Hardcast
Fiction & Audio Drama
About
Hot Damn! Duress Crew made a podcast? Join our rotating band of merry hosts as we navigate Dominaria. https://linktr.ee/duresscrew
Episodes
- A post-LC note and bonus Aiden EsperTog Carcast, T32
Aiden Johnson shares a tournament report recorded as a carcast after Lobstercon, focusing on Tognology developments. This episode was released off-cycle.
- Lobstercon 2026 Hype
This episode of Hardcast discusses Lobstercon, a Premodern event. The hosts provide updates and an itinerary for attendees.
- Phil Villain and the Zoo Crew
This episode features a discussion with Phil Lorrain of the Zoo Crew. Topics include PM, Phil winning his own event, AAA, and New England punk lore.
- Lore Whores Chapter II: The Eternal Ice
Ben and Matty discuss "The Eternal Ice" by Jeff Grubb. This episode delves into the second book of the Ice Age Cycle, exploring the histories of Dominaria.
- Postban Replenish with Sara Schaefer (DxC Winter 1st)
Sara Schaefer, winner of the Duress Crew Winter regional, talks about her Postban Replenish deck. She discusses her tournament experience and her approach to playing Replenish in a Premodern format.
- MTGO and Michigan PM with NeonMushroom
Billy chats with Adrian "NeonMushroom" about MTGO, establishing a community, and project management in Michigan. NeonMushroom's presence on Twitch and YouTube is also discussed.
- Rochester Winter Ballers
The "Duress Crew" discusses the Roc Royals' Winter Ball. This episode features Brad, Sac, Brendan, and Jay on their way back from the event.
- 2025 Year in Review
This episode of Hardcast features Jay, Brad, and and Nick as they review the achievements of the Duress Crew in the year 2025, specifically in relation to Premodern. The hosts discuss the group's accomplishments from the preceding year.
- The Federalization of Premodern (Hodge, TQ, Phil N)
Hardcast explores the federalization of Premodern, focusing on the development of second-tier tournaments and meta-tournaments. The episode features interviews with Hodge, TQ, and Phil N about these changes in the PM paper scene.
- The Fittest and its Survival (Sac, Justin P, Billy)
This episode of Hardcast features Justin, Sac, and Billy discussing recent developments in Survival decks, offering different perspectives on the archetype. The recording took place in early December.
- Growing Pains
Brad and Jay discuss lessons learned from the recent sold-out Lobstercon event, addressing registration bugs and waitlist procedures.
- Breaking News: Premodern support comes to MTGO
Hardcast covers the addition of the Premodern format to MTGO by Daybreak Games. The hosts provide their takes on the announcement and the new research tool.
- What's a crab rangoon to a crab rangoblin? (Jonathan Phillips, #1 NEPM Fall)
Jonathan Phillips, winner of the NEPM Fall Regional tournament, shares insights into his RG Goblins deck and strategy. The episode also features listener mail.
- Lore Whores Chapter I: The Gathering Dark
In "Lore Whores Chapter I: The Gathering Dark," hosts Matty and Ben review the first MTG novel, "The Gathering Dark" by Jeff Grub. This episode is part of the Duress Crew's project exploring Dominaria's archives.
- Episode 25: Halloween at the Zoo
The 'Halloween at the Zoo' episode of Hardcast follows protagonist Billy during the Shoe City Showdown 2 tournament. What began as a man-on-the-street style episode evolves into a tournament report centered on Billy's perspective.
- Episode 24: TO Fatigue and Fred Durst lore
This episode of Hardcast features two segments. The first discusses TO Fatigue and the expenses associated with running a crew. The second segment delves into eternal formats and shares some New England punk history.
- Episode 23.5: The Eternal Falafel (+ bonus Phil Villain EWPM T8)
This is the final episode of the Eternal Weekend miniseries, where Billy visits multiple locations. The episode also includes bonus segments featuring Andy and Phil Villain.
- Episode 23.4: EW day 3: Hardcast is now The Rob Show
Hardcast has officially been renamed The Rob Show due to popular demand. This episode covers Eternal Weekend Saturday, featuring the entire regular cast.
- Episode 23.3: EW day 3: Competitive mindset with Rob
In Hardcast Episode 23.3, Billy interviews Rob about competitive mindsets. The conversation shifts to chess and poker when Brendan joins.
- Episode 23.2: Eternal Weekend reports from the crib
Mike, Rob, and Bryce report from Eternal Weekend, discussing punk lore and being interviewed by Billy. The hosts express their tiredness.
- Episode 23.1: ZERO DAY Eternal Weekend 2025
This episode of Hardcast, titled ZERO DAY Eternal Weekend 2025, documents the DxC daily trip diary from EWNA25. It was recorded in the early morning hours.
- Episode 23: Eternal Weekend Hype (Brendan, Brad, Mike)
This Hardcast episode features Brendan, Brad, and Mike discussing their experiences and preparations for Eternal Weekend 2025. Topics include Brendan's confidence, Brad's CE power completion, and Mike's contributions to the conversation.
- Episode 22: Shhh! I'm speculating! (with Ian Adams, Javi Lugo, and Brian Selden)
In the Hardcast episode "Shhh! I'm Speculating!", guests Ian Adams, Javi Lugo, and Brian Selden join the host to discuss Quiet Speculation archetypes. The episode features a 'pigpile' format and includes links to deck lists.
- Episode 21: The State of the Crewnion
This podcast episode features Nick and Jay presenting LCPM26 with dates and signup details. They also discuss the future of LC and gather community feedback for LCPM27.
- Episode 20: Zwang Gang heads to the Sacred Torch Showdown
Jay hosts Hardcast, discussing the Sacred Torch Showdown. The episode covers the gang's trip, Brad's 2nd place finish in Oath Spec, and individual performances from Nick and Jay.
- Episode 19: Season 2 Premiere with Aaron Lane on GB Madness (Summer 25 Champ)
The Hardcast Season 2 Premiere features hosts Shane and Billy interviewing Aaron Lane, the champion of the DxC Summer 2025 Regional tournament. Lane discusses his GB Madness deck.
- Episode 18: LC Organizer's Recap (and season finale)
The Hardcast team recaps their recent LC event, discussing their experience organizing it and the future direction of the podcast.
- Episode 17: LCPM25 Champion Rich Shay
Dr. Rich Shay, the Premodern Lobstercon 2025 champion, joins hosts Brad and Billy to discuss his transition to older formats, the strategy of changing plays mid-game, and his experience winning the largest premodern tournament.
- Episode 16.5: A post-LC note and a glance at the calendar
Hardcast Episode 16.5 discusses a post-LC note and a look at the calendar. A link to the LC Top 64 standings is provided.
- Episode 16: LC Hype
This episode features a roundtable with Ben, Brad, Billy, Nick, and Jay discussing how to enjoy LC through games and activities. Despite the unorganized format, the episode contains useful information and tips.
- Episode 15: Tribe with Travis Schneider
Travis Schneider discusses his card deck, referred to as the cousin of Flippi, on the Hardcast podcast with hosts Brad and Billy. Schneider, who hails from Atlanta, shares his experiences and insights.
- Episode 14: The Quiet Before the Storm
Brad and Billy discuss various community happenings, including Survival Terrageddon, Tribe Madness, a Sacred Torch meetup, and strategies for playing PM in New England. The episode concludes with a discussion on Studio Ghibli.
- Episode 13: RB Goblins with Ian Adams (DxC Winter Champ)
Ian Adams discusses his win with an RB Goblins deck at the DxC Winter Championship. Topics include tournament atmosphere and using aggro strategies.
- Episode 12: Low Sodium Tournament Prep with Jay McCowan
Jay McCowan leads an episode on self-help, focusing on aligning behavior with competitive goals. He shares insights from the RCQ tournament scene to guide players on managing their conduct.
- Episode 11: Shootin' the Shit
Brad and Billy discuss ban philosophy, listener comments, and the current state of the PDAP. The episode also includes a recipe and a discussion of a survival deck.
- Episode 10: Terrageddon. All of it.
The Hardcast crew dives deep into Terrageddon, analyzing various lists and building a unified deck for the Rochester Winter Ball. The episode concludes with a discussion between top finishers and host Billy.
- Episode 9: The Premodern Data Analysis Project
Hardcast presents the Premodern Data Analysis Project, a new community data publication curated by DxC. Hosts Nick, Jay, and Brendan discuss metagame measurements and data analysis.
- Episode 8: Year in Review with Nick Mayo, part 2
Part 2 of the Year in Review episode with Nick Mayo continues Episode 7's discussion, covering a potential NEPM T32 list and analyzing meta shares and year-end deck performance.
- Episode 7: Year in Review with Nick Mayo, part 1
In this episode of Hardcast, hosts Brad, Ben, Jay, and Billy are joined by Nick Mayo for the first part of their Year in Review. They discuss topics such as things they ruined over the year, the DxC seasonals, the origins of Hardcast, and…
- Episode 6: Pooping a Premodern with Jerry Mee
Jerry Mee joins Hardcast to discuss his first impressions of the Premodern format, building a local scene without WotC support, and consumer fatigue.
- Episode 5: Tin Fins with Nick Balzano (DxC Fall 1st Place)
Nick Balzano won the DxC Fall event playing a Dredge deck. He discusses the Dredge Meta Effect, LDV math, and other topics with hosts Brad and Billy.
- Episode 4.5: Pierogis for the Road
In Hardcast's Episode 4.5, the crew shares their final Pittsburgh updates. The episode features discussions about countered dev dreams, stolen figure skating trading cards, and playing darts in a punk bar.
- Episode 4.4: Communion Bagels
In Hardcast Episode 4.4, "Communion Bagels," recorded live from Eternal Weekend, the hosts share their post-tournament experiences. Topics include qualifying for an RC, personal anecdotes about food, and reflections on maintaining content…
- Episode 4.3: Survival of the Pittest
In this bonus episode of Hardcast, hosts Brad, Mike, and Billy are joined by Brett to discuss the Rochester Royals side event. DxC achieved a clean sweep, taking first, second, and third place.
- Episode 4.20: Wolves of Winter
In this bonus episode of Hardcast, hosts Nick, Brad, and Billy discuss Pittsburgh, drawing comparisons to Worcester. They also briefly touch upon gameplay and review EW.
- Episode 4.1: Fear and Loathing in Pittsburgh
In this bonus episode of Hardcast, hosts Jay, Nick, Brad, and Billy discuss Billy's victory at NEPM Monthly and a new semiweekly. The episode was recorded en route to Eternal Weekend.
- Episode 4: Between a Roc and a Hardcast with Phil3579
Hardcast discusses Survival Roc and card choices in toolbox decks with Premodern Phil. Billy struggles to keep up while Brad learns valuable deck assessment strategies.
- Episode 3: Every Hero needs a villain (so we tagged his Lotus)
This episode of Hardcast features Tom Hagen, also known as Hero and agent to Susan Van Camp. He shares a story about discovering a time capsule from early Magic: The Gathering history.
- Episode 2: Cephalid-Kor Dichotomy
In this episode of Hardcast, hosts Billy and Brad interview Arty Garcia about his experiences with Queensrÿche, skateboarding, and his journey into the Premodern format, showcasing his Cephalid Breakfast deck. The discussion also touches u…
- Episode 1: Zwang Gang heads to Lobstercon
The first episode of Hardcast features Zwang Gang discussing their experience at Lobstercon.