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Overthinking MTG

Overthinking MTG

By HamHocks42

Overthinking MTG is a podcast where our host, HamHocks42, takes a look at a random card from Magic: the Gathering and talks about it for at least 10 minutes. Often, he ends up yammering about whatever's on the top of his mind that the card reminds him of he ends up sharing his thoughts on recent news related to Commander, Magic: the Gathering Arena, Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or humorous anecdotes from his kitchen table jank days.

If you want to chat with Graham and any other , you can absolutely join the conversation or request specific cards over on Discord: discord.gg/yefBNBu
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238 The Serialized One-of One Ring

Overthinking MTGMar 18, 2023

00:00
14:14
264 The Forces of Evil in The Lord of the Rings

264 The Forces of Evil in The Lord of the Rings

Lord of the Rings is a classic tale of good versus evil and, as a result, has to show off a lot of evil characters and forces. Naturally, those are going to make their way onto cardboard in the Magic: the Gathering set Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth. In this edition of The Overthinking MTG Podcast, HamHocks42 discusses some of the standout forces of evil and what kinds of decks you might want to leverage them in. All the Socials: https://linktr.ee/hamhocks42 Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/hamhocks42 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hamhocks42 MagicJank: https://www.magicjank.com#MTGxLotR #mtg #mtgspoilers Overthinking MTG is a podcast where our host, HamHocks42, takes a look at a random card from Magic: the Gathering and talks about it for a while. Often, though, he ends up yammering about whatever's on the top of his mind that the card reminds him of and a half hours passes and it turns out all he's done is share his thoughts on recent news related to Commander, Magic: the Gathering Arena, Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or humorous anecdotes from his kitchen table jank days.

Jun 05, 202330:57
263 Saruman of Many Colors

263 Saruman of Many Colors

Saruman of Many Colors is a card in the upcoming Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth Magic: the Gathering set. The card represents Saruman, one of the series' iconic villains as an Esper creature capable of stealing spells from your opponents' graveyards. The wording on the card itself is confusing, though, so HamHocks42 is here to break down how the triggers operate to, hopefully, clear up any concerns you have at your gaming tables. All the Socials: https://linktr.ee/hamhocks42 Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/hamhocks42 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hamhocks42 MagicJank: https://www.magicjank.com Overthinking MTG is a podcast where our host, HamHocks42, takes a look at a random card from Magic: the Gathering and talks about it for a while. Often, though, he ends up yammering about whatever's on the top of his mind that the card reminds him of and a half hours passes and it turns out all he's done is share his thoughts on recent news related to Commander, Magic: the Gathering Arena, Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or humorous anecdotes from his kitchen table jank days.

Jun 01, 202312:03
262 The Fellowship of the Ring

262 The Fellowship of the Ring

Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth will be arriving for Magic: the Gathering Arena and in physical paper soon and, as such, Wizards of the Coast have begun spoiler season in earnest. The set looks incredible, and on today's episode of Overthinking MTG, we kick off our spoiler round-ups with a look at the nine cards representing the characters who make up the fellowship of the ring. Some characters, such as Frodo and Gandalf, do have multiple versions, but we're going to be looking at the rare or mythic in the main Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth set for this show. All the Socials: https://linktr.ee/hamhocks42 Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/hamhocks42 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hamhocks42 MagicJank: https://www.magicjank.com

May 31, 202340:26
261 Standard Ban Speculations

261 Standard Ban Speculations

There has been a lot of hullabaloo around the upcoming Standard Banned and Restricted Announcement scheduled for May 29th, 2023. With the knowledge that there won't be a Standard rotation coming up this Fall, Standard players everywhere (especially MTG Arena grinders) anxiously await the news of what will be banned.


Additionally, there was an alleged leak of the ban announcement that claimed to have been pulled off the Wizards of the Coast website that had been written up to look like the official ban announcement. Wizards of the Coast addressed the "leak" and stated it was a fake and not to be trusted. Fake or no, the list has caused a lot of stir in the Magic: the Gathering community, so HamHocks42 took this chance to weigh in on which cards you might expect to see get the hammer come Monday.


00:00 Intro + Video Premise

01:40 Reckoner Bankbuster

05:40 Fable of the Mirror Breaker

10:26 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse

15:16 Invoke Despair

18:50 Atraxa, Grand Unifier

21:28 Wedding Announcement

25:22 Farewell

29:12 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben

32:41 Raffine, Scheming Seer


All the Socials: https://linktr.ee/hamhocks42

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/hamhocks42

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hamhocks42

MagicJank: https://www.magicjank.com


Overthinking MTG is a podcast where our host, HamHocks42, takes a look at a random card from Magic: the Gathering and talks about it for a while. Often, though, he ends up yammering about whatever's on the top of his mind that the card reminds him of and a half hours passes and it turns out all he's done is share his thoughts on recent news related to Commander, Magic: the Gathering Arena, Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or humorous anecdotes from his kitchen table jank days.


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May 25, 202337:21
260 Spin Into Myth (and the Fateseal Mechanic)

260 Spin Into Myth (and the Fateseal Mechanic)

Spin into Myth and Mesmeric Sliver contain a keyword ability called "Fateseal," and they're the only cards in all of Magic: the Gathering that do. Why would a keyword be given to this ability released in Future Sight in 2007 and never be used again? Also, can we expect to see Fateseal in any future Magic: the Gathering sets or is the keyword truly abandoned? Spoiler warning: don't hold your breath. All the Socials: https://linktr.ee/hamhocks42 Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/hamhocks42 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hamhocks42 MagicJank: https://www.magicjank.com Overthinking MTG is a podcast where our host, HamHocks42, takes a look at a random card from Magic: the Gathering and talks about it for a while. Often, though, he ends up yammering about whatever's on the top of his mind that the card reminds him of and a half hours passes and it turns out all he's done is share his thoughts on recent news related to Commander, Magic: the Gathering Arena, Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or humorous anecdotes from his kitchen table jank days. ----- spin into myth,mesmeric sliver,fateseal,mtg fateseal,mtg keyword,mtg future sight,future sight,magic the gathering future sight,magic the gathering fateseal,overthinking mtg,magic: the gathering,magic the gathering,mtg,hamhocks42,mtg spin into myth,mtg mesmeric sliver,mtg podcast,magic podcast,mtg control,mtg commander,mtg legacy,magic commander,edh,mtg edh,elder dragon highlander,trading card game

May 20, 202312:57
259 Deadbeat Attendant

259 Deadbeat Attendant

HamHocks42 breaks down how attractions work, why they're good in older formats like Legacy and provides some unedited thoughts on why they exist within the greater context of Magic: the Gathering. All delivered in the standard Overthinking MTG style with a single card at the forefront: Deadbeat Attendant. All the Socials: https://linktr.ee/hamhocks42 Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/hamhocks42 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hamhocks42 MagicJank: https://www.magicjank.com Overthinking MTG is a podcast where our host, HamHocks42, takes a look at a random card from Magic: the Gathering and talks about it for a while. Often, though, he ends up yammering about whatever's on the top of his mind that the card reminds him of and a half hours passes and it turns out all he's done is share his thoughts on recent news related to Commander, Magic: the Gathering Arena, Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or humorous anecdotes from his kitchen table jank days. ----- Deadbeat attendant,mtg deadbeat attendant,hamhocks42,magic: the gathering,magic the gathering,mtg,mtg unfinity,mtg unfinity attractions,mtg attractions,magic attractions,legacy attractions,commander attractions,attractions,magic legacy,magic commander,mtg legacy,mtg commander,mtg edh,overthinking mtg,overthinking podcast,overthinking mtg podcast,tolarian community college,sbmtg,strictly better mtg

May 19, 202314:27
258 Erebos, Bleak-Hearted

258 Erebos, Bleak-Hearted

Let's look back at Theros Beyond Death to ask the question: Was Erebos, Bleak-Hearted any good? The card read like it should have a home in aristocrat style strategies, but never saw meaningful play outside of Commander and even there it's not known as a format staple. All the Socials: https://linktr.ee/hamhocks42 Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/hamhocks42 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hamhocks42 MagicJank: https://www.magicjank.com Overthinking MTG is a podcast where our host, HamHocks42, takes a look at a random card from Magic: the Gathering and talks about it for a while. Often, though, he ends up yammering about whatever's on the top of his mind that the card reminds him of and a half hours passes and it turns out all he's done is share his thoughts on recent news related to Commander, Magic: the Gathering Arena, Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or humorous anecdotes from his kitchen table jank days. ----- magic the gathering,magic: the gathering,erebos,erebos bleak-hearted,erebos bleak hearted,erebos bleak,mtg theros,theros god,theros gods,mtg theros erebos,mtg theros beyond death,theros beyond death,overthinking mtg,overthinking magic,over thinking mtg,hamhocks42,magic podcast,mtg podcast,magic the gathering podcast,magic: the gathering podcast,mtg commander,magic commander,mtg edh,edh podcast,commander podcast,tolarian community college,sbmtg

May 13, 202314:00
257 Spark Rupture

257 Spark Rupture

Are you sick of dealing with planeswalkers? Well, I have a deal for you! Spark Rupture from March of the Machine: Aftermath shuts down planeswalker abilities and transforms them into vanilla creatures. Granted, those vanilla creatures could still kill you, but they won't do it with loyalty ability activations, so that's nice. I think it's cool tech, personally. All the Socials: https://linktr.ee/hamhocks42 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hamhocks42 MagicJank: https://www.magicjank.com Overthinking MTG is a podcast where our host, HamHocks42, takes a look at a random card from Magic: the Gathering and talks about it for a while. Often, though, he ends up yammering about whatever's on the top of his mind that the card reminds him of and a half hours passes and it turns out all he's done is share his thoughts on recent news related to Commander, Magic: the Gathering Arena, Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or humorous anecdotes from his kitchen table jank days.

May 06, 202311:54
256 Nashi, Moon's Legacy

256 Nashi, Moon's Legacy

Nashi, Moon's Legacy is a new card in March of the Machine: Aftermath that shows everybody's favorite adopted rat ninja growing into the scholar his mother apparently wished he could be. Additionally, he's added two new colors to become Sultai and support rat cards as well as legendary spells in the graveyard. For three mana, the card looks powerful in decks that can take advantage of the effect. All the Socials: https://linktr.ee/hamhocks42 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hamhocks42 MagicJank: https://www.magicjank.com Overthinking MTG is a podcast where our host, HamHocks42, takes a look at a random card from Magic: the Gathering and talks about it for a while. Often, though, he ends up yammering about whatever's on the top of his mind that the card reminds him of and a half hours passes and it turns out all he's done is share his thoughts on recent news related to Commander, Magic: the Gathering Arena, Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or humorous anecdotes from his kitchen table jank days.

May 05, 202313:08
255 Urborg Scavengers

255 Urborg Scavengers

Urborg Scavengers are an awesome three-drop that hates on graveyards and also has the potential to take control of the game by becoming the strongest body on the board after a few attacks. All the Socials: https://linktr.ee/hamhocks42 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hamhocks42 MagicJank: https://www.magicjank.com Overthinking MTG is a podcast where our host, HamHocks42, takes a look at a random card from Magic: the Gathering and talks about it for a while. Often, though, he ends up yammering about whatever's on the top of his mind that the card reminds him of and a half hours passes and it turns out all he's done is share his thoughts on recent news related to Commander, Magic: the Gathering Arena, Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or humorous anecdotes from his kitchen table jank days.

May 04, 202310:44
254 Deification

254 Deification

March of the Machine: Aftermath brings a lot of interesting interaction pieces with planeswalkers and today's card - Deification - provides protection to a planeswalker of a single type. Building fun decks in Commander or other casual formats themed around a single planeswalker character was already a fun thing, now you can boost them in a cool way with this card. HamHocks42 Links: All the Socials: https://linktr.ee/hamhocks42 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hamhocks42 MagicJank: https://www.magicjank.com Overthinking MTG is a podcast where our host, HamHocks42, takes a look at a random card from Magic: the Gathering and talks about it for a while. Often, though, he ends up yammering about whatever's on the top of his mind that the card reminds him of and a half hours passes and it turns out all he's done is share his thoughts on recent news related to Commander, Magic: the Gathering Arena, Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or humorous anecdotes from his kitchen table jank days.

May 04, 202310:07
253 Grand Abolisher (Secret Lair)

253 Grand Abolisher (Secret Lair)

The newest Secret Lair from Wizards of the Coast includes artwork that is a transparent homage to The Stormlight Archive, a New York Times bestselling fantasy novel series by the author Brandon Sanderson. HamHocks42 discusses this connection and the potential legal issue it presents as it relates to how the money from this product flows. Listen to Children of the Nameless: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1tQ4KJFJxA Brandon Sanderson's Game Knights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3dbficwd3w Brandon Sanderson's Official Homepage: https://www.brandonsanderson.com/ HamHocks42 Links: All the Socials: https://linktr.ee/hamhocks42 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hamhocks42 MagicJank: https://www.magicjank.com Overthinking MTG is a podcast where our host, HamHocks42, takes a look at a random card from Magic: the Gathering and talks about it for a while. Often, though, he ends up yammering about whatever's on the top of his mind that the card reminds him of and a half hours passes and it turns out all he's done is share his thoughts on recent news related to Commander, Magic: the Gathering Arena, Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or humorous anecdotes from his kitchen table jank days.

Apr 26, 202310:33
252 Each Color's Best Battle

252 Each Color's Best Battle

Magic: the Gathering's new card type has been out for almost a week now, so let's take a look at the examples of great battles in each color. There were a lot to choose from and a ton of great options from among the 36, but I whittled it down to one per color, plus one multicolor. Please note, this list represents my favorites and not the objectively best for your specific deck. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hamhocks42 MagicJank: https://www.magicjank.com All the Socials: https://linktr.ee/hamhocks42 Overthinking MTG is a podcast where our host, HamHocks42, takes a look at a random card from Magic: the Gathering and talks about it for a while. Often, though, he ends up yammering about whatever's on the top of his mind that the card reminds him of and a half hours passes and it turns out all he's done is share his thoughts on recent news related to Commander, Magic: the Gathering Arena, Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or humorous anecdotes from his kitchen table jank days.

Apr 24, 202329:21
251 See Double

251 See Double

Power creep is resulting in a ton of older cards being rendered obsolete and I fear the subject of today's video is taking the Alpha classic Clone and truly putting it to bed once and for all. To be fair, Clone hasn't been relevant outside of casual EDH for a long time with variants being printing in many recent sets, but this one is going to go down in history as the best one yet. See Double is instant speed, it can copy spells, and it has an entwine mode that can give you both effects at once. Blowout potential is very high with this card, like many other cards in March of the Machine. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hamhocks42 MagicJank: https://www.magicjank.com All the Socials: https://linktr.ee/hamhocks42 Overthinking MTG is a podcast where our host, HamHocks42, takes a look at a random card from Magic: the Gathering and talks about it for a while. Often, though, he ends up yammering about whatever's on the top of his mind that the card reminds him of and a half hours passes and it turns out all he's done is share his thoughts on recent news related to Commander, Magic: the Gathering Arena, Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or humorous anecdotes from his kitchen table jank days.

Apr 14, 202310:47
250 Rona, Herald of Invasion

250 Rona, Herald of Invasion

Rona, Herald of Invasion looks like an incredibly powerful adaptation of Merfolk Looter with some absolutely incredible upside that can allow you to potentially free cast your entire hand. Honestly, if you get Rona, Tolarian Obliterator onto the field, you will have a very significant advantage. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hamhocks42 MagicJank: https://www.magicjank.com All the Socials: https://linktr.ee/hamhocks42 Overthinking MTG is a podcast where our host, HamHocks42, takes a look at a random card from Magic: the Gathering and talks about it for a while. Often, though, he ends up yammering about whatever's on the top of his mind that the card reminds him of and a half hours passes and it turns out all he's done is share his thoughts on recent news related to Commander, Magic: the Gathering Arena, Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or humorous anecdotes from his kitchen table jank days.

Apr 12, 202312:05
249 Playable Commons in March of the Machine

249 Playable Commons in March of the Machine

Just because a card is a common doesn't mean it's bad. In today's episode, we look at many commons from March of the Machine (MTGMOM) that could be good enough to see play in Standard and Commander in addition to being potential standouts in limited. In addition to brand new designs, we also see modifications to existing designs and some flat-out reprints given different names meaning you can now have redundancy in your Commander decks. Frankly, a lot of the lower rarity cards from March of the Machine look to be pretty darn good. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hamhocks42 MagicJank: https://www.magicjank.com All the Socials: https://linktr.ee/hamhocks42 Overthinking MTG is a podcast where our host, HamHocks42, takes a look at a random card from Magic: the Gathering and talks about it for a while. Often, though, he ends up yammering about whatever's on the top of his mind that the card reminds him of and a half hours passes and it turns out all he's done is share his thoughts on recent news related to Commander, Magic: the Gathering Arena, Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or humorous anecdotes from his kitchen table jank days.

Apr 09, 202323:19
248 Elesh Norn

248 Elesh Norn

The grand cenobite mother of machines is back in March of the Machine. And frankly, of course she is. She's the primary antagonist and the reason this whole war is happening, so naturally she'd see a new iteration here. In the story, she's also brutally murdered, so presumably this will be the last time we see the character; although you can never tell these days. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hamhocks42 MagicJank: https://www.magicjank.com All the Socials: https://linktr.ee/hamhocks42 Overthinking MTG is a podcast where our host, HamHocks42, takes a look at a random card from Magic: the Gathering and talks about it for a while. Often, though, he ends up yammering about whatever's on the top of his mind that the card reminds him of and a half hours passes and it turns out all he's done is share his thoughts on recent news related to Commander, Magic: the Gathering Arena, Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or humorous anecdotes from his kitchen table jank days.

Apr 06, 202313:05
247 Etali Primal Conqueror

247 Etali Primal Conqueror

Etali, Primal Conqueror // Etali, Primal Sickness is a seven drop in Magic: the Gathering that provides truly nuts top end stopping power. There are going to be some amazing and just truly busted turns after MTGMOM drops when the new Etali hits the battlefield and pops off like crazy. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hamhocks42 MagicJank: https://www.magicjank.com All the Socials: https://linktr.ee/hamhocks42 Overthinking MTG is a podcast where our host, HamHocks42, takes a look at a random card from Magic: the Gathering and talks about it for a while. Often, though, he ends up yammering about whatever's on the top of his mind that the card reminds him of and a half hours passes and it turns out all he's done is share his thoughts on recent news related to Commander, Magic: the Gathering Arena, Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or humorous anecdotes from his kitchen table jank days.

Apr 03, 202310:43
246 Kogla and Yidaro

246 Kogla and Yidaro

Kogla and Yidaro - Magic: the Gathering's stand-ins for King Kong and Godzilla from Ikoria - have joined forces in March of the Machine to beat down phyrexians with the power of their sheer awesomeness. The card does a good job of blending the mechanical identity of Yidaro, Wandering Monster and Kogla, the Titan Ape.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hamhocks42

MagicJank: https://www.magicjank.com

All the Socials: https://linktr.ee/hamhocks42

Overthinking MTG is a podcast where our host, HamHocks42, takes a look at a random card from Magic: the Gathering and talks about it for a while. Often, though, he ends up yammering about whatever's on the top of his mind that the card reminds him of and a half hours passes and it turns out all he's done is share his thoughts on recent news related to Commander, Magic: the Gathering Arena, Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or humorous anecdotes from his kitchen table jank days.

Apr 02, 202309:55
245 Invasion of Segovia

245 Invasion of Segovia

A new battle on an old plane is underway. The plane in question is Segovia, a plane where (apparently) everything is super duper tiny except the phyrexians (apparently). The card is a fun throwback to a classic plane that hasn't been referenced in years, but it also created a fun joke on Twitter by the Wizards of the Coast marketing team related to the memes appreciating people getting stepped on. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hamhocks42 MagicJank: https://www.magicjank.com All the Socials: https://linktr.ee/hamhocks42 Overthinking MTG is a podcast where our host, HamHocks42, takes a look at a random card from Magic: the Gathering and talks about it for a while. Often, though, he ends up yammering about whatever's on the top of his mind that the card reminds him of and a half hours passes and it turns out all he's done is share his thoughts on recent news related to Commander, Magic: the Gathering Arena, Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or humorous anecdotes from his kitchen table jank days.

Apr 01, 202311:22
244 Invasion of Zendikar

244 Invasion of Zendikar

Invasion of Zendikar is the first card with the new type Battle that Wizards of the Coast have previewed for us, and there are certainly thoughts to be had. This particular card doesn't look like it'll see much play outside of casual Commander, but the mechanical identity of Battles and the Siege subtype are definitely interesting. In this first look, HamHocks42 breaks down his impressions of the card in the way he does for all the cards that appear on his podcast, Overthinking MTG. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hamhocks42 MagicJank: https://www.magicjank.com All the Socials: https://linktr.ee/hamhocks42 Overthinking MTG is a podcast where our host, HamHocks42, takes a look at a random card from Magic: the Gathering and talks about it for a while. Often, though, he ends up yammering about whatever's on the top of his mind that the card reminds him of and a half hours passes and it turns out all he's done is share his thoughts on recent news related to Commander, Magic: the Gathering Arena, Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or humorous anecdotes from his kitchen table jank days. ----- magic: the gathering,magic the gathering,mtg arena,mtg battle,mtg battles,magic battle,magic battles,mtg siege,invasion of zendikar,march of the machine,invasion of zendikar battle,the overthinking mtg podcast,overthinking mtg,hamhocks42,ham hocks 42,ham hocks mtg,hamhocks mtg,mtg march of the machine,mtgmom,march of the machine preview,march of the machine spoiler,mtgmom preview,mtgmom spoiler,battle card type

Mar 29, 202314:06
243 Uvilda, Dean of Perfection and the Strixhaven Deans