This last draft was the kicker. I drafted an OK, but not spectacular WUR deck, and my first round opponent had around 70 cards in his deck. I asked him what was up, and he said all his cards were good. He plays turn 5 Curse of Death's Hold, and proceeded to stall me out because the majority of my dudes were X/1s. I had a chance in the late game because I had been whittling him down with a 1/1 Mausoleum Guard and I had played a Hanweir Watchkeep with about 5 cards left in my deck and I drew a Skaab Goliath the next turn. He played a Stitched Drake the turn I played my Watchkeep, and when I played my Goliath he just played another spell, I can't remember which. So I lost due to deck out while my opponent had 50 cards left in his deck. During game 2 he had 40 cards in his deck and still dropped a turn 5 Curse.
Any other stories about how Lady Luck utterly ravaged you up the butt?
Its magic. It happens sometimes. If it happens to you a lot then its probably more than just bad luck that's losing you games.
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Spike cares more about the quantity of wins than the quality. For example, Spike plays ten games and wins nine of them. If Spike feels he should have won the tenth, he walks away unhappy.
This could be an indicator of a problem. Most X/1s in the set are mid to late picks that are worth stabilizing the early game. If the majority of your dudes are that way then I think you may have been picking them too high, becoming bottom heavy with very little chance to win mid to late game.
Could you give a decklist or something so we don't have to guess? There's really no reason to lose to a 70 card limited deck. Heck, even in constructed if you lose to a 70 card deck there's probably something wrong with your deck just as much as your opponent.
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I'd bet a kidney that this isn't about luck. This format is skill intensive - a smart drafter should ALWAYS be able to beat the 70 card monstrosity, even if it is a good 70 card monstrosity. Try and improve your game.
For example, WUR is hardly an amazing archetype. I'd much rather be UR or UW than WR and UWR is probably just a mash of all three clashing archetypes.
This last draft was the kicker. I drafted an OK, but not spectacular WUR deck, and my first round opponent had around 70 cards in his deck. I asked him what was up, and he said all his cards were good. He plays turn 5 Curse of Death's Hold, and proceeded to stall me out because the majority of my dudes were X/1s. I had a chance in the late game because I had been whittling him down with a 1/1 Mausoleum Guard and I had played a Hanweir Watchkeep with about 5 cards left in my deck and I drew a Skaab Goliath the next turn. He played a Stitched Drake the turn I played my Watchkeep, and when I played my Goliath he just played another spell, I can't remember which. So I lost due to deck out while my opponent had 50 cards left in his deck. During game 2 he had 40 cards in his deck and still dropped a turn 5 Curse.
Any other stories about how Lady Luck utterly ravaged you up the butt?
Your opponent probably did not submit his deck during the deckbuilding process.
Um, I told you? He "decided all his cards were good" so he played 70+ cards including land.
That doesn't explain him apparently having 50 left when you ran out of cards in your library. Were you playing like 3 Armored Skaabs?
UW tokens splashing Rage Thrower doesn't seem like a bad deck. But what was your deck? I have an unhealthy love for Hanweir Watchkeep, and it's a decent blocker until it flips. More information is needed.
I'd bet a kidney that this isn't about luck. This format is skill intensive - a smart drafter should ALWAYS be able to beat the 70 card monstrosity, even if it is a good 70 card monstrosity. Try and improve your game.
For example, WUR is hardly an amazing archetype. I'd much rather be UR or UW than WR and UWR is probably just a mash of all three clashing archetypes.
That's not true -- sometimes even the 70 card deck gets a stupid nut draw that you can't beat. I mean, I'm not suggesting that he played optimally at all times (no one really does), but I don't agree with your premise here.
That's not true -- sometimes even the 70 card deck gets a stupid nut draw that you can't beat. I mean, I'm not suggesting that he played optimally at all times (no one really does), but I don't agree with your premise here.
Well any All or Nothing claim in a game with random elements is on shaky premises as it is.
I'm not suggesting that he played optimally at all times (no one really does), but I don't agree with your premise here.
I agree with Rubin here.
Whenever someone starts on a rant that basically says "There's something wrong with this format, because I can't win in it", the problem is NEVER with the format, it is with them. The final sentence in the OP is a rant about lady luck. He is externalising his losses. To me the OP reads as fishing for validation that there isn't anything wrong with what he's doing, that he doesn't need to adapt or learn.
Winning at magic is a zero sum game. Someone always wins. And when people win less at a format than they usually do, I think is because they don't get what is required to be successful the format.
p.s. The last match I lost of INN was to Curse of Death's Hold played both games. So it's not like I don't know what it feels like to lose to bombs. But this rant seems completely unproductive.
That's not true -- sometimes even the 70 card deck gets a stupid nut draw that you can't beat. I mean, I'm not suggesting that he played optimally at all times (no one really does), but I don't agree with your premise here.
This is about matches, not games. I can't imagine that the drafter is good if they make terrible decisions such as running 70 cards - you should beat them a huge majority of the time. Of course it isn't going to be 100%, but a good player should have a gigantic edge.
I'm not saying that my inability to win an ISD draft is due to luck (though I've been screwed by the shuffler more times than once), just that this particular incident made me pretty disheartened. I don't know how this loss was supposed to teach me anything. Play around bomb rares in 70 card decks? My deck and sideboard options had 0 things to deal with a resolved Curse, am I supposed to prioritize Enchantment hate over actual cards?
If you want to improve your skills, use the draft recorder on MTGO and either go over the drafts yourself or post them on here for critique.
That being said, telling us you were UWR in Innistrad limited tells me that you most likely are not drafting a deck with an end-product in mind. Draft a deck, not cards. There are archetypes that make for powerful decks in this format. Just drafting good cards will generally result in a deck with little synergy that get curbstomped by GW, UW, UB, BR, or UG that was drafted with a purpose.
I also have to agree with other posters about 'externalizing one's losses'. Even when you win, you should be evaluating your game for ways to improve and tighten your play, drafting, and deckbuilding skills.
And yes, drafting late enchantment hate for your sideboard is a relevant plan.
In summation.....Star Trek wins a prolonged naval battle against superior, yet less technologically advanced, numbers, with Picard leading the assault, while Kirk takes your soul by laying out Solo and probably his manservant Chewy as well, before impregnating and ditching your Princess.
More useful would be pick walkthroughs. Where these can be found varies a bit with which version of Windows you have.
Typically it's something like:
C:\Users\YourUserName\Documents\Games\Magic the Gathering\Drafts
Note that you must have draft recording enabled on MtGO for drafts to be saved. It's it's Settings > Game Play > Advanced Settings.
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Any other stories about how Lady Luck utterly ravaged you up the butt?
My have/wants trade list.
Um, I told you? He "decided all his cards were good" so he played 70+ cards including land.
That pretty much sums it up...
And do you have a draftcap of any of them?
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This could be an indicator of a problem. Most X/1s in the set are mid to late picks that are worth stabilizing the early game. If the majority of your dudes are that way then I think you may have been picking them too high, becoming bottom heavy with very little chance to win mid to late game.
Could you give a decklist or something so we don't have to guess? There's really no reason to lose to a 70 card limited deck. Heck, even in constructed if you lose to a 70 card deck there's probably something wrong with your deck just as much as your opponent.
For my heart had not denied me and I have somewhere to go.
I shall never be a prisoner of steel and glass and stone.
If I leave, I will return again to my Rocky Mountain home.
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For example, WUR is hardly an amazing archetype. I'd much rather be UR or UW than WR and UWR is probably just a mash of all three clashing archetypes.
Draft it on Cubetutor!
Your opponent probably did not submit his deck during the deckbuilding process.
UW tokens splashing Rage Thrower doesn't seem like a bad deck. But what was your deck? I have an unhealthy love for Hanweir Watchkeep, and it's a decent blocker until it flips. More information is needed.
Older Magic as a Board Game: Panglacial Wurm , Mill
That's not true -- sometimes even the 70 card deck gets a stupid nut draw that you can't beat. I mean, I'm not suggesting that he played optimally at all times (no one really does), but I don't agree with your premise here.
*DCI Rules Advisor*
Older Magic as a Board Game: Panglacial Wurm , Mill
I agree with Rubin here.
Whenever someone starts on a rant that basically says "There's something wrong with this format, because I can't win in it", the problem is NEVER with the format, it is with them. The final sentence in the OP is a rant about lady luck. He is externalising his losses. To me the OP reads as fishing for validation that there isn't anything wrong with what he's doing, that he doesn't need to adapt or learn.
Winning at magic is a zero sum game. Someone always wins. And when people win less at a format than they usually do, I think is because they don't get what is required to be successful the format.
p.s. The last match I lost of INN was to Curse of Death's Hold played both games. So it's not like I don't know what it feels like to lose to bombs. But this rant seems completely unproductive.
This is about matches, not games. I can't imagine that the drafter is good if they make terrible decisions such as running 70 cards - you should beat them a huge majority of the time. Of course it isn't going to be 100%, but a good player should have a gigantic edge.
Draft it on Cubetutor!
Open the deck builder, then open the draft deck located in the "Tournament Decks" folder.
That being said, telling us you were UWR in Innistrad limited tells me that you most likely are not drafting a deck with an end-product in mind. Draft a deck, not cards. There are archetypes that make for powerful decks in this format. Just drafting good cards will generally result in a deck with little synergy that get curbstomped by GW, UW, UB, BR, or UG that was drafted with a purpose.
I also have to agree with other posters about 'externalizing one's losses'. Even when you win, you should be evaluating your game for ways to improve and tighten your play, drafting, and deckbuilding skills.
And yes, drafting late enchantment hate for your sideboard is a relevant plan.
More useful would be pick walkthroughs. Where these can be found varies a bit with which version of Windows you have.
Typically it's something like:
C:\Users\YourUserName\Documents\Games\Magic the Gathering\Drafts
Note that you must have draft recording enabled on MtGO for drafts to be saved. It's it's Settings > Game Play > Advanced Settings.
(I'm on on this site much anymore. If you want to get in touch it's probably best to email me: dom@heffalumps.org)
Forum Awards: Best Writer 2005, Best Limited Strategist 2005-2012
5CB PotM - June 2005, November 2005, February 2006, April 2008, May 2008, Feb 2009
MTGSalvation Articles: 1-20, plus guest appearance on MTGCast #86!
<Limited Clan>