I started playing MTG:Arena a week ago, and at first, when I had a match in "play" mode, I was against new players too, I think, as they had mostly cards from the starter decks.
Now, I'm still playing with mostly starter decks cards, and I often encounter people with cards that I have never seen, with very powerful cards, with planeswalkers (I don't have any planswalker currently)...
Isn't there any kind of matchmaking in the game to play against people with the same kind of experience or depth of library?
In ranked mode, the game will pair you with someone who is in similar tiers on the ladder, usually within 1 or 2 ranks of you. In free play mode, it uses an as-of yet unspecified "deck strength" metric - we assume it has something to do with how many rares, mythic rares, and wildcards used in your deck, but we don't know for sure.
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Top 16 - 2012 Indiana State Championships Currently Playing: GBStandard - Golgari Safari MidrangeBG RBWModern - Mardu PyromancerWBR RLegacy - Good Old Fashioned BurnR
It's a lot worse than that. Despite what they're claiming, if you have a large-size collection, you can pretty easily see our matchmaking is being manipulated in ranked. Build a Feather deck, you'll almost exclusively fight aggro. Build Elementals, hope you like playing against Esper. Dreadhorde? Lots of mirrors.
You can literally fight RDW 5 times in a row, reach for a white lifegain deck, and never see red again. It's impossible to adjust to the day's meta, because you're always shifting depending on your deck.
It's a lot worse than that. Despite what they're claiming, if you have a large-size collection, you can pretty easily see our matchmaking is being manipulated in ranked. Build a Feather deck, you'll almost exclusively fight aggro. Build Elementals, hope you like playing against Esper. Dreadhorde? Lots of mirrors.
You can literally fight RDW 5 times in a row, reach for a white lifegain deck, and never see red again. It's impossible to adjust to the day's meta, because you're always shifting depending on your deck.
It's not nearly as cut and dry as that though there is obvious manipulation going on. I play lots of dreadhorde and almost never hit mirrors. I actually play against esper way more often than any other deck while playing dreadhorde. When I switch to my sultai elemental deck I face lots of dreadhorde and burn.
In general (70-80% of the time), what happens is this:
1) The matchmaker looks at your deck.
2) The matchmaker will determine your deck's makeup and match you against the deck that is best able to counter everything you are doing.
3) If you do not have all the best cards, min/maxing your deck with every rare you need to optimize your outcome, you will be placed against someone who has that.
4) Once the match-up is determined, the matchmaker will shuffle your deck to provide the worst possible outcome (mana flooding, mana choking, wrong lands in multi-color decks, all high cost spells early on, etc.)
5) The matchmaker will give your opponent an optimal layout of hands and deck shuffling for perfect tempo and play optimization.
In general (70-80% of the time), what happens is this:
1) The matchmaker looks at your deck.
2) The matchmaker will determine your deck's makeup and match you against the deck that is best able to counter everything you are doing.
3) If you do not have all the best cards, min/maxing your deck with every rare you need to optimize your outcome, you will be placed against someone who has that.
4) Once the match-up is determined, the matchmaker will shuffle your deck to provide the worst possible outcome (mana flooding, mana choking, wrong lands in multi-color decks, all high cost spells early on, etc.)
5) The matchmaker will give your opponent an optimal layout of hands and deck shuffling for perfect tempo and play optimization.
Enjoy!!
This is a frighteningly accurate depiction of how the game works. Have you gotten a look at the sauce code?
This made me actually laugh out loud and I thank you for that. Really though it seems like this happens far more often than it does because you will remember the games you got crushed but not the game where your opponent played two lands and scooped turn 5.
In general (70-80% of the time), what happens is this:
1) The matchmaker looks at your deck.
2) The matchmaker will determine your deck's makeup and match you against the deck that is best able to counter everything you are doing.
3) If you do not have all the best cards, min/maxing your deck with every rare you need to optimize your outcome, you will be placed against someone who has that.
4) Once the match-up is determined, the matchmaker will shuffle your deck to provide the worst possible outcome (mana flooding, mana choking, wrong lands in multi-color decks, all high cost spells early on, etc.)
5) The matchmaker will give your opponent an optimal layout of hands and deck shuffling for perfect tempo and play optimization.
Enjoy!!
This.
And then match you against Teferi control or RDW, regardless of what you play, even if you ran 20 a no-rare no dual land, cluttered deck full of commons.
Then if you proceed to ask about the matchmaking issue on the Arena forums, be told to "git gud".
And then, after 5 hours of playing just trying to get 15 wins and you give up and just start playing RDW decks, they throw you up against every Leyline, hexproof, protection from non-combat damage deck imaginable.
In general (70-80% of the time), what happens is this:
1) The matchmaker looks at your deck.
2) The matchmaker will determine your deck's makeup and match you against the deck that is best able to counter everything you are doing.
3) If you do not have all the best cards, min/maxing your deck with every rare you need to optimize your outcome, you will be placed against someone who has that.
4) Once the match-up is determined, the matchmaker will shuffle your deck to provide the worst possible outcome (mana flooding, mana choking, wrong lands in multi-color decks, all high cost spells early on, etc.)
5) The matchmaker will give your opponent an optimal layout of hands and deck shuffling for perfect tempo and play optimization.
Enjoy!!
This is a frighteningly accurate depiction of how the game works. Have you gotten a look at the sauce code?
This made me actually laugh out loud and I thank you for that. Really though it seems like this happens far more often than it does because you will remember the games you got crushed but not the game where your opponent played two lands and scooped turn 5.
I think you remember these occurrences more BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY HAPPEN ALL THE TIME
I had the quest to "Play 20 Black spells". So I put in 20 Swamp and all the 1 cmc black creatures and cards like Disfigure, Bone Splinters etc I could find. NO RARES. No dual lands. I start and I ***** you not:
1st matchup: Temur Elementals
2nd Matchup: RDW
3rd Match: Espers.
Last match (needed 1 more black spell): RDW
My two cents:
Running up against several of the current high-performing/flavor of the day decks (RDW, Esper, Elementals) is going to happen more often than not, because they perform well. People use quickplay to get used to playing these decks, to be able to tune them the way they want to. If you want to play an off meta deck, go for it. No one is stopping you. Will it not perform as well as the meta ones? possibly, but that's the risk you take. My short list of decks I play: UW Mill, Temur Elementals, Sultai Yarok, RB Aggro, RDW, BW sacrifice, etc. I play them because they are fun, not because they are the most competitive. Complaining about matchmaking, complaining about mana issues, complaining in general to me sounds like entitlement because you're hidden behind a screen and not in an actual store playing Magic. My matches, since I've been lurking in here looking at these threads, have been an even split between mana flood, mana screw, and well paced. You know what? I enjoyed them all. Yeah, losing to mana issues sucks, but in the end it is a game that should be played to be enjoyed. If you aren't enjoying it, then why play? If you can't lose with grace (ie without casting blame) then why engage in something where there is an inherent chance of failure (and, by extension, a chance at repeat failure). There are two paths to take when losing: 'Yeah, I lost. Oh well. Better luck next time.' and 'I lost because of this/that/the other thing and am going to complain and let it ruin my enjoyment of the game.'
MTG: Arena is a game that is allowing more people access to the game of Magic than before. Naturally, these new players will gravitate towards the better decks because they aren't as familiar with the game (RDW being the easiest for most of them to put together and understand). If you don't like this, then maybe don't play in quickplay or ranked.
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Currently Playing:
Standard - Some kind of control
Modern - UB Mill (casual)
EDH - Meren's Grave Shenanigans
Running up against several of the current high-performing/flavor of the day decks (RDW, Esper, Elementals) is going to happen more often than not, because they perform well.
My post above yours, the one you started your post commenting on, I was merely STATING the matchups that did seem odd in the way of matching. After those games I got my 500 gold. I HAD to play 20 black spells to get the gold.
You know what? I enjoyed them all
That's nice. I'm glad you enjoyed them all. People enjoy different things. Are you one of those who believes everyone should like something because you do? Some people enjoy bodily harm. Does that mean EVERYONE has to? Or are you an Arena advocate using subliminals to defend Arena?
When I first started the Arena, with the monocolored beginner decks, I was matched against Teferi and Nexus decks after TWO games? Surely you cannot try to say those monocolors are good/competitive and enjoyable against such decks as Nexus then turn around and say "oh well better luck next time". It's delusional to think that a starter deck will have "better luck next time!" against Nexus or Teferi.
And if you want to have a personal go at me, my PM is always open and welcome.
I had the quest to "Play 20 Black spells". So I put in 20 Swamp and all the 1 cmc black creatures and cards like Disfigure, Bone Splinters etc I could find. NO RARES. No dual lands. I start and I ***** you not:
1st matchup: Temur Elementals
2nd Matchup: RDW
3rd Match: Espers.
Last match (needed 1 more black spell): RDW
Seems legit..lol
So you built a deck that was not designed to win and are complaining because the game didn't match you up against the NO other players who were trying to play a game with sub-precon level decks?
The game can only match up people who are actively looking for a game. It can't create opponents playing badly built common only decks for you.
The one turning this into a personal attack is you. Yes, I started out my comment using yours as an example, but went on to address the more prevalent trend I see happening in this sub-forum: complaints, particularly about matchmaking and mana issues.
No, you didn't have to. You could have played the other color in the mission, which you did not mention. You could have rerolled the mission. You could have played a different deck.
No, as you said everyone enjoys different things. Just because one person enjoys one thing does not mean everyone has to. My comment was more to the point of 'If you enjoy playing the deck, then play it regardless of the outcome.' You will win, you will lose, you will flood out, you will get mana screwed, you will get color screwed, you will curve out perfectly. That's all a part of the game. It happens at all levels and in all formats.
Good and enjoyable are both subjective. For me, good and enjoyable means that I was able to play Magic. Simple as that. So yes, I can say that a mono-color starter deck can have good and enjoyable matches against top tier decks.
In the end, MTG: Arena is a game. Games are meant to be enjoyed. If you aren't enjoying it, then perhaps it is not the game for you.
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Currently Playing:
Standard - Some kind of control
Modern - UB Mill (casual)
EDH - Meren's Grave Shenanigans
Worst day in recent memory. Maybe worst week. Im down to 70% in mythic. I had several days where I didn't make it to 15 wins at all.
I think I am 1 win for about 25 games right now. They are throwing everything but the kitchen sink at me. Went through various decks, never saw a Red deck once. Switched to RDW - all 5 opponents so far all Red.
I started playing MTG:Arena a week ago, and at first, when I had a match in "play" mode, I was against new players too, I think, as they had mostly cards from the starter decks.
Now, I'm still playing with mostly starter decks cards, and I often encounter people with cards that I have never seen, with very powerful cards, with planeswalkers (I don't have any planswalker currently)...
Isn't there any kind of matchmaking in the game to play against people with the same kind of experience or depth of library?
Currently Playing:
GBStandard - Golgari Safari MidrangeBG
RBWModern - Mardu PyromancerWBR
RLegacy - Good Old Fashioned BurnR
Clan Contest 3 Mafia - Mafia Co-MVP
Thanks for the answer.
You can literally fight RDW 5 times in a row, reach for a white lifegain deck, and never see red again. It's impossible to adjust to the day's meta, because you're always shifting depending on your deck.
1) The matchmaker looks at your deck.
2) The matchmaker will determine your deck's makeup and match you against the deck that is best able to counter everything you are doing.
3) If you do not have all the best cards, min/maxing your deck with every rare you need to optimize your outcome, you will be placed against someone who has that.
4) Once the match-up is determined, the matchmaker will shuffle your deck to provide the worst possible outcome (mana flooding, mana choking, wrong lands in multi-color decks, all high cost spells early on, etc.)
5) The matchmaker will give your opponent an optimal layout of hands and deck shuffling for perfect tempo and play optimization.
Enjoy!!
This made me actually laugh out loud and I thank you for that. Really though it seems like this happens far more often than it does because you will remember the games you got crushed but not the game where your opponent played two lands and scooped turn 5.
This.
And then match you against Teferi control or RDW, regardless of what you play, even if you ran 20 a no-rare no dual land, cluttered deck full of commons.
Then if you proceed to ask about the matchmaking issue on the Arena forums, be told to "git gud".
I think you remember these occurrences more BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY HAPPEN ALL THE TIME
1st matchup: Temur Elementals
2nd Matchup: RDW
3rd Match: Espers.
Last match (needed 1 more black spell): RDW
Seems legit..lol
Running up against several of the current high-performing/flavor of the day decks (RDW, Esper, Elementals) is going to happen more often than not, because they perform well. People use quickplay to get used to playing these decks, to be able to tune them the way they want to. If you want to play an off meta deck, go for it. No one is stopping you. Will it not perform as well as the meta ones? possibly, but that's the risk you take. My short list of decks I play: UW Mill, Temur Elementals, Sultai Yarok, RB Aggro, RDW, BW sacrifice, etc. I play them because they are fun, not because they are the most competitive. Complaining about matchmaking, complaining about mana issues, complaining in general to me sounds like entitlement because you're hidden behind a screen and not in an actual store playing Magic. My matches, since I've been lurking in here looking at these threads, have been an even split between mana flood, mana screw, and well paced. You know what? I enjoyed them all. Yeah, losing to mana issues sucks, but in the end it is a game that should be played to be enjoyed. If you aren't enjoying it, then why play? If you can't lose with grace (ie without casting blame) then why engage in something where there is an inherent chance of failure (and, by extension, a chance at repeat failure). There are two paths to take when losing: 'Yeah, I lost. Oh well. Better luck next time.' and 'I lost because of this/that/the other thing and am going to complain and let it ruin my enjoyment of the game.'
MTG: Arena is a game that is allowing more people access to the game of Magic than before. Naturally, these new players will gravitate towards the better decks because they aren't as familiar with the game (RDW being the easiest for most of them to put together and understand). If you don't like this, then maybe don't play in quickplay or ranked.
Standard - Some kind of control
Modern - UB Mill (casual)
EDH - Meren's Grave Shenanigans
LOLROFL
My post above yours, the one you started your post commenting on, I was merely STATING the matchups that did seem odd in the way of matching. After those games I got my 500 gold. I HAD to play 20 black spells to get the gold.
That's nice. I'm glad you enjoyed them all. People enjoy different things. Are you one of those who believes everyone should like something because you do? Some people enjoy bodily harm. Does that mean EVERYONE has to? Or are you an Arena advocate using subliminals to defend Arena?
When I first started the Arena, with the monocolored beginner decks, I was matched against Teferi and Nexus decks after TWO games? Surely you cannot try to say those monocolors are good/competitive and enjoyable against such decks as Nexus then turn around and say "oh well better luck next time". It's delusional to think that a starter deck will have "better luck next time!" against Nexus or Teferi.
And if you want to have a personal go at me, my PM is always open and welcome.
So you built a deck that was not designed to win and are complaining because the game didn't match you up against the NO other players who were trying to play a game with sub-precon level decks?
The game can only match up people who are actively looking for a game. It can't create opponents playing badly built common only decks for you.
No, you didn't have to. You could have played the other color in the mission, which you did not mention. You could have rerolled the mission. You could have played a different deck.
No, as you said everyone enjoys different things. Just because one person enjoys one thing does not mean everyone has to. My comment was more to the point of 'If you enjoy playing the deck, then play it regardless of the outcome.' You will win, you will lose, you will flood out, you will get mana screwed, you will get color screwed, you will curve out perfectly. That's all a part of the game. It happens at all levels and in all formats.
Good and enjoyable are both subjective. For me, good and enjoyable means that I was able to play Magic. Simple as that. So yes, I can say that a mono-color starter deck can have good and enjoyable matches against top tier decks.
In the end, MTG: Arena is a game. Games are meant to be enjoyed. If you aren't enjoying it, then perhaps it is not the game for you.
Standard - Some kind of control
Modern - UB Mill (casual)
EDH - Meren's Grave Shenanigans
I think I am 1 win for about 25 games right now. They are throwing everything but the kitchen sink at me. Went through various decks, never saw a Red deck once. Switched to RDW - all 5 opponents so far all Red.