Common Sense Sorcery Podcast

Common Sense
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  • Updated Weekly

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

  1. 1h ago

    Sorcery's Next Set Is FINALLY Coming

    We finally have a window for Sorcery's next set. The new Frostmage vs. Lavemancer announcement gives us our first real look at what's coming—and it gives us a LOT to speculate about. Zac and Phil break down the new Frostmage and Lavemancer cards, including Frostmage, Shatter, Arya Wraith, White Death, and Lavemancer itself. We also look at the new packaging, the 60-card spellbooks, 30-card atlases, the number of new cards, and how the unique cards will be distributed. Then things get speculative. What do the other element combinations look like? Could we eventually see Steam, Smoke, Dust, or other dual-element avatars? What mechanics might those avatars care about? And could the new set actually breathe life into older cards by giving previously overlooked mechanics a new home? Phil also makes a bold prediction for the next avatar, while Zac predicts that Steam will finally get its own Omphalos. We also talk about: Frostmage's disabled mechanicLavemancer and rubbleArya Wraith's artifact destructionWhite Death's insane rangeThe future of dual-element avatarsWhat the new set means for the metagameWhy the delayed release might actually be good for SorceryDistribution and Q4 shipping concernsFoils and the Dustial Wars programWhat cards we desperately want in the next setAnd most importantly: Sorcery isn't going anywhere. The new set has a release window, there's more information coming, and there's still a ton of room left to explore in the current card pool.

  2. 1h ago

    Sorcery's Next Set Is FINALLY Coming

    We finally have a window for Sorcery's next set. The new Frostmage vs. Lavemancer announcement gives us our first real look at what's coming—and it gives us a LOT to speculate about. Zac and Phil break down the new Frostmage and Lavemancer cards, including Frostmage, Shatter, Arya Wraith, White Death, and Lavemancer itself. We also look at the new packaging, the 60-card spellbooks, 30-card atlases, the number of new cards, and how the unique cards will be distributed. Then things get speculative. What do the other element combinations look like? Could we eventually see Steam, Smoke, Dust, or other dual-element avatars? What mechanics might those avatars care about? And could the new set actually breathe life into older cards by giving previously overlooked mechanics a new home? Phil also makes a bold prediction for the next avatar, while Zac predicts that Steam will finally get its own Omphalos. We also talk about: Frostmage's disabled mechanicLavemancer and rubbleArya Wraith's artifact destructionWhite Death's insane rangeThe future of dual-element avatarsWhat the new set means for the metagameWhy the delayed release might actually be good for SorceryDistribution and Q4 shipping concernsFoils and the Dustial Wars programWhat cards we desperately want in the next setAnd most importantly: Sorcery isn't going anywhere. The new set has a release window, there's more information coming, and there's still a ton of room left to explore in the current card pool.

  3. 2d 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.

  4. 2d 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.

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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

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

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