Please leave the article writing to Hamtastic, Tarmatog, Jamura and the rest of the informative veterans who actually have KNOWLEDGE about the game. Thank you. Milkshake, would you encourage a midget to keep trying for the high-school basketball team? He might work hard, and be wiling to learn, but I think we both know the outcome of the midget's situation. Writing articles about MTGO is NOT for everybody.
Hey Raevin don't let the haters get you down bro. Ways you can improve article is stating why you're more of a aggro playing as oppose to combo and control. And what decks you played and what changes you made after play testing your deck, why you added in the card you did for the deck, explain why you have sphinx magistrate over another card. But keep up the good work raevin and the willingness to learn, the only failure is the one who doesn't try.
tumulous - ub control's advantages ,if i had to say, comes from its more proactive capabilities and a stable mana base. I would believe that if you play 3c, it is difficult to consistently have all 3 colors out on turn 3 and some decks take advantage of the initial set up time. I wouldn't debate whether white or black is a better combination because they are somewhat different in what they do. UW is much better at stabilizing and controlling the game indirectly but UB is probably better at controlling the game directly like how it is more suitable in handling specific threats (like miners?)
omg - I'm not very sure what you're referring to but I don't think there is a pt or a ptq with this as a format although there are people reported to have run almost singleton decks at ptqs.
The reason I wrote this is because the Singleton weekend PE is going to be a legit source of QPs in the next month and also in July. I wanted to show non-veteren players how to go about finding making a deck that doesn't need to be too specific in nature because it is not difficult to do so, as seen from the article.
Of course, I would personally rather there not be too many players so that getting the 3 QPs would not be as difficult since I don't doubt that the weekend PE won't be able to start.
Still, if there are people who are serious about collecting QPs efficiently, rather than just playing non-stop, they would need to look at the schedule and think about where are the best places to gather them.
Why play in a format where there are more competitors and less payout when you can play in one with less and have better payouts?
(like Stronghold release events are currently a very good source of QPs since they have higher than normal payouts but less than proportionate numbers of people)
Don't be discouraged by the negative posts. Not everybody is going to appreciate the effort.
Personally, I started playing Magic during 3rd/4th Edition and built a Stasis/Serra Angel deck that annoyed my friends to no end. I stopped playing after moving away but picked it back up when MTGO was created. By the time I made it back, people were talking about this "metagame" concept and streamlined 40 card decks. Needless to say, I was intimidated and stuck to green/red creature decks. To me, dropping a land & creature each turn is easier than trying to control the board with patience and finesse (despite my original affinity for blue).
The point is, I have also recognized the need to at least understand the "control" decks (if for no other reason than to learn how to beat them). I just don't know how/where to really get started. When I created my Patron Wizard deck years a few years ago, people flamed me for playing a lame deck with counterspells and land destruction.
So there are players out there in your shoes. And your article was relevant if for no other reason than to see someone else experience a similar desire to improve their game.
I'd echo some of the more constructive comments. Describe how you built your first control deck (even if it was netdecking), the cost to acquire some of the cards, what has worked and what didn't work, etc... Finally, I suppose your headline/title did set my expectations a little higher but I'm sure you've learned from it.
While on the surface, yea, you want to stick countertop before your opponent, the right build has almost no trouble breaking the lock. You have threats that can just bypass CT like Trinket Mage, and Engineered Explosives to just kill Top. Bob is awesome in the mirror obvs, and I feel pretty good if I stick him while they have Top... it's hard to deal with 2 cards a turn, CT or not.
I never quite understood the penchant for UB control decks in 100 singleton. I've been running UW control deck with a VERY small black splash (Esper Charm and Mystical Teachings) and I find it far more versatile. White offers everything black does and more, in my opinion.
I don't think there is a solution that will please everyone, but I think arranging rooms by what type of game you want to play and then being able to rate your own deck strength on a scale let's say between 1 and 5, 5 being strongest, and then autopairing with people who rated their deck strength within 1 of your number.
For example, if I'm playing a semi-competitive standard deck that I haven't tested out to see if it works very well, I don't really want to play the strongest tier 1 decks and I don't really want to play against someone who is playing a standard legal draft deck, so I would rate my own deck as a 3. Then I would be paired with anyone rating their deck as either a 2, 3, or 4. Thus I would avoid the ultra-competitive players and the beginning players.
... or better ways to communicate your goals and deck strength.
I'm pretty sure the current layout of the rooms is a large reason why there's an excessive amount of animosity in the game. Although even with some perfect solution I can still see there being problems just due to the general nature of internet games. :/
But yes, the room separation in MTGO is something that really needs to be revisited. As it stands now, it's not very logical. You have one time based room (New players), and a catch-all room (casual decks) then an attempted serious play room (anything goes) and one room with an actual specific purpose (Tournament Practice) which leads to cross sections having to play in the same room even though they're not looking for the same game.
I'm still not sure what the long term answer is. :(
I am the opposite of you, When I started playing Paper Magic (Revised/Fallen Empires), the cards that appealed to me were in the colors of Blue and White, so naturally I constructed a WU permission deck. Lately I have been toying with aggro decks, But I still feel a lot more comfortable playing blue...
Areas for improvement:
Talk about your deck. It took me a little while to figure out that you deck is Standard 5CC.
You show a picture of Cryptic Command, but curiously, that card is not in your decklist...
You have 3 Thoughtsieze, but only 2 ways of generating B on turn 1...
Why Hallowed Burial over WoG or Martial Coup?
14/23 of your lands come into play tapped...
Maindeck Magister Sphinx? With no way to abuse this outside of an Esper Deck, the mana cost (7 CMC) would probably be better suited to Martial Coup, or Banefire (uncounterable 6 to the dome)...
Why Sculler in sideboard, and not maindecked?
When would you side in Mogg Fanatic, or Wild Ricochet?
I agree. I agree that you shouldn't be discouraged and I agree that a more proper title for your article would have drawn the right audience to your article.
I am a control player since the first day I started playing Magic, and I always secretly envied those who played straightforward beatdown decks (with great success). There were many games that I lost when I was still trying to fix my mana and my opponent had already dealt me the 20. There were many times when I wanted to stop playing control and give in to the raw power of aggro decks :).
It is in a way, interesting to see that an aggro player thinks the same way for control.
Dont be too discouraged by what people are saying. They want to learn something. something new. The question is....who is your target audience? Your headline should then advertise what it is to attract the right kind of reader to your article.....When I see "There is No spoon..." I have big expectations. Im expecting something that is going to change the way I think about the game of magic. A more appropriate headline would be, "An Aggro mind attempts control..." something along those lines....
Thanks for highlighting Core Set Constructed as an underplayed format. I'm a *very* poor Magic player, but still love the game for many reasons. I'm *way* more comfortable playing with the Core sets and it'd be great to see that take off more.
While I'm bothering to write something, I really think the organisation of play rooms could be better handled... Currently it seems to be New Players with about a dozen people in it and Casual Games with hundreds, and you never know how great a player you're going to be pitted against it. Anybody else think it would be nice to have more gradations?
The maindeck Naya Charms in Phish4's deck are just outright sick in the Naya mirror match, while the deck still packs the one-drops and Ranger tutoring that overwhelm 5CC. Cliffrunner shock and awe lifelink puts the other Naya player in a terrible place if they don't have W open for a path to exile.
It's a deck very well built for the current online meta. Hardly suprising that it has had such success.
The Grixis deck is neat, but if it caught on you'd just replace Ignite Disorder with Volcanic Fallout in the sideboard and the deck would get wrecked and still have gas against monowhite exalted.
Surprised we aren't seeing more Wretched Banquet pop up. It's a great way to keep Naya aggro off tempo, and since the deck is really more leanning midrange than balls-to-the-wall aggro in its current form, and it only requires one black to cast.
First of all, your decklist is horrible. Second of all your sideboar fails. Third of all this article makes no sense, you only played 1 opponent in this article and don't even tell us what deck he is playing?
This article is uselss and pointless.
sorry for the card links not working. This is my first article, i'm still trying to figure out what i am doing. I promise to improve with all of my future articles. I am currently closing on a house/moving but will try to get something up about my april tournies asap. My notes are poorer than usual as i was packing between rounds/on a vacation for 10 days.
Next week I am going to make you a reduced-size version of that graph, because the Pure software apparently is awful at reducing things.
Thank you for your comments, everyone. Glad to see this topic was interesting.
Everyone has a rough start. I have no problem publishing someone that I see potential in.
Please leave the article writing to Hamtastic, Tarmatog, Jamura and the rest of the informative veterans who actually have KNOWLEDGE about the game. Thank you. Milkshake, would you encourage a midget to keep trying for the high-school basketball team? He might work hard, and be wiling to learn, but I think we both know the outcome of the midget's situation. Writing articles about MTGO is NOT for everybody.
Hey Raevin don't let the haters get you down bro. Ways you can improve article is stating why you're more of a aggro playing as oppose to combo and control. And what decks you played and what changes you made after play testing your deck, why you added in the card you did for the deck, explain why you have sphinx magistrate over another card. But keep up the good work raevin and the willingness to learn, the only failure is the one who doesn't try.
tumulous - ub control's advantages ,if i had to say, comes from its more proactive capabilities and a stable mana base. I would believe that if you play 3c, it is difficult to consistently have all 3 colors out on turn 3 and some decks take advantage of the initial set up time. I wouldn't debate whether white or black is a better combination because they are somewhat different in what they do. UW is much better at stabilizing and controlling the game indirectly but UB is probably better at controlling the game directly like how it is more suitable in handling specific threats (like miners?)
omg - I'm not very sure what you're referring to but I don't think there is a pt or a ptq with this as a format although there are people reported to have run almost singleton decks at ptqs.
The reason I wrote this is because the Singleton weekend PE is going to be a legit source of QPs in the next month and also in July. I wanted to show non-veteren players how to go about finding making a deck that doesn't need to be too specific in nature because it is not difficult to do so, as seen from the article.
Of course, I would personally rather there not be too many players so that getting the 3 QPs would not be as difficult since I don't doubt that the weekend PE won't be able to start.
Still, if there are people who are serious about collecting QPs efficiently, rather than just playing non-stop, they would need to look at the schedule and think about where are the best places to gather them.
Why play in a format where there are more competitors and less payout when you can play in one with less and have better payouts?
(like Stronghold release events are currently a very good source of QPs since they have higher than normal payouts but less than proportionate numbers of people)
I agree. Having fun is stupid and should be banned from the internet.
Don't be discouraged by the negative posts. Not everybody is going to appreciate the effort.
Personally, I started playing Magic during 3rd/4th Edition and built a Stasis/Serra Angel deck that annoyed my friends to no end. I stopped playing after moving away but picked it back up when MTGO was created. By the time I made it back, people were talking about this "metagame" concept and streamlined 40 card decks. Needless to say, I was intimidated and stuck to green/red creature decks. To me, dropping a land & creature each turn is easier than trying to control the board with patience and finesse (despite my original affinity for blue).
The point is, I have also recognized the need to at least understand the "control" decks (if for no other reason than to learn how to beat them). I just don't know how/where to really get started. When I created my Patron Wizard deck years a few years ago, people flamed me for playing a lame deck with counterspells and land destruction.
So there are players out there in your shoes. And your article was relevant if for no other reason than to see someone else experience a similar desire to improve their game.
I'd echo some of the more constructive comments. Describe how you built your first control deck (even if it was netdecking), the cost to acquire some of the cards, what has worked and what didn't work, etc... Finally, I suppose your headline/title did set my expectations a little higher but I'm sure you've learned from it.
Good luck w/ the control experiment.
these formats are stupid until there is a ptq or pt for them...
While on the surface, yea, you want to stick countertop before your opponent, the right build has almost no trouble breaking the lock. You have threats that can just bypass CT like Trinket Mage, and Engineered Explosives to just kill Top. Bob is awesome in the mirror obvs, and I feel pretty good if I stick him while they have Top... it's hard to deal with 2 cards a turn, CT or not.
I never quite understood the penchant for UB control decks in 100 singleton. I've been running UW control deck with a VERY small black splash (Esper Charm and Mystical Teachings) and I find it far more versatile. White offers everything black does and more, in my opinion.
I don't think there is a solution that will please everyone, but I think arranging rooms by what type of game you want to play and then being able to rate your own deck strength on a scale let's say between 1 and 5, 5 being strongest, and then autopairing with people who rated their deck strength within 1 of your number.
For example, if I'm playing a semi-competitive standard deck that I haven't tested out to see if it works very well, I don't really want to play the strongest tier 1 decks and I don't really want to play against someone who is playing a standard legal draft deck, so I would rate my own deck as a 3. Then I would be paired with anyone rating their deck as either a 2, 3, or 4. Thus I would avoid the ultra-competitive players and the beginning players.
... or better ways to communicate your goals and deck strength.
I'm pretty sure the current layout of the rooms is a large reason why there's an excessive amount of animosity in the game. Although even with some perfect solution I can still see there being problems just due to the general nature of internet games. :/
But yes, the room separation in MTGO is something that really needs to be revisited. As it stands now, it's not very logical. You have one time based room (New players), and a catch-all room (casual decks) then an attempted serious play room (anything goes) and one room with an actual specific purpose (Tournament Practice) which leads to cross sections having to play in the same room even though they're not looking for the same game.
I'm still not sure what the long term answer is. :(
You have lots of room for improvement...
I am the opposite of you, When I started playing Paper Magic (Revised/Fallen Empires), the cards that appealed to me were in the colors of Blue and White, so naturally I constructed a WU permission deck. Lately I have been toying with aggro decks, But I still feel a lot more comfortable playing blue...
Areas for improvement:
Talk about your deck. It took me a little while to figure out that you deck is Standard 5CC.
You show a picture of Cryptic Command, but curiously, that card is not in your decklist...
You have 3 Thoughtsieze, but only 2 ways of generating B on turn 1...
Why Hallowed Burial over WoG or Martial Coup?
14/23 of your lands come into play tapped...
Maindeck Magister Sphinx? With no way to abuse this outside of an Esper Deck, the mana cost (7 CMC) would probably be better suited to Martial Coup, or Banefire (uncounterable 6 to the dome)...
Why Sculler in sideboard, and not maindecked?
When would you side in Mogg Fanatic, or Wild Ricochet?
Why is this jerk here? is he just an anonymous jerk?
I agree. I agree that you shouldn't be discouraged and I agree that a more proper title for your article would have drawn the right audience to your article.
I am a control player since the first day I started playing Magic, and I always secretly envied those who played straightforward beatdown decks (with great success). There were many games that I lost when I was still trying to fix my mana and my opponent had already dealt me the 20. There were many times when I wanted to stop playing control and give in to the raw power of aggro decks :).
It is in a way, interesting to see that an aggro player thinks the same way for control.
Interesting.
LE
Dont be too discouraged by what people are saying. They want to learn something. something new. The question is....who is your target audience? Your headline should then advertise what it is to attract the right kind of reader to your article.....When I see "There is No spoon..." I have big expectations. Im expecting something that is going to change the way I think about the game of magic. A more appropriate headline would be, "An Aggro mind attempts control..." something along those lines....
Thanks for highlighting Core Set Constructed as an underplayed format. I'm a *very* poor Magic player, but still love the game for many reasons. I'm *way* more comfortable playing with the Core sets and it'd be great to see that take off more.
While I'm bothering to write something, I really think the organisation of play rooms could be better handled... Currently it seems to be New Players with about a dozen people in it and Casual Games with hundreds, and you never know how great a player you're going to be pitted against it. Anybody else think it would be nice to have more gradations?
The maindeck Naya Charms in Phish4's deck are just outright sick in the Naya mirror match, while the deck still packs the one-drops and Ranger tutoring that overwhelm 5CC. Cliffrunner shock and awe lifelink puts the other Naya player in a terrible place if they don't have W open for a path to exile.
It's a deck very well built for the current online meta. Hardly suprising that it has had such success.
The Grixis deck is neat, but if it caught on you'd just replace Ignite Disorder with Volcanic Fallout in the sideboard and the deck would get wrecked and still have gas against monowhite exalted.
Surprised we aren't seeing more Wretched Banquet pop up. It's a great way to keep Naya aggro off tempo, and since the deck is really more leanning midrange than balls-to-the-wall aggro in its current form, and it only requires one black to cast.
Faerie conclave? magister sphinx? LOL ROFL LMAO! Pls. stop writing articles. Reading this was a big waste of my time
First of all, your decklist is horrible. Second of all your sideboar fails. Third of all this article makes no sense, you only played 1 opponent in this article and don't even tell us what deck he is playing?
This article is uselss and pointless.
Why is this article even here? Is this guy a noob or something? LOL
Yeah, this article is generally lacking, I want to hear interesting things. Not see someone make the same progression I did when I first played magic
It's an interesting little article, but ultimately it's rather pointless.
The only thing I really see coming from the article is "if you're a control player
then you have to know how to play control".
I'm sorry if I sound too critical or harsh, but I really don't see a reason for
this article to even exist.
There's no focus, no real point, no tips or tricks, etc.
I like your writing style and your tone, but I think your content needs some work.
sorry for the card links not working. This is my first article, i'm still trying to figure out what i am doing. I promise to improve with all of my future articles. I am currently closing on a house/moving but will try to get something up about my april tournies asap. My notes are poorer than usual as i was packing between rounds/on a vacation for 10 days.