One quick look around the Internet or iTunes will tell you that Magic: The Gathering podcasting is becoming increasingly popular. It seems that every week, one or two new podcasts pop up. I’m hoping to cover some of these ’casts here for those of you who can’t afford to take the time to listen to all of them but don’t want to miss anything important that may be happening.

I’m going to borrow a philosophy from Believer magazine for this and any future articles:

• I will focus on podcasts and podcasters I like.
• I want to give people and podcasts the benefit of the doubt.

There are plenty of places on the Internet where you can find negative reviews and trolling comments about any of the podcasts I will cover here (namely the comment section where any of these podcasts are posted). I have no need or desire to bring anything negative to the Magic community. I prefer to keep things positive.

With that said, let’s get to it! This week I’m going to go over a number of the podcasts that I listen to regularly and let you guys know why you should be listening if you aren’t already. If my comments here aren’t enough to get you listening, I hope you will come back every week so that I can catch you up.

Monday Night Magic

What is it?

I’ll begin with what I consider “the Godfather” of all Magic podcasts. Monday Night Magic is up to its 224th episode as of this writing. Monday Night Magic is primarily a news podcast. Each week, the latest MtG news is revealed and discussed.

Who is it?

Monday Night Magic features Tom Gustafson (the best podcast host in all of MtG), Pro Tour rogue deck builder Conley Woods, and a fantastic revolving group of co-hosts. I listen every week and I am always impressed that one podcast with anywhere from five to eight co-hosts can run so smoothly and still be entertaining and informative. I largely credit Tom’s skill as a host for steering the ship expertly, but the other co-hosts do a great job of yielding to each other’s ideas. Each personality on the cast brings something unique to the show, and all are essential.

Where is it?

You can find Monday Night Magic on MTGcast.com, Channelfireball.com, MTGsalvation.com, and the iTunes store.

Why you should be listening:

The guys always manage to adequately cover the most recent Magic news, but also find plenty of time to cover non-Magic content. If someone had told me before I became a fan that anywhere from 25 to 50 percent of a weekly two-hour podcast did not feature Magic content, I would have been very hesitant to begin listening. Do not let this happen to you. The seemingly unrelated content is always entertaining.

Regular insight from Conley Woods into deck-building, the Pro Tour, and the life of a Magic Pro is great, even for someone like me who has no aspirations to play the game competitively.

Key Recent Episode:

Monday Night Magic # 240 – Kilimanjaro Farts: Tristan Shaun Gregson of ChannelFireball.com and Adam Styborski of DailyMTG.com join the crew (spoiler alert—they both become regulars) in a very entertaining episode.

Yo! MTG Taps!

What is it?

Yo! MTG Taps! is an interestingly unique podcast. On the surface, it is a weekly Magic news show. What makes it unique is the fact that the show travels quite a bit, doing on-site shows and interviews from events all over the country.

Who is it?

Yo! MTG Taps! is co-hosted by Joey Pasco and Bigheadjoe, but Pasco tends to be the show’s guiding voice. Both Joes are equally great podcast personalities and form a dynamic duo together in the same show.

Where is it?

You can find Yo! MTG Taps! at Starcitygames.com, MTGcast.com, iwantmymtg.com and the iTunes store.

Why you should be listening:

First, Yo! MTG Taps! is the highest-quality podcast I’ve heard yet. Their editing is top-notch, the segues between topics are beautiful, and the intro and outro music by MtG nerdcore hip-hop artist The Gatherin’ sets the perfect tone for the show.

Revisiting what makes the show so unique in a sea of MtG podcasts, the Joes travel to quite a few Magic tournaments and usually manage to podcast there. Being at these events so regularly has allowed them to get to know a number of pros and other notable MtG personalities, so they regularly get great interviews from people you really want to hear from. This is not just the case for on-site interviews; the Joes regularly have guests on their weekly podcast. Recent notables have been Patrick Chapin, Mike Flores, Jon Medina, and Mike Turian.

Key Recent Episode:

Yo! MTG Taps! # 35 – Decks & the City Part 1: There is every chance that I’m just a Flores and Chapin fanboy, but my guess is I’m not the only one out there. The Joes are at U.S. Nationals 2010 listening in on Michael J. Flores and Patrick Chapin play-testing Pyromancer Ascension vs. Soul Sisters. This episode serves as a perfect example of the reputation of the Joes providing us access to an entertaining conversation we would never have heard otherwise.

Limited Resources

What is it?

If you play any limited at all, you should be listening to Limited Resources. You’re a kitchen-table player who goes to every prerelease to play sealed? Listen to Limited Resources. Maybe you are a casual MTGO or in-store drafter? Listen to Limited Resources. Hardcore IRL or online drafter trying to go infinite? Listen to Limited Resources.

This is a weekly show dedicated to all things limited.

Who is it?

The show is co-hosted by Marshall and Ryan (never heard any last names given) who are both very strong and experienced limited players. The guys work really well together with Marshall (who has a really great podcasting voice, by the way) leading the cast, guiding the show where it needs to go, and Ryan backing Marshall’s play and providing excellent commentary and technical thoughts as the show progresses.

Where is it?

Limited Resources can be found at MTGcast.com and the iTunes store.

Why you should be listening:

Marshall and Ryan complement each other very well as hosts. They don’t step on each other’s toes and rarely—if ever—does one of them simply repeat what the other has to say. While they tend to agree on most of their card evaluations and other thoughts on limited play, each of them has something unique and interesting to say on whatever given topic they are covering. This may sound trivial, but it is actually a rare quality in a pair of podcast hosts.

Both hosts have significant poker experience and bring a lot of the technical aspect of that type of game play into Magic. This seems really important when playing limited because card evaluations and in-game analysis are very technical. You may find yourself wanting to play a given card because your inner Timmy or inner Johnny likes it, but if your end goal is to win at limited events, listening to Marshall and Ryan will help your inner Spike prevail.

One last point here: Even if you do not listen regularly (you should), every effort should be made to listen to the Limited Resources set reviews. Each time a new set is released, Marshall and Ryan review every single common and uncommon in the set and evaluate the playability of each. I realize that every major site has a set review written by a pro, but I can assure you that for improving your limited play, this is the set review you want to pay attention to. The review shows tend to run long, but that is part of the appeal. Every common and uncommon gets the attention it deserves because they are the cards that will form your deck in event after event.

Key Recent Episode:

Limited Resources # 62 – Managing Your Bankroll: Marshall and Ryan bring their experience and knowledge of the game and lifestyle that is competitive poker to the idea of “going infinite” on MTGO. This was a great episode for a number of reasons, chief among them being the realization that it isn’t easy to go infinite. The guys did a great job of illustrating to the listener that conservative, smart, and consistent play is the key to being successful at playing MTGO with as little cost associated as possible.

I used to think that I should be able to go infinite but found myself constantly frustrated when buying more Event Tickets. After listening to this episode, I have more realistic expectations of my performance and have learned simply to minimize my costs rather than expecting to go infinite. A real eye-opener!

The Eh Team

What is it?

One of the most irreverent and funniest podcasts in Magic, The Eh Team covers weekly news with a focus on deck-building and the competitive scene.

Who is it?

A rock-solid team led by ManaDeprived.com’s KYT, The Eh Team includes Smi77y of 60cards.com, ScottyMac, and one of the most entertaining new personalities in Magic, JayBoosh.

Each co-host brings something different to the table combined to great effect. KYT as host does a good job of allowing the personalities of the other guys to really shine. He keeps the show on track and guides the discussion when necessary while chipping in with grounded and thoughtful analysis as needed.

ScottyMac often plays the role of co-host along with KYT. He seems to be slightly more opinionated with a larger voice than KYT and does a great job as a sort of second-in-command.

Smi77y is an MTGO tournament player who is hell-bent on becoming a renowned rogue deck builder. His commitment to his craft is admirable, and I can guarantee that if he sticks with it, he will get there.

The three previously discussed co-hosts of The Eh Team have competitive Magic ambitions, giving the show a great unintended narrative storyline of the average player grinding to make it to the Pro Tour (and if any of the three of them make it, what a narrative that will have been!). This is a sentiment that I know a lot of players out there can identify with, making the show really enjoyable for the Spikes in the crowd.

JayBoosh, the fourth and final co-host of the show, does not seem to have ambitions to play on the Pro Tour. He gives the impression of being content to play casually and to do well in the local competitive scene (he is known on the show as the “Limited Champion”). In this way, he is much more like most of the rest of us. We play at kitchen tables (he plays at a bar; how awesome is that?!), we go to FNM, and sometimes draft and play sealed. We always want to win, but are mostly looking for a good time.

In addition to the average Magic player being able to identify with him, JayBoosh is one of those rare personalities who are loud and somewhat brash, and who can make you laugh even if you are the butt of the joke.

Where is it?

You can find The Eh Team at MTGcast.com, Manadeprived.com, 60cards.com and the iTunes store.

Why you should be listening:

I will warn you up front in the same way that the podcast does: This podcast may not be for everyone. If you are bothered or offended by foul language, or if you listen to Magic podcasts on your morning commute with your kids, The Eh Team may not be for you. That aside, if you want to have your Magic news served to you with a side of really, really funny, I insist that you subscribe and don’t miss an episode.

The show is technically still in its infancy (its only twenty-three episodes in as of this writing) but has gained a substantial following already. In only twenty-three episodes, they have had an impressive array of guests on the show including Gerry Thompson, Michael Flores, Patrick Chapin, Jon Medina, Kelly Reid, and even a guest spot with Limited Resources’ Marshall.

To sum up, it’s a great, funny show that often feels like you are sitting around talking about Magic with your buddies.

Key Recent Episode:

The Eh Team # 16 – Number 1 Player in the World: The guys interview SCG Open Nashville winner Gerry Thomson. This is an all-around great episode for learning about the life of a professional Magic player.

MTGleaks

What is it?

ManaNation.com’s own MTGleaks is a bit of a new kid on the podcast block, but is off to a strong start. My impression is that it will be slightly more sporadic, rather than maintaining a regular publishing schedule, releasing new episodes as needed.

The reason for the nontraditional publishing schedule is that the focus of the show is MtG spoilers and rumors.

Who is it?

Greg Haenig is the solo of host of the show. He has been involved in the online rumor mill for a number of years. Greg does a great job of sifting through the ton of information that seems to flood the Internet around the release of a new set to bring us what we know as fact versus what is pure speculation.

Where is it?

MTGleaks is available on ManaNation.com.

Why you should be listening:

The quick-hit style that Greg has adopted so far is really perfect for what the show is hoping to do. I think every episode (he is up to Episode 5 as of this writing) has been under fifteen minutes long. Greg aims to bring us up to date on the latest rumors circulating the Internet, and the likelihood that they are true.

I think it’s great that there is a podcast like this available to us. Trying to read through forums to separate truth from myth during spoiler season is really impossible. Greg does it for us in a nice, quick, clean audio format.

Top 8 Magic

What is it?

Another sporadic podcast with no set publishing schedule, Top 8 Magic covers Magic theory, the best decks of the day, the latest Magic news, and everything in between.

Who is it?

Top 8 Magic is two friends, Brian David-Marshall and Michael J. Flores, usually walking the streets of New York City discussing this game that we all love. This is a fun podcast to listen to because we all love talking about Magic with our friends. The difference here is that these guys have unreal access to the game. Both have been involved in the game for a significant amount of time and have great insight to share.

Where is it?

Top 8 Magic can be found on Top8Magic.com, MTGcast.com and the iTunes store.

Why you should be listening:

Unfettered access to the mind of Michael Flores is pretty nice. He has long been one of the premier Magic theorists and deck builders, and the Top 8 Magic podcast finds him speaking openly and honestly about the game. I don’t think I’ve heard any groundbreaking ideas shatter the world while listening to Top 8 Magic, but I almost always thoroughly enjoy the show.

It’s great to hear a little bit of inside information from Brian David-Marshall as well. Many of you may know him from his weekly column at Dailymtg.com or as a commentator and historian for the Pro Tour. Hearing stories from behind the scenes on the Pro Tour is always entertaining.

CommanderCast

What is it?

CommanderCast is dedicated to the casual format formerly known as EDH. This is a relatively new podcast, and I only recently became a listener. As of this writing, they have released thirteen episodes, but I’ve only listened to the first three.

Who is it?

The hosts of CommanderCast are Andy and Byron, who are both dedicated casual Commander players. Andy and Byron are heavily involved in the online Commander community, frequenting forums and websites where Commander is discussed and developed as a format.

Where is it?

CommanderCast is available on MTGcast.com, CommanderCast.blogspot.com and the iTunes store.

Why you should be listening?

As Andy says in Episode 1 of the show, Commander as a format is underrepresented in the podcast arena. He and Byron decided to step up to provide a solid source for information and discussion about the format.

As I mentioned, I am still making my way through their back catalogue, but I am really enjoying every episode. As a player, I started when Revised and Fourth Edition were being released and left the game not long after Ice Age. I returned to the game like many people when Magic 2010 was released. In the fifteen years or so that I was away from the game, there were so many cards released that it is just impossible to learn about them all. These are the cards that make Commander as a format so much fun.

Andy and Byron do a great job of covering interesting topics on the Commander community, game strategy, and technology. Only three episodes in, I’ve learned about a ton of cards I’d not heard of before which have all gone straight into my Commander decks.

In the Queue

These are shows I either haven’t listened to yet or have only listened to one or two episodes of, so I don’t feel I can fairly write about them yet. I plan to queue them up and listen so that I can give you the full report.

• MTGCast Interviews the Men of Magic
• Mana Screwed
• The Third Power
• Games with Garfield

New This Week

This week, it appears that ChannelFireball.com has entered the podcasting fray with its currently untitled ChannelFireball podcast #1. Tristan Shaun Gregson and Robert Martin (regular Monday Night Magic and Mana Screwed co-host) cover the week in ChannelFireball.com. Be sure to check it out. I know I will, and I plan to cover it as it progresses.

What shows am I missing? Do you guys have any recommendations for podcasts that I’m not listening to that may be good? What shows would you all like to see covered?

Luke Sonnier

Luke.sonnier@gmail.com

@LukeSonnier on Twitter