It's been an AGE since we shot this episode, which was the same day we shot the previous banlist episode on Golos with Kira. Spider-Man and PAX really took over for the past [checks calendar] two months, but it feels good to be getting back to our core material.
Since shooting this episode, we replaced the use of our iPhones as the close-up cameras with 2 more of the same camera we use for the wide shot. So while this one looks a little rough in parts, everything from here on out should be a lot easier on the eyes.
We're shooting a bunch of stuff this weekend, so stay tuned for more from us soon!
- chillybin
Mark might have one of the coolest jobs in the world. Not only is he doing Stage Manager and production stuff for the Main Theatre at every PAX show, he also does a bunch of different production roles for Magic Pro Tour events. Mark kindly gave me 15 minutes he had to spare between tech rehearsals on Day 2 of PAX AUS this year, and this interview is most of that time.
We talked about his work managing the Main Theatre at PAX and what production and coverage of a Magic Pro Tour event looks like behind the scenes. While brief, it's a fascinating glimpse into that world, and I probably could've nerded out over a lot of this for a lot longer.
Perhaps we'll run into Mark at MagicCon Amsterdam next year?
- chillybin
I had a lot of fun meeting and chatting with the crew from Good Games Morley. This turned out to be more of a chat about their origin and growth as an online sketch comedy group than about Magic, but we did touch on their live Commander game at PAX and the banlist right at the end. This was a delightful conversation with some very sweet people.
Big thanks to Good Games Morley for spending some of their time with us at the show!
- chillybin
It was an incredible experience getting to sit down to talk with Ify Nwadiwe at PAX Australia 2025. This was a really enjoyable conversation about his time in Australia, what he loves about Commander, and the various shows he's working on at the moment, including his own Commander gameplay show in Commander Party.
Huge thanks to Ify for spending some of his time with us at the show!
- chillybin
PAX Australia 2025 was truly one of the most incredible weeks of my life. The only downside is that Gramps wasn't able to experience this with me. This was a huge year for Magic at the show and this recap video is a highlight of everything I was able to see and do there.
I was fortunate enough to get a Media pass to the show this year and was able to line up interviews with some very exciting guests. We sat down to talk to Good Games Morley and Ify Nwadiwe and you can see some small excerpts in this video. Full interview videos for both of those are coming soon, as well as another fascinating interview not featured in this recap.
I am so grateful to PAX Australia for giving me and Casual Compliance this experience and opportunity and I cannot wait to do it again next year.
- chillybin
With no Commander precon in this set, we doubled down on the Deck% videos. We also took the opportunity to put a spin on the Pick 2 Draft format introduced alongside this set, by picking 2 cards from a booster for the other to build their deck around, instead of the usual random-Commander-from-a-booster schtick we do.
This was a fun spin on the idea of a Deck% video and one we might just do again in the future.
- chillybin
We were so stoked that Wizards of the Coast sent us a bunch of booster packs for the Marvel's Spider-Man set. The set is packed with legendary creatures, so we were pretty certain we'd get some interesting options to build around. This ended up being a really fun pairing, with both of us getting creatures with really fun play patterns when positioned as a Commander.
Also: this is the first episode we shot after upgrading our other 2 cameras from just using our phones to actual cameras to match the one we use for the wide shot. I'm really stoked with how much better everything looks, and how much easier it was to make it look good in the edit.
Thanks again to Wizards of the Coast for sending us these products for Marvel's Spider-Man!
- chillybin