MTG: Creator Spotlight – ‘Trying Casually Games’
Check out our spotlight on Magic community creators! This week, we talked to JM and Octavia from Trying Casually Games.
Welcome in, Praetors and Planeswalkers! One of my favorite things about Commander is the rich community of creators, influencers, and players that have formed around it. YouTube, Twitch, and podcast influencers all provide a unique perspective on the game, whether through playing, deck tech, or just general banter. Creators like these are usually the first introduction players have to the game; they play a huge part in promoting and growing the community. If you love EDH, you probably have a creator to thank. This series is designed to shine a light on some of those brilliant creators.
This week, we’re talking to JM and Octavia of Trying Casually Games. They have cultivated an incredible group of EDH players over on Twitch, and host a Discord channel for gamers to get together and talk gaming, Magic, and general stuff. They were the first channel to welcome me into the Content Creator community, and they’re incredible people to know.
JM: Hey, I’m JM from Trying Casually Games. We try to give you an LGS-meets-kitchen table feel.
Octavia: And I am Octavia, the other half of Trying Casually games. It’s a pleasure to talk to you today.
How Long Have You Been Playing Magic?
JM: I’m a reasonably newish player. I started in 2018 with Core Set 19, and time got weird during Covid , but right around five years now.
Octavia: I started playing back in 1995, I want to say. I played on and off through high school, became a judge in college, then took a break around 2008-2009. I got back into the game about three years ago with the start of our channel.
What Drew You to the Game?
JM: Originally, my coworkers at my old job got me into standard, and six months after, I played Commander for the first time, and I was hooked; it was a Muldrotha reanimator list.
Octavia: Back in high school, it was still the satanic panic, and being the little *** that I am, banning me from playing made me want to play more. Other content creators brought me back and introduced me to Commander, which I had not played until just around the time we started this channel.
How Long Has Your Channel Been Around?
JM/Octavia: In February/March, it’ll be three years of the show.
What Makes Your Channel Unique?
JM: I feel what makes our channel unique is the types of games we play and the environment we have. We focus on a good time, and games happen secondary. We also have chaos points that can greatly alter the tide of battle and the conversations.
Octavia: Yeah, even when we have to go into the tank to think, there’s always some conversation going on that, I hope, is entertaining.
What Advice Do You Have for Up and Coming Content Creators?
JM: If you wanted to get into content creation, I say go for it. I’d rather live my life knowing I made the thing than what if. I also have 1.6 TB of video history that has a lot of my life: Indi, Bernie, the announcement of my child. I have so many good memories in video.
Octavia: Oh yeah, and you don’t really need to know anything about it to start, but it certainly helps. We have learned a lot as we go and are still trying to improve things, but always try first.
What’s Your Favorite Set?
JM: I think my favorite set that has come out would be the Throne of Eldraine set; it was the first box I opened with my wife, and it was amazing. That said, I have a feeling this Fallout set will quickly become a favorite of mine.
Octavia: I am with you on that Fallout set, but I have to say that right now, it’s a toss-up between two planes and their blocks, not just a single set. Original Innistrad for its gothic horror because horror is my jam, and Lorwyn for its ability to make a block where there were no humans outside of the original four planeswalkers. Also, Shadowmoor being the dark reflection of Lorywn had some horror vibes to it to that I was there for.
Which Commander is Your Favorite and Why?
JM: I feel like my answer changes almost as fast as the sets come out now, to be honest. For each Commander I build, I try to build a different archetype or play style. I’d say my top three right now are Mimeoplasm (Dinos), Merry/Pippin (Food), and Sidar Jabari (Knights). I think these are my favorites right now because of how different they feel and play each game. They also are the easiest to feel like you did the thing, in my opinion.
Octavia: I continuously build and brew, so I have a ton of decks I love. My favorite style of deck, though, is Enchantress, which I build all the time. I think Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist and Vial Smasher the Fierce is my favorite pairing because no one expects Mardu Curses Enchantress.
You can check out all their links at their Linktree.
Tune in in two weeks for another Commander Spotlight!
