

Eternal Durdles
EternalDurdles
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Eternal Durdles is a weekly Magic: the Gathering podcast focusing on the Legacy format. Hosted by long-time MTG veterans Zac Clark and Phil Blechman.
Eternal Durdles is a weekly Magic: the Gathering podcast focusing on the Legacy format. Hosted by long-time MTG veterans Zac Clark and Phil Blechman.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 21, 2025 • 36min
DELVER-PILLED AGAIN, AND I WON'T APOLOGIZE!
Zac and Phil dive deep into the current state of the Legacy metagame, focusing on the Delver archetype. Zac shares his personal journey of returning to Delver after a long hiatus, discussing the deck's strategies, card choices, and the evolution of gameplay. The conversation also touches on the effectiveness of various cards, including Questing Druid and the debate between Counterbalance and Power Balance.
www.magicmind.com/DurdlesJan

Jan 16, 2025 • 31min
New Tech Insights That Will CHANGE Your Deck
Zac and Phil delve into the evolving landscape of Legacy Magic, discussing the impact of old tech like Suppression Field. They explore ongoing debate about the necessity of fetch lands in competitive play. The conversation highlights the importance of adapting to a fast-paced metagame and the potential for new control strategies without relying on traditional fetch land mechanics.
www.magicmind.com/DurdlesJan

Jan 15, 2025 • 31min
[VIdeo] New Tech Insights That Will CHANGE Your Deck
Zac and Phil delve into the evolving landscape of Legacy Magic, discussing the impact of old tech like Suppression Field. They explore ongoing debate about the necessity of fetch lands in competitive play. The conversation highlights the importance of adapting to a fast-paced metagame and the potential for new control strategies without relying on traditional fetch land mechanics.
www.magicmind.com/DurdlesJan

Jan 14, 2025 • 41min
[Video] Is Massive Change Necessary or Is This Legacy Now?
Zac and Phil delve into the need for change in gaming formats, particularly in the context of competitive gaming and the influence of content creators. They discuss the current state of Legacy, the impact of data on decision-making regarding bans, and analyze the current meta. The conversation also touches on the evolution of deck strategies and the historical shifts in gameplay dynamics. In this conversation, Phil and Zac explore the evolving landscape of Legacy Magic: The Gathering, discussing the decline of control decks, the rise of tempo and combo archetypes, and the community's role in shaping the format's future. They delve into the implications of recent bans, the speed of the game, and the need for a clear philosophical framework to guide the design and acceptance of various deck archetypes.
Distraction Makers: The Internet is Eating Competitive Games Alive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOaigd5Deyw

Jan 14, 2025 • 41min
Is Massive Change Necessary or Is This Legacy Now?
Zac and Phil delve into the need for change in gaming formats, particularly in the context of competitive gaming and the influence of content creators. They discuss the current state of Legacy, the impact of data on decision-making regarding bans, and analyze the current meta. The conversation also touches on the evolution of deck strategies and the historical shifts in gameplay dynamics. In this conversation, Phil and Zac explore the evolving landscape of Legacy Magic: The Gathering, discussing the decline of control decks, the rise of tempo and combo archetypes, and the community's role in shaping the format's future. They delve into the implications of recent bans, the speed of the game, and the need for a clear philosophical framework to guide the design and acceptance of various deck archetypes.
Distraction Makers: The Internet is Eating Competitive Games Alive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOaigd5Deyw

Jan 9, 2025 • 49min
The Dynamics of Acceptable Strategies
Zac and Phil delve into the complexities of gameplay tactics, discussing the nuances of acceptable versus unacceptable strategies in the context of the legacy format. They explore the cultural implications of various tactics, the impact of specific cards like Nadu and Grief, and the community's response to evolving gameplay dynamics. The conversation emphasizes the importance of player agency, the thresholds of acceptable play patterns, and the need for a clear philosophy within the legacy community.

Jan 9, 2025 • 49min
[Video] The Dynamics of Acceptable Strategies
Zac and Phil delve into the complexities of gameplay tactics, discussing the nuances of acceptable versus unacceptable strategies in the context of the legacy format. They explore the cultural implications of various tactics, the impact of specific cards like Nadu and Grief, and the community's response to evolving gameplay dynamics. The conversation emphasizes the importance of player agency, the thresholds of acceptable play patterns, and the need for a clear philosophy within the legacy community.

Jan 7, 2025 • 41min
[Video] The FUTURE of Control is in JEOPARDY
Phil and Zac delve into the challenges faced by control players in the Legacy format of Magic: The Gathering. They discuss the lack of respect for control strategies, the need for a mentality shift among players, and the importance of adapting play styles. The conversation also highlights the necessity for better card design that provides effective answers to the increasingly powerful threats in the game. Ultimately, they call for a change in how control is perceived and played in competitive settings. In this conversation, Phil and Zac delve into the complexities of control decks in Magic: The Gathering, particularly in the Legacy format. They discuss the challenges control players face, including the need for effective deck building, the impact of aggressive strategies, and the importance of card advantage. The duo also explores the future of control archetypes, emphasizing the necessity for new tools that can enhance control strategies without being overshadowed by tempo-based decks. They conclude by inviting community engagement to foster discussions around these themes.
Takeaways
Nobody respects counterbalance in the current meta.
This episode focuses on mentality rather than strategy.
Changing play styles can significantly improve win rates.
Card design needs to evolve to provide better answers.
Threats in the game are currently overpowering answers.
Control decks lack the respect they need in tournaments.
Players must adapt their strategies to the evolving meta.
Effective answers must be printed to balance the game.
Control players need to inform their opponents' behavior.
The game dynamics have shifted, requiring new approaches. Control decks require careful consideration of the metagame.
Effective deck building is the hardest part of playing control.
New tools must not be easily adopted by tempo decks.
Community engagement is essential for evolving control strategies.
Understanding opponent's play patterns is vital for control players.
Control strategies need proactive elements to compete effectively.
The design of new cards should consider the balance of archetypes.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Control Challenges in Legacy
03:10 The Mentality Shift for Control Players
06:06 Adapting Play Styles for Better Outcomes
09:02 The Need for Effective Answers in Design
12:11 The Balance of Threats and Answers
15:02 Respecting Control: A Call for Change
21:19 Understanding Control Deck Dynamics
22:40 Evaluating Aggressive Strategies
24:51 The Impact of Tempo on Control
27:34 The Role of Card Advantage in Control
30:24 The Future of Control Archetypes
33:17 Designing Effective Control Tools
38:54 Community Engagement and Future Directions
HEAVY PLAY DECK BOXES AND SLEEVES
www.heavyplay.com/eternaldurdles
Use code ETERNALDURDLES for 10% off entire order.
Join this channel to get access to perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt9PVLLPfdzI_pr1U9hZDtw/join
JOIN US ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/hrC7PxQZTE
Ad-free Listening on SPOTIFY! Subscribe here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eternaldurdles/subscribe
Twitch:
Twitch.tv/durdlemagus
Eternal Durdles Moxfield:
https://www.moxfield.com/users/EternalDurdles
https://www.moxfield.com/users/Durdlemagus
https://www.moxfield.com/users/ForceofPhil
Support us on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/EternalDurdles
Check out our song parodies on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/forceofphil
Follow us on Twitter:
Zac: @durdlemagus
Phil: @ForceofPhil
We are edited by:
https://gullaudio.com
&
https://www.youtube.com/@PipGoblinBattleCaster
OUR Background graphic:
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Dozens of playlists: Tutorials, Effects, Compilations:
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Jan 7, 2025 • 41min
The FUTURE of Control is in JEOPARDY
Phil and Zac delve into the challenges faced by control players in the Legacy format of Magic: The Gathering. They discuss the lack of respect for control strategies, the need for a mentality shift among players, and the importance of adapting play styles. The conversation also highlights the necessity for better card design that provides effective answers to the increasingly powerful threats in the game. Ultimately, they call for a change in how control is perceived and played in competitive settings. In this conversation, Phil and Zac delve into the complexities of control decks in Magic: The Gathering, particularly in the Legacy format. They discuss the challenges control players face, including the need for effective deck building, the impact of aggressive strategies, and the importance of card advantage. The duo also explores the future of control archetypes, emphasizing the necessity for new tools that can enhance control strategies without being overshadowed by tempo-based decks. They conclude by inviting community engagement to foster discussions around these themes.
Takeaways
Nobody respects counterbalance in the current meta.
This episode focuses on mentality rather than strategy.
Changing play styles can significantly improve win rates.
Card design needs to evolve to provide better answers.
Threats in the game are currently overpowering answers.
Control decks lack the respect they need in tournaments.
Players must adapt their strategies to the evolving meta.
Effective answers must be printed to balance the game.
Control players need to inform their opponents' behavior.
The game dynamics have shifted, requiring new approaches. Control decks require careful consideration of the metagame.
Aggressive strategies can significantly impact control gameplay.
Card advantage is crucial for control decks to succeed.
The future of control archetypes looks bleak without new tools.
Effective deck building is the hardest part of playing control.
New tools must not be easily adopted by tempo decks.
Community engagement is essential for evolving control strategies.
Understanding opponent's play patterns is vital for control players.
Control strategies need proactive elements to compete effectively.
The design of new cards should consider the balance of archetypes.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Control Challenges in Legacy
03:10 The Mentality Shift for Control Players
06:06 Adapting Play Styles for Better Outcomes
09:02 The Need for Effective Answers in Design
12:11 The Balance of Threats and Answers
15:02 Respecting Control: A Call for Change
21:19 Understanding Control Deck Dynamics
22:40 Evaluating Aggressive Strategies
24:51 The Impact of Tempo on Control
27:34 The Role of Card Advantage in Control
30:24 The Future of Control Archetypes
33:17 Designing Effective Control Tools
38:54 Community Engagement and Future Directions
HEAVY PLAY DECK BOXES AND SLEEVES
www.heavyplay.com/eternaldurdles
Use code ETERNALDURDLES for 10% off entire order.
Join this channel to get access to perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt9PVLLPfdzI_pr1U9hZDtw/join
JOIN US ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/hrC7PxQZTE
Ad-free Listening on SPOTIFY! Subscribe here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eternaldurdles/subscribe
Twitch:
Twitch.tv/durdlemagus
Eternal Durdles Moxfield:
https://www.moxfield.com/users/EternalDurdles
https://www.moxfield.com/users/Durdlemagus
https://www.moxfield.com/users/ForceofPhil
Support us on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/EternalDurdles
Check out our song parodies on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/forceofphil
Follow us on Twitter:
Zac: @durdlemagus
Phil: @ForceofPhil
We are edited by:
https://gullaudio.com
&
https://www.youtube.com/@PipGoblinBattleCaster

Dec 31, 2024 • 30min
THESE INSANE GOALS FOR 2025: Our Resolutions
In this episode, hosts Zac and Phil discuss their New Year's resolutions related to Magic: The Gathering. They share personal goals, community-building initiatives, and aspirations for tournament success. The conversation highlights the importance of engaging with the Magic community, expanding their content platform, and exploring new formats. They also reflect on the significance of connecting with fans and the joy of participating in the Magic community.


