Challenges + we consider what might be coming next. Then we do a little self assessment and grade how we did on reviewing Kaldheim cards going into this format. Finally, we look ahead and talk about the decisions people are grappling with with... you guessed it... building Izzet Phoenix in Historic.
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Episode 119: Back to School: Spoiling Strixhaven, Vol. 2
Episode | April 9th, 2021 | 1 hr 58 mins
Well everyone, Shane and Dave really stepped in it last week. Stan's back. And he has things to say. About Mystical Archive cards, about playing to the stack, and about some other nonsense, too. After that's finished, the three friends go through the rest of the cards from Strixhaven and find a few worth talking about for our formats. Stan learns. Dave spoils. Shane toils.
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Episode 118: Back To School: Spoiling Strixhaven, Vol. 1
Episode | April 2nd, 2021 | 1 hr 54 mins
This week, Professor Stan is on sabbatical, so Shane and Dave are headed back to school to give their takes on the first batch of Strixhaven spoilers. Is this the episode where Shane is the optimist? We also take some time to go over our Mystical Archive tier lists for Historic. Will Crux of Fate have what it takes to be the only S-Tier card? Before all that, we briefly go over the Historic meta at the Kaldheim Championship, and look at two novel decks that some big names brought.
The Episode: Stan's Not Here, Man
The Break Down: The History is History
The Dive Down: Wizard College's Deepest Secrets -
Episode 117: How to Beat Modern Heliod Combo
Episode | March 26th, 2021 | 1 hr 47 mins
It's no secret that the Sun-Crowned has been ruling the roost in Modern, so on this week's episode we ask the very important question: how do we beat Heliod Company?! Or is it Heliod Combo? We're also kicking off the episode with a detailed breakdown of the SCG Tour Online's Historic weekend. #Spreadsheets
The Disclaimer: Dave's Not Here
The Break Down: Satellite of Jund
The Dive Down: Tricksy Timing and Other Combo Breakers -
Episode 116: Time Spiral Buyers' Guide & Shadows Over Historic
Episode | March 19th, 2021 | 1 hr 52 mins
In something of a split episode, we first explore the reprints of Time Spiral Remastered, identify some potential cards that are "on sale," the impact of the old border reprints, and what we're eyeballing as purchases. Following that, Dave outlines the various Death's Shadow decks that players have been testing in Historic following the release of Anthology 4, Shane probably under-rates Historic cycling decks, and Stan continues to cast Elves.
The Break Down: Pay More For Cards You Already Have!
The Dive Down: Death's Shadow + Adanto Vanguard = <3
The Dive Down, cont: Other Anthology Thoughts -
Episode 115: Modern Bant Ephemerate: The Flicker Mob ft. Aspiringspike
Episode | March 12th, 2021 | 1 hr 54 mins
This week we tackle another Patron request from Bob - Bant Ephemerate! And who better to have on than one of the masters of the deck, Aspiringspike himself, Evart Moughon. We go over the ins and outs of the deck, with Shane wondering just how to cast counterspells, Dave running out of time on Magic Online, and Stan just blinking stuff. Before that, we look at the latest Historic Anthology and give our takes on what cards might have an impact.
The Break Down: A Shadow Over Historic
The Dive Down: Draw 2 Whenever You Can
The Dive Down, cont: Winning With Three 2/2s -
Episode 114: Modern Merfolk: A Brief History of Spreading Seas
Episode | March 5th, 2021 | 1 hr 56 mins
This week it's a Modern-focused, Patron-thanking episode that's all about one of the format's classics, Merfolk. That's right. You've been waiting for 2 years for us to dive down into the depths of these seas. But first, we'll take a look through the Mana Traders Series from this month. It's Modern. It's good. Again. Dave hates seafood. Stan combos off. Shane is — surprisingly — a friend to all fish, everywhere.
The Break Down: Manatraders Modern
The Dive Down: Turn 1 Aether Vial
The Dive Down, cont: Turn 4 Spreading Seas -
Episode 113: Post-Ban Plans: Small Samples, Big Conclusions
Episode | February 26th, 2021 | 1 hr 59 mins
So what next? This week The Three Friends talk about each of our favorite formats in the wake of what some have claimed is the biggest set of bans in MTG history. Is it? We don't know. BUT. We do know that there's new (and old) stuff going on in Modern, Historic, and Pioneer. We will be giving you a Break Down of ALL THREE formats, talk about our experiences playing the formats, and, of course, tell you what we'd play. Shane and Stan pivot table it up while Dave just reads some line graphs out loud. It's can't miss audio content!
The Break Down: First Modern
The Break Down II: Then Historic
The Break Down III: Then Pioneer
The Break Down IV: Yep, All Three -
Episode 112: Roll That Beautiful Ban Footage ft. Aspiringspike
Episode | February 17th, 2021 | 2 hrs 28 secs
Well, those were some bans. And we're here to talk about them, with our regular guest host Evart Moughon, aka Aspiringspike. We first discuss the big bans in Modern, Pioneer, and Historic, then head into the Dive Down to talk about what these changes mean for the formats themselves.
The Break Down: They Really Really Did It
The Dive Down: The Face of the New Formats
The Dive Down, cont: Why Does This Keep Happening? -
Episode 111: Sleeve/Believe/Heave: LOL Tibalt ed.
Episode | February 12th, 2021 | 1 hr 48 mins
This week's a funny one. We set out to test some of the most recent winning decks featuring Kaldheim cards, in order to grade them on our (patent-pending) S/B/H rating system. Then, in the span of a few days, the Modern landscape shifted under our feet! So we'll still talk about those winning decks, but also about the communities iteration on Cascade Tibalt, what this means for Modern, and, as always, provide some mildly spicy takes.
The Break Down: What
The Dive Down: The
The Dive Down, cont: Falki -
Episode 110: Kaldheim: Testing New Tech & Avoiding New Tricks
Episode | February 5th, 2021 | 1 hr 50 mins
Kaldheim is out, which means there's a bunch of new great, fair decks for us to explore in our favorite formats! Hold on, I'm being handed a note.... oh wait there's some more ways to win on turn 1, as well... So this week we're testing some of the cards and decks that people are talking about, and reporting back with our findings. Before that we check out the latest Modern events to see what's changing there, and looking for Kaldheim cards that are making an impact.
The Break Down: Modern Challenges
The Dive Down: He's Tricky
The Dive Down, cont: More Impact Than Advertised
The Wind Down: Arena Experiences