I been testing control decks for a while and I have chosen to draw in quite a few matchups:
1) Jund Shadow - I find the matchup is more about finding the right answers rather than tempo. Getting to go on the draw gives you an extra card to find your answer to lingering souls - Liliana - Leyline of the Void - Shadow/ Tarmogoyf
2) Grixis/ Jeskai Control - I always prefer to draw in the control mirror, I find the extra card to hit the land drop is always more important.
I know this is an unconventional strategy, but if you look at the red aggro mirrors during Magic Origins, all 3 of the top 8 competitors chose to draw in the mirror during their last match.
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I'm actively maintaining a comprehensive article to help explain to new cube players how some complex vintage level cards work in a cube environment. Vintage Cube Cards Explained
In mirrors, especially in mono red mirrors, where games tend to be "play a dude" > "bolt your dude, play a dude" > "bolt your dude, play a dude"... having an extra card can help greatly. When half your threats kill their dudes, games may take awhile, and having that card could be important.
As it is in modern, the fast decks can often kill you too quickly.
We've often seen the mana difference bit pop up every now and again (player 1, by turn 4 has 1+2+3+4=10 mana through the game. Player 2 has 1+2+3=6 mana on player 1's fourth turn, which is when wizards has said games are reasonable to end. Thats almost twice as much, and thats a dangerous thing to give up.
In control mirrors, I believe that the deck with more card advantage should generally choose the play. You already have more cards, may as well try to get more mana too. If you have less card advantage, you probably need to make that up before worrying about mana. In a true (control) mirror, it depends on the deck and the board plans, but I'd be inclined to believe that taking the draw is reasonable.
Again, cards like tasigur, geist of saint traft, vendilion clique, and lightning bolts can end the game quickly despite card advantage, so taking the draw is always dangerous.
Not talking about modern here, but it's been a long standing rule that taking the draw in drafts is better than taking the play. I've done quite well in my history of magic and drafting on the draw is far better.
That said in modern it really depends on the deck you are playing and the deck you are playing against. I really hate keeping an iffy hand only to get thoughtseized or IoK'ed. Bummer, but being on the play kind of remedied that. Then again going first and hitting them with your own is a nice feeling. So just depends on which side of the coin you are on I suppose.
In any matchup where both players are constantly trading resources, taking the draw is probably a good strategic choice
In matchups where it is just a race and there is less interaction its much wiser to play first
That makes sense, but I wondering was in Control mirrors and also in Lingering BGx mirrors, I have chosen to draw. Was this a bad decision on my end?
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I'm actively maintaining a comprehensive article to help explain to new cube players how some complex vintage level cards work in a cube environment. Vintage Cube Cards Explained
In any matchup where both players are constantly trading resources, taking the draw is probably a good strategic choice
In matchups where it is just a race and there is less interaction its much wiser to play first
That makes sense, but I wondering was in Control mirrors and also in Lingering BGx mirrors, I have chosen to draw. Was this a bad decision on my end?
In both of those mirrors it is probably a fine choice. How did it work out for you?
The control mirror gave my opponent an early Jace, Architect of thought which put him ahead early, but I won in the end. I lost the Lingering BGx mirror, but I felt choosing the draw felt right, because it helped to me find the right answer.
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I'm actively maintaining a comprehensive article to help explain to new cube players how some complex vintage level cards work in a cube environment. Vintage Cube Cards Explained
I can't honestly think of any matchup where I would not want to play first. Having that tempo advantage on the opponent almost always results in a sizable advantage, especially over the first 4 turns (which is where most Modern games are won and lost).
1) Jund Shadow - I find the matchup is more about finding the right answers rather than tempo. Getting to go on the draw gives you an extra card to find your answer to lingering souls - Liliana - Leyline of the Void - Shadow/ Tarmogoyf
2) Grixis/ Jeskai Control - I always prefer to draw in the control mirror, I find the extra card to hit the land drop is always more important.
I know this is an unconventional strategy, but if you look at the red aggro mirrors during Magic Origins, all 3 of the top 8 competitors chose to draw in the mirror during their last match.
Vintage Cube Cards Explained
Here are some other articles I've written about fine tuning your cube:
1. Minimum Archetype Support
2. Improving Green Archetypes
3. Improving White Archetypes
4. Matchup Analysis
5. Cube Combos (Work in Progress)
Draft my Cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/d8i
As it is in modern, the fast decks can often kill you too quickly.
We've often seen the mana difference bit pop up every now and again (player 1, by turn 4 has 1+2+3+4=10 mana through the game. Player 2 has 1+2+3=6 mana on player 1's fourth turn, which is when wizards has said games are reasonable to end. Thats almost twice as much, and thats a dangerous thing to give up.
In control mirrors, I believe that the deck with more card advantage should generally choose the play. You already have more cards, may as well try to get more mana too. If you have less card advantage, you probably need to make that up before worrying about mana. In a true (control) mirror, it depends on the deck and the board plans, but I'd be inclined to believe that taking the draw is reasonable.
Again, cards like tasigur, geist of saint traft, vendilion clique, and lightning bolts can end the game quickly despite card advantage, so taking the draw is always dangerous.
That said in modern it really depends on the deck you are playing and the deck you are playing against. I really hate keeping an iffy hand only to get thoughtseized or IoK'ed. Bummer, but being on the play kind of remedied that. Then again going first and hitting them with your own is a nice feeling. So just depends on which side of the coin you are on I suppose.
In matchups where it is just a race and there is less interaction its much wiser to play first
That makes sense, but I wondering was in Control mirrors and also in Lingering BGx mirrors, I have chosen to draw. Was this a bad decision on my end?
Vintage Cube Cards Explained
Here are some other articles I've written about fine tuning your cube:
1. Minimum Archetype Support
2. Improving Green Archetypes
3. Improving White Archetypes
4. Matchup Analysis
5. Cube Combos (Work in Progress)
Draft my Cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/d8i
In both of those mirrors it is probably a fine choice. How did it work out for you?
The control mirror gave my opponent an early Jace, Architect of thought which put him ahead early, but I won in the end. I lost the Lingering BGx mirror, but I felt choosing the draw felt right, because it helped to me find the right answer.
Vintage Cube Cards Explained
Here are some other articles I've written about fine tuning your cube:
1. Minimum Archetype Support
2. Improving Green Archetypes
3. Improving White Archetypes
4. Matchup Analysis
5. Cube Combos (Work in Progress)
Draft my Cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/d8i
UR ....... WUBR ........... WB ............. RGW ........ UBR ....... WUB .... BGU
Spells / Blink & Combo / Token Grind / Dino Tribal / Draw Cards / Zombies / Reanimate