Has Legacy finally become fair again?

After months of Fantasticar combos, bans, explosive strategies and constant metagame upheaval, the Legacy format suddenly feels very different.

In Episode 118 of In Response – A Legacy Podcast, Philipp, Daniel and Peter discuss why Legacy seems to have finally put on the brakes — and whether the format is beginning to feel like Legacy again.

“Fair” obviously means something very different in Legacy than it does in Standard or Modern. Legacy is still an incredibly powerful format. But right now, creature combat, interaction, card advantage and games played over multiple turns are becoming increasingly important again.

And more importantly: players appear to have meaningful choices.

We discuss:

Why Legacy currently feels slower

The impact of the Fantasticar ban

The rise of fair blue strategies

Blue-Black’s position in the metagame

Bilbo as an important new fair threat/value engine

Flow State and modern card advantage

Whether Tamiyo is still an automatic inclusion

Different ways to build Blue-Black Tempo and midrange

The relationship between tempo, card advantage and pressure

Bilbo compared to old Legacy threats like Dreadhorde Arcanist

Why fair cards can still be incredibly powerful in Legacy

The return of control and larger fair strategies

Whether combo can exploit the current metagame

New experimentation in Storm and other combo decks

Why having several viable strategic directions matters

Whether Legacy is actually healthier — or simply feels more like Legacy again

One of the most interesting developments is that there no longer appears to be one obvious way to build every blue deck.

Do you want maximum pressure?

Do you want Flow State and card advantage?

Do you want a larger control strategy?

Do you want to attack those fair decks with combo?

Those decisions — and the metagame cycles they create — are a big part of what has historically made Legacy interesting.

So our real question isn't simply:

“Is Legacy fair?”

It's:

“Does Legacy finally feel like Legacy again?”

And right now, our answer might actually be yes.

💬 What do you think? Is the current Legacy metagame genuinely healthier, or are we just between broken decks?

00:00 – Has Legacy Finally Put on the Brakes?

01:50 – Why Blue-Black Feels Different Now

02:41 – What “Fair” Actually Means in Legacy

04:27 – Bilbo and the New Fair Power Level

07:49 – Tempo, Flow State & Card Advantage

11:32 – Is Tamiyo Still an Auto-Include?

12:32 – Different Ways to Build Blue-Black

14:27 – Bilbo vs Dreadhorde Arcanist

16:19 – Could Bilbo Become Oppressive?

22:10 – Is There Room for Fast Combo Again?

24:08 – New Storm Experiments

30:33 – Fair Blue Is Rising, But Combo Still Exists

30:45 – Is Legacy Actually Better Now?

31:19 – Why the Format Feels Like Legacy Again

32:35 – Choosing the Deck That Fits Your Style

🎧 Listen to In Response – A Legacy Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all major podcast platforms.

👍 Subscribe for weekly Legacy metagame analysis, deck discussions, tournament coverage and Magic: The Gathering strategy.

#MTGLegacy #LegacyMTG #MagicTheGathering #LegacyMeta #MTGPodcast #LegacyPodcast #FlowState

Modern Legacy Is Too Powerful — We Went Back to 2019 | Episode 117

What happens when you take modern Legacy players and put them back into 2019-era Legacy?

We found out.

In Episode 117 of In Response – A Legacy Podcast, we briefly discuss the latest Fantasticar ban and what the post-Fantasticar Legacy metagame could look like. But the real focus of this episode is a trip back to 2019-era Legacy through our PreFire tournament.

And the difference was striking.

Older Legacy had weaker individual threats, longer games and more time to develop a strategy. Modern Legacy is filled with cards that generate enormous amounts of value immediately—and that can fundamentally change how games are played.

We discuss what that difference actually feels like at the table.

Is Fantasticar Already Too Good for Legacy? | Episode 116Legacy has a brand-new engine card—and it's showing up everywhere.In Episode 116 of In Response – A Legacy Podcast, we take a deep dive into Fantasticar, the newest card that's rapidly reshaping the Legacy metagame.Unlike previous format-defining threats, Fantasticar isn't locked into a single archetype. Instead, it's powering multiple combo and tempo strategies, forcing players to rethink both deckbuilding and sideboarding.So the big question is:Is Fantasticar simply powerful... or already too powerful?In this episode we discuss:What Fantasticar actually doesWhy it has become one of the most played cards in LegacyWhich archetypes use it bestDoomsday and FantasticarBlue-Black Fantasticar shellsTES and other Storm strategiesWhich decks are the biggest losersHow to beat FantasticarStifle, Sphere of Resistance and other answersIs Legacy becoming too fast again?Should Wizards consider action?Early Hobbit spoilers, including Bilbo and other cards that could impact LegacyOne of the biggest discussions in Legacy today isn't about a single deck.It's about a single card that suddenly appears across the entire format.Is this healthy diversity—or the beginning of another format-defining engine?Let us know what you think in the comments.🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all major podcast platforms.👍 If you enjoy Legacy strategy, metagame analysis, tournament preparation and competitive Magic, subscribe for new episodes every week.

Did Wizards Finally Get Legacy Bans Right? | Episode 115

The Legacy format has changed once again.

With Candelabra of Tawnos leaving the format, Tron takes a significant hit—but the bigger conversation isn't about one deck.

It's about how Legacy should be managed moving forward.

In Episode 115 of In Response – A Legacy Podcast, we discuss the latest Banned & Restricted announcement, whether Wizards of the Coast is becoming more proactive with Legacy, and if frequent ban announcements are ultimately good for the format.

We also dive into one of the hottest new topics in Legacy: Fantasticar.

Already appearing across multiple archetypes and mentioned on the Legacy watch list, the card is creating heated discussions throughout the community.

Legacy has rarely evolved this quickly.

The question is:

Are players adapting fast enough—and is Wizards making the right decisions?

Is the Legacy metagame you're seeing online actually the metagame you'll face at your next tournament?

In Episode 114 of In Response – A Legacy Podcast, we dive into one of the biggest challenges facing competitive Legacy players today: the growing disconnect between MTGO results and paper tournament reality.

Following the ban of Undercity Informer, we discuss why Oops All Spells was targeted, whether Wizards of the Coast made the right call, and how the ban reshaped the format in unexpected ways.

The biggest winner? It might not be the deck you think.

We break down:

• Why Tron emerged as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Oops ban
• The impact of Flow State on the current Legacy metagame
• Why Blue-Black Tempo suddenly disappeared from online results
• The rise of Blue-Red Tempo, Doomsday, and Sneak & Show
• Why MTGO and paper Legacy are drifting further apart
• The real impact of card availability on tournament results
• Whether Legacy Tron is actually the best deck in the format
• Four Seasons Bologna predictions and expected Top 8 decks
• What we are planning to register for one of Europe's biggest Legacy events

One of the most interesting questions in Legacy right now is simple:

How much should tournament players trust online data?

A deck can dominate MTGO challenges while barely existing in paper events. Meanwhile, decks that seem absent online may be far better choices for large European tournaments.

If you're preparing for Four Seasons Bologna, Eternal Weekend, Austrian Legacy Masters, local RCQs, or any major Legacy event, this episode will help you understand the difference between the online winners' metagame and the real-world paper metagame.

• Legacy Banned & Restricted Discussion
• Undercity Informer Ban
• Oops All Spells
• Legacy Tron
• Flow State
• Blue-Black Tempo
• Blue-Red Tempo
• Doomsday
• Sneak & Show
• Four Seasons Bologna
• Legacy Metagame Analysis
• MTGO vs Paper Legacy
• Competitive Legacy Strategy

Flow State has arrived — and Legacy players are already comparing it to Expressive Iteration.

In Episode 113 of In Response – A Legacy Podcast, we break down the hottest new card in the format and discuss whether it’s simply strong… or potentially format-warping.

• Why Flow State immediately slotted into Blue Red and Blue Black
• Comparisons to Expressive Iteration
• The instant/sorcery deckbuilding requirements
• Why Doomsday may be one of the biggest winners
• New tempo shells with Delver, DRC, and Stormchaser’s Talent
• Mystic Sanctuary discussions returning to Legacy
• How the format may adapt to the new card advantage engine

• “Flow State into Flow State decides games.”
• “Every deck that doesn’t play Flow State has to find a way to beat it.”
• “This could become Expressive Iteration 2.0.”

If you want to stay ahead of the Legacy metagame, this episode is essential. We explore not only where Flow State fits today — but how it could reshape the format moving forward.

👉 Is Flow State healthy for Legacy?
👉 Which shell is best?
👉 Subscribe for weekly Legacy content and tournament coverage.

#MTGLegacy #MagicTheGathering #LegacyFormat #FlowState

Key TopicsMemorable MomentsWhy Watch This EpisodeCalls to Action

Episode 112 dives into one of the most exciting new developments in Legacy: a Goblin Welder combo shell that may have completely replaced Painter.How the new combo works (Surveillance Cam + Welder)Infinite mana and win conditions explainedWhy Painter might no longer be optimalDifferent shells: Mono Red, Blue, and Hybrid buildsPlan B strategies with Urza’s Saga and Cori-Steel CutterStrengths, weaknesses, and matchupsIf you’re a combo player, a former Painter pilot, or just want to stay ahead of the Legacy meta, this episode breaks down a deck that might redefine artifact strategies.Yours⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Daniel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Philipp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In Episode 111, we go deep on Legacy Elves with a dedicated specialist, Christian Noitz ( @OnlyElves on X) and answer the big question: is the deck still viable in today’s meta?Why Elves fell off in recent yearsThe impact of Bowmasters and modern card designCombo vs “Value Elves” buildsHow to adapt your list for today’s metaMatchups vs Blue-Black Tempo, Control, and ComboSideboarding strategies and card choicesIf you’ve ever played Elves, or thought about picking it up, this episode gives you a real, honest look at where the deck stands today and how to approach it in the current meta.👉 What’s your experience with Elves right now?👉 Drop your list in the comments👉 Subscribe for weekly Legacy insightsYours⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Daniel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Philipp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠