by Johnny Cycles, September 1st, 2025
September is an exciting month for cyclesgaming.com! First, I’m going to begin publishing the next installment in my science fiction-fantasy series, The Podkind! If you haven’t read the first novel, you can find the beginning here.
Second, I’m going to post the next installment of my Set Revisited, with this one highlighting Antiquities.
Third, I’m introducing another new series, this one called Commander Clinic. In this series, I’ll take user-submitted Commander decks and offer my advice on improving them. First up is a Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind deck. Can we find a way to take advantage of this Dragon Wizard’s static ability without resorting to Wheel effects?
On the horizon are more user-submitted decks for both Modern and Pioneer. I’m not putting them on the schedule for this month, but I will update that as I go. This past month was a bit challenging for me from a content creating perspective, so I’m going to give myself an off week. I still plan on playing Magic during this time, so be on the lookout for videos on my YouTube channel.
I’m hoping this gives me a chance to put some time into a variety of decks I’ve been thinking of, or revisiting ones I’ve enjoyed in the past, without the pressure of putting out an article on them.
Finally, the Spider-Man set is due to release this month and, well, I’m not sure I want to play cards based on a comic book. Maybe if it was Batman… This is one reason I’m taking a step back from Modern and Pioneer articles, but not the only one.
Schedule
September 5th – Off
September 12th – The Podkind, Book 2, Chapters 1 and 2. Have Charleston and his crewmates found a potential second Earth?
September 19th – Antiquities Revisited – Let’s go back to 1994 and to the set that brought us Tron lands! What other staples were first printed in this set? What hidden gems can we find?
September 26th – Commander Clinic – Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind gets the Johnny Cycles treatment in this new series!
The Usual Blurb
My goal is to publish an article between Wednesday and Friday every week. I am a stay-at-home dad of three with a part-time job, though, so there may be weeks that life gets in the way. Whenever possible, I’ll publish articles and videos when they’re ready. Published articles with edited game play are pretty time-intensive, hence the once-a-week-schedule. However, I’ll publish videos of unedited practice matches to my YouTube channel when I can and when it makes sense. Be sure to check there if you’re looking for a match but it isn’t yet on the site.
If there is a topic you want me to write about, a deck you want me to try out, or if you want less of one thing and more of another, let me know in the comments or email me: johnnycycles16@gmail.com. If you enjoy the site, please let your friends know via word of mouth or social media or messenger pigeon, if that’s your preference. This is a relatively new site that needs all the clicks it can get!
Thanks for reading and watching, subscribing and sharing!
About Me
I’m a former Russian literature professor who specialized in 19th-century Russian literature. I love Dostoevsky more than Tolstoy, but both will change your life. I’m currently a stay-at-home dad of three with a part-time job. I love fantasy fiction, mysteries, and horror movies. If you’re surprised at the length of my articles, hopefully my history as an academic plus my love of fantasy help explain it…
Thanks for reading! I look forward to reading your comments on my articles, Russian literature, or the best fantasy series ever written (Tolkien, Jordan, Sanderson?).
