Common Sense Sorcery Podcast

Common Sense
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Games
  • Updated Weekly

Zac and Phil explore Sorcery The Contested Realm in ways only they can.

  1. 1d ago

    I Defended My Cornerstone Title with Enchantress

    Zac is the Cornerstone Champion AGAIN. After winning Top Deck Cornerstone in 2025, Zac returned in 2026 with Enchantress and went 8-0, undefeated, taking the tournament down for a second consecutive year. In this episode, Zac and Phil break down what made the Enchantress build so successful—and, more importantly, the process behind the deck's construction and mulligan decisions. The biggest lesson wasn't necessarily a particular card. Zac heavily prioritized mulliganing for avatar-specific hate sites, using his knowledge of the opposing decks to effectively turn his best-of-one opening hands into something resembling post-sideboard games. Garden of Eden against Archimago, Mortuary against Archimago, Funeral Pyre against Death Speaker, and Ring of Morgan against Savior were all cards Zac actively looked for. We also dig into: Why Zac prioritized consistency over ceilingThe three-element Enchantress mana baseWhy Fire was the splash elementWildfire, Thunderstorm, Poison Nova and Major ExplosionWhy Angel's Egg got cutThe return of VampireWhy Whirling Blades was an absolute blowoutScatter's surprising powerWhy Death Dealer may be on the chopping blockGarden of Eden and the Atlas packageThe strengths and weaknesses of Enchantress positioningWhat's next for the deck with future sets on the horizonAnd yes... Matt made the finals again. Zac beat him again. The Sorcery rivalry continues.

  2. 1d ago

    I Defended My Cornerstone Title with Enchantress

    Zac is the Cornerstone Champion AGAIN. After winning Top Deck Cornerstone in 2025, Zac returned in 2026 with Enchantress and went 8-0, undefeated, taking the tournament down for a second consecutive year. In this episode, Zac and Phil break down what made the Enchantress build so successful—and, more importantly, the process behind the deck's construction and mulligan decisions. The biggest lesson wasn't necessarily a particular card. Zac heavily prioritized mulliganing for avatar-specific hate sites, using his knowledge of the opposing decks to effectively turn his best-of-one opening hands into something resembling post-sideboard games. Garden of Eden against Archimago, Mortuary against Archimago, Funeral Pyre against Death Speaker, and Ring of Morgan against Savior were all cards Zac actively looked for. We also dig into: Why Zac prioritized consistency over ceilingThe three-element Enchantress mana baseWhy Fire was the splash elementWildfire, Thunderstorm, Poison Nova and Major ExplosionWhy Angel's Egg got cutThe return of VampireWhy Whirling Blades was an absolute blowoutScatter's surprising powerWhy Death Dealer may be on the chopping blockGarden of Eden and the Atlas packageThe strengths and weaknesses of Enchantress positioningWhat's next for the deck with future sets on the horizonAnd yes... Matt made the finals again. Zac beat him again. The Sorcery rivalry continues.

  3. Aug 10

    The Best Sorcery Decks After Gen Con

    Gen Con is over, the results are in, and now we get to see what the post-Gen Con Sorcery: Contested Realm metagame actually looks like. Zac and Phil break down all 124 decks from Gen Con, starting with the distribution of the four elements before diving into the Top 8 decklists. What does the data tell us? Fire and Earth remain major foundations of the format, while Water and Air appear to be converting at higher rates than their overall representation would suggest. From there, we dig into the individual Top 8 decks — including Air, Imposter, Druid, Necromancer, Death Speaker and Sorcerer — and look for the patterns that could define the next tournament. Most importantly: how do we beat it? We also discuss Courts, landmass, aggressive midrange strategies, underplayed control decks, and the possibility of building something completely outside the current metagame. And yes, Zac still needs to figure out what he's replacing Lord of Lies with before defending his Cornerstone title. 00:00 — Zac Is Defending His Championship01:27 — Breaking Down All 124 Gen Con Decks02:40 — Is Sorcery's Element Spread Healthy?04:08 — Which Elements Actually Convert?05:05 — Why Is Fire Underperforming?05:40 — The Impact of Courts07:27 — Are Courts Changing How We Build Decks?09:21 — Compressing Your Curve09:29 — More Gen Con Element Data11:43 — Let's Look at the Top 812:36 — Avatar of Air14:45 — Goatless Imposter16:28 — Druid Takes Over18:03 — The Other Druid List19:03 — Mono-Fire Necromancer20:21 — Death Speaker: Sorcery Jund22:35 — Mono-Earth Sorcerer24:20 — The Landmass Strategy24:48 — Steam Imposter27:21 — Is the Sorcery Meta Stale?28:47 — Where Is Archimago?29:29 — The Seven-Court Control Deck30:06 — "I've Been Taking the Court"30:33 — Building Basketball in the Realm31:22 — How Do We Beat This Meta?32:00 — Come Play Peak!33:16 — Locked Formats Beyond Nostalgia33:59 — Welcome to a New Magic

  4. Aug 10

    The Best Sorcery Decks After Gen Con

    Gen Con is over, the results are in, and now we get to see what the post-Gen Con Sorcery: Contested Realm metagame actually looks like. Zac and Phil break down all 124 decks from Gen Con, starting with the distribution of the four elements before diving into the Top 8 decklists. What does the data tell us? Fire and Earth remain major foundations of the format, while Water and Air appear to be converting at higher rates than their overall representation would suggest. From there, we dig into the individual Top 8 decks — including Air, Imposter, Druid, Necromancer, Death Speaker and Sorcerer — and look for the patterns that could define the next tournament. Most importantly: how do we beat it? We also discuss Courts, landmass, aggressive midrange strategies, underplayed control decks, and the possibility of building something completely outside the current metagame. And yes, Zac still needs to figure out what he's replacing Lord of Lies with before defending his Cornerstone title. 00:00 — Zac Is Defending His Championship01:27 — Breaking Down All 124 Gen Con Decks02:40 — Is Sorcery's Element Spread Healthy?04:08 — Which Elements Actually Convert?05:05 — Why Is Fire Underperforming?05:40 — The Impact of Courts07:27 — Are Courts Changing How We Build Decks?09:21 — Compressing Your Curve09:29 — More Gen Con Element Data11:43 — Let's Look at the Top 812:36 — Avatar of Air14:45 — Goatless Imposter16:28 — Druid Takes Over18:03 — The Other Druid List19:03 — Mono-Fire Necromancer20:21 — Death Speaker: Sorcery Jund22:35 — Mono-Earth Sorcerer24:20 — The Landmass Strategy24:48 — Steam Imposter27:21 — Is the Sorcery Meta Stale?28:47 — Where Is Archimago?29:29 — The Seven-Court Control Deck30:06 — "I've Been Taking the Court"30:33 — Building Basketball in the Realm31:22 — How Do We Beat This Meta?32:00 — Come Play Peak!33:16 — Locked Formats Beyond Nostalgia33:59 — Welcome to a New Magic

  5. Aug 6

    Will Sorcery's Next Set Be Revealed Soon?

    Is Sorcery's next expansion closer than everyone thinks? Zac and Phil dive into the recent doom and gloom surrounding Sorcery: Contested Realm's release schedule and explain why they believe another set is still coming this year. From Eric's Curiosa's distribution strategy to speculation about possible themes, the conversation quickly evolves into a live design session where they create entirely new avatars, sites, uniques, and mechanics inspired by Greek mythology, Conan, John Carter of Mars, and classic fantasy. Topics include: Why we're confident another Sorcery set is comingSpace Fantasy vs. Greek MythologyDesigning new AvatarsAlternate win conditionsMonument and Relic synergiesPublic domain fantasy inspirationsConan recommendationsCommunity card design ideasWhat's your dream Sorcery expansion? 00:00 Is Another Sorcery Set Coming?02:00 Why Eric's Curiosa Is Staying Quiet03:20 Predicting the Next Set Theme05:15 Designing Odysseus08:15 John Carter of Mars Design10:35 Avatar Design Brainstorm17:15 The Coliseum & Gladiator Mechanics23:40 New Avatar Design Space29:00 Public Domain Fantasy in Sorcery31:00 Conan Recommendations33:00 Design Your Own Avatar! Timestamps

  6. Aug 6

    Will Sorcery's Next Set Be Revealed Soon?

    Is Sorcery's next expansion closer than everyone thinks? Zac and Phil dive into the recent doom and gloom surrounding Sorcery: Contested Realm's release schedule and explain why they believe another set is still coming this year. From Eric's Curiosa's distribution strategy to speculation about possible themes, the conversation quickly evolves into a live design session where they create entirely new avatars, sites, uniques, and mechanics inspired by Greek mythology, Conan, John Carter of Mars, and classic fantasy. Topics include: Why we're confident another Sorcery set is comingSpace Fantasy vs. Greek MythologyDesigning new AvatarsAlternate win conditionsMonument and Relic synergiesPublic domain fantasy inspirationsConan recommendationsCommunity card design ideasWhat's your dream Sorcery expansion? 00:00 Is Another Sorcery Set Coming?02:00 Why Eric's Curiosa Is Staying Quiet03:20 Predicting the Next Set Theme05:15 Designing Odysseus08:15 John Carter of Mars Design10:35 Avatar Design Brainstorm17:15 The Coliseum & Gladiator Mechanics23:40 New Avatar Design Space29:00 Public Domain Fantasy in Sorcery31:00 Conan Recommendations33:00 Design Your Own Avatar! Timestamps

  7. Jul 24

    Enchantress 101: Card Quality Over Card Advantage

    Welcome to Enchantress 101, the first installment of the Enchantress Masterclass. In this episode, we're starting with the fundamentals: how you should think about the Enchantress avatar, why card quality matters more than card advantage, and what each element currently offers the archetype. We break down the available auras across Air, Water, Fire, and Earth, including the cards I consider essential, situational options, and cards I wouldn't currently recommend. We also dig into important interactions involving Thunderstorm, Wildfire, Atlantean Fate, Abundance, Silence, Black Plague, and more. Most importantly, this isn't just about building a decklist. The goal of this series is to understand why Enchantress works, how to maximize the value of every aura, and how to make better decisions during games. Have an Enchantress question you'd like covered in a future Masterclass? Drop it in the comments! #SorceryTCG #SorceryContestedRealm #Enchantress #Masterclass 00:00 Enchantress 101: The Fundamentals00:44 How the Enchantress Ability Works01:15 Card Quality vs. Card Advantage02:15 Why You Need a Critical Mass of Auras03:27 What Each Element Offers 03:55 Thunderstorm — The Reason to Play Air05:12 Getting Maximum Value from Thunderstorm06:10 Black Plague07:34 Sphere of Animosity08:52 Wall of Air & Other Options 09:21 Abundance — Your Card Advantage Engine11:26 Acid Rain12:20 Atlantean Fate — The Best Aura?13:51 Silence & Advanced Aura Tricks 15:48 Drought & Threshold Denial16:25 Wildfire — Enchantress's Damage Engine18:15 Maximizing Wildfire Damage18:48 Scorched Earth19:20 Great Famine19:42 Invasion21:07 Why Fire Could Become Enchantress's Future21:30 Auras You Shouldn't Play 22:30 Entangled Terrain23:10 Earth Aura Options23:34 Mortal Soil 24:05 Choosing Your Elements24:40 Damage Auras vs. Utility Auras25:10 What's Next in the Enchantress Masterclass25:54 WILDFIRE TimestampsAir AurasWater AurasFire AurasEarth Auras

  8. Jul 17

    Can Sorcery PLEASE Fix Competitive Play?

    Fresh off another Top 8 finish, Zac shares his thoughts on the current state of competitive Sorcery. This week's episode starts with a tournament recap before diving into a bigger conversation about organized play, prize support, player incentives, and what Erik's Curiosa can do to help competitive events continue to grow. We also take a first look at the newly revealed Court sites and discuss what they could mean for the future of the game. We discuss: My latest Top 8 tournament runWhy competitive Sorcery needs stronger supportGrowing pains for Erik's CuriosaPrize support and Grand Contest attendanceIdeas for improving organized playThe new Court sites revealed in the Dust StoreHow Court cards could reshape deckbuildingTheories on the setting of the next expansionEnchantress updates and Patreon news What would you like to see from the future of Sorcery organized play? #SorceryTCG #SorceryContestedRealm #GrandContest #TCG #OrganizedPlay 00:00 Another Top 8 Finish!00:39 Tournament Deck Changes01:24 The State of Competitive Sorcery03:45 Why Players Aren't Traveling05:13 Improving Organized Play07:31 Prize Support Ideas08:51 Rainbow Foils & Avatar Rewards09:20 Could the Dust Shop Help?12:15 Growing Pains for Erik's Curiosa13:52 Phil's Pittsburgh Travel Disaster15:44 New Quartz (Court) Sites Revealed18:35 Return to Nature Control Discussion21:03 Mobbed Court Breakdown23:18 Court of Equity Analysis25:52 Overflowing Court Explained29:52 Mock Court & Tax Effects32:58 The Next Set's Theme?33:54 Enchantress Patreon Update34:38 Write for Eternal Durdles35:02 Closing Thoughts Timestamps

See All (109)

About

Zac and Phil explore Sorcery The Contested Realm in ways only they can.

Information