Eternal Durdles

The Creator of Moneyball Black Explains Everything

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 BlackWhy mono-black works in PremodernThe "Moneyball" philosophyRavenous Rats vs. Black KnightUrza's Bauble technologyWhy Dark Ritual is still essentialCursed Scroll's role in the deckGraveborn Muse vs. Phyrexian ArenaMishra's Factory and Spawning PoolPlague Bearer and other key card choicesSideboarding philosophyMatchup 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 #Masterclass00:00 Introducing Moneyball Black00:22 Why David Built the Deck01:58 Early Suicide Black Lists04:40 The Birth of Moneyball Black07:15 Why Play Moneyball Black?07:53 The "Moneyball" Philosophy09:32 Ravenous Rats Explained12:55 The Evolution of the Deck14:14 Black Knight vs. Ravenous Rats16:47 Urza's Bauble Technology19:07 Why Cursed Scroll Matters23:22 Dark Ritual's Role28:06 Mishra's Factory & Spawning Pool30:05 Plague Bearer Tech31:35 Graveborn Muse vs. Phyrexian Arena34:25 Sideboarding PhilosophyTimestamps

The Creator of Moneyball Black Explains Everything

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 BlackWhy mono-black works in PremodernThe "Moneyball" philosophyRavenous Rats vs. Black KnightUrza's Bauble technologyWhy Dark Ritual is still essentialCursed Scroll's role in the deckGraveborn Muse vs. Phyrexian ArenaMishra's Factory and Spawning PoolPlague Bearer and other key card choicesSideboarding philosophyMatchup 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 #Masterclass00:00 Introducing Moneyball Black00:22 Why David Built the Deck01:58 Early Suicide Black Lists04:40 The Birth of Moneyball Black07:15 Why Play Moneyball Black?07:53 The "Moneyball" Philosophy09:32 Ravenous Rats Explained12:55 The Evolution of the Deck14:14 Black Knight vs. Ravenous Rats16:47 Urza's Bauble Technology19:07 Why Cursed Scroll Matters23:22 Dark Ritual's Role28:06 Mishra's Factory & Spawning Pool30:05 Plague Bearer Tech31:35 Graveborn Muse vs. Phyrexian Arena34:25 Sideboarding PhilosophyTimestamps

The Legacy Format Before FIRE Design

What if Legacy had stopped evolving in 2019?This week we're joined by Gary, creator of Pre-War Legacy, a community-driven format that captures Legacy just before War of the Spark, FIRE Design, and the wave of Modern Horizons cards fundamentally changed the format. We discuss:Why War of the Spark became the cutoffThe impact of FIRE Design on LegacyWhy many players consider 2018–2019 Legacy its golden ageThe philosophy behind Pre-War LegacyMiracles, Death & Taxes, Delver, Dark Depths, and StormWhy deck specialists thrive in closed formatsBrewing opportunities in an 18,000-card card poolHow to join the growing Pre-War Legacy community and play online If you've been missing the Legacy of Brainstorm, Wasteland, Delver, Miracles, and Death & Taxes—without Modern Horizons or Universes Beyond—this format might be exactly what you've been looking for.What deck would you register first?#MTGLegacy #MagicTheGathering #PreWarLegacy #LegacyMTG #EternalFormats

The Legacy Format Before FIRE Design

What if Legacy had stopped evolving in 2019?This week we're joined by Gary, creator of Pre-War Legacy, a community-driven format that captures Legacy just before War of the Spark, FIRE Design, and the wave of Modern Horizons cards fundamentally changed the format. We discuss:Why War of the Spark became the cutoffThe impact of FIRE Design on LegacyWhy many players consider 2018–2019 Legacy its golden ageThe philosophy behind Pre-War LegacyMiracles, Death & Taxes, Delver, Dark Depths, and StormWhy deck specialists thrive in closed formatsBrewing opportunities in an 18,000-card card poolHow to join the growing Pre-War Legacy community and play online If you've been missing the Legacy of Brainstorm, Wasteland, Delver, Miracles, and Death & Taxes—without Modern Horizons or Universes Beyond—this format might be exactly what you've been looking for.What deck would you register first?#MTGLegacy #MagicTheGathering #PreWarLegacy #LegacyMTG #EternalFormats

Hermit Full English Breakfast Masterclass

Think Hermit Full English Breakfast is just another Survival of the Fittest deck?Think again.This week we're joined by Galen LeMay, one of the premier Hermit F.E.B. pilots in Premodern, fresh off a Top 8 finish at the North American Championships. Together we break down one of the most complicated—and rewarding—combo decks in the format.In this episode we cover:Why Hermit F.E.B. is so difficult to masterThe Survival of the Fittest engineVolrath's Shapeshifter combo linesHermit Druid explainedPhyrexian Devourer + Triskelion killsPsychatog and Akroma combat killsKarmic Guide tricksAnimate Dead interactionsBattlefield Scrounger technologyWhy Palinchron is more important than it looksSideboarding philosophyHow to approach learning the deckWhy this archetype rewards hundreds of games of practiceIf you've ever wanted to understand one of Premodern's deepest combo decks, this is the episode.00:00 Introduction00:50 Why Hermit F.E.B. Is So Difficult03:03 Why Play This Deck?07:37 What Does Hermit F.E.B. Actually Do?11:20 Phyrexian Devourer Explained14:30 Triskelion Combo Kill20:10 Hermit Druid Combo25:20 Psychatog & Akroma Kill28:45 Mana Creatures Matter More Than You Think30:35 Karmic Guide Combo Lines37:50 Animate Dead Technology45:15 Battlefield Scrounger Innovation49:20 Palinchron Explained53:30 Hidden Combo Lines55:40 Patreon Matchup Guide Preview58:40 Sideboarding Philosophy1:12:45 Replenish Matchup & Sideboarding1:18:58 Goblins Matchup & Sideboarding1:27:24 Elves Matchup & Sideboarding1:34:40 Stiflenought Matchup & Sideboarding1:41:07 Mono Black Control Matchup & Sideboarding1:48:31 Burn Matchup & Sideboarding1:58:18 Landstill Matchup & Sideboarding2:06:34 The Rock Matchup & Sideboarding2:12:55 Enchantress Matchup & Sideboarding2:18:42 Survival Matchup & Sideboarding2:26:01 Closing Thoughts & Final Sideboarding Philosophy