Seven times a week for two years at secondary school (11-18 here in the UK) I went through the unrelenting torture that was Science lessons. Some monkey somewhere had determined that every single pupil should do exams in all three major science subjects. Physics, Chemistry, Biology, it didn’t matter. I loathed the lot of them. The feeling was mutual. I was rubbish, and had about as much interest in any of them as in trading my Black Lotus for a Homelands booster. During those two years, I was bottom of the class for approximately 559 lessons.
Once, I destroyed them all.
It was yet another stultifyingly tedious chemistry lesson one hot and sticky June afternoon, not unlike the afternoon on which I’m writing this, and we were knee-deep in some nonsense experiment to do with Bunsen Burners and some pointless material or other. Then came the worst moment of every science lesson – the confirmation that the torture would continue for days to come, as homework was announced. Draw a diagram, write up the properties of manganese disulphyoxyhaemonitrate (with examples), blah blah blah. Looking back, I can see why I so regularly wanted to kill myself between the ages of 14 and 16. And then our venerable chemistry Master came out with this:
"For homework this week, write down as many questions as you can think of to do with today’s experiment."
The response to this was near-universal puzzlement, and the first stirrings of interest from yours truly. Eventually one of the super-smart science brigade tentatively raised a bewildered hand and asked how many questions we ought to be aiming for. When he got the reply "start at 100 and see how you get on," near-universal puzzlement became panicked outrage. A hundred questions?!?! How could any self-respecting intelligent fifteen-year old come up with a hundred questions on anything, let alone a basic chemistry experiment?
I, meanwhile, was entranced. I didn’t have to copy anything. I didn’t even have to know anything. All I had to do was know what questions to ask if I ever cared enough to want to know anything. I’m sure you can guess the rest. For a week, I became devoted to the task. I hurled myself at it, certain in the knowledge that nobody on God’s Earth was going to come between me and having the most questions the following Tuesday.
For the first and last time during those two years, I went to school actively looking forward to chemistry. So my tormentor-in-chief starts working his way round the class, asking how many questions everyone had managed. I, of course, was skulking in a row so far back it might as well have been galactic distances from the gaze of authority. 27, 15, 34, 52 ("well done, Huntley"), 16, 12, "haven’t done it, sir" ("see me afterwards"). The undoubtedly conscientious science geek crowd had all managed exactly 100 questions. I could feel the resignation and irritation poised as my turn came closer. "Hagon?"
"Seven hundred and seventy six, sir."
A quizzical eyebrow was raised.
"Seven hundred and seventy six, sir," I repeated. And because I really didn’t want to undersell it, I added, "but mostly I just talked about the Bunsen Burner."
And I had. Page after page had led me from the design of the thing, to the life of Bunsen, to his other scientific achievements, to the gas that was used to operate it, to potential differences in outcomes at varying temperatures… you get the idea. I hadn’t just beaten the task, I’d massacred it. And it felt good. I won the special prize for chemistry that year, and I’ve never forgotten the reward for asking questions. Indeed, I’ve made it my job to do exactly that, trying to get inside the minds of the best in the game at GPs and PTs.
Rich, mate… thanks for the chemistry lesson, but life’s too short. Get to the Magic.
See the column title? It doesn’t get much more Removed than Chemistry lessons circa 1987… but okay then, I will.
I’m amazed when people ask me how I know what questions to ask the Pros on the Tour. Even without really applying myself to the task, there seemed to be hundreds of enquiries that would result in illuminating, funny, controversial, knowledgeable answers. Sometimes all at once. I’m fairly certain that in this article I’m only going to scratch the surface of the things I’d like Pros to share. After all, Asking Questions Is What I Do…
Draft
1. What makes a good Draft format?
2. Is Time Spiral – Planar Chaos – Future Sight a good format?
3. What do Pros want in a Draft format?
4. Does this differ from the general Magic player?
5. In general, is a single set format more or less skill intensive than full block Draft?
6. Why?
7. Taking Magic as a whole, what do the five colors of Magic broadly do in a Draft context?
8. Can you give examples where particular colors were extremely good at what they do from Magic’s past?
9. How do you work out the notional value of cards within a format?
10. How much do you rely on other people for your information, and how much do you prefer to trust your own intellect/instincts?
11. Pick orders are relatively new in the public domain. Previously they were really the hidden domain of the Pros. What value do you think pick orders have?
12. What use are articles about pick orders? It’s something lots of people seem to like reading, but applying the writer’s views? Is this practical?
13. Given a theoretical average set, what colors do you like to draft and why?
14. Is removal the number one thing to take?
15. If not, what is?
16. Most of us end up with about 16 creatures and 7 spells (depending on the format.) Some Pros in particular sometimes run as few as 6-8 monsters. How do you go about drafting decks like these?
17. What draft formats have you been most successful at?
18. Why do you think that is?
19. Do you rely on experiential learning (i.e. playing lots) or do you spend lots of time analyzing the sets for powerful commons etc.?
20. People talk about some cards as "narrow," meaning they only have relatively infrequent usefulness. Typically, these include cards like Krosan Grip, or Pull From Eternity. How do you determine whether these narrow types of cards belong in a deck?
21. Rich Hoaen said earlier this year that you (as in "all players") basically always want to be the one asking the questions i.e. being the aggressor. Do you agree?
22. If yes, why? If not, why not?
23. Would you ever run countermagic in a Draft deck?
24. How important is evasion?
25. How important is card advantage?
26. Why do these different aspects of the deck vary in importance from format to format?
27. Let’s talk speed and tempo. How do you work out the "speed" of a format?
28. What defines a fast or slow format?
29. What does "curve" mean, and how important is it?
30. Generally, more powerful cards cost more mana. Why wouldn’t I want to play lots of powerful cards?
31. What sort of cards are good in tempo decks?
32. How many colors should you play in Draft?
33. What’s wrong with four- and five-color decks?
34. If you’re playing a third color, what sort of spells should you be "splashing"…?
35. What impact does this have on a manabase?
36. How do you go about working out your manabase?
37. Pros talk about a "fifteen-land format" or an "eighteen-land format." How do you go about establishing this?
38. Although fewer lands makes a chance of manascrew higher, doesn’t it also improve your chances of drawing spells?
39. I think this is known as "luck and variance." If I’m a worse player than you, shouldn’t I use this tactic to try and squeeze out a victory?
40. In general, what skills make a good drafter?
41. What separates a great drafter from a merely good one?
42. Who do you regard as being the best drafter in the world right now?
43. How about historically?
44. Oh hell, give us your Top 10.
45. Given the choice between power and consistency, what’s your preference?
46. Although commons determine the shape of a draft, because there’s so many of them, rares are frequently what actually win games. Discuss.
47. In Time Spiral Block Draft, what cards do you really want to open?
48. When playing with other Pros, how much does your knowledge of other player’s preferences for colors affect what you pick?
49. What’s your view of hate-drafting?
50. Is there such a thing as a "2-1" deck?
51. Back in TSP block, what’s your thought about drafting Slivers?
52. How about Thallids?
53. And Rebels?
54. What is forcing, and how do you go about it?
55. Even if it can be done, should you do it?
56. Pros are always talking about not having a plan when they go into a draft and "taking what comes." There must be more to it than that, surely? How do you tell "what comes"…?
57. I guess this relates to the idea of signaling. What tips can you offer an inexperienced drafter for spotting signals?
58. Having spotted them, should they do anything about it, or simply follow their original plan?
59. How much difference has MTGO made to the standard of drafting at the Pro level?
60. How about at a tier down, like at PTQ level?
61. When you draft in real life, you’re not allowed to look at your picks until the end of the booster. Do you remember all of your picks?
62. Do you have a method for doing this?
63. When you’re reviewing your cards between boosters, what are you actually doing?
64. People talk about deck archetypes. What does this mean?
65. How specific are the cards that you think of when visualizing an archetype?
66. What do you think of "random" draft formats like Invasion – Mirrodin – Betrayers?
67. How about the notional "Ice Age Block" – Ice Age, Alliances, Coldsnap?
68. Are there any draft formats from the past that you feel were degenerate or simply poor?
69. You have to win a draft to save your life. What format do you choose, and why?
70. I have to win a draft to save your life. Therefore, you’ll be wanting the format with the least skill possible, which at least gives you a 12.5% chance of survival. What format would that be?
71. Apart from owning the cards, can you think of a good reason to play triple (insert small set here) draft?
72. Have you ever rare-drafted?
73. How about at a Pro event?
74. Tell us about money drafting. I understand that officially it doesn’t exist, but if it did, how would it work?
75. What are the additional skills you need when you’re playing with other players in a three-on-three?
76. How significant is the difference between six packs and eight packs of each set?
77. Apart from your own picks, do you memorize all the other cards in the draft?
78. I’ve seen plenty of Pros ordering the pack in a notional pick order, trying to see what will be coming back later. How important is this, and do you have a method of doing this?
79. What is the most broken combination of cards you’ve ever played in a draft game, i.e. Empty the Warrens for ten on turn 2, infinite combo etc.?
80. What’s the worst card you’ve ever won a game with?
81. What sort of cards do you think should never be in people’s decks, ever?
82. What’s the most hideous "bad beat" you’ve had in draft?
83. The worst bad beat you’ve ever seen or heard of?
84. Is there ever a good reason to play more than 40 cards in a deck (other than avoiding a decking strategy, for example)?
85. What is the most unusual successful draft strategy you’ve come across?
86. Where does draft rank in terms of skill level compared to the other major
formats – Vintage, Legacy, Standard, Block, Sealed?
87. Have you ever played Backdraft, where you try to build the worst deck possible, and your opponents have to play with it?
88. I’m sure you’ve played Rochester Draft. How complicated a format was that?
89. What skills did you need for this format?
90. Do you regret its passing?
91. Chances are you’ve done a Rotisserie Draft. What on Earth is it like Drafting with one of every card in a format?
92. Doesn’t it take hours and hours to do?
93. Any top tips for how to approach a draft like this?
94. Some players think that Solomon Draft is a good way of opening packs, rather than just cracking them for the rares. Do you like this one-on-one format?
95. Are there any other methods of drafting that you’ve enjoyed, or found particularly skillful?
96. If you could only play one more draft before you die, what format would it be?
97. Which seven players would you choose to share it with you?
98. How important is correct mulliganing when drafting?
99. When you are working out a correct play, do you literally compute the odds i.e. five removal spells to find in 25 cards left is four-to-one, etc?
100. Give us the one definitive step to being a better drafter.
Right, I might have to put some thought into it if I carry on with Draft questions, so I’ll move on at random to one of my other 37 groups of queries.
The DCI
101. What do the letters DCI stand for?
102. What is it?
103. Who runs it?
104. What do you know about them?
105. How necessary is the organization, in your view?
106. What are judges for, exactly?
107. How well would you say you know the rules?
108. Has this knowledge improved or lessened over the years?
109. How complicated are the rules?
110. Unnecessarily so?
111. What is the standard of judging like in your home country?
112. Who are the "big names" in your national judging community?
113. What should the relationship be between players and judges?
114. Is this a fair reflection of the actual state of play between these groups?
115. Are you yourself a DCI judge?
116. Either way, have you ever judged at a tournament?
117. What makes a good judge?
118. Have you ever disagreed with a judge on a ruling?
119. And have you then got into an argument with the judge?
120. Have you ever been suspended? If so, what for?
121. How fair do you think the process of bannings / suspensions is?
122. If you wanted an answer during testing, who would you first turn to, a judge or a fellow Pro?
123. Judges are just Players who aren’t very good at playing, so they judge. Discuss.
124. Do you know what the six layers are?
125. Do you know what a modal spell is?
126. Have you ever tried to explain the rules of Magic to a starter player?
127. One of the things the DCI do is police cheating at events. How much cheating goes on at a local level i.e. FNM, local drafts etc?
128. Once we get up to PTQ level?
129. And now the biggie. What about the Tour?
130. How have attitudes to cheating changed over the years?
131. There is a perception historically that Magic started out as the Wild West in terms of chaotic rulings, DQs, and cheating. Is this fair?
132. What’s your take on Mike Long?
133. How about Olivier Ruel?
134. And Katsuhiro Mori?
135. Are there any players who have been banned or suspended that you were absolutely certain weren’t cheating?
136. I suppose while we’re here, I should ask you what you think cheating actually is.
137. Are there any Pros that have a reputation for cheating?
138. Even if you feel you can’t name them, do you think the reputations are deserved?
139. How much damage does high-profile cheating do to the image of the game?
140. Does the catching of cheats benefit the game, in fact?
141. Taken as a whole, a country like, for example, the Netherlands, has a clean reputation on the international scene. There are plenty of nationalistic suspicions out there though, i.e. many Germans believe many French players have "suspect operations," as I believe BDM rather charitably calls it. Are there players you sit down against, and you’re wary because they’re from particular countries?
142. Have you ever played in a match where your opponent got DQ’d?
143. If so, how did it feel? Did you feel justified? Relieved? Disappointed?
144. Does the money on the Pro Tour help persuade players to cheat?
145. I’m particularly thinking of collusion. To your knowledge, does this occur on Tour?
146. How much money do I need to bribe you with to lose to me next time we play?!?
147. Which judges on the international scene do you particularly respect?
148. In soccer, referees have an extremely hard time from players. This also used to be the case in Pro Magic, but increasingly there is respect between the Pros and the judges. Why do you think this is?
149. Give me a percentile guess for how many players are deliberately cheating at some point in any given Pro Tour.
150. What sort of cheating should result in a lifetime ban?
151. What sort of cheating goes on anyway?
152. Can you tell us what sort of shuffling cheats there are?
153. Not that you’d do them, but could you if you wanted to?
154. When judges aren’t around, what’s the best way to avoid being cheated?
155. What’s the angriest you’ve ever been at a tournament?
156. Was it a player or a judge you were angry with?
157. Have you ever been tempted to take matters into your own hands, and "take it outside," so to speak?
158. Given the sums of money involved, do you think there should be Pro judges as well as Pro players?
159. Are judges properly rewarded for their ridiculous amounts of hard work?
160. The best players get thousands of dollars. The best judges get some foil promo cards. Discuss.
161. Given that there are more members of the Hall of Fame than Level 5 judges, isn’t Level 5 just about the hardest thing to achieve in all of Magic?
162. When you arrive at a PT, are there any Head Judges that you are pleased to see are running the event, because they have a reputation for fairness/efficiency/friendliness etc?
163. How about the other side of the coin? Does your heart sink when you discover the head judge is so-and-so?
I’d like to finish this list off with a few questions about the International Magic scene.
International
164. Is Japan the best Magic nation?
165. Why do you think this is the case (or not)?
166. Are there any national characteristics to the Japanese game that make them strong, or anything that makes them vulnerable as an opponent?
167. When you play someone from a small Magic nation, do you subconsciously think the match will be easier than against someone from a Magic "power"…?
168. The U.S. started out as clearly the Superpower of world Magic. That’s definitely not true right now. Why?
169. Within Europe, which nations do you regard as being strong?
170. Why doesn’t Italy have more successful players?
171. Are there national characteristics that are useful for high-level Magic?
172. Is there an advantage to the Scandinavian temperament (if such a thing exists)?
173. Given that it’s quite a small nation, why does the Netherlands produce so many good players?
174. What’s needed to get a good squad together within a country?
175. If your national team wanted to beat one other national team, what would it be and why?
176. Are you conscious of representing your country at Worlds?
177. How about at a regular Pro Tour, or is it every man for himself?
178. Why do you think Brazil is so hot at Magic right now?
179. Is it just about Willy Edel and Paulo Vitor Damo Da Rosa, or is there more to it?
180. Despite being the best nation on Earth at everything, England is yet to have a Pro Tour winner, astonishingly. Why do you think that is?
181. When it comes to voting for things like the Invitational or Hall of Fame, do people mostly divide down national lines, or do you hear discussions among Americans saying that "the French guy deserves it more this year" etc.?
…
I think that will probably do for now. I’m sorry that I haven’t given you Pros much to get through, and certainly not 776 questions. Still, I’ve got queries on Block Constructed, Grand Prix, Hall of Fame, Mind Games, Flavor Text, Pro Players, MTGO, Sex and Relationships, Extended, Designing Cards, Two-Headed Giant, Travel Tales, Standard, Rules Knowledge, Venues, Other Games, Vintage, Legacy, Magic Journalism, Ambition, and Self-Awareness ready to go. I’m sure the questions above are enough for now, and I hope some of the more open Pros out there will come chime in with their answers in the forums.
…
I’d like to end with one of my favorite questions of all time. I was working on a cruise ship, and reading a quirky little hard-boiled detective novel set in the far future, with all sorts of spy-type warfare going on between angels and demons. Religion at an angle, if you will. There’s this mysterious character, Jude, that the detective (on the final page, just as Jude is about to leave forever) works out is in fact Judas Iscariot. Yeah, that Jude. As he turns to go, the detective calls him back and says,
"Hey, Jude."
"Yeah?"
"Jesus. What was he really like?"
And the last line of the book…
"Taller than you’d expect."
Join me again soon, when I’ll mostly be talking you through Stockholm, Columbus, Strasbourg, Montreal, San Diego, and giving Frank Karsten a proper kicking at Magic.
Possibly.
As ever, thanks for reading.
R.