Common Sense Sorcery Podcast

Afleveringen

1. Avatar of the Realm: The Deck to Beat Is Imposter

   4 november 2026 · 26 min

   Afspelen
   Avatar of the Realm is almost here, and the Sorcery: Contested Realm metagame is starting to take shape. Lees meer

   Zac and Phil break down the latest Sorcerer Summit metagame data, including Imposter's impressive 63.5% win rate, the rise of Avatar of Air and Abundance, and the decks putting up results ahead of the event.

   We also look at several recent tournament lists, including Imposter, Fire Necromancer, aggressive Witch, Archimago, and Earth-Air Seer. What are these decks doing, and what should you expect to face across the table?

   Then Zac walks through his preparation for Avatar of the Realm: building a battle box of top-performing decks, getting in practice games, and deciding whether to stick with his Enchantress list or make last-minute adjustments.

   In this episode:

   The current Sorcery metagame and the rise of Imposter

   Why Fire is dominating the tournament results

   The Earth strategies that can fight back

   A look at recent top-performing decklists

   Building a battle box to prepare for a major event

   Zac's Enchantress preparation and plans for Avatar of the Realm

   What to expect from the weekend's coverage and community meetups

   What are you expecting to see at Avatar of the Realm? Let us know in the comments!

   Support Common Sense and get access to exclusive Enchantress content through the Enchantress Patreon tier.

2. Avatar of the Realm: The Deck to Beat Is Imposter

   4 november 2026 · 26 min

   Afspelen
   Avatar of the Realm is almost here, and the Sorcery: Contested Realm metagame is starting to take shape. Lees meer

   Zac and Phil break down the latest Sorcerer Summit metagame data, including Imposter's impressive 63.5% win rate, the rise of Avatar of Air and Abundance, and the decks putting up results ahead of the event.

   We also look at several recent tournament lists, including Imposter, Fire Necromancer, aggressive Witch, Archimago, and Earth-Air Seer. What are these decks doing, and what should you expect to face across the table?

   Then Zac walks through his preparation for Avatar of the Realm: building a battle box of top-performing decks, getting in practice games, and deciding whether to stick with his Enchantress list or make last-minute adjustments.

   In this episode:

   The current Sorcery metagame and the rise of Imposter

   Why Fire is dominating the tournament results

   The Earth strategies that can fight back

   A look at recent top-performing decklists

   Building a battle box to prepare for a major event

   Zac's Enchantress preparation and plans for Avatar of the Realm

   What to expect from the weekend's coverage and community meetups

   What are you expecting to see at Avatar of the Realm? Let us know in the comments!

   Support Common Sense and get access to exclusive Enchantress content through the Enchantress Patreon tier.

3. SORCERY NEEDS A PRO TOUR

   29 oktober 2026 · 17 min

   Afspelen
   What should competitive Sorcery: Contested Realm look like in 2027? Lees meer

   Sorcery has a passionate community and enormous competitive potential. But if we want the competitive scene to grow, we need more than a handful of major tournament weekends. We need a connected ecosystem of local events, independent organizers, regional competition, and major tournaments that give players something to work toward throughout the year.

   In this episode, I'm laying out my vision for the future of competitive Sorcery—and the changes I'd love to see from Erik's Curiosa in 2027.

   My seven proposals for competitive Sorcery:

   More major events and independent organizers — Give experienced community organizers the tools, standards, and promotional support to run meaningful tournaments.

   Better prizing — Make the rewards reflect the scale and ambition of an event, especially when players are traveling and competing at the highest level.

   Quarterly cornerstone events — Give local game stores recurring competitive opportunities that help communities grow throughout the year.

   A real competitive circuit — Connect local tournaments, regional events, and major competitions through a shared calendar, consistent standards, and published results.

   The Solstice Series — Build a series of high-profile, Pro Tour-style events around Sorcery's unique release schedule, alongside Avatar of the Realm.

   Support for organizers — Make it easier to run events through documentation, templates, promotional resources, and connections between tournament organizers.

   Better competitive coverage — Publish more decklists, results, interviews, tournament reports, and event coverage so the whole community can follow the competitive scene.

   If I had to prioritize just three things, I'd start with quarterly cornerstone events, stronger support for independent organizers and regional competition, and a series of major, well-supported tournaments throughout the year.

   These are proposals, not announcements. Sorcery doesn'…

4. Play Sorcery Online Is Changing How We Play Sorcery

   13 oktober 2026 · 39 min

   Afspelen
   www.patreon.com/EternaldurdlesALKEM GEAR BAGS!https://www.alkemgear.com/?ref=qhbtohkfChannel Art Assets by: https://www.instagram.com/jonthetallone/ TCGPLAYER AFFILIATE LINK:https://partner.tcgplayer.com/OexAAnPlay Sorcery Online is quickly becoming a major hub for the Sorcery: Contested Realm community. But what makes it different from Tabletop Simulator, and why are so many players choosing it for their online games?In this episode of **Common Sense Sorcery**, I sit down with **Aadu, the creator of Play Sorcery Online**, for a guided tour of the platform. We explore the features that make it easier to play with friends, learn the game, review your matches, and understand the competitive metagame.We get hands-on with the interface, play a game, and explore some of the most exciting features—including game replays, card statistics, custom analytics, achievements, and Sorcerer Summit integration.### What we cover- How Play Sorcery Online started and why Aadu decided to build it- How it compares with Tabletop Simulator- Playing with friends, joining queues, and spectating live games- Replays that let you revisit decisions and explore alternative lines- Card data and win-rate analytics for understanding the metagame- Achievements, weekly bounties, and community-driven development- Why preserving the tabletop feel matters- What's next for online SorceryOne of the most exciting parts is the ability to revisit a game and examine individual decisions. For competitive players, that opens up new possibilities for testing decks, discussing difficult turns, and learning from matches.**Check out Play Sorcery Online and support Aadu's work:**- Play Sorcery Online: https://playsorceryonline.com/- Aadu's Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/playsorceryonline- PSO DISCORD: https://discord.gg/herpqN6njj- PSO YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@playsorceryonlineHave you tried Play Sorcery Online yet? Let us know what features you find most useful—and what you'd like to see added next!Subscribe to… Lees meer

5. Play Sorcery Online Is Changing How We Play Sorcery

   12 oktober 2026 · 39 min

   Afspelen
   www.patreon.com/EternaldurdlesALKEM GEAR BAGS!https://www.alkemgear.com/?ref=qhbtohkfChannel Art Assets by: https://www.instagram.com/jonthetallone/ TCGPLAYER AFFILIATE LINK:https://partner.tcgplayer.com/OexAAnPlay Sorcery Online is quickly becoming a major hub for the Sorcery: Contested Realm community. But what makes it different from Tabletop Simulator, and why are so many players choosing it for their online games?In this episode of **Common Sense Sorcery**, I sit down with **Aadu, the creator of Play Sorcery Online**, for a guided tour of the platform. We explore the features that make it easier to play with friends, learn the game, review your matches, and understand the competitive metagame.We get hands-on with the interface, play a game, and explore some of the most exciting features—including game replays, card statistics, custom analytics, achievements, and Sorcerer Summit integration.### What we cover- How Play Sorcery Online started and why Aadu decided to build it- How it compares with Tabletop Simulator- Playing with friends, joining queues, and spectating live games- Replays that let you revisit decisions and explore alternative lines- Card data and win-rate analytics for understanding the metagame- Achievements, weekly bounties, and community-driven development- Why preserving the tabletop feel matters- What's next for online SorceryOne of the most exciting parts is the ability to revisit a game and examine individual decisions. For competitive players, that opens up new possibilities for testing decks, discussing difficult turns, and learning from matches.**Check out Play Sorcery Online and support Aadu's work:**- Play Sorcery Online: https://playsorceryonline.com/- Aadu's Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/playsorceryonline- PSO DISCORD: https://discord.gg/herpqN6njj- PSO YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@playsorceryonlineHave you tried Play Sorcery Online yet? Let us know what features you find most useful—and what you'd like to see added next!Subscribe to… Lees meer

6. I Stayed Up Until 1AM Brewing This Magician Deck

   7 oktober 2026 · 43 min

   Afspelen
   Mock Court may have fundamentally changed how Sorcery: Contested Realm decks need to be built. Lees meer

   In this late-night brewing session, Force of Phil breaks down the evolution of his Immortal Throne Magician deck and explains why Mock Court represents a new kind of “universal guardrail” for deck construction.

   The previous version of Magician leaned heavily on Frog synergies, Sunken Treasure, Deep Sea Mermaids, Plague of Frogs, 13 Treasures of Britain and other engines that could generate enormous amounts of card advantage.

   But Mock Court changes the equation.

   If a single turn-one card can make your ordinary minions effectively unplayable, Phil argues that the answer isn't necessarily finding a way to beat Mock Court — it's building your deck so that Mock Court doesn't punish you in the first place.

   That leads to a completely different Magician build.

   This version moves away from the Frog package and toward Fire/Earth, with a dense collection of card-draw engines, Cores, Wiccan Tools, Philosopher's Stone, Searing Truth, Morgana Le Fay, Demonic Contract, Blood Mana, Poison Nova and the Immortal Throne combo.

   We also get deep into:

   Why Mock Court is a “universal guardrail”

   Why the Frog version of Magician struggles against it

   Searing Truth as the replacement for Sunken Treasure

   Wiccan Tools + Philosopher's Stone

   Demonic Contract and unique Demons

   Why Magician wants extremely dense card draw

   Managing the deck's inherent Site flood

   Immortal Throne scaling

   Kythera Mechanism + Chaos Wish

   How Fields of Kamlin and Mirage help against aggro

   Building the Collection for Demonic Contract

   Example opening hands and mulligan decisions

   Why adhering to Mock Court may actually make Magician a better deck

   This is still an early version of the list, but Phil is already seeing a lot to like.

   What do you think? Is Mock Court forcing Sorcery deckbuilding in a healthier direction, or is it simply shutting down too many strategies?

   00:00 Mock Court Changes Magician
   02:52 T…

7. Can Magician Survive Mock Court? | Sorcery Deck Tech

   6 oktober 2026 · 43 min

   Afspelen
   Mock Court may have fundamentally changed how Sorcery: Contested Realm decks need to be built. Lees meer

   In this late-night brewing session, Force of Phil breaks down the evolution of his Immortal Throne Magician deck and explains why Mock Court represents a new kind of “universal guardrail” for deck construction.

   The previous version of Magician leaned heavily on Frog synergies, Sunken Treasure, Deep Sea Mermaids, Plague of Frogs, 13 Treasures of Britain and other engines that could generate enormous amounts of card advantage.

   But Mock Court changes the equation.

   If a single turn-one card can make your ordinary minions effectively unplayable, Phil argues that the answer isn't necessarily finding a way to beat Mock Court — it's building your deck so that Mock Court doesn't punish you in the first place.

   That leads to a completely different Magician build.

   This version moves away from the Frog package and toward Fire/Earth, with a dense collection of card-draw engines, Cores, Wiccan Tools, Philosopher's Stone, Searing Truth, Morgana Le Fay, Demonic Contract, Blood Mana, Poison Nova and the Immortal Throne combo.

   We also get deep into:

   Why Mock Court is a “universal guardrail”

   Why the Frog version of Magician struggles against it

   Searing Truth as the replacement for Sunken Treasure

   Wiccan Tools + Philosopher's Stone

   Demonic Contract and unique Demons

   Why Magician wants extremely dense card draw

   Managing the deck's inherent Site flood

   Immortal Throne scaling

   Kythera Mechanism + Chaos Wish

   How Fields of Kamlin and Mirage help against aggro

   Building the Collection for Demonic Contract

   Example opening hands and mulligan decisions

   Why adhering to Mock Court may actually make Magician a better deck

   This is still an early version of the list, but Phil is already seeing a lot to like.

   What do you think? Is Mock Court forcing Sorcery deckbuilding in a healthier direction, or is it simply shutting down too many strategies?

   00:00 Mock Court Changes Magician
   02:52 T…

8. Why Every Sorcery Deck Has to Respect Mock Court

   21 september 2026 · 32 min

   Afspelen
   What exactly is a guardrail card, and what happens when one becomes universal? Lees meer

   In this Sorcery: Contested Realm theory episode, Zac and Phil break down the concept of guardrail cards and why they believe Mock Court may be the first true universal guardrail in Sorcery.

   The distinction is important.

   Cards like Garden of Eden and Mismanaged Mortuary act as specific guardrails. Garden of Eden forces Sorcerer players to account for its effect, while Mismanaged Mortuary can force Archimago and other graveyard-focused decks to adapt. But neither card affects the entire card pool.

   Mock Court is different.

   Because it costs zero mana and taxes ordinary minions, the argument is that every deck playing ordinary cards has to account for the possibility of an opponent opening on Mock Court. On the play, that can potentially disrupt the early turns where ordinary minions are designed to be deployed.

   And that leads to the bigger deckbuilding question:

   If a card exists that can punish an entire category of cards, should that category still be part of your deckbuilding equation?

   We also get into:

   What makes a card a universal vs. specific guardrail

   Why Court of Equity doesn't necessarily invalidate Elites and Uniques

   The relationship between card rarity and power level

   Why Ordinary cards may be uniquely vulnerable to taxation

   Turn economy and why early-game disruption matters

   Why removing Mock Court from the metagame could eventually bring Ordinaries back

   The idea of an oscillating metagame

   Why Overflowing Court may not provide a complete answer

   How Mock Court compares to cards like Tax Collector and Witch

   Whether the existence of Mock Court actually means players should stop playing Ordinaries altogether

   Phil's central argument is that Mock Court is fundamentally different from a card that simply answers a strategy: its existence potentially changes what is considered reasonable to put into every deck in the first place.

   Is that a problem? Or is this exactly wha…

9. Why Every Sorcery Deck Has to Respect Mock Court

   20 september 2026 · 32 min

   Afspelen
   What exactly is a guardrail card, and what happens when one becomes universal? Lees meer

   In this Sorcery: Contested Realm theory episode, Zac and Phil break down the concept of guardrail cards and why they believe Mock Court may be the first true universal guardrail in Sorcery.

   The distinction is important.

   Cards like Garden of Eden and Mismanaged Mortuary act as specific guardrails. Garden of Eden forces Sorcerer players to account for its effect, while Mismanaged Mortuary can force Archimago and other graveyard-focused decks to adapt. But neither card affects the entire card pool.

   Mock Court is different.

   Because it costs zero mana and taxes ordinary minions, the argument is that every deck playing ordinary cards has to account for the possibility of an opponent opening on Mock Court. On the play, that can potentially disrupt the early turns where ordinary minions are designed to be deployed.

   And that leads to the bigger deckbuilding question:

   If a card exists that can punish an entire category of cards, should that category still be part of your deckbuilding equation?

   We also get into:

   What makes a card a universal vs. specific guardrail

   Why Court of Equity doesn't necessarily invalidate Elites and Uniques

   The relationship between card rarity and power level

   Why Ordinary cards may be uniquely vulnerable to taxation

   Turn economy and why early-game disruption matters

   Why removing Mock Court from the metagame could eventually bring Ordinaries back

   The idea of an oscillating metagame

   Why Overflowing Court may not provide a complete answer

   How Mock Court compares to cards like Tax Collector and Witch

   Whether the existence of Mock Court actually means players should stop playing Ordinaries altogether

   Phil's central argument is that Mock Court is fundamentally different from a card that simply answers a strategy: its existence potentially changes what is considered reasonable to put into every deck in the first place.

   Is that a problem? Or is this exactly wha…

10. I Went 5-2 at Grand Contest Baltimore With Enchantress

    16 september 2026 · 25 min

    Afspelen
    I took Enchantress to Grand Contest Baltimore and finished 12th with a 5-2 record — and honestly, I think I left Top 8 on the table. Lees meer

    This is a full breakdown of my Enchantress list, my tournament run, the matchups I faced, and the two mistakes that ultimately cost me my final two losses.

    This is the same “Dankest Enchantress” list that won the Cornerstone about a month earlier, built around a resilient midrange Enchantress shell with cards like Acid Rain, Black Plague, Thunderstorm, Wildfire, Poison Nova, Abaddon Succubus, Coinxie, Fate Changeling, Order of the Sacred Torque, and Abundance.

    I'll walk through every round:

    Necromancer — surviving a blisteringly fast opening

    Wave Shaper — using Scatter and Riptide to fight the board

    Sorcerer — where one major board-state mistake cost me the game

    Imposter — another mistake involving Sphere of Animosity and Flame Collar

    Steam Sorcerer — a brutally close game where Garden of Eden saved me

    Flame Collar — another aggressive matchup that came down to the final turn

    Archimago — controlling the graveyard and eventually turning the corner

    The biggest lesson from the tournament wasn't that the deck needs a complete rebuild. It was that I need to play the deck better. I made two mistakes in my losses that I immediately knew I wanted to eliminate before Avatar of the Realm.

    I also talk about why I'm so high on this version of Enchantress, what I'd change going forward, and why I think a Top 8 is eventually coming.

    If you want to follow the Enchantress testing, theory, and tournament preparation, check out the Enchantress tier on Patreon.

    Can Enchantress make Top 8 at Avatar of the Realm?

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