The Season One Invitational is upon us, and with it comes Dragons of Tarkir flooding the field with unknowns. New cards, new sideboard tech, and new
reasons to create lists of three in introductory paragraphs.
Today, I’m going to talk about my incredible failproof playtesting method and why it is so consistently successful. It’s a little trick I like to call,
“Not playing Magic: the Gathering.”
Wait, What?
Maybe that’s not fair. I actually play quite a bit of Magic. But I don’t play in the same way or by the same methods that most others do. And I certainly
don’t play the same way I did ten years ago.
“Ten years ago?” you ask.
Thanks for playing along.
Ten years ago, I was in college. I didn’t have expectations for myself, and I didn’t have any sort of plan for what I was going to do. College was simply
the next logical thing to do after high school because it’s just what young people are supposed to do most of the time in our society. Between fifteen
hours of classes, only part-time work, and relationships with girls within walking distance, I had a lot of free time. I could playtest to my heart’s
content. I could make FNM every weekend. I could jump into a car of four at a moment’s notice and blitz a PTQ a few hours away.
If you don’t want to read anything but decklists in this article, so be it. But please, I implore all of you, read this statement and keep it:
No matter what is going on in your life, you should keep playing Magic because it’s wonderful. But you will hit an age where your time starts to matter
more and more. EV doesn’t begin and end with Magic and Poker. There will be times in your life where you want to play Magic, but staying home with your
partner or having a meal with your children is (to use a Magic cliche’) “strictly better.” And that’s okay. You don’t have to quit playing, and you don’t
have to feel like you have to give 101% all the time. This article is for you.
So here you go. This is how to win at and enjoy Magic tournaments when you barely have time to sleep.
You pathetic responsible adult. You sicken me.
Know Your Role
This is also known as The Craig Wescoe Method. Formats change, metagames shift, and if you don’t have time to playtest lots, you’re going to fall behind
the incredibly fast-moving hive mind of Magic culture. Brad Nelson conducts the Standard train, and it is all the rest of us can do to stay within arm’s
reach of whatever he knows that we’re trying to find out every week. I play two or three hours a week of Magic, and I read over a hundred pages of content.
All of that together equates to fifty or sixty hours a week of Magic understanding, putting me at about 25% of what the top layer of competitive Magic
players are doing and what they understand.
You don’t have to stress yourself out this way. Let it go. Just be you.
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Planeswalkers (3)
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Spells (20)
Creatures (12)
Lands (23)
Spells (25)
Creatures (12)
Planeswalkers (4)
Lands (28)
Spells (16)
Creatures (13)
- 4 Oracle of Mul Daya
- 3 Avenger of Zendikar
- 1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
- 4 Overgrown Battlement
- 1 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
Planeswalkers (4)
Lands (29)
Spells (14)
I recently asked my friend and former National Champion Ali Aintrazi about the current metagame and how he plans to counteract the ongoing tectonic shifts
of this unbelievably diverse Standard. He responded henceforth:
He then sleeved up a bunch of rampy blue and green cards out of his bulk binder and punched me in the throat.
See, every new Magic set brings a little bit of a tweak to the environment. Rotations happen, R&D moves design philosophies around, blah di blah di
blah. But how much different is this deck…
Creatures (29)
- 4 Champion of the Parish
- 2 Doomed Traveler
- 4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
- 4 Silverblade Paladin
- 4 Sublime Archangel
- 4 Knight of Glory
- 3 Banisher Priest
- 4 Fiendslayer Paladin
Lands (24)
Spells (7)
Sideboard
than this deck…
Creatures (20)
Planeswalkers (4)
Lands (25)
Spells (11)
If you can’t dedicate a lot of time each week to keeping up with the trends or expanding your range, then simply don’t. Find your niche and curl up in it
like a cozy dog bed. You don’t need to master every aspect of Magic or metagaming or deck selection if you know what you’re doing with one particular
strategy. It may not take you to the top of the standings week in and week out, but you don’t have time to travel that much anyway.
So that brings us to the Invitational this weekend. A few weeks ago, I playtested. I spent about two or three hours a day feeling out the major Legacy
players. I tried different sideboard configurations, a few different singletons here and there, brewed a few decks that were long presumed dead. I did it
all for three or four days. Ultimately, I decided that I’d play either Miracles or a really powerful combo deck like Storm.
…
…
Bahahaha. I couldn’t hold it any longer. Do you even know me?
Creatures (24)
- 4 Mother of Runes
- 2 Gaddock Teeg
- 4 Knight of the Reliquary
- 1 Qasali Pridemage
- 2 Stoneforge Mystic
- 1 Scavenging Ooze
- 4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
- 4 Deathrite Shaman
- 2 Spirit of the Labyrinth
Lands (23)
Spells (13)
It’s only fitting that my dear friend David McDarby finally won an Open by playing all the fair crappy cards I’d advocated for years against his Pondering,
Gitaxian Probing, Sneak Attacking, unfair blue bullcrap. This list wasn’t his first choice. It wasn’t a deck he practiced to death with. It wasn’t even his
deck! This deck was loaned to him by Glenn Jones for the tournament because it’s what they had on hand.
Through all of my playtesting in Legacy, I found something extremely interesting: It didn’t really matter what you were playing. The cards are powerful,
the decks are focused, and you have very little means of gaining a huge edge even with hours upon hours of playtesting. If you have a huge cardpool
available to you, you can sometimes spike an event by being cute, but most of the time, you should play what you want and hope for the best. Know your
deck, know the frequent interactions in the format, and just have a good time.
It’s funny to me that Tiny Leaders was created out of a want of a hybrid between Commander and Legacy. The playstyle and the competition is quite different
between the two, but in reality, the philosophy of deck selection in the two formats is actually very similar. Play what you want, fella.
Just be you.
Creatures (23)
- 4 Mother of Runes
- 2 Gaddock Teeg
- 4 Knight of the Reliquary
- 2 Qasali Pridemage
- 2 Stoneforge Mystic
- 1 Scavenging Ooze
- 4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
- 4 Deathrite Shaman
Lands (24)
Spells (13)
With a few minor metagame and sideboard tweaks, I took the same deck McDarby had (I mean that literally, I had Glenn mail it to me. Thanks again, Glenn!)
and split the finals of a local event. I played against Enchantress, Temur Delver, Miracles, Elves, you name it. There were a variety of strategies and
playstyles, and I had fun against every one of them regardless of whether or not I was winning or losing. Why? Because I was being me while doing it.
Take Time Off the Clock
We’re in the middle of March Madness as I write this. I’m a huge sports fan, and being from Kentucky originally (Everyone duck! Here comes the smug!),
basketball has always been enjoyable to me. Basketball is a game, and as many of you may be aware, Magic is as well. Games are great, and whether or not
you enjoy one game or another more than the rest–I find the stop-start nature of football to be too agonizingly slow to watch more than a few games per
season–there’s something to be learned strategically in nearly every game of any kind.
Due to the large field of the NCAA tournament, frequently, smaller programs face off against larger and more talented opponents. One of the ways that
smaller teams try to give themselves an advantage (or should I say, reduce their disadvantage) is to minimize the total number of possessions by running time off of the game clock.
Let’s say Gerry Thompson and I have a bet going. We’re going to play some number of games of Magic and whoever wins the most games gets $100. If Gerry gets
to choose the number of games we play, he’s going to choose the largest reasonable number he can. If I get to pick, I’m going to choose one game.
The less possessions in a game, the less likely the more seasoned team gets to win. I can beat Gerry in a single game. Maybe I can beat him in a series of
two or three. But how often will I beat him in a set of seven? Nine? Fifteen?
Every Magic game has pivot points. Everything that happens is a fork in the road, a decision point. Better Magic players make the correct choice more
often. A great way to give yourself a chance in a tournament when you’re unprepared or you feel you’re in the bottom half of the field is to reduce the
number of game choices available in each game.
Creatures (22)
- 4 Frenzied Goblin
- 4 Foundry Street Denizen
- 4 Firedrinker Satyr
- 4 Goblin Rabblemaster
- 2 Jeering Instigator
- 4 Mardu Scout
Lands (21)
- 21 Mountain
Spells (17)
How much playtesting was Mitchell able to get in the week of the tournament? I don’t know, but it mattered a lot less for him than for the players casting
Dig Through Time.
It’s important to note that this tip does not indicate that I’m an advocate of the ludicrous “control is harder than aggro” sentiment.
Quick Aside On Control Versus Aggro/Skill Versus No Skill
I’ve been playing a long time now, and it always floors me how widely accepted it is that control decks are harder to play than aggro decks. That’s
absolute nonsense. Not every control deck and not every aggro deck are created equal. Huntmaster of the Fells was never in a control deck of any kind, but
that card has more play than nearly every counterspell. This Standard is very nuanced because of the slow nature of Perilous Vault and End Hostilities, and
these decks have a large amount of decision making, but historically, a lot of control decks hoped to have the Wrath by turn 4 and then they just cleaned
up until they drew Baneslayer Angel or Serra Angel or Grave Titan or whatever the win con was at the time. Combat is a game within a game in Magic. The
math and the bluffing can become extremely complicated when there’s a huge amount of power, toughness, and abilities on the board. How in the world is
control harder to play when, most of the time, it eschews an entire chunk of what makes Magic hard to begin with? You know what’s a lot easier than combat
math? Casting Mana Leak twice, then Day of Judgment. Control decks aren’t always harder. Control decks aren’t always the control deck in a given matchup.
Magic is more interesting than that. Give it some credit.
The Parachute Method
I was once berated by a friend for having a backup plan at a PTQ for when I lost out. He told me that I shouldn’t make backup plans. I should expect to do
well.
Going back to physical sports, I can see the importance of confidence and personal resolve. In football or basketball, strength and determination matter.
But in Magic, they aren’t nearly as important.
Let’s talk about Ross Merriam.
I don’t know Ross personally, though I’m sure we know a lot of the same people. I have every indication that he’s a good person and a great Magic player. I edit his work on this very site frequently.
Ross and I have a different lifestyle currently. Ross is leading the BBD life, the Todd Anderson life. These are men that sacrifice a lot of comfort and a
lot of certainty in order to achieve greatness in the world of competitive Magic. They put pressure on themselves. They push through when they’re tired of
playtesting or drafting. They do what they feel they must instead of what they want because that’s what being great at something requires.
I have nothing but respect for each of them, and this is in no way a critique of their character or their choices. I would never want Ross Merriam to
publicly question the use of my time or my aspirations. I won’t do the same to them.
But…
This mentality and this lifestyle aren’t for everyone at a tournament. Before I go to the Invitational this weekend, I have a lot of work to complete for
Cedric. I need to make sure that my wife has everything she needs to have me unavailable for a few days. I have other things I need to do, and accordingly,
I can’t go into the Invitational with the do or die mentality. Because truthfully, it doesn’t mean that much to me. I love Magic and I’d love to do well
because that’s fun in and of itself.
But you know what else I’d like to do?
I’d like to be able to visit the booth to see all the friends I haven’t seen in forever since I stopped travelling and working on the Open Series.
I’d like to be able to play The Video Game Cube that I designed and developed with David McDarby with all the people who have been waiting to try it.
I’d like to play Commander with some of the people that have been asking me for a game for years.
I’d like to go back to the hotel and relax while I see how the NCAA tournament is going.
I’d like to have the time to eat at a great restaurant instead of jamming concessions food because the pairings are already going up.
If you’re a competitive player and you feel the need to board the plane with nothing, then I wish you all the luck in the world. I’d gladly scoop to you if
we were going to draw and both die for day 2 or whatever, but as for me, I find that I enjoy the journey much more when I have my parachute handy.
Don’t Quit
This ties in with the last entry quite a bit, but I can’t stress how important it is to keep Magic fun. Too many players jump into the competitive scene
and feel the need to abandon everything else.
Cube. Build a Commander deck. Play Type 4. Do anything. Just don’t quit. It’s amazing how quickly you can stop burnout by simply looking at Magic in a more
fun way. Sometimes, the best cure for Magic is to play a different kind of Magic.
What Should You Play in Standard?
I don’t know. Just be you and stop worrying about it. If you need me, I’ll be doing me.
Creatures (18)
- 4 Fleecemane Lion
- 4 Heir of the Wilds
- 3 Anafenza, the Foremost
- 2 Rakshasa Deathdealer
- 4 Siege Rhino
- 1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
Planeswalkers (2)
Lands (25)
Spells (15)
Wish me luck in the tournament, but don’t wish too hard. I’d like to save a little for Love Letter, Video Game Cubing, and Commander.
If you want to approximate power level for our Commander games, this is very close to what I’ll have. I’ll have removed most of the tutors and Top though,
as I’m currently on a high-horse riding crusade against them:
Creatures (29)
- 1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
- 1 Solemn Simulacrum
- 1 Akroma, Angel of Wrath
- 1 Eternal Witness
- 1 Yavimaya Elder
- 1 Karmic Guide
- 1 Reya Dawnbringer
- 1 Blazing Archon
- 1 Tolsimir Wolfblood
- 1 Juniper Order Ranger
- 1 Saffi Eriksdotter
- 1 Vigor
- 1 Twilight Shepherd
- 1 Wilt-Leaf Liege
- 1 Knight of the Reliquary
- 1 Ant Queen
- 1 Baneslayer Angel
- 1 Master of the Wild Hunt
- 1 Emeria Angel
- 1 Oracle of Mul Daya
- 1 Rampaging Baloths
- 1 Stoneforge Mystic
- 1 Wolfbriar Elemental
- 1 Sun Titan
- 1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
- 1 Geist-Honored Monk
- 1 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
- 1 Yeva, Nature's Herald
- 1 Trostani, Selesnya's Voice
Planeswalkers (2)
Lands (33)
- 1 Strip Mine
- 1 Brushland
- 5 Forest
- 5 Plains
- 1 Reflecting Pool
- 1 Savannah
- 1 Eiganjo Castle
- 1 Windswept Heath
- 1 Flooded Strand
- 1 Temple of the False God
- 1 Yavimaya Hollow
- 1 Krosan Verge
- 1 Selesnya Sanctuary
- 1 Temple Garden
- 1 Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree
- 1 Flagstones of Trokair
- 1 Vesuva
- 1 Dryad Arbor
- 1 Horizon Canopy
- 1 Mosswort Bridge
- 1 Verdant Catacombs
- 1 Stirring Wildwood
- 1 Command Tower
- 1 Homeward Path
- 1 Gavony Township
Spells (35)
- 1 Sensei's Divining Top
- 1 Wrath of God
- 1 Tooth and Nail
- 1 Swords to Plowshares
- 1 Sylvan Library
- 1 Sol Ring
- 1 Regrowth
- 1 Rampant Growth
- 1 Kodama's Reach
- 1 Mirari's Wake
- 1 Rude Awakening
- 1 Worldly Tutor
- 1 Sword of Fire and Ice
- 1 Skullclamp
- 1 Lightning Greaves
- 1 Mind's Eye
- 1 Natural Affinity
- 1 Greater Good
- 1 Eladamri's Call
- 1 Skyshroud Claim
- 1 Aura Shards
- 1 Glare of Subdual
- 1 Krosan Grip
- 1 Harmonize
- 1 Primal Command
- 1 Relic of Progenitus
- 1 Martial Coup
- 1 Summoning Trap
- 1 Explore
- 1 Cultivate
- 1 Green Sun's Zenith
- 1 Beast Within
- 1 Increasing Devotion
- 1 Entreat the Angels
- 1 Rain of Thorns
See you in Richmond!