Episodes

Let's recap Ascent Auckland, then dive into the discussion we were all waiting for - we played the new Assassin Merlin Re:collection deck - what do we think!? Maindeck x JWW x Hanh Chu Mighty Wallet available here: https://jwwcards.com/products/make-your-own-luck-tyvek-mighty-wallet-maindeck-x-jww-x-hanh-chu Get PHANTOM MONARCHS and more preorders from our store, JWWCards - and use discount code MAINDECK for 5% off! Get the deal here https://jwwcards.com/discount/MAINDECK?redirect=%2Fcollections...

The Maindeck Team has returned from Ascent Niagara, so it's time to recap the event before we lose the chance with Ascent Auckland finishing up this weekend! Let's talk about the team's excellent run with 2 Top 8 slots - Maindeck Alex at 2nd, and Perfy at 8th! Maindeck x JWW x Hanh Chu Mighty Wallet available here: https://jwwcards.com/products/make-your-own-luck-tyvek-mighty-wallet-maindeck-x-jww-x-hanh-chu Get PHANTOM MONARCHS and more preorders from our store, JWWCards - and use discount code...

Everyone loves playing with level 3 champions! The advanced element cards you unlock are some of the most fun and powerful cards in the game - but how can you tell when an advanced element will work with a champion or basic element? Let's dig into 3 Advanced Element decks that show off how Grand Archive's strongest cards synergize with various strategies and themes! DECKLISTS: Mistel’s Fire Merli: https://fractalofin.site/DTR/35769.html#deck_7215 Foxattack555’s Water Tera Kongming: https://fract...

One of the coolest things about Grand Archive is the ability to customize your Material Deck, including your Champion Levels! In our very 40th episode of Recollection Step, World Champion Taylor and I discuss how we approach such an open metagame, and the look at 3 decklists that show off an element of GATCG that Maindeck has always been fond of - hybridizing the champions in your Mat Deck! Get your ticket for The Banish Zone's regional here! https://thebanishzone.com/products/grand-archive-regi...

Grand Archive's seventh set really RILED up the playerbase, but with Rile the Abyss banned - what ELSE is looking spicy in the set? We'll talk about 6 cards today - some obvious winners, and some hidden gems - that we think will FILL the abyss of power left by Rile! Get your ticket for The Banish Zone's regional here! https://thebanishzone.com/products/grand-archive-regionals-2k-10-11--11am Maindeck x JWW x Hanh Chu Mighty Wallet available here: https://jwwcards.com/products/make-your-own-luck-t...

Let's dive back into a core concept/theory topic for our very 38th episode of Recollection Step - and let's talk about the Elementaries of the Basic Elements! Which Element beats which? Why does water feel SO GOOD when it's good? Where can we expect the meta to move over time? We will answer these questions are more in today's episode! Plus - should Rile be banned? Let's make a case AGAINST it - but let us know what you think the comments! Get your ticket for The Banish Zone's regional here! htt...

Ascent Boston has concluded, Rile the Abyss was everywhere, Vanitas came out of nowhere, and the meta is going...somewhere? We've got a long episode of Recollection Step as we recollect our thoughts from the weekend, and discuss where we are looking at brewing going into Ascent Taipei as the meta marches onward! Maindeck x JWW x Hanh Chu Mighty Wallet available here: https://jwwcards.com/products/make-your-own-luck-tyvek-mighty-wallet-maindeck-x-jww-x-hanh-chu Get DISTORTED REFLECTIONS and more ...

The meta is already too hot to handle! Dan and Taylor review recent results from the first tournaments in the DTR metagame and give some perspective on key strategies that are performing well. From Rile the Abyss level 3 strategies to fast aggro decks, there's an Increasing Danger to consider with all this Focused Fire, but can any decks crop up to quench it? PLUS - our first Advice from a Literal World Champion segment is here! Got anything you want a Literal World Champion to comment on or ans...

We called it! Let's talk with the champ about the Grand Archive Worlds Experience - not just the event, but preparation, as well as all the exciting things happening over the weekend! Maindeck x JWW x Hanh Chu Mighty Wallet available here: https://jwwcards.com/products/make-your-own-luck-tyvek-mighty-wallet-maindeck-x-jww-x-hanh-chu Get DISTORTED REFLECTIONS and more preorders from our store, JWWCards - and use discount code MAINDECK for 5% off! Get the deal here https://jwwcards.com/discount/MA...

The Materialize Phase is the most important phase of your turn, maybe! On Episode 34 of Recollection Step: A Grand Archive TCG Podcast, We discuss the theory that goes into choosing cards for that super-tight 12 card, searchable zone. When do you want to draw cards, or when do you want to address problems in the game? What decks have at easier or harder? Plus, we take a look at some of the decks performing in the meta after Mercurial Heart Alter Edition's small infusion of new toys! Maindeck x J...

Nationals went very well for the Maindeck x True Champion Gaming teamup - learn about preparation and the event itself and how the two teams ended up with a total of 8 players in either Worlds or the Gauntlet after the Nationals season concluded with NA Nats! Shoutouts to these cool decks: Jimmyle's Fire Crux Knight Lorraine: https://fractalofin.site/HVN/25810.html#deck_363 SrIqulongtard's Water Merlin: https://fractalofin.site/HVN/25810.html#deck_2427 Atka's Serene Wind Razorgale Vanitas: https...

At last, Taylor's episode about "Who's the Beatdown" is here - but all credit to Mike Flores, Taylor could not steal the title! So let's talk about "Playing at your Peaks" - how to sharpen your game senses to know how to win more games of Grand Archive! Additionally, we talk about some of our favorite spoilers from Mercurial Heart Alter Edition! MRC Alter Spoilers at Silvie.gg: https://silvie.gg/spoilers Learn more about the Maindeck Grand Archive Regional: https://jwwcards.com/pages/grand-archi...

Dan and Taylor explore 3 DUAL ELEMENT decks that have seen some success in Regionals in Grand Archive's current metagame! We look at LostApple's Fortuitous Wind Nico, ShaunDaSheep1's Fire Rebuke Slice and Dice Vanitas, and Kitsumeow's Fire Aggro Mill Nico! All of these decks were able to take wins against top decks in the format, making them ripe for further exploration in a direction few players have been willing to dive into! Additionally, we do a brief overview of some of the meta adaptations...

Dan and Taylor answer a hefty mailbag question about how to build effective Grand Archive decks, then dive into some basic meta chat about the still fairly aggressive metagame! What's actually taking wins against Burst Asunder and what else can we expect from the Nationals metagame? This was recorded before SEA Nats, and since then we've seen the rise of Luxem! I'm sure we'll discuss that more in the next episode! Maindeck x JWW x Hanh Chu Mighty Wallet available here: https://jwwcards.com/produ...

Back from Seattle (and now Michigan, sorry this was late!), Dan and Taylor discuss the Ascent Seattle trip - the rise of Burst Asunder, the meta shifting that's occurred, potential future adaptations, the reveal of Distorted Reflections, UNIQLO, and more! Get DISTORTED REFLECTIONS and more preorders from our store, JWWCards - and use discount code MAINDECK for 5% off! Get the deal here https://jwwcards.com/discount/MAINDECK?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fdistorted-reflections Audio only version avail...

It's time to dive into the theme and style of the Guo Jia Re:Collection deck! How does our new Tamer work, and will she be as cracked as the last Tamer Re:Collection Deck? Get ABYSSAL HEAVEN preorders from our store, JWWCards - and use discount code MAINDECK for 5% off! Get the deal here https://jwwcards.com/discount/MAINDECK?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fabyssal-heaven Audio only version available on iTunes, Spotify, and more! 0:00 Intro & Final Fantasy 4:20 Nats Info Has Dropped! 10:30 How to Supp...

**This was recorded days prior to the Icebound Slam ban - but outside of the Slam-specific references, we think it's all still totally relevant!** You know how Water Cleric has been one of the top meta decks this season? Well, how about some more support? Dan's back from Europe and we have SO MANY Abyssal Heaven spoilers! Let's dive into the Diao Chan deck and talk about the implications of many of its cards in the competitive metagame! Get ABYSSAL HEAVEN preorders from our store, JWWCards - and...

Back from Santa Clara, Dan and Taylor discuss the successful weekend after Maindeck Mitch took the event with Water Mill Arisanna! How does the visibility of this deck affect the metagame? Also - hear about Dan's wacky adventures missing Day 2 due to a reporting error and winning a round with a score of 2-0-1! Audio only version available on iTunes, Spotify, and more! 0:00 Intro 3:47 The Santa Clara Trip 18:00 How to Support Maindeck 19:08 Maindeck Ascending 32:14 The Clerical Errors - Missing D...

Level 3s are super exciting and powerful - and sometimes lead new players into a trap, leaving them with a cool champion but no cards to play with! Why do we enjoy Level 3s, and how do you get to Level 3 without hamstringing yourself every game? Let's talk about this crucial core mechanic of the game in this episode of Recollection Step! Audio only version available on iTunes, Spotify, and more! 0:00 Intro 2:40 What's Cool About Level 3 Champs? 5:25 "Ludonarrative" 11:35 The Power of Level 3s 28...

Taylor returned from Ascent Toronto and now we know...nothing? Let's talk about Vanitas, Razorgale Calling, and the state of the meta following Toronto! Audio only version available on iTunes, Spotify, and more! Ascent Toronto Livestream Day 1: https://www.youtube.com/live/Te9LaC43keo?si=0_bXV_5ZVd1p9R6C Ascent Toronto Livestream Day 2: https://www.youtube.com/live/q4bhTUBpDpI?si=IvH4cpelebxE0Jdw Ascent Toronto Livestream Top 8 + Finals: https://www.youtube.com/live/-nfzZa3aUGM?si=suukBrUz9SMkB8...

We are deep in testing Jin and Kongming lists, so let's kick off the AMB season of podcasting by talking about some older strategies and game elements that had a HUGE Glow Up from Mortal Ambition - possibly the best Grand Archive expansion yet! Audio only version available on iTunes, Spotify, and more! 0:00 Intro & Genshin's Impact on Taylor 1:29 Mortal Ambition First Thoughts 12:50 AMB Reprints & Foils 22:50 How To Support Maindeck 25:25 Merlin's Glow Up 42:01 Removal's Glow Up 49:33 Allies' Gl...

Returning from Ascent Singapore, Dan and Taylor reflect on the MRC Metagame with some potentially hot takes and provide the data to back them up! It's up for discussion whether Singapore was an aberration in the data set or indicative of a trend, but taking it at face value, the result is...the best metagame Grand Archive has had? Let's get down and dirty with numbers as we say goodbye to Azoth and welcome the exciting new Mortal Ambition meta! Our favorite new GA site - https://www.fractalofin....

Nearly every major event in Grand Archive shows off some new tech, or even entirely new decks, that enterprising players are performing well with. In today's Rec Step, Dan and Taylor take a look at the newest Arisanna list to actually top cut a regional, and then dive into a handful of cards that are potentially being overlooked and underused from Alchemical Revolution and Mercurial Heart before we move on to the exciting release of Set 5, Mortal Ambition! Audio only version available on iTunes,...

The latest Ban List has hit, and we have a new banning, some category movement, and a new Proxia's Vault card! Dan and Taylor discuss the metagame implications of these changes as we head towards the next ascent - Singapore! Audio only version available on iTunes, Spotify, and more! 0:00 Intro, Other Games, and OP Software 11:23 How to Support Maindeck 13:18 Banlist Discussion 28:05 Winners & Losers in the Metagame 1:04:44 Polaris, Twinkling Cauldron #SaveCam SUPPORT MAINDECK by shopping on TCGP...