[First of all, I had spent a long time typing this and accidentally reloaded the page, thus deleting what I had done. So, I'm going to give you the short version. If anyone wants more in depth, I will retype it. But I doubt you will]
I am visiting some out of state family this week and decided to go to the LGS for their Wednesday night Commander Game Night. I called the store before hand to ask about it and the guy told me it was very casual and they hadn't been doing it long. He said that there was no buy in and no prize payout and to just come to have fun.
So, I brought a few decks intending to play one that was fairly casual but could be matched to all but the most competitive of decks.
I got put into a three man pod with someone playing a newish Nekusar, the Mindrazer deck based on the precon. I was playing aforementioned casual deck with Aurelia, the Warleader as the commander. The last guy was playing a Rafiq of the Many deck that was getting hateful looks from quite a few people.
The Rafiq player spent his first turn cracking a fetch land to get a shock land to play an original Exploration Then, using that he had out rafiq and a Sword of Value and Protection equipped to him and killed me on turn four when I had no creatures out yet and only a few small utility artifacts. He then proceeded to mess around with his friend for twenty minutes instead of killing him and then they went for a smoke break.
That in itself didn't bother me a ton. I didn't bring my A-game and therefore got my butt handed to me. What did bother me though, was that he had a different deck out at first. He only brought out his 'big guns' when he saw that he was playing a new guy. He did all of this with a stereotypical jock 'this is my house' attitude that really rubbed me wrong. He very obviously just wanted to stomp a new guy in front of his friend to show off and try to establish some form of alpha nerd dominance over me.
I didn't say anything to him about it, but it really annoyed me. Was I wrong to be annoyed about this, or should I have brought out my big guns to try to show him up? I had been told that this was going to be casual then this try-hard just crushed me so he could have a goofball game with his buddy. Am I the one in the wrong? What would you have done here?
Well, I'm kind of a dick so I probably would have pulled out a stax or chaos deck and forced them into a 4 hour game where they couldn't play their decks at all. It sends a much stronger message then just pulling out a combo deck and curb stomping them in 4 turns.
Seriously though, sounds like you handled it like a mature, responsible adult so kudos to you. No need to get pulled into their little game of nerd self gratification.
Yeah, that was a bit of a dickish move. But play it cool. Use your better deck to beat him next time. Just beat him fair and square and he'll be the hotheaded one while you keep it cool. You went there to have fun and be casual. And if it's just him, can you just avoid him and play with the other players?
Well first off, calling someone an "alpha nerd" or try-hard doesn't help anyone out, even if it is just to a bunch of randoms on the internet. We all play the same game so in essence you're calling us all nerds too.
Anyway, I think you handled the situation nicely. Were I in your place, I'd just shrug and consider the night wasted. If I understood correctly, this isn't an LGS you'll be frequenting regularly so really it's the store's loss that they have a regular there that treats new potential customers that way. If you have the opportunity to go back, perhaps find a different store.
If I was playing with a new group and saw that someone deck swapped into a new, potentially tier 1 deck, I would swap to my best deck as well. I want to be on equal powerlevel with the group, not totally behind.
Cryogen, I see what you are saying about the alpha need comment. Sorry if that came across wrong, I meant no offense and in fact, proudly call myself a nerd.
My opinion on this topic is based on my own experience playing on MTGO a lot.
When I play my "fun" semi-competitive deck and get combo'd out, I bust out my stax or uber control deck for the next game, ideally in a game where the person who just KO'd me is one of the opponents. It's quite gratifying, really. Staxing out someone who just beat your fair deck is value.
Based on what you wrote, it seems like he was acting childish. Anyone would have been frustrated in that position. What did you do afterwards? Did you play another game with them? Play with someone else? Converse with them a little?
Personally, when entering new LGS/playgroups, I bring out heavy-control. (no stax, no MLD)
That way, I have a chance in every tier. (casual makes it archenemy, competitive makes me the police, either is fine)
Because bringing a battlecruiser casual deck can get to situations like yours, bringing out stax will only work when we talk about it beforehand, it's the same with combo, etc.
Usually when I play in a new group I take a look at the generals they are playing and base what I pick off of that. If I can't do that then I pick a mid range deck I have and see how it plays against them. If something like that happened to me then I would immediately pull out my most powerful deck and beat his face with it. Like target him out of the game, its kinda humiliating what he did to you and I wouldn't stand for that. Judging by the story though you didn't get a second game. But yea if you ever get back there then def show him the meaning of pain. You tired to be nice and he was an ass to you.
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I will be typing up deck lists as soon as I an be bothered, I really only play EDH:
I normally don't like to weigh in on stuff like this because we only hear one side of the story and can only go off the OPs post.
I will say that I think if you're playing in a new place with people you don't know I'd play a weaker deck and not expect to win. I wouldn't want to be the guy who came in and played way too strong a deck and ruined their game night.
If a new player came to my store and presented a deck that had a very powerful general. I wouldn't immediately go "Oh that's Kaalia. I have to play my best deck." I'd give them the benefit of the doubt and if they showed me they were playing something very ruthless, that is when I would put them on my short list of people/decks that I have to go all out against and play my best deck.
Well first off, calling someone an "alpha nerd" or try-hard doesn't help anyone out, even if it is just to a bunch of randoms on the internet. We all play the same game so in essence you're calling us all nerds too.
Not quite sure how this comment helps anyone out. We (MTG) are all, to some degree, nerds. And since there is nothing wrong with being a nerd anymore, I think it is socially acceptable to call it what it is. And last time I checked, some of the most successful and affluent people in the world are nerdy so I'll gladly stay the course and remain one proudly. People sometimes think that cliques end after high school but that is far from reality. They are even more so as you get older and buy a home in a neighborhood. There are definitely different levels of "cool" among my neighbors and just like in high school, I fit in well with that crowd. But when not with my family, I prefer spending evenings playing MTG over drinking beer with the neighbors. I prefer using my mind to build strategies and do so with like minded people than kill brain cells on someone's front porch (because the Lord knows I don't have enough left to spare).
As for how the original poster handled your situation - you did so correctly at the time. I might consider playing a strong deck during the first game. You can always scale back your strength by holding certain cards to match the level of the players you are with but have big guns if necessary for when someone pulls a move like this again. My advice to you would be this: Figure out how to not let things like this bother you. In the grand scheme of things, that game truly means nothing. Take the loss and move on. That person had to do that to help them sleep better at night and needed that assurance of their dominance on the playing field to make up for some lacking elsewhere in their life. By letting them get under your skin, you are helping your situation at all. Instead of being upset with that person, have pity on them that they need to do things like that to have self-worth. At the end of the day, it makes no difference the outcome of the game. What makes a difference is if you found someone to connect with and reconnect next time you are visiting that town. This game is all about meeting other people because the friends I've made while playing MTG far outweighs any outcome from any game I've ever had. You will not ever like 100% of the players you meet nor will you be liked by 100% of the players. But you can choose to not let the jerks out there affect you and you can choose to handle yourself politely when you do encounter them. It sounds like you've already mastered the latter and that is the more challenging one to master so congrats! I'd personally like to see and meet more polite players like yourself out there.
Sounds like the guy went out of his way to make the game unenjoyable for you without doing the same for the other guy at that table. That tells me that particular LGS has a clannish environment instead of a welcoming one, and is pretty much one you and pretty much anyone else should avoid. Try to figure that out next time you ever hit a new scene, and if you get a vibe like that again, pull out a stronger deck and play with that if you still want to get a feel for what they're like. As a friend said, how people react to the strength of your deck will tell you everything on whether you want to hang with them or not, so might as well bring one with some power behind it.
I don't see any issue with this "altercation". The guy beat you with a tuned deck while you were playing a casual deck. Was there something mentioned beforehand about power-level?
Also, because the guy has some big money cards in there, doesn't mean he is unbeatable. Pointing them out like you did makes you look whiny.
What's the point of the OP anyway? You lost a game at a new place. What advice can be given other than "ask to play another game" or "go somewhere else"?
I run into that kind of situation all the time - but I have some go-to decks as well. I wouldn't say that I seek out the "alpha-geek" or "fresh meat" players, but there are ways to respond. For me, that's usually my esper artifact deck that can lock anyone out in several ways. Yes, I pimped it out with original duals etc., but I never start a fight. I do like to finish them though
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I am visiting some out of state family this week and decided to go to the LGS for their Wednesday night Commander Game Night. I called the store before hand to ask about it and the guy told me it was very casual and they hadn't been doing it long. He said that there was no buy in and no prize payout and to just come to have fun.
So, I brought a few decks intending to play one that was fairly casual but could be matched to all but the most competitive of decks.
I got put into a three man pod with someone playing a newish Nekusar, the Mindrazer deck based on the precon. I was playing aforementioned casual deck with Aurelia, the Warleader as the commander. The last guy was playing a Rafiq of the Many deck that was getting hateful looks from quite a few people.
The Rafiq player spent his first turn cracking a fetch land to get a shock land to play an original Exploration Then, using that he had out rafiq and a Sword of Value and Protection equipped to him and killed me on turn four when I had no creatures out yet and only a few small utility artifacts. He then proceeded to mess around with his friend for twenty minutes instead of killing him and then they went for a smoke break.
That in itself didn't bother me a ton. I didn't bring my A-game and therefore got my butt handed to me. What did bother me though, was that he had a different deck out at first. He only brought out his 'big guns' when he saw that he was playing a new guy. He did all of this with a stereotypical jock 'this is my house' attitude that really rubbed me wrong. He very obviously just wanted to stomp a new guy in front of his friend to show off and try to establish some form of alpha nerd dominance over me.
I didn't say anything to him about it, but it really annoyed me. Was I wrong to be annoyed about this, or should I have brought out my big guns to try to show him up? I had been told that this was going to be casual then this try-hard just crushed me so he could have a goofball game with his buddy. Am I the one in the wrong? What would you have done here?
Marath, Will of the Wild Tokens!! / Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund Dragons! / Muzzio, Visionary Architect / Brago, King Eternal / Daretti, Scrap Savant / Narset, Enlightened Master / Alesha, Who Smiles at Death / Bruna, Light of Alabaster / Marchesa, the Black Rose / Iroas, God of Victory / Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury / Omnath, Locus of rage / Titania, Protector of Argoth / Kozilek, the Great Distortion
Modern
Elves / Titanshift / Merfolk
Seriously though, sounds like you handled it like a mature, responsible adult so kudos to you. No need to get pulled into their little game of nerd self gratification.
EDH Decks:
WUBOloro, Combo ControlWUB
UBOona Reanimator ComboUB
BRGProssh, Eater of the Blue MageBRG
UBRGrixis StormUBR
Rebuilding Jenara (stealyourstuff.dec)
Pauper Deck:
UBInspired SirenUB
Tooth and Nail
8 Rack
Mono Red Storm
Elves
R/G Tron
Anyway, I think you handled the situation nicely. Were I in your place, I'd just shrug and consider the night wasted. If I understood correctly, this isn't an LGS you'll be frequenting regularly so really it's the store's loss that they have a regular there that treats new potential customers that way. If you have the opportunity to go back, perhaps find a different store.
Misc. EDH Stuff: Commander Cube | Zombies (Horde)
Resources:Commander Rulings FAQ | Commander Deckbuilding Guide
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Building silly decks for silly games.
Marath, Will of the Wild Tokens!! / Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund Dragons! / Muzzio, Visionary Architect / Brago, King Eternal / Daretti, Scrap Savant / Narset, Enlightened Master / Alesha, Who Smiles at Death / Bruna, Light of Alabaster / Marchesa, the Black Rose / Iroas, God of Victory / Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury / Omnath, Locus of rage / Titania, Protector of Argoth / Kozilek, the Great Distortion
Modern
Elves / Titanshift / Merfolk
When I play my "fun" semi-competitive deck and get combo'd out, I bust out my stax or uber control deck for the next game, ideally in a game where the person who just KO'd me is one of the opponents. It's quite gratifying, really. Staxing out someone who just beat your fair deck is value.
EDH: Xenagos, God of Revels.
That way, I have a chance in every tier. (casual makes it archenemy, competitive makes me the police, either is fine)
Because bringing a battlecruiser casual deck can get to situations like yours, bringing out stax will only work when we talk about it beforehand, it's the same with combo, etc.
So yeah, my two cents right there.
[Primer] Kozilek, Butcher with Juice.
Thraximundar Control voltron
Darien, King of Dudes The swarm
Karador, Ghost ChieftainJunk graveyard
Erebos, God of the DeadMy BIG BLACK.......deck
Zedruu the kindhearted My take on Pristaxcontrombmodruu!
Roon of the Hidden Realm Bounce house
I will say that I think if you're playing in a new place with people you don't know I'd play a weaker deck and not expect to win. I wouldn't want to be the guy who came in and played way too strong a deck and ruined their game night.
If a new player came to my store and presented a deck that had a very powerful general. I wouldn't immediately go "Oh that's Kaalia. I have to play my best deck." I'd give them the benefit of the doubt and if they showed me they were playing something very ruthless, that is when I would put them on my short list of people/decks that I have to go all out against and play my best deck.
Not quite sure how this comment helps anyone out. We (MTG) are all, to some degree, nerds. And since there is nothing wrong with being a nerd anymore, I think it is socially acceptable to call it what it is. And last time I checked, some of the most successful and affluent people in the world are nerdy so I'll gladly stay the course and remain one proudly. People sometimes think that cliques end after high school but that is far from reality. They are even more so as you get older and buy a home in a neighborhood. There are definitely different levels of "cool" among my neighbors and just like in high school, I fit in well with that crowd. But when not with my family, I prefer spending evenings playing MTG over drinking beer with the neighbors. I prefer using my mind to build strategies and do so with like minded people than kill brain cells on someone's front porch (because the Lord knows I don't have enough left to spare).
As for how the original poster handled your situation - you did so correctly at the time. I might consider playing a strong deck during the first game. You can always scale back your strength by holding certain cards to match the level of the players you are with but have big guns if necessary for when someone pulls a move like this again. My advice to you would be this: Figure out how to not let things like this bother you. In the grand scheme of things, that game truly means nothing. Take the loss and move on. That person had to do that to help them sleep better at night and needed that assurance of their dominance on the playing field to make up for some lacking elsewhere in their life. By letting them get under your skin, you are helping your situation at all. Instead of being upset with that person, have pity on them that they need to do things like that to have self-worth. At the end of the day, it makes no difference the outcome of the game. What makes a difference is if you found someone to connect with and reconnect next time you are visiting that town. This game is all about meeting other people because the friends I've made while playing MTG far outweighs any outcome from any game I've ever had. You will not ever like 100% of the players you meet nor will you be liked by 100% of the players. But you can choose to not let the jerks out there affect you and you can choose to handle yourself politely when you do encounter them. It sounds like you've already mastered the latter and that is the more challenging one to master so congrats! I'd personally like to see and meet more polite players like yourself out there.
We do only have one side of the story though. Maybe OP could go a little more in depth about what happened.
Hidetsugu - Combo Damage
Ezuri - Elfball
Theorycrafting:
Selvala - "A hunter must hunt."
Selvala - Budget
Also, because the guy has some big money cards in there, doesn't mean he is unbeatable. Pointing them out like you did makes you look whiny.
What's the point of the OP anyway? You lost a game at a new place. What advice can be given other than "ask to play another game" or "go somewhere else"?
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