Eternal Durdles

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EternalDurdlesTCGPLAYER AFFILIATE LINK:https://partner.tcgplayer.com/OexAAnParallax Tide is banned — and Premodern will never look the same.In this episode of Eternal Durdles, Zac Clark and Phil (ForceofPhil) react to the Parallax Tide ban, unpacking why it happened, what it says about Premodern as a format, and what comes next.This isn’t just about power level.We break down:Why Parallax Tide wasn’t just strong, but suppressiveHow Tide became a universal plan across multiple archetypesWhy the card constrained brewing and deck diversityThe difference between raw win rates and player experienceWhy “just play answers” failed against Tide’s rules interactionsWhich decks are most affected (Replenish, Mono-Blue, Stiflenought)Who benefits in the short termThe financial and emotional reality of bansWhy decisive action is better than format stagnationWhat Premodern curation gets right — and what WotC could learn from itWe also reflect on what this ban signals:Premodern is willing to protect gameplay quality, even when it’s uncomfortable.Whether you loved Parallax Tide or hated it, this episode is about format health, identity, and the future of Premodern.JOIN US ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/hrC7PxQZTEProudly supported by Three For One Trading: shop.threeforonetrading.comCardmillhttps://cardmill.com/EternalDurdlesMOXFIELDEternal Durdles Moxfield: https://www.moxfield.com/users/EternalDurdleshttps://www.moxfield.com/users/Durdlemagushttps://www.moxfield.com/users/ForceofPhil

We finally have real Premodern data — and it’s shaping what LobsterCon is going to look like.
In this episode of Eternal Durdles, Zac Clark and Phil (ForceofPhil) break down Cyrus Bales’ Premodern metagame data, compiled from Magic Online Challenges and other events. Using Top 8 appearances, win rates, and overperformance metrics, we analyze which decks are actually converting — and which ones just feel powerful.
This is a numbers-first discussion, not vibes.
We cover:
Why SLIGH remains the most-played deck in Premodern

Why Mono-Blue Stiflenought is the best-performing deck

What overrepresentation actually means (and what it doesn’t)

Whether Phyrexian Dreadnought is the real problem

Why Parallax Tide may be the true pressure point

Aggro vs combo vs control in the current metagame

What you actually need to prepare for heading into LobsterCon

Sideboard implications in a red-heavy field

Why banning decks doesn’t “fix” Premodern

And why the format still has massive brewing space

We also touch on:
The Professor’s comments on Premodern bans

Land Tax, Tide, and historical format shifts

Psychatog’s resurgence

Why some decks feel worse to play against than the math suggests

The emotionally devastating potential of Extract Control

If you’re tuning a list, building a sideboard, or preparing for LobsterCon, this episode gives you the clearest picture yet of where Premodern actually stands.

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EternalDurdlesTCGPLAYER AFFILIATE LINK:https://partner.tcgplayer.com/OexAAn“Deck loyalty is dead.”In this episode of Eternal Durdles, Zac Clark and Phil (ForceofPhil) take on one of the most sacred cows in Legacy: the idea that you should pick one deck, master it forever, and ride it through every metagame.That advice used to work. It doesn’t anymore.Power creep, rotating threats, and shifting answers mean Legacy now punishes rigid deck identity. Being “the Miracles guy” or “the Reanimator player” might feel comfortable — but it can actively cost you matches, especially when you don’t understand how opposing decks actually function.We dig into:Why deck loyalty no longer works in modern LegacyThe difference between deck identity vs. archetype identityHow power creep and new printings force constant adaptationWhy playing decks you hate makes you better at beating themLearning play patterns vs. just knowing card textA painful Eternal Weekend Painter loss — and what it revealedGoblin Engineer, Goblin Welder, and “hidden Demonic Tutors”Why “knowing your enemy” matters most for control playersThe danger of being too precious with your play experienceHow touching your deck (tutors, cantrips) defines archetype powerThe takeaway is simple but uncomfortable:If your goal is to be a better Legacy player, you need to stop being loyal to a single deck and start being loyal to improvement.Deck loyalty is dead.Adapt — or keep losing to play patterns you don’t understand.JOIN US ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/hrC7PxQZTEProudly supported by Three For One Trading: shop.threeforonetrading.comCardmillhttps://cardmill.com/EternalDurdlesMOXFIELDEternal Durdles Moxfield: https://www.moxfield.com/users/EternalDurdleshttps://www.moxfield.com/users/Durdlemagushttps://www.moxfield.com/users/ForceofPhil

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EternalDurdlesTCGPLAYER AFFILIATE LINK:https://partner.tcgplayer.com/OexAAnWhat if the way you play Magic is really a philosophy?In this episode of Eternal Durdles, Zac Clark and Phil (ForceofPhil) step away from metagame charts and decklists to explore something deeper: how Magic playstyles map onto superhero archetypes and philosophical worldviews.Inspired by a video on Batman and the “archetype of the shadow,” https://youtu.be/mV_LG51IT9k?si=WpqKV3LF71vtOjfN the conversation ranges from comics to Kant to Star Wars — and lands squarely back in Magic: the Gathering.We explore:Why control players resemble Batman and operate under a self-imposed moral codeThe idea of the categorical imperative and how it applies to deck choiceWhat it means to “nerf yourself” for an ideal — and why some players doThe Knight of Faith and playing control even when it costs winsOpportunist players as Green Arrow / Hitman types — tools over principlesAggro as inevitability and momentumTempo as The Flash — thinking and acting faster than your opponentWhy combo decks resemble supervillains (and why that’s not a bad thing)How philosophy, storytelling, and archetypes help explain player identityWhy some decks feel wrong to certain players even when they winThis isn’t a deck tech or a tier list. It’s a conversation about why you play the way you do, what you value when you sit down at a table, and how those values show up in your deck choices.If you’ve ever said “this deck just doesn’t feel like me,” this episode is for you.JOIN US ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/hrC7PxQZTEProudly supported by Three For One Trading: shop.threeforonetrading.comCardmillhttps://cardmill.com/EternalDurdlesMOXFIELDEternal Durdles Moxfield: https://www.moxfield.com/users/EternalDurdleshttps://www.moxfield.com/users/Durdlemagushttps://www.moxfield.com/users/ForceofPhil

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EternalDurdlesTCGPLAYER AFFILIATE LINK:https://partner.tcgplayer.com/OexAAnIn this Eternal Durdles episode, we take a deep dive into the current Legacy MTG metagame by asking a simple but powerful question:What are the actual threats in Legacy right now?Using data from recent tournament results, we break down the most played threats in the format and introduce a new concept — the Threat Number — a way to quantify how much a card truly impacts Legacy by combining play rate and copies per deck. From format-defining creatures to lands and artifacts that quietly warp games around them, this episode becomes a real-time exploration of how Legacy is actually played today.We discuss major Legacy pillars like Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student, Murktide Regent, Orcish Bowmasters, Urza’s Saga, Wasteland, and the Reanimate package, and explore why many of these cards function as secondary win conditions or “B-plans” that demand respect even when they aren’t the primary strategy of a deck.Along the way, we examine:How Threat Density shapes deckbuilding and sideboard choicesWhy some cards feel oppressive while others fly under the radarHow homogenization happens in Legacy — and when it becomes a problemWhat historical ban data can teach us about today’s metagameWhy certain “answers” like graveyard hate often aren’t good enough anymoreThis episode is also meant to be a time capsule — something Legacy players can revisit each quarter to track how the format evolves, what’s changed, and what threats you should be preparing for if you’re picking up the format or tuning a control deck.If you play Legacy MTG, love metagame analysis, or want to understand why certain cards dominate tournaments, this one’s for you.JOIN US ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/hrC7PxQZTEProudly supported by Three For One Trading: shop.threeforonetrading.comCardmillhttps://cardmill.com/EternalDurdlesMOXFIELDEternal Durdles Moxfield: https://www.moxfield.com/users/EternalDurdleshttps://www.moxfield.com/users/Durdlemagushttps://www.moxfield.com/users/ForceofPhil