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Break Points

by Taylor Crawford

Season 3

Break Points EP50: ... One Small Step Back

In episode 50 of Break Point, Taylor, Sam, and Zach open with sponsors, then recap recent events: Zach finishes 107th at Pro Tour after struggling in draft and starts testing for Calling Kansas City while also securing a Riftbound regional qualifier ticket; Sam qualifies for day two but drops after a rough draft; Taylor’s Pro Tour trip turns into an ER visit when his wife shatters her ankle. They share Vegas stories about gambling, hotel issues, and dining, then discuss the Pro Tour keynote, new heroes and cards like Viscera and Malice, and meta implications with Mastery Pack Warrior. The conversation shifts to Calling 100 in Atlanta selling out quickly with a 600-player cap, limited and restructured Sink Below promo events, and side-event registration uncertainty. They debate open decklists versus scouting Discords, then cover Talyshar’s new rust counters/ads, revenue concerns in an open-source ecosystem, and potential LSS involvement, before closing with viewer Q&A.

Break Points EP48: One Small Step for FaB...

The hosts open by joking about a birthday shirt and team gear, then recap their weeks in Flesh and Blood—Zack vacationed while Taylor practiced for the Pro Tour amid B&R news. They debate the two Oscilio builds (Aurorio vs Spellio), how fatigue and disruption affect them, and why Aurorio is expected to be the most represented at the Pro Tour based on Nationals results. After sponsor reads, they discuss the latest B&R article, praising its improved communication but arguing about design philosophy, the point-multiplier system, and releasing “incomplete” heroes like Ziggy, including criticism of the Blue Somersault unban. They also complain about Oscilio 2 and missing support for older archetypes, touch on teaser videos and lore, answer audience questions (including open decklists), and briefly note Talishar’s ad changes for a future episode.

Season 2

Break Points 47: Gobbling on Glizzies w/Ashlyn

The Break Points crew opens by reacting live to a trailer revealing Chane’s return and jokes about hero abilities gaining go again, then veers through stories about early ProQuest scars, video games, and baldness before settling into episode banter. They recap weeks in Flesh and Blood: Pro Tour testing (including Fai and other hero options), Armory plans, and Ashlyn’s top-4 Nats finish, content tour, and a 6,300-word article about Fai. Discussion touches on North Carolina’s strong local scene, sponsors (AGE, Codex Journal, FabBlazing), and Zack’s “Did I Win That Game?” segment. Ashlyn details draft prep, being featured on broadcast, navigating signals, and drafting Ziggy, plus favorite weekend moments like Chili’s “drinking buddy” celebrations. Listener questions spark talk on Riftbound jokes,Sage format concerns with hero reprints, Player of the Year incentives and marketing, and the Brodie Spurlock suspension, before ending in extended hot dog and Cook Out comedy.

Break Points EP46: We Were Wrong

In Episode 46 of Break Points, the crew recaps their Minneapolis US Nationals weekend: despite poor individual results for some, they emphasize having fun, highlight strong team limited performances, and celebrate a teammate cashing Nats plus two top-eight finishes at The Calling. They discuss memorable moments from the testing house, sponsor shoutouts, and Colin winning US Nationals, including stories about an undefeated run and an Aurora draft performance by a player who hadn’t drafted before. Meta talk centers on surprises like Ziggy making top eight, the all-Arcane Osilio build targeting Victor, multiple Phi/Phoenix Form decks converting to top eight, and how cards like Boots of Omnisward shifted matchups and prices. They debate Living Legend outcomes, set 20 expectations, LSS keynote streaming, answer listener questions, and close with concerns about playable fables and overall deck affordability heading into Pro Tour Vegas.

Break Points EP45: God Bless US Nationals

Good Podcast, sorry if no time stamps. I suck this week. Fablazing - https://fablazing.com/breakpoints AGE-https://www.age.events/premium?code=BREAKPOINT5

Break Points EP44: Not Mad, Just Disappointed

In this episode, the hosts recap their recent Flesh and Blood weeks—heavy online drafting via the Runaways Discord, prerelease experiences, and testing for US Nationals, including extensive Betsy prep and discussion of matchup hate like buckle tech. They shout out sponsors (Breakpoints Journals, fablazing.com’s new draft tool, and AGE Premium with an upcoming Aurora CC primer) and then dive into the latest Banned & Restricted announcement, criticizing the lack of CC changes beyond expected ones, the poor tone and missing philosophy in the article/dev talk, and concerns about Victor and “Mario” dominating Nationals while Remembrance remains legal. They also discuss Sage/Blitz voting and unban confusion, Ziggy’s viability and “Gone in a Flash” combo claims, Set 20 power-level worries, and answer audience questions on macro-plan-flexible classes and other lighter topics.

Break Points EP43: Omens of the Mid-Age

The crew records a mostly unscripted “Road to Pro Tour Las Vegas” episode, celebrating hitting 500 subscribers and discussing Zach’s Discord-picked Betsy deck and strong early win rate heading toward US Nationals. They recap Sam’s rough Techlo Armory loss, share life updates, and run sponsor segments (TheBlazing.com, Arcane Games Events, Breakpoints Codex Journal). The main topic is the Omens full reveal and world premiere, with all three hosts largely disappointed, criticizing underpowered new heroes, heavy reliance on expansion slots, and the inclusion of Marvel-only cards for a future set. They debate the impact on the meta, box value, and player retention, predict limited competitiveness of the new heroes, and discuss upcoming ban expectations—especially calling for Remembrance to be banned and suggesting hits to disruptive Nuu/Mastery-era cards like Toxin or other “0-for-4” staples.

Break Points EP42: Slinging Ropes in Vegas

The hosts banter about rage-baiting, controversial set opinions, and podcast comments before sharing recent life updates and Flesh and Blood prep for Nationals, including testing Victor, Teklo, and “Puffin.” They highlight sponsor segments (Codex Journals, Fblazing, AGE) and then debate how upcoming bans and restrictions could impact the meta more than the new set, discussing possible hits to Mario/Marionette (e.g., Toxin/Scar Tissue) and Victor (especially Remembrance) and what that would mean for fatigue strategies like Jarl. They react to a powerful new “Ritual” card and speculate on whether new heroes will matter. The conversation veers into set lore, internet tangents (the Wayback Machine), Vegas plans, and listener questions about Marlon support, event locations, set power levels, and tournament pack cards, ending with magnesium and hangover IV talk.

Break Points EP40: Striking into Nationals Season

Episode 40 of the Breakpoints Podcast opens with chaotic reactions to Omens spoilers, especially Tempestuous Kiss and Astral Strike, plus discussion of arcane “ping” lightning lines, embodiment synergies, and concerns about the set feeling “whelmed” so far. The hosts debate expected play patterns for Aurora/Celios, touch on Ziggy and the fragment keyword, and call out other notable cards like Arc Ramp. They then shift to tournament talk, praising Felipo’s Calling Rotterdam win on Victor, and plug the Break Points Codex Journal and fabblazing.com. Taylor recaps launching a new player-run Living Legend-style format “Golden Age” (nicknamed “Gage”), including its philosophy, 60-card limit, key bans, and a desire to run events to find broken decks. Later, they discuss Hala’s poor early performance, Olympia support, a community-picks-my-Nats-deck idea, and answer rapid-fire questions on set innovation, food, drinks, and early meta implications.

Break Points EP39: How to Win a PT w/ Evan Herndon

Picks, and Testing to Level Up Breakpoints episode 39 features hosts Zach, Taylor, and Sam with special guest Evan, the most recent Pro Tour champion, discussing his Yokohama win and competitive Flesh and Blood. Evan talks about travel and costs, working at an LGS, celebrating with dinner, and needing help with taxes after prize money. He compares stress between Nationals and Pro Tour top 8, describes waiting between rounds, and explains his testing philosophy: play many games with a strong group, record and review decisions, and avoid overthinking. Evan details his late tournament deck decisions, including double wizard considerations and locking in Oscilio for CC, plus sideboard and card choices like Tempo Wobble and Seduce Secrets, and why certain cards are high-variance. The group also chats about meta expectations, bans, favorite aspects of the game, Japan experiences, and Vegas plans.

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