The Criticism Of Magic: The Gathering | Dies To Removal 50 | MTG Video Podcast 

Vince has a RU-vid channel? He does! Watch his new gameplay series here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-UXzREm20dqs.html

THREE Dies to Removal episodes in one year? Prof and Kenobi putting in work.

So admirable of Prof to distract from Vince’s bad American accent by immediately unleashing a British accent that is so much worse.

That intro was great! After about 8 fake intros I was thinking, “Okay, this one has to be the actual one”. The Prof says it’s time to open Epilogue boosters and I lost it 😂

“You wouldn’t proxy a car” got me 😂

Prof. I have chosen both, to buy and not to buy products because of your reviews. However, just because I chose not to buy a product because of your review does not mean I would have bought it, it just means you saved me the time of looking more into the product myself before choosing not to buy it.

The Prof sadly saying "Hasbro is both of our daddy now" awakened something 😂

I think the reality is a lot of the more casual MTG players with lower budgets look to you guys to give closer inspections on products before we spend our money and then feel bad if the products end up being trash. You also give positive reassurances on products that we like and make us feel a little more justified in our purchases. Should we have this mindset? Maybe not, but it is the reality. You guys know far more about the inner workings of the game than most. So, as one of the more casual people, thank you for being critics (both positive and negative).

I don't normally laugh out loud at stuff, but when Kenobi shouts "You wouldn't proxy a car!" genuinely made me laugh out loud.

"Don't ask questions. Just consume product and get excited for new product." Is the motto of those unable to accept criticism of their product. Without any sort of criticism, you don't know if you've made any missteps or errors. Listening to the echo chamber brings no room for improvement or consistency in quality.

I actually did buy the Hobbits precon Commander deck based on your enthusiastic recommendation. I really appreciate how you try to keep your bias against Universes Beyond out of your reviews and grade the products on their own merits. And thanks for leading me to PleasantKenobi’s channel, I’ve been enjoying his content too. I think tough but fair is a good description of you both, and it’s why I feel like I can trust your word. I don’t always agree, but life would be rather boring if everyone agreed on everything. Cheers!

What often gets lost in a conversation about criticism, is that we tend to spend the most time criticizing the things we love the most. Any criticism that’s well laid out and thoughtful should be looked at as positive in my humble opinion. Remember folks, someone disagreeing with you or having a different opinion is not inherently a bad thing. It’s a good thing. Growth comes from discourse, change, discussion and criticism. Not blind obedience. Always challenge the things you love the most.

Prof... Vince was on point; earl grey and English breakfast teas are like Star Wars and Star Trek, in a totally different universe.

Brian’s point about wanting to watch uplifting content because you’re depressed about the state of things in the world is so relatable to me. There’s only so much true crime content that I can take before I just want to watch a goofy slice of life anime or listen to someone talk about how much they like Baldur’s Gate and stuff like that. While negative criticism can drive passion, sometimes I just need something happy

I love prof throwing packs at vince screaming, "Open it!" 🤣🤣🤣

I want to say that Vince's videos of gameplay on Arena have really warmed my perception of Alchemy cards. I always thought they were kinda neat but it sucks that they were digitally exclusive, but now I don't have as much of a feels bad around them and can enjoy them for what they are- cards like Jarsyl and Settle the Wilds are some of my favorite cards I've played with this year and it's thanks in large part to Vince's gameplay of Jarsyl!

Sometimes youtube doesn't show me your videos even though I'm subbed to both of you. I subbed to PK because of his Minotaur tribal gameplay, and I have been loving the Gladiator content (I also love Shuffle Up & Play). I don't like that you have to, but I have watched many videos from Prof *because* he made a community post saying he posted a video. I value both of your opinions regardless of if they're positive or negative, but I understand that I am just one person. Thanks to both of you for all the work you do.

I love flesh and blood but I hate that they tear down anyone who criticizes anything they do. We're left with just praise and it's not how the game is discussed at the game stores there's a lot of good and there's a lot of bad. The one channel I know of that used to discuss it in a fair manner had their store banned by flesh and blood for tournaments.

“The Command Zone” “Spell Slingers” and “You” are the reason I hint back into magic again. And I’m going to keep playing because of you and your videos. Thank you both for your service to the MTG community.

Thank you for shouting out to Film Joy Prof, Movie with Mikey is always such a great moment!

In this episode of DtR, we learn The Prof can't distinguish flavors very well.

On a product-by-product basis, I don't think you've persuaded/dissuaded me from buying anything, but you've definitely influenced my approach to determining what to dedicate my money towards. I think I've purchased fewer boosterboxes, opting for singles instead, specifically due to points you've made in the past. And I thank you for it :)

The most unrealistic part of the opening skit is that there were that many episodes of Dies to Removal in 6 months

It's funny and sad, because once I saw a podcast that used to be very, very renowned... Talk about how Product Fatigue is a "Lie", Magic 30 not being "That Bad" and "Maybe not every product is for you"... When they got sponsored by Wizards. It was a sad moment.

I think content creators who want to focus on positivity should be allowed to do that. But when there are major, significant things happening in the community that they won’t even mention in passing because they’re “negative”, it’s really just advertising, and it feels very alienating. As much as I don’t want to endlessly hear angry people complaining about everything in videos and podcasts, I do want to have some sense of how people actually feel, and to know they care even a little bit about something like skyrocketing product prices, or Wizards siccing the Pinkertons on a small RU-vidr. A refusal to even acknowledge the basic fact of these problems’ existence is discrediting, imo.

As an inhabitant of Barcemenapolis, I can confirm that our Pro Tour showcased the new Double Feature-Aftermath cards which, as demanded by tradition, were respectfully laid to rest in a local landfill.

I had the most growth working with my toughest professors 👨‍🏫 they were supportive but also knew me well and knew what I was capable of and thus pushed me to be better. I feel like you’re that professor of magic. (Or to Wotc) Your content is a supportive, standard holder, cheerleader, growth cultivator, educator, making people aware of other voices kind of professor.

Hey Prof, I almost missed this episode as it isn’t in the Dies to Removal playlist yet! By far the best MtG podcast series, insightful and hilarious. If my fellow englishman PK can’t be there in person i’d happily watch webcam only episodes. The previous ones with set reviews or more general conversations even covering aspects/formats that i don’t play were fantastic, I’d take any form in which you guys can talk magic and lightly poke fun at each other :) I hope there’s a bunch more on my next rewatch!

No, i don’t think that Critics are bad for Magic

Well done to Vince for challenging Prof's view at 34:50 . I think fair criticism is important, be it either positive or negative but you can't on the one hand say that you have to create 'negative' thumbnails for the algorithm so that you get more viewers and then on the other hand say a negative review wouldn't have some sort of effect on sales. I know that if I see a reputable channel like this say a product isn't worth it or an alternative is better then I will not buy said product. It's a really interesting topic. Thank you both for the podcast!

I think its safe to say that your videos do cause people to not buy certain products but on the other hand your videos got me back into magic. WOTC has gotten more money out of me because of you than your videos could take away. Thank you both for all the positivity you bring to the community.

Wizards messed up since: Balance is less important than power creep, They took over every fun format to turn it into their gold donkey, They started neglecting the physical game for easier online Cashgrab, They bought the opinion and voice of every magic influencer, They started printing less creative more whacky cards to cash bait casuals, They printed important cards for competitive play at higher rarities for more set sales, They printed more and more "premium products" aka secret lair, mythic editions etc. To grab money inflating the value of foil or high rarity cards by having 10 different "high rarity versions", They ruined competetive play by custom designing the format with powercrept "must play" cards, They let magic die for low quality low identity and low creativity design on cards, sets and basically everything portrayed to the outside. Also the old Employee working conditions issue. Basically since war of the spark or some time around that

Tolarian has a podcast?! Okay day made. I’m getting back into magic because of this amazing channel and it’s fair and balanced commentary. Keep up the good work!

I didn’t even look at the thumbnail, I saw pleasant Kenobi and bryan’s face in my peripheral vision and went, “DIES TO REMOVAL” thank you for making my morning excellent

That intro skit was amazing and the whole podcast was great

My favourite tea is when entire sets are leaked online months prior to release

You guys wondering if you were a part of someone getting into something new, Pleasant Kenobi you got me into both Marvel Snap and way into Warhammer Lore (along with other channels with their deep dives on the insane amount of Warhammer lore there is). And Prof you convinced me to make not one but two pauper commander decks, and also my own version of Jon Irenicus after your season finale episode, which was one of if not the best games of recorded commander content I have ever watched. And you also got my nostalgia firing for Yu-Gi-Oh (my first TCG) with your videos with Team APS and I’ve been playing a little bit of Master Duel lately.

British person here: Earl Grey and Breakfast Tea are TOTALLY different! Both are black teas but the main difference, which is the unique feature of Earl Grey, is that Earl Grey has bergamot for an added orangey, citrus hint.

ngl, my interest in magic has plummeted to near zero in the last year. it used to be my main hobby, now i pretty much exclusively play pokemon tcg and warhammer. it is what it is i guess.

That intro was the _longest_ ever buildup to the dumbest joke - A+, absolutely perfect.

I pre-ordered the Tyranid 40k deck, and getting the promo from the LGS made it feel really special. Those promo cards do make a difference in all their forms.

On MTG creators bringing success to MTG: Prof and the TCC team, your content got me back into the game after a 10year hiatus.

Leather daddy Hasbro is the only product I need for 2023. - "Oh daddy, give me those curled foils!" - (gruff voice) "you've been a bad customer.." - "So bad, Daddy Hasbro, I'll buy all the worthless collector boosters you want!" - "AND SECRET LAIRS!" - "Yessss Daddyyyyy!"

I’ve loved this conversation The intro was hilarious, that you then followed into a super thoughtful conversation on life and meaning Love you guys and yes you’re both a part of my love of Magic

A buddy of mine is just getting into magic. We had a fantastic game of 6 player edh, he borrowed my izzet dragon tribal deck and ended up winning (and we definitely didn’t hand him that win either.) he had a great time. When he expressed interest in learning how to play he opted to look up tutorial videos online. He likely came across some of your videos. My fear is if he continues to research to decide which commander he wants to build, he is going to stumble upon the critique videos, which tells the algorithm that he needs more negative energy. Then next thing you know he’s going to see nothing but the magic historian or other hyper negative channels and he starts wondering what the problem with this game is. We just want a friend to hang out with, and channels like that are going to prevent this, potentially. I think you’re absolutely right, fair criticism makes a lot of sense. Blatant hate is a waste of time

The problem is regardless of what critics say Wizards can basically do whatever they want with Magic because people still throw tons of money at it anyways. The MTG community needs to come together and force change like the DnD community did.

I know it is a few days late for this video, but (for your personal data research) you and my friend Zack are the two main reasons I got into and have been playing Magic for the last 14 months. Thanks, Prof!

Great episode of Half in the bag !!!

I genuinely clicked to hear two of my favorite MTG creators have a thoughtful discussion about the roll of critics in an engagement driven space. Commenting for the algorithm.

You get a thumbs up for that skit. It just kept getting better and I busted out laughing 3 different times. Love the new play on the "has a RU-vid Channel" bit. Also, I do prefer an Earl Grey over an Eng Breakfast and they are 100% different flavors.

The shoutout to Rhystic Studies is fantastic. The game is better for those critics providing thoughtful insight into the visual aspects of the game.

Being jumpscared by seeing myself at 30:55 stepping on Vince again

I think its important to remember as a consumer, WotK is not there to be my friend, they aren't doing me any favors. They only want the contents of my wallet. Thats it. They will use every metric to get as much out of every customer as possible. When it comes to critics, When i see a critic who WotK is afraid to interact with, because THEY KNOW they are offering a weak/greedy product. The more I trust the critic. I can honestly say I trust Prof. more than any other outlet. Your growth proves you're a positive influence on the community, and helping to protect us from predictory marketing, Just like the late Total Biscuit (rip). Love ya Prof.

That was one of the greatest intros yet, and that's a high bar!

As someone who plays lots of different kinds of games, mtg really does have a great community behind it. Theres been plenty of games where i cant find hard data and it has ultimately ruined my experience because i cant figure out how something works and the only thing online is a forum post from 8 years ago that says "just do it right and itll work". Meanwhile, mtg has people going in depth for eveey aspect: deck building, why a curve is important, how to increase consistency, why some cards are better even though they read almost the exact same, IN DEPTH RULINGS with a ton of technical talk, product reviews, your deckbox and sleeve reviews (gave me tons of confidence in buying stuff so i didnt feel guilty like i just wasted my money), etc.

"English Breakfast is superior to Earl Gray" It's ok, Vince, not everyone can be correct 🙂

I just watch Dies to Removal. It doesn't matter what the title or thumbnail is as long as I get to see Prof and Vince talking about Magic.

Laughed so hard when Vince got up and left 😂

56:25 Regarding "the health of magic being correlated in part to the health of its creators," it's important to address the issue of reversing causality and the implicit association of the community's well-being with the "big names." While MTG creators have indeed become more prominent than ever before in terms of views and financial success, it is crucial to note that the overall health and quality of the game have declined. This contradicts the notion that increased volume in terms of players or profit necessarily leads to an improved product or experience. Furthermore, we should not overlook the significant impact of the changes made by Wizards of the Coast to organized play, which essentially led to the demise of the "cottage industry" of MTG content and grassroots event series. The discontinuation of these elements not only resulted in thousands of job losses amongst the professional content community but also dissipated the financial support that once sustained that aspect of the game. It's disheartening to witness the absence of meaningful SCG or CFB premium articles, and the decline of grassroots events that used to occur at least once a month in various regions worldwide. The focus on collecting rather than playing the game, which WotC seems to prioritize, further exacerbates the issue. The current emphasis on a social fan format, which the game was not originally designed or balanced for, has diminished the desire for players to engage with content that enhance their gameplay. Moreover, the continuous need for card bans in the standard format makes it unappealing to invest $500 USD in a deck that could become obsolete due to these frequent bans. In the modern format, which has gradually veered towards a homogenized "5 color good stuff" approach, the cards themselves have become increasingly powerful, often possessing game-winning abilities, convoluted paragraphs of text and, conditionally free casting costs. TL;DR: The health of the Magic: The Gathering community is not solely determined by the success of one section of its popular creators. Despite portions of the game reciving increased prominence, the game's overall quality has declined. The changes made by Wizards of the Coast, including the effective discontinuation of organized play, have negatively affected the MTG content industry and grassroots events. The focus on collecting rather than playing, along with constant card bans, format imbalances and, a never ending stream of product releases has dampened enthusiasm among players.

Critics are bad for revenue. So it's the company's mandate to make us believe that it means it's bad for the game.

I'm just getting back to Magic after about 15 years away from game after quitting in High School. Your videos give great information and advice for me to utilize in my choices as a complete plebiscite. I mentioned to a long time player I've been in a commander pod with for a couple months now that I was getting the LOTR starter decks so I could get the exclusives rates and mythics that come in them, and he had no idea that was a thing. Magic is a completely baffling and confusing array of products to sift through as a born again player, and I thank you for your help in doing so. This is an amazing channel.

10:00 You mean talking in a wrestling announcers voice complaining about every single thing and calling for the doom of magic is not good criticism ? Iam historically disappointed

It's so fascinating that in their individual channels, I feel like Kenobi is waaaaaay more negative. But in these episodes it is the exact opposite xD cool to hear them discuss that!

Ah yes, 'just doing it for clicks' directed at the guy who can get clicks by literally talking about if a box is good or bad.

Whereas my grandfather said, "we're leaving this product line except for pre-releases and drafts. Atleast until we have enough of a collection to play other formats." Without buying singles... A truly wise man.

Thing about all those “positive” centric spaces and people who don’t wanna get bogged down in the negative aspects of the game is that sure, other people can respect that and move on to other types of content that speaks to them. They’re still not going to be safe when wotc eventually ruins the game in a way where even the most positive and open minded of mtg players say it’s enough and apathy truly sets in from them too. The enemy is not and has never been the player base, the enemy is wizard of the coast and their masters at Hasbro. Always has been, always will. Yelling amongst ourself does nothing but let them win.

We critics have checked ourselves thoroughly and found ourselves to be absolutely necessary to MTG.

Let’s go pioneer on Arena!!!!

Great point at the end. Even the whiniest, most pedantic critics mean that people still care about what you're putting out. Outrage is preferable to apathy.

The price of magic cards is bad for magic

I’d watch a full-length movie of PK going about his day while the Prof appears out of random places and crannies and screams “PACK! OPEN IT!” Before letting loose with a handful of D-tier sealed packs.

Epic intro I couldn't stop laughing

Wow the first 5 minutes of this one I could have sworn I was watching an episode of the Command Zone!

good video as always prof

MTG isn't really my go-to game but I have enjoyed it, but this video is a great evaluation of the toxic content that is created against a lot of popular IPs. Anger mining, negative media. Great topics that are relevant accross many genres.

my favorite tea is the mysterious concoction my shaman gave me under that waterfall out behind the Dennys. It left me stranded in the astral realm for a month and a half. I woke up in the softest bed I've ever slept in, in a hotel in Algeria.

I heard of a study that people bond over what they hate more than what they love. In fact a dating site was based around it!

Since Vince asked: my favorite sort of tea is a nice chai blend... but I'm not very picky and hate going shopping, so in actual practice I just wind up drinking "whatever sort is in the house". Vince is completely correct that Earl Grey is "not as good" as English Breakfast though: Earl Grey is black tea flavored with oil from the rind of a bergamot orange, English Breakfast is a mixture of multiple types of black teas, with *no* bergamot oil. They're very different flavor profiles (and 7-Up and Sprite are likewise "two things that are broadly similar" but taste markedly different from each other).

Prof, Vince is totally right on the tea thing. I have no idea how Earl Grey became the standard tea here in the states when it's the worst tasting option possible. Not unlike how the Red Delicious apple somehow became the standard apple. My favorite teas would be orange pekoe, darjeeling, or rooibos varieties

For me, the appeal of a critical video is not the negativity. But rather the fact that it forces analysis. I could make a positive video about any Magic product by picking 5 random cards, reading what they do, and imagining possible uses. That says nothing about the product because I could do it for everything. People who always complain are a little better not because you should want that energy in your life, but because at least they're offering some kind of comparison. Nevertheless, those people aren't much improvement because it too is something they can always do. Reality never matches imagination. The best creators are, as you say, fair critics. But even among them I'm more likely to watch a critical video simply because it takes more effort to say what's wrong than to simply describe something and declare it "good enough."

Me looking at the title of this video: “Magic….History…..My bones hurt”

The poster board with all the MtG flyers was a fun background joke! Love the work the crew does for the set.

I actually think both Prof and Kenobi are underestimating the influence of algorithms on content creation/interaction. Yes, it's a more symbiotic relationship than merely "the algorithm says do this", however it is still a relationship where one party (the algorithm) is setting the parameters of that relationship. Similar to how a person's thoughts can be largely dictated by the language and ideas they are immersed within, a person's relationship with media is largely dictated by the method of its delivery. "The medium is the message" is the adage that applies. For example, Twitter has (had?) a strict character limit, which severely limits and shapes what a "conversation" on that platform is, and people quickly adapted to that environment such that the messages they share thrive within the set parameters (short, witty, snarky one-upsmanship). With algorithmic content delivery, algorithms have set a sort of "content character limit" of what is and is not promoted, and despite how an audience chooses to engage with that, they are beholden to the dynamic that emerges in such a system: provocative, binary extremes vying for attention. Try to "tell" the algorithm to stop functioning that way only by engaging the content it suggests, and see what happens. Algorithms don't necessarily foster negativity, but they do push people towards content bubbles which further reinforce algorithmic delivery, because that is the "best" way for them to function. And it so happens that extreme negativity is very profitable; both for attracting people's attention, and for eliciting a susceptible marketing response.

This is kinda random, but am the only one who watches the professor just move his toes around while I listen? It's really nice to just feel like he's not trying to impress, just be himself and talk about something with us like friends.

Speaking of channels that just want to talk about magic for the sake of talking about magic, I highly recommend Chorocojo. Probably the chillest thing in magic youtube. Basically randomly generates a card and finds something neat to say about it for a minute or 2. Like bite sized Rhystic Studies but less academic.

I am new to the channel and TCG. What I enjoy about the channel's perspective is the overall love for the genre and the sincerity of the views. I have never thought that the Prof was trying to be negative for views.

Shout-out to Vince's Miniac T shirt @4:00

Fair criticism is a big reason why I come to this channel. Not only is it NOT bad for the game in my experience, but it allows me to enjoy the game more. If the only voices I heard were relentlessly positive about things that I feel are plainly terrible, I'd probably look around and decide I don't want to be a part of this. The game design is impeccable as always, but the price of game pieces is so high that Wizards/Hasbro should be overjoyed that anyone says even remotely positive things about the product, while they stuff their pockets with the paychecks of addicts

Top teas for me: Jasmine (don't steep for too long or too hot, scalding ruins it, imo) Moroccan mint Darjeeling Genmaicha (and popped rice tea, in general)

As the Professor said, it's all about being fair in your criticism. Assessing products under economic, pragmatic or sentimental lenses allows people to make better buying choices. This may even prevent people from spending money on something and getting disappointed, thus associating the company with such regret. Smart companies will take note on the criticism and iterate on their products to provide better experiences to their consumer base.

The idea of The Prof discussing a product's Investment Portfolio worthiness is just outlandish, haha.

As creators/influencers you have a voice. This will resonate with your audience both positively and negatively. This does have an effect on product purchases for your viewers but does that affect the overall product sales, unlikely.

English breakfast is pure black tea Prof., while Earl Grey is a black tea infused with bergamot, which makes it citrussy. so it's like coke and coke vanilla. the base is the same, but there's a clear difference in flavour. English breakfast adds milk and Earl Grey adds a little lemon juice

Heres some fuel to the whole critic arguement - I ignored all criticism and gameplay videos, ignored all positive and negatives when it came to MoM aftermath. I just saw the cool card I liked. I bought a booster box, cracked it, and immediately regretted it. Alternatively, I did watch basically only criticisms on and bought Innistrad Midnight Hunt and loved it! People need criticism but they also need to synthesize the information to their needs. You don't like negativity? Well be prepared to get let down when you buy something you didn't get info on.

Wizards of the Coast should be extremely ashamed of the decisions they've been making, but they're not, because they're too busy murdering puppies with butter knives, which. based on their decisions, is definitely a thing they do regularly and is not even close to the most horrible thing they do. We can't possibly think of what those things are because we have souls. Wizard's bad.

Spell Table with Vince and guests is a must.

Morning: English Breakfast Afternoon: English Breakfast Early Evening: Earl Grey (Not citrus infused) Late Evening: Decaf Bad Day: Assam Special Occasions: Lapsang Seuchon / Macha All Else Fails: Ceylon

I keep playing magic because of people like you two. You helped me feel like getting back into the game after over a decade would be a reasonable goal. Been playing consistently for years now. Thanks. Jasmine, but Earl Grey over English breakfast.

Can't speak for everybody, but I've never based my purchase decisions on what critics say. I basically run under the understanding that critics are uniquely incapable of judging absolutely anything. May or may not be true on any level, but if anybody's going to mislead me, it's going to be me.

>.> I never look at thumbnails. I judge by title and the knowledge I have of the creator whether I want to watch it or not. . .and sometimes I click anyway just to support the creators I follow and I'm usually content with what I click on.