Esper Lurrus: Inside the Deck That Won Eternal Weekend

In this episode, Zac interviews European Vintage Champion Franco Chicchini, fresh off his win at the largest Vintage event ever held in Europe! We dive deep into Franco’s run with Esper Lurrus, his experience at Eternal Weekend Italy, the state of the Vintage format, and the key decisions that led him to victory.Franco shares:How he got into VintageWhy he switched from Dimir to EsperWhy Lavinia, Containment Priest, and Swords to Plowshares matter right nowHis thoughts on Lurrus decks, Vintage balance, and potential B&R changesHis most memorable plays (including a clutch Spell Pierce in the finals!)The importance of having a plan — and sticking to itA heartfelt shout-out to Gary Campbell for lending power and supporting the sceneIf you love Vintage, deck techs, and high-level tournament insight, this is the interview for you.👉 Follow for more Eternal Weekend interviews and deck breakdowns!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EternalDurdlesTCGPLAYER AFFILIATE LINK:https://partner.tcgplayer.com/OexAAnIn this episode, Zac is joined by Legacy legend and coverage icon Julian Knab to break down Eternal Weekend Europe — not from the player’s perspective, but from the streamers, commentators, and production team who made the event happen.Julian pulls back the curtain on how the Four Seasons and Impact Returns crews completely reinvented European coverage this year: early planning, two-team commentary rotation, time-shifted matches, and the massive amount of scouting, research, and coordination required to put on a world-class broadcast.We talk through:• What went wrong at past Eternal Weekends — and how Italy fixed it• How European organizers built a production that rivals (and surpasses) WotC• The secret tech behind time-shifted matches and near-zero downtime• How commentary teams avoid spoilers while scouting the floor• Why Legacy culture in Italy is unmatched• The rise of regional teams & deck identities across Europe• Julian’s stories from early coverage days, including 1-square-meter setups• The Ultimate Guard “Superhero Game” and the worst (…and real!) heroes ever printed• Phil’s GP mix-up, legendary sideboard accidents, and 23 different sideboard cards• Reflections on podcasting, recognition, and 10+ years of Everyday Eternal• The joy of meeting online friends in person for the first timeThis is one of the warmest, funniest, and most insightful Legacy conversations we've had — equal parts coverage archaeology, European Magic culture, and event storytelling.And yes, we will fix America and Germany on our trip to Munich.JOIN US ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/hrC7PxQZTEProudly supported by Three For One Trading: shop.threeforonetrading.comCardmillhttps://cardmill.com/EternalDurdlesMOXFIELDEternal Durdles Moxfield: https://www.moxfield.com/users/EternalDurdleshttps://www.moxfield.com/users/Durdlemagushttps://www.moxfield.com/users/ForceofPhil

Phil sits down with Tall Eric — Eternal Weekend North America Top 8 competitor and one of the most committed Doomsday pilots in the format — to break down post-Entomb-ban Doomsday heading into Luca / Eternal Weekend Europe.Eric explains how the deck has evolved now that hybrid Entomb/Doomsday shells are gone, what Turbo vs Tempo Doomsday actually looks like in today’s meta, and why some pivots are traps even if top players can win with them.We cover:• Why Turbo Doomsday remains the real deck• Personal Tutor vs Tamiyo — which is correct now?• Why splashing a 3rd color is almost always a trap• Why two Thassa’s Oracle is still essential• Laboratory Maniac vs Jace in the sideboard• How Doomsday actually lines up into Delver, UB Tempo, Reanimator, Breakfast, and Depths• Why Cavern of Souls is secretly one of the deck’s most important cards• How to evaluate “pile structure” and redundancy post-ban• What (if anything) Doomsday cares about from the new sets (Avatar, Spider-Man, etc.)• Eric’s honest thoughts on Doomsday’s position for Europe — and why he never feels confident in a deck choice• The importance of aesthetics, card loans, and Moxfield equity (joking… but also not joking)This is an extremely deep dive into how the deck works, where it stands now, and how a Doomsday specialist evaluates the format heading into one of the biggest Legacy events of the year.

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EternalDurdlesTCGPLAYER AFFILIATE LINK:https://partner.tcgplayer.com/OexAAnInfect is BACK — and Sam “FenrusCloud” Dams joins Zac to explain exactly why the archetype is suddenly one of the scariest and most explosive choices for Eternal Weekend 2025.We break down the real reasons Infect is better positioned now than at any point in the last several years:• Reanimator finally pushed out of its aggro-removal hybrid shell• Massive upgrades like Legolas’s Quick Reflexes and Inbiggen• Meta shifts toward decks Infect preys on — Cloudpost, Show & Tell, Doomsday, Painter, Mystic Forge• Why Spell Pierce matters again• Why Dimir Tempo and Red Stompy are the real predators• Sam’s real league stats and matchup breakdowns• The fear Infect puts into opponents & the skill ceiling behind “when do I go for it?”• Sideboard philosophy, Endurance tech, and why consistency matters more than cute one-ofsIf you’re considering Infect for Eternal Weekend — or you haven’t played against it in years — this episode is the complete deep dive. Sam breaks down matchups, deck construction, pump math, Legolas trick lines, and why opponents misplay constantly into split second.Whether you're a returning Infect sicko or format veteran curious about the deck's comeback, this is your essential primer for the post-ban Legacy metagame.JOIN US ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/hrC7PxQZTEProudly supported by Three For One Trading: shop.threeforonetrading.comCardmillhttps://cardmill.com/EternalDurdlesMOXFIELDEternal Durdles Moxfield: https://www.moxfield.com/users/EternalDurdleshttps://www.moxfield.com/users/Durdlemagushttps://www.moxfield.com/users/ForceofPhil

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EternalDurdlesTCGPLAYER AFFILIATE LINK:https://partner.tcgplayer.com/OexAAn🧠 Legacy Theory: Sideboard Packages, Power Outliers & How to Actually Build a 75Phil debuts a new framework he’s been developing for Legacy deckbuilding: Sideboard Packages — a way of organizing your 75 around axes of interaction rather than individual hate cards. If you’ve ever wondered why your sideboard feels too tight, why certain cards never come in, or why powerful decks “always have it,” this is the theory episode you’ve been waiting for.This one goes deep into Legacy fundamentals after the Entomb + Nadu bans, including how decks generate axes, how to attack them, and why some answers are fundamentally better than others in a world of Tamiyo, The One Ring, and Urza’s Saga.🔥 In This Episode:📌 What IS a Sideboard Package?How powerful decks generate multiple “axes” you must respectWhy single-target answers often fail in the current Legacy metaThe difference between beating cards vs beating plans⚔️ Legacy’s Modern Power OutliersTamiyo as a standalone axisThe One Ring and why it invalidates most reactive plansUrza’s Saga as a one-card endgameWhy these cards define post-ban Legacy even without Nadu/Entomb📚 Classic Examples (ANT, Doomsday, Breakfast)Old Ad Nauseam Tendrils: 3 axes (Ad Nauseam, Tutor Chain, Past in Flames)How Cephalid Breakfast still has 3–4 functional axes even post-NaduWhy multi-axis decks feel like they “always have it”🧩 Sideboard Cards That Cover MULTIPLE AxesEngineered Explosives vs Prismatic EndingWrath of the SkiesCelestial Purge vs Hydroblast (Blood Moon, Bowmaster, Kaito)Extract in low-Thassa’s Oracle metagamesChoosing cards with maximum crossover📋 Building Your 75How to evaluate whether a sideboard card actually gets brought inHow to avoid over-indexing on narrow bulletsShoring up your weak matchups without wasting slotsLearning to think in “packages” instead of “piles”💬 Community Question:Do YOU use sideboard packages?Or do you prefer playing stock lists and tuning card-by-card?Drop your philosophy in the comments — we want to hear it.🙏 Support Eternal DurdlesGet ad-free episodes, bonus content, and deck guides:👉 https://patreon.com/EternalDurdles#MTGLegacy #MagicTheGathering #LegacyMTG #Sideboarding #Deckbuilding #Tamiyo #TheOneRing #UrzaSaga #CephalidBreakfast #Doomsday #ANT #EternalDurdlesJOIN US ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/hrC7PxQZTEProudly supported by Three For One Trading: shop.threeforonetrading.comCardmillhttps://cardmill.com/EternalDurdlesMOXFIELDEternal Durdles Moxfield: https://www.moxfield.com/users/EternalDurdleshttps://www.moxfield.com/users/Durdlemagushttps://www.moxfield.com/users/ForceofPhil

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EternalDurdlesTCGPLAYER AFFILIATE LINK:https://partner.tcgplayer.com/OexAAn🥣 Cephalid Breakfast players — breathe. Your deck survived the bans.In this episode, Zac sits down with Johan Larsson (aka the Octofather) to unpack what Breakfast looks like in a post-Nadu Legacy. Where does the deck go now? Which shells are strongest? And is it still one of the format’s top contenders?⚙️ In this deep-dive we cover:• Stoneforge Mystic builds vs UB shells• How the loss of Nadu reshapes the mana• Staff of the Storyteller, Kaito, and other new tech• Narcomoeba math, Dread Return tension, and Therapy consistency• Why Ancient Tomb hybrid lists might be cracked• Painter-Breakfast?! Riddler-Breakfast?! The wild new brews• Combat tricks, lines most people miss, and Johan’s favorite legacy interactions• Eternal Weekend Europe prep: deck decisions, travel, and expectations• Infect vs Breakfast — Zac’s big metagame dilemmaJohan brings 3+ years of reps on Breakfast, including dozens of leagues, tournament reps, and multiple iterations of the deck. If you’re sleeving this archetype for Eternal Weekend or MTGO right now, this is essential viewing.🎧 Support the show & get decklists + bonus content:➡️ patreon.com/eternaldurdles💬 Question of the day:Are YOU sticking with Breakfast post-ban, or pivoting to something else?JOIN US ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/hrC7PxQZTEProudly supported by Three For One Trading: shop.threeforonetrading.comCardmillhttps://cardmill.com/EternalDurdlesMOXFIELDEternal Durdles Moxfield: https://www.moxfield.com/users/EternalDurdleshttps://www.moxfield.com/users/Durdlemagushttps://www.moxfield.com/users/ForceofPhil

🧠 Legacy Banned & Restricted Discussion with Max GilmoreZac Clark sits down with Max Gilmore to break down the Entomb and Nadu, Winged Wisdom bans — and what they actually mean for the Legacy metagame. While the internet celebrates the end of Reanimator dominance, Max offers a more measured take on what was lost, what might come back, and how Wizards’ “light touch” approach could shape the next few months of Legacy.💬 In This Episode:Entomb ban fallout — was it the right card to hit?Nadu’s removal: cleaning up the combo metaWhy Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student survived (and maybe shouldn’t have)The One Ring debate: too strong or just misunderstood?“Free” unbans that WotC could’ve made (Troll? Grief?)Legacy’s next top deck — is Blue-Red Delver back?Volcanic Island is “unbanned” (metaphorically, of course)The cards gaining stock post-ban: Bowmasters, Pyroblast, Consign to Memory📈 Max’s Take: “Legacy isn’t dead — it’s just breathing differently now.”💀 Zac’s Take: “They had to kill Entomb, but it’s not something to celebrate.”🎧 Support Eternal Durdles and get exclusive content:👉 patreon.com/eternaldurdles📺 Watch more Legacy coverage and interviews:👉 youtube.com/@EternalDurdles#MTGLegacy #MagicTheGathering #EternalDurdles #LegacyBans #Entomb #Nadu #Tamiyo #TheOneRing #MaxGilmore #MTGPodcast

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EternalDurdlesTCGPLAYER AFFILIATE LINK:https://partner.tcgplayer.com/OexAAnPsychatog players — this one's for you.In this episode, Zac sits down with Adam, the Psychatog aficionado of the Premodern community, to break down exactly why this classic control-combo hybrid still competes at the highest levels of the format.This isn’t just a deck tech — it’s a philosophy session on how Psychatog actually works.We explore:• The true identity of Psychatog (not just control, not just combo)• Why free spells matter more than ever• How to survive turn-one Lackey, turn-two Survival, or StifleNought• What bounce spells really do in this list• Why Prohibit over Counterspell in this build• Why your graveyard isn’t as fragile as players think• How to “stay alive → maintain parity → take over”• Early game heuristics, mulligans, and turn sequencing• How to make Duress feel like the strongest card in the deck• Short math vs. full math on Psychatog kills• Why graveyard hate almost NEVER beats Tog• The role of Cunning Wish and the surprise Shallow Grave line• The real weaknesses of the deck & how to patch themIf you're trying to learn Premodern Psychatog from the ground up — or refine your play at the highest level — this breakdown will level up your whole approach.⭐ Want the Full Matchup Guide? https://www.patreon.com/EternalDurdlesWe cover: Survival, Goblins, StifleNought, Replenish, Parfait, Stasis, Tide, Elves, Landstill, Ponza, Oath, and more in the Patreon-only extended episode:JOIN US ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/hrC7PxQZTEProudly supported by Three For One Trading: shop.threeforonetrading.comCardmillhttps://cardmill.com/EternalDurdlesMOXFIELDEternal Durdles Moxfield: https://www.moxfield.com/users/EternalDurdleshttps://www.moxfield.com/users/Durdlemagushttps://www.moxfield.com/users/ForceofPhil

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EternalDurdlesTCGPLAYER AFFILIATE LINK:https://partner.tcgplayer.com/OexAAn🧟‍♂️ **Legacy Banned & Restricted Reaction — Entomb and Nadu Are Gone!**Zac and Phil break down the latest **Magic: The Gathering Banned & Restricted announcement**, where *Entomb* and *Nadu, Winged Wisdom* finally got the axe. Was this the right call? Why did *Tamiyo*, *The One Ring*, and *Urza’s Saga* survive? And does anyone at Wizards actually know what Legacy is anymore?💬 **In this episode:*** *Entomb* and *Nadu* bans: too late or just in time?* The “Starbucks Theory” of WotC trolling players* How far behind the ban cadence really is* The mystery of Inkwell Leviathan (again)* Why Legacy gets all the cards but none of the testing* The C+ announcement that still somehow feels like a win🏆 **Zac’s Grade:** B-📉 **Phil’s Grade:** C+💭 Drop your own letter grade in the comments — and tell us which two cards *you* would’ve banned.Support the show and get bonus episodes at👉 [patreon.com/eternaldurtles](https://patreon.com/eternaldurtles)Read community articles at🧾 [eternaldurtles.com](https://eternaldurtles.com)---JOIN US ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/hrC7PxQZTEProudly supported by Three For One Trading: shop.threeforonetrading.comCardmillhttps://cardmill.com/EternalDurdlesMOXFIELDEternal Durdles Moxfield: https://www.moxfield.com/users/EternalDurdleshttps://www.moxfield.com/users/Durdlemagushttps://www.moxfield.com/users/ForceofPhil

Zac and Phil go deep on Magic: The Gathering’s growing obsession with outside IPs, asking the big question — when did “nods” become “crossovers”?In this episode, they explore how Magic evolved from subtle flavor callbacks (like Theros’s Greek myth inspiration or Arabian Nights’ literary roots) to full-on Universes Beyond product lines. The conversation spans design philosophy, flavor theory, and even a little literary criticism — all centered on why Magic feels different now.From Avatar: The Last Airbender to Spider-Man and beyond, the guys debate what makes some collaborations work and others feel… off. Is it art style? Setting? Narrative tone? Or is it that Magic used to suggest connections rather than define them?🔥 In This Episode:00:00 – Zac’s rant: when Magic used to “nod” instead of “name-drop”02:00 – Top-down vs bottom-up design: why flavor-first cards feel better04:30 – Avatar’s art style, references, and the “member berries” problem07:30 – Why Spider-Man failed as a crossover (and what Avatar gets right)10:30 – The anime art debate and whether style fits Magic’s tone14:00 – Science fiction vs science fantasy — where MTG actually belongs17:00 – Why “Rent Is Due” broke immersion for everyone19:00 – Why Magic’s early lore worked (Legends, Arabian Nights)23:00 – Asimov, Heinlein, and why fantasy fits Magic better than sci-fi26:00 – When Spider-Man meets Cephalid Breakfast: the tone problem29:00 – The Aang card problem — when “does everything” means “means nothing”31:00 – Closing thoughts: can Universes Beyond ever feel magical?🧠 Key Takeaways:Magic once thrived on subtle allusions; now it relies on direct references.Top-down, flavor-driven design connects emotionally — bottom-up “color pie” design rarely does.Universes Beyond works best when we go to their worlds, not when they invade ours.Science fiction IPs struggle to blend with Magic’s mythic-fantasy tone.“Doing everything” (like Avatar Aang’s design) isn’t the same as meaning something.💬 Join the Conversation:Do you love or hate Magic’s Universes Beyond direction?Are sets like Avatar: The Last Airbender a step forward — or a step too far?Drop your thoughts below 👇🎧 Listen Ad-Free & Support the Show:👉 Patreon.com/EternalDurdles#MTG #MagicTheGathering #EternalDurdles #UniversesBeyond #AvatarTheLastAirbender #SpiderMan #MTGDesign #MTGLore #TCG #Fantasy #ScienceFiction #MTGPodcast