The 5 Greatest Things That Happened In Magic: The Gathering (2019)

[@TolarianCommunityCollege]

Happy End Of The Year! You can all do me a solid by taking one second to watch my previous video on Pioneer which got buried due to it being posted on Christmas Eve but not being about Christmas Eve. Would help me out A LOT if you just took a moment to give it a watch here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/roi5iGN8fZlrn6M

[@joe.5103]

@Tolarian Community College I like and respect most of your opinions. However, I still hate that Worlds and multiple PTs are on Arena. I wish it was just world or just one PT. Magic on a computer feels so disconnected. Mtgo or Arena.

[@violentswamy8147]

Oh but I did Professor, don't even play that format as well leaving a comment and a like.

[@antoniobush4560]

@@joe.5103 I agree, also I miss being able to just watch gp coverage, there's just something about it. At least we get to see sideboarding. As much as I dislike arena used for coverage I do like the mythic qualifier stuff as it is a pretty direct and easy way to try to qualify

[@jenjenhocho3188]

Hairs growing nicely prof. Can't wait for that "too long to be short but too short to be long" phase 😁

[@NosiDM]

Great video prof! I'd love to see a top 10 moves of the decade :)

[@n1cw3bst3r]

That cricket gag was hilarious, thanks for making my day proff!

[@onitram52]

Nicholas Webster nice prof pic

[@n1cw3bst3r]

sam martino lol thanks, Hud Dreems is a pretty sick album

[@onitram52]

@@n1cw3bst3r never thought i'd see knx mtg crossover lmao. kauliflowr is a good tape too if u havent heard it

[@TheArcSet]

It really was :).

[@n1cw3bst3r]

sam martino Thanks for the suggestion, I’ll check it out!

[@DimirGarage]

I like how you added in the point that the inherent nature of criticism is to make the “thing” being criticized ultimately “better.” I think that point is lost on many these days.

[@DanialDawson]

Good critical thinking allows one to derive new and better ideas from bad ideas. It is a creative process, and one that has seen the creation of scientific discovery that powers the modern age.

[@DraconisMarchVII]

Criticism also isn't an insult towards people who like the thing, yet people still get butthurt at criticism all the same.

[@TheSkizz89]

*Glares At Star Wars Fandom*

[@Luxalpa]

The War of the Spark trailer wasn't made by WotC, it was done by Axis Studios. Still, kudos to WotC for choosing such a great Studio to work with.

[@Don_Roberts]

This is a bit pedantic. Without WotC that trailer would have never happened. Axis Studios does deserve credit for actually making it though, yes.

[@twenty-fifth420]

James Virex Yeah I agree. I mean, Kudos for giving us the name for the original source (hell it makes me think if they did Theros Beyond because that was even better then War of the Spark imo) But like, Wizards did the effort of establishing communication (and I hope good pay) for the fans. Like, fine to leave the asterisk but at this level of pendacticism makes me think that we forgot how ‘bad’ the previous product before was in comparison by Wizards and how they sought to improve it. But yeah setting that aside, the studio did a fantastic job. If they did Theros Beyond too, I would love to see them do more work because as a MTG story nerd this is like a dream come true.

[@Nr4747]

It's definitely good to give credit, but also kudos to WotC for hiring a quality animation studio for the job.

[@27mizukage]

Thats like daying a movie's credit goes to just the director and ots crew and not to the producer. Wotc is literally the producer.

[@icedog6619]

Also WotC wrote the plot and content of the trailer. The studio was just in charge of bringing it to life. One of the best parts of the trailer was its deep embedment in the lore and its ability to connect to magic players.

[@jacobcook6921]

I’m really happy I came into magic about two months ago. Seems like a great time to start right now. Loving every minute of it so far.

[@TheComicBookJoker]

Welcome to the community!

[@elladan23]

It is amazing, i love it, just avoid one topic, fetch lands.

[@kujasan]

Ah, the professor. My favourite cricket.

[@GeorgBauer]

2019 is the year I finally got a sustainable (let’s hope) EDH play group going. And where am visited my first MagicFest ever to play three days of EDH. So 2019 just feels epic.

[@electricmayhem2010]

I pray for the longevity of your group! After eight years, I have pretty much given up hope for myself T.T

[@xCheeseHead95x]

I'm always so curious what the books prof holds and closes for emphasized intros are actually about.

[@argentpuck]

This one looks like a dictionary. Identical to an old Merriam-Webster that I have, I'm pretty sure.

[@hirosmirnov8287]

2019 is when I got into magic for real. I shall meet 2020 by bringing my Hand-szie matters deck into Weekly Modern. Don't stop me now.

[@hirosmirnov8287]

Thank you for noticing me, Professor. I would like to point out that I simply adore your content. We all hope you get the gold play button in 2020. Just keep on doing what you do. :)

[@mmissing3]

Nice! I'm noodling a hand size matters Golos Commander deck. Good luck!

[@SaltySparrow]

Hair is growing back fast. Many Magic: The Gathering players ask: What will the Professor do with his hair next?

[@peerstienen4345]

The introduction to paper Pauper is my number 1 on the list

[@ZM-nb9ib]

Peer Stienen hear hear

[@PinkDevilFish]

Hey Professor. I started playing magic when I was 8 or 9 back in 93-94. I played off and on through high school before I completely stopped during Mirodin in 04. I had one mini come back during M10 where I played for maybe a month with friends, but outside of that I hadn't played since I was a late teen. When I saw the War of the Spark trailer it made me remember all of the fun I used to have playing the game. As a 33 year old I returned and I've loved it for the most part. I made an Izzet Phoenix deck after viewing your video for the challenger decks. I was a little frustrated things were rotating out (some lands) but then Pioneer came out and I was able to keep my deck. I found some good cards to add to it that had come out before I started playing during Spark. It was similar to the deck you showed us recently in your deck tech. Pioneer makes me much happier to buy some cards because they won't rotate so quickly. My LGS has basically switched all the standard stuff to Pioneer as we have more fun with it. I will say the constant bannings in standard were frustrating as I had gotten rather lucky and got 4 Okos and 3 once Upon a times and had just about finished making a deck in paper I had made in arena only to have them all banned which doesn't feel good as a consumer. Thanks for the vids. Your vids make a long absent returning player's return much more fun.

[@diddymouse816]

Prof, I don’t usually comment on your videos but I wanted to thank you today for the consistent quality of your ever eloquent elocution. Your attention to detail in speaking and attitude that “words mean things” has made it so that- even though you lack closed captions- youtube can pick up a good deal of your words and caption them correctly. This is a godsend for deaf/hard of hearing viewers and in my case viewers who have to watch without headphones and the sound off. The best part is that I could still hear it all in your voice.

[@TristanEason6]

The greatest thing to happen to MTG this year has to be you. All of you. Each and everyone of you. Without you, we couldn't play this game. Thank you for being you.

[@violetlazuli3998]

Eldraine had two of the best moments for me. That trailer was amazing, and it was good to get confirmation that they would be continuing to do the higher quality ones, while also embracing the silly side to a degree we rarely see. Also the book was a fun mostly standalone story, that made me care about characters outside of the main cast, and showed that magic still didnt need everything to be so connected to big ongoing plots.

[@tengumaru]

Best thing that happened in Magic for me was going back to playing the game (in M20), and getting to know you channel, Prof! Keep up the awesome work and happy holidays!

[@NameEntry]

Jack Frost best mascot.

[@jetsetradio5441]

"I UNDERSTAND JOKE"

[@MeagenImage]

Did you notice the part where the punchline was not the expected outcome of the setup? That was my favourite part!

[@LivingThing28]

Notice how magic trailers have been on a high this year. Eldraine and Theros have been the 2nd and 3rd most popular videos on the MTG channel! So happy magic is finally getting the publicity it deserves. Certainly a great year for magic 🤩

[@stevengrunza128]

When the spark trailer first came out I showed it to my whole family and watched it seven times

[@bluelotus2979]

I believe that your channel being the biggest MTG channel on KZbin is also one the best things to happen to magic the gathering in 2019

[@IronGriffon05]

Nice appraisal as always. If I could make a suggestion, I think it might be really helpful for your fan base to have a video about how you make your videos. I think a lot of people enjoy your videos not only because of the honest commentary, but also because of the clear organization. Coming from a literature/composition background, it's clear you use standard Western written composition structure in your video design; this video particularly shows it right down to the classic "Webster's dictionary defines..." hook. If you make a video with tips on how to properly organize KZbin videos/essays/presentations, I think it would be helpful to KZbin aspirants and college students alike among your fans.

[@ubermusli]

I'm so happy to see creators highlight the good things companies like WotC are doing. Keep it up, professor!

[@sordieo]

Pioneer brought me back, I switched to yugioh again after shadows/eldritch rotated. Ty pioneer n wizards

[@sordieo]

@baerleon I'm sorry I'm better than you, that i can play 2 card games. You have to resort to trolling on the internet to get fulfilment out of your sad pathetic lil life. Go get a job loser xD

[@danacoleman4007]

Thank you so much for all you've done to make this a terrific year, professor! Everything you do on this channel is so well thought out, informative, kind, and helpful! We're very lucky to have you! I hope you're making mad loot from the channel but I guess there's a slim chance of that from everything I hear about KZbin. You deserve it, though. Here's to you having a terrific New year!

[@lordmeep5803]

I love the eldraine draft! I went 4-0 with the strangest mono black 3 drop tribal, you never know what’s good till you try it.

[@NotALoli_]

As someone who was introduced to Magic from my friends by playing commander, it’s cool to hear that commander events are a thing now. I’d love to go to one of those events, even if it means I don’t win a single match, as long as I’m able to have fun and get stuff like playmats then there’s no harm :)

[@johncochrane6039]

Love seeing someone as passionate as you are, speak as eloquently so you do. Kudos, sir.

[@tcgtingles926]

The inception of pioneer was something I patiently waited for. I kept all my old standard staples, and I was rewarded. Another positive the new format brought was seeing old friends come back and play again. :D

[@michaelatbarnett]

This may seem kind of cliche, but given a lot of familial struggles this year with health, house repairs and other issues, just having Magic there as an escape was great. I played less than most years since I've joined, but still had a fun time following you Prof and other channels. Amidst the struggles within the game and in life, the positive moments and honest reviews and content, from you, LRR, Commandzone and others, it made bad days better. Also, one friend was given a new signature deck for commander in Korvold, another Teysa 3.0 as the Orzhov leader he wanted, and Feather opened new Boros doors for many fans. It was a long year, but it had great moments. Thanks for being a part of many of those magic moments.

[@michaelkrumholz9497]

I have watched that War of the Spark trailer more than ten times, and it still gives me chills.

[@travisbewley7084]

War of the Spark brought me back to magic after having been gone since high school but commander support kept me here. I'm so hyped for commander products coming out and look forward to attending a command zone soon when I would have never gone to a magic fest before

[@allysongomes4363]

I'm happy to get known your channel proff n this was one the best things in MTG to me! Thanks

[@Kimch87]

Pioneer is the best thing of the year for me. I was highly critical of it at first and didn't plan on playing it until my lgs asked me to judge their events, and I find it really fun.

[@gareth4348]

This is a nice change of pace from a lot of the MTG content that is produced.

[@dude11579]

Loved the cricket joke

[@haz-mattstudio6074]

The writing and delivery om your show is top quality

[@psikker]

Tolarian Community College hit half a million subscribers on KZbin. That's a pretty cool thing to have happened in Magic this year!

[@dasfabelwesen]

Oh that is so true, Eldain draft is the best.

[@Sir_Francis]

Can I just say (prior to getting past even the first minute of this video) that your Vest & Tie combo is On Point! Looking fly as usual Prof!

[@twscdrummer]

Notifications or not, I DO watch your videos, Prof! I come to KZbin and yours is the first channel I check for new videos.

[@johnanderson4291]

Nice list. The unification of pauper has been the biggest deal for me in New Zealand. It means we can buy cheap strong and varied decks to share and grow the format here. I really hope support continues. It's the best introductory constructed format in my opinion. Far better than commander to me for introducing new players and even enfranchised competitive players. Loving have the new sets relevant to pauper as well. Completely agree about eldraine draft too. Definitely intriguing and challenging. I'd give an honourable mention to coreset 2020 too. Thanks again for all your work Brian. You are a living legend and an asset to the game! Have a happy New Year. :)

[@chelseainspace]

Outstanding video Prof, I couldn't help but commentate on such amazing work

[@MintyMagicMTG]

Now I know what critic truly means 😂 Idk why KZbin makes it so hard for its content creators to get paid/views. So many KZbinrs talk about this it’s crazy

[@rileymcphee9429]

It took 2,019 years for someone to explain the word 'criticism'. Well done.

[@thesilvershroud4710]

My LGS just closed and the second closest is pretty out of the way, so I’ve had to rely on MTGA for draft more than I’ve had to. Due to this, didn’t really get a chance to play Throne all that much. Might try to get out to the further game store to draft it.

[@JonSteitzer]

It's very different irl

[@PhoenixLaw92]

For me, the biggest thing was definitely commander. However, not in the sense of the announcement of all the support the format is getting in 2020, but for the fact that it gave my brother and I a format we really enjoy. It just started on a whim towards the beginning of the year that we started to play, just choosing budget decks to build and going to town with those, but now him and I have been investing into improving our decks, making them significantly more playable and fun. The stuff that came out this year has really helped towards that, and I look forward to 2020 and how much more fun there is to be had.

[@ericcornish1983]

I can definitely see commander leading the way forward for paper magic and being thrust into the limelight and being the main format for even competitive level magic in pro tour, it's only a matter of time before standard will be replaced by commander!

[@photosinensis]

Pauper: Great. I love it. Standard Pauper through Arena events and FNM viability: what we need for onboarding new players. More Commander: My body is very ready. Like, no, really, I'm putting together decks at every playable power level (so no jank decks, but I have a list--I just need to figure out how the hell its combo works, and I need a theoretical computer scientist for that). I really super want more Commander. Now, if I could get coverage of those Commandfests, I'd probably burst with blue and red mana.

[@adamgalloy9371]

M20 was also a pretty good draft format. It was surprisingly deep and had some really powerful interactions at low rarities that I wouldn't normally expect from a core set.

[@luliby2309]

It's nice to see someone who knows what critiquing is actually all about.

[@chrisfishel3337]

The addition of planeswalker control this year was my personal favorite. Gone are the days of building ultimates without woe to your foe. Enter 2 and 3 mana responses to game ending disasters that used to take an incredible amount of duress to stop, all the while allowing your opponent to do whatever they want while you figure out an answer.

[@mrtalos]

Oh my god, the critic/cricket pun at the start.

[@saw2135]

Absolutely agree with number one. Especially with the issues that Standard had this year, it was great to have a format that could be played, and didn't cost an arm and a leg. Plus it lets me keep some of my fun standard decks around, and I can upgrade them fairly cheaply.

[@Patrick-bu2uh]

Thank you! Throne draft was amazing!

[@louissimonlefebvre8254]

feels weird to hear you be so excited for commander next year and then say that pioneer is the most fun you had playing magic in years. I guess they're not mutually exclusive. Great vid as always! I prefer the positive ones to the negative ones personally.

[@timbacus9698]

Hey Prof, met you at the Commandfest DC. I really enjoyed the event and look forward to more like it. Genuinely excited for all the Commander products next year.

[@Putrefax]

I feel like there is a pretty simple way to make paper magic easier to see when broadcast. Place those little detector dots on your card sleeves and make players swipe their plays on a table sensor before playing them, just like professional poker broadcasts do. When a card gets swiped on the detector, a higher resolution image of it shows up on the broadcast for the audience to see. This emulates the MTG content that people see on youtube and the like; with a wide view of the battlefield which is difficult to see, but each card shown specifically when it's played so the audience can follow along.

[@socalwanderer4867]

I played in that Pauper MCQ! What an epic event! I'm looking forward to more!

[@bobklein4013]

Watching this in May of 2020 make me very nostalgic for world in those innocent Pre C days when we expected to have in person events.

[@TimChanMusic]

That trailer for War of the Spark literally sparked interest in Magic the Gathering.

[@liberkhaos5978]

Alternate art on cards available in normal packs (even if really rare) was great. I love the showcase cards a lot.

[@zachray2862]

I absolutely agree with your statements regarding Commander; no other format in Magic makes me feel as passionate or encourages me to spend money on the game. Knowing that WotC will be showcasing this format and encouraging it through tournaments and showcases makes me incredibly happy. The only other format I enjoy is Pauper, and it was thrilling to see WotC finally embrace this.

[@williamsimkulet7832]

ELD Draft was great. It reminds me of Mirrodin Draft (Equipment was epic) and Ravnica (bouncelands @ common; loved 5 color goodstuff).

[@MTGUnpacked]

Pioneer saved competitive in-person play in my area. With Standard pretty much dead locally due to the influence of Oko and friends and MTG Arena, it's great to have another competitive format that doesn't require a huge outlay like most Modern decks do. As a bonus, all those fun old Standard decks have a chance to shine again👍

[@AveryFrancisco]

2019 was a great year. I started playing in the beginning of year during Ravnica Allegiance, where I bought my first precon deck and played with 2 of my buddies. War of the Spark came after, and it pretty much cemented me into playing more Magic. I love playing Magic now and I love the community in it 😊😊

[@saviomendessmargiassi610]

Nice videos, my first language is not English so it is relatively easy to understand you. Keep going, good analyses like yours enrich the experience of MTG.

[@jamesloucka1952]

I just wanna say I found the professor from Game Knights and his insight and love for MtG both shine through in his critiques both good and negative.

[@dougphisig]

2019 is the year I came back to Magic after a 17 or 18ish year hiatus, it's been fun. I especially love the addition of commander as a new favorite thing to do at the local LGS.

[@natesergent2889]

You have always been my favorite magic youtuber and will probably always will be. here's for hoping for that gold play button in your future you deserve

[@AHomlesspuppy]

Great video prof, we can only hope that 2020 is even better!

[@Eckarthausen]

Looking forward to more content from The Professor in 2020.

[@jasonjustis3098]

I understand the point of trying to make Magic mainstream by making all or mostly all coverage tournaments strictly on Arena. This is Magic the Gathering, a game that in my opinion is better played across the table against a live person in the flesh. Yes there's commander, but I'm talking about 1v1 tournaments. I know this is the digital age and is the way of the future, but I just wish that legal gamesmanship, bluffing, and the art of playing against your opponent and not just your opponent's cards wasn't lost behind a computer screen.

[@goldcreeper7376]

This, I couldn't disagree more with the prof's third pick because, to me, that is one of their worst blunders this year

[@kapitanbeuteltier5889]

@@goldcreeper7376 I fully agree with you; but he said himself this would be controversial. And to each his own opinion.

[@KPX01]

bluffing and the like is still there, some even have face cam that you can actually see the op face. For most game i dont really see competitor talk to own other much other than the greeting at the start and end.

[@Fujifables]

Magic has get very alienating to players that enjoy old cards / formats and even just decent prize support. I personally sold out of nearly ever format except for commander. I’m glad that Wizards and CFB decided to do Command Zone and Commander Fests because I love the aspect of traveling and playing Magic with friends but it was becoming increasingly difficult to justify going to a Grand Prix with rising main event costs and such poor side event coverage. I also love that commander let’s me play my favorite cards and strategies in ways that don’t really get affected much my power creep or can embrace newer cards and strategies rather than my entire deck being negated by very clearly pushed cards in the case of modern and diminished support in regards to legacy.

[@2236UmbrellaCorp]

For just a moment I was like... “what’s going on with your hair” then I remembered your generosity.

[@Euphorb1um]

In our shop drafts stopped, because people were not interested in eldraine. Were replaced with cube drafts, which are a hit.

[@raydelmartinez2905]

Great list and a good year overall for magic I think. I liked the KZbin joke in the end 😁

[@jasonl1184]

I thought #1 and #2 was going to be the hogaak and oko ban. Kinda nuts that scg’s legacy players championship seemed like a greatest hits of 2019 cards.

[@gameonspooky]

They should make a Pauper Masters for the standard price, should be so fun to draft one of !!!!!

[@ChaosHedgehog2]

I totally agree with Pioneer! I have been a casual player for ther last 2 years. Mainly getting together with friends for casual matches and doing pre releases. Pioneer has got me playing weekly and playing at a more competitive level!

[@stevenfraielli9869]

You're my favorite cricket, Prof.

[@allysongomes4363]

I was happy because Pauper became official

[@CrayZgunZ]

Pioneer for life dawg. Made an ensoul artifact deck.

[@enderc1895]

Happy end of the year prof

[@friedcircuit3770]

I got back to playing magic and was invited to play at my game store Edit and I will forever only buy from them they are my favourite owners and don’t plan to stop going so I love how you promote all local game stores

[@aubreywhite3190]

I absolutely agree with your #1 pick. I was becoming completely jaded with Modern due to how over-the-top every tier 1 deck was becoming. Now, I get a competitive format where brewing feels nearly endless and most decks have a shot at competing. Can't wait for more!

[@clon1122]

Once the honey moon phase is done for pioneer let's see if it's still loved

[@StephaunBaker]

LOL, well said dude kinda rreminds me of how oathbreaker turned out

[@clon1122]

@@StephaunBaker exactly 🤷‍♂️, but oathbreaker was never really pushed by WoTC it was just some staff that had a fun little thing they made up.

[@danacoleman4007]

@@StephaunBaker That's definitely not an apples to apples comparison.

[@StephaunBaker]

@@clon1122 I think Professor has mentioned it, but WotC won't promote ANYTHING that isn't using new cards. It's the same reason they try so hard to promote brawl, and why they are lacking in reprints with all the Commander precons. Even if they don't keep advertising it, I still think Oathbreaker was a massive success. Easily my favorite Commander varient.

[@scott-e5548]

Kind of out of place but I wanna see him do a Hapatra, Vizier of Posions Edh deck

[@rconnor2006]

Scott-E Quite sure he already did!

[@eddipl5055]

I’ll watch your videos forever professor even if someday I stop playing mtg.

[@mariahansen3694]

the spark trailer was my number 1 2019

[@adavi5417]

While I accept that Pioneer is good overall, it heavily annoyed me for a few reasons. I was building my cube at the time it was announced and it caused a huge spike in the prices of a lot of the cards I was putting in it and the attendance to modern at FNM has tanked to the point of not firing, which is sad as I love modern. Great video as always prof!

[@pathtoeternity]

I don't know what I did right a long time ago, but I get an email for every one of your videos, and I watch them all! :)

[@Dracinard]

It's a great video, like always, but in particular I have to say - you're rocking the short hair. It's an excellent look!

[@mikelelex]

the greatest thing for me was starting, bought my first set of cards this year and i am having a blast with friends

[@jeng4867]

ahh the opening joke was great. thanks for all the great content prof!

[@angusdahms4936]

Yep, I agree with most of your picks, my favourite was “War of the Spark” hype. That video moved me to buy a Booster Box, my very first Booster Box. You, Alpha Investments and Command Zone reinforced the hype. Was it a garbage fire to be stuck with all those 1 cent commons? No way! I went out and bought 2 more Booster Boxes since then! You always thank us for watching, thank you for supporting “The Best Game in the World!”

[@TheKralk]

The mystery booster drafts at the magic fests were amazing. In Portland, they ran out it was so popular. If these were given LGS support, they would have made #1 on my list for sure.

[@pantheratigris4777]

Am I the only one who's noticing that the prof's hair is growing really quickly. Plus hope you had a merry Christmas prof.

[@geekworthy7938]

And the Christmas cookies are gone too.

[@NameEntry]

Prof's huge brain makes his hair grow faster.

[@odioalospoopers]

I hope they bring high level magic back to latin america next year. I would have loved going to magicfest santiago(one of the few reasons i would go there at all)

[@Thanatoastea]

War of the Spark was a major Ad success. Im an art student and im not expert but the impact around it was so spectacular that it did boast a huge influx in player

[@MrReaperjon]

That opening broke my brain for like 42 seconds, not gunna lie