Spreadsheets are your friend. Record everything. Who was on the play, who mulliganed to what, how turns progressed, what your other lines could have been, etc. Make spreadsheets with multiple levels of data, including wins/losses against each matchup and turn progressions.
Eat and sleep correctly leading up to a tournament more than 5 rounds. Stamina is a thing even though you're sitting the whole time. You want to stay mentally fresh.
Know that unless and until you play absolutely perfectly, you shouldn't DARE blame a loss on "variance" or "luck." There is almost always something you could have done, and understanding what those somethings are goes a long way toward getting better. Deck choice, choosing the right 75 by meta gaming correctly, shuffling well, mulligan decisions, sideboarding correctly, sequencing your land drops, etc. are all things that people don't really see as "mistakes" when a game goes wrong and they end up blaming it on variance. They're almost always wrong and they learn nothing from it.
When deciding on your 75, make "elephants." Make a list of matchups you expect and craft the perfect 60 for your deck against each of them. Cards that overlap a great deal often become main deck cards, and your SB is heavily influenced by this process.
Understand your deck's role in each matchup and devise a plan according to that assessment + your hand + the board state + what you know of their hand. Stick to that plan unless something happens that requires you to audible mid-game. This requires you to know all the other decks you'll typically see, including common lists and lines. So study up on the opposition. "Know your enemy" and all that.
1. If you want to win a tournament, choose a tier 1 or 2 deck and stick to it (read guides help a lot), have the mindset of want to "win more" instead of "having more fun"
This is something I've always been confused by. In my mind, Magic is a game, and if you're having fun I presume you're doing it right. At a GP I would focus on winning, but I'm strictly an FNM player. Isn't FNM more about fun?
When someone says "tournament," assume they mean Competitive REL. Playing for the fun of the game is perfectly fine for FNM. If you're paying a $50 entry fee (or $75 for some GPs) you need to either not care whatsoever about your results or have the killer mentality, one or the other. A mixture of the two will just lead to disappointment.
That said, none of the FNMs around me are casual in feel. Almost everybody treats them as practice for higher level events.
The easiest way is often to watch a better player piloting the deck, compare what you would have done vs what he did, and try to figure out why it was different (if it was).
In that sense, playing tier-1 deck is easier to learn, since you can watch coverage of top players, and (depending on the casters) have expert commentary explaining the different lines and which one are playing around what.
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"What's your plan?" Gideon asked.
"Are you serious?" Chandra replied.
I feel that you need to pick a deck that you enjoy and feel is good in the format. Then just learn all the matchups so that you know them in and out. Practice with good players so you can be sure that they're making the correct plays a lot of the time and they can help correct your plays
I saw you post saying you played tokens and has a 50/50 matchup vs a lot of the format. Knowing matchups with a deck like this will help increase your percentages a lot.
I saw you post saying you played tokens and has a 50/50 matchup vs a lot of the format. Knowing matchups with a deck like this will help increase your percentages a lot.
As will knowing the truth about a deck's matchup numbers. BW Tokens does NOT have a 50/50 matchup vs. a lot of the format. It may have that kind of result against a specific local metagame, but not the format as a whole. Far from it actually.
I saw you post saying you played tokens and has a 50/50 matchup vs a lot of the format. Knowing matchups with a deck like this will help increase your percentages a lot.
As will knowing the truth about a deck's matchup numbers. BW Tokens does NOT have a 50/50 matchup vs. a lot of the format. It may have that kind of result against a specific local metagame, but not the format as a whole. Far from it actually.
I saw you post saying you played tokens and has a 50/50 matchup vs a lot of the format. Knowing matchups with a deck like this will help increase your percentages a lot.
As will knowing the truth about a deck's matchup numbers. BW Tokens does NOT have a 50/50 matchup vs. a lot of the format. It may have that kind of result against a specific local metagame, but not the format as a whole. Far from it actually.
The testing of not only the other players on this thread but also my own has found that the truly bad matchup is RG Tron and Merfolk is rather unfavorable. I constantly go back and look over the reports on this forum and I come to the same conclusion that the deck is well-positioned but needs to be piloted well. Right now with the knowledge of the GP metagames it isn't as well-positioned as once though, but there were people doing rather well with the deck. That said, I'm not going to deny that I haven't been doing too well with the deck, but let's also not turn this into a metagame thread.
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"Don't believe everything you read on the internet." - Abraham Lincoln
I saw you post saying you played tokens and has a 50/50 matchup vs a lot of the format. Knowing matchups with a deck like this will help increase your percentages a lot.
As will knowing the truth about a deck's matchup numbers. BW Tokens does NOT have a 50/50 matchup vs. a lot of the format. It may have that kind of result against a specific local metagame, but not the format as a whole. Far from it actually.
The testing of not only the other players on this thread but also my own has found that the truly bad matchup is RG Tron and Merfolk is rather unfavorable. I constantly go back and look over the reports on this forum and I come to the same conclusion that the deck is well-positioned but needs to be piloted well. Right now with the knowledge of the GP metagames it isn't as well-positioned as once though, but there were people doing rather well with the deck. That said, I'm not going to deny that I haven't been doing too well with the deck, but let's also not turn this into a metagame thread.
Sure. I'm not interested in getting into an argument either. But this thread is about becoming a better player and knowing what decks are actually good or not is part of that. Having the ability to make your own conclusions about it is a skill of a good player.
When looking on forums like these we need to understand that there's an inherent bias here. Most people who post on these forums are Modern enthusiasts but not "pro" players. As such you'll get a lot of positive reports from FNMs, which shouldn't be taken very seriously because of the casual nature of most FNMs. You'll also get a healthy amount of exaggeration or outright lies about someone's performance.
You could be the #1 best BW Tokens player ever. If there were 100 tournaments where every single player was on BW Tokens you'd win 90% or more of them. But that ability with that deck won't translate into success at a GP or similar tournament where many other decks are simply naturally superior to BW Toekns, regardless of player skill or experience.
Well, the question is "How to be a better player" not "How to win more"
While having a tier 1 deck will help you win more, it won't help you become a better player (Unless you consider that you will find a lot more articles and videos on tier 1 decks, making it easier to learn how to properly pilot them)
Being a better player is about sequencing stuff properly, finding the best lines of play, understanding your opponent's deck and how to play against it, mulliganing, etc
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"What's your plan?" Gideon asked.
"Are you serious?" Chandra replied.
One other, hopefully more positive, thing. I've been playing jund for years and am decent with it. But I only get to play it once or twice a week for practice. Last week I bought it on ntgo and have already played more games online than I would in paper in a month. Seems like it's a great way to get practice and learn the right rules for all sorts of interactions since the platform enforces them for you.
When looking on forums like these we need to understand that there's an inherent bias here. Most people who post on these forums are Modern enthusiasts but not "pro" players. As such you'll get a lot of positive reports from FNMs, which shouldn't be taken very seriously because of the casual nature of most FNMs. You'll also get a healthy amount of exaggeration or outright lies about someone's performance.
You could be the #1 best BW Tokens player ever. If there were 100 tournaments where every single player was on BW Tokens you'd win 90% or more of them. But that ability with that deck won't translate into success at a GP or similar tournament where many other decks are simply naturally superior to BW Tokens, regardless of player skill or experience.
There's some very good points here.
Part of being a "good player" is knowing which good decks to play. You could be the best player in the world playing Esper Zur in Modern and not see the results that an average Grinder would see with Twin before it was banned, Eldrazi before it got banned, and Jund now. Those are just cold hard facts.
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
I've been playing casually & competitively since revised and, personally, I don't consider myself a great Magic player but I feel I am above average. Magic is my devoted hobby. I watch videos/read articles of deck techs & strategy discussions, I build based on what I know my strong suits as a player are and I test against the best decks in the format.
That's said, the best ways to become better than what you are now is knowledge; knowledge of the capabilities of your deck, knowledge of the other decks in the format, what is currently within your local meta and how to properly sideboard. Magic is a craft that needs to be honed and, like others had previously said, practice practice and practice.
Don't complicate things too much. A few simple steps will probably make you better at the game.
1) Play more magic.
2) Be respectful at all times.
3) Relax.
4) Think.
If you follow those steps, you'll find yourself improving at the game, having more fun, learning more, and just doing better. Also people who think 50% if a bad win rate are hilariously inaccurate.
The biggest issue is that I wasn't really winning or prizing. I switched to Skred Red (Even sold parts of Tokens to buy Blood Moons.) and I've been winning. I feel like I'm actually in the running now, and I'm not just showing up to get my Magic fix.
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"Don't believe everything you read on the internet." - Abraham Lincoln
Each deck has lines of play, not unlike chess openings. You get a randomly dealt hand, that's a random opening. Each deck has a limited number of play lines based upon the amount of redundancy the deck packs. Learn the play lines, then learn the play lines against each and every deck in the meta.
Then you will have mastered the deck and can move on to other strats.
Eat and sleep correctly leading up to a tournament more than 5 rounds. Stamina is a thing even though you're sitting the whole time. You want to stay mentally fresh.
Know that unless and until you play absolutely perfectly, you shouldn't DARE blame a loss on "variance" or "luck." There is almost always something you could have done, and understanding what those somethings are goes a long way toward getting better. Deck choice, choosing the right 75 by meta gaming correctly, shuffling well, mulligan decisions, sideboarding correctly, sequencing your land drops, etc. are all things that people don't really see as "mistakes" when a game goes wrong and they end up blaming it on variance. They're almost always wrong and they learn nothing from it.
When deciding on your 75, make "elephants." Make a list of matchups you expect and craft the perfect 60 for your deck against each of them. Cards that overlap a great deal often become main deck cards, and your SB is heavily influenced by this process.
Understand your deck's role in each matchup and devise a plan according to that assessment + your hand + the board state + what you know of their hand. Stick to that plan unless something happens that requires you to audible mid-game. This requires you to know all the other decks you'll typically see, including common lists and lines. So study up on the opposition. "Know your enemy" and all that.
Standard: lol no
Modern: BG/x, UR/x, Burn, Merfolk, Zoo, Storm
Legacy: Shardless BUG, Delver (BUG, RUG, Grixis), Landstill, Depths Combo, Merfolk
Vintage: Dark Times, BUG Fish, Merfolk
EDH: Teysa, Orzhov Scion / Krenko, Mob Boss / Stonebrow, Krosan Hero
That said, none of the FNMs around me are casual in feel. Almost everybody treats them as practice for higher level events.
Standard: lol no
Modern: BG/x, UR/x, Burn, Merfolk, Zoo, Storm
Legacy: Shardless BUG, Delver (BUG, RUG, Grixis), Landstill, Depths Combo, Merfolk
Vintage: Dark Times, BUG Fish, Merfolk
EDH: Teysa, Orzhov Scion / Krenko, Mob Boss / Stonebrow, Krosan Hero
In that sense, playing tier-1 deck is easier to learn, since you can watch coverage of top players, and (depending on the casters) have expert commentary explaining the different lines and which one are playing around what.
"Are you serious?" Chandra replied.
I saw you post saying you played tokens and has a 50/50 matchup vs a lot of the format. Knowing matchups with a deck like this will help increase your percentages a lot.
Standard: lol no
Modern: BG/x, UR/x, Burn, Merfolk, Zoo, Storm
Legacy: Shardless BUG, Delver (BUG, RUG, Grixis), Landstill, Depths Combo, Merfolk
Vintage: Dark Times, BUG Fish, Merfolk
EDH: Teysa, Orzhov Scion / Krenko, Mob Boss / Stonebrow, Krosan Hero
maybe I just misread a post earlier then. Sorry
When looking on forums like these we need to understand that there's an inherent bias here. Most people who post on these forums are Modern enthusiasts but not "pro" players. As such you'll get a lot of positive reports from FNMs, which shouldn't be taken very seriously because of the casual nature of most FNMs. You'll also get a healthy amount of exaggeration or outright lies about someone's performance.
You could be the #1 best BW Tokens player ever. If there were 100 tournaments where every single player was on BW Tokens you'd win 90% or more of them. But that ability with that deck won't translate into success at a GP or similar tournament where many other decks are simply naturally superior to BW Toekns, regardless of player skill or experience.
Standard: lol no
Modern: BG/x, UR/x, Burn, Merfolk, Zoo, Storm
Legacy: Shardless BUG, Delver (BUG, RUG, Grixis), Landstill, Depths Combo, Merfolk
Vintage: Dark Times, BUG Fish, Merfolk
EDH: Teysa, Orzhov Scion / Krenko, Mob Boss / Stonebrow, Krosan Hero
While having a tier 1 deck will help you win more, it won't help you become a better player (Unless you consider that you will find a lot more articles and videos on tier 1 decks, making it easier to learn how to properly pilot them)
Being a better player is about sequencing stuff properly, finding the best lines of play, understanding your opponent's deck and how to play against it, mulliganing, etc
"Are you serious?" Chandra replied.
@Renaud_256 I might be splitting hairs here, but becoming a better player well inherently make me win more games.
Thank you everyone! I am trying all of your advice and already seeing some results, but certainly not my full potential!
You (hopefully) learn where you went wrong and adjust in the future.
I always tell new players that you have to do a whole lot of losing before you start winning.
Standard: lol no
Modern: BG/x, UR/x, Burn, Merfolk, Zoo, Storm
Legacy: Shardless BUG, Delver (BUG, RUG, Grixis), Landstill, Depths Combo, Merfolk
Vintage: Dark Times, BUG Fish, Merfolk
EDH: Teysa, Orzhov Scion / Krenko, Mob Boss / Stonebrow, Krosan Hero
There's some very good points here.
Part of being a "good player" is knowing which good decks to play. You could be the best player in the world playing Esper Zur in Modern and not see the results that an average Grinder would see with Twin before it was banned, Eldrazi before it got banned, and Jund now. Those are just cold hard facts.
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)That's said, the best ways to become better than what you are now is knowledge; knowledge of the capabilities of your deck, knowledge of the other decks in the format, what is currently within your local meta and how to properly sideboard. Magic is a craft that needs to be honed and, like others had previously said, practice practice and practice.
1) Play more magic.
2) Be respectful at all times.
3) Relax.
4) Think.
If you follow those steps, you'll find yourself improving at the game, having more fun, learning more, and just doing better. Also people who think 50% if a bad win rate are hilariously inaccurate.
Modern - GB Elves, UW Ojutai Control
Legacy - BWG Junk Stoneblade
Gay and Proud
#MakeAmericaGreatAgain
Then you will have mastered the deck and can move on to other strats.