Like many of you, Magic is something I really love, and yet it is a relatively small piece of the pie that is my life. I’ve got a full-time job that demands over 40 hours a week, a part-time job that claims at least 20 hours a week, two kids, a wife, and a home that doesn’t have a self-tending yard nor a housekeeper. Then of course there is this column, which I consider an honor and privilege but does require a little bit of time to pull together. So, week in and week out, actually playing Magic is something that happens a lot less frequently than I’d like.
It’s always fun when someone from the “real world” learns about my Magic addiction and actually seems interested in learning more about it. When I tell them I’ve been playing it for 16 years their eyes get wide, and then I tell them all about the Magic community that has grown up around the game, including the State Champs, the Pro Tours, the Grand Prix tournaments, World Championships. Naturally ask if I’ve ever won some of the big money that’s paid out at the highest levels, and I just shake my head and tell them that playing at that level requires a lot more time, focus and dedication to the game than I have to give. “You pretty much have to eat, drink and sleep Magic to get on the Pro Tour,” I’d say.
Yep, that was the conceit that I kept snug in my mind in explaining my relative lack of success despite the years and years and years of PTQs and Regionals under my belt.
Until I ran across this Tweet on July 23rd: “Guess who just won the last LCQ of the day? 😀 Evan Erwin just q’d for nats!”
Suddenly, my conceit is just blown to smithereens. I mean, I’m an incredibly busy dude, but Evan is at the very least just as busy as I am, if not more so, and he’s a family man too. And here he is qualifying for Nationals in just about the most difficult way around. So I immediately wondered about his secret – how does he juggle all of life’s many obligations and responsibilities and yet still get success in tournaments that many of us would love?
I googled and searched around to see if perhaps someone else had already interviewed him before, and really couldn’t find anything other than a video from Pro Tour Valencia that didn’t go into much depth. So it occurred to me – why not do a full-blown interview with the man behind The Magic Show? Turn the microphone around on the man who’s usually behind it, so to speak.
Evan was kind enough to carve out some time for my pesky questions…
Q. Let’s go over some bio stuff…
A. Age? 28, birthday is September 24.
Where do you live? Oak Ridge, TN
Kids? Two beautiful little girls, Annabelle (7 yrs) and Abigail (5 yrs). Annie and Abby for short. They rock my world.
Q. What’s your full-time “pays the bills” work?
A. I’m a network administrator at a small business in West Knoxville, TN. They’re also a Mac shop, which gives me the hardware and software to make the Magic Show as awesome as (I hope) it is. OSX-based (particularly Final Cut Studio) video editing tools are the best, no question.
Q. Any part-time paying jobs?
A. I do contract network administration. Stuff like setting up networks, firewalls, servers, domains, routers, VPNs, stuff like that. Needless to say, I’m busy.
Q. Did you go to college, what did you study?
A. Quick back-story: I found a loophole in my high school curriculum that basically stated if I took two classes in Summer School I could skip my entire junior year, so I did. I graduated in 1997 and was in Walters State Community College when I was 16. I passed out of the rudimentary computer science classes (i.e. “What is a mouse?”) and quickly discovered I didn’t want to program in C or any other language. I then found a “computer operator” job at a local community bank, dropped out of college, and never looked back. Went from there to a Network Administrator position at a much, much larger credit union, and from there to my current position.
Not that I’m suggesting people should drop out of school or anything, but for myself, experience and self-motivation have taken me as far or farther than a piece of paper saying I know what I say I know could.
Q. What is your gaming background, pre-Magic?
A. In September 1985, when I turned 5 years old, my mother got me a Nintendo. That was pretty much the impetus of my love of games, but I believe my fascination with card games came from my fascination with playing card magic tricks. I knew a catalog of interesting tricks with playing cards when I was a teenager, mostly to impress girls (didn’t really get there, but I tried) and my friends. I learned how to shuffle with one hand, stuff like that. Which made card games inherently more appealing to me.
Q. How did you come to play Magic?
A. I began playing Magic when I was in those Summer School classes mentioned above. We generally did nothing in class, so we filled the time rocking the cardboard. This was around the release of Ice Age, Fallen Empires, and 4th Edition. I remember being completely blown away by Blinking Spirit. “It never dies! Ever!” I thought to myself,
and still love it to this day.
One of the first rares I ever opened was the “Bone Crank” Icy Manipulator from Ice Age. I thought it was simply the coolest art ever. I was also enamored with Savannah Lions (“omg so above the curve!”) and Elvish Archers. Makes me a little sad that both of those cards are now sub-par, one now a mere uncommon, the other practically unprintable at rare these days.
The friendships I made in Summer School, and through Magic, were invaluable. Magic gave me the self-confidence I needed to succeed at that stage in my life, and being competitive it fueled my need to win. As I failed at many other things in those days, being good at -something- was a real confidence booster and gave me something to work on and be proud of. It was great having a group of friends to play with, and guys you could always count on seeing week in and week out at the local tournaments. I was fired from two crappy jobs (Arby’s and Taco Bell) by leaving early or calling in sick week after week so I could attend Magic tournaments. And it was totally worth it.
Q. What are your notable “Magic accomplishments?”
I Top 8’d my first PTQ (Kamigawa Limited), Top 32’d my first GP (Grand Prix: Detroit, Kamigawa Limited), played at the 2007 Invitational (has it really been two years?!), played in PT: Valencia (thanks to the Invitational win), and played in the 2009 U.S. Nationals.
At this point I have no idea how many PTQs I’ve Top 8’d. I’d like to say it’s double digits. I’ve made Top 8 or Top 4 in a few, and Top 2’d late last year in a Shards Limited PTQ for Pro Tour: Kyoto. The heartbreaker there was the guy who won (yes, you Jeremy Mathis) didn’t even go! A free ride to Japan, invite to the PT, and didn’t even show up! That one burned. I really wanted to take the Magic Show to Japan. He promised me he was 100% going at the time of my defeat.
Q. How did you come to start doing The Magic Show?
A. First I have to give props to Ze Frank, my primary inspiration for the Show as you know it. He made a New Years’ Resolution to produce a show every weekday for a year, and he did. You’ll find it here. You’ll also notice that at the end of his shows, he’ll say “This is Ze Frank… thinking, so you don’t have to.” Good artists borrow, right? Anyway, this insanely brilliant series paved the way for many video podcasters, not just myself. I like to think of it as the I Love Lucy of web shows.
Soon thereafter, almost three years ago now(!), there was a series on StarCityGames.com called the Battle Royale [I painfully remember that! — Bennie], where two writers would build decks, battle, and then write articles on said battle. Readers were encouraged to watch the match live on Magic Online, and the writers would produce articles afterwards about it. The victor would then do it again the following week against another writer. When it came my turn to do so, I said, “Well, I’ve been messing around with this desktop recording software, and wouldn’t it simply be more interesting to watch the games rather than read about them?” YouTube had debuted only a few months before, and I was anxious to use the medium.
So I recorded the games with commentary and posted them here. At the same time, I had been playing around with the “new, crazy idea” of Magic video articles somewhat based on Ze’s work. I did a complete review of Coldsnap in video form where I went color-by-color until I had spoken about the entire set. You can find it in the oldest videos in my “mrorangeguy” YouTube channel.
The fateful conversation that sticks out in my mind was when I was explaining the concept of these video articles to Craig, I didn’t want to use a script. He said to me (paraphrased) “You know, you really need to get me a script so we can look over what you’re talking about this week.” I grumbled, because writing a script causes considerable more work (having to write, edit, record, edit recording, etc), but it made all of the difference. Off-the-cuff is nice, but that’s a skill that takes a LONG time to perfect, whereas scripts are more malleable, flexible, and ultimately, a more clear and concise way to communicate your thoughts and ideas. So rah-rah for smart editors! [Heh, I’m awesome. — Craig, amused.]
When deciding on a name for it, I looked to Ze Frank again. His show was simply called “The Show”, and mine was based on my favorite card game… so there ya go.
Q. What was your vision for the show when you first began? How has your vision changed from then until now?
A. When I began I just wanted to see if it would work. I had never seen anything close to it in gaming, and finding my voice and style was difficult at first. Many don’t realize I began writing on StarCityGames.com to provide strategic content, and many also don’t realize it didn’t take me long to figure out that was definitely not my forte.
As anyone can tell you, it takes mistakes to improve, and I have plenty in my back catalog. For me, episode #3 was a harbinger for things to come, where I focused on the community and the players rather than just myself. Episode #4 by contrast was a huge misfire, and humbled me significantly. With more exposure I got more attention and more criticism. It was then I realized that focusing on strategic content, at that point at least, was not recommended. Episode #5 was another groundbreaker, as I simply had the idea of “Why don’t I simply take my video camera to the Time Spiral Prerelease and get some reactions?”
I kept on trying to innovate as I moved forward. One big win was my series on Building Dragonstorm. Even though it was nowhere near the final Worlds-winning runner-up list, I was proud for having shown the deck designing process while in flux, and perhaps cracking the format in my own little way.
Episode #10 was my first musical montage, even though it needed a LOT more work than I was able to give it, and Episodes #12 & #13 were the first ever that included my trademark “cut between plays” editing style. This editing style has been perfected and honed to what I consider a fine art, simply contrast these humble beginnings with the finals editing I do for Wizards and my own for the Boston $5K Finals.
I could go on, but those old single-slash-double-digit shows are the building blocks to all of the content you enjoy today. It is from these successes (and massive failures) that I learn what to do, what not to do, and I can’t express how thankful I am to those who have
stuck with me all of these years and given me constructed feedback to make the show better.
Q. What do you love most about doing The Magic Show?
A. I love the satisfaction of doing something well. I love being able to sway opinion and talk to a huge audience. I love having basically unlimited access to large events, personalities, and becoming friends with some of the smartest people I’ve ever met. I love the feedback I receive and the feeling of triumph when I know I really hit one out of the park. I love being really good at something, and having an audience who appreciates it.
As I said before, I’m very competitive, and if I want to do something, I want it to be the very best. I think the Magic Show is the best because I put more time, love, and energy (not necessarily in that order) each week in order to make it so.
Q. What do you love the least about doing the show?
A. When I screw it up. Sometimes it’s a whole show, sometimes it’s a segment, and sometimes it’s little mistakes that bother the hell out of me.
Many times I’m convinced a show is crap by the time I’m done with it. I get bogged down on mistakes or lines or bad photoshops or whatever, and am sure this is the one where my viewers leave and never come back.
The easiest and most recent example would be Episode #150 – The Magic 2010 Forsythee Awards by Ben Bleiweiss and myself. Ben gave me a funny script, but I rushed it. We should’ve gone back for another draft, worked out what we wanted to in a more concrete fashion, and so on. But I was on a deadline, and I was excited to have the content, and I wanted to get it out there.
Unfortunately, about three or four hours into production, I realize I’ve got big problems. It’s not funny, or it’s boring, or both. This is basically no man’s land. I had another three or four hours of work left to do to simply get it done, yet I knew no matter how much effort I put into those hours I knew I would still be producing sub-par work. This isn’t on Ben’s head at all, this is on mine because I have the final say of what goes up and what doesn’t. And I braced for impact after it went up, and got exactly what I was expecting (i.e. the audience, by and large, hated it). Yes, I do have the ability to recognize when I kick ass and when I ride the failboat.
Q. What are your most memorable moments — good and bad — from doing The Magic Show?
A. Good:
– I will never forget the feeling of entering the Essen gaming convention in Germany, making my way to the WotC Invitational booth, and finding it completely empty one morning. Where was everybody? They were all cramped in the tiny ‘security cage’ that sat at the rear of the booth watching my Pro Tour: Valencia show that had went up the night before. Around the laptop were Mark Rosewater, and a host of Invitationalists. The Pro Tour: Valencia episode is the first in which I thought I had actually went above and beyond anything I had done before, and to see the looks on their faces and their kind words after was just fantastic. Rosewater also gave me some great filmmaking tips at the time, specifically my (mis)use of lighting and shot composition.
Basically the entire Invitational was a huge watershed moment for me where I found myself not only completely comfortable doing what I was doing, but confident that I had just begun my journey into Magic journalism. Spend a week or so with the best in the world and those who make the best game in the world and your perspective will change.
– I vividly recall filming Patrick Chapin going off on his insane Greater Gargadon / Primal Command / Reveillark deck at PT: Hollywood and clearly seeing the entire finished sequence in my head, from the final music to the cards framing his face.
– While I knew it was somewhat embarrassing, I didn’t care to film my reaction to my friend Richie Proffitt death. I was also incredibly, incredibly humbled and proud to have done my part in making the Richie Proffitt Memorial Tournament a huge success [I can testify it was an awesome, awesome event – Bennie].
– Riding a moped around Honolulu with my buddy Joe, featuring the biggest smile on my face I’ve had all year, having fun in what can only be called paradise, and simply thinking “Magic. Magic brought me this. Remember Blinking Spirit.” Just insane.
Bad:
– Getting caught in the most hellacious rainstorm ever in Valencia, Spain (i.e. the one that shut down the PT) and having to walk over a mile in the pouring rain back to the hotel in the middle of the night. I had never been so thoroughly drenched in my whole life. It was like my bones were wet.
– Having my shiny new Sony HD camera break on the day of the Richie Proffitt Tournament. The grief was threefold: One, I had just bought the camera so the last thing I expected was a malfunction. Two, the camera still held my friend’s wedding I had taped the week prior and (of course) had yet to transfer off the camera. Three, the fact that I
retained very little footage from that day, including the awesome opening remarks from Pete Hoefling and myself from that day. I literally felt sick to my stomach as all of that went down. The silver lining for that story is SCG’s own Pete Hoefling helped me raise almost $1,800 to get back a majority of the wedding and tournament footage I thought was lost forever. Needless to say, I’m eternally grateful.
– Letting the stress get to me at the end of last year. In December 2008 I was going through a myriad of personal issues that I won’t elaborate on, but suffice to say allowing the Show to contribute to the deterioration of my mental well-being was not good. In those weeks of not producing content I tried to focus on why I was doing what I was doing, and how I could do it in a way that wouldn’t cause harm to me or my loved ones. I think that moving forward from that point I’ve struck a nice balance. For example, I lose no sleep about not producing a show for a particular week if I just can’t get it done, because usually it means that week I had the choice of hanging out with my loved ones or busting ass and making content. I err on the former at this point.
Q. What Magic “celeb” were you most excited to finally meet for the first time?
A. Richard Garfield. I had no idea how he would act or react. Suffice to say he’s a fantastic, smart, and funny guy that answered everything I threw at him with ease, and was more than happy to give me a ‘Show introduction. It was great to have the ability to carve out some of his time to chat, but for him to be so forthright and down to earth was even better. He’s the real deal.
Q. Since you get to interact with Magic “celebrities” from the Pro Tour and Wizards of the Coast, are there any public misconceptions about a few of them that you’ve learned after meeting them in person?
A. I’m not sure of the conceptions of most Magic personalities, so it’s hard for me to shoot them down. I like to think that I portray people on the Show exactly as they are — WotC employees really are that interesting, funny, and approachable. Most Pros really are that friendly and giving. One rule I have is to never intentionally make other players look bad. For example, while it was likely bad taste to ask Olivier Ruel about cheating on the same day he was inducted to the Hall of Fame, I would’ve never aired the interview had I not thought he did a great job explaining himself and his current position on cheating.
On a few people:
– Mike Long, despite having the reputation as a Bad Guy or Something Evil, is just another Pro who wants to break formats and do well at tournaments.
– Dave Williams is a just a cool, smart, and friendly guy. Millionaire or no, a very fun guy to hang out with. I cube drafted with him and other millionaires / poker stars last year in Las Vegas. What a surreal experience. They wanted to put $100 on the draft, but I
couldn’t afford it. I should have though, as I would’ve won $100 after my B/W Aggro Discard went all the way to 4-0. Bitterblossom + Armageddon FTW!
– Mark Rosewater is just as fun and wacky as you would imagine.
– Ken Nagle likes to amp up the weird, so when you’re watching the show and sure he’s really an ax murderer, remember he does it on purpose.
Q. How do you keep your Magic playing skills sharp, and how do you find the time to do so?
A. Well, a lot of my spare time deals with Magic in general. I think a lot of being and staying ‘good’ at the game is simply immersing yourself in it as much as possible, knowing what are the most powerful decks/cards in the format, and so on. Even if I don’t have time to read every article or play with every deck, knowing what’s hot and what’s not is part of my job, and pretty easy to do. I try to communicate each week what these trends are so I can pass that knowledge on. I get countless emails and messages from players telling me they’ve had to take a break for whatever reason, but thanks to the Show they know what’s going on in Magic.
Another way of staying sharp is simply by playing Magic, and that doesn’t always necessarily translate to current formats / decks. I play my Cube as often as possible, and sometimes Magic is simply about studying the interactions of cards, effects and decision trees, and I believe cubing is brilliant for keeping your mind on what’s important in any game, in any format. It’s not quite hammering out testing between a gauntlet of decks, but it’s the playing, the thought processes, which are always helpful.
Q. What did you do to prepare for the Grinders at Nationals? What did you play and why?
A. I tried to recognize the best deck, and also the deck I play the best. These are two important yet highly unique skills, with the first obviously more important.
To me, this format has become Vivid-driven, with the loss of painlands and Wrath of God, along with Great Sable Stag, warping the format to a very interesting degree. Basically, “good stuff” decks, i.e. Cruel Ultimatum Control, rock because they have the best game against random aggro, the only combo deck in the format (which is still kinda aggro anyway), and only really lose to Fae – which is actively hated – and itself. I should’ve recognized the latter and had more cards like Ajani Vengeant in my deck to battle the mirror.
On the other end of the spectrum, I love to play super aggressive or super controlling decks. I’ve done best with Mono Red and Urzatron / Five-Color Control decks, having a game plan and an idea of how both of those decks work most efficiently. Even if you’re completely blind going in to a format, figure out what you do best and focus on how that deck wins and what it’s plan is regarding the rest of the metagame. This focus will allow you to succeed even when you have little information or preparation.
Q. How did it feel to win your Grinders? Did you feel very confidant in your deck choice? How did you feel in the very last game with all the marbles on the line?
A. I was beyond ecstatic to win my Grinder. There’s just something wonderfully poetic about driving like a madman for 10 hours, getting into the absolute last chance last chance qualifier (heh) and getting there.
I felt confident that the deck was solid and powerful, and I trusted that Shuhei simply doesn’t bring a bad deck to Japanese Nationals, one of the most competitive tournaments on the planet. Even though I was unsure about precise sideboarding, I knew enough to get it right most of the time and even when my last matchup seemed horrible – Mono Red Burn – I knew if I stayed calm I would get there.
For example, in Game 2 of the finals, after winning Game 1 on the draw, my hand looked insane. Something like three lands in all the right colors, Runed Halo, Cryptic Command, Essence Scatter, Plumeveil. I was already filing out my registration for Nationals in my head.
He killed me on Turn 5. Ack.
However, I refused to go on tilt, and kept the Zac Hill mantra of “Focus On What You’re Doing Right Now” in my head. While it was close, Puppeteer Clique snagging his Demigod of Revenge followed by Broodmate Dragon got me there. Hell yeah.
Q. We always hear that Magic success comes to those who can dedicate a massive amount of time and energy to the game that seems impossible to those of us who’ve got jobs and family that seriously constrains our free time, and yet there are some like yourself who have found some success at some higher levels (if not necessarily highest) of competitive Magic while also holding down the jobs and family obligations. What is your advice/tips for other busy family men who would also like to keep their Magic skills competitive enough to perform well at tournaments outside of the occasional FNM?
A. You need to find a way to play in some capacity. It’s the playing that keeps you sharp, whether that’s Cube or EDH or drafting or whatever. It is seeing interactions, plays, and misplays. Recognizing mistakes and not letting your emotions get the best of you.
Play with friends, play Magic Online at 1AM when you can’t sleep, play on Magic Workstation or Apprentice or whatever. But if you don’t play, you’ll do nothing but atrophy all of those strategic muscles you spent so long developing.
Q. So there really is no substitution for playing Magic, though you do see value in playing even casual formats. One thing that occurred to me while thinking about what you said and my own situation – I spend an awful lot of time deckbuilding and brainstorming new ideas instead of picking up existing decks and practicing with them. How much time do you spend trying out new ideas and deckbuilding?
A. When a new set comes out I’m ripe for sending out new ideas to friends of mine, brewing up in Magic Workstation and am very excited to see what I can do to not only the existing big decks but perhaps highlight a few new favorites as well.
It’s most exciting when a new expansion is released (i.e. Time Spiral, Lorwyn, Shards of Alara) because that is when the format changes the most and you usually only have block PTQs and/or a block Pro Tour to base your decks on. It’s very exciting.
With that said, after the format ‘settles down’ in a few weeks or so, I usually pick my favorite archetype, tweak if necessary, and sling that at the tournament tables. I generally favor thousands of hours of playtesting I don’t have time to put in vs. my homebrew that I think might work if I’m lucky. It’s certainly more exciting to build your own thing, but it’s nowhere near as powerful most of the time. Which is unfortunate, but it’s something I’m willing to concede to remain competitive.
Q. How do you typically choose a deck to play for something like a PTQ, and how do you prep with it when the metagame seems to shift so quickly nowadays?
A. I basically look at trends. This includes the Hot New Deck (i.e. think of when Cascade Swans was on the rise, and how you either needed something against it or you thought that the weekend in question was the last time it was viable) and the Deck That Time Forgot. There’s also the Rogue Option. Let’s take today’s metagame for example:
Best: Five-Color Control, Jund Mannequin, i.e. Vivid Lands.dec
Still awesome: Faeries, Red / Black, Reveillark
Rogue Option: Elementals
Crap: Elf Combo, Kithkin, Aggro In General
I compiled these based on Nationals results, my own observations, and looking at the current PTQ season. I’d say your best bet is to either punish Vivid Lands with Faeries or Anathemancer, and stay far away from decks that scoop to Volcanic Fallout and/or Firespout and/or Hallowed Burial. With that in mind I’ll make sure I’ve got a great Game 1 against The Best / Still Awesome decks, while making sure I still stomp the Rogue and Crap decks accordingly, which is usually not too tough.
For me at Nats, I think I had great game against everything but the Best and Still Awesome decks, and that’s something I should’ve notice. It would be expedient to simply blame my lack of sleep and excitement for my errors, but the fact is I just screwed up.
At the end of the day tournament players are rewarded most for playtesting experience and knowledge of the format. Having either of these is awesome, and having both is ideal. I try to sneak in as much as I can, but I’m as guilty as any of brewing up a slight modification to a popular deck the night before, or compiling my New Favorite Deck on the ride to the tournament.
Q. I’ve complained a lot about the Standard metagame this year. What’s your opinion of the format, and are you looking forward to the rotation this Fall?
A. Standard has two problems:
1) Faeries
2) Five-Color Control
Wizards has done everything they possibly can to kill the first one, and they still haven’t quite done so. I mean, if printing Volcanic Fallout, Great Sable Stag, Scattershot Archers, and Windstorm still hasn’t made it less than Tier 1, what will? It’s insanely overpowering, and it’s all thanks to Bitterblossom.
I really wish they’d banned Bitterblossom in Block while those PTQs were going on, but that would’ve simply made Block Constructed a Five-Color format instead of a Faeries format. Neither option is appealing, and banning Bitterblossom would’ve caused serious whining/uproar amongst the hardcore among us.
For Problem #2, they shouldn’t have given the Vivid Lands two counters. One counter would’ve been sufficient and still made Five-Color a deck, just not to the degree it is now. Reflecting Pool simply compounded this, ramping the deck into Tier 1 almost overnight. Every Five-Color deck, from “Cruel Control” to “Five-Color Bloodbraid” is really just GoodStuff.dec, where you can pick any random 34 cards that you find most powerful, put a bunch of Vivids, Filters and Reflecting Pools in there, and make it work. Some go the aggro route (Five-Color Bloodbraid), some go the Jund route (Jund Mannequin), others go the ‘traditional route’ (Cruel Control). All of them are basically Vivid Lands + Good Spells.
All in all, this type of design makes deckbuilding and deck choices limiting and not very fun. Unfortunately the only way to fix this is to have Lorwyn rotate, and by then the PTQ season is up. Anathemancer, while looking good before Regionals, now looks like the best creature in Standard until the PTQ finishes and Lorwyn finally gets the hell out of Standard.
I know I personally look forward to the rotation every year, and I certainly did for Time Spiral, but Lorwyn with its 5,218 cards and four sets has long overstayed its welcome. I think Wizards has learned its lesson that 4-set blocks are just a mistake. Eventide had to ramp up the power level to a ridiculous degree to have some impact, and it obviously did not. That whole set was basically 5 filters, Figure of Destiny, Stillmoon Cavalier, and Glen Elendra Archmage. The other 140-ish cards might as well not even exist, and that’s really unfortunate.
Q. What’s your favorite Magic card of all time? What’s your favorite Magic card in the current Standard?
A. My favorite is probably Savannah Lions, which makes Elite Vanguard really bittersweet for me. I like the fact that it’s in a more tribal-friendly creature type, but my youth still prefers the 2/1 Cats smashing into the red zone.
My ‘recent’ favorite (i.e. Savannah Lions was my first love when I left the game back in Stronghold, I came back in Mirrodin) is of course Giant Solifuge, a.k.a. Cap’n Tickles.
My favorite card in Standard is probably Noble Hierarch. That card is so ridiculously above the power curve, it’s really difficult to appreciate right now. I think once Lorwyn leaves and we see a more defined metagame (i.e. defined by more than just Five-Color, Faeries, and Hate Decks) Hierarch will rise once again in prominence. I also have a fondness for Elspeth, Knight-Errant. Wow is that ‘walker insane [yep… –Bennie, regretting cashing in two of them at the Shards prerelease…].
Q. What things have you learned in life that you bring to your Magic game?
A. Treat everyone with equal respect. The instant you think “This guy is crap, this match will be so easy” is the instant you start playing sloppy, and that will get you every time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a scrawny kid or a buxom beauty use this to their advantage. “Oh, this is just some 11 year old / girl here with their boyfriend, nice 2-0 for me,” they think just before getting crushed.
Q. What things have you learned playing Magic that you bring your other endeavors?
A. Magic teaches planning and payoff like few other games can. The ability to set up your turns ahead of time is something you find at the high strategic levels of the game, just like Chess. Many players focus only on this turn happening right now. But when you begin to realize that your actions have implications several turns ahead, that’s when the light comes on for many and suddenly they begin playing much better.
In real life, you need to have your ducks in a row (your alpha strike setup) before you speak to your boss/supervisor (before you declare attackers). You also need to be unflinchingly confident at times (no fear when turning your guys sideways), because sometimes you don’t have all of the information but you can’t let an errant question or request throw you off (they have a combat trick). Following through on your plans (playing spells in the right order), finding the right people to talk to (using the correct activated abilities), and finally finishing a project (getting a 2 in the W column) is what gets things accomplished and keeps you looking good (winning the whole tournament).
Q. Have your kids shown interest in playing Magic now or someday?
A. At this stage they’re far more interested in dress-up/make-up girl games and Spongebob than Magic, but I’m still waiting on the right time to introduce them, hehe.
Q. How would you describe your paper Magic collection? Do you keep most of your cards over the years, do you sell off some of them as they become less relevant, etc.? Have you ever “quit” the game and then came back to it?
A. My paper collection is fairly extensive in Standard, i.e. I can build pretty much any deck in the format, and a bit sketchy for Extended (I have the lands and many random powerful cards, but that’s about it).
Over the years I’ve bought and sold many, many cards, but as time goes on I’ve learned to regret doing so and will only sell cards in the most dire of straights. I’d rather have the cards on me, and available, even if they do lose some value as time goes on and things rotate in and out of formats. For example, I don’t plan on selling my fetchlands even though they’re rotating and I don’t play much Legacy or Vintage. They’re still incredibly powerful and potent cards that will rock plenty of casual decks for years to come (EDH, et al).
I’ve quit/sold all of my cards a few times, but at this point I’m back to keeping a collection of my own because borrowing is exhausting and nerve-wracking. You’re also at the whim of your friends – i.e. if they only have one copy of a certain deck, and they want to play it, you’re pretty much screwed if they choose to audible into it [listen to the man – I’ve been warning players against completely cashing out their collection for years, and nearly every single person has come to regret it – Bennie]
Q. I know you have one of the more well-known Magic Cubes around… how often do you update your Cube? What have been some of the more notable recent additions?
A. Firstly, let’s get the URL out there: http://www.cubedrafting.com. This is the site I started and try to keep updated as much as possible. The forums also have a wonderful little community of dedicated cube players!
Re: Updates. I try to update my cube with every set release, but I do it quite differently than others: I only update my cube with the latest cards -after- the following set is released. This allows me to ‘truly’ see the powerful cards in a set, because many cards can be passed aside at first. For example, Glen Elendra Archmage and Stillmoon Cavalier took time to catch on, but by the time Shards of Alara showed up we were well versed in the power of these cards. I’d rather recognize their power after their release than play catch-up with more cube updates.
But in the end, the cube is about creating a format and having fun. I love the ability to shape what is or isn’t good in the cube, what the powerful strategies are and what foils I can ensure are in the cube for them. It lets you be designer and developer all in one, and that is a rare and wonderful thing.
Q. What other casual formats do you play? Do you have an Elder Dragon Highlander deck? What do you think of EDH?
A. I don’t really play a lot of casual formats outside of Cube, because I simply don’t have time. I don’t have an EDH deck (yet) and am in awe of the EDH decks I’ve seen. Ken Nagle’s EDH deck collection is just insane.
I love EDH as a format, because the Cube opens you up to theft in ways that EDH never will (and trust me, I know all about pricks who will steal your cards). It’s also a very contained format that allows others to simply and easily pimp their EDH deck over time, another aspect I like about the cube.
I think EDH is great for casual, but I’m very skeptical of EDH events with entry fees and prizes. This invites collusion, aka “The player who brought the most friends wins”, which I think defeats the purpose of EDH en masse. I’d suggest that EDH events with fees and prizes have an equal prize distribution so as to curb this unfun behavior.
Q. Where did “misterorange” come from?
A. The film Reservoir Dogs by Quentin Tarantino. It’s a brilliant film about a jewelry heist that shows you everything but the heist. In it, the crooks don’t use their real names, they instead use colors. Mr. Brown, Mr. Blonde, Mr. Blue, Mr. White. The one who is more than he appears to be is Mr. Orange… [don’t forget Mr. Pink! — Bennie.]
Q. When you got selected for the Magic Invitational, as a Magic writer I thought it was one of the coolest things I can remember ever happening with the Invitational. There was some controversy about that… what did you think about getting a spot with the Invitational and the silly “pros vs. joes” controversy.
A. Haha, it was so insane. I was “King of the Donks,” I was the scrubbiest scrub to ever scrub a scrub, I was many things back then, but I was also the winner. I think that the Invitational invite made the Magic Show what it is today. Were it not for that opportunity I wouldn’t have poured my heart and soul into the Show the way I had, and I wouldn’t have worked so hard at being the best Magic journalist I could be each and every week.
I think you can see and follow my journey of Magic Show production and see that beginning with Episode #66, that Something Changed. I can’t say exactly what or exactly how, but I believe it was simply cementing that yes, I was at the Invitational for a reason and I was going to make the most of it. Even after the Invitational, the incredible wave of feedback/love showed me that the community also cared about what I was doing, it showed me that hard work paid off (i.e. the reactions to Episode #66 warm my heart to this day), and it showed that I was doing something I was really good at.
I think the controversy was merely holding on to old ideas and a few upset pros weren’t going to change the impact of having somebody like me, somebody who doesn’t play at the ‘absolute highest level’ of the game, somebody who just loves Magic and its culture, got invited to the most exclusive club ever. Plenty of digital ink has been spilled on what a travesty it was for me to go, but I hope that I made those who got me there proud. I believe I have (and then some).
Q. When you are doing interviews for your show, what is your favorite question to ask, and how would you answer that question yourself (if I haven’t already asked you)?
A. I don’t really have a favorite question, rather I have a favorite ‘type’ of question. This is the ‘wacky’ questions like What Would Your Planeswalker Ultimate Be (from Worlds 2008), and The Mulligan Question (from Pro Tour: Honolulu). These provide a myriad of interesting responses that I can use in the editing room to provide the most entertainment.
Far too often players always have the same answer to questions and hearing the same answer, even if in a bit different form from people you’re wanting to hear that answer from, can be laborious and/or just boring. I want questions that bring my interviewees to life, show a side of their personality that may not be readily shown, and give me the most bang for my airtime. The players who can answer these questions with the most panache are the ones I seek out first on the event floor.
As for questions for me here’s a few:
– Your favorite fanmail?
I once got an email from an Army sergeant stationed in Iraq. He downloads all of the shows to watch on his iPod while in the field to keep him up to date on the game and his mind off the incredible situation he’s in. Just awesome! 😀
– Why no nicknames for recent cards/sets?
Because trying to force nicknames is lame and I’m not in the nickname-making business (see the George Castanza “T-Bone” Seinfeld episode). The only nickname I’m somewhat proud of is Cap’n Tickles, but again, I didn’t give it that name, someone else did, I simply
recognized the brilliance of it. When I try to give a card a nickname (such as Oona, Queen of the Fae being Big Perm), it usually doesn’t end well. That said, a few stick out (Thornling = Moo Moo Plow Cow).
– Tips for other video podcasters?
Don’t cut corners in your production. It shows. Just like I know people can tell how much time I put into my show, I can tell how much time you’re not putting into yours.
Also, talk fast. And I mean oh-my-god-slow-down fast. Talking any slower bores people to tears. I wish someone had told me this many years ago.
– In summation?
In the end I’m just a player with a varied and exact skill set who loves to play. And I like to think I do the game and its creators proud.
Thanks Bennie!
…
Thanks so much for your time Evan, and the panache in your answers – I figured someone who does so well as an interviewer would make a great interviewee. I thought you gave some great food for thought in trying to make a few higher-level waves of my own once things shift this Fall.
Before I wrap up, just wanted to mention again a project I’m working that I mentioned last week, I’ve gotten some great feedback so far and am still looking for more.
I’ve been asked by some people both in the forums and via personal email for more details on how I go about building Elder Dragon Highlander decks, and since I’m the Star City writer who covers EDH most frequently, I’ve decided to work on a detailed “primer” over the next few weeks. I’m going to try and cover the basics aimed at helping players new to the format get up to speed, as well as my own personal methods in constructing decks that hopefully even veteran players may find interesting. What I’d like to request from you all is some feedback on what you’d like to know about EDH in general or my EDH decks specifically. I’m particularly interested in hearing from my readers who have not yet tried the format but are interested in perhaps trying it out sometime—what would you like to know about the format? I think it’s the most entertaining group game format I’ve ever played, and my goal is to spread the word and grow interest in EDH.
You can send me feedback by posting on the forums, sending me a message through the forums, or (preferably) by email: starcitygeezer AT gmail DOT com
Thanks everyone, see you next week!
Bennie