iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Ending life total also doesn't tell the full story when evaluating lifegain value - ex. if a lethal alpha attack would be possible if the opponent had 1 less life, but they're listed at 14, not 1.

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Some writing about constructed: drive.google.com/file/d/1Etr9... A piece on how to plan for different matchups in the increasingly combo-fied constructed landscape, all through the lens of beating Ruby Storm.

drive.google.com

How to Beat Ruby Storm.pdf

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

docs.google.com/document/d/1... Besties and I top 4ed Spotlight Marvel Superheroes, and we're now all qualified for the PT at the same time for the first time! I wanted to write down what happened so the greatest tournament I've experienced yet would stick with me.

Top 4 Draft
2 Undercover Skrull
2 Red Room Recruit
1 Night Nurse, Healer of Heroes
1 Swordsman, Sharp Scoundrel
1 Baron Helmut Zemo
1 Klaw, Sonic Subjugator
1 Titania, Rugged Rumbler
2 Ninja of the Hand
1 She-Hulk, Jade Defender
1 Pet Avengers
1 H.E.R.B.I.E. Scout Unit
1 Electra, Daughter of the Hand
2 Borough Backup
1 Widow's Bite
1 Go Nuts
2 Stolen Stark Tech
1 Dark Deed
1 Giant Growth
1 Hour of Defeat
1 Surveillance Room
1 Subterranean Cavern
1 Birnin Zana Plaza

Team Sealed 2
1 Serpent Specialist
1 White Tiger, Ava Ayala
1 Red Room Recruit
1 Undercover Skrull
1 The Serpent Society
1 Mole Man, Moloid Master
1 Klaw, Sonic Subjugator
2 Ant Man's Army
1 Super Skrull
1 Abomination, Terrifying Titan
1 Killmonger, Scourge of Wakanda
1 She-Hulk, Jade Defender
1 Ka-Zar of the Savage Land
1 Earth's Mightiest Heroes
1 The Ruinous Wrecking Crew
1 Savage Land Dinosaur
2 Cruel Alliance
1 Widow's Bite
1 Hour of Defeat
1 Go Nuts
2 Rapid Rescue
1 Villainous Hideout
1 Fisk Tower
1 Subterranean Cavern
1 Los Diablos Missile Base

Team Sealed deck 1, a BW Sentry deck
1 Vibranium Energy Daggers
2 S.H.I.E.L.D. Spy Kit
1 Agent Maria Hill
2 Yellowjacket, Heartless Marauder
2 Red Room Recruit
2 Swordsman, Sharp Scoundrel
2 Cloak and Dagger, Entwined
1 Titania, Rugged Rumbler
1 Electra, Daughter of the Hand
1 Spider-Woman, Secret Agent
2 The Sentry, Golden Guardian
1 White Widow, Free Agent
1 Borough Backup
1 Madame Masque
2 Helicarrier Strike
2 Cruel Alliance

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Same, it's a high level limited event with coverage, sounded really fun. Pretty disappointed

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Draft deck looks pretty reasonable, carried by those render speechlesses. Got a mini tournament report?

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

David Akers won a Friday PTQ in Vegas (and a Sunday LTQ), then top 32ed the RC. Crazy streak, I think both quals are for Amsterdam?

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Reposted by Zev Goldhaber-Gordon

Karl Sarap @terribadmtg.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

I have been working tirelessly the past week to make this happen and it is now done. I put all my pro tour limited expertise into a SOS guide! If you want to succeed at LTQs, Arena Qualifier or just enjoy drafting at FNM or want to get insight into @handshakemtg.com limited ⬇️⬇️⬇️

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

Several players submitted multiple copies of the same card, which is not allowed, but I've kept them on the plot with asterisks around their names.

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

Congrats to Elfandor for winning the impromptu p0p1! Going deep on the white multicolored archetypes with Wilt in the Heat, Render Speechless, and Practiced Scrollsmith really paid off. Honorable mentions to Robby, with solid picks across the board, and tedfro, who is allergic to losing these.

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Figured when I started wheeling witherbloom cards that if more power was opened I'd have a good shot, ex. ~p2p5 Blech Maybe p3p5? Certainly p5 or later, as my quarters opponent commented on it getting to me

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

3-0 6-0 with BG in draft, lane was incredibly open and games were smooth. Most interesting moment was keeping a 1 lander on the draw with environmental scientist, that ended up with me drawing ~5 lands in a row and flooding. Semis opp Ral -2ed an Inkmage on 3 off my Send in the Pests, cool line!

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

5-1 with the sealed URbg deck that I thought was a 5/10, ruby stormed on several players with maestro, coolest match was practically a mirror against someone with alllll the same cards except the mill 0/2 instead of maestro, culminated in a crazy game of double spell pierce chicken.

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

I'm going to the 2027 Limited Champs!

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Most popular signpost uncommon is Stress Dream, with only 7 picks. Most popular wildcard uncommon is Environmental Scientist, with 9 picks.

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Unsubtle Mockery 14 total picks Send in the Pest 11 total picks Tome Blast 10 total picks Rubble Rouser 9 total picks Grapple with Death 9 total picks

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Most popular cards across all categories (36 Submissions): Elite Interceptor // Rejoinder 30 total picks Essence Scatter 19 total picks Studious First-Year // Rampant Growth 19 total picks Last Gasp 15 total picks

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

forms.gle/BFK9vxKntPrP... Put together a p0p1 competition since @mtgds.bsky.social is on hiatus. Obviously short notice since the set drops on Arena on Tuesday, but hopefully we can get a good number of submissions.

forms.gle

A Seedcore P0P1 Competition

MTGDS is on hiatus, so we played with the p0p1 format a bit! Rate the strongest cards in each category. Choose cards you believe will perform best in limited play.

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

Probably Tilling is good enough to be a 20th-23rd card and I'm not adjusting enough to Spikeling's horribleness? My analysis only really works if Tilling is truly unplayable, and you're right that it's not.

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

Yeah I'm a chronic Tilling underestimater outside of BG, it's not as bad as Spikeling. Biggest pro is that it digs for Kinbinding, biggest con is that it takes turn 2 off which is pretty detrimental in GW. Taking Spikeling would be saying "if we don't get another 2 for the rest of the draft I'm ok."

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

(with green base). As for an elf pivot, that's more worthwhile given your depth of green elves, but again you'd be passing up a strong card in a color you have several strong cards in already picking morcant. I think the vivid lane was not that clearly open and you probably drafted the correct deck.

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

Reading your notes, you're too hard on yourself here, the power in your hand in Kinbinding is worth several in the bush in Vivid, and you really weren't presented that much room to pivot. There is not really a deck that plays both Shinestriker and Kinbinding, the mana requirements are too intense

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

p2p10 Wickermaw for a Doran spec p3, you have sufficient 4s p3p3 I want better elves to behold, would take Safewright p3p7 Your 3s could use filling, would take Stompling (synergy with Dignitaries and Imbuer, Spiral is replaceable and you have decent removal depth)

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

p2p5 I want Farmer, Dignitary just has too many hoops to jump through and I want my 2s to always be castable on 2 p2p7 I think I prefer Skyswimmer, you've got synergy in Thoughtweft Imbuer, Kinbinding, Dundoolin but this is reasonable p2p9 I'd take Spikeling but I don't want to play either

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

p1p4 I like Assert, Safewright is a bit overrated and very telegraphed once revealed (this being bo1 does give it some points though). p1p5 Crossroads, while Keep Out is on color with your most powerful card it's not something I value in Kithkin p1p6 Mildly pref a Cleansing spec but close

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

Also depends on your population but you're definitely 0.1% or better of people who have ever drafted, I'm guessing that's not what you're comparing to though P0p1 is hard and a different skillset than regular limited I need to pick @tedfro.bsky.socialtedfro.bsky.social 's brain

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

Intelligent theory assumed to translate into practice, a lot of pt players just aren't great at limited making online limited focused players a different scale to compare to, and you did 3-0 your first pt pod which some folk might have read into

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

I see that first universe as pretty likely, since (as you say) you see yourself as monored and not RW, and I'd therefore pick for upside here. But yeah that framing is also coming from a mindset in which I'm clearly valuing Cinder Strike far lower than you so ymmv.

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

power card. In the universe in which your possible RW and RU builds are close to each other, you're pushing RU over the line. The latter is cutting Ajani, but the former you'd have cut Ajani anyway.

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

While it's fair to say you'd be cutting Cinder Strike for it, I'm not totally sure I'd phrase the decision as cutting Ajani. Sunder and Ajani aren't both going in your deck, sure, but by taking Sunder you're doing 2 things: In the universe in which you would dump white, you now have an alternative

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

That's not how I evaluate Cinder Strike, I have Assert Perfection cleanly above it as a way to push tempo alongside removal, and I would contextually take Blight Rot, Bogslither's Embrace, and maybe even Liminal Hold over Cinder in some vacuums. Cinder Strike hovers between C and C+ for me.

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Oh Ashling: I'm loath to splash Ashling because loot is least useful on 2, meaning while it's still a relevant 2 drop to topdeck late game as a recycle, it only becomes a real piece if you have your splash available, and on 2 it loses the explosive starts that actually make it good

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Alright read through your assessment, I think you need really strong reasons to get into the RW lane, and while Ajani can be one of those white being closed sorta nullifies it Ultimately our big difference in approach is the sunderflock pick, which comes down to eval (I'm lower on cinder strike)

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

cont. I like Mistbind Clique and trying to get some faeries, but if you're committed to white that's fair p3p2 I think you probably have sufficient 3s+no great way to pay off Kirol and I'd Feed the Flames? Unsure though p3p5 I mildly prefer Skyswimmer for Sanar TL;DR white overforce, RU was open

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

p2p3 Ex. here Ashling would make sense if you'd taken Sunderflock, but as is it's discordant and I'd just go for Gildweaver, since you can't splash an Ashling p2p4 I like Gift but taking this for Mardu makes sense p2p5 Are we splashing anything with wickermaw, or just turning up vivid?

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

be p1p11 I like Boggart Prankster as a hedge towards opening a Grub's Command or something, Celebrant doesn't really play in WR in the few times the deck exists p2p2 This feels like a clear Sunderflock hedge to me, your deck is only committed to red and Sunderflock has so much higher upside>strike

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

p1p2 Wayfinder is enough of a power falloff that I'd take Virulent Emissary, even though it doesn't cleanly fit into the same deck as Sanar without going full vivid. Wayfinder also can't get hit by Sanar's ability. p1p6 I enjoy Sizzling Changeling as glue in slower shells which this is shaping up to

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

cash, especially @jupiterbrando.bsky.social cashing 2 runs, added to a FOMO that "I should just keep firing and eventually I'll make it" which simultaneously degraded my play quality and my patience. Will implement a more regimented system next time, hopefully they switch to bo3.

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Also had a frustrating experience albeit lower magnitude, fired 10 bullets for 1 draft 2 (2-2 with a horrific punt on a great deck), overall a 65.5% winrate draft 1. Was clearly losing focus on my runs and spam firing. Seeing other (fantastic) players including pt teammates and local friends

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

p2p5 Your 2s are often not 2s, would take the preacher even off tribe (although I do like Gilt-Leaf's) p2p9 Mild pref for Riverguard's, people get surprised by it p3p4 Really tough one, but I think I prefer Clachan with Chronicle and all your synergistic 2s

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

...you're lining up for a nice vivid list and it's sort of free deck thinning p1p9 Surely this is not second tend the sprigs, I'd take Reejerey > Feed the Flames > Blossombind > tend #2 p2p4 Tough one but I'd lean Crossroads Watcher to improve your kith density for Chronicle

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

p1p3 this feels like a Bloodline Bidding spec to me, while both your creatures are kithkin they still play well in elves and Bloodline is much higher upside than Hurler. p1p4 Given that Cavalry isn't great in GW, this seems like an Eclipsed Boggart spec p1p7 I think I'd spec on morphose

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

I thought this surely must be satire, since Pattinson is known for taking the piss out of interviewers, but it seems to be part of a dialogue, so hard to tell. I guess it could be a weird deadpan, given that this is in response to being called eloquent? Either way, weird take.

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

to lean more into grindy Unexpected Assistance based piles which see enough of the deck to hit your merfolk counts. In the former case, you're cutting End-Blaze but the pick is less costly, while in the latter case I'm happier to splash it.

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

Yeah that's reasonable, it does cut against what Duelist specifically is trying to do. I generally think that if you're the only UW drafter at the table you'll pick up depth regardless in late-pack merfolk, whereas if there are 2 of them it can be hard to get critical density and you're incentivized

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

Ex. a 2-0-1-playoutthethirdmatchforfun3-0 from draft 2 of Toronto that was happy to run Wickermaw without even splashing, UW is just less hostile to playing understatted utility creatures which makes Endblaze a more reasonable UW card, and in the rare case you end up in goblins it also works.

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Zev Goldhaber-Gordon @zergog.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

...including in UW decks off of Wayfinder and Wickermaw as fixing, sometimes building in a vivid subtheme with the latter, as both don't lose you too much when you can also use them as convoke fodder in a less aggressive shell.

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