INTRODUCING LEGENDARY SHOWDOWN
RIW Hobbies is proud to announce its first vodcast (video podcast) series, Legendary Showdown! The show will highlight kitchen table style, casual Commander play and be hosted by Brian DeMars and Ryan Sparks from RIW Studios, Livonia Michigan.
Each episode will feature a four-player Commander pod game with Brian, Ryan, their friends, RIW staff and local Michigan Commander players and fans and will be immediately followed by a group discussion of the game as well as an open table discussion about casual Commander topics.
“One of the biggest challenges for me during the pandemic was keeping the fire to play Magic alive without the Gathering aspect. I’ve never been much of a fan of online Magic and EDH was the one format I could regularly find a game for locally during the shutdown. I’ve always been a fan of fun multiplayer games, casual formats, fun gatherings and the friendly vibe surrounding multiplayer Commander really appealed to me as I was looking to connect with other enthusiasts.
I met Ryan last year at RIW once things started to open back up and I was super impressed by his enthusiasm and expertise for Commander. Once I saw how much fun his group was having embracing casual Magic I wanted to join the game and participate too. Casual EDH became the centerpiece of my play and I really wanted to continue making content that reflects how I’m actually playing and enjoying my games. In this case, EDH! I’m sort of a lifetime Magic journey man, I’ve played all the competitive formats all across the multiverse but now I’m just enjoying taking it easy and slinging cards with friends. I think it suits what I’m looking for from the game these days: fun, friends, and my favorite cards! Ryan was the perfect Magician for me to team up with on this go-around because the emphasis of my play is now on personal enjoyment, entertainment and fun. All aspects of casual, multiplayer Commander Ryan has mastered over the past decade as a Commander specialist.” —BRIAN DEMARS
“I am incredibly honored to be part of a vodcast dedicated to celebrating the finest aspects of Commander – Casual Kitchen Table Enjoyment! The opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time, Brian, who I’ve heard about for so many years came to play a few games of EDH and we were impressed with one another’s mutual love of the casual side of multiplayer formats from PDH to EDH. It’s never a dull moment slinging cards with him and its even better to call him one of my good friends now!
Our mutual dedication to Commander, shared goals, and vision for the show have made this experience remarkable. It is an absolute joy to sit back with friends and witness countless cards being played and experiencing the exhilarating moments of multiplayer games. Our goal is to keep it genuine and grounded, staying true to the essence of tabletop gaming and leaving in everything from cool win cons, new card acknowledgments, and the misplays and missed triggers! We want to show the game as it’s really played by actual fans in a casual setting! Legendary Showdown is one for the RIW record books and we’ve drafted up so much upcoming content for our upcoming shows. Brian and I are both excited to share it with you! –RYAN SPARKS
We look forward to releasing our first episode later this week and hope that our Commander fans will enjoy watching our casual, kitchen table style approach to playing the game with friends and family. We’re also excited the show will showcase and feature players and fans from all across our local game store community. Everyone is welcome to tune in and potentially join our recorded games and Commander discussions in the studio! It takes a community of committed players to bring a project like this to life and we’re so thankful for all the love and support the show has gotten thus far in its early stages of development and look forward to sharing our play with you all in the near future!
