Code of the Cardboard Samurai

With the God of Pioneer 7 tournament in the books and still fresh on everybody's mind, The Japan Hobbyist and his "cohost" Taichi invite new friend and local MTG player Mickey (Swampmouse on Discord) to talk about his experience at the event. We go over what the metagame was like, the top 16 decklists, and also discuss the overall state of the Pioneer format in Japan at the moment. In the second half of the podcast we move onto a discussion about organized play in Japan to help foreign players living or visiting the country. Taichi gives us some insight on what OP was like in the past in Japan and his opinions on how this year will be different, then offers us the unique perspective of a level 1 Magic the Gathering Judge. If you're thinking about playing Magic the Gathering in Japan and want to hop into competitive play this year, you don't want to miss this episode! If you have questions about MTG in Japan don't be afraid to drop into our discord or hitting me up on Twitter!   Discord: https://discord.gg/JGKxHhy Twitter: @YoJapanHobbyist

In this episode past guest and local Magic Player in the Tokyo area, Taichi Nishizawa, joins me to talk about Kamigawa Neon Dynasty from a Japanese person's point of view. I was really interested in hearing his opinion about not only the plane of Kamigawa itself, but also how it was portrayed by Wizards of the Coast in this set.  After listening to this episode, feel free to hop into my discord to discuss the show or give me a follow on Twitter as well!    Discord: https://discord.gg/JGKxHhy Twitter: @YoJapanHobbyist

I don't know about you, but the moment Wizards of the Coast announced that Godzilla and many other Toho studio monsters would be in the next Magic the Gathering Set, Ikoria, my heart skipped a beat. Seeing all of these monsters appear on paper in my favorite hobby brought out all sorts of memories. Many people probably haven't seen many of these original Godzilla movies, if at all. Being the Japan Hobbyist, I felt that the gospel of Godzilla must be spread so I recruited a fellow foreigner living in Japan who is also a 'Kaiju' enthusiast and we proceeded to "nerd out" about the new monster cards in the plane of Ikoria. If you're interested in learning the history of the Toho monsters, or if you are wondering how close the MTG Ikoria counterparts are to the originals, be sure to listen!

The Pioneer format has exploded in popularity in Japan recently due to the upcoming Magic Fest in Nagoya. GP Nagoya will be the first ever Pioneer GP along with GP Brussels in Belgium. As some of you might know, I started my blog around Avacyn Restored and soon afterwards I began keeping an up to date Japanese to English vocabulary page on my blog, www.thejapanhobbyist.com. If you've been listening to my past podcasts then you know that I posted another episode about basic Magic the Gathering vocabulary you need to know to play MTG in Japan. You can find that episode here. In today's episode I'm joined by a special guest and level one judge in Japan, Taichi Nishizawa. We go over all of the vocabulary from Return to Ravnica block to Theros Beyond Death, and explain how to use the vocabulary while playing a game in Japanese. If you're a Magic player living in Japan, visiting for a Grand Prix or other event, or just want to practice speaking Japanese, give it a listen! 

Having lived in Japan for more than 10 years now, I've been all around the country and have met a lot of people playing Magic the Gathering. Doing so has allowed me to get to know all sorts of people in my travels, and while the majority of them have been Japanese players, I've also met quite a few foreigners. Some of the first Americans I met were when I was playing at Grand Prix around Japan. However, not everybody was over here in Japan to work like I was. Over the years I realized just how many of the foreigners I met and played were actually serving in the military. While many of these players are only in Japan for a few years before shipping out to other parts of the world, they have become good friends of mine. Since moving to the Yokohama area, where there are a handful of military bases, I've come to meet more and more of these service members. That's why I thought it would be a good idea to do a podcast for people serving in the military in Japan, to give them some resources and information so that if they wanted to play MTG while living here, they could do so without worrying.  If you're currently in the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines, or just know some Magic players in the military that are on their way over to Japan in the near future, be sure to let them know about this episode, as well as the others! 

And just like that the Final Frontier podcast ends. In episode 69 we talk about how Historic was finally announced officially by Wizards of the Coast and then talk about what excited us the most from the M20 Core set. We discussed how the cards fit into Frontier since we were hoping that the new format would go back further than Ixalan, so luckily the episode does a good job of showcasing how M20 fits into the scheme of things in Pioneer. I'd like to thank you for taking the time to listen to our old shows. If you'd like to follow us in our journey through the new Pioneer format you can pick up where we left here in our new podcast, The First Pioneers. Thanks for listening! https://thefirstpioneers.podbean.com/

Before Pioneer was announced, all we knew was that Wizards was working on a new format for the Arena platform. That format eventually morphed into what we now know as Historic, but we were hoping that the format would also translate into some kind of paper format as well. In our second to last Frontier episode we talked about everything we learned from the Frontier format after 2 years plus of playing and made suggestions for Wizards of the Coast to follow so they didn't run into the same problems that the format had from start to finish. Did they listen? Did our wishes come true with the Pioneer format? You'll have to listen to find out! 

As Ryan gears up for the 13th God of Frontier tournament in Tokyo at Hareruya, He and Kevin talk about how the War of the Spark Frontier metagame has been evolving both online and in paper. They cover how each archetype has changed and what cards to look out for going into a big tournament. This is one of the last metagame episodes we did prior to Pioneer, so you can get a good look at how the decks in the format were updated with almost the same pool we currently have. 

Every format has their own plays that make players feel good when they play them. Emptying your hand turn one with a Modern Affinity deck, flashing back a Lightning Bolt with Snapcaster Mage for the kill, or even winning a counterspell battle in Legacy with Force of Will. Frontier is no different, and with the added pool of cards for Pioneer, some 'god' hands are just going to get crazier. In episode 66 we talk about what some of the best plays you can pull of in Frontier are. If you're looking to break the format in Pioneer, this is a great starting point. Whether you're a Timmy, Spike, or Johnny player you're bound to find something in this episode that will put a smile on your face.

We're down to our last 5 Frontier podcasts! Today's topic was more of a fun one based around Brawl. The format never really took off in standard due to poor promotion of the game and a limited pool, but some Frontier players had been having fun building Frontier Brawl decks so we thought we'd cover what a Frontier Brawl format would look like. What were the best legendary creatures and planeswalkers to use as Generals? What were the best spells? We explored what this possible format would look like and came up with some good results. If you're still not sure about jumping into competitive Pioneer, maybe you'll enjoy building Pioneer Brawl decks instead. Use this episode as a primer to get started! 

Before the most recent rotation last summer, people were actually enjoying standard. Nowadays, not so much. No matter the season, standard usually has the most active players of any format. The power level of standard has been creeping up lately, and we thought that many of the decks might just have what it takes to be playable in Frontier. This can also be true of Pioneer. In all likeliness, you can take a standard deck and make a few changes and have a deck that is ready to go in Pioneer. One of the great things about having a format between standard and modern is that it's much easier to adapt standard to it. If you've played standard over the last few seasons and are thinking of making a Pioneer deck, listen to our suggestions on how to update it so you can play the new format right away!

The multicolor cards of War of the Spark and our top 5 most impactful cards from the set in Frontier wraps up our 3 part series on one of the most powerful sets to ever enter the format. Did your top 5 WAR cards for Pioneer match ours? Listen to what we thought were the Frontier playables and possibles from War of the Spark. 

In our 2nd to last set review for Frontier, we talked about the main colors of War of the Spark and also discussed how the new and returning mechanics in the set would affect the format. It's a given that many of the planeswalkers will find their way into Pioneer, but where do the rest fit in? We explore the possibilities for the set and give you suggestions on what kind of deck to use the cards in. If you've already heard it the first time, it's worth a revisit to see how the playables would match up with the Theros and Return to Ravnica blocks that were added in the Pioneer format. 

Pioneer started off with a bang here in Japan and it's been the talk of the entire Magic the Gathering Community for the past few weeks. It was only natural that we'd do a podcast about it. In this episode Ben and I talk with our good friend Bobby Birmingham about what it's been like to play the new format in Japan since the initial announcement. We talk about the initial reception of Pioneer from players, how the stores in the Tokyo/Yokohama area are changing their tournament schedules, as well as how the new format has affected the prices of cards. We also get a little personal and discuss what we are most excited to play in this new format and what we are brewing. To those of you that stick around until the 30 minute mark, we have a special treat for you.  We hope you enjoy today's show and if you have any suggestions or comments feel free to leave them down below!  (special thanks to Lain Kaplan for use of the beginning and end themes)

War of the Spark made a huge impact on standard, and some of the cards even made their way into modern, legacy, and vintage. But did any make it into Frontier? In this episode we cover each of the planeswalkers spoiled in the set and talk about where it might fit into the format. While cards like Teferi, Time Reveler and Ashiok, Dream Render have found there way into control decks and sideboards in Pioneer already, where would the other cards fit in? If you're looking for some ideas on where to play the WAR walkers, give this episode a listen. 

Wizards of the Coast had played around with the idea of a new format between Modern and Standard for a very long time before finally pulling the trigger on Pioneer. As long time Frontier players we always knew that there would be a new format, but we never knew exactly what it would be. With the conversation shifting to the Arena Historic format a few months back, we realized that we might have to deal with a post modern format possibly starting from Ixalan. If that WERE to happen, we talked about what cards from the Frontier format would have to be reprinted in either core sets or some kind of Historic "Horizons" set in order to make the format worth playing. Since we ended up getting Pioneer, this episode isn't as relevant, however it does look at which cards should be looked at for reprints in Pioneer in the future. 

Are you one of those players who enjoys a challenge? Do you like solving tricky situations on the battlefield? Or would you consider yourself a straightforward, linear player that doesn't like to have to make a lot of decisions? In episode 60 we talked about the difficult decks of the Frontier format. We covered the decks where decisions are key at all points of the game, and also talked about which decks you can pick up and play without having to learn it first. A good listen for the different levels of Pioneer players, whether you're trying to be a competitive "Spike" or just a casual "Timmy". 

When War of the Spark was announced, all we had to go on was a picture showing all of the planeswalkers on a stained glass window in Ravnica. The Magic world was full of speculation and we were not immune. Before knowing anything about the new planeswalkers, we made a wish list as to what we'd like to see each of the planeswalkers do and how they might fit into the Frontier format. Did we get any of them right? Did we come close? Listen and find out. 

Sideboarding is incredibly important in Magic the Gathering. If you're not prepared, a deck can catch you totally off guard and win the game without you being able to do anything about it. In episode 58 we go over all of the best sideboard cards in Frontier and talk about which type of decks you should play them in and against. While there are some better options now in the Pioneer format, there are some very good suggestions in this episode. Learn what you can use as alternatives in case you don't have the cards from Return to Ravnica or Theros block at the moment, as well as what decks you should be looking out for in Pioneer. 

We made a lot of claims over the months about how good card X and card Y were when we did our set reviews. But were we right? Did we sometimes get it wrong? In this episode we go over all of the picks from our past set reviews and talked about why some of our choices didn't pan out, while others were underrated. A good discussion on how the Frontier metagame evolved and grew in directions we couldn't predict, and what eventually became staples in the format. A good in depth episode for all of you Pioneer players out there. 

Are you a Spike? Do you enjoy winning games in Magic the Gathering more than anything else? If so, this episode is for you. Kevin and I talk with Tom Davis from the online Frontier community about what decks pull out all the stops to win. If you're going to a big Pioneer event in the future and looking to crush the competition, check out which Spike decks and cards we recommend. We talk in depth about aggro decks like Atarka's command, as well as how the Spike decks evolved from the inception of Frontier.   

Not everybody has the money to play a few Liliana the Last Hope, a playset of Smuggler's Copter, or have the disposable income to buy Collected Companies for their Pioneer decks. But is there another card that's almost as good that you could use in its place? In today's episode we explored the alternatives to staple cards of the Frontier format. If you're currently waiting to buy cards in Pioneer but want to check out the format, why not build a slightly more budget version with different cards that can fill a similar role? This episode is also useful if you're worried about investing in a deck only to have the main card banned. Not to worry, just have a back up plan! If you want more Pioneer content, follow our new podcast! https://thefirstpioneers.podbean.com/

In part 2 of the Ravnica Allegiance Frontier review we cover the remaining cards such as the multicolor, artifacts, and lands. We start by going guild by guild and discuss how they fit into the already existing archetypes of the format. If you're an Orzhov, Azorius, Gruul, Simic, or Rakdos player you'll want to check it out. Multicolor cards are always more powerful and we thought quite a few were good enough to make it into Frontier. They might also be good enough for Pioneer!

After Guilds of Ravnica the Frontier metagame really started to heat up. With the second Ravnica set being added, Ravnica Allegiance, we saw a number of new decks pop up and many more already established decks got a much needed shot in the arm to re-energize their strategies. In part one we talked about the main colors of the new set from white to red and which decks they slotted into in Frontier. If you're building new Pioneer decks and have just started playing MTG recently, this is a good episode to see which of your newer cards are playable in the format and which decks are worth checking out. 

The Johnny Archetype from WotC's website: "Johnny likes a challenge. Johnny enjoys winning with cards that no one else wants to use. He likes making decks that win in innovative ways. What sets Johnny apart from the other profiles is that Johnny enjoys deck building as much as (or more than) he enjoys playing. Johnny loves the cool interactions of the cards. He loves combo decks. Johnny is happiest when he’s exploring uncharted territory." When the metagame is zigging, the Johnny players like to zag. They love to play decks that can win out of nowhere, are hard to interact with, and come at you from angles you least expect. In this episode we have one of the well known members of the online Frontier community, Aaron Torres, come on to talk about decks like Rally the Ancestors, Jeskai Ascendancy, and a variety of other spicy Johnny decks that people have tried out in the format. If you're a Johnny player that is looking for the next best combo deck in Pioneer, you definitely want to listen to this episode!

Do you love playing giant creatures and smashing your opponent with insane amounts of damage to win the game? Are flashy plays and spells with lots of X's totally your thing? Then episode 52 is totally for you! In this episode we talk about everything related to the 'Timmy' player type in Magic. If you identify as a Timmy player (like myself) and want to know which decks and cards would make for great Timmy strategies in the new Pioneer format, give it a listen! 

In episode 51 Kevin and I discuss what was on our Christmas wish list for Frontier in 2019. We discussed what reprints we'd like to see in the future, as well as what kind of cards the format needed to balance it out. Considering what cards are now available in the Pioneer format, we got a remarkable amount of picks right. If you're interested in learning about which of our 2018 Christmas wishes came true, I recommend this episode. Listen to what we thought the perfect Frontier format should be and compare it to Pioneer!

Planning on coming to Nagoya for a Magic Fest in the future? Or how about visiting it on the way to a Magic Fest in Shizuoka or Kyoto? If so, this episode is right up your alley. In episode 11 we continue our series on Magic Fest locations and talk about all things Nagoya. We discuss the upcoming event in November 2019, the new event hall, transportation, things you can do around the event both before and after, and all the delicious food you can eat in Nagoya! Check it out to get some ideas for your next MTG trip!

Part 2 of our History of Frontier podcast covers what happened in the format all the way from the middle of 2017 to around the present. We talked about milestones and big events, and continued to describe how the metagame changed. As new sets came out, new iterations of favorite archetypes evolved as to what you see today at the start of the Pioneer format. This is a must listen for Pioneer players that are looking to see how cards shaped competitive Frontier each season. If you want to learn about what decks came out on top in Frontier after the dust settled, this episode is essential. 

The Pioneer format has its beginnings in the Frontier format, which was started back in 2016 by Hareruya and Big Magic. But how did we get from there to here? Why didn't Frontier take off? What were the highs and lows of the format, and how did the format change from its inception to right before the Pioneer format? If you're interested in learning the history about the predecessor of Pioneer and want to know how the metagames evolved over the months and months of tournaments both in Japan and online, this is a great episode for you. Part 1 covers the first year up until the end of 2017, giving you a look at Frontier's beginnings. 

In episode 49, Kevin and I delve deeper into the effect of Guilds of Ravnica on the Frontier format and discuss how we think Ravnica Allegiance will impact it further. We could easily surmise that some cycles would be continued, and that the format would get the remaining shock lands as well so we started from there. Aside from what affect those cards would have on the Frontier format, we also talked about what we hoped the new set had that could fill some holes in the Frontier metagame.  A good look at what decks were good in Frontier during the Guilds of Ravnica metagame and which Guilds of Ravnica cards saw play. 

It wasn't too long ago that MTG Arena had considered adding a non rotating format to their platform (which only recently became Historic) There was speculation far and wide as to what this Arena Modern would look like and how it would work, but the general thought was that it would start from Ixalan and lose everything that made Frontier great. In this episode we discussed what we thought this Arena "Modern" (aka Historic) would be like metagame wise, as well as what Frontier archetypes would no longer be viable. If you're looking to compare a possible Historic format on Arena to the paper Pioneer format, this is a good episode for you. 

Getting people to try new formats can be a struggle from time to time. Not everybody wants to invest time and money into an untested format, so finding people to play with can be a challenge. Frontier was one of those formats that both myself and my close friends enjoyed immensely but we had trouble to grow that community of players. Therefore the podcast crew decided to help those scattered Frontier players around the world organize and to give them a variety of ideas to grow the game in their area.  In today's podcast, we talk about how you can promote Frontier to your friends and at your Local Game Store, with various tips on how to get people started, how to keep people interested, and even some ideas for events you can offer at your store to get people playing regularly. If Historic doesn't take off in paper right away, this episode could give you some good ideas to help it grow where you live!

With Guilds of Ravnica in the mix, Frontier once again was thrown into chaos. As with most new sets that add to the Frontier pool, each one has a noticeable impact in the metagame. In today's topic Kevin and I go over some online deck lists as well as the top decks from Hareruya and talk about which cards from the new set showed up. Some were expected, but some caught us off guard. A great look at playable decks in more 'extended' Historic format as we get closer and closer to the current pool of cards in the format. 

Does being a great card in standard equal being a great card in Frontier? Not necessarily. In today's episode Kevin and I explore what past standard staples couldn't cut it in Frontier and why. An expanded pool of cards means there are a lot more answers to problem cards that were allowed to run rampant in standard. If you're looking to build Historic decks in the future, this is a must listen so that you don't run into the same problem new Frontier players ran into when they tried out cards they thought would be good in the format. 

Finishing up our review of Guilds of Ravnica for the Frontier format, we go over the remaining colors and also our top 5 lists from the set. While we might not have gotten everything right, there are some good deck ideas as well as some possible brews in this episode that could do well in Historic. 

With the full set of Guilds of Ravnica spoiled, the hosts spare no time to dive into what the set has to offer to the Frontier format. For the first part we cover most of the mono colored cards, talk about what cards we think have potential to warp the format, as well as which cards will easily find a home in already viable Frontier decks. As we get closer and closer to the current pool of cards available to us, Historic strategies start to become clearer and clearer. Another good listen for those of you wanting to play the new format between standard and modern. 

With the announcement that shock lands will return in the fall 2018 set, the Frontier community erupts into absolute pandemonium. Kevin, Matt, and I talk about just how big of an impact having shock lands will have on the Frontier format. The mana base (which was already good) is the obvious winner, especially with fetch lands in the format, but what cards and decks get better with the inclusion of such an eternal staple? As an added bonus, we also discuss some of the new mechanics from Guilds of Ravnica and how we see them fitting in to Frontier.  If the Historic format DOES end up going back further than the Ixalan block, this would be a good topic for those players as well to see how to optimize your use of shocks in the mysterious  post modern format.

After a few weeks of the M19 metagame in Frontier, there were quite a lot of results to look through and developments to talk about. In this episode we poured over all of the decks that had been showing up in Tokyo at Hareruya's Frontier tournaments, as well as how the online metagame had evolved. A good look at competitive Frontier with some great insights for Historic if you're planning on playing that new format in the future. 

If you've lived or played Magic the Gathering in Japan before, then you've probably noticed that events here have always been hit or miss when it comes to trading. The Grand Prix/Magic Fest circuit is no stranger to drama related to trading, and even trading in stores is frowned upon most of the time. So what's a person going to an event to do with their trade binders and boxes? In Episode 10, I once again have Ed Nguyen of the Cartel Aristocrats podcast on to discuss what it's like trading cards in Japan compared to other parts of the world he's traveled to, and how trading has evolved since the laws surrounding how vendors do business was changed. We hope the advice and tips we give you in this episode help you out the next time you go to a big event in Japan!

Whenever a new set comes out Wizards of the Coast releases starter decks which target the newer players of the game, as well people who like to play casually. If a new format such as Frontier or Historic really took off, the community would be best served by an ample amount of supply. Wizards has done great with recent starter decks and other supplemental materials in the recent past, so Kevin and I took it upon ourselves to discuss which cards we'd supply in a Frontier starter deck, and which deck archetypes would be the best experience for players getting into the format. A good idea for Historic in the future as well!

No, your eyes aren't deceiving you. There was an episode 38 but there were technical issues which made it un-listenable and so we had to scrap it. Instead I'm sharing episode 39 today, where we talked about which reprints we'd like to see show up in Frontier. We discussed which cards would absolutely wreck the format if printed, and we also talked about which could really super charge the Frontier and "toe the line" so to speak. Lots of cool ideas for new decks if the cards were reprinted! 

If you love drafting and playing Frontier, or if you wanted to get your friends to play the format with you, there's really only one way to make it happen: Cubing. There are a number of reasons to build a Frontier cube. It mixes some of the best draft formats in recent memory (KTK block), puts some powerful cards in your hand such as Ulamog and Emrakul, and also lets you field a variety of archetypes from past standards that really became fleshed out with the Frontier card pool.  In this episode Kevin and I had on a Cubing aficionado to help us build a Frontier cube. We covered the basics of building a cube, talked about what cards we'd include if we were building a cube for Frontier, and also talked about various ways you could build the cube to keep it fresh and fun for you and your friends. Great topic for casual players everywhere!

After 3 new sets had been added to the Frontier format, it was time to take a look once more at tribal strategies. Quite a few new cards were added in Rivals of Ixalan, M19, and Dominaria so Kevin and I sat down to discuss which of those new cards either added to previous tribal decks or finally made some of them viable. Considering all of these mentioned sets are playable in Historic, this is a great topic to see how each deck would fare without the cards that were only in Frontier. 

Not everybody can afford a playset of fetches or Ulamogs for Frontier. Even though the format itself is comparatively much cheaper than other eternal formats (and standard for the most part), there are quite a few decks that will break the bank. Because of this, the we discussed how you could play Frontier competitively without going broke to do so. We focused on decks that you could easily get for around $100, and discussed how to make other competitive decks cheaper as well. Might be worth listening to so that you can get an idea on cheap Historic decks as well. 

The hosts talk about how the M19 Frontier metagame is shaping up and which cards seem to be showing up most often in decks both online and in paper. As Ryan gears up for a weekend God of Frontier trial in Tokyo, he and Kevin discuss how best to attack the metagame and what deck Ryan should play. 

Part 2 of our M19 set review covers the rest of the colors, artifacts, and multicolor cards from the Core set. We also talk about the top 5 cards we think will make the biggest impact in Frontier, which was actually kind of hard considering how much power came in the form of reprints and other chase rares. In my opinion, this set had a lot of potential for Frontier, but was overshadowed by the stronger sets that came before it. In Historic, M19 should shine even brighter. 

It seems like only a few weeks ago the hosts discussed how Dominaria would change the Frontier metagame, yet here they are again talking about how the M19 core set would impact the format. Lots of great points from the "Spikes" Kevin and Matt, and some crazy dreaming by the resident "Timmy", myself. If you're planning on building a Historic deck in the near future, this is another must listen so you can learn how the newer cards interact with the older ones, as well as get some deck ideas from the us. 

It's hard to think that Mardu vehicles from Kaladesh block standard could get any better, but that's exactly what it did in Frontier. In this show Kevin and I interviewed another player from the online Frontier community to talk about not only his top 8 Mardu Vehicles deck, but also the various Black/Red/White Mardu archetypes. We discussed what was viable in the format as well as which cards in those colors stood out the most. A great in-depth talk for people that want to explore what the Frontier format was like, as well as the possibilities of Historic if it goes back to Kaladesh block or earlier. 

The online Frontier community had been around almost as long as the format itself. One of the regulars who played on platforms like Xmage and Cockatrice was Csquared. He had amazing success with mono black Eldrazi over a few seasons, making many top 8s and winning a few as well. We had him on to talk about strengths of the deck and why it was so good against the other Frontier decks season after season. If you're interested in decks that are unique to Frontier, this is a great episode. 

Frontier is a fast format. There's no shortage of quick creatures at 1 and 2 mana that can bring the pain quickly against an opponent. But how about on the opposite side of the coin? What cards at the top of your curve that cost 5 mana are the best in Frontier? In this episode the crew and a special guest discuss what 5 'drops' make the biggest impact in the format, including the newest set to be added to Frontier, Dominaria. There are a decent amount of cards from Historic legal sets to make it worth listening to if you're getting ready for the new format's launch this fall.