A Johnny's Pridemate
@ajohnnyspridemate.bsky.social
An MTG Substacker. Standard, Pauper, Cube, and sometimes (begrudgingly) EDH
https://ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com/
https://ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com/
Pinned
First Draw: ETB
Where else to begin, then by entering?
ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com
Who's ready to enter the battlefield?
ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com/p/first-draw...
ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com/p/first-draw...
Yep, 2-1 FNM Andy right here. Deck still felt strong in the games I lost (had board control and lost to combo wins vs Golgari shenanigans). Each game was a half turn from being over in the other direction if they didn't have it in hand.
Time to 2-1 my standard showdown with mono-G elfball. Finally sleeved up the new toys from ECL.
* This is assuming the aggro decks don't just run me over, lol 😅
* This is assuming the aggro decks don't just run me over, lol 😅
February 6, 2026 at 6:34 AM
Yep, 2-1 FNM Andy right here. Deck still felt strong in the games I lost (had board control and lost to combo wins vs Golgari shenanigans). Each game was a half turn from being over in the other direction if they didn't have it in hand.
Time to 2-1 my standard showdown with mono-G elfball. Finally sleeved up the new toys from ECL.
* This is assuming the aggro decks don't just run me over, lol 😅
* This is assuming the aggro decks don't just run me over, lol 😅
February 6, 2026 at 1:52 AM
Time to 2-1 my standard showdown with mono-G elfball. Finally sleeved up the new toys from ECL.
* This is assuming the aggro decks don't just run me over, lol 😅
* This is assuming the aggro decks don't just run me over, lol 😅
Been working on this list for a hot minute, and I haven't had much chance to test draft, but every back of the envelope calculation/bot test seems to make it look like it's ready. Introducing, Hate-Berzattos:
cubecobra.com/cube/list/33...
cubecobra.com/cube/list/33...
Cube Cobra List: Hate-Berzattos
*It's a delicate f#^$ing ecosystem!*
cubecobra.com
February 5, 2026 at 7:39 AM
Been working on this list for a hot minute, and I haven't had much chance to test draft, but every back of the envelope calculation/bot test seems to make it look like it's ready. Introducing, Hate-Berzattos:
cubecobra.com/cube/list/33...
cubecobra.com/cube/list/33...
Playing midweek magic on Arena and disappointed to find out that Cast Down is only uncommon on Arena and not common. Really ruined my sideboard after the first match
February 5, 2026 at 5:55 AM
Playing midweek magic on Arena and disappointed to find out that Cast Down is only uncommon on Arena and not common. Really ruined my sideboard after the first match
Reposted by A Johnny's Pridemate
Incredible. I am going to take a breath and marvel at the fact that Magic: The Gathering players have just raised $75,000 for @translifeline.org in a little over 8 hours.
Come be a part of this. Donate--> give.translifeline.org/tcc
Come be a part of this. Donate--> give.translifeline.org/tcc
February 5, 2026 at 1:28 AM
Incredible. I am going to take a breath and marvel at the fact that Magic: The Gathering players have just raised $75,000 for @translifeline.org in a little over 8 hours.
Come be a part of this. Donate--> give.translifeline.org/tcc
Come be a part of this. Donate--> give.translifeline.org/tcc
Reposted by A Johnny's Pridemate
Hello? HELLO! We just raised $40,000 for @translifeline.org in only 4 hours!
So many, many additional donor gifts are going out, will have an updated list posted soon! Thank you all an amazing first 4 hours! 💙💙💙
Donate--> give.translifeline.org/tcc
So many, many additional donor gifts are going out, will have an updated list posted soon! Thank you all an amazing first 4 hours! 💙💙💙
Donate--> give.translifeline.org/tcc
February 4, 2026 at 9:29 PM
Hello? HELLO! We just raised $40,000 for @translifeline.org in only 4 hours!
So many, many additional donor gifts are going out, will have an updated list posted soon! Thank you all an amazing first 4 hours! 💙💙💙
Donate--> give.translifeline.org/tcc
So many, many additional donor gifts are going out, will have an updated list posted soon! Thank you all an amazing first 4 hours! 💙💙💙
Donate--> give.translifeline.org/tcc
I know most people skipped the cowboy set, but having a strictly better quench is pretty good in Pauper Mono-U Terror!
February 4, 2026 at 1:06 AM
I know most people skipped the cowboy set, but having a strictly better quench is pretty good in Pauper Mono-U Terror!
CubeCobra UI refresh looks sick!
cubecobra.com/dev/blog
cubecobra.com/dev/blog
Cube Cobra
Build, playtest, and share your Magic the Gathering cube!
cubecobra.com
February 2, 2026 at 3:36 AM
CubeCobra UI refresh looks sick!
cubecobra.com/dev/blog
cubecobra.com/dev/blog
Reposted by A Johnny's Pridemate
These PT top 8 decklists give me hope
February 1, 2026 at 10:25 PM
These PT top 8 decklists give me hope
Just put out the fifth of these, and have another four picked out for the rest of the month (easy part of going through the evergreens first).
(Also, I just realized that they were not saving properly, so a bunch of previously not free ones should be free now)
(Also, I just realized that they were not saving properly, so a bunch of previously not free ones should be free now)
Who's ready to enter the battlefield?
ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com/p/first-draw...
ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com/p/first-draw...
First Draw: ETB
Where else to begin, then by entering?
ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com
February 1, 2026 at 9:45 PM
Just put out the fifth of these, and have another four picked out for the rest of the month (easy part of going through the evergreens first).
(Also, I just realized that they were not saving properly, so a bunch of previously not free ones should be free now)
(Also, I just realized that they were not saving properly, so a bunch of previously not free ones should be free now)
Me looking at the various decks of the #PTECL:
a cartoon of marge simpson holding a potato with the words i just think they 're neat below her
ALT: a cartoon of marge simpson holding a potato with the words i just think they 're neat below her
media.tenor.com
February 1, 2026 at 8:33 PM
Me looking at the various decks of the #PTECL:
Out: BREAD drafting
In: It's about drive, it's about power
In: It's about drive, it's about power
February 1, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Out: BREAD drafting
In: It's about drive, it's about power
In: It's about drive, it's about power
Y'all ever go 2-1 in retail draft by forcing 5c aggro? Because I did tonight, and hell yeah.
January 31, 2026 at 7:35 AM
Y'all ever go 2-1 in retail draft by forcing 5c aggro? Because I did tonight, and hell yeah.
Brewing some haut garbage on Arena timeless rn. One part Insidious Roots, one part aristocrats, one part striplock lmao
January 30, 2026 at 7:44 AM
Brewing some haut garbage on Arena timeless rn. One part Insidious Roots, one part aristocrats, one part striplock lmao
Oh, hey, look, I did a deck tech on Standard Mono White Lifegain because people don't believe I 2-1 at FNM with it regularly:
ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com/p/standard-d...
ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com/p/standard-d...
Standard Deck Tech: Bo3 Mono White Lifegain
Time to make your opponents "Respect Your Authority"
ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com
January 28, 2026 at 9:16 PM
Oh, hey, look, I did a deck tech on Standard Mono White Lifegain because people don't believe I 2-1 at FNM with it regularly:
ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com/p/standard-d...
ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com/p/standard-d...
Reposted by A Johnny's Pridemate
youtu.be/HDFu38ydwlk?...
Tl;dw color balance in #mtgcube really doesn't matter and you can just kinda do whatever
Tl;dw color balance in #mtgcube really doesn't matter and you can just kinda do whatever
A sassy chat about color balance in cube
YouTube video by Joseph van den Berg
youtu.be
January 28, 2026 at 6:36 PM
youtu.be/HDFu38ydwlk?...
Tl;dw color balance in #mtgcube really doesn't matter and you can just kinda do whatever
Tl;dw color balance in #mtgcube really doesn't matter and you can just kinda do whatever
Pushed a late-night cube update: cubecobra.com/cube/blog/bl...
Cube Cobra
Build, playtest, and share your Magic the Gathering cube!
cubecobra.com
January 28, 2026 at 7:33 AM
Pushed a late-night cube update: cubecobra.com/cube/blog/bl...
Haven't worked on this in a minute for various reasons, but I decided to dig back into the data analysis side of the SABRCube, and recalculated ELO values for all the cards: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Cube Data
docs.google.com
January 26, 2026 at 5:37 AM
Haven't worked on this in a minute for various reasons, but I decided to dig back into the data analysis side of the SABRCube, and recalculated ELO values for all the cards: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Reposted by A Johnny's Pridemate
Thinking about rebuilding my beloved Ghalta, Primal Hunger Elfball EDH deck w/some of the new Lorwyn cards. My fave deck ever possibly, so much that I've been trying to force standard Elfball since FDN released.
January 23, 2026 at 5:58 PM
Thinking about rebuilding my beloved Ghalta, Primal Hunger Elfball EDH deck w/some of the new Lorwyn cards. My fave deck ever possibly, so much that I've been trying to force standard Elfball since FDN released.
Went 1-2 because I got the bye :)
Time to show the LGS who's boss*
*(Go 1-2 playing Gates in Standard)
*(Go 1-2 playing Gates in Standard)
January 23, 2026 at 4:38 PM
Went 1-2 because I got the bye :)
Time to show the LGS who's boss*
*(Go 1-2 playing Gates in Standard)
*(Go 1-2 playing Gates in Standard)
January 23, 2026 at 12:54 AM
Time to show the LGS who's boss*
*(Go 1-2 playing Gates in Standard)
*(Go 1-2 playing Gates in Standard)
Reposted by A Johnny's Pridemate
The issue is that this was a POSITIVE thing for players or NEUTRAL thing for players that didn't have a downside for players
Complaining about it is like saying "oh gorshhh my lobster is too buttery"
THAT is the underlying problem, they're taking away all the small joys in this game
Complaining about it is like saying "oh gorshhh my lobster is too buttery"
THAT is the underlying problem, they're taking away all the small joys in this game
How many of y'all really *really* cared about the prerelease date stamp on cards?
I've bought so many collections with these in piles of commons and bulk. No one seemed to care. Suddenly, with them gone, folks are acting like it's the only reason they went to prereleases and won't play them again.
I've bought so many collections with these in piles of commons and bulk. No one seemed to care. Suddenly, with them gone, folks are acting like it's the only reason they went to prereleases and won't play them again.
January 22, 2026 at 2:49 AM
The issue is that this was a POSITIVE thing for players or NEUTRAL thing for players that didn't have a downside for players
Complaining about it is like saying "oh gorshhh my lobster is too buttery"
THAT is the underlying problem, they're taking away all the small joys in this game
Complaining about it is like saying "oh gorshhh my lobster is too buttery"
THAT is the underlying problem, they're taking away all the small joys in this game
Standard is so back
January 21, 2026 at 4:15 AM
Standard is so back
Was trying the pick 2 draft for LCE on my computer and it had an error/needed to restart 😔
January 21, 2026 at 2:58 AM
Was trying the pick 2 draft for LCE on my computer and it had an error/needed to restart 😔