Allied Strategies Magic the Gathering Podcast

Ben and Sam are back from the first ever Mythic Championship! Find out how their tournaments went, how they landed on the decks they did, and how they felt about the limited format after a few teams dominated the drafts. We also cover the upcoming changes to the mulligan rule which will be tested in […]

This weekend is the Mythic Championship – and both Ben and Sam have been hard at work, testing all sorts of different decks to determine the best one to attack the Ravnica Allegiance standard format! We’ll be back next week to discuss the tournament and perhaps Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”)

It’s time to discuss the Azorius in both limited and constructed! For the next week or two we’ll be talking about the Mythic Championship, but we’ll finish off this series with Orzhov week sometime in the next month – let us know what you thought about it! Download this episode here! (right click and “save […]

Learn all about the Simic combine: What makes a good Blue/Green draft deck in Ravnica Allegiance? What standard strategies best use the Simic cards, especially powerhouses like Hydroid Krasis? What does it mean to be a member of the Simic? Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”)

Andrew “BK” Baeckstrom joins us this week to discuss all things Gruul! What does the red-green color combination need to do to succeed in Ravnica Allegiance draft? What is it missing from its constructed deck? What is the philosophy of the guild? Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”)

This week we’re discussing all things Rakdos. How does the guild play in Limited, how does it work in Constructed, and even some bonus Rakdos color philosophy content for true fans of the cult. Please let us know what you think of this episode categorization – if it’s popular, we can think of four other […]

Which cards from Ravnica Allegiance will break out and make their way into Modern? We’ve picked out some cards that could potentially define or revive entire archetypes, some cards that may fill in as solid roleplayers in existing strategies, and some speculative picks for cards that might see play under the right circumstances. Download this […]

The Prodigal Host returneth! Grand Prix Champion Neal Oliver, former host of this podcast, is back for the first time after his departure as co-host. We talk with him about Ravnica Allegiance, Magic Arena and the Best of One format, and we reprise an old segment to match the old host! Let us know what […]

We’ve got a host of exciting new Rares and Mythics to talk about this week, and we’re joined by Magic Pro League Competitor Matt Nass to do just that! Which card is his bold prediction for best card in the set? Which co-host is absent this week? Are either of the Planeswalkers playable? Find out […]

We’ve got the full suite of Ravnica Allegiance mechanics now, and our hosts break down their implications for Limited, Standard, and Modern. We’ve also selected a few cards from the new set as we begin the Allied Strategies tradition of picking cards and talking about them. Download this episode here! (right click and “save as…”)

A new set is finally on the way! We’ve taken a thorough look at the mechanics that have been revealed so far, and have analyzed their potential impact in Limited, Standard, and even older formats. Next week, we’ll cover the remaining mechanics and discuss more specific cards that we think are worth mentioning from those […]

The History of Magic is littered with excellent draft formats, but today we’ve each identified our favorite three and explained why we love each format so much. We also spend a bit of time discussing a tournament from last weekend where two of our host clashed in an epic undefeated showdown. Allied Strategies is planning […]

Few sets have impacted Modern as dramatically as Guilds of Ravnica. Today, we examine the specific cards behind this as well as the design paradigm shifts that they suggest, and the the implications this might have for the future of the format. We also speculate on the potential future playability of some sleeper cards from […]

If you’ve watched any Modern GPs this year, chances are you’ve seen Matt Nass in the top 8 with a deck he built or optimized. In both Standard and Modern, he’s been a remarkably successful tuner and crafter of decks, and today he’s a special guest on our show to talk about it! Find out […]

A few weeks ago, Ben had an idea for a Standard deck. Hear the story of how that idea underwent the rigors of Pro Tour testing and ended up being the deck that both Ben and Sam sleeved up event. You’ll also learn how to adapt the deck to different metagame factors, and predictions for […]