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Benjamin Macready

My name is Ben, and I am a Gold Standard NCTJ certified journalist. I specialise in pieces about gaming and the culture surrounding it. I believe that games, whether they are played digitally or on a tabletop, are unambiguously art. Games can tell branching stories that wouldn’t be possible in other mediums. I aim to document and critique them on their own terms.

Card Gamer •

Unpacking the Yu-Gi-Oh! April 7th 2025 Banlist Update - Card Gamer

Images courtesy of KONAMI
On April 6th, 2025, the latest update to the Yu-Gi-Oh! banlist was announced at YCS Houston. This list then went into effect the next day, on April 7th. There’ve been some seismic changes here, impacting a total of 30 cards. Some in the community are celebrating explosive archetypes getting reigned in, while others are mourning the ban hammer smashing down on their favorite decks.

Let’s go through all of these bans, and talk about what’s changed, and how the meta might...
EDHREC •

Under the Radar - Sita Varma, Masked Racer | EDHREC

Now that Tarkir: Dragonstorm has burst over the horizon, let's look back at Aetherdrift. Magic's speediest set may not have had the greatest Limited format, but it gave us a collection of cool kart-driving commanders, from the artifact-amassing Mendicant Core, GuidelightMendicant Core, Guidelight, to the cycling Shark Captain Howler, Sea ScourgeCaptain Howler, Sea Scourge, to the undead Esper Wizard Hashaton, Scarab's FistHashaton, Scarab's Fist. Of course, not every racer can make it into pole...
EDHREC •

Under the Radar - Niambi, Esteemed Speaker | EDHREC

When we think of reanimator decks, typically we think of commanders with black somewhere in their color identity. Muldrotha, the GravetideMuldrotha, the Gravetide, Karador, Ghost ChieftainKarador, Ghost Chieftain, and Sedris, the Traitor KingSedris, the Traitor King are all great at taking creatures from the graveyard and slamming them straight into play.But what if you want to build a reanimator commander, without using the game's best reanimation color?Let's say you want to build a reanimation...
Card Gamer •

7 Yu-Gi-Oh! Archetypes Getting Support in Maze of the Master - Card Gamer

Images courtesy of KONAMI
We’ve had a few weeks to enjoy the new cards from Maze of the Master now. This set hasn’t done much to shake up a meta dominated by ever-present Ryzeal and Maliss decks. Nevertheless, Maze of the Master provides support for a wide range of archetypes from the game’s past. It also introduced a brand new set of “Odion” cards, based on the deck of Marik’s favorite minion.
Let’s take a look at the archetypes supported in Maze of the Master, and weigh how impactful these new...
SUPERJUMP •

An Interview with the Developers of Microtopia

An interview with Cordyceps Collective on how real insect behaviour inspired their design and much more

There is more overlap between video games and insects than you might expect. Satoshi Tajiri was inspired to create Pokémon by his time hunting bugs as a child. Hollow Knight shows us that insects can be as central to a Metroidvania game as vampires and space parasites, and Animal Crossing would just feel incomplete without the trusty bug-catching net.

Cordyceps Collective are a Netherlands-...
Card Gamer •

The New Odion Archetype in Maze of the Master - Card Gamer

Images courtesy of KONAMI
Maze of the Master is Yu-Gi-Oh!‘s latest booster set. These 112 cards cover a variety of different archetypes: there’s a new Ancient Gear card, some new Trickstars, and a thoroughly bizarre attempt at integrating Red Nova Dragon and the Earthbound Immortals. The big focus of the set, though, is on Odion’s cards.
Odion was a character from the original Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters anime. He was the adoptive brother, loyal henchman, and only friend of Marik Ishtar, the antagon...
EDHREC •

Under the Radar - Deekah, Fractal Theorist | EDHREC

Today's Under the Radar column marks a fun milestone. Back in August of last year, we analyzed Pashalik MonsPashalik Mons, an underloved mono-red Goblin who has lived his whole life in Krenko'sKrenko's shadow.A month later, we assessed Apothecary WhiteApothecary White, a mono-white Food commander, who is maybe more of a chef than an apothecary, but is still pretty great.At the start of 2025, we took a look at Old One EyeOld One Eye, a monstrous mono-green Tyranid. A fortnight ago, we reviewed Dr...
Card Gamer •

Every Summoning Method in Yu-Gi-Oh! Explained - Card Gamer

Images courtesy of KONAMI
One of the most daunting hurdles facing any new Yu-Gi-Oh! player is learning about all of the different ways of Summoning monsters. From Synchro Summoning to XYZ Summoning, there are a multitude of different ways to get monsters into play. This handy guide will outline all of the different Summoning methods in the game, and explain how they all work.

Normal Summoning a monster card means playing it from your hand into one of your five main monster zones. A Normal Summo...
EDHREC •

Under the Radar - Drana, Liberator of Malakir | EDHREC

Magic: The Gathering is full of Vampires. On Innistrad, we have Sorin MarkovSorin Markov, his old man EdgarEdgar, and Olivia VoldarenOlivia Voldaren who had maybe the bloodiest wedding this side of Game of Thrones.On Ixalan we have the saint Elenda, the Dusk RoseElenda, the Dusk Rose, the sinner Vona, Butcher of MaganVona, Butcher of Magan, and Amalia Benavides AguirreAmalia Benavides Aguirre who's neither as holy as Elenda, or as cruel as Vona, but is more capable than either of them of comboin...
Card Gamer •

Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection Review - Card Gamer

Images courtesy of KONAMI
The Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection, which releases today, is a compilation of 14 different Yu-Gi-Oh! games from the late 1990s and early 2000s. KONAMI is making a clear appeal to nostalgia here. This collection puts the original Duel Monsters anime in the spotlight, embracing the game as it was before the modern complexities of Synchro, XYZ, Pendulum, and Link summoning.
The duels you’ll play here will be clashes of old cards like Ocubeam and Uraby. There are some grea...
Card Gamer •

5 Big Changes In Yu-Gi-Oh! Since You Used To Play - Card Gamer

Images credited to KONAMI
With the Yu-Gi-Oh! EARLY DAYS COLLECTION set for release on the 27th of February, there are plenty of lapsed Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG players looking to return to the game. But the Yu-Gi-Oh! of today is very different from the game that Kaiba, Joey, and Yugi used to play back on Nick Toons in the early 2000s. There are a huge number of new types of monsters, plenty of new ways of playing, and the power level of the game has risen dramatically.
So if you’re looking to get back in...
EDHREC •

Under the Radar - Anya, Merciless Angel | EDHREC

Today on Under the Radar we'll be looking at a commander who came out a decade ago. 2015 was a crazy year, Inside Out was in theatres, Undertale had just come out, and everyone was trying to guess the color of a dress.In the world of Magic: The Gathering players were getting their hands on another set of commander precons. The theme for the 2015 decks was experience counters.The commanders of these decks would gain experience counters and grow stronger as the game progressed. This gave us severa...
EDHREC •

Aetherdrift Set Review - Enemy & Wedge | EDHREC

Today we'll be racing through all of the notable enemy color cards from Aetherdrift.All sorts of wacky racers have signed up for Ghirapur Grand-Prix, there are Shark PiratesShark Pirates, BikersBikers that look like they've stepped straight out of Tron, and even a fewfew GodsGods have turned up.Let's charge right in and have a look at the best racers that the multiverse has to offer. Magic: The Gathering's answer to Pikachu is back again in Aetherdrift in what may be his most powerful appearance...
Card Gamer •

Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series Birmingham Meta Breakdown - Card Gamer

Images courtesy of KONAMI
Almost 2,500 Duelists came from all over the world to attend the Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series Birmingham (YCS) last weekend.
Heading into the YCS, it was anticipated that the story of the tournament would be the clash between Ryzeal and Maliss. These two meta-defining archetypes both made their Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG debut in December 2024’s Crossover Breakers. Ryzeal is an XYZ archetype, capable of rushing out their threats and detonating the opponent’s cards. Maliss, meanwhil...
Card Gamer •

Quarter Century Stampede Reveals at YCS Birmingham - Card Gamer

Images courtesy of KONAMI
Quarter Century Stampede is due for release in April of 2025. The set is intended to serve as a nostalgic tour through the history of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game (or TCG). It will be the last opportunity for Duelists to get their hands on Quarter Century Secret Rare cards. At YCS Birmingham several cards due to be reprinted in Quarter Century Stampede were revealed, and we’re sharing them with you today.
Many of these reprints were chosen by Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG fans. Quar...
Card Gamer •

Yu-Gi-Oh! EARLY DAYS COLLECTION Preview - Card Gamer

Images courtesy of KONAMI
The Yu-Gi-Oh! EARLY DAYS COLLECTION will release on the February 27th, 2025. Fortunately, for those who are hungry to get some more details about the
game, Card Gamer has been granted a preemptive peek at it prior to its official release.
I was given several hours to try out three of the fourteen games in this curated card game collection. I collected some creatures in Yu-Gi-Oh! Monster Capsule, I battled my way through Yu-Gi-Oh! 7 Trials to Glory: World Championship To...
Card Gamer •

Marvel Legendary - Weapon X Expansion Review - Card Gamer

All images courtesy of Upper Deck Entertainment
Before Logan was Wolverine, he was Weapon X, a test subject whose bones were coated in adamantium, resulting in his jaded attitude and his signature metal claws. The latest Marvel Legendary expansion, from Upper Deck, focuses on Wolverine’s backstory, and the stories of the other Weapon experiments.
This review will analyze all the new cards introduced in the Weapon X expansion, and if Legendary‘s latest expansion is a smash hit like X-Men: Days...
EDHREC •

Under the Radar - Bruse Tarl, Roving Rancher | EDHREC

From SliversSlivers to SerpentsSerpents, Magic is filled with all sorts of different creature types.If you're determined enough you can build a deck focused on any kind of creatures that you want, no matter how niche.Every once in a while, Wizards of the Coast print a brand new commander to support a creature type that they have never shown an interest in before. Baru, WurmspeakerBaru, Wurmspeaker gave Wurms some long-awaited love back in 2022, Gallia of the Endless DanceGallia of the Endless Da...
Macready Musings •

Ranking How Safe MTG Aetherdrift's Vehicles Are

Aetherdrift is the next Magic: the Gathering set scheduled for release. It tells the story of a massive multiversal grand prix. The contestants in this interplanar race ride a bewildering array of different vehicles. There are monster trucks, Tron-inspired light cycles and acid spewing cocoon cars. This video will tier all of the different vehicles in Aetherdrift, separating the decent designs from the deathtraps.

You can find the final tier list here: https://imgur.com/a/jrzqWrP

For more from me, check out my fortnightly column "Under the Radar" on EDHREC: https://edhrec.com/articles/author/ben-macready

I also write articles about video games for Superjump Magazine: https://www.superjumpmagazine.com/author/benjaminmacready/

You can follow me on Bluesky here: https://bsky.app/profile/macreadymusings.bsky.social

The Macready Musings logo and Banner were designed by Panley, whose work you can find here: https://twitter.com/panley01

All of the music in this video was sourced from the Ovani Sound Electronic Pack: https://ovanisound.com/
SUPERJUMP •

2024 Games of the Year

Welcome to SUPERJUMP's annual Games of the Year celebration. As always, I like to introduce these awards by expressing gratitude for the year gone by.

Thank you game developers. You are creating marvels of art and science - important cultural artifacts - under increasingly difficult circumstances. Whether you work for a large studio or you're a solo developer: thank you. We are all living in an increasingly dangerous and intolerant world, where the moral pendulum appears to be swinging in a vio...
Macready Musings •

The History of Magic the Gathering Told Via A Card From Every Set 20: Karlov Manor - Foundations

In the twentieth episode of this series, we explore the standard legal sets of 2024. 2024 had some soaring highs and some deep lows. Murders at Karlov Manor financially underperformed and layed its theme on just a smidge too strong. The long-awaited Wild West set arrived in the form of Outlaws of Thunder Junction. Bloomburrow, an adorable animal world, was immediately followed up by Duskmorun, a nightmarish realm of horror. Finally we got a new take on core sets with Foundations. Let's talk about 2024.

For more from me, check out my fortnightly column "Under the Radar" on EDHREC: https://edhrec.com/articles/author/ben-macready

I also write articles about video games for Superjump Magazine: https://www.superjumpmagazine.com/author/benjaminmacready/

You can follow me on Bluesky here: https://bsky.app/profile/macreadymusings.bsky.social

The Macready Musings logo and Banner were designed by Panley, whose work you can find here: https://twitter.com/panley01

Bibliography
Joe Parlock, TheGamer, Murders At Karlov Manor Is Magic: The Gathering's Worst-Performing Set "In Many Years".
https://www.thegamer.com/murders-at-karlov-manor-magic-the-gathering-mtg-worst-selling-set/

Tolarian Community College, Why Karlov Manor Failed And Thunder Junction Succeeded As Magic: The Gathering Sets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHttQZRP-FA&t=1s&ab_channel=TolarianCommunityCollege

Mark Rosewater, The Rabiah Scale Part 2.
https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/rabiah-scale-part-2-2018-11-26

Mark Rosewater, Drive to Work 1106: Murders at Karlov Manor Design.
https://audio.transistor.fm/m/shows/21454/3bebe36a5db343b4e790ab0a35c6ccbf.mp3

Pro Tour Murders at Karlov Manor Decklists.
https://magic.gg/news/pro-tour-murders-at-karlov-manor-pioneer-decklists

Dan Musser and Dave Finseth, August 26 2024, Banned and Restricted Announcement.
https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/august-26-2024-banned-and-restricted-announcement

Wizards of the Coast, MTG Arena Banned and Restricted Announcement – October 22, 2024.
https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/mtg-arena-banned-and-restricted-announcement-october-22-2024

Wizards of the Coast, First Look at Magic: the Gathering Foundations
https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/announcing-magic-the-gathering-foundations

Contents
00:00 - Introduction
00:41 - Murders at Karlov Manor
07:12 - Outlaws of Thunder Junction
11:26 - Bloomburrow
14:55 - Duskmourn: House of Horror
18:40 - Foundations
23:07 - Conclusion
Card Gamer •

Marvel Legendary – Core Set Mastermind and Villain Review - Card Gamer

Today we’re talking about the masterminds and villains that debuted in Marvel Legendary‘s Core Set. We’ll explore how difficult they are to take down, and how fun they are as opponents. The game’s power level has increased significantly over time, so many of these old villains pale in comparison to the bad guys from more recent expansions.
If you enjoy this, we also have an article assessing the heroes from the Core Set.
Red Skull, what have they done to you? This game does Red Skull dirty; you’...
EDHREC •

Under the Radar - Hurska Sweet-Tooth | EDHREC

Welcome back to Under the Radar, the series where we discuss brewing around niche commanders that haven't gotten enough love from the community. Supplemental products are great sources of unconventional commander. From Ravnica: Clue Edition to the Fallout cards, there are plenty of products that never went into standard and are loaded full of great commanders. The commander that we'll be talking about today comes from Foundations Jumpstart.Foundations was the final physical Magic set released in...
Card Gamer •

Marvel Legendary - Core Set Hero Review - Card Gamer

Marvel Legendary is a fantastic deck building game from Upper Deck. We’ve already published a guide on how to play, but while knowing the rules is one thing, knowing the right heroes to pick is another.  The game’s Core Set came out in 2012; some of these heroes have stood the test of time and are still going strong today, others haven’t aged well at all. Let’s dive right in and review the heroes from Marvel Legendary’s Core Set.
   
   
Black Widow is the most powerful hero in the Core Set, and...
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