It’s the week before Pro Tour Kaladesh, and it’s looking like it’s gonna be a good one, but that means I’m on lockdown for discussing Standard.
In lieu of that, I hope you’ll enjoy what I have for you today, which is a mixed bag of some of my favorite things, along with some of my not-so-favorite things. I’ll cover a mix of Magic and non-Magic-related lists. In case you missed it, you can
Here we go, with some more of my Top Fours.
Top Four Inspirational Videos
Once again we’ll set the mood, this time with a choice of epic videos to inspire you as you read the article or go about your day. Feel free to bookmark any of these that might interest you and save them for later, rather than listening to them all in a row, so you don’t get immediate, inspirational overload.
4. Shia LaBeouf – Just Do It (1 Minute)
Just Doooooo It! This is kind of a joke inclusion, but in all honesty, even though it’s funny, it’s actually a pretty inspirational video as well.
3. Ryan Holiday – Ego Is the Enemy (10 Minutes)
We are all ruled by our ego to some extent, and reducing its grip over our lives is essential to grow. This is the prologue of the excellent book Ego Is the Enemy. Listen to another great clip here or just read the book.
2. Neil Gaiman – Make Good Art (20 Minutes)
An amazing talk for anyone looking to create something. Touches on the importance of desire as your compass towards achieving your goals, while also conveying that you should slow down and take time to enjoy what it is you’re doing instead of getting caught up in busywork; otherwise you’ll never end up enjoying anything no matter how successful you become. Make Good Art!
1. Carl Sagan – Pale Blue Dot (3 Minutes)
If you ever need to be reminded of what’s important, and what isn’t, listen to this.
It really brings into perspective how small, insignificant, and stupid the worst aspects of humanity are that we focus so much attention on. As we hurt one another and fight amongst ourselves over scraps, we squander our vast and incredible potential. That potential is what we should be striving towards.
Top Four Reality TV Shows
All right, let’s balance out the inspiration with some lowbrow. One of my guilty pleasures is Reality TV. Not the truly terrible Reality TV… but still Reality TV.
Honorable Mention: The Genius Game
I’m new to watching this, so I’m not sure just how good it is. [Copy Editor’s Note: Amazing.] Kind of a mix between an anime and a game show with intellectual challenges that require coordination, alliances, teamwork, along with betrayal.
4. Solitary
Contestants are locked in a room alone with a sadistic computer forcing them to compete to stay alive. Unique challenges and sleep or food are often part of the rewards they can win.
3. Survivor
An oldie but a goodie. Contestants are tossed on an island and compete against each other and form alliances to win a million dollars.
2. The Mole
Contestants try to complete tasks to earn money, but one among them is secretly trying to sabotage the group’s efforts. Figuring out who is actually the saboteur, tricking others into thinking you’re the saboteur, and discerning who is trying to fool you into making you think they’re the saboteur, while still actually trying to earn money, is the name of the game.
1. The Colony
A show where the contestants are thrown into a post-apocalyptic scenario with actors and challenges (Westworld, anyone?), except they are just trying to survive and have enough food, shelter, and safety to continue. This show is particularly brutal despite being fake except for the contestants. It’s awesome because they people on it are so skilled and build amazing stuff out of almost nothing.
Top Four Reasons Treasure Chests Suck
If you’re not acquainted with Magic Online’s latest developments, it’s moving to add Treasure Chests as a replacement for some prizes in constructed leagues, which about equates to a minor cut in value overall, although it’s hard to say exactly since it depends on how much the cards inside will sell for over time. You can read about it here or watch the announcement video here.
This pretty much sums it up though:
“Comments are disabled for this video” is usually not a good sign.
Honorable Mention: It devalues the rest of the cards online.
Every card that gets opened is going to decrease the amount it’s worth. I have no idea how big of a factor this is (and it happens with packs anyway), but the nice thing about play points is that they don’t really have this effect and they help keep cards and packs from deflating in value.
4. It’s annoying to unload the chaff you open, and Treasure Chests aren’t yet tradeable (that happens next month).
What am I going to do with all the random cards I open? The vast majority are going to be worth practically nothing and it’ll be more of a hassle than it’s worth to get rid of them for the time it takes to sell them, so they’ll just sit in your account uselessly.
3. I initially thought Treasure Chests were a bonus, on top of already existing prizes, similar to how they’re a bonus in Hearthstone. Instead they’re replacing prizes.
How are they not? Treasure Chests are a great idea in theory, and would’ve been a great first step towards getting out of the pit of ill will Magic Online has dug for itself. Instead they’re just digging the hole deeper. If Treasure Chests were just a minor bonus to players, or just clearly not worth less than what they’re replacing, I imagine they would’ve been very well-received.
2. It’s a value cut.
This is pretty much what the whole issue boils down to, plain and simple.
1. It feels like Magic Online players are getting a bad deal yet again and the whole thing feels deceptive, like we’re being fed a filth sandwich dressed up in a tuxedo.
Sure, cutting prizes is bad and not going to be well-received, but it’s worse if it’s confusing exactly what is being lost and gained at all.
Top Four Ways to Turn a Generic Magic Online Insult into a Compliment
4. I drew all but X lands in my deck (where X tends to be at least -1 the actual amount of lands left in their deck).
…But variance is part of the game. GG.
3. You’re playing that card?
… Wow, I’ve never played that card, but now I’m thinking it might have hidden uses I’d never considered.
2. You should buy a lottery ticket.
… Even though I realize luck isn’t an actual trait that can have tangible effect on reality or who wins the lottery, it can still be fun and exciting to purchase a lottery ticket, despite the loss of expected value.
1. Your deck is bad…
Ass.
Top Four Reasons Magic Online Is Great!
Magic Online receives a lot of criticism, but I do enjoy it, and technically it is improving over time. I’m often harsh on it I do enjoy it. Here’s a quick piece just so I’m not always complaining.
4. Magic is great.
Which makes more of it in any capacity great.
3. You can make a profit.
This is nice; if you are really good, you can actually earn money (a very small amount) if you do well enough, and from a hobby you enjoy.
2. Solid competition.
I almost always learn some new rules interaction or interesting tech from my opponents.
1. You can play anytime, anywhere.
Top Four Flavors of Potato Chips
Honorable Mention: Doritos – any flavor.
4. Barbecue.
3. Cheddar and Sour Cream.
2. Sour Cream and Onion.
1. All Dressed.
Top Four Magic Memories – From Before I Won Pro Tour Born of the Gods
4. My first Prerelease.
Going to a packed convention hall as a young lad, with my Dad, brother, and some friends, to play some Scourge was a completely new and exciting experience.You never forget your first.
3. After a long hiatus from Magic, finding my old Dragon deck and taking it on a road trip.
It completely rekindled my interest in Magic and got me playing again.
2. Dressing up in thematic costumes for team events at Prereleases that related to what set was releasing.
The best was wearing all previous costumes at once for Time Spiral.
1. My first PTQ win.
Top Four Basic Human Needs
Honorable Mention: Love.
4. Shelter
Shelter is just solid. Without shelter you would get hot, cold, or mauled by a tiger.
3. Food
Food is good and I think very few people disagree with me on that. Here’s a tip for small talk: talk about food, since most people are into it.
2. Water
Water is like food but you get thirsty instead of hungry.
1. Air
I know a lot of people are going to disagree with me on this, but air is one of the best things of all time. I like air so much, I’m even doing air right now as I write this sentence.
Top Four Life-Changing Books
4. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – for creativity.
3. The Art of Learning – for competition.
2. The Power of Now – for peace and presence.
1. Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality – for rationality.
Top Four Cards I Would Unban in Modern (If I Had To)
I’m fine not unbanning anything, but if I had to choose, this would be my order.
4. Chrome Mox
I mean, it could be disastrous so it’s probably a good thing it’s banned, but I could see it not being that format-warping.
The old “Is Jace really that powerful in Modern?” question. With every year that passes, I’d say the answer swings more towards no. Take Nahiri, the Harbinger, for example; there’s an argument to be made that she is more powerful than Jace, the Mind Sculptor in Modern thanks to Emrakul, the Aeons Torn. I wouldn’t bet my life on that argument (or any argument, because why would you do that, it’s dumb) but it’s not completely bonkers.
Unshelf the Elf! Bloodbraid Elf is probably still just a smidge too powerful to reasonably unban. Just the thought of cascading into Liliana, of the Veil is both horrifying and incredibly tempting.
Oh no he dinnit! Yup, I went there. This seems like a fine unban to me based on power level. I mean, we basically know it’s a fine card to unban since it was peacefully existing in the format for so long. I also think this a case of a deck that only gets worse as the format matures, as long as it doesn’t pick up something like Ancestral Vision. Still, Splinter Twin did nothing wrong!
Top Four Ways to Move Towards Being a Fulfilled Happier Positive Person
To become fulfilled, start working towards what you want to achieve. To become positive, start thinking positive thoughts and stop thinking negative thoughts.
4. Don’t compare yourself to others.
Especially if it means determining your worth by doing so. No matter what, that bar will keep getting higher and higher and you will never be fulfilled. Set your own goals. Improve at your own pace.
3. Be generous to those you care about who are generous to you.
2. Move towards what you desire, what excites you, and what fulfills you.
Having a burning desire to accomplish something, and set out to achieve that goal. Once you achieve it, you’ll probably have changed and set a new goal for yourself. Just don’t base your worth on whether you achieve that goal.
1. Be grateful for and appreciate what you already have.
What’s something that you’re grateful for?