What you're missing is that, even though that's true for you, it's not necessarily true for others. It's certainly not true for me. As I said, I don't get much enjoyment from building decks. That part of the game just isn't for me. Playing your way makes the game less fun for me.
I don't know what format is your favorite, but I'm pretty sure you don't go telling people who play other formats that they are doing it wrong and they should come play your format. Deckbuilding is something you enjoy. Tournament play is something I enjoy. Why is it wrong for me to efficiently allocate my resources to maximize my fun?
The challenge was accepted and failed, because the quotes are what they are, not of myself saying "I am better than anyone that net decks"
I don't go telling people playing other formats they are doing it wrong, but I do feel strongly that net-decking is a major problem in the game. If it weren't so prevalent, then it wouldn't be so bad.
Have you considered that some of us don't really enjoy the deck-building part of Constructed Magic? I just like playing Magic; sitting down and trying to solve a metagame puts me to sleep. That's part of why I love Limited; the deckbuilding is restricted to these cards here, and you don't have to worry "well what if I put in card X, that would change the matchups" because card X isn't even an option.
You aren't better than someone because you find different things fun than they do.
Can you point out to me in either of those posts where I said "I am better than anyone who net-decks." I made the point that I despise net-decks and that they make up 99 percent of opponents when you go to FNM or tourneys. I do think homebrew is a much better and more respectable way to go, but I never said I was better than anyone. I just feel making your deck is a huge part of the game, at least for me.
And look, here's the smug! You are not better than me because you came up with a deck without any help. Did you ask friends about it? Did you take advice from people you tested, or use ideas you heard about? If not, you didn't make the deck by yourself. There's nothing wrong with using the internet, a TOOL available to ALMOST EVERYONE, to improve your deckbuilding. I agree that it's stupid to blindly copy a deck without tweaking it and knowing how it runs, but not every person playing Caw-Blade is that stupid. A lot of them may have built almost their whole deck without hearing about Caw-Blade, they noticed the interaction themselves. On top of that, the top decks are the top decks for a reason: they're good. They aren't good because everyone copies them; everyone copies them because they're good. And a lot of pros do come up with 'innovative' decks. Caw-Blade was someone's rogue deck before it became a big deck. So was Valakut. So was almost any deck ever. Besides that, lists often change as the meta changes. You know what else is stale? People building their very own deck and not changing a thing, because they know how it plays against their meta, and nobody changes anything.
I challenge you to present me with a deck idea that does well, and that NOBODY has ever used before. Without using interactions or combos or synergy that have been used before, without using popular cards. You can't. You can toot your own horn all you want because you came up with Galvanoth Control all by yourself, but there's almost a 0% chance someone else hasn't had the same idea before you. The reason cards become super strong is because THEY ARE GOOD. Jace is good. Sword of Feast and Famine is good. The interaction of being able to tap out for Jace and still have counter mana, via that sword, makes a good deck. Whitesun's Passage is a bad card. It is not a bad card because nobody plays it; nobody plays it because it is a bad card. The best cards are run because they are the best cards. You seem to think we just blindly copy decks without knowing how to run it, and that you're somehow superior because you use crappy cards/decks
Well, good for you. Keep putting together your little innovative decks, and telling yourself you're better than us 'sheep', and hoping that some day your TO will start handing out match points for creativity. Somebody has to go 0-4 every week.
*Cracks Knuckles* Okay, here we go! First off, I have came up with decks without advice, help or play testing against others. I have also sometimes collaborated to build decks. However, I do not blatantly copy another player's deck because I'm afraid to experiment. I also have used the tool to help my deck building, but to see what I have to face and to look at cards I may not have to see what I can use.
As far as those who build decks that come out to be similar deck to net-decks, that's fine. They actually worked and thought out combos, so I have no qualms with them. Pros have to innovate the deck before net-deckers start copying them as well as amateurs. Someone has to be innovative so net-deckers have something to copy. Yes, they are copied because they are good decks; I don't deny that. I hate the fact that the majority of the players at FNMs and tourneys want to copy those decks because they win, instead of creating their own winning decks.
Presenting a deck idea that does well and nobody has seen before....well, all net decks start from decks never seen before. Some cards are naturally strong, but they become all the more so because we see 32 of them in top 8s thanks to net-deckers. Some cards are naturally bad, but I rarely see any that doesn't have at least some use. Again, that's were THINKING comes along.
I will keep putting together my innovative decks and thinking of net-deckers of sheep. And someone does have to be 0-4, just not me since I'm usually 2-2 or better.
Die-hard homebrewers have got to be some of the most smug people I've ever seen. I wouldn't have a problem with them if they just built their decks and played them (hell, MOST people will change around the cards a net-decked archetype) but they also have to carry around this aura like they're superior players simply because they're not using an established deck. I know not all homebrewers are like this, but the majority I've come across fit this description.
If you want to pilot a rogue deck, fine, but please leave your smug self-satisfaction at home.
The reason many homebrewers are smug is because they can think and research new deck ideas on their own without having to see what everybody who wins a tourney is playing, like a bunch of high school kids wanting to be part of the popular person's clique. 35 versions of the same 3 decks does not expand the game or make it better. It will always be those who are innovative who will keep this game and its matchups from becoming like week old stale baguettes.
I hear "We don't all use the SAME deck. We change it a little to make it ours!" all the time. How about thinking a little and making a completely different deck that is all yours. There reason some cards become super strong and the metagame becomes stale is because innovation is almost non-existent anymore. People just play like sheep using what a pro-player will make and running with it.
Winning does feel good, but I would much rather have a mediocre showing with a homebrew than blow away everyone with the ideal deck someone else put forward. "I'd rather die free than live as a slave" or something to that effect. As a homebrew player, I'm smug because I'm not a sheep net-decker wanting to be part of the clique of same decks out there. That's why!!
I started playing magic on and off around 4th edition. I didn't even have internet at that time and sure didn't even use the internet to check up on my magic game until around the conflux set in Alara. Before that, I never read any of those game mags like scrye or inquest. I'm VERY proud to say that every deck I played with, I made ON MY OWN!!!!
I'm very pro-homebrew and highly recommend not giving into net-decking. There's a much better feeling performing just well with a deck that you personally put together than performing great with one someone else made. All net-decks are to me is proof that there are far too many players with no imagination and a glimpse to see what angles need to be taken to beat those decks in standard.
I see Garruk either being pure Green or Green/Red if he returns in Innistrad. My reasons are that Garruk will never give up being Green as far as his character. That will always be his color.
He may become Green/Red since he is Green and his rage has really boiled forth during his search for Liliana. I don't see him becoming Green/Black because only his magic is being affected by the curse and not who Gurruk as a character is.
What would happen if JTMS was banned? People would whine, moan and complain over some other card they claim breaks standard. People need to suck it up. He's going to be rotating out come October anyway.
The total amount of people there was 29. They just gave their money back and recommended them to the next closest FNM location, about 35 minutes away. They had already informed the place, so they were ready, but yeah.
At FNM, this prior Friday evening, a friend of mine and myself attended in hopes of testing out our new standard decks. Unfortunately, FNM was canceled due to the DCI system apparently going down at the store.
To compensate, the store gave customer's their 5 dollars back and also handed out promos. Most of the attendees were getting Glissa, the Traitor promo cards. When it came to me, apparently they ran out because they instead gave me a combination of promo cards. One card I received surprised me, however, after looking through them all.
Among the promos I had received was a New Phyrexia card: Suture Priest! I don't know if it was a mistake card meant for pre-release or what, but I'm curious as to any advice or thoughts on what I should do with the card.
If it weren't for the fact that Wizards is actually going after this, I would propose that this was done on purpose because there actually is a Mirrodin Pure set. However, I really feel this is more of just an actual leak and it actually disappoints me that someone would go this far to get the entire set leaked.
If it weren't for the fact that Wizards is actually going after this, I would propose that this was done on purpose because there actually is a Mirrodin Pure set. However, I really feel this is more of just an actual leak and it actually disappoints me that someone would go this far to get the entire set leaked.
Seems like this block has thrown out a few cards to handle permanents well.
Volition Reins, Beast within, Disperse
I think it turned out with answers to a lot of permanents, making me wonder how useful they will be in the next block, but that is a ways down the road. I don't think anyone can continue to cry that there isn't answers for PWs anymore.
Vampire Hexmage in Black, Beast within for green, Volition reins and disperse for blue, direct damage for red and there are a number of exile permanent effects for white. Plus, Karn and Venser will be Exiling buddies.
It's a narrowed form of Hauting Echoes, which with Memoricide and a few other cards, the possibility for an exile deck in standard is becoming more and more attractive.
Bolas will probably give them a portal to go somewhere. He created a war on Alara and awakened the Eldrazi. Now he has sent Tezzeret to Mirrodin to do something, and it'll probably be to help the Phyrexian invasion spread to some other plane. Why he wants to do this is beyond me, but I'm sure he'll be involved somehow.
I bet we'll be seeing the Phyrexians in a future block sometime soon. Maro said that the next block won't have infect, but there are lots of NPH cards that don't have infect, so we still have a shot at seeing Phyrexians soon.
Actually, I don't think Bolas sent Tezzeret there to help the Phyrexians spread. He would want to keep them at a distance and know what they are doing. He likely sent Tezzeret to blend in and keep watch on the growing Phyrexian force. The reasons he let loose the Eldrazi was likely for the possibility of luring them to other planes, since they only exist to consume; or to keep a number of other planeswalkers busy. The less planeswalkers to oppose him, the better.
Proxies just don't feel right to use for me. If I'm going to use proxies, I might as well cut out card sized sheets of paper and write my card names on there. I think playing with restrictions of not having playsets is a huge part of the experience.
The challenge was accepted and failed, because the quotes are what they are, not of myself saying "I am better than anyone that net decks"
I don't go telling people playing other formats they are doing it wrong, but I do feel strongly that net-decking is a major problem in the game. If it weren't so prevalent, then it wouldn't be so bad.
Can you point out to me in either of those posts where I said "I am better than anyone who net-decks." I made the point that I despise net-decks and that they make up 99 percent of opponents when you go to FNM or tourneys. I do think homebrew is a much better and more respectable way to go, but I never said I was better than anyone. I just feel making your deck is a huge part of the game, at least for me.
*Cracks Knuckles* Okay, here we go! First off, I have came up with decks without advice, help or play testing against others. I have also sometimes collaborated to build decks. However, I do not blatantly copy another player's deck because I'm afraid to experiment. I also have used the tool to help my deck building, but to see what I have to face and to look at cards I may not have to see what I can use.
As far as those who build decks that come out to be similar deck to net-decks, that's fine. They actually worked and thought out combos, so I have no qualms with them. Pros have to innovate the deck before net-deckers start copying them as well as amateurs. Someone has to be innovative so net-deckers have something to copy. Yes, they are copied because they are good decks; I don't deny that. I hate the fact that the majority of the players at FNMs and tourneys want to copy those decks because they win, instead of creating their own winning decks.
Presenting a deck idea that does well and nobody has seen before....well, all net decks start from decks never seen before. Some cards are naturally strong, but they become all the more so because we see 32 of them in top 8s thanks to net-deckers. Some cards are naturally bad, but I rarely see any that doesn't have at least some use. Again, that's were THINKING comes along.
I will keep putting together my innovative decks and thinking of net-deckers of sheep. And someone does have to be 0-4, just not me since I'm usually 2-2 or better.
The reason many homebrewers are smug is because they can think and research new deck ideas on their own without having to see what everybody who wins a tourney is playing, like a bunch of high school kids wanting to be part of the popular person's clique. 35 versions of the same 3 decks does not expand the game or make it better. It will always be those who are innovative who will keep this game and its matchups from becoming like week old stale baguettes.
I hear "We don't all use the SAME deck. We change it a little to make it ours!" all the time. How about thinking a little and making a completely different deck that is all yours. There reason some cards become super strong and the metagame becomes stale is because innovation is almost non-existent anymore. People just play like sheep using what a pro-player will make and running with it.
Winning does feel good, but I would much rather have a mediocre showing with a homebrew than blow away everyone with the ideal deck someone else put forward. "I'd rather die free than live as a slave" or something to that effect. As a homebrew player, I'm smug because I'm not a sheep net-decker wanting to be part of the clique of same decks out there. That's why!!
I'm very pro-homebrew and highly recommend not giving into net-decking. There's a much better feeling performing just well with a deck that you personally put together than performing great with one someone else made. All net-decks are to me is proof that there are far too many players with no imagination and a glimpse to see what angles need to be taken to beat those decks in standard.
He may become Green/Red since he is Green and his rage has really boiled forth during his search for Liliana. I don't see him becoming Green/Black because only his magic is being affected by the curse and not who Gurruk as a character is.
To compensate, the store gave customer's their 5 dollars back and also handed out promos. Most of the attendees were getting Glissa, the Traitor promo cards. When it came to me, apparently they ran out because they instead gave me a combination of promo cards. One card I received surprised me, however, after looking through them all.
Among the promos I had received was a New Phyrexia card: Suture Priest! I don't know if it was a mistake card meant for pre-release or what, but I'm curious as to any advice or thoughts on what I should do with the card.
Volition Reins, Beast within, Disperse
I think it turned out with answers to a lot of permanents, making me wonder how useful they will be in the next block, but that is a ways down the road. I don't think anyone can continue to cry that there isn't answers for PWs anymore.
Vampire Hexmage in Black, Beast within for green, Volition reins and disperse for blue, direct damage for red and there are a number of exile permanent effects for white. Plus, Karn and Venser will be Exiling buddies.
Actually, I don't think Bolas sent Tezzeret there to help the Phyrexians spread. He would want to keep them at a distance and know what they are doing. He likely sent Tezzeret to blend in and keep watch on the growing Phyrexian force. The reasons he let loose the Eldrazi was likely for the possibility of luring them to other planes, since they only exist to consume; or to keep a number of other planeswalkers busy. The less planeswalkers to oppose him, the better.