Code of the Cardboard Samurai

#17 -God of Pioneer 7 and the State of Organized Play in Japan

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

Frontier Archive Project Ep. 67 - Mind over Meta

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. 

Code of the Cardboard Samurai 12: Pioneer Delight

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)

Code of the Cardboard Samurai #11 - Magic Fest Nagoya

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!

Frontier Archive Project Ep. 50 - History of Frontier (Part 2)

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. 

Frontier Archive Project: Ep 50 - Pioneers: The History of Frontier (part 1)

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. 

Code of the Cardboard Samurai 10: "Trader"ous

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!

Frontier Archive Project ep. 27 - Frontier Only Decks

One of the unique selling points of Frontier is that you get a chance to play with a lot of cards that don't see much, if any play in other formats. The lower power level than Modern, and bigger card pool than standard, put the format in an interesting place. Also in this episode, I join the podcast crew as a permanent member to talk about my experiences overseas in Japan, as well as to connect the two metagames together. Very fun topic that allows you to explore the format more in depth. 

Final Frontier Ep. 19 - Japan: Birthplace of Frontier

The North American and Japan Frontier worlds collide when yours truly is invited on as a guest on the Magic the Final Frontier podcast. In this podcast I talk with the hosts about the Frontier format is like in Japan and go over the differences between the two metagames. I also share some stories about what Frontier was like in those first few months starting out in Japan. If you're looking to learn more about the history of Frontier and to get a different point of view on the format, look no further! 

Frontier Archive Project Ep. 16 - Japan Tournament Reports and the Current RIX metagame

After quite a few large tournaments in Japan, the podcast crew decide to discuss the results and to also compare how Japanese players go about building decks differently than their North American counterparts. The hosts also talk about the upcoming 4th season of the online Frontier league tournament and how it could be affected by the recent results from Japan and the shifting metagame. Today's podcast is a good look at how the format evolved from Ixalan to Rivals of Ixalan in a matter of a few months and how the new cards made a name for themselves in the format.