Eternal Durdles

With Order of the Sacred Torch just around the corner, Zac and Phil sit down to talk brewing, bizarre deck ideas, and one question that refuses to go away:
Can Phyrexian Portal actually win a tournament?
From there, the conversation evolves into a broader discussion about the future of Magic's alternative Eternal formats—including Heritage, Classic, Peak, Pre-War, and what the vision for Returnal Durdles could become. Along the way, they react to recent polls, discuss channel direction, and share their excitement for Magic's upcoming in-universe sets.
In this episode:
Defending the Brewer's Award
Brewing with Phyrexian Portal
Preparing for Order of the Sacred Torch
Heritage vs Classic vs Peak vs Pre-War
The future of Returnal Durdles
Living vs locked Eternal formats
Viewer poll results
Thoughts on Magic's upcoming sets
Why in-universe crossovers have us excited again
Question of the Week: If you could only play one alternative Eternal format besides Legacy and Premodern, which would it be?
#MagicTheGathering #Premodern #Legacy #PhyrexianPortal #OrderOfTheSacredTorch
00:00 Nobody Likes Us… We Don't Care
00:25 Defending the Brewer's Award
02:30 Brewing for Order of the Sacred Torch
03:00 Can Phyrexian Portal Work?
05:52 Will Zac Actually Play It?
06:40 The State of Alternative Eternal Formats
07:45 Community Poll Results
09:30 Heritage vs Peak vs Classic vs Pre-War
12:15 What Should Returnal Durdles Cover?
15:58 Living vs Locked Formats
20:10 How Should We Organize the Channel?
28:30 Viewer Feedback & Future Plans
30:25 Thoughts on Zhalfir and Titan Breach
31:55 Why In-Universe Sets Feel Different
35:08 Dream Plane Crossovers
36:20 Wrapping Up & Community Questions
Timestamps

With Order of the Sacred Torch just around the corner, Zac and Phil sit down to talk brewing, bizarre deck ideas, and one question that refuses to go away:
Can Phyrexian Portal actually win a tournament?
From there, the conversation evolves into a broader discussion about the future of Magic's alternative Eternal formats—including Heritage, Classic, Peak, Pre-War, and what the vision for Returnal Durdles could become. Along the way, they react to recent polls, discuss channel direction, and share their excitement for Magic's upcoming in-universe sets.
In this episode:
Defending the Brewer's Award
Brewing with Phyrexian Portal
Preparing for Order of the Sacred Torch
Heritage vs Classic vs Peak vs Pre-War
The future of Returnal Durdles
Living vs locked Eternal formats
Viewer poll results
Thoughts on Magic's upcoming sets
Why in-universe crossovers have us excited again
Question of the Week: If you could only play one alternative Eternal format besides Legacy and Premodern, which would it be?
#MagicTheGathering #Premodern #Legacy #PhyrexianPortal #OrderOfTheSacredTorch
00:00 Nobody Likes Us… We Don't Care
00:25 Defending the Brewer's Award
02:30 Brewing for Order of the Sacred Torch
03:00 Can Phyrexian Portal Work?
05:52 Will Zac Actually Play It?
06:40 The State of Alternative Eternal Formats
07:45 Community Poll Results
09:30 Heritage vs Peak vs Classic vs Pre-War
12:15 What Should Returnal Durdles Cover?
15:58 Living vs Locked Formats
20:10 How Should We Organize the Channel?
28:30 Viewer Feedback & Future Plans
30:25 Thoughts on Zhalfir and Titan Breach
31:55 Why In-Universe Sets Feel Different
35:08 Dream Plane Crossovers
36:20 Wrapping Up & Community Questions
Timestamps

This week, Zac sits down with legendary Magic illustrator Donato Giancola to discuss his remarkable career, from illustrating Thran Tome, Steel Golem, Chrome Mox, Mirari, and Shivan Dragon, to painting book covers for Mark Twain, Jules Verne, Lord of the Rings, and much more. Along the way, Donato shares stories about breaking into the industry, his creative process, the influence of comics and fantasy art, and why Magic has always been just one part of a much larger artistic journey.
We discuss:
Breaking into Magic during Mirage
The story behind Thran Tome
Steel Golem and Chrome Mox
Painting Magic packaging art
Working on Lord of the Rings and classic novels
Comic book inspirations including Walt Simonson and Bill Sienkiewicz
Why Donato stepped away from Magic
The changing relationship between artists and Wizards of the Coast
Advice for aspiring illustrators
What makes great fantasy art timeless
If you grew up with Magic during the Mirage through Mirrodin era, this conversation is packed with nostalgia, incredible stories, and a behind-the-scenes look at some of the game's most beloved artwork.
#MagicTheGathering #MTG #FantasyArt #DonatoGiancola #MagicArtist
00:00 Introducing Donato Giancola
00:48 The Story Behind Thran Tome
02:30 Hidden Details in the Box Set Artwork
03:25 Discovering Fantasy Art
05:20 First Professional Illustration Jobs
09:58 Breaking Into Magic: The Gathering
12:31 Working with Wizards of the Coast
14:07 Artist Rights & Leaving Magic
15:15 Life Beyond Magic Illustration
16:50 Painting Tolkien's Middle-earth
20:47 Getting Started with Magic Art
22:05 Construct of Time & Chrome Inspirations
25:45 Steel Golem Memories
29:29 Comic Book Influences
32:31 Painting Mordenkainen & Modern Magic
34:16 Favorite Magic Illustrations
36:46 Advice for Aspiring Artists
38:51 The Importance of Finishing Your Work
40:00 Closing Thoughts
Timestamps

This week, Zac sits down with legendary Magic illustrator Donato Giancola to discuss his remarkable career, from illustrating Thran Tome, Steel Golem, Chrome Mox, Mirari, and Shivan Dragon, to painting book covers for Mark Twain, Jules Verne, Lord of the Rings, and much more. Along the way, Donato shares stories about breaking into the industry, his creative process, the influence of comics and fantasy art, and why Magic has always been just one part of a much larger artistic journey.
We discuss:
Breaking into Magic during Mirage
The story behind Thran Tome
Steel Golem and Chrome Mox
Painting Magic packaging art
Working on Lord of the Rings and classic novels
Comic book inspirations including Walt Simonson and Bill Sienkiewicz
Why Donato stepped away from Magic
The changing relationship between artists and Wizards of the Coast
Advice for aspiring illustrators
What makes great fantasy art timeless
If you grew up with Magic during the Mirage through Mirrodin era, this conversation is packed with nostalgia, incredible stories, and a behind-the-scenes look at some of the game's most beloved artwork.
#MagicTheGathering #MTG #FantasyArt #DonatoGiancola #MagicArtist
00:00 Introducing Donato Giancola
00:48 The Story Behind Thran Tome
02:30 Hidden Details in the Box Set Artwork
03:25 Discovering Fantasy Art
05:20 First Professional Illustration Jobs
09:58 Breaking Into Magic: The Gathering
12:31 Working with Wizards of the Coast
14:07 Artist Rights & Leaving Magic
15:15 Life Beyond Magic Illustration
16:50 Painting Tolkien's Middle-earth
20:47 Getting Started with Magic Art
22:05 Construct of Time & Chrome Inspirations
25:45 Steel Golem Memories
29:29 Comic Book Influences
32:31 Painting Mordenkainen & Modern Magic
34:16 Favorite Magic Illustrations
36:46 Advice for Aspiring Artists
38:51 The Importance of Finishing Your Work
40:00 Closing Thoughts
Timestamps

How did Moneyball Black go from an experimental mono-black brew to one of Premodern's defining archetypes?
In this Masterclass, David Gleicher, the creator of Moneyball Black, sits down with Zac to explain the philosophy behind the deck, its evolution over time, why every card earned its place, and how to approach both deckbuilding and sideboarding. Whether you're sleeving up the deck for your next tournament or simply want to understand why it's become a format staple, this is the definitive guide.
We cover:
The origin of Moneyball Black
Why mono-black works in Premodern
The "Moneyball" philosophy
Ravenous Rats vs. Black Knight
Urza's Bauble technology
Why Dark Ritual is still essential
Cursed Scroll's role in the deck
Graveborn Muse vs. Phyrexian Arena
Mishra's Factory and Spawning Pool
Plague Bearer and other key card choices
Sideboarding philosophy
Matchup guides against the format's top decks
Whether you're new to the archetype or have been playing it for years, there's something here for every Moneyball Black pilot.
#Premodern #MagicTheGathering #MoneyballBlack #MTG #Masterclass
00:00 Introducing Moneyball Black
00:22 Why David Built the Deck
01:58 Early Suicide Black Lists
04:40 The Birth of Moneyball Black
07:15 Why Play Moneyball Black?
07:53 The "Moneyball" Philosophy
09:32 Ravenous Rats Explained
12:55 The Evolution of the Deck
14:14 Black Knight vs. Ravenous Rats
16:47 Urza's Bauble Technology
19:07 Why Cursed Scroll Matters
23:22 Dark Ritual's Role
28:06 Mishra's Factory & Spawning Pool
30:05 Plague Bearer Tech
31:35 Graveborn Muse vs. Phyrexian Arena
34:25 Sideboarding Philosophy
Timestamps