A Johnny's Pridemate
@ajohnnyspridemate.bsky.social
An MTG Substacker. Standard, Pauper, Cube, and sometimes (begrudgingly) EDH
Merry Christmas ya filthy animals. I'm playing Gates/Tezzerator on Arena to celebrate
December 25, 2025 at 5:27 AM
Merry Christmas ya filthy animals. I'm playing Gates/Tezzerator on Arena to celebrate
It's a good day to read this thing I wrote about Cube
December 23, 2025 at 7:00 PM
It's a good day to read this thing I wrote about Cube
Big new Stack about Cube:
ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com/p/cube-is-ma...
ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com/p/cube-is-ma...
Cube is Magic as Richard Garfield Intended
A personal history with my favorite format, and why I play it
ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com
December 22, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Big new Stack about Cube:
ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com/p/cube-is-ma...
ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com/p/cube-is-ma...
Might be time to put on Beat the Champ and finish writing my Cube Manifesto
December 21, 2025 at 3:48 AM
Might be time to put on Beat the Champ and finish writing my Cube Manifesto
I did write a bunch about my personal history with the format (and kind of MTG as a whole). Probably will put it out sometime in January between the other stuff I have planned. Look out!
Had another cube idea yesterday, which brings my number of WIP cubes to...4? Probably too many at once. Will write about them on the stack when I'm done
ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com
ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com
December 15, 2025 at 11:23 PM
I did write a bunch about my personal history with the format (and kind of MTG as a whole). Probably will put it out sometime in January between the other stuff I have planned. Look out!
Oh hell yeah
While Ajani returns to Lorwyn to look for the lost students, the lost students are busy getting into every conceivable form of trouble. #MTGLorwyn
mtg.social/LorwynStory5
mtg.social/LorwynStory5
December 12, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Oh hell yeah
Put in some more work on Hate-Berzattos. Got it down to about 130 more cards to go to get to a 360-card cube (and I haven't gone through and added staples that make magic decks function. Waiting until the last minute to add non-thematic stuff, because I want to push in a particular direction...
Still have a lot of work to do on Hate-Berzattos, partially because I got distracted with playing Spy combo on Arena. Managed a T0 win (combo'd off with a 5-card hand before the opponent took a draw).
(Kept hand of Agadeem's Awakening, 2x Dark Ritual, Spy, Unearth)
(Kept hand of Agadeem's Awakening, 2x Dark Ritual, Spy, Unearth)
Going to try to finish designing my cube Hate-Berzattos this weekend, too. I've got every card that references cousins in the flavor text, a bunch of hatebears, some goblins/goblin synergy cards, some food synergy cards, and some guild cards picked out.
December 6, 2025 at 5:50 AM
Put in some more work on Hate-Berzattos. Got it down to about 130 more cards to go to get to a 360-card cube (and I haven't gone through and added staples that make magic decks function. Waiting until the last minute to add non-thematic stuff, because I want to push in a particular direction...
Had a couple of custom card ideas that got edited by some of the nice folks in the Distraction Makers' Discord. These are meant to be replacements for the Red & Black entries in the Urza's Saga cycle of rare lands.
December 5, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Had a couple of custom card ideas that got edited by some of the nice folks in the Distraction Makers' Discord. These are meant to be replacements for the Red & Black entries in the Urza's Saga cycle of rare lands.
Had another cube idea yesterday, which brings my number of WIP cubes to...4? Probably too many at once. Will write about them on the stack when I'm done
ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com
ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com
December 4, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Had another cube idea yesterday, which brings my number of WIP cubes to...4? Probably too many at once. Will write about them on the stack when I'm done
ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com
ajohnnyspridemate.substack.com
Still have a lot of work to do on Hate-Berzattos, partially because I got distracted with playing Spy combo on Arena. Managed a T0 win (combo'd off with a 5-card hand before the opponent took a draw).
(Kept hand of Agadeem's Awakening, 2x Dark Ritual, Spy, Unearth)
(Kept hand of Agadeem's Awakening, 2x Dark Ritual, Spy, Unearth)
Going to try to finish designing my cube Hate-Berzattos this weekend, too. I've got every card that references cousins in the flavor text, a bunch of hatebears, some goblins/goblin synergy cards, some food synergy cards, and some guild cards picked out.
December 1, 2025 at 6:49 AM
Still have a lot of work to do on Hate-Berzattos, partially because I got distracted with playing Spy combo on Arena. Managed a T0 win (combo'd off with a 5-card hand before the opponent took a draw).
(Kept hand of Agadeem's Awakening, 2x Dark Ritual, Spy, Unearth)
(Kept hand of Agadeem's Awakening, 2x Dark Ritual, Spy, Unearth)
Playing hearthstone for the first time in at least a year, lol
November 30, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Playing hearthstone for the first time in at least a year, lol
Updated two decks tonight, and built a third. I can't wait to go try out all my new toys soon (mono color decks in every color, in a bunch of different formats)
November 26, 2025 at 5:41 AM
Updated two decks tonight, and built a third. I can't wait to go try out all my new toys soon (mono color decks in every color, in a bunch of different formats)
Opponent just reanimated my balustrade spy before I was set up to reanimate thoracle and blew me out lmao.
November 22, 2025 at 5:53 AM
Opponent just reanimated my balustrade spy before I was set up to reanimate thoracle and blew me out lmao.
I might have accidentally collected enough cards for a janky RDW build. I think I might try it next standard night.
November 21, 2025 at 5:23 PM
I might have accidentally collected enough cards for a janky RDW build. I think I might try it next standard night.
Is it a mono white lifegain kinda night or a gates/tezzerator kind of night at the LGS?
November 21, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Is it a mono white lifegain kinda night or a gates/tezzerator kind of night at the LGS?
The amount of vitriol commander players have towards hybrid mana in mono decks is hilarious when that's literally the whole point of hybrid mana as a mechanic
November 18, 2025 at 7:47 PM
The amount of vitriol commander players have towards hybrid mana in mono decks is hilarious when that's literally the whole point of hybrid mana as a mechanic
Bought the tools for Pactdoll affinity btw 👀
I think I may have had my fill of mono blue Terror in pauper. Looking at building either Mono-B affinity with Pactdoll Terror or Gruul Elves (I think burn as a payoff seems cool).
November 18, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Bought the tools for Pactdoll affinity btw 👀
Going to play EDH tomorrow and I just know I'm going to go up against the son of a bitch who's got rhystic study/reliquary tower/mystic remora in every deck and says he "doesn't believe in the bracket system."
November 18, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Going to play EDH tomorrow and I just know I'm going to go up against the son of a bitch who's got rhystic study/reliquary tower/mystic remora in every deck and says he "doesn't believe in the bracket system."
The worst part about owning a cube is that there are always multiple decklists to edit. The best part about owning a cube is that there are always multiple decklists to edit.
November 16, 2025 at 7:08 AM
The worst part about owning a cube is that there are always multiple decklists to edit. The best part about owning a cube is that there are always multiple decklists to edit.
Reposted by A Johnny's Pridemate
I think I may have had my fill of mono blue Terror in pauper. Looking at building either Mono-B affinity with Pactdoll Terror or Gruul Elves (I think burn as a payoff seems cool).
November 11, 2025 at 5:03 PM
I think I may have had my fill of mono blue Terror in pauper. Looking at building either Mono-B affinity with Pactdoll Terror or Gruul Elves (I think burn as a payoff seems cool).
Genuinely shocked that Curiosity and Kaito dodged bans. Nemesis wasn't on my card, but makes some sense
Today's update to the Banned & Restricted list impacts Standard, Pioneer, Legacy, Pauper, Historic, and Brawl.
Read on DailyMTG now: magic.wizards.com/en/news/anno...
Read on DailyMTG now: magic.wizards.com/en/news/anno...
Banned and Restricted Announcement – November 10, 2025
See statements regarding Standard, Pioneer, Legacy, Pauper, Historic, and Brawl. Changes will be effective November 10, 2025.
magic.wizards.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Genuinely shocked that Curiosity and Kaito dodged bans. Nemesis wasn't on my card, but makes some sense
The lack of chatter around incoming B&R is concerning. I feel like standard needs:
- Vivi
- Cauldron (I don't want this one, but it's probably gone)
- Proft's
- Enduring Curiosity
- DSK Kaito
That might be enough. But idk if there's more.
- Vivi
- Cauldron (I don't want this one, but it's probably gone)
- Proft's
- Enduring Curiosity
- DSK Kaito
That might be enough. But idk if there's more.
November 7, 2025 at 9:24 PM
The lack of chatter around incoming B&R is concerning. I feel like standard needs:
- Vivi
- Cauldron (I don't want this one, but it's probably gone)
- Proft's
- Enduring Curiosity
- DSK Kaito
That might be enough. But idk if there's more.
- Vivi
- Cauldron (I don't want this one, but it's probably gone)
- Proft's
- Enduring Curiosity
- DSK Kaito
That might be enough. But idk if there's more.
At my desk at work daydreaming about pauper
November 6, 2025 at 10:03 PM
At my desk at work daydreaming about pauper