Julian is joined by the Vintage Ambassador himself, Justin Gennari, for a full guided tour of the current Vintage metagame. Justin breaks down why Vintage might be secretly the healthiest format in Magic, what really separates Esper and UB Lurrus, why Max Gilmore’s BUG Lurrus is both sweet and clunky, and how weird accidents like Kitesail Larcenist actually happen in Vintage.

We dig through everything: Lurrus tempo, PO and Breach combo, Mono Black’s breakout performance, the three major Workshop variants, the sad state of Bazaar decks, Mono White Initiative, the Doomsday renaissance (or lack thereof), and Oath in 2024+. Justin also shares what he’s sleeving up for Eternal Weekend Europe and gives 10-second thoughts on the post-ban Legacy landscape.

A must-listen if you’re heading to Bologna – or just want to know what the Vintage sickos are up to these days.

00:00:00 – Cold Open
Julian introduces Justin “Vintage Ambassador” Gennari and sets up the two-part Eternal Weekend special.

00:03:30 – Justin’s MTG World Tour
Travel plans, EW Europe, EW Japan, and why he’s skipping Legacy in Tokyo.

00:06:00 – Is Vintage the healthiest format in Magic?
Why Vintage is currently wide, balanced, and surprisingly “normal.”

00:08:50 – What does “Lurrus” even mean in Vintage?
Esper vs. UB Lurrus: matchup data, removal differences, and why blue decks have always ruled Vintage.

00:14:20 – Max Gilmore’s BUG Lurrus Top 8
Is it real? Is it clunky? Why Justin isn’t surprised it didn’t catch on.

00:18:30 – Beautiful Weird Vintage Cards
Kitesail Larcenist, synergy discovery, and why Vintage rewards deep card-pool exploration.

00:21:10 – Combo Lurrus: PO and Breach
How PO works in 2024, Thundertrap Trainer shenanigans, Gifts Ungiven Breach piles, and why Stock Up is secretly busted.

00:28:10 – The Return of Paradoxical Outcome
Mentor/PO vs. Lurrus/PO vs. Jewel Shops: styles, power level, and Justin’s preferences.

00:31:00 – Mono-Black Aggro’s Big EW NA Performance
Why the “Legacy deck in Vintage” works, its swingy matchup spread, and how discard + Null Rod hits Vintage’s weak points.

00:36:20 – How Stompy decks shape EW sideboarding
Why Justin always budgets for unpowered Stompy: Mono-Black, Mono-White, Eldrazi.

00:39:30 – Workshop Overview
Three competitive variants right now:
• Sphere Shops (soft-lock + clock)
• Jewel Shops (turn-1/2 storm combo)
• Raker Shops (Fleshraker + double-Top infinite)
And how to actually attack each one.

00:48:30 – Graveyard Sector
Dredge’s falloff, why Vine disappeared, and the death of Survival/Hogaak-style lists.

00:54:30 – Mono-White Initiative
Still top tier. Mulligan-intensive, fast, volatile, and extremely annoying. Why it thrives online and in paper.

00:59:00 – “Getting Vintaged”
Accepting the format’s variance and why you need mental detachment skills to survive.

01:00:50 – Goblin Combo?
Why Snoop isn’t really a deck anymore

1:03:00 – Oath of Druids
Why Atraxa pushes Oath toward Show & Tell combo, when it’s a good metagame call, and why Justin wants to like the deck but can’t.

1:09:50 – Doomsday in 2024
Lurrus Doomsday, traditional piles, and the role of specialists like Tsubasa_Cat in shaping the metagame.

1:14:30 – Legacy in 10 Seconds
Justin’s very quick take on post-ban Legacy and his plan for EW Europe.

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Thank you for tuning in,

Until next time!

Julian