Timmy, Johnny, and Spike (aka Tammy, Jenny, and Star for females) -- the three different types of magic players. Which type are you?
For those who have never heard of these terms before, here is an article about them. Here is another.
To summarize for quick reading:
Timmy & Tammy: They play Magic because they enjoy the feeling they gets when they play. What that feeling is will vary between each Timmy and Tammy, but what all of them have in common is that they enjoy the visceral experience of playing. They are in it for the journey, not the destination.
Why do Timmy & Tammy play Magic? Because they want to experience something.
Johnny & Jenny: To them, Magic is an opportunity to show the world something about themselves, be it how creative they are or how clever they are or how offbeat they are. As such, Johnny & Jenny are very focused on the customizability of the game. Deck building isn't an aspect of the game to them; it's the aspect.
Why do Johnny & Jenny play Magic? Because they want to express something.
Spike & Star: Spike and Star see the game as a mental challenge by which they can define and demonstrate their abilities. They get their greatest joy from winning because their motivation is using the game to show what they are capable of. Anything less than success is a failure because that is the yardstick Spike & Star are judging themselves against.
Why do Spike & Star play Magic? Because they want to prove something, primarily to prove how good they are.
Also, here are the hybrid Psychographic Profiles:
Timmy/Johnny & Tammy/Jenny: Timmy and Tammy want to experience something. Johnny and Jenny want to express something. Put them together and you get someone who wants to show others how much fun they can have. This player wants to enjoy themselves, but likes to be innovative in how they have their fun. They enjoys making up new formats or deck constraints. They like to build decks specifically for offbeat and fun formats (which often includes multi-player).
Spike/Timmy & Star/Tammy: Spike/Timmy and Star/Tammy are torn. They want to win, yet also wants to have fun. To solve this dilemma, they search among the viable decks for the one that seems like it will be the most fun to play. This is the person who goes out of their way to play a dragon in their deck. Not one that shouldn't be played, mind you. But if there's a dragon that makes sense, Spike/Timmy & Star/Tammy are all over it.
Spike/Johnny & Star/Jenny: Spike/Johnny and Star/Jenny want to win. They just want to win with style. This is the rogue deck builder. They're the one that comes up with the crazy decks that just might work. But they take the next step; they actually plays it. Spike/Johnny & Star/Jenny are out to prove that they can win while having the limitation of also being innovative while doing so.
Timmy/Johnny/Spike & Tammy/Jenny/Star: Timmy/Johnny/Spike & Tammy/Jenny/Star wants it all. They want to prove that they can win while being innovative and having a rousing good time. This is a rare breed because it's hard to stay centered between all three desires. Most players that have a leaning towards all three profiles tend to lean more towards one or two than the other. But the triple-hybrid does exist and is the AB Negative of player profiles.
(I emphasized the part I did because we all probably have some inkling of each type in us(?), but are probably not equally drawn in all three directions.)
I was going to include a link to the quiz originally posted with the article, but it appears to have quit working. It was pretty quick and would tell you what your psychographic profile is. If anyone knows of a quiz that is still functioning, let me know and I'll include a link. (Also, for the purposes here, I won't overcomplicate matters by including the Melvin & Melony vs. Vorthos & Vorthosa element as well.)
So... what type of player are you?
Please elaborate a little on why you see yourself that way, and feel free to get more specific with the subtype of each Profile (i.e. Power Gamer Timmy, Adrenaline Gamer Timmy, Deck Artist Johnny, etc.) the subtypes can be found in second article I linked above.
Timmy & Tammy
Power Gamers
One of the stereotypes of Timmy is that he (or she; for the rest of this column just add “or she” whenever you see “he”) loves playing big creatures and big spells as he smashes his way to victory (my last column on Timmy really reinforced this image). This isn't true for all Timmies, but it is true for this group. The Power Gamer equates power with fun. He enjoys the vicarious thrill of dominating the game. For Power Gamer Timmy, Magic is about seeing how much he can do. How big a creature can he play? How much damage can he do in a single turn? How much can he win by?
The important thing to understand is that the Power Gamer while a subset of Timmy is not the entirety of Timmy. As you will see in a moment, there are many other ways to enjoy the game of Magic.
Social Gamers
These are the Timmies that thrive on the social aspect of the game. To them, it's all about interacting with their friends. They see Magic as a means to spend a fun Saturday night (or Sunday afternoon, or lunch time, etc.). This is the group that is much more partial to multi-player variants, as they want to involve the entire playgroup in a single game. (Although I should point out that some social gamers like pairing off and playing traditional two-person Magic.)
Social Gamer Timmy makes his card and deck choices to maximize fun interactions. Of all the Timmies, Social Gamer Timmy is the one most likely to issue house rules and self ban cards. Why? Because if the point is to have a good time with one another, why let irksome cards get in the way.
Diversity Gamers
This third subgroup finds its fun in the variety inherent in the game. Due to its modular design and fanatical following, Magic has many different deck types and formats. Diversity Gamer Timmy wants to experience it all. Fun for him is this constant exploration. Each time he plays, he wants to try something different than what he did before. Yes, he occasionally returns to things he's done before, but only as a breather before he leaps once again into the great unknown.
This is the group of Timmies most likely to try cards that no one else is paying. Not to prove that they can be like the Johnnies, but because they are honestly interested to see if the card might be fun. The same goes for deck types and formats. Every color, every archetype, every way to play is all fair game.
Adrenalin Gamers
This final subgroup embraces the joy of variance in the game. They enjoy playing cards and decks that don't have a predictable outcome. To them, the fun of the game is to see all the different kinds of things that could happen. This is the group, for example, that loves things like coin flip cards and cards that work differently each time you play them.
For Timmy, the entire reason to play is having a good time
Adrenalin Gamer Timmy likes flying by the seat of his pants. He enjoys the rush of adapting to the unpredictable. As a result, Adrenalin Gamer Timmy is drawn to decks and formats that allow every game to be as different from the last as possible.
Johnny & Jenny
Combo Players
Just as the Power Gamer subgroup defines the Timmy stereotype so does the Combo Player subgroup define the Johnny stereotype. The Combo Player is fascinated by the interaction of the cards. His quest is to find combinations that no one else has. He wants to build a deck that will impress all who see it. Because of this desire, the Combo Player is drawn to cards that have a sense of potential. In particular, he likes cards that he can build a deck around.
How the Combo Player varies from the other subgroups is that he is very focused on the modular aspect of the game. He wants to find the connections between the cards. This means that most of his focus is on the individual cards themselves.
Offbeat Designers
Johnny wants to express something
The Offbeat Designer also comes up with strange decks, but he starts from a very different vantage point. Instead of being driven by the cards, he is driven by ideas. What if the deck only had lands? What if the deck never played permanents? What if the deck stole every card played by the opponent?
The difference between the Combo Player and the Offbeat Designer is a subtle but important one. The Combo Player is proving that he can master the system by finding gems in the midst of chaos. The Offbeat Designer is proving his ability to find answers for any challenge. The former is an explorer. The latter is an inventor.
Deck Artists
The Deck Artist also builds decks but in a very different vein. The deck artist isn't trying to find anything or demonstrate anything. The Deck Artist is trying to use deck building as a form of self-expressive art. These are decks that do things like embody the elf culture or represent Empire Strikes Back or play in a way that makes the opponent appreciate the uniqueness of the card choices.
The Combo Player and Offbeat Designer are showing off what they are doing. The Deck Artist shows off how they are doing it.
Uber Johnnies
The Uber Johnnies build their decks based on sheer stubbornness. They are out to prove that what conventional wisdom says can't be done, can be done. To them, no card is too bad to find a use for. No deck archetype is too unworkable. Nothing truly is off limits.
The Uber Johnnies thrive on doing the undoable. They live to demonstrate that they were the one to succeed where all the others failed. Yes, this is the group that makes R&D design things like One with Nothing. (Which I feel compelled to point out showed up in multiple sideboards at Pro Tour--Honolulu).
Spike & Star
Innovators
This group is the closest thing Spike has to Johnny sensibilities. (Although I should point out the Innovator Spike wants to win first and foremost; he doesn't feel any need to be novel or unnecessarily different.) Innovator Spike prides himself on his ability to judge new cards. His goal is to find the next broken thing. Innovator Spike's dream is to spawn the next dominant deck. He wants to break the game. And like Johnny, he wants credit.
Because Innovator Spike is so focused on breaking new cards, he spends a great deal of time understanding the nuances of the mechanics. If something broke once, odds are greater that R&D will misjudge the same thing in the future. Because this group wants to understand how the game ticks, they are the ones most likely to be interest in Magic game theory. They want to understand things like card advantage and card utility because it is this intimate knowledge that's going to reward them later on.
Tuners
This subgroup of Spike doesn't try to innovate. They leave that up to the Innovators. This subgroup is the next in line. Once decks are produced and played, this group tries to dominate by fine-tuning the known decks. Known as min/maxers in the role-playing side of gaming, this is the group that tries to squeeze every ounce of advantage they can out of the resources at hand.
Tuner Spike uses his expertise to understand the things that help optimize decks such as mana ratios, card numbers and sideboard technology. Innovator Spike has surprise on his side. Tuner Spike has to win his games by being more efficient than those he plays against.
Analysts
Spike gets his greatest joy from proving something by winning
The next subgroup also sits and collects information, but aiming for a different type of advantage. Analyst Spike's focus on the metagame. He plans on winning not by having the best deck in a vacuum, but by having the deck best suited for any particular environment. Analyst Spike understands that all decks have a weakness. If you can understand what will be played, you can figure out how to beat it.
Analyst Spike also tinkers with his decks, but more so to prime it for the field he expects. In addition, Analyst Spike (at least the tournament version; and yes, there are Spikes outside of the tournament environment) is very focused on the sideboard. With only fifteen slots, proper sideboarding relies heavily on understanding the threats one should expect to face.
Nuts & Bolts
The last subgroup has moved beyond decklists and metagames. Nuts & Bolts Spike focuses his energies in perfecting his own gameplay. He believes that the ultimate key to victory is flawless play. As such, Nuts & Bolts Spike spends his energy looking within. He tries to understand his own internal flaws and works to improve them.
Because of this focus, Nuts & Bolts Spike tends to spend more of his time on Limited formats, as it allows the most opportunities to improve his general skills. (This by the way, is mostly due to the fact that Limited has more variety and a wider level of power variance.) Some Nuts & Bolts Spikes do focus on constructed but it is the minority of this subgroup.
Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
I am a competitive player, but I like to have fun with crazy interactions. You know, like slamming an angelic destiny on a mirran crusader and killing you. Timmy/Spike Ahoy
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Modern:
Affinity
EDH:
Rhys (Tokens)
Karrthus (Dragons)
Bruna (Auras OP)
For the record, I'm 2/3 Jenny, 1/3 Star. For me, the fun part of the game is building a deck from scratch, but I want the deck to do good. I'm not content to just trot out some deck I threw together that always gets beat. I spend time tuning my creations to optimize their performance.
(Also, for the purposes here, I won't overcomplicate matters by including the Melvin & Melony vs. Vorthos & Vorthosa element as well.)
For those who don't know what we're talking about, the relevant article can be found here. I didn't include that because those aren't on the same axis as the others, so to speak. Johnny & Jenny, Timmy & Tammy, and Spike & Star are about what motivates a player to play, Melvin & Melony and Vorthos & Vorthosa are about what a player appreciates about cards. There's more about that in the article I linked.
Quote from the linked article »
So where does Vorthos [and Melvin] fit into all of this? The answer is that he doesn't. Not because Vorthos [and Melvin] isn't important, but because he's not actually a psychographic profile. Vorthos [and Melvin] is defined by what he cares about, not why he plays (a subtle distinction, I know). In short, Vorthos [and Melvin] is examining the players from a different axis.
So where does Vorthos [and Melvin] fit into all of this? The answer is that he doesn't. Not because Vorthos [and Melvin] isn't important, but because he's not actually a psychographic profile. Vorthos [and Melvin] is defined by what he cares about, not why he plays (a subtle distinction, I know). In short, Vorthos [and Melvin] is examining the players from a different axis.
It's worth noting that this is from the perspective of the Wizards' marketing goals. Focusing on Vorthos/Melvin doesn't influence design space as heavily, since the two are satisfied by cards that are made for other profiles. I'd disagree on the topic of whether Vorthos/Melvin are psychographic profiles; they're just not psychographic profiles Wizards' needs to prioritize.
From the perspective of the Magic community, I believe Vorthos/Melvin fit in quite nicely, especially since EDH has been becoming more mainstream.
I'm Johnny I guess. I have more fun building decks than playing them. That's not to say I'm bad at playing, my Limited skills are more than enough to win FNMs
Timmy/Spike here.
I'm a social gamer primarily. I never would have started playing again if I didn't meet the bunch of guys who were playing already.
After that I'm a Spike. We play casually in that we don't do organized tournaments for prizes or anything. But some of these guys are scary good, and I don't like losing.
I'm a poor-spike. I seek advantages because I can't afford to lose. I avoid tournaments when I am not fully prepared because if I don't make prize in that tournament then I can't enter the next one.
But beyond economic constraints, I believe I've morphed into an analytical spike. I value knowing and understanding over fun and freshness. I often have more fun figuring out a format than I do playing it.
Winning is my first priority, but I like winning with big plays and cards that go well with my play style. I am slightly johnny, because I like cool interactions with certain cards... I'm not dependent on them though.
I believe that I have enough social competence to slip into a party or two, potentially wooing some attractive females that would not mind spending the evening performing the booty dance on me.
I'm a Spike (Analyst). Of course, that doesn't mean I'm a good player. I think there's a missconception on what a Spike is. People tend to think they are all hardcore, great tournament players and always the best of the best elite. That's not true. Some Spikes are bad players. I'm not that bad, but neither tournament caliber. I just enjoy a lot playing Magic, but I play it to win. That's my goal when playing a duels game.
Spike, or "Star" in this case I guess. Although I enjoy playing Magic in general, I mostly just care about winning regardless of how I go about doing it.
I voted Spike/Timmy, but I'm more Timmy than Spike. I wish I had just voted that now that I see how underrepresented Timmy is. Poor Timmy.
I do have a bit of all three though, as I'm sure is the case for most people. The Timmy/Johnny crossover description is basically bang-on for me playing EDH, but as soon as I'm paying to play, I'm there to win (even if my Standard decks do have a few singleton "cool cards" thrown in).
I figured Spike would be ahead, but not by this much. At the moment 25/35 voters identify at least partially as a Spike. Interesting.
Definite Timmy/Johnny. I like the experience of playing, usually rediculous things, and to do so with some panache, a little style, and often some weirdness. Fond of big, swingy critters and absurd combos... and usually making my playgroup groan. Consequently I end up the automatic Archenemy, so the decks I make are further complicated by the fact that they must almost always be built to punch several people simultaneously. It's a challenge, but I don't care so much if I lose, as long as I get to do something really hilarious before I go
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Decks
Commander
Ezuri, Renegade Leader (Aggro/Combo - Favorite) Skullbriar, the Walking Grave (Sac and Grave hijinks) Azusa, Lost but Seeking (Landfall hijinks) Kaalia of the Vast (Heavily modded)
I think Johnny/Spike is most accurate for me. I love brewing my own unique decks but I'm also somewhat competitive in tournaments and play to win. I'm thrilled if I place high enough to get any kind of prize, bummed out if I don't. I don't take it really seriously (it is just a game after all) and I don't get mad if I lose, but I do play to win.
On the flipside, I also enjoy casual play a great deal and some of the most fun I've ever had playing magic was just sitting around the kitchen table with friends.
I'm 40% Spike, 36% Johnny, 24% Timmy with a penchant for midrange/control (and the occasional combo) so psychograph-wise I'm fairly balanced. I enjoy making my own discoveries and decks; though I often find inspiration in more common archtypes I always try to inject my own style into them.
I'm a poor-spike. I seek advantages because I can't afford to lose. I avoid tournaments when I am not fully prepared because if I don't make prize in that tournament then I can't enter the next one.
But beyond economic constraints, I believe I've morphed into an analytical spike. I value knowing and understanding over fun and freshness. I often have more fun figuring out a format than I do playing it.
This perfectly sums up what I am as well.
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"In the darkest hour, in the eye of the storm, we stand together - an unbreakable force of bros!"
Going by the provided definitions, some kind of unholy Timmy/Spike hybrid (the female versions of the names just sound bizarre to me, so whatever, male names it is). Basically, while I'm always playing to win the game, I don't actually have fun at it unless I'm playing a deck that I personally like—the fact that I don't like blue often means I'm not playing the "best" deck anyway, but hey, I'm one of those sick, sick people who actually enjoys playing Dredge, so make of that what you will.
Some sort of cross between Timmy and Spike, but it depends on the context in which I'm playing, anyway.
If it's EDH or a fun game or nothing serious, I want to see the most over-the-top things happen. I don't care if someone has a ridiculous set-up to attack me for 1512351 damage (without an infinite loop), or if the entire game just degenerates into chaos, or if it's attacking with 20 Dragons. Oh yea, I also like to see ridiculous ideas come to life, so the more of that, the better. Frankly, in an EDH game or a casual setting, it almost offends me when someone has a combo deck that can consistently go off on turn 4.
In a tournament setting, I want to win (honorably). I want to play the best I can, play as tight I can, but I want to play a deck that fits my playstyle the best so I can have fun playing. Plus I'm one of those people that tries to analyze how I play so I can constantly improve my game.
You know that guy your playgroup hates? Not because he's the best player but because he seems obsessed with finding the silliest interactions of cards he can, taking infinite turns and creating decks that win immediately if they get that combo out?
I'm that guy. I know I'm a Johnny because I almost enjoy the deck building more than I enjoy the playing. I also like control decks but only because in my opinion they're more interesting to build.
I've also made decks specifically for characters or stories I've written and depending on what I get in my box I bought for my birthday I think I'll make a couple new character decks.
For those who have never heard of these terms before, here is an article about them. Here is another.
To summarize for quick reading:
Timmy & Tammy: They play Magic because they enjoy the feeling they gets when they play. What that feeling is will vary between each Timmy and Tammy, but what all of them have in common is that they enjoy the visceral experience of playing. They are in it for the journey, not the destination.
Why do Timmy & Tammy play Magic? Because they want to experience something.
Johnny & Jenny: To them, Magic is an opportunity to show the world something about themselves, be it how creative they are or how clever they are or how offbeat they are. As such, Johnny & Jenny are very focused on the customizability of the game. Deck building isn't an aspect of the game to them; it's the aspect.
Why do Johnny & Jenny play Magic? Because they want to express something.
Spike & Star: Spike and Star see the game as a mental challenge by which they can define and demonstrate their abilities. They get their greatest joy from winning because their motivation is using the game to show what they are capable of. Anything less than success is a failure because that is the yardstick Spike & Star are judging themselves against.
Why do Spike & Star play Magic? Because they want to prove something, primarily to prove how good they are.
Also, here are the hybrid Psychographic Profiles:
Timmy/Johnny & Tammy/Jenny: Timmy and Tammy want to experience something. Johnny and Jenny want to express something. Put them together and you get someone who wants to show others how much fun they can have. This player wants to enjoy themselves, but likes to be innovative in how they have their fun. They enjoys making up new formats or deck constraints. They like to build decks specifically for offbeat and fun formats (which often includes multi-player).
Spike/Timmy & Star/Tammy: Spike/Timmy and Star/Tammy are torn. They want to win, yet also wants to have fun. To solve this dilemma, they search among the viable decks for the one that seems like it will be the most fun to play. This is the person who goes out of their way to play a dragon in their deck. Not one that shouldn't be played, mind you. But if there's a dragon that makes sense, Spike/Timmy & Star/Tammy are all over it.
Spike/Johnny & Star/Jenny: Spike/Johnny and Star/Jenny want to win. They just want to win with style. This is the rogue deck builder. They're the one that comes up with the crazy decks that just might work. But they take the next step; they actually plays it. Spike/Johnny & Star/Jenny are out to prove that they can win while having the limitation of also being innovative while doing so.
Timmy/Johnny/Spike & Tammy/Jenny/Star: Timmy/Johnny/Spike & Tammy/Jenny/Star wants it all. They want to prove that they can win while being innovative and having a rousing good time. This is a rare breed because it's hard to stay centered between all three desires. Most players that have a leaning towards all three profiles tend to lean more towards one or two than the other. But the triple-hybrid does exist and is the AB Negative of player profiles.
(I emphasized the part I did because we all probably have some inkling of each type in us(?), but are probably not equally drawn in all three directions.)
I was going to include a link to the quiz originally posted with the article, but it appears to have quit working. It was pretty quick and would tell you what your psychographic profile is. If anyone knows of a quiz that is still functioning, let me know and I'll include a link. (Also, for the purposes here, I won't overcomplicate matters by including the Melvin & Melony vs. Vorthos & Vorthosa element as well.)
So... what type of player are you?
Please elaborate a little on why you see yourself that way, and feel free to get more specific with the subtype of each Profile (i.e. Power Gamer Timmy, Adrenaline Gamer Timmy, Deck Artist Johnny, etc.) the subtypes can be found in second article I linked above.
Timmy & Tammy
Power Gamers
One of the stereotypes of Timmy is that he (or she; for the rest of this column just add “or she” whenever you see “he”) loves playing big creatures and big spells as he smashes his way to victory (my last column on Timmy really reinforced this image). This isn't true for all Timmies, but it is true for this group. The Power Gamer equates power with fun. He enjoys the vicarious thrill of dominating the game. For Power Gamer Timmy, Magic is about seeing how much he can do. How big a creature can he play? How much damage can he do in a single turn? How much can he win by?
The important thing to understand is that the Power Gamer while a subset of Timmy is not the entirety of Timmy. As you will see in a moment, there are many other ways to enjoy the game of Magic.
Social Gamers
These are the Timmies that thrive on the social aspect of the game. To them, it's all about interacting with their friends. They see Magic as a means to spend a fun Saturday night (or Sunday afternoon, or lunch time, etc.). This is the group that is much more partial to multi-player variants, as they want to involve the entire playgroup in a single game. (Although I should point out that some social gamers like pairing off and playing traditional two-person Magic.)
Social Gamer Timmy makes his card and deck choices to maximize fun interactions. Of all the Timmies, Social Gamer Timmy is the one most likely to issue house rules and self ban cards. Why? Because if the point is to have a good time with one another, why let irksome cards get in the way.
Diversity Gamers
This third subgroup finds its fun in the variety inherent in the game. Due to its modular design and fanatical following, Magic has many different deck types and formats. Diversity Gamer Timmy wants to experience it all. Fun for him is this constant exploration. Each time he plays, he wants to try something different than what he did before. Yes, he occasionally returns to things he's done before, but only as a breather before he leaps once again into the great unknown.
This is the group of Timmies most likely to try cards that no one else is paying. Not to prove that they can be like the Johnnies, but because they are honestly interested to see if the card might be fun. The same goes for deck types and formats. Every color, every archetype, every way to play is all fair game.
Adrenalin Gamers
This final subgroup embraces the joy of variance in the game. They enjoy playing cards and decks that don't have a predictable outcome. To them, the fun of the game is to see all the different kinds of things that could happen. This is the group, for example, that loves things like coin flip cards and cards that work differently each time you play them.
For Timmy, the entire reason to play is having a good time
Adrenalin Gamer Timmy likes flying by the seat of his pants. He enjoys the rush of adapting to the unpredictable. As a result, Adrenalin Gamer Timmy is drawn to decks and formats that allow every game to be as different from the last as possible.
Johnny & Jenny
Combo Players
Just as the Power Gamer subgroup defines the Timmy stereotype so does the Combo Player subgroup define the Johnny stereotype. The Combo Player is fascinated by the interaction of the cards. His quest is to find combinations that no one else has. He wants to build a deck that will impress all who see it. Because of this desire, the Combo Player is drawn to cards that have a sense of potential. In particular, he likes cards that he can build a deck around.
How the Combo Player varies from the other subgroups is that he is very focused on the modular aspect of the game. He wants to find the connections between the cards. This means that most of his focus is on the individual cards themselves.
Offbeat Designers
Johnny wants to express something
The Offbeat Designer also comes up with strange decks, but he starts from a very different vantage point. Instead of being driven by the cards, he is driven by ideas. What if the deck only had lands? What if the deck never played permanents? What if the deck stole every card played by the opponent?
The difference between the Combo Player and the Offbeat Designer is a subtle but important one. The Combo Player is proving that he can master the system by finding gems in the midst of chaos. The Offbeat Designer is proving his ability to find answers for any challenge. The former is an explorer. The latter is an inventor.
Deck Artists
The Deck Artist also builds decks but in a very different vein. The deck artist isn't trying to find anything or demonstrate anything. The Deck Artist is trying to use deck building as a form of self-expressive art. These are decks that do things like embody the elf culture or represent Empire Strikes Back or play in a way that makes the opponent appreciate the uniqueness of the card choices.
The Combo Player and Offbeat Designer are showing off what they are doing. The Deck Artist shows off how they are doing it.
Uber Johnnies
The Uber Johnnies build their decks based on sheer stubbornness. They are out to prove that what conventional wisdom says can't be done, can be done. To them, no card is too bad to find a use for. No deck archetype is too unworkable. Nothing truly is off limits.
The Uber Johnnies thrive on doing the undoable. They live to demonstrate that they were the one to succeed where all the others failed. Yes, this is the group that makes R&D design things like One with Nothing. (Which I feel compelled to point out showed up in multiple sideboards at Pro Tour--Honolulu).
Spike & Star
Innovators
This group is the closest thing Spike has to Johnny sensibilities. (Although I should point out the Innovator Spike wants to win first and foremost; he doesn't feel any need to be novel or unnecessarily different.) Innovator Spike prides himself on his ability to judge new cards. His goal is to find the next broken thing. Innovator Spike's dream is to spawn the next dominant deck. He wants to break the game. And like Johnny, he wants credit.
Because Innovator Spike is so focused on breaking new cards, he spends a great deal of time understanding the nuances of the mechanics. If something broke once, odds are greater that R&D will misjudge the same thing in the future. Because this group wants to understand how the game ticks, they are the ones most likely to be interest in Magic game theory. They want to understand things like card advantage and card utility because it is this intimate knowledge that's going to reward them later on.
Tuners
This subgroup of Spike doesn't try to innovate. They leave that up to the Innovators. This subgroup is the next in line. Once decks are produced and played, this group tries to dominate by fine-tuning the known decks. Known as min/maxers in the role-playing side of gaming, this is the group that tries to squeeze every ounce of advantage they can out of the resources at hand.
Tuner Spike uses his expertise to understand the things that help optimize decks such as mana ratios, card numbers and sideboard technology. Innovator Spike has surprise on his side. Tuner Spike has to win his games by being more efficient than those he plays against.
Analysts
Spike gets his greatest joy from proving something by winning
The next subgroup also sits and collects information, but aiming for a different type of advantage. Analyst Spike's focus on the metagame. He plans on winning not by having the best deck in a vacuum, but by having the deck best suited for any particular environment. Analyst Spike understands that all decks have a weakness. If you can understand what will be played, you can figure out how to beat it.
Analyst Spike also tinkers with his decks, but more so to prime it for the field he expects. In addition, Analyst Spike (at least the tournament version; and yes, there are Spikes outside of the tournament environment) is very focused on the sideboard. With only fifteen slots, proper sideboarding relies heavily on understanding the threats one should expect to face.
Nuts & Bolts
The last subgroup has moved beyond decklists and metagames. Nuts & Bolts Spike focuses his energies in perfecting his own gameplay. He believes that the ultimate key to victory is flawless play. As such, Nuts & Bolts Spike spends his energy looking within. He tries to understand his own internal flaws and works to improve them.
Because of this focus, Nuts & Bolts Spike tends to spend more of his time on Limited formats, as it allows the most opportunities to improve his general skills. (This by the way, is mostly due to the fact that Limited has more variety and a wider level of power variance.) Some Nuts & Bolts Spikes do focus on constructed but it is the minority of this subgroup.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
And that's after 17 years of it.
Says a lot for this game.
Modern:
Affinity
EDH:
Rhys (Tokens)
Karrthus (Dragons)
Bruna (Auras OP)
The Modal Cube is also on Cube Tutor!
GWEDH Asmira's WrathGW
Well, to be fair, I did mention them:
For those who don't know what we're talking about, the relevant article can be found here. I didn't include that because those aren't on the same axis as the others, so to speak. Johnny & Jenny, Timmy & Tammy, and Spike & Star are about what motivates a player to play, Melvin & Melony and Vorthos & Vorthosa are about what a player appreciates about cards. There's more about that in the article I linked.
It's worth noting that this is from the perspective of the Wizards' marketing goals. Focusing on Vorthos/Melvin doesn't influence design space as heavily, since the two are satisfied by cards that are made for other profiles. I'd disagree on the topic of whether Vorthos/Melvin are psychographic profiles; they're just not psychographic profiles Wizards' needs to prioritize.
From the perspective of the Magic community, I believe Vorthos/Melvin fit in quite nicely, especially since EDH has been becoming more mainstream.
The Modal Cube is also on Cube Tutor!
GWEDH Asmira's WrathGW
I'm a social gamer primarily. I never would have started playing again if I didn't meet the bunch of guys who were playing already.
After that I'm a Spike. We play casually in that we don't do organized tournaments for prizes or anything. But some of these guys are scary good, and I don't like losing.
I just want my opponent to go, "The hell did you just do?"
But beyond economic constraints, I believe I've morphed into an analytical spike. I value knowing and understanding over fun and freshness. I often have more fun figuring out a format than I do playing it.
Winning is my first priority, but I like winning with big plays and cards that go well with my play style. I am slightly johnny, because I like cool interactions with certain cards... I'm not dependent on them though.
RUG Riku, Two is Better Than One
UB [PRIMER] Wrexial, Classic Control
RG Radha, Ramp's Theme Goes With Everything
[Clan Flamingo]
The clan for custom card creators!
^
this.
Same goes for me, i absolutely hate games that end in a few turns. It just beats all the fun out of playing for me.
80% johnny, 10% timmy, 10% vorthos.
Currently Playing
1994 Magic The Rack
Type 1: B/W Zombies
Modern: Kuldotha Red
Legacy: Pox, Oath
Vintag: 10 Proxy Merfolk
Pauper: Pestilence, UG Threshold
EDH: Karn, Roon, Sliver Queen, Xiahou Dun, Arcanus
I do have a bit of all three though, as I'm sure is the case for most people. The Timmy/Johnny crossover description is basically bang-on for me playing EDH, but as soon as I'm paying to play, I'm there to win (even if my Standard decks do have a few singleton "cool cards" thrown in).
I figured Spike would be ahead, but not by this much. At the moment 25/35 voters identify at least partially as a Spike. Interesting.
Commander
Ezuri, Renegade Leader (Aggro/Combo - Favorite)
Skullbriar, the Walking Grave (Sac and Grave hijinks)
Azusa, Lost but Seeking (Landfall hijinks)
Kaalia of the Vast (Heavily modded)
Standard
Waiting for Innistrad...
Extended
Hah!
Modern
Living End Cascade (RGB)
Legacy
Burn
Vintage
None
Casual
WB Aggro-Control
Green Stompy
Pink Floyd (UWr Wall Control)
Lunch Box (Fatty ramp)
D-Bag (White Control)
Level 13 Task Mage
On the flipside, I also enjoy casual play a great deal and some of the most fun I've ever had playing magic was just sitting around the kitchen table with friends.
This perfectly sums up what I am as well.
^ Courtesy of Sgt. Chubbz from Damnation Studios.
If it's EDH or a fun game or nothing serious, I want to see the most over-the-top things happen. I don't care if someone has a ridiculous set-up to attack me for 1512351 damage (without an infinite loop), or if the entire game just degenerates into chaos, or if it's attacking with 20 Dragons. Oh yea, I also like to see ridiculous ideas come to life, so the more of that, the better. Frankly, in an EDH game or a casual setting, it almost offends me when someone has a combo deck that can consistently go off on turn 4.
In a tournament setting, I want to win (honorably). I want to play the best I can, play as tight I can, but I want to play a deck that fits my playstyle the best so I can have fun playing. Plus I'm one of those people that tries to analyze how I play so I can constantly improve my game.
I'm that guy. I know I'm a Johnny because I almost enjoy the deck building more than I enjoy the playing. I also like control decks but only because in my opinion they're more interesting to build.
I've also made decks specifically for characters or stories I've written and depending on what I get in my box I bought for my birthday I think I'll make a couple new character decks.
You can check out my artwork here and here
Sure, I'll homebrew something, or play the oddball deck. But I'll be playing them with an eye on the meta and with winning as the goal.
"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn