To lose is to be deprived of, or cease to have, or retain an object or status. To have victory stripped from our hands and to be forced to sit on the sidelines while watching the winner press on. It’s a painful feeling; one that we are all too familiar with. We all suffer some form of loss in our life, and we as Magic players understand we will lose the majority of major tournaments we play in.
Yes, we can quote certain players’ success stories, but even the game’s greats don’t win the majority of events they play in. One can quote certain cash percentages and consider that success, but I know I for one don’t feel satisfied unless I win the whole event. Even with a Top 8 or being part of a Top 4 split, I know we as true competitors still feel a sense of emptiness. You don’t win until you truly win it all. Let’s be honest: we can’t all win an event, so in the end it’s not a matter of if we lose, it’s when we lose.
It’s how we handle the loss that makes us great. How one handles a loss can depict that individual’s character. How often do you see people rage over losses? Players continue to talk about bad beats and give a sense of entitlement about how they were suppose to win and how you were suppose to lose.
Don’t take it personally if you see this. It’s just how some players handle the pain they feel inside themselves. Some people handle stress or pain by taking it out on others. Those of us who play this game and are working professionals outside of Magic handle loss better than our younger counterparts. But I have seen many grown men cry over a game of Magic.
As I write this, I will be the first to admit I know all too well how it feels to lose. I have lost my fair share of matches slinging the Magical cards. The first half of 2012 has been frustrating for me personally, especially since I’m coming off one of my better years in 2011. Does that mean I’m giving up on the 2012 season? Absolutely not!
To me losing is a lesson. A lesson we all must take on our road to success. I’m not just talking about Magic, either! Like the old saying goes: sometimes you have to walk before you can run. Some need more self-examination than others, and that’s exactly what losing gives us: the opportunity to reflect.
Writing this article gives me the opportunity to reflect on myself, especially since I recently experienced a tough couple of Magic weekends. Just a few weeks ago during Easter weekend, I was able convince my wife and mother-in-law to allow me to go to SCG Open Series: Des Moines. I was fortunate to get out of family gatherings to play Magic: the Gathering all weekend long.
The following weekend my wife and I went to Phoenix to enjoy a little mini vacation that was followed by the opportunity to play Magic Saturday and Sunday at SCG Open Series: Phoenix. It’s not common that I get back-to-back weekends full of Magic, and I was looking to make the most of it!
Unfortunately, the only thing I’m able to report is losing. It was a tough couple of weekends for me, and I was disappointed. I could sit here and give a bunch of excuses as to why I didn’t win, but realistically that wouldn’t be true. Lying to yourself to make yourself feel better doesn’t help you grow as a person. Learn from your mistakes! The tricky thing about Magic is it can be really hard to learn from your mistakes because they are very, very easy to cover up.
It’s too simple to just write a loss off to bad luck or a bad draw, and most of the time covering up a loss that way will make your feel better about pain the loss is giving you. I almost believe it’s human nature to cover up pain by mentally tricking ourselves.
Some simple questions I ask myself to give my losses perspective:
- How was my technical play?
- Did I lose a game I should’ve won?
- Were the cards in my sideboard correct for the tournament?
- Did I sideboard correctly each game?
- Was my decision on what deck I brought to the tournament correct?
- What were the factors that led to me losing?
- Could I have won had I made different decisions?
You have to be brutally honest with yourself and always be your worst critic. I’m not suggesting beating yourself up during the event, though. Certain types of reflection are best after everything is all said and done, especially if you’re the type of person who tilts easily.
To give some personal perspective: one of the days I was most disappointed in my Magic play was the day I had my best performance of the two weekends of Magic. Easter Sunday at SCG Open Series: Des Moines, I was cruising along with a great 5-0 start playing Aggro Loam to near perfection. I was playing very tight and was happy with how things were going. Then the wheels fell off during my match with my good friend Ryan Overturf. The match is covered here.
The good news is I lost to a friend. The bad news is that I probably punted in game 2 on my mulligan to five. I was in a good position to win that game. Had I 100% percent committed to either Waste-locking Ryan or made better use of my Seismic Assault, I would’ve won. It was close either way. Instead, I fumbled along the way and gave him the opportunity to keep lands on the field when he should’ve had none. He ended up casting Spell Snare and Force of Will on my Life from the Loam in consecutive turns before I could win the game.
That was a tough loss to swallow after looking back on it, because the way the tournament panned out winning that game would’ve meant I could draw into Top 8 and have gone first in all my matches in the Top 8. Since I was playing a deck that benefits from early Chalice of the Void plays, I felt it was a wasted opportunity.
After losing to Ryan I lost another good match to another friend, Mike Hawthorn, which I was perfectly fine with. It was just bad that we had to battle.
I was fine with losing to both these gentlemen because together we fine-tuned my Aggro Loam list the night before to prepare for the metagame.
To add insult to injury, I ended my tournament by playing ANT, who just killed me on turn 1 game 1 and on turn 3 game 2. From 5-0 to 5-3 just like that!
Next up, Phoenix:
I was cruising along in the tournament fine, then my wife got a call and she came to tell me my Grandfather had a stroke. Needless to say I was not really into my games from then on. I tried to be mentally tough, but it was rough situation since we were stuck in Phoenix and my Grandfather lives in Australia. Moments like this build character, and it was something I was able to work through. Thankfully he’s doing much better now! But Magic is a mental sport and to perform at a high level your head needs to be in the right place. I made some technical decisions that I regret.
My biggest regret in Legacy was that I didn’t pack four Zuran Orbs in my sideboard like I initially did because I didn’t see a lot of burn in Iowa and I let that cloud my judgment. I paid for it, and Price of Progress punished me all day in Phoenix. Burn is becoming the go-to deck for a lot of players, so don’t make the mistake I did and not come prepared.
I know some people say it’s just a game, but losing a game of tournament Magic because of a mistake I made is one of the more painful feelings I’ve experienced. I get to the point where I get very upset with myself. Magic can be an emotional roller coaster, especially when you care about the outcome. One minute you can be on top of the world, and the next you can be infuriated because you just got crushed. Up and down you go, but that’s the game we play.
I personally have always respected people who handle loss with grace. Nothing bothers me more than a sore loser. I will be the first to admit I have put bad beats on very good players, and I have lost to players that aren’t as experienced as me. When you lose to players who you feel are not at your level, you should encourage them because retaining them is essential to growing the game. I’ve never been a fan of the Nerd Raging Losing Magic Player because I think they give us as Magic players a bad name, especially to someone on the outside of the community looking in.
On to Avacyn Restored!
Nothing like a new set to shake things up! A new Magic set is what brings players who are sick of the current tournament environment back. A new Magic set is a fresh start, a clean slate. With a set with so many powerhouse cards like Avacyn Restored, I think this will mark a new beginning for all of us. Is it time for red to shine? I know I love me some red cards, and Vexing Devil and Goblin Guide may put things over the top.
Creatures (12)
Lands (14)
Spells (34)
I think right out from the get go in the Legacy environment people will be trying this out. I’m curious to see if these red cards will finally be able to withstand a field of prepared opponents. I know in a format with so many hate cards, it will be interesting.
I’m very excited to give Vexing Devil try in Standard. I am curious to see if he will have as much impact as Goblin Guide did in his day. I know I’m ready to dust off my old Shrine of Burning Rages to start firing away!
Creatures (19)
- 2 Grim Lavamancer
- 2 Hero of Oxid Ridge
- 3 Chandra's Phoenix
- 4 Stormblood Berserker
- 4 Stromkirk Noble
- 4 Vexing Devil
Planeswalkers (2)
Lands (4)
Spells (35)
Win, lose, or draw, Prereleases are pure fun! In the end, the whole point of Magic is to have fun, and I know a lot of us tournament competitors forget it at times. I know I miss my kitchen table days of yore when I knew without a doubt when I cast Lim-Dul’s Paladin I couldn’t lose! Playing the game at Prerelease events brings me back to the pure days of Magic when I didn’t care about the result, only the amount of fun I was having. That is a mentality a lot of us need to get back to.
If you’re in the Minnesota area this Prerelease weekend, I hope to see you around! Otherwise, I’m hoping my daughter doesn’t decide it’s time for her to be born during GP Minneapolis (crossing my fingers). If she does, I’ll be happy either way!
Thanks for reading!