Eternal Durdles

Peak Legacy is officially a paper format.

On August 16th, we held the first-ever paper Peak Legacy event, bringing together 10 players and 8 different archetypes for a tournament that was as much about exploring an old format as it was about competing.

The event was won by Grixis Control, featuring Baleful Strix, Gurmag Angler, Snapcaster Mage, Kolaghan's Command, and a pile of spicy one-ofs and unusual numbers.

We break down the decks that showed up, including Grixis Delver, Infect, Dark Maverick, Goblin Stompy, Lands, Death & Taxes, and Phil's Blue-White Miracles list.

But...

Peak Legacy is officially a paper format.

On August 16th, we held the first-ever paper Peak Legacy event, bringing together 10 players and 8 different archetypes for a tournament that was as much about exploring an old format as it was about competing.

The event was won by Grixis Control, featuring Baleful Strix, Gurmag Angler, Snapcaster Mage, Kolaghan's Command, and a pile of spicy one-ofs and unusual numbers.

We break down the decks that showed up, including Grixis Delver, Infect, Dark Maverick, Goblin Stompy, Lands, Death & Taxes, and Phil's Blue-White Miracles list.

But...

Bilbo has been showing up everywhere—but I think we may have found one of the most interesting homes for him yet.

Zac and Phil take a first look at Eight Emery, a new take on the classic Artifacts Blue / Affinity Stompy shell that uses Bilbo, Emery, and Loki, God of Mischief as a redundant set of powerful artifact engines.

The idea is simple: instead of relying on Thoughtcast and Thought Monitor to generate card advantage, the deck uses Bilbo and Loki alongside Emery to repeatedly recur artifacts, generate value, and grind through removal.

...

Bilbo has been showing up everywhere—but I think we may have found one of the most interesting homes for him yet.

Zac and Phil take a first look at Eight Emery, a new take on the classic Artifacts Blue / Affinity Stompy shell that uses Bilbo, Emery, and Loki, God of Mischief as a redundant set of powerful artifact engines.

The idea is simple: instead of relying on Thoughtcast and Thought Monitor to generate card advantage, the deck uses Bilbo and Loki alongside Emery to repeatedly recur artifacts, generate value, and grind through removal.

...

The Premodern Threat Levels are back, and this time we have three months of new data to dig through.

Zac and Phil revisit the cards they've been tracking across the format, using the Blackman threat metric to measure both how widely cards are played and how many copies appear in those decks. The new browser extension makes it easier than ever to snapshot the format and compare how these numbers change over time.

We look at Swords to Plowshares, Counterspell, Wasteland, Mishra's Factory, Mogg Fanatic, Phyrexian Dreadnought, Parallax Wave, Survival of the Fittest, Grim Lavamancer...

The Premodern Threat Levels are back, and this time we have three months of new data to dig through.

Zac and Phil revisit the cards they've been tracking across the format, using the Blackman threat metric to measure both how widely cards are played and how many copies appear in those decks. The new browser extension makes it easier than ever to snapshot the format and compare how these numbers change over time.

We look at Swords to Plowshares, Counterspell, Wasteland, Mishra's Factory, Mogg Fanatic, Phyrexian Dreadnought, Parallax Wave, Survival of the Fittest, Grim Lavamancer...

The Hobbits are coming to Magic, but how much are they actually going to change Legacy?

Zac and Phil go through the new Hobbits from Vetter Breath cards and find something surprisingly refreshing: there aren't that many cards worth talking about for Legacy.

We break down the eight cards that caught our attention, including Bilbo, Thief in the Night, The Great Goblin, Giant's Boulder, Thirandil, the Elven King, Inside Information, Bilbo's Gambit, Plunder the Trollshaws, and Riddles in the Dark.

Bilbo is the clear standout, looking like a powered-up version of a card...

The Hobbits are coming to Magic, but how much are they actually going to change Legacy?

Zac and Phil go through the new Hobbits from Vetter Breath cards and find something surprisingly refreshing: there aren't that many cards worth talking about for Legacy.

We break down the eight cards that caught our attention, including Bilbo, Thief in the Night, The Great Goblin, Giant's Boulder, Thirandil, the Elven King, Inside Information, Bilbo's Gambit, Plunder the Trollshaws, and Riddles in the Dark.

Bilbo is the clear standout, looking like a powered-up version of a card...

What happens when you take a Magic format from 10 years ago and attack it with everything we've learned since?

That's the experiment behind Peak, Classic, and the other locked formats we're exploring on Eternal Durdles.

Instead of simply copying old tournament lists, Zac and Phil discuss how modern deckbuilding theory can reveal cards, strategies, and entire archetypes that may have been overlooked when these formats were originally played.

Phil has been digging through old Miracles lists and finding cards like Unexpectedly Absent and Sylvan Library that seem dramatically underexplored. Zac is doing the...

What happens when you take a Magic format from 10 years ago and attack it with everything we've learned since?

That's the experiment behind Peak, Classic, and the other locked formats we're exploring on Eternal Durdles.

Instead of simply copying old tournament lists, Zac and Phil discuss how modern deckbuilding theory can reveal cards, strategies, and entire archetypes that may have been overlooked when these formats were originally played.

Phil has been digging through old Miracles lists and finding cards like Unexpectedly Absent and Sylvan Library that seem dramatically underexplored. Zac is doing the...

With the next Legacy Banned & Restricted announcement just days away, Zac and Phil dive into the latest Threat Level Report to see which cards are dominating the format—and which ones deserve a closer look.

Using Blackmans, our custom metric that combines play rate and copies per deck, we analyze the current Legacy metagame and discuss how cards like Tamiyo, Force of Will, Orcish Bowmasters, Urza's Saga, Flow State, Doomsday, Kozilek's Command, and Fantasticar have shifted over the past month.

Topics include:

With the next Legacy Banned & Restricted announcement just days away, Zac and Phil dive into the latest Threat Level Report to see which cards are dominating the format—and which ones deserve a closer look.

Using Blackmans, our custom metric that combines play rate and copies per deck, we analyze the current Legacy metagame and discuss how cards like Tamiyo, Force of Will, Orcish Bowmasters, Urza's Saga, Flow State, Doomsday, Kozilek's Command, and Fantasticar have shifted over the past month.

Topics include:

Could today's Legacy players build better decks than the pros of 2010?This week Drake returns to Eternal Durdles to explore one of the most fascinating Magic experiments we've ever discussed: Classic Legacy.We revisit the Legacy format as it existed before Delver of Secrets, before Modern Horizons, and before years of deck optimization changed how players approached Brainstorm, Counterbalance, Tarmogoyf, and Jace, the Mind Sculptor.Along the way we discuss:• How modern heuristics reshape old decklists• The forgotten rules that changed Legacy forever• CounterTop brewing• Death's Shadow in Classic Legacy• Why Tarmogoyf still dominates• Landstill vs Counterbalance• Dutch Stax• Reanimator packa...

Could today's Legacy players build better decks than the pros of 2010?This week Drake returns to Eternal Durdles to explore one of the most fascinating Magic experiments we've ever discussed: Classic Legacy.We revisit the Legacy format as it existed before Delver of Secrets, before Modern Horizons, and before years of deck optimization changed how players approached Brainstorm, Counterbalance, Tarmogoyf, and Jace, the Mind Sculptor.Along the way we discuss:• How modern heuristics reshape old decklists• The forgotten rules that changed Legacy forever• CounterTop brewing• Death's Shadow in Classic Legacy• Why Tarmogoyf still dominates• Landstill vs Counterbalance• Dutch Stax• Reanimator packa...

CLASSIC LEGACY DISCORDhttps://discord.gg/Yg7UMC86m Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Et ernalDurdlesUse our link for a free Month of Elite on TradeMagic.gghttps://trademagic.gg/eternaldurdlesBuilding decks for a new format doesn't have to mean spending hundreds of dollars.In this episode, Zac and Phil walk through how they're using TradeMagic.gg to turn unused cards into staples for Classic Legacy, Peak Legacy, and Premodern. From organizing collections and managing wants lists to trading for original printings and supporting emerging formats, this is a behind-the-scenes look at how they're building new decks without...

CLASSIC LEGACY DISCORDhttps://discord.gg/Yg7UMC86mSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Et ernalDurdlesUse our link for a free Month of Elite on TradeMagic.gghttps://trademagic.gg/eternaldurdlesBuilding decks for a new format doesn't have to mean spending hundreds of dollars.In this episode, Zac and Phil walk through how they're using TradeMagic.gg to turn unused cards into staples for Classic Legacy, Peak Legacy, and Premodern. From organizing collections and managing wants lists to trading for original printings and supporting emerging formats, this is a behind-the-scenes look at how they're building new decks without constantly...

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EternalDurdlesWe're diving into Classic Legacy—a snapshot of Legacy before Delver of Secrets, Griselbrand, and many of the cards that define the modern format.Instead of focusing on one deck, we're exploring the format itself: browsing old decklists, discussing what stands out, and asking one question over and over:"What could we build today?"We take a look at:Mono-Blue ControlAffinityCounterTop ThopterCanadian ThresholdBant MidrangeNew brewing ideas inspired by Death's Shadow and other archetypesAlong the way we discuss why Classic Legacy's flatter power level creates room for innovation and why it might be...

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EternalDurdlesWe're diving into Classic Legacy—a snapshot of Legacy before Delver of Secrets, Griselbrand, and many of the cards that define the modern format.Instead of focusing on one deck, we're exploring the format itself: browsing old decklists, discussing what stands out, and asking one question over and over:"What could we build today?"We take a look at:Mono-Blue ControlAffinityCounterTop ThopterCanadian ThresholdBant MidrangeNew brewing ideas inspired by Death's Shadow and other archetypesAlong the way we discuss why Classic Legacy's flatter power level creates room for innovation and why it might be...

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EternalDurdlesMarc joins Eternal Durdles for a deep dive into one of Premodern's most powerful—and complicated—strategies: Enchantress.But this isn't stock Enchantress.Marc's build cuts the traditional Opalescence / Parallax Wave / Replenish package and instead uses Oath of Druids as additional copies of Argothian Enchantress, alongside cards like Words of War, Abeyance, Wasteland, Gaea's Blessing, Decree of Justice, and more.We break down how the deck operates from its opening turns through the combo turn, why Marc wants zero four-mana cards in his maindeck, how to sequence Exploration correctly, and how to k...

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EternalDurdlesMarc joins Eternal Durdles for a deep dive into one of Premodern's most powerful—and complicated—strategies: Enchantress.But this isn't stock Enchantress.Marc's build cuts the traditional Opalescence / Parallax Wave / Replenish package and instead uses Oath of Druids as additional copies of Argothian Enchantress, alongside cards like Words of War, Abeyance, Wasteland, Gaea's Blessing, Decree of Justice, and more.We break down how the deck operates from its opening turns through the combo turn, why Marc wants zero four-mana cards in his maindeck, how to sequence Exploration correctly, and how to k...

What makes Legacy Miracles different from every other control deck?

This week we're joined by Force of Phil to dive into the history, philosophy, and evolution of one of Legacy's most iconic archetypes.

Phil explains how Miracles evolved from the Counterbalance/Top era into today's post-ban world, why Miracles is fundamentally about controlling libraries instead of just controlling the battlefield, and how elite control players think several turns ahead.

Along the way we discuss:

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EternalDurdlesDuressFest is coming—and it could become the biggest Premodern event ever.Www.duressfest.comZac and Phil break down the upcoming DuressFest Kickstarter, the plan for a massive Premodern National Championship, side events, and why supporting ambitious community-run tournaments like this matters for the future of the format.Could this be the closest we've come to bringing back the feeling of an old-school Magic Grand Prix? We think so.We also get into what we're considering playing at DuressFest, including Zac's Uzi / Zombie Infestation build, Squee, Intuition, Cabal Therapy, Deep Analysis, Ps...

What makes Legacy Miracles different from every other control deck?

This week we're joined by Force of Phil to dive into the history, philosophy, and evolution of one of Legacy's most iconic archetypes.

Phil explains how Miracles evolved from the Counterbalance/Top era into today's post-ban world, why Miracles is fundamentally about controlling libraries instead of just controlling the battlefield, and how elite control players think several turns ahead.

Along the way we discuss:

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EternalDurdlesDuressFest is coming—and it could become the biggest Premodern event ever.Www.duressfest.comZac and Phil break down the upcoming DuressFest Kickstarter, the plan for a massive Premodern National Championship, side events, and why supporting ambitious community-run tournaments like this matters for the future of the format.Could this be the closest we've come to bringing back the feeling of an old-school Magic Grand Prix? We think so.We also get into what we're considering playing at DuressFest, including Zac's Uzi / Zombie Infestation build, Squee, Intuition, Cabal Therapy, Deep Analysis, Ps...

With Order of the Sacred Torch just around the corner, Zac and Phil sit down to talk brewing, bizarre deck ideas, and one question that refuses to go away:

Can Phyrexian Portal actually win a tournament?

From there, the conversation evolves into a broader discussion about the future of Magic's alternative Eternal formats—including Heritage, Classic, Peak, Pre-War, and what the vision for Returnal Durdles could become. Along the way, they react to recent polls, discuss channel direction, and share their excitement for Magic's upcoming in-universe sets.

In this episode:

With Order of the Sacred Torch just around the corner, Zac and Phil sit down to talk brewing, bizarre deck ideas, and one question that refuses to go away:

Can Phyrexian Portal actually win a tournament?

From there, the conversation evolves into a broader discussion about the future of Magic's alternative Eternal formats—including Heritage, Classic, Peak, Pre-War, and what the vision for Returnal Durdles could become. Along the way, they react to recent polls, discuss channel direction, and share their excitement for Magic's upcoming in-universe sets.

In this episode:

This week, Zac sits down with legendary Magic illustrator Donato Giancola to discuss his remarkable career, from illustrating Thran Tome, Steel Golem, Chrome Mox, Mirari, and Shivan Dragon, to painting book covers for Mark Twain, Jules Verne, Lord of the Rings, and much more. Along the way, Donato shares stories about breaking into the industry, his creative process, the influence of comics and fantasy art, and why Magic has always been just one part of a much larger artistic journey.

We discuss:

This week, Zac sits down with legendary Magic illustrator Donato Giancola to discuss his remarkable career, from illustrating Thran Tome, Steel Golem, Chrome Mox, Mirari, and Shivan Dragon, to painting book covers for Mark Twain, Jules Verne, Lord of the Rings, and much more. Along the way, Donato shares stories about breaking into the industry, his creative process, the influence of comics and fantasy art, and why Magic has always been just one part of a much larger artistic journey.

We discuss:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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...

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...

What if you could go back to Legacy's golden age?

This week, Phil is joined by Drake Honus to explore Classic Legacy, a community-driven Eternal format spanning Alpha through Rise of the Eldrazi. By freezing the card pool before years of supplemental products and power creep, Classic Legacy captures an era many players still consider the pinnacle of competitive Magic.

In this episode we discuss:

What if you could go back to Legacy's golden age?

This week, Phil is joined by Drake Honus to explore Classic Legacy, a community-driven Eternal format spanning Alpha through Rise of the Eldrazi. By freezing the card pool before years of supplemental products and power creep, Classic Legacy captures an era many players still consider the pinnacle of competitive Magic.

In this episode we discuss:

What if Legacy only included cards that went through Standard?

This week, Zac is joined by Arkratos to explore Heritage, a community-driven Eternal format that preserves Legacy's foundation while excluding supplemental products like Modern Horizons and cards that never entered Standard. The result is a familiar—but dramatically different—format that continues to evolve with every in-universe Standard release.

In this episode we discuss:

What if Legacy only included cards that went through Standard?

This week, Zac is joined by Arkratos to explore Heritage, a community-driven Eternal format that preserves Legacy's foundation while excluding supplemental products like Modern Horizons and cards that never entered Standard. The result is a familiar—but dramatically different—format that continues to evolve with every in-universe Standard release.

In this episode we discuss:

What if Legacy simply... stopped in 2016?This week, Zac is joined by Steven Bush (SWB) to discuss Peak Legacy, a community-created format that captures Legacy at one specific moment in time—before Conspiracy: Take the Crown, before Modern Horizons, and before the massive power creep that has reshaped the format.Together we explore why players are gravitating toward "snapshot" formats and what makes Peak Legacy unique.We discuss:Why 2016 was chosen as the cutoffThe philosophy behind Peak LegacyBuilding a Legacy battle boxWhy cards like Tarmogoyf and Snapcaster Mage matteredThe appeal of slower, interactive gameplayDecks like Miracles, Shardless BUG, Grixis De...

What if Legacy simply... stopped in 2016?This week, Zac is joined by Steven Bush (SWB) to discuss Peak Legacy, a community-created format that captures Legacy at one specific moment in time—before Conspiracy: Take the Crown, before Modern Horizons, and before the massive power creep that has reshaped the format.Together we explore why players are gravitating toward "snapshot" formats and what makes Peak Legacy unique.We discuss:Why 2016 was chosen as the cutoffThe philosophy behind Peak LegacyBuilding a Legacy battle boxWhy cards like Tarmogoyf and Snapcaster Mage matteredThe appeal of slower, interactive gameplayDecks like Miracles, Shardless BUG, Grixis De...