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Magic: the GAFering |OT2|

D

divisionbyzorro

Member
So I started recording my drafts and playing them back to see if I could learn anything from watching myself play. I'm actually quite surprised at how much I'm learning from going back and watching the games that I lost and seeing that there were lines that could have given me a win. Most surprisingly, they were lines that (although maybe they weren't right without having perfect information and hindsight) I simply didn't see or didn't even consider during the game.

You know that feeling when you watch a stream, or event coverage, and you see a line that gets there and the player doesn't? It's funny how, not even 10 minutes after finishing a match, I'm doing that to myself when I rewatch it.

I still have so far to go in learning how to play this game...
 
T

Transhuman

Unconfirmed Member
divisionbyzorro said:
So I started recording my drafts and playing them back to see if I could learn anything from watching myself play. I'm actually quite surprised at how much I'm learning from going back and watching the games that I lost and seeing that there were lines that could have given me a win. Most surprisingly, they were lines that (although maybe they weren't right without having perfect information and hindsight) I simply didn't see or didn't even consider during the game.

You know that feeling when you watch a stream, or event coverage, and you see a line that gets there and the player doesn't? It's funny how, not even 10 minutes after finishing a match, I'm doing that to myself when I rewatch it.

I still have so far to go in learning how to play this game...
Click to expand...

There's always going to be something, unless you play perfect, and considering that the number of choices in a game easily number in the 100's, you've got plenty of opportunities to screw up at least once even if it's something subtle that doesn't cost you the game.
 
D

divisionbyzorro

Member
Transhuman said:
There's always going to be something, unless you play perfect, and considering that the number of choices in a game easily number in the 100's, you've got plenty of opportunities to screw up at least once even if it's something subtle that doesn't cost you the game.
Click to expand...

So I've actually gone back to playing Swiss drafts on MTGO because of this very thing. I did some self-analysis of my history of Theros drafting after listening to the latest episode of Limited Resources. What I realized was that early in the Theros format, I was crushing - not because I was a great player, but because I just "got" the format faster than the average MTGO player. As soon as everybody else "got" the format, I lost my edge, and I started losing more and more. And what I realized was that I was only winning my 8-4s because I was getting nutty decks because the average player didn't know what was good. And as the average player gets bored with Theros and the grinders are the only ones left, my edge goes away. And when I'm on even footing with the rest of the field in terms of drafting decks, I start losing.

I realized that if I'm losing when I'm even with the field on drafting, it's because I'm not playing my games correctly, and I was only winning so much early because my play didn't matter. I think this is also why I was so bad at Sealed; my deckbuilding was mostly decent, but my actual play during the games was bad. So I dropped out of 8-4s and started playing Swiss again so that I could get more practice for my dollar.
 
Tizoc

Tizoc

Member
So I'm thinking of using Magic the Gathering Online, though I had no idea it required a $10 payment.
How's the game been so far for someone who hasn't any access to IRL Magic scene or access?
 
C

ChewyDev

Neo Member
Hey guys, looking to get back into magic but honestly don't know where to begin. Stopped playing a week after the Ravnica prerelease My mates all stopped playing and I didn't really play with other people outside of ptq's and prereleases. I have always liked standard as a format, but it's been so long since I've played that all the changes seem a little daunting lol.

I don't have any of my collection left, so it would be amazing if I could get some advice on some packs to pick up to ease myself into it. By the way I live in Melbourne, Australia and would love to find a regular place to play. Cheers!
 
B

blindrocket

Member
Tizoc said:
So I'm thinking of using Magic the Gathering Online, though I had no idea it required a $10 payment.
How's the game been so far for someone who hasn't any access to IRL Magic scene or access?
Click to expand...

Personally, I like it but I had no experience with the older versions of the software.
And with your initial $10, you do get a bunch of commons and uncommons which you may use for some constructed decks. You also get some points to enter into some events and some tickets which you can spend like dollars. So you do get some of your money back in a sense.

ChewyDev said:
Hey guys, looking to get back into magic but honestly don't know where to begin. Stopped playing a week after the Ravnica prerelease My mates all stopped playing and I didn't really play with other people outside of ptq's and prereleases. I have always liked standard as a format, but it's been so long since I've played that all the changes seem a little daunting lol.

I don't have any of my collection left, so it would be amazing if I could get some advice on some packs to pick up to ease myself into it. By the way I live in Melbourne, Australia and would love to find a regular place to play. Cheers!
Click to expand...

If you don't want to spend a lot of money off the bat, you may look into the Event Decks that are Standard legal. Sometimes those are a good starting point. If you don't mind spending a couple hundred bucks (I don't know what that would be in AUS), look at some budget decks that are competitive.

I hope that helps some!
 
K

Karakand

Member
Tizoc said:
So I'm thinking of using Magic the Gathering Online, though I had no idea it required a $10 payment.
How's the game been so far for someone who hasn't any access to IRL Magic scene or access?
Click to expand...

If you love the game, it's a good alternative. I've found the community aspect of it a bit lacking.

The $10 gets you a lot more value than it used to.
 
L

lawlohwhat

Banned
Tizoc said:
So I'm thinking of using Magic the Gathering Online, though I had no idea it required a $10 payment.
How's the game been so far for someone who hasn't any access to IRL Magic scene or access?
Click to expand...

Unstable UI, bad customer service, and strange management decisions.

But, its a very good magic experience when it works. Competition is at a higher level than your typical fnm, so you get good very quickly. Payouts range from laughably bad to very generous depending on the event. Check magicev.com for more info on that.

I don't use the service because it crashes all the time for me when I draft, but for someone with no other magic around it is a pretty good option. Also, be prepared to drop a couple hundred dollars into it, because just like poker, it's easier to maintain a bankroll with a bankroll.
 
C

ChewyDev

Neo Member
blindrocket said:
If you don't want to spend a lot of money off the bat, you may look into the Event Decks that are Standard legal. Sometimes those are a good starting point. If you don't mind spending a couple hundred bucks (I don't know what that would be in AUS), look at some budget decks that are competitive.

I hope that helps some!
Click to expand...

Thanks! Yeah, I think that's the way I'll go. Learn all the new mechanics and staples of standard play before I invest too heavily. I used to spend a couple hundred at a time, difference now is that I can afford it lol.
 
B

blindrocket

Member
divisionbyzorro said:
Holy shit. Liliana of the Veil is $80 on MTGO.

http://www.mtggoldfish.com/card/Liliana+of+the+Veil+[ISD]
Click to expand...

Yup. And the cost of Jund continues to rise.


I may hold on to my fifth Liliana of the Veil (paper) because I'm sure she will climb up too.

But here is something interesting I read on Mark Rosewater's blog.
Apparently they didn't like the Core set Liliana, but only threw her in at the last moment because play testing with Liliana of the Veil was causing some issues in Standard. Which surprised me a bit because it showed they were willing to throw her into a core set so quickly (she was just rotating out of Innistrad block). If they put her in a core set I could see her dropping.
 
D

divisionbyzorro

Member
blindrocket said:
Yup. And the cost of Jund continues to rise.

I may hold on to my fifth Liliana of the Veil (paper) because I'm sure she will climb up too.

But here is something interesting I read on Mark Rosewater's blog.
Apparently they didn't like the Core set Liliana, but only threw her in at the last moment because play testing with Liliana of the Veil was causing some issues in Standard. Which surprised me a bit because it showed they were willing to throw her into a core set so quickly (she was just rotating out of Innistrad block). If they put her in a core set I could see her dropping.
Click to expand...

It desperately needs a reprint, and putting it in a core set makes sense. And Liliana v3 is a terrible, terrible design. It doesn't "feel" like Liliana at all.

And yes, putting LotV into the current environment with Mono-Black Devotion would have been awful.
 
B

bigkrev

Member
So.... Channel Fireball poached the entire Team SCG?!?!?!
1530577_698685253486234_778516351_n.jpg


I wonder what is going on here
 
A

An-Det

Member
Negator said:
I'm all for reprinting Liliana of the Veil, but good lord, I would not want to see that card in Standard right now.
Click to expand...

Yeah, having her in a core set would be awesome but really glad they pulled her from m14 considering that mono-black is so huge right now. It doesn't need her help.

bigkrev said:
So.... Channel Fireball poached the entire Team SCG?!?!?!
1530577_698685253486234_778516351_n.jpg


I wonder what is going on here
Click to expand...

That's interesting, pretty much the entire SCG Team Black roster switched over. Even Chapin, who is slated to do commentary for SCG.
 
B

blindrocket

Member
I thought this was interesting...

Check out which god Elspeth is bowing to... and I suppose this is where we get our G/W Ajani. :)

tumblr_mzohlkC8qk1tophcho1_400.jpg



And I wonder if that dragon/fox/raccoon will be a creature card...

tumblr_mzohlkC8qk1tophcho2_500.jpg
 
O

OnPoint

Member
blindrocket said:
I thought this was interesting...

Check out which god Elspeth is bowing to... and I suppose this is where we get our G/W Ajani. :)

https://24.media.tumblr.com/bf5a3563cedbc5fa3ae8c11b2e90c720/tumblr_mzohlkC8qk1tophcho1_400.jpg[/IMG


And I wonder if that dragon/fox/raccoon will be a creature card...

[IMG]https://24.media.tumblr.com/cbe524fe8a002b0620b7265598547b10/tumblr_mzohlkC8qk1tophcho2_500.jpg[/IMG[/QUOTE]

I'm always curious about how planeswalkers change color identity. Like, with Tezzeret it makes sense, since he's gone to the dark side. Garruk going black makes sense because he's cursed. But when we have red/white Ajani, it's a little less easy to figure out. Or white/black Sorin.
Click to expand...
 
D

divisionbyzorro

Member
Tribute continues to annoy me. Why did this get chosen over Monstrosity? I don't understand it...

Nessian Demlock 3GG [uncommon]
Creature - Beast
Tribute 3
When ~ enters the battlefield, if its tribute was not paid, destroy target noncreature permanent.
3/3
 
O

OnPoint

Member
divisionbyzorro said:
Tribute continues to annoy me. Why did this get chosen over Monstrosity? I don't understand it...

Nessian Demlock 3GG [uncommon]
Creature - Beast
Tribute 3
When ~ enters the battlefield, if its tribute was not paid, destroy target noncreature permanent.
3/3
Click to expand...

Change to

Nessian Demlock 1GG
Creature - Beast
Tribute 2
When ~ enters the battlefield, if its tribute was not paid, destroy target noncreature permanent.
2/2

And I love it. Five mana is too much to make that a good card.
 
D

divisionbyzorro

Member
OnPoint said:
Change to

Nessian Demlock 1GG
Creature - Beast
Tribute 2
When ~ enters the battlefield, if its tribute was not paid, destroy target noncreature permanent.
2/2

And I love it. Five mana is too much to make that a good card.
Click to expand...

If it cost 2GG, it would just be a Hill Giant with upside. And that would be fine (even if it got lowered to Tribute 1) from a Limited perspective. As it stands now, it's just grossly outclassed by commons from Theros.
 
Y

Yeef

Member
OnPoint said:
I'm always curious about how planeswalkers change color identity. Like, with Tezzeret it makes sense, since he's gone to the dark side. Garruk going black makes sense because he's cursed. But when we have red/white Ajani, it's a little less easy to figure out. Or white/black Sorin.
Click to expand...
Red is the color of emotion. Ajani was pursuing the killer of his brother out of anger and a desire for vengeance, hence the red.

White is the color of community and the greater good. Sorin created Avacyn to protect the humans in Innistrad (an increasingly endangered species) from going extinct. He did so against the wishes of many of his vampire kin, knowing that if the humans died off, the vampire society would wither away with no decent food source.
 
G

"God's Beard!"

Member
OnPoint said:
I'm always curious about how planeswalkers change color identity. Like, with Tezzeret it makes sense, since he's gone to the dark side. Garruk going black makes sense because he's cursed. But when we have red/white Ajani, it's a little less easy to figure out. Or white/black Sorin.
Click to expand...

I thought Sorin went white because his travels changed his mindset and led him towards creating Avacyn to protect humans for the sake of balance on his plane.
 
O

OnPoint

Member
Heh that spirit is pretty cool and will end up in sideboards I think. Imagine the Show and Tell player dropping Grisselbrand, and the other player dropping that. Ha!

Chromanticore feels very EDH centric.
 
D

divisionbyzorro

Member
kirblar said:
You don't want this being good in constructed. It would be highly obnoxious. It's costed for EDH.
Click to expand...

Eh. Sometimes I see a card and I think that it was clearly built for Commander. Other times I see a card (like this) and I think that development is using Commander as an excuse to not have to worry about unique and interesting cards making an impact on Constructed. Just make sure it's slightly overcosted, and if anyone asks why, you can just say it's for Commander.

It's a fun and interesting design. It's a card that wants you to jam multiple different legendaries into the same deck. That probably means playing a weird mix of colors and cards with weird effects together. I don't know; maybe they're scared of the legendaries coming up in this or the next block, but I think this is definitely a card they could have pushed a little further.
 
Y

y2dvd

Member
alternade said:
That 5 color creature should have had hexproof to push it over the edge. I'd love to have it see play.

The spirit is very cool.
Click to expand...

Yeah I was thinking also give it hexproof or indescructibility on top to really push it. As it is, it dies to creature or enchantment removal. I hope I get it first pack because I will draft 5 colors lol.

That spirit is definitely constructed playable. 3/1 is a big body and control just got a bit worst. Hell, I think you may see this in control sb.
 
Tizoc

Tizoc

Member
lawlohwhat said:
Unstable UI, bad customer service, and strange management decisions.

But, its a very good magic experience when it works. Competition is at a higher level than your typical fnm, so you get good very quickly. Payouts range from laughably bad to very generous depending on the event. Check magicev.com for more info on that.

I don't use the service because it crashes all the time for me when I draft, but for someone with no other magic around it is a pretty good option. Also, be prepared to drop a couple hundred dollars into it, because just like poker, it's easier to maintain a bankroll with a bankroll.
Click to expand...

OK thanks, but say I only spend $10, can I still earn more cards from playing and winning in events? I want to make a White deck and use those mainly.
 
T

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
[QUOTE="God's Beard!";97826462]How many cards get spoiled each day?[/QUOTE]

Between 2 and 5 usually, depending on how many they give to other outlets or spoil on social media. The full spoiler goes up on Friday though, I think, in time for the pre-release
 
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