Tuesday, July 31, 2012

The $25 Can of Comet: Learning from PTQ Misfortunes

This past Saturday, I attended my second PTQ (ever!) in Baltimore, MD, essentially to grind some Planeswalker Points in the hopes of achieving a Grand Prix bye for the next season.  I had other commitments later in the day, so I simply went to grab as many wins as possible (and Hell, if I did well, I could always delay my plans).

Secret Weapon?  We'll see!
My deck of choice was one that I have been piloting for about two weeks now – Naya Aggro.  Anyone who is familiar with the current metagame knows that creature-based Aggro decks are running rampant right now, and I went in with a deck that was supposed to attack those matchups particularly well. 
I arrived at the venue with about an hour to spare before round 1 began, so I went to the vendor booth to pick up the Batterskull and Phyrexian Metamorph that I added to the deck the night before.  Having my 75 ready and registered, I sat down with Wayne, a local player and good acquaintance, to break down our deck ideas and make any final changes to our decks.  Wayne was on the Mono-Green beats approach, and I quickly recommended to him that he play a Tormod’s Crypt or two to fight the UW Delver matchup.  I’m pretty sure he stuck with that plan, and we played a test game or two before pairings went up.  My deck felt really, really solid, and most of all, it felt comfortable to play.

The 75 that I registered looked like this:


A few notes about the deck:

  1.  I was really happy with the decision to drop to two Huntmaster of the Fells.  Right now, I (and several others, as I have read) don’t think Huntmaster is the best of creatures in the current state of affairs.  With decks that jam creatures down peoples’ throats, it’s hard to justify a 2/2 for 4, even if it gains 2 life and a Wolf.  There are better threats that exist, in my mind, than having a third Huntmaster, especially when the majority of matchups that I expected turn into creature stalls.  There needs to be a way to break the deadlock, not enhance it.
  2. To fill that spot, I added a single Phyrexian Metamorph.  One thing that makes all of these creature decks so strong is the variety of threats they can produce.  Will you see a Sword, or a Pike?  Thragtusk or Wolfir Silverheart?  Geist of Saint Traft or Blade Splicer?  Not playing Blue, Phantasmal Image was out of the question, but Metamorph turned out to prove itself and then some.  As a 1-of, it doesn’t leave your hand full of cards that you don’t want to keep – sometimes there are simply things you don’t want to copy.   But, when it comes up, it can almost certainly be useful at some point during a match while still leaving you other options for increased versatility.  This may end up being a sideboard option in the future, but I feel that it was worth the main-deck slot at this event.
  3. Bonfire of the Damned, as you all should know, makes me feel like a 35 year-old jerk stealing a graciously-sized lollipop from a small child.  It is really that mean, that unfair, and that easy to cast.  I highly recommend 4 of them main-deck, so long as creature decks run rampant.  It single-handedly won me 4 games during the event.  Even if you’re stuck with 1 (or even 2) in an opening hand, the deck still has potent threats that are reliable enough that you can deal with an opponent long enough to make Bonfire worthwhile sans miracle.  It may even be more worthwhile to use at X=1 or X=2 to handle a board of mana dorks.  Against a lot of decks right now, that will either kill Delvers and Snapcaster Mages, or it will eliminate 2-3 mana producers.  I like that trade.

    Oh god no
    An Opponent's Typical Reaction to Bonfire
  4. Play Mikaeus.  Seriously, play him.  Play 2 of him.  Having a 5th way of using Gavony Township, while having a body on the battlefield, can quickly turn around a game.  Several times, I was able to get him out on turn 2 at X=2, cast Blade Splicer the next turn, and have a 4/4 first striking golem on turn 3.  Sure, get rid of my Blade Splicer – the golem can now trade with so many more creatures reliably by doing so.  And when you decide to smash with them, bigger tends to be better.  Mikaeus is an excellent addition to help aid the engine of your deck.
  5. I wasn’t 100% comfortable playing Birthing Pod on this day.  Far too much artifact destruction was looming around, and I didn’t want to devote two slots in my deck to a potential engine, when I felt I could maintain consistency.  Is Pod the “better” choice?  Perhaps.  But, I felt more comfortable with my deck by leaving them at home this go around, and frankly, that meant more. 
  6. Batterskull beats mirror matches.  It also beats Zombies when it can stay on the field, and it hoses control matchups when you see them.  Right now, I think it is in a good position as a sideboard sleeper, and I would recommend adopting one in your plan.
With that, I’ll go over my matches.  Spoiler alert: I unfortunately didn’t play a lot of expected decks during the day, so some of the matchups may seem skewed unfairly.

Round 1 vs. Justin (UB Zombies)
Feels bad, man...
Justin is a SCG Open Series competitor sporting at least one Top 8 performance (judging from his playmat). No matter.  I kept a rather risky hand on the play game 1, with 2 lands, an Avacyn's Pilgrim, two 3 drops, a Restoration Angel, and a Bonfire.  I paid for it dearly when Justin Tragically Slipped my Pilgrim, and I failed to see anymore lands.  He got his Zombie engine running fast, while I had a hand of cards I couldn't play.  I quickly scooped, and we went to game 2.  In game 2, Justin showed me his choice of fatty for his deck: Phyrexian Obliterator.  Luckily, I had a Celestial Purge in hand to Obliterate it myself.  I was able to drop a Batterskull on turn 5, putting pressure on Justin's army of the undead, but Justin quickly played a second Phyrexian Obliterator.  I decided to drop Thalia and equip Batterskull to it the turn after.  Justin left his Obliterator up to block, and I attacked right into it the next turn.  When he blocked, I used 3 mana to return Batterskull to my hand before damage, and activated Gavony Township (it had been done the turn before, as well), putting Thalia at 5 First Strike damage.  I did this to only have to sacrifice 5 permanents as opposed to 8 or 9.  Leaving 3 lands and my Thalia/Batterskull mix, Justin drew for his turn and extended his hand.  Game 3 saw much of the same from Justin, with Obliterator out early.  I, unfortunately, did not have the Celestial Purge during that game, and quickly lost.
I will note that Bonfire isn't the best card in this matchup; it gets the job done, but the recursion of Zombies makes it much less effective.
0-1 (1-2 in Games)

Round 2 vs. Chris (UG Infect)
I sat down to meet my round 2 opponent, Chris, who quickly informed me that he was down a game already.  Apparently, he misregistered his deck, and took a game loss this round.  I confirmed this with a judge, and I had a quick 1-0 lead.  During game "1," I kept a great hand on the draw that had 3 mana, a Birds of Paradise, and 2 Blade Splicer.  When Chris cast a Glistener Elf, I knew I had to kill his board, and quickly.  I quickly cast Blade Splicer on turn 2, and he attacked into my Golem.  To me, this meant pump spells, and I couldn't risk a blowout, so I blocked.  Sure enough, he had a Titanic Growth, and my Golem was dead.  He then cast Blighted Agent and passed.
Luckily, my deck felt like getting a little hot, and I top-decked Bonfire, casting it as a Miracle to wipe Chris's board.  He sighed, and I cast another Birds of Paradise.  Chris brought out another Glistener Elf, and passed.  I put out the other Blade Splicer, dropped Gavony Township, and passed.  Chris drew and played another Glistener Elf, passing the turn.  My next draw: another Bonfire.  I cast it for X=3, to save myself from Mutagenic Growth, and attacked with my Golem.  He let the damage through, and I passed.  Chris basically ran out of gas from this point, and I built my army up, pumping it with Gavony Township.  A few turns later, I Miracled one last Bonfire, and he extended his hand.
This is one of those games where Bonfire saved me more than once.  It can completely turn a match sideways, quickly followed by a bunch of my creatures turning sideways.
1-1 (3-2 in Games)

Round 3 vs. Daniel (UB Control)
The Slow Death
I never enjoy playing against control, but this was undoubtedly the least fun match of the day for me.  Daniel wasn't a talker, and didn't seem like the friendliest of players.  Game 1 was the slow grind I hate about control.  Land, go.  Land, go.  I try to cast a spell.  Destroyed on end step.  Land, go...you get the idea.  A Karn and a Nephalia Drownyard finished me off as I was milled out, 25 minutes later.
Game 2 was actually fairly quick.  Landing a 2 Cavern of Souls hand on the play, I was able to reliably cast Blade Splicer twice to build a presence.  When I tried to cast Phyrexian Metamorph, I was forced to copy a Golem when Daniel Tragic Slipped my Blade Splicer.  Daniel tapped out to play Vampire Nighthawk in an effort to stabilize, but a top-decked Zealous Conscripts took him under my wing, and I swung for 12.  That ended game 2.
Game 3 was exactly like game 1.  The only fun part of that game was being able to Zealous Conscript into his Liliana of the Veil, and used her ultimate against Daniel.
1-2 (4-4 in Games)

Round 4 vs. Carey (UW Delver)
Certified Delver Killer
At this point, Carey and I were both dead, playing for some sweet Planeswalker Points.  This was a much more chatty game, and we were having fun playing without throwing each other off.  I saw a turn 1 Delver and knew what I was up against.  I played my game, going Land, Bird, go.  He was unable to flip Delver immediately, but cast Ponder to essentially ensure that it happened the turn after.  He Probed me to see my hand, and saw nothing that would slow his tempo down.  My next top-deck, though, is probably the worst card a Delver player wants to see, and I slammed Thalia down quicker than a Bonfire.  Carey kind of grunted, flipped his Delver, and cast Snapcaster Mage to flashback Ponder.  He shuffled.  I was happy.  I top-decked Bonfire the next turn.  He wasn't happy.  Attacking into a clear board, he had no answers.  Next turn, I top-deck another Bonfire! He tried to stay in the game for two more turns, but had no threats, and scooped up.
Game 2 came down to two cards: Crushing Vines and Combust.  That was all the tempo I needed to keep Carey at bay...and a Miracled Bonfire later in the game didn't hurt.  Much of a repeat of game one, Carey was out of gas late, and I built my board up to achieve victory.
2-2 (6-4 in Games)

Round 5 vs. Josh (UG Infect)
Josh played Inkmoth Nexus on turn 1, leading me to think I was playing Wolf Run Ramp.  Boy, was I mistaken.  Game 1 is a quick report.  I lost on turn 3 to a swing for 9 Infect, with 2 Mutagenic Growth and a Titanic Growth added to the Nexus.  I was on onto game 2, confused as to how I failed to realize that Infect was still (apparently) popular.
Game 2, I was able to Miracle Bonfire twice to keep his board clear while I went in with my army of Golems and Restoration Angels, and won in 6 turns.
Game 3 was a slightly slower version of game 1, but I just didn't have the answers to unblockable infectors like I did in the second round.  After shaking Josh's hand, I did what I will probably never do again in competitive play - look at the next card.  Slamming down a Bonfire, I knew that, with one extra turn, I probably could have left the PTQ at 3-2, but it wasn't to be.  This is a great example of how one card could have literally flipped the match into my favor with a single draw.
2-3 (7-6 in Games)
 
Tournament Strength Scrubbing Power!

So, 2-3…not exactly what I had in mind coming in, especially with a deck that I hadn’t lost a round with in over a week.  I was really, really surprised seeing 2 Infect decks in my five matches, and, while I don’t think my sideboard will necessarily change (unless I adopt Green Sun’s Zenith), if Infect becomes a thing during these last few months (and by thing, I mean something other than a mild threat), I may have to add a Melira to my sideboard.  I also think I may replace a Forest with a Plains, to ensure that I have access to enough white mana to cast spells and activate Gavony on the same turn, if possible.  I never was really "land screwed," save the first game of round 1, but it would have been nice to have the second white mana source a few times.

Additionally, I may be forced to add a Witchbane Orb to my sideboard.  Yes, artifact hate is a thing right now…but there needs to be “Bonfire hate” in decks like mine.  Heavy creature decks die to heavy creature destruction, and Bonfire is the quintessential creature-destruction card in Standard right now.  If I can’t be targeted by Bonfire, neither can my army of dudes.
This event definitely let me see just how variant Standard really is right now.  There are so many different decks that can be viable when the right mix of skill, luck, and miracles come together.  So many games could have been won with that top-deck Bonfire the next turn, or the extra Celestial Purge.  That’s the beautiful thing about Magic right now, though: you don’t need to be piloting only one viable deck to succeed.  Take an archetype, mold it into the weapon you want to wield, and go crazy.  Many powerful decks exist right now – take advantage of the next few months, prior to rotation.  Sometimes, it’ll bite you in the ass (this happened to me several times at this event).  Other times, you’ll be the one on the positive end of things.

Lessons Learned
As this was only my second PTQ, I wanted to take a little extra time reflecting on my experience.  For anyone who plans on entering the competitive environment in the near (or later) future, I give you a few pieces of advice that will either enhance your competitiveness (without being a D-Bag), or that will help you learn from your mistakes and losses.
  • Be assertive.
    If you’re playing a match, and you feel like your opponent has done something that is either late (i.e. cast a counterspell late), wrong, or otherwise illegal, call him out on it, and call a judge if needed.  They are there for a reason.  Utilize them.  Example: during my round 4 match, I cast Restoration Angel - my opponent nods as to say "Okay" in my mind - and had already blinked my Blade Splicer to produce another Golem.  At that point, my opponent says, “Actually, I want to Mana Leak your Angel.”  I didn’t feel like he should have seen what I was going to blink before saying that so I simply said “No.  I think you’re late in casting that.”  If your opponent really has an issue with it, they will call a judge, and I’ll abide by their decision.  Honestly, that decision could have gone either way, but I stand by my gut.  Never pander to your opponent’s reactions.  At PTQ-style events, a level of play is expected of you that is higher than your FNM-style event.  Trust your instinct, be assertive, and use your resources.
  • Expect bad matchups
    These happened all day for me.  Playing UG infect was not what I had in mind during rounds 2 and 5, but it happened.  I don’t have the best matchup against it (do many decks have a way of dealing with a turn 3 lethal attack in Standard?), and I knew it.  Sometimes, you’ll have to admit defeat, even if your line of play was reasonable and without faults.  Don’t let a bad matchup ruin your day to the point that it affects your reasonable and good matchups.  It happens.
  • Bring food and beverage.
    Clif Bars are your friend (or, replace Clif with Granola, Nutra-Grain, or what have you).  I never go to a long event without some sort of sustenance in my bag.  Food keeps you focused.  Water keeps you hydrated.  Have both ready.  My personal recommendation: XXX Vitamin Water and White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Clif Bars.  Yum.
  • Watch.  Your.  Bags.
    Remember how I related Bonfire of the Damned with an older male taking lollipops from children?  Replace Bonfire of the Damned with “Stealing unattended bags” and the analogy holds.  It is so easy to take bags at a larger event, when you aren’t always watching your stuff.  You’ve probably invested several thousand dollars on the contents of that bag – watch it.  My recommendation, as is that of many others: put a strap of the bag around your leg, and sit your chair leg inside the loop.  If a thief tries to steal something from you at that point, you’ll feel it moving around, and it will be nearly impossible for them to take the entire thing.  That being said, keep it closed to be safe, just in case you have an easy-to-grab deck box sitting near the opening.
  • Sleep.  Sleep Well.  Sleep the night before.
    Too many times did I hear players say, “I got like, no sleep last night…ugghhhhhh.”  I didn’t have that problem, and I didn’t let drowsiness affect my play.  This is an easy way to defeat yourself before you sit down for a match.  Maybe that keg of Natty Light seems like an awesome idea on Friday night…just know that you may not exactly feel…great…when round 1 of Saturday’s PTQ starts.
  • Don’t be intimidated.
    From new PTQ players to seasoned grinders, most of us are there for one thing – an invite to the Pro Tour.  At some point, you’ll probably be matched against a grinder (my round one opponent, for instance, had at least one SCG Open Series Top 8, judging by his playmat, and probably several other high ranking finishes in events) – don’t let that bother you.  Focus on the game, focus on your line of play, and don’t let the face on the other side of the table allow you to play poorly.
Scrubbing out of PTQs and such can definitely make you a better player.  At the very least, you’ll become more familiar with high-level play, and what you could typically expect from the caliber of player at these shindigs.  Don’t let an X-3 (or worse) record get to you – take your losses as an opportunity to grow.  Take your wins as an opportunity to grow.  Let’s face it: win, lose, or draw, we play competitively to become better players.  Being better requires both success and failure. 

When you buy your next $25 can of Comet, scrub like a pro.  Use it as an opportunity to foster growth in your playing ability.  Realizing your mistakes will allow you to realize success in future events.

Until next time, everyone, happy slingin’ and happy gaming!
-tom

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Staying on Two Feet – An Approach to Handling Tilt

It’s round two of your local Friday Night Magic, and you’re sitting on the wrong half of the standings sheet.  You just got through a match where you felt like nothing really went right – your opponent had nut-draws each game, while you were seemingly going through the motions: Land, Dork, Go.  Land, Bigger Dork, Go.  Your opponent always had an answer, a way around your dork-filled board, until you drew dead and lost 0-2.  Sitting down for your next match, you try to focus on the present, but that last round – why did nothing go right?
You each draw your seven cards, and you’re on the draw.  Your opponent snap-keeps, and you keep a hand that, under normal circumstances, you would throw back into your deck quicker than anything.  But your mind isn’t on your hand of 7 (iffy) cards; it’s on the two mulligans you took during game 1 of the last round that led to an unwinnable situation.  Your focus is shattered, and you make bad decisions throughout the entirety of round 2: first was the keep with one land, next came a missed land drop later in the game that kept you from casting a would-be useful spell, followed by a risky attack that left you unable to defend your opponent’s army of creatures the turn after. 
“Why is nothing going right?” you think to yourself.  

---------------------------------------------------------------

We’ve all probably been in this situation.  You could be playing anywhere: the Pro Tour, a Grand Prix, Friday Night Magic, or even at your kitchen table amongst friends.  Nothing seems to be going your way, and you lose focus, concentration…you get anxious.  This almost certainly affects your performance in the Multiverse, and not in a good way.  Diagnosis: Tilt.
As you could probably gather by now, Tilt is a state of blurred focus and broken concentration.  It affects your confidence, and hinders your ability to perform at your best.  The causes of Tilt are endless – it can result from anything that can cause you to lose focus on the current situation.  Tilt goes far beyond Magic, too: most any competitive atmosphere serves as an environment where Tilt can occur, from a Penalty Kick in a soccer match, to a demanding work environment where the difference in having a job and being on the street is out-performing your peers, to a “casual” game of Risk amongst friends.  Usually, some amount of pressure is placed on you to succeed, and external sources deter you from your ultimate goal.  While this discussion on Tilt will be centered on Magic, keep in mind that the situations and approaches discussed can easily be applied to most any competitive environment.

Tilt and Sportsmanship

In competitive Magic, your end-game is to outmatch your opponent and get an upper-hand that will ride you to victory.  There are many approaches to doing so: you can simply play your game, let your opponent play their game, and look for the right time to pounce on a mistake, all without saying a word.  Or, you can have a casual conversation with your opponent while playing, still looking for that mistake to be made.  Moreover, you could try and add pressure to your opponent by asking them to make a play, or to note mistakes they have made earlier in the game.  This last example is a clear means of distracting your opponent, attempting to throw them off their game and lose focus, so you can easily win a match by having your opponent defeat him/herself.  Most folks you ask are going to call you out for being a D-Bag for doing something like this – myself included, most likely.  But, whether you decide to take this route or not, realize that other opponents, especially in higher levels of play, are going to attempt to throw you off of your game by putting into effect what I’ll simply call “The Bullying Approach.”  Later on, we’ll talk about this circumstance, and how to play through this situation optimally.
For now, though, consider the second situation: perhaps, by having even a casual conversation – it doesn’t even have to be about the match – you can get your opponent’s mind off the game at hand, even if only for a moment.  That moment can make or break a match.  Perhaps, while chatting, your opponent taps the wrong mana (still legal) to cast a spell, only for them to realize a turn later that they suddenly don’t have the ability to flashback their Vapor Snag after casting Snapcaster Mage.  Did you intend to have this happen to your opponent?  Of course not!  You were just talking about last night’s baseball game.  But, here we are.  Your opponent has made a mistake, and now you can simply attack into a far-less-powerful Snapcaster Mage and win your match.  Unintentionally, you just put your opponent on Tilt – even if briefly – and won the game as a result.
There is a line that exists, metaphorically, between chatting to your opponent casually as a friend, and bullying them into submission.  Where you fall on this line, frankly, is up to you, and this is where sportsmanship (or a lack thereof) meets Tilt.  Personally, I’m a generally friendly player, and will talk to my opponents during a game.  But if it’s clear that they’re being distracted by it, I’ll lay off the conversation a bit, and let them try to regain focus.  Purposefully intending to Tilt my opponent is something that is not on my moral compass, and I avoid it at all costs; if I’m going to win a game of Magic, it’s going to be by skill, luck, and, every now and then, a Miracle (thanks, Bonfire!).  Surely, I can’t dictate what level of sportsmanship you will have when playing, but, I can convey how your actions can affect your opponent’s play.  

Handling “The Bullying Approach”

As alluded to earlier, there are times when, inevitably, your opponent is going to try and Tilt you, through comments, jeers on your play, or advice on how you could have taken that last turn more optimally.  There are some ways to handle this situation in an effort to keep yourself focused, or, at the very least, let your opponent know that you’re onto them.
  1. Be your opponent.
    This doesn’t mean you’ve activated Mindslaver or some other turn-taking ability.  This simply means realizing what your opponent is doing to Tilt you, and use that to your advantage.  Perhaps your opponent calls you out for slow play, and demands that you play faster.  If you see your opponent doing the same thing, call him out on it.  Is it the most polite thing to do?  Maybe not, but you can help keep your focus by doing so.  At a minimum, your opponent will know that you’re onto them, and will not let it get to your head.
  2. Call your opponent out early.
    This one is pretty simple: if you notice some series of actions that your opponent is taking to throw you off, call them out on it ASAP.  This may not be the easiest thing to say, but telling your opponent that you won’t tolerate their actions early – and often, if necessary – sends them a message that you are in control of your own game.
  3. Look into their eyes.
    Directly into their eyes.  No funny business.  You want to let your opponent know that you mean business.  “Go ahead and try something.  I won’t break.”  You want to send that message to your opponent without saying a word.  This is a classic way to do it.  You may even cause them to lose focus, and, if they are trying to do this to you, you’ve beat them at their own game.
Often times, these situations will not be the easiest to come out ahead…but, it is possible.  It takes conviction, patience, and practice.  You may think, “How does it take practice to maintain concentration?”  This question has a fairly simple answer: when it is so easy to lose concentration and focus, you’ll want to be able to have a means of keeping it when “The Bullying Approach” occurs.  When their focus is on Tilting you, your focus can be on, well, staying focused.  This is much harder than it sounds, but is doable.  Trust me – it takes practice.

Organically-Grown Tilt

Often times, being on Tilt requires no action from your opponent at all.  A lot of the time, the only thing keeping you from Tilting is yourself.  The first person who can break your confidence and concentration is you.  Many things can influence this. 
The most common is anxiety before a game.  Perhaps you’re paired up against a well-known player – maybe even a pro.  Recently, a local player (and friend of mine) was paired against Patrick Chapin in round one of the World Magic Cup Qualifiers.  I’ll be the first to say that, if I were paired against The Innovator during a match, I’d be scared shitless.  The voices in my head would probably be screaming, “You’re playing a future Hall-of-Famer…good luck beating him!”  This would almost certainly get in the way of me playing to the best of my ability, and, as a result, I’d probably lose.  Many would argue that Chapin would just outplay me – he probably would.  But, letting your emotions get in the way before the match even starts is no way to win.
External circumstances can also cause you to “self-Tilt.”  Maybe you’ve just had a bad day, and are focusing on how your boss reamed you out for a mistake you made at work.  It’s been on your mind all day, and now it’s affecting your play at FNM.  This is often hard to avoid, but, moreover, if your day was really that bad, it may be a good idea to take a week off, stay home, and relax.  Your opponents will thank you for it, and you’ll save yourself some undue stress.

Consequences of Tilting

Obviously, Tilting is a largely negative experience.  But, the consequences can often extend beyond simply losing a match.  Especially at more local events – FNM, kitchen table Magic, etc. – where friends are involved, the repercussions of your Tilt can be felt far beyond the signing of a match slip.  Tilting often results in a negative attitude, and this can put friends and even loved ones in an awkward situation where you are treating them poorly through no fault of their own. 
Consider this situation: you’re playing against your fiancée at FNM, and nothing – I mean, nothing – is going right.  You’re forced to mulligan to 5, keeping a one land hand, while your fiancée keeps quite a favorable hand (as you’ll soon learn).  In this game, you get mana-screwed, and have no way of interacting with her threats, and you lose game 1 quickly.  You sideboard into a better 60, and move onto game 2.  Unfortunately, your sideboarded cards decide not to show up, but boy are your lands sorry for missing out on game 1 – they show up in numbers!  In fact, that’s all you see: mana dorks and lands, all of game 2.  Meanwhile, the fiancée again keeps a good hand and trounces you.  Your tone gets more and more upsetting during the game.  Your comments get louder and louder.  “Really!?  How am I losing right now?!  There’s no way I should be doing this poorly.”  To you, you’re just venting your frustrations.  To your opponent – your soon-to-be wife – this comes off as something completely different: demeaning and insulting.  Getting told that you should not be winning this match is a slap in the face to them, and they’re upset afterwards.  This turns into an argument that you have to go outside to rectify, and you’ve put the players around you, who heard this happening, in an awkward spot when you return, wondering if you’re still in a terrible mood.

…This is how I acted when I was losing to my fiancée a few weeks ago at FNM.  A game of Magic that didn’t go my way led to a 20-minute long argument and about a million apologies, all because I Tilted out against her.  Afterwards, I felt miserable about it, and I’m glad I had a bye the next round to get my emotions in check.  My TO and I even talked about my mood (thankfully, my TO is awesome and picks up on these things), and I was able to pick myself up and win round 4.  But, the fact remains – my Tilting upset people. 
Sometimes, you lose games because of things you can’t control – in this case, I lost to variance in my deck.  The key is to learn that these things happen – to you, your opponents, and even pro players.  Your job is to not let your emotions take center stage when stuff like this happens.  Roll with it, learn, and move on.  Again, this is much easier said than done, but realizing that you’re starting to Tilt is a clear indicator to realize why, and hopefully curtail the behavior before it flourishes into a full-blown fit.

When Tilt Happens to You…

Unfortunately, you can do everything in your power to fight the Tilt, and you’ll sometimes still end up on less than two feet.  There are several things that you can do if you find yourself Tilting during and after a game to pick yourself back up and succeed:
  1. Breathe and recollect yourself.
    Seriously, breathe.  If this occurs to you during a game, there are two things you can do.
    First, if you’re at FNM or some other more casual event, simply excuse yourself, letting the judge or TO know what’s going on.  Be direct about it, and let them know that you need some air.  Usually, they’ll see what’s going on, and let you to yourself for a few minutes. 
    Second, if you’re in a more competitive tournament, and you see this happening, you may find it easiest to actually call a judge and ask to use the restroom.  Certainly do not abuse this, but, if you need to get up and recollect yourself without making it obvious, this is a way to do it.  Often times, stepping away from the situation, realizing what’s going on, and relaxing can help you recover.
  2. Find a friend, and talk to them.
    Often, after a match where you Tilt, you’ll feel like you’re alone, without anyone to talk to about it.  Pull out your phone, call up a friend or loved one, and briefly vent.  If anything, your friend can simply listen and let you get things off of your mind.  Even by saying nothing back, they’ll do you a favor of letting someone else listen to your situation.  You’d be surprised how much this can help going into later rounds of a tournament.
  3. If worse comes to worse, pack it up and try again next time.
    If steps 1 and 2 don’t work, and you just don’t see yourself recovering from your Tilt, it may be best to leave and try again next time.  Saving yourself the frustration of being on Tilt for later rounds may actually be worth it, especially if you’re already out of contention at a tournament.  Your would-be-opponents will thank you for it, as they won’t be subject to a match filled with angst.
The key thing to remember here is that Tilt happens to everyone.  It may not happen often, and certainly not in the same way every time, but it happens to all of us.  By identifying when Tilt is happening, you can do yourself a favor by trying to fix it.

When Tilt Happens to your Opponent…

Sometimes, you’re not the one on Tilt when playing a match.  You’ll be playing a game and your opponent will make mistakes in play, realize them, and get into a bad mood and lose focus.  You may hear them start to insult you because they’re losing to you.  Maybe they’ll start raising their voice, in more extreme situations.  Usually, though, it’s more of a subdued reaction – they’ll breathe heavily, play slower, and comment on every bad play they make, questioning how they can really be losing like this.  As the other party, you can do a few things to keep the situation from escalating:
  1. Focus on the game, not on the attitude.
    Keep making your plays.  Keep analyzing the game-state.  The main thing to avoid is pointing out your opponents’ mistakes in this case – it will only make them more hostile.  Ignore negative behavior, and don’t let it affect your performance.
  2. Remain calm.
    Simply put, don’t let your opponent’s emotions turn you into an involved party.  When you’re on the other side of things, you may think that your opponent is being whiny, annoying, or some other negative adjective (fill in the blank).  Keep calm, and keep your opinions to yourself.  You’ll be doing everyone a favor.
  3. Talk to a judge or TO after the match.
    Let them know what’s going on.  Often, they can help rectify the situation by talking to the player who is Tilting.  This will make future opponents –  and the players in the store – happier.  Good customer service = better play experience.
General Steps to Fight Tilt

Finally, there are a few things that you can apply to each and every tournament you go to, that, when practiced well, can maximize your chances of staying away a Tilt-worthy scenario:
  1. Focus on the game.
    This is a very, very hard thing to do, especially in higher-level play.  Often you’ll notice crowds start to form around your game, especially if it’s late in a round.  This can easily cause players to lose focus.  By keeping your head in the game, and not in the environment around you, you can help yourself succeed.  The best way to work on in-game focus is for you to be in the situation.  With more high-pressure situations experienced, you are more likely to be calm in these sorts of situations.  Again, practice makes perfect.  It takes time, but it’s possible.
  2. Create a routine to play, and stick to it.
    Maybe you want to have a pair of headphones when you play.  Maybe you prefer to remain silent.  Maybe you like some chit-chat during a game.  Whatever your option, pick something that makes you comfortable, and do it with each game you play.  Over time, you’ll become accustomed to this, and you’ll feel better during games.
  3. Go to tournaments with a friend.
    This works much better than you may think.  Having someone directly available to talk to can save a lot of headache when you have a bad round.  Much like calling a friend or loved one, only more accessible and definitely around, it can help you relieve anxiety post-match.
Tilt is one of the nasty facets of Magic.  Unfortunately, it will always be hanging around, ready for your emotions to get the best of you.  I’m certainly not the first (or last) person you’ll hear say that confidence and concentration in Magic leads to tighter play, but staying on two feet can lead to better confidence, reduced stress and anxiety, and can literally be the difference in winning and losing a match.

Stay focused, play tight, and stay on two feet.  Don’t let Tilt get the best of you!

Until next time, I wish you the best.
-tom

Feel free to reach me, about this article or anything Magic-related, through the comments below, by sending me a message on Reddit (wingman2011), or by sending me a message on Twitter (wingmanmtg).

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Old Faithful - FNM Report: 7/20/12 *3rd*

Naya always has a special place in my heart.  I began learning the game as an aggro-based player, began refining my game as an aggro-based player, and will always be most comfortable when the goal of my deck is aggro-centric.  Sure, I've learned how to play with other types of decks - you have to in order to remain versatile in an ever-changing metagame - but sleeving a Naya deck just makes me feel at home.

If you couldn't tell already, Naya is my favorite "shard" (see Shards of Alara for history).  It has plenty of raw power, with just enough interaction to push through for a final blow.  It demands good timing, plenty of patience, and a knowledge of when the right time to strike really is.  For FNM this week, I decided to go back to my roots after exploring various other strategies (infect, tribal decks, and tokens), and bring Red, White, and Green together again for another harmonious evening of spell slinging.

Versatile + High Impact?  Count me in.
The deck is based off of a shell by Brian Braun-Duin in his "Green Summer" article for StarCityGames.  I had a brief Q&A with him about a card that I had really not thought of for this type of deck (Mikaeus, the Lunarch).  It seemed to be really synergistic with what I was trying to accomplish with the deck, but having never played it before, I asked him for some advice on the most opportune time to play it in a match.  His response:

"I personally feel the optimal value for casting Mikaeus is X=2 on turn 2. That's usually the games where he has the highest impact, especially if you can activate a Gavony Township on turn 4. I typically prefer to cast Mikaeus for 2 on turn 2 over something like Blade Splicer, because you can cast the Splicer the following turn and remove a counter from Mikaeus to instantly pump them. A lot of times you can cast him for 1 late in the game the same turn you play something else. He's really very versatile as to when you can fit him into your gameplan."


Versatile, I like.  Early threats, I also like.  Not worrying about a dead card late in the game - well, this sealed the deal.  I was definitely going to play with Mikaeus and see how he interacted with my game plan.  

-3: Red Bull White Lion gives you winnnnnnngs!

However, I also wanted a little bit of spice with my deck, and try out some new M13 cards.  My first thought was Ajani, Caller of the Pride.  Now, Ajani has been criticised by many as just not doing enough for his cost (CMC 3).  His +1 ability is essentially a weaker version of Gavony Township's activated ability, except Ajani's version of it only affects "up to one target creature."  Township covers your entire creature-base - granted, doing so costs 5 mana.  However, I want to focus on Ajani's second ability:

-3: Target creature gains flying and double strike until end of turn.

What's that?  My Thragtusk can fly through for 10 damage now?  And it doesn't kill Ajani immediately?  Awesome! 

Add to it the possibility of what Evan Erwin has described as the "kitty-cat parade" (Ajani's Ultimate), and I wanted to run one.  If it ended up being a dud, so be it.  This is FNM, not a Pro Tour, and I like a little spice in my life.



Yo Delver, I'm happy for you and I'ma let you finish...
You get the idea.

Speaking of Thragtusk...he is bonkers!  He basically looks at UW Delver decks and says, "Please.  Vapor Snag me.  You know you want to."  Getting a quarter of your base life back if Thragtusk hits the battlefield is huge - getting a beast when it leaves the battlefield is also huge!  Thragtusk doesn't mess around, and he found an instant slot or two in my deck.  I think his best home (admittedly) is in a Birthing Pod shell, where you can maximize the theme of that deck.

Pro-tip: Do not, under any circumstances, Vapor Snag Thragtusk...that is, unless you want your opponent up 10 life and 2 beasts...this happened to me at the pre-release for M13 (replace Snag with Unsummon).  Needless to say, my opponent wasn't happy with the result.



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Now, on to the actual 75 that I played this week:

Due to the time constraints of our local store, we could only play 4 rounds.  Would have loved to play 5 with 25 people, but so be it.  On to my matches!

Round 1 vs. Tom F. (BW Exalted)
Only good with other creatures on the field...
It's always nice to see a fresh deck archetype at FNM.  Tom was piloting a deck made possible by the release of M13, running creatures that feature "Exalted."  Using the two colors featuring this ability, with some control, Tom had a pretty solid deck that could turn into a blowout if not handled quickly.  His all-star was probably Sublime Archangel.  There was a point in a later round where I saw him trigger Exalted 8 times on an attack because of her.  Needless to say, seeing her come into play would have been bad news bears - my outs are essentially Dismember at instant speed, and Bonfire if I survive that long.  Anyway, to our match...
Both of our games essentially ended the same way: I used the most unfair card in Standard, along with my creature base, to smash.  Bonfire of the Damned gets a tip of the hat from me during this match.  Just when it seemed like he would be able to inflict some serious pain on me with a Sublime Archangel (had he cast it), I miracled Bonfire (for 3 or less...most of his creatures had low power) and wiped his board.  With a 5-6 creature base at this point, I was able to pretty easily just smash through for lethal both times.
1-0 (2-0 in games)


Round 2 vs. Hannah (Mono-Green Stompy)
This guy is the real deal post-M13.
We move now from the Battle of the Toms to the Battle of the Soon-to-be-Married!  Hannah was piloting a Mono-Green list that I put together featuring Dungrove Elder, Revenge of the Hunted, and every Green Mage's favorite M13 card: Rancor.  I feel like Hannah's deck played the way it wanted to for the majority of our match: at one point, with a 4/4 Dungrove Elder on the field equipped with Rancor, she miracled Revenge of the Hunted to make it a 12/10 beating.  I was lucky, though - I was forced to block...with exactly 10 power.  I took 2 damage from the beating, but was able to recover now that Dungrove was off the battlefield.  With a miracled Bonfire to handle the rest, things looked good, and I grabbed game 1.  Game 2, I was able to play Thalia from my sideboard on turn 2, which slowed down her Green Sun's Zenith engine.  While she had Dungrove Elder x 2 in play (at 4/4) by turn 5, I miracled a Bonfire of the Damned for 5 (to be safe) and wiped her board, and repeated what I did during game 1...smash.  I talked to my lady afterward, and let her know that the best time to blow up a Ratchet Bomb while playing me is usually to kill my tokens (see Huntmaster of the Fells and Blade Splicer).  I'm pretty sure that her choosing not to do that during the match is what swung things in my favor late.  She took the criticism well, mentioning that her intent was to save it for Thalia (to speed her engine back up to normal).  Still, she was happy to have won round 1, and moved on to her third round in stride.  By the way, no, the wedding is not off because I won.
2-0 (4-0 in games)


Round 3 vs. Jon B. (Mono-Black Control)
This match will go down as one of the most thrilling FNM matches I have ever played.  It was a back-and-forth battle that really could have gone either way, and a slugfest that I would have enjoyed, win or lose.
Ugly art - ugly effect.
Game 1, I felt good early; I had a decent board presence, and felt like I was in control of the match.  I made a fatal error though, that, had I known I was facing control, would never have made: I over-extended.  Jon cast Mutilate on turn 5, and completely wrecked my board state.  While I was essentially top-decking, Jon had a solid hand in which he cast Vampire Nighthawk and Bloodgift Demon.  With no action on my end, I scooped 2 turns later.
Game 2 was completely different.  While, yes, Jon did cast Mutilate on turn 5, I was holding a Zealous Conscripts, Sword of Feast and Famine, and Restoration Angel in hand.  I led (post-Mutilate) with the Sword, and Jon played his Bloodgift Demon into a seemingly empty battlefield.  On turn 7, I played Zealous Conscripts, taking control of his Bloodgift Demon, equipped Sword of Feast and Famine to my Conscripts, and swung for 10.  Untapping my lands, I played Restoration Angel, blinking the Bloodgift Demon (to leave it permanently under my control!).  The next turn, Jon scooped up, and we were on to what may have been the most intense game 3 I have ever played.
MVP!!!
Game 3, I open slowly with a Huntmaster of the Fells, while Jon gained some life of his own courtesy of Vampire Nighthawk.  I was able to Celestial Purge the Nighthawk a few turns later, and began to whittle his life-total away with my beaters.  A few turns later, and we were both in top-deck mode, as we had both eliminated each others' threats.  During this, Jon casts Sorin Markov (surprising, honestly), and set my life total to 10 from 20.  Things started to get scary.  My goal here was to kill him, and quickly...Sorin's +2 (You gain 2 life and your opponent loses 2 life) could kill me in 5 turns now.  During this "ping-fest" I was able to miracle Bonfire of the Damned twice, for 7 and 4, respectfully.  Finally, I drew creatures to start killing him more reliably; one he Doom Bladed, and the other he Mutilated.  I played a Borderland Ranger, to which he had no answer.  Phew.  Using Sorin, he had me to 6, then 4, and then, with Sorin at 7 loyalty and me praying for an answer:

"I use Sorin's Ultimate to take control of your next turn."
Crap.

I prayed to the Naya Gods that Jon didn't top-deck a Bonfire of the Damned on my own turn, targeting me. That would have been a sad, ironic way to die in such an intense game.  Luckily for me, "my" top-deck was a Birds of Paradise, which he obviously didn't cast.  He ended my turn, and took his own: no action.  I took my turn, casting Birds of Paradise and activating Gavony Township.  Swing for 3 - Jon's at 5.  This is it...if he doesn't draw an out, I win next turn...he draws, and lays down a Swamp.  "I don't have an answer" was the response, and we shook hands.  An exhilarating match, it had drawn quite a few people over, and I think they were pleased with the outcome (regardless of who won) - it was fun, thrilling, and great to be a part of.
3-0 (6-1 in games)

Round 4 vs. Jon S. (RG Aggro)
"Snap back to reality, Tom.
Your deck isn't infallible."
- Wolfir Silverheart
Normally, at 3-0 going into the last round, I would intentionally draw with my opponent in order to get a better prize payout (no cheating, mind you).  However, Jon has a strict "no-ID" policy, and instantly declined my offer for a draw.  That's fine - I like playing Magic.  My luck, however, wasn't ready for a fourth match.  Playing a similar archetype to me (sans White), Jon had the advantage during both games.  I was forced to mulligan to 5 during game 1 (granted, the opening hand was nice), but I just didn't draw anything outside of Mana sources for the entire game after that.  During game 2, I got out my threats, but Jon was able to utilize Wolfir Silverheart while I lacked enough oomph to beat it.  Jon equipped Rancor to its paired friend, Thragtusk; I lost that game quickly, and the match was over in the most anti-climatic of ways.  This was Jon's fourth-straight 4-0 finish at a Standard event, and, as happy as I am for him, sometimes I wish common sense would take the place of pride...then again, I'm one to talk.  Pride is huge to me.  In any case, it was a fine match, and I was just unlucky.
3-1 (6-3 in games)

The loss put me at 9 match points to two others' 12...which meant 3rd place and no FNM promo to show for my efforts.  I was a wee-bit disappointed, but overall I had a great night slinging spells.  Hannah, even though she went 1-3, also had a fun evening, and we went back home to drink a few beers and eat some pizza rolls.
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Moving forward, I would probably play the exact 75 unless the meta shifts to where Naya is suddenly bad.  I didn't dislike a single card in my 75, and, while I didn't see him all evening, I am still of the opinion that Ajani is nuts when played properly.

Next week, I'll post about my recent emergence into Modern, show you all my deck of choice, and talk about dealing with "Tilt."  Until next time, happy slinging!
-Tom