Here on our beloved R/x Aggro forum, we’ve got it made. We have top tier Red decklists, sideboard strategies, Twitch streaming, “What’s the Play” type puzzles, card evaluation discussions, tournament reports, as well as zemanjaski’s Bible on Red Deck – the official Primer and its companion article, Preparing For (And Playing) Competitive Events. What more could a group of Red Mages want? We have built a fortress of knowledge and a foundation for the future of Red in the current Standard.
However, we’re at a critical stage of development. In a few weeks Gatecrash (or Raped Gate, depending on what country you live in) will come out and undoubtedly change the current meta. And what will happen next, nobody knows for certain. But I do know one thing: we’ll all keep playing and we’ll all keep getting better.
But in a forum that’s seemingly full of everything we could ever need, what else could we possibly be lacking? Well for starters, we don’t have an article yet on Sportsmanlike Conduct and Etiquette. What rules govern the actions of a Red Mage? What do we do when we’re in a dick-showing pageant? To drink or not to drink? I, for one, feel that it’s been awhile since I’ve pulled my weight in our little forum here, so I hope to address these questions and more in my latest article.
So without further ado, let’s get our learn on!
Chapter 1: Overlooked Points of Sportsmanlike Conduct and Winning
(1) Good Luck
It used to make me feel awkward when my opponent would wish me “Good luck.” He or she would look at me waiting for a reply and I used to say “Good luck” right back. It always made me feel conflicted. Why do I want them to have good luck? I don’t. I want them to get mana screwed and lose to a flurry of burn spells and haste creatures. I want to win.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love playing a good game of Magic. Love it. However, at a tournament I want to win. And I want to win in any way that’s legal and honest. Whether luck is real or not, I don’t want my opponent to get “lucky.” I want them to flounder around helplessly while I pulverize them. Realizing this, I vowed to never say “Good luck” back to them. It makes me feel like a hypocrite when I do.
So aside from just giving the opponent a death-glare when he/she is obviously being friendly, what should you do to avoid coming off like Clubber Lang from Rocky 3? Simply say, “Thank you!” It’s the best possible course of action. Your opponent is wishing you luck and you reply with a “thanks.” This way, it’s a win-win. No hypocrisy, no hard feelings, and when you do win, you can always say you got lucky.
(2) Only Show Enough To Win
When I say to only show enough to win, it’s kind of two-fold. The first part is an obvious plan of good play, which I’m not apt to discuss here (since this isn’t a total strategy article), but you could take it as a lesson against overextending (which can cost you a game). What I mean here is when the game is over, it’s over. You won. Don’t show anything else. It’s like being in a dick-showing contest: be respectful and only show enough to win. You don’t want to humiliate your opponent.
Don’t know what I mean? Here’s an example:
I just swung in for the kill with a Hellrider. My opponent sadly shakes his head and scoops, telling me that if he had just drawn 1 of 4 Ultimate Prices in his deck, he could’ve bought himself another turn and (possibly) won. I laugh and fan out my hand to reveal a Thundermaw Hellkite, saying “What would you have done against this?” Then, to add insult to injury, I flip the top two cards of my deck to reveal another Hellrider and a Devil’s Play.
So what’s wrong with this? For one, it’s a dick move. I’ve won. The game’s over. I have nothing else to prove. There’s no point in revealing any more information to my opponent unless I deliberately want to demoralize him. Just take the win and move on.
Another thing is that if you have to play this guy again, you’ve just revealed to him critical information about your deck. Don’t do that. It could bite you in the ass. Simply say, “Thank you for playing. Good luck in the rest of the tournament.”
Wait- I just wished him good luck! Yes, I did. Just not in our game. See, now that you’ve won, you want your tie-breakers to be good. You want your opponents to win the rest of their games. It will help your standings should you lose any games. Also, following my advice, should you face him again in Top 8, you haven’t revealed any extra information about your deck.
(3) Good Game. You Mad, Bro???
Nothing irritates me more than getting blown out two games in a row and your opponent swiftly offers his hand and says,” Good game, dude!” I used to look at him with daggers in my eyes and refuse. Sometimes I would say something like, “Yeah, maybe for you.” And in some way, I could be considered right. But at the end of the day, what I just did was a dick move. There’s nothing wrong with being happy about winning. Especially when you blow out a seasoned player. Sometimes people get lucky. Get over it. It took me awhile to learn what to say. You know what you do? You don’t agree if it was a good game if you don’t feel like it was. What you do is shake this guy’s hand and say, “Good luck in the rest of the tournament.” Remember, you want your opponents to win all of their games (just not against you!). Tie-breakers can make or break your standings at a tournament.
The same thing works in reverse. If you blow someone out, don’t say “Good game.” You know damn well it wasn’t for him. And he knows it too. Just wish him good luck in his next game and thank him for playing. If you’re inclined to say some extra words of encouragement, go ahead, but I personally don’t. I don’t want to coddle my opponent. He lost, and he’ll get over it. I just don’t want to call something what it isn’t. A blowout is not a good game. But it’s a win.
On a side note, should your opponent blow you out and then show you the whole kielbasa in his hand pointing out that there was no way you could’ve won, here’s my advice: Don’t. Get. Mad. I usually just say, “Yep. You won. There’s no point in showing me anything else. Just take the win and blow out the next guy. Help my tie-breakers out.” More often than not, it’s not anything my opponent has heard before and he’ll say thanks before going to fill out the match-slip.
(4) The Pick-Up Game
Sometimes you blow a guy out and, even though you do and say everything right, he’s on tilt and wants to play you in a pick-up game. Sometimes he legitimately wants to play his deck some more, but more often than not he feels like he could’ve beaten you and wants to prove it. What do you do?
Well, do what you want. Since we play Red, oftentimes we have time to kill between Rounds and don’t have anything better to do. I personally would rather go fill the match-slip, call my woman, check on my friends’ games; anything than give somebody more chances to learn my deck. When I’m inclined and feel like teaching a newer player (such as in the early rounds of a tournament) I’ll oblige. Otherwise, I simply state that I really need to make a phone call.
If you must play, remember at this point, it doesn’t matter who wins or loses. If you pity the guy, make him feel better by throwing the pick-up game to get him off tilt. Remember, he needs to win his next game.
Chapter 2: The Legend of Drunken Master
For those that have never seen the two Jackie Chan movies about drunken martial arts, here’s all that you need to know: Jackie Chan is a kung-Fu extraordinaire that actually gets better when he drinks. The reason? His style is very fluid and is based on feel, and actually uses feints and wobbly motions that cause his opponents to continually underestimate him. Whether or not any of this is true, the films also present the style as one having pros and cons. For one, even though drinking can make one stronger when practicing Drunken Boxing, it can be consuming – much like going to the Dark Side of the Force. Once you start down the path, forever will it dominate your destiny. According to the films, practitioners of Drunken Boxing eventually become alcoholics and spend their final years in ruin due to the ill effects of alcohol. But, at the same time, the edge it brings in a fight is hard to ignore. Increased pain threshold? Rush of fighting energy? Fluid motion? Sign me up!
But why do I mention this? Because as Red Players, we already play a style that is easily underestimated. We also play by feeling and intuitiveness. And we, as passionate people, are mostly ready to pound a beer when compared to a U/W Player. I’m just saying.
The real question is, to drink or not to drink?
If you’re like me, you’ll spend all week working a day job or going to school, or both. You may have a family. You may even spend a lot of time doing serious playtesting. Most of these activities require you be sober. So when do you kick back? I choose to do this at casual FNMs. Think about it: it’s Friday night and you’re playing with a bunch of your friends, friends you may or may not have even seen all week. Sounds like a good time to kick back. Oh, and if you’re like me, alcohol makes you a better Red Player-
What? Did I really just say that? Yes, I’m saying this. I play Red better when drinking. This is nonnegotiable. It’s a fact.
But whether being a drunken Red Mage is for you, let me discuss a few key points.
(1) The LGS is (mostly) a no-drink zone.
Unless your LGS is also a bar, you won’t be able to bring alcoholic beverages inside. However, some store owners actually don’t mind if you partake in a beverage or two as long as:
(a) You’re of legal age.
(b) You keep it discreet. (Use an opaque cup)
(c) Your behavior is under control.
(d) You do NOT have it around children.
(e) You hold your booze. (As in, you don’t hurl outside in the bushes. Guilty.)
(f) You are able to drive home.
(g) You do not leave your empty cans or bottles lying around.
(h) You can still communicate clearly.
(i) You don’t talk about it.
(j) It doesn’t cause others to worry about you.
Granted, this may be a hefty list to be aware of, but it’s mostly common sense. Most store owners are adults that partake in a drink or two (some will do it with you), but they are also business owners with laws to follow and rules to uphold. Some will actually care about your well-being. But mostly, store owners are responsible for your behavior under their establishment, and they’re trusting that you don’t get them into any trouble.
(2) RTFC (Read The First Chapter)
Do you know why I’ve made it a point to observe some rules of conduct in competitive Magic? Because when drinking, it’s real easy to disregard rules of proper conduct and behave how you see fit. This is quite okay sober, but when drunk, it’s more of an exercise in training. Yes, you have to train yourself. Proper sportsmanlike conduct when drinking must become second nature; otherwise you run the risk of coming off as a buffoon. And guess what? Your drinking privileges will be revoked. Whether or not you play better means nothing if you act like a drunken jerk. Trust me on this.
(3) Enter the Matrix
But with all these rules about drinking, where the hell are all these benefits? Provided you can be a responsible drunken Red Mage and can be a true sport, I’ll explain it the best I can.
Remember in the Matrix when Neo discovers his true potential and saw everything for what it was?
Remember when Goku saw his best friend die and suddenly became the savior of his race and proceeded to kick the living snot out of Frieza?
Remember when Arnold threw down the gauntlet and suddenly went on the offensive to take down the Predator?
These are the only ways I can describe the benefits of drunken Red Magic.
When drinking, suddenly everything becomes fluid. When you have a consistent, aggressive, synergistic deck that screams attack, your decisions should become second nature. And it only gets easier as the Rounds progress. Why spend time overthinking? Your only goal is to (A) crush your enemies, (B) see them driven before you, and (C) to hear them lamentation of their women.
When everything becomes automatic and intuitive, then you are truly in the zone. I achieve this with booze. Some may argue with this, but it works for me. I know that my turn 1 play will be a land, 1-Drop, go. I know that my turn 2 play will be a 2-drop, attack with 1-drop, go. My deck is simple enough for me to play and it has one objective – to kill as quickly as possible.
Provided you’ve done your homework, your sideboarding should be second nature. Adjust your strategy accordingly. The whole point of drunken Red Magic is to effortlessly achieve a sense of unity and synchronicity with your deck that when playing, you’re not just piloting your deck – you’re utilizing your game skills and cards as if they were an extension of your body. You will take your opponent down. They will underestimate your drunken prowess, but you will win. And you will revel in their bewilderment.
And soon, you will hear the greatest compliment a (drunken) Red Mage will receive: “I got beat by some drunk guy that hit the nuts and beat me with a Red Deck.” They’ll think that you’re just some drunk guy that lucks out, but in reality you know your deck. You can play it as if it’s second nature. And when you drink, they’ll just underestimate you further while you tap into the inner goodness that alcohol provides.
(4) Is This For Real???
Defining the actual benefits of drinking and playing Magic are a slippery slope as there are really no ways to scientifically prove the actual benefits. I know what works for me and what has worked for other players. Yes, there are benefits. And undoubtedly there are cons to this way of play. For starters, here are some of the negative aspects:
(a) Possible hangover the next day.
(b) Inability to manage emotions.
(c) Inability to make well thought decisions.
(d) Costly lifestyle.
(e) Long-term ill health effects.
(f) Impaired judgment.
(g) Susceptible to strip-club outings.
Whatever it is you choose to do, always be responsible and always be a good sport when playing.
And now I’ll close this section out with some solid, all-around good advice on drinking from fellow [Fires of Salvation] Clan members.
Part of me wants to give you bad advice, but since I know it won't do any good anyway I'm going to give you some really good advice instead:
Once you start to feel it, slow the **** down! At the point that you're feeling it, more alcohol is already making its way into your system so you'll get a little more buzzed in the short term even if you stop drinking right then - if you keep going full bore, you're going to get drunk sick (the worst kind of sick) and spend the next day wishing you were dead.
Now, what's going to happen is that you're going to get buzzed, decide "**** it!", and start doing straight shots instead of listening to me.
Be sure to post up when that happens, okay?
++EDIT++ oh, and if you buddies try to get you to pour booze into any orifice besides your mouth, don't do it.
The best thing to do if you want to feel drunk fast is to suck down something strong quickly like a long island iced tea, or and Adious, then sip on a beer for a bit.
Where you **** up is when you kill the long island, don't feel anything and decide it's not working, then kill 3 more and then shotgun some beers. You'll go from sober to falling off of the floor, to rolling around in your own vomit within an hour, probably sooner.
Also, stay away from the 151.
Hope this helps.
Chapter 3: Don’t Talk Theory, Prove it.
On Friday night last week I played in a Modern FNM while loaning out my Standard Dos Rakis deck to a friend of mine to play in the Standard FNM in hopes of snagging my last two Searing Spear promos. Since I’m usually early at the LGS I always get to see the other players building decks and trying to make last minute trades to fully construct their masterpiece. On this night, I saw a guy trying to build a Mono Red Pyreheart deck and I thought I’d help him out or at least give him some good advice.
Since I thought I was talking to an open minded Red Mage I thought this would be a friendly conversation. Boy was I wrong. This guy argued incessantly with me over the value of Nightbird’s Clutches and Volcanic Strength. He called me a dumbass for insisting he play more than 1 Pillar of Flame main. He even said playing more than 3 Wolves was the worst idea he’s ever heard. And then, if you could imagine it, he said I was crazy to ever play a Red Deck with Hound of Griselbrand because Pillar was a real card. WTF??? Was I in the Twilight Zone? Besides, in his words, “Zombies aren’t a deck right now so there is never a need for Pillar of Flame.” Yet, “Hound of Griselbrand will just die immediately to Pillar of Flame.” If nobody is playing Pillar, then Hound should wreck all day!
Clearly this guy is a douche. But it didn’t matter. I was playing Modern. My friend would just have to deal with him. And he did. My friend beat him with Dos Rakis and took 3rd (claiming me my Spear!). I did pretty well in Modern and I also snagged another Spear through the hard work of another friend, who owed me from a trade made in his favor long ago.
So what’s the point of this story? Well, it’s not over yet. See, the next day after work, I went straight to our Legacy League and in the half hour before it started I constructed my Burn deck, modeled after P-Sully’s awesome Legacy list. Of course there were mouth-breathers watching me, asking a thousand questions as I built my deck. Questions like, “Where are your Vexing Devils?” “Why play Sulfuric Vortex?” “What do you do against Force of Will?” You’ll auto-lose to U/W Miracle-Top!”
Meh. I tried to explain the methods to my madness. I really tried. But, as usual, I was dismissed.
In the end, I went undefeated. I beat Merfolk. I beat U/W Countertop Miracles. I beat Black Thug Nasty. I laid waste to whatever was in my path (Thanks, P-Sully, for a great list for me to start with!!!).
So here’s the point. When all was said and done, I was asked what my record was in the event. I said I 2-0’d all of my matches and the guy said something I’ll remember forever. He said,” Dude, I’ll never question anything you ever say again. Because we always argue with you about theory and then you go out and prove it every time you come here!”
I must say, that’s the best thing I’ve ever heard.
And as we get better as Red Mages, this will be an obstacle that we will face from here on out: our knowledge will be leagues above what the rest will know. And we will face resistance. And at some point you just have to let them think what they will. But we, as Red Mages, must prove with our actions that we know our stuff. We will prove that our decks are not a “flash in the pan.”
Why bother arguing and getting aggressive? True, we will try to teach. And we always will. But in the end our results will speak for themselves. And whether you drink and play or curse Vexing Devil with your dying breath, the naysayers will have no choice but to listen when stand up triumphantly and take first place. After all, the act of winning is irrefutable evidence of our knowledge and skills. Let our results speak for themselves.
Conclusion:
As Red Mages, we face adversity all the time. We face it when the meta shifts. We face it when we’re losing. We face it with our lifestyle choices. We even face it with our deck selection and card evaluations. But at the end of the day, whether we’re winning or losing, we owe it to ourselves to stay true. We owe to our opponents to be good examples of good sports. As adults, we owe to others to prove we are responsible drinkers.
Sometimes, people don’t understand our choices in life or in our decks, but at the end of the day or at the end of the match, we prove to them we are all winners with our actions and words.
I don’t know exactly the full extent of what’s in store for Red when Gatecrash comes out, but when it comes, we’ll not only be ready with the knowledge we glean from our forum, but we’ll also be ready as players engaging in competition. Whether we’re winning or losing, we’ll be doing the right thing and spreading the gospel of Fire.
Dear Khaospawn, you and Zemanjaski make me really think about how few mountains I've played in my 18 years of MtG, and inspire me to consider taking up more fire-slinging. I suppose it's about dang time I stopped putting off fire-bending and make like the Avatar and master those elements. Thanks for the entertaining read.
...not only is the total number of players expanding very quickly, but at the same time a greater and greater number of those players are being pushed to only desire a small subset of the available cards. These combined forces drastically increase demand for those cards and cause the values of just those specific cards to often balloon out of proportion.
I always thought Farscape was about Phillip Fry finding himself on a spaceship with Delenn, Ivanova, Worf, and an unholy cross between ALF and Zachary Smith.
Encapsulating a ton of good stuff about being a Red Mage.
I thought I was the only guy who laughed out loud when people wish me Good Luck because I'll take that luck and inside I'm actually wishing them the worse luck possible.
Encapsulating a ton of good stuff about being a Red Mage.
I thought I was the only guy who laughed out loud when people wish me Good Luck because I'll take that luck and inside I'm actually wishing them the worse luck possible.
It was something I had to consider a week ago or two ago. I played in a tournament and had everyone wishing me a GG, but I really wasn't wishing them one. I don't want to wish them a GG. I want them to get blown out, lol.
AT the end of the day, "Thank you" is really the most neutral, yet positive, way of acknowledging your opponent. But deep down, that's a whole 'nother story.
On my first round of the FNM/Tournament I get all self-deprecating and tell my opponent he will probably beat me and I wish I were facing someone else game 1. I wish everyone good luck because it sucks when someone draws land 7 times in a row. I hate winning like that. But I always take advantage of every mana stumble, every trigger of ash zealot due to flashback, etc.
I have been practicing calling my triggers, saying combat phase, declare attackers, blockers, etc. Because when you decide to flash in your resto late I won't forgive and forget. I am not a dick, I am good natured but the # of the round I am increases, I am less and less forgiving.
I don't drink because there are too many alcoholics in my family (Dad, Sister). I mean, sure I will drink if I go on vacation in Cabo San Lucas but not heavily and not often. The rest of the year I have maybe a drink/month.
I am fine with Good Luck, Good Game, etc. I don't show my hand or reveal anything except BS hands like 6 land + Pillar. I don't draw cards from my library after deciding to Mull either. The math is the match, knowing that there just happened to be the right land on top of your library is not noteworthy. Play the odds.
I do like facing good players in the early rounds. It does help the tie breakers quite a bit.
You'll notice that in my feature match with Fax I responded to his "good luck, have fun" with "bad luck, don't have fun". Keep it classy people.
I still think that's the whole reason why you won
Great stuff so far, very curious to read what you have to say about alcohol. I've been missing my tequila lately, so if that and tapping mountains work well together I'm in for some good times.
I learned to never look at the top cards of the deck when I mull. It's like, I decided to mulligan and nothing is going to change that, y'know? Why tease myself over something that might've been. I've learned to be satisfied with my decision to mull in the first place.
I usually open up matches by saying "good luck." But that's more of a habit that crossed over from playing starcraft, where it's almost considered rude to not say anything at the start of a game.
Nice write up. Im glad you brought up these fine topics.
If you don't mind, ill follow up with a question.
How would I respond to a player (playing G/W) that I had 2 close games with? I felt that he was half feeling sorry and half flame baiting me. The exact words were "Aw, those were some close games. Thank God you were playing red." Its the same guy that I beat a week ago that was playing B/R aggro and remarked "that was some mindless swinging and burning" and refers to red decks as "burn monkeys".
To be honest I try not to let it bother me, but when its right after a game you lost, my red mage temper flares up.
Being courteous to fellow players is a habit of mine, since I got most of my cards from them for fairly cheap prices.
If my opponent gives me the "good luck" online I'll take the 2 seconds to right click->"Hello and Good Luck" back to them but I almost never initiate the GLs. Not because I'm a jerk, more because I'm being lazy
Nice write up. Im glad you brought up these fine topics.
If you don't mind, ill follow up with a question.
How would I respond to a player (playing G/W) that I had 2 close games with? I felt that he was half feeling sorry and half flame baiting me. The exact words were "Aw, those were some close games. Thank God you were playing red." Its the same guy that I beat a week ago that was playing B/R aggro and remarked "that was some mindless swinging and burning" and refers to red decks as "burn monkeys".
To be honest I try not to let it bother me, but when its right after a game you lost, my red mage temper flares up.
Being courteous to fellow players is a habit of mine, since I got most of my cards from them for fairly cheap prices.
He was being a dbag, whether he knows it or not. You can passively be a dbag back at him, build a stronger matchup against that deck, or just remark that GW is a bad matchup for you, even if with your particular deck it's not that bad.
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Khaos, remarkable resource piece; thanks for your efforts.
If you don't mind, I'm going to cut-n-paste it to make a kid-friendly version to share at my LGS (with props to you naturally). I was alternately LMAO and nodding in acceptance of your treatment of "Alcohol Burner Style" and will invite my son to read through the whole piece, but your discussion of manners and sportsmanship is just about as spot-on as I've ever seen. We have a number of younger players who could stand to get a little guidance, and I think your spin on gamesmanship is just about perfect.
As to the "GL" issue, I learned to play verbal politics back in the day and can spin almost anything to a non-partisan neutral. My response to a wish of "Good luck" before a match is "Luck to you as well!" with a smile. Note I don't qualify the type of luck, and with such leeway I'm more than happy to respond.
Nice write up. Im glad you brought up these fine topics.
If you don't mind, ill follow up with a question.
How would I respond to a player (playing G/W) that I had 2 close games with? I felt that he was half feeling sorry and half flame baiting me. The exact words were "Aw, those were some close games. Thank God you were playing red." Its the same guy that I beat a week ago that was playing B/R aggro and remarked "that was some mindless swinging and burning" and refers to red decks as "burn monkeys".
To be honest I try not to let it bother me, but when its right after a game you lost, my red mage temper flares up.
Being courteous to fellow players is a habit of mine, since I got most of my cards from them for fairly cheap prices.
Sometimes people are just dense and don't realize that what they say or how they say things after a game can affect somebody's mood. With that said, this guy obviously thinks less of Mono Red and its pilots; he's probably just being a douche. In either case, I'd probably just agree that it was some pretty close games (if it really was) and tell him to go kick the next guy's ass.
Ain't gonna lie, my temper has been known to flare up after a losing game. Especially when my opponent says something douchey afterwards. Best thing to do I've learned is to just quickly fill the match-slip and go outside for some fresh air. 9 times out of 10, I'll check my Facebook or see what's going on in the Clan Thread - anything to get my mind off the last game and recenter myself for the next. Then I calmly walk to my car and grab a beer....
Khaos, remarkable resource piece; thanks for your efforts.
If you don't mind, I'm going to cut-n-paste it to make a kid-friendly version to share at my LGS (with props to you naturally). I was alternately LMAO and nodding in acceptance of your treatment of "Alcohol Burner Style" and will invite my son to read through the whole piece, but your discussion of manners and sportsmanship is just about as spot-on as I've ever seen. We have a number of younger players who could stand to get a little guidance, and I think your spin on gamesmanship is just about perfect.
As to the "GL" issue, I learned to play verbal politics back in the day and can spin almost anything to a non-partisan neutral. My response to a wish of "Good luck" before a match is "Luck to you as well!" with a smile. Note I don't qualify the type of luck, and with such leeway I'm more than happy to respond.
Thanks, man! Cut-n-paste away; I'd love for this to go on and help out anybody else that's not on MTGS (I even put out a link on Facebook to this article XD).
redthirst is redthirst, fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse. He was the leader of the Fires of Salvation, the only clan I'm aware of to get modded off the forums so hard they made their own forums.
Degenerate? Sure. Loudmouth? You bet. Law abiding? No ****ing way.
1) I feel that it's never a bad idea to wish somebody good luck in a game where chance (shuffling, dice rolls, coin flips, topdecks) are prevalent. That, and it's a common saying in our culture.
Now, If I've blown somebody out then I try to be a sheepish as possible and will downplay my deck as much as possible. I cannot stress how much I hate gloating, smugness, or anything of the sort. But I'm always careful to not go so far as to make it sound like I got lucky. That can always make matters worse.
2) Nothing is more hilarious to me than when people fan out their hand and/or flip a few cards off the top of their deck after a game, while still in a match... win or lose, you've just given me more info than I'll ever give you.
I will, however, go over my deck with somebody after a match, if I can go over theirs, too. Who knows if I'll have to fight them in top8.
Side note: I have no problem being a hoverer, but will shield my cards against hoverers. Luckily being Mono-R I'm done very quickly and get to run recon earlier than most.
3) I'm very very guilty of being salty after a loss, especially if it's one I categorize as a "bad beat". I love well contested matches... not ones where I get mana screwed/flooded, etc. I am known for using the response of "I wish I could agree with you" when told "good games" by the victor. Yeah, it's pure salt.
To add to that, I feel it's a dick move to show me your hand if you've just blown me out, too. Even worse is when you explain to me what worse thing was going to happen or could have... dude/dudette you just beat me, whatever you did was enough to beat me and anything you add is insulting.
4) Love pick-ups. The aforementioned speed in which our decks win or lose with make us have very long wait times in between matches... and I can only tolerate so many smokes between them. I love playing one of the other decks I brought for playtesting.
Chpt. 2
I don't drink while doing anything slightly competitive. My bowling alley has a full bar, and I love gin... I can hear that stuff calling me... but I refuse to alter my mind while in battle. Now if we set out to play said competitive activity drunk as a rule, then bombs away.
To each their own, though, as half my store wreaks of sandwiches when they come in between rounds so... (if you need help on that reference watch How I Met Your Mother).
Chpt. 3
I'll just say this; Reverberate. And, with that said you'll know that I don't offer any deck advice to very many people, unless it's a glaringly obvious beneficial change.
Great article! I don't really see a problem with wishing my opponents good luck, but that probably has to do with the fact that my LGS has great guys in it. Can't say anything about the drinking, seeing as I am not Legal age yet, but it was entertaining nevertheless.
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Here on our beloved R/x Aggro forum, we’ve got it made. We have top tier Red decklists, sideboard strategies, Twitch streaming, “What’s the Play” type puzzles, card evaluation discussions, tournament reports, as well as zemanjaski’s Bible on Red Deck – the official Primer and its companion article, Preparing For (And Playing) Competitive Events. What more could a group of Red Mages want? We have built a fortress of knowledge and a foundation for the future of Red in the current Standard.
However, we’re at a critical stage of development. In a few weeks Gatecrash (or Raped Gate, depending on what country you live in) will come out and undoubtedly change the current meta. And what will happen next, nobody knows for certain. But I do know one thing: we’ll all keep playing and we’ll all keep getting better.
But in a forum that’s seemingly full of everything we could ever need, what else could we possibly be lacking? Well for starters, we don’t have an article yet on Sportsmanlike Conduct and Etiquette. What rules govern the actions of a Red Mage? What do we do when we’re in a dick-showing pageant? To drink or not to drink? I, for one, feel that it’s been awhile since I’ve pulled my weight in our little forum here, so I hope to address these questions and more in my latest article.
So without further ado, let’s get our learn on!
Chapter 1: Overlooked Points of Sportsmanlike Conduct and Winning
(1) Good Luck
It used to make me feel awkward when my opponent would wish me “Good luck.” He or she would look at me waiting for a reply and I used to say “Good luck” right back. It always made me feel conflicted. Why do I want them to have good luck? I don’t. I want them to get mana screwed and lose to a flurry of burn spells and haste creatures. I want to win.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love playing a good game of Magic. Love it. However, at a tournament I want to win. And I want to win in any way that’s legal and honest. Whether luck is real or not, I don’t want my opponent to get “lucky.” I want them to flounder around helplessly while I pulverize them. Realizing this, I vowed to never say “Good luck” back to them. It makes me feel like a hypocrite when I do.
So aside from just giving the opponent a death-glare when he/she is obviously being friendly, what should you do to avoid coming off like Clubber Lang from Rocky 3? Simply say, “Thank you!” It’s the best possible course of action. Your opponent is wishing you luck and you reply with a “thanks.” This way, it’s a win-win. No hypocrisy, no hard feelings, and when you do win, you can always say you got lucky.
(2) Only Show Enough To Win
When I say to only show enough to win, it’s kind of two-fold. The first part is an obvious plan of good play, which I’m not apt to discuss here (since this isn’t a total strategy article), but you could take it as a lesson against overextending (which can cost you a game). What I mean here is when the game is over, it’s over. You won. Don’t show anything else. It’s like being in a dick-showing contest: be respectful and only show enough to win. You don’t want to humiliate your opponent.
Don’t know what I mean? Here’s an example:
I just swung in for the kill with a Hellrider. My opponent sadly shakes his head and scoops, telling me that if he had just drawn 1 of 4 Ultimate Prices in his deck, he could’ve bought himself another turn and (possibly) won. I laugh and fan out my hand to reveal a Thundermaw Hellkite, saying “What would you have done against this?” Then, to add insult to injury, I flip the top two cards of my deck to reveal another Hellrider and a Devil’s Play.
So what’s wrong with this? For one, it’s a dick move. I’ve won. The game’s over. I have nothing else to prove. There’s no point in revealing any more information to my opponent unless I deliberately want to demoralize him. Just take the win and move on.
Another thing is that if you have to play this guy again, you’ve just revealed to him critical information about your deck. Don’t do that. It could bite you in the ass. Simply say, “Thank you for playing. Good luck in the rest of the tournament.”
Wait- I just wished him good luck! Yes, I did. Just not in our game. See, now that you’ve won, you want your tie-breakers to be good. You want your opponents to win the rest of their games. It will help your standings should you lose any games. Also, following my advice, should you face him again in Top 8, you haven’t revealed any extra information about your deck.
(3) Good Game. You Mad, Bro???
Nothing irritates me more than getting blown out two games in a row and your opponent swiftly offers his hand and says,” Good game, dude!” I used to look at him with daggers in my eyes and refuse. Sometimes I would say something like, “Yeah, maybe for you.” And in some way, I could be considered right. But at the end of the day, what I just did was a dick move. There’s nothing wrong with being happy about winning. Especially when you blow out a seasoned player. Sometimes people get lucky. Get over it. It took me awhile to learn what to say. You know what you do? You don’t agree if it was a good game if you don’t feel like it was. What you do is shake this guy’s hand and say, “Good luck in the rest of the tournament.” Remember, you want your opponents to win all of their games (just not against you!). Tie-breakers can make or break your standings at a tournament.
The same thing works in reverse. If you blow someone out, don’t say “Good game.” You know damn well it wasn’t for him. And he knows it too. Just wish him good luck in his next game and thank him for playing. If you’re inclined to say some extra words of encouragement, go ahead, but I personally don’t. I don’t want to coddle my opponent. He lost, and he’ll get over it. I just don’t want to call something what it isn’t. A blowout is not a good game. But it’s a win.
On a side note, should your opponent blow you out and then show you the whole kielbasa in his hand pointing out that there was no way you could’ve won, here’s my advice: Don’t. Get. Mad. I usually just say, “Yep. You won. There’s no point in showing me anything else. Just take the win and blow out the next guy. Help my tie-breakers out.” More often than not, it’s not anything my opponent has heard before and he’ll say thanks before going to fill out the match-slip.
(4) The Pick-Up Game
Sometimes you blow a guy out and, even though you do and say everything right, he’s on tilt and wants to play you in a pick-up game. Sometimes he legitimately wants to play his deck some more, but more often than not he feels like he could’ve beaten you and wants to prove it. What do you do?
Well, do what you want. Since we play Red, oftentimes we have time to kill between Rounds and don’t have anything better to do. I personally would rather go fill the match-slip, call my woman, check on my friends’ games; anything than give somebody more chances to learn my deck. When I’m inclined and feel like teaching a newer player (such as in the early rounds of a tournament) I’ll oblige. Otherwise, I simply state that I really need to make a phone call.
If you must play, remember at this point, it doesn’t matter who wins or loses. If you pity the guy, make him feel better by throwing the pick-up game to get him off tilt. Remember, he needs to win his next game.
Chapter 2: The Legend of Drunken Master
For those that have never seen the two Jackie Chan movies about drunken martial arts, here’s all that you need to know: Jackie Chan is a kung-Fu extraordinaire that actually gets better when he drinks. The reason? His style is very fluid and is based on feel, and actually uses feints and wobbly motions that cause his opponents to continually underestimate him. Whether or not any of this is true, the films also present the style as one having pros and cons. For one, even though drinking can make one stronger when practicing Drunken Boxing, it can be consuming – much like going to the Dark Side of the Force. Once you start down the path, forever will it dominate your destiny. According to the films, practitioners of Drunken Boxing eventually become alcoholics and spend their final years in ruin due to the ill effects of alcohol. But, at the same time, the edge it brings in a fight is hard to ignore. Increased pain threshold? Rush of fighting energy? Fluid motion? Sign me up!
But why do I mention this? Because as Red Players, we already play a style that is easily underestimated. We also play by feeling and intuitiveness. And we, as passionate people, are mostly ready to pound a beer when compared to a U/W Player. I’m just saying.
The real question is, to drink or not to drink?
If you’re like me, you’ll spend all week working a day job or going to school, or both. You may have a family. You may even spend a lot of time doing serious playtesting. Most of these activities require you be sober. So when do you kick back? I choose to do this at casual FNMs. Think about it: it’s Friday night and you’re playing with a bunch of your friends, friends you may or may not have even seen all week. Sounds like a good time to kick back. Oh, and if you’re like me, alcohol makes you a better Red Player-
What? Did I really just say that? Yes, I’m saying this. I play Red better when drinking. This is nonnegotiable. It’s a fact.
But whether being a drunken Red Mage is for you, let me discuss a few key points.
(1) The LGS is (mostly) a no-drink zone.
Unless your LGS is also a bar, you won’t be able to bring alcoholic beverages inside. However, some store owners actually don’t mind if you partake in a beverage or two as long as:
(a) You’re of legal age.
(b) You keep it discreet. (Use an opaque cup)
(c) Your behavior is under control.
(d) You do NOT have it around children.
(e) You hold your booze. (As in, you don’t hurl outside in the bushes. Guilty.)
(f) You are able to drive home.
(g) You do not leave your empty cans or bottles lying around.
(h) You can still communicate clearly.
(i) You don’t talk about it.
(j) It doesn’t cause others to worry about you.
Granted, this may be a hefty list to be aware of, but it’s mostly common sense. Most store owners are adults that partake in a drink or two (some will do it with you), but they are also business owners with laws to follow and rules to uphold. Some will actually care about your well-being. But mostly, store owners are responsible for your behavior under their establishment, and they’re trusting that you don’t get them into any trouble.
(2) RTFC (Read The First Chapter)
Do you know why I’ve made it a point to observe some rules of conduct in competitive Magic? Because when drinking, it’s real easy to disregard rules of proper conduct and behave how you see fit. This is quite okay sober, but when drunk, it’s more of an exercise in training. Yes, you have to train yourself. Proper sportsmanlike conduct when drinking must become second nature; otherwise you run the risk of coming off as a buffoon. And guess what? Your drinking privileges will be revoked. Whether or not you play better means nothing if you act like a drunken jerk. Trust me on this.
(3) Enter the Matrix
But with all these rules about drinking, where the hell are all these benefits? Provided you can be a responsible drunken Red Mage and can be a true sport, I’ll explain it the best I can.
Remember in the Matrix when Neo discovers his true potential and saw everything for what it was?
Remember when Goku saw his best friend die and suddenly became the savior of his race and proceeded to kick the living snot out of Frieza?
Remember when Arnold threw down the gauntlet and suddenly went on the offensive to take down the Predator?
These are the only ways I can describe the benefits of drunken Red Magic.
When drinking, suddenly everything becomes fluid. When you have a consistent, aggressive, synergistic deck that screams attack, your decisions should become second nature. And it only gets easier as the Rounds progress. Why spend time overthinking? Your only goal is to (A) crush your enemies, (B) see them driven before you, and (C) to hear them lamentation of their women.
When everything becomes automatic and intuitive, then you are truly in the zone. I achieve this with booze. Some may argue with this, but it works for me. I know that my turn 1 play will be a land, 1-Drop, go. I know that my turn 2 play will be a 2-drop, attack with 1-drop, go. My deck is simple enough for me to play and it has one objective – to kill as quickly as possible.
Provided you’ve done your homework, your sideboarding should be second nature. Adjust your strategy accordingly. The whole point of drunken Red Magic is to effortlessly achieve a sense of unity and synchronicity with your deck that when playing, you’re not just piloting your deck – you’re utilizing your game skills and cards as if they were an extension of your body. You will take your opponent down. They will underestimate your drunken prowess, but you will win. And you will revel in their bewilderment.
And soon, you will hear the greatest compliment a (drunken) Red Mage will receive: “I got beat by some drunk guy that hit the nuts and beat me with a Red Deck.” They’ll think that you’re just some drunk guy that lucks out, but in reality you know your deck. You can play it as if it’s second nature. And when you drink, they’ll just underestimate you further while you tap into the inner goodness that alcohol provides.
(4) Is This For Real???
Defining the actual benefits of drinking and playing Magic are a slippery slope as there are really no ways to scientifically prove the actual benefits. I know what works for me and what has worked for other players. Yes, there are benefits. And undoubtedly there are cons to this way of play. For starters, here are some of the negative aspects:
(a) Possible hangover the next day.
(b) Inability to manage emotions.
(c) Inability to make well thought decisions.
(d) Costly lifestyle.
(e) Long-term ill health effects.
(f) Impaired judgment.
(g) Susceptible to strip-club outings.
Whatever it is you choose to do, always be responsible and always be a good sport when playing.
And now I’ll close this section out with some solid, all-around good advice on drinking from fellow [Fires of Salvation] Clan members.
Hope this helps.
Chapter 3: Don’t Talk Theory, Prove it.
On Friday night last week I played in a Modern FNM while loaning out my Standard Dos Rakis deck to a friend of mine to play in the Standard FNM in hopes of snagging my last two Searing Spear promos. Since I’m usually early at the LGS I always get to see the other players building decks and trying to make last minute trades to fully construct their masterpiece. On this night, I saw a guy trying to build a Mono Red Pyreheart deck and I thought I’d help him out or at least give him some good advice.
Since I thought I was talking to an open minded Red Mage I thought this would be a friendly conversation. Boy was I wrong. This guy argued incessantly with me over the value of Nightbird’s Clutches and Volcanic Strength. He called me a dumbass for insisting he play more than 1 Pillar of Flame main. He even said playing more than 3 Wolves was the worst idea he’s ever heard. And then, if you could imagine it, he said I was crazy to ever play a Red Deck with Hound of Griselbrand because Pillar was a real card. WTF??? Was I in the Twilight Zone? Besides, in his words, “Zombies aren’t a deck right now so there is never a need for Pillar of Flame.” Yet, “Hound of Griselbrand will just die immediately to Pillar of Flame.” If nobody is playing Pillar, then Hound should wreck all day!
Clearly this guy is a douche. But it didn’t matter. I was playing Modern. My friend would just have to deal with him. And he did. My friend beat him with Dos Rakis and took 3rd (claiming me my Spear!). I did pretty well in Modern and I also snagged another Spear through the hard work of another friend, who owed me from a trade made in his favor long ago.
So what’s the point of this story? Well, it’s not over yet. See, the next day after work, I went straight to our Legacy League and in the half hour before it started I constructed my Burn deck, modeled after P-Sully’s awesome Legacy list. Of course there were mouth-breathers watching me, asking a thousand questions as I built my deck. Questions like, “Where are your Vexing Devils?” “Why play Sulfuric Vortex?” “What do you do against Force of Will?” You’ll auto-lose to U/W Miracle-Top!”
Meh. I tried to explain the methods to my madness. I really tried. But, as usual, I was dismissed.
In the end, I went undefeated. I beat Merfolk. I beat U/W Countertop Miracles. I beat Black Thug Nasty. I laid waste to whatever was in my path (Thanks, P-Sully, for a great list for me to start with!!!).
So here’s the point. When all was said and done, I was asked what my record was in the event. I said I 2-0’d all of my matches and the guy said something I’ll remember forever. He said,” Dude, I’ll never question anything you ever say again. Because we always argue with you about theory and then you go out and prove it every time you come here!”
I must say, that’s the best thing I’ve ever heard.
And as we get better as Red Mages, this will be an obstacle that we will face from here on out: our knowledge will be leagues above what the rest will know. And we will face resistance. And at some point you just have to let them think what they will. But we, as Red Mages, must prove with our actions that we know our stuff. We will prove that our decks are not a “flash in the pan.”
Why bother arguing and getting aggressive? True, we will try to teach. And we always will. But in the end our results will speak for themselves. And whether you drink and play or curse Vexing Devil with your dying breath, the naysayers will have no choice but to listen when stand up triumphantly and take first place. After all, the act of winning is irrefutable evidence of our knowledge and skills. Let our results speak for themselves.
Conclusion:
As Red Mages, we face adversity all the time. We face it when the meta shifts. We face it when we’re losing. We face it with our lifestyle choices. We even face it with our deck selection and card evaluations. But at the end of the day, whether we’re winning or losing, we owe it to ourselves to stay true. We owe to our opponents to be good examples of good sports. As adults, we owe to others to prove we are responsible drinkers.
Sometimes, people don’t understand our choices in life or in our decks, but at the end of the day or at the end of the match, we prove to them we are all winners with our actions and words.
I don’t know exactly the full extent of what’s in store for Red when Gatecrash comes out, but when it comes, we’ll not only be ready with the knowledge we glean from our forum, but we’ll also be ready as players engaging in competition. Whether we’re winning or losing, we’ll be doing the right thing and spreading the gospel of Fire.
LOL...
Modern: Jund Legacy: RUG Delver EDH: Captain Sisay
I thought I was the only guy who laughed out loud when people wish me Good Luck because I'll take that luck and inside I'm actually wishing them the worse luck possible.
It was something I had to consider a week ago or two ago. I played in a tournament and had everyone wishing me a GG, but I really wasn't wishing them one. I don't want to wish them a GG. I want them to get blown out, lol.
AT the end of the day, "Thank you" is really the most neutral, yet positive, way of acknowledging your opponent. But deep down, that's a whole 'nother story.
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That just made my day.
On my first round of the FNM/Tournament I get all self-deprecating and tell my opponent he will probably beat me and I wish I were facing someone else game 1. I wish everyone good luck because it sucks when someone draws land 7 times in a row. I hate winning like that. But I always take advantage of every mana stumble, every trigger of ash zealot due to flashback, etc.
I have been practicing calling my triggers, saying combat phase, declare attackers, blockers, etc. Because when you decide to flash in your resto late I won't forgive and forget. I am not a dick, I am good natured but the # of the round I am increases, I am less and less forgiving.
I don't drink because there are too many alcoholics in my family (Dad, Sister). I mean, sure I will drink if I go on vacation in Cabo San Lucas but not heavily and not often. The rest of the year I have maybe a drink/month.
I am fine with Good Luck, Good Game, etc. I don't show my hand or reveal anything except BS hands like 6 land + Pillar. I don't draw cards from my library after deciding to Mull either. The math is the match, knowing that there just happened to be the right land on top of your library is not noteworthy. Play the odds.
I do like facing good players in the early rounds. It does help the tie breakers quite a bit.
I still think that's the whole reason why you won
Great stuff so far, very curious to read what you have to say about alcohol. I've been missing my tequila lately, so if that and tapping mountains work well together I'm in for some good times.
R Reach out and torch someone R
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Now I'll be pouring myself a Jamie & ginger while tooling around with deck ideas.
If you don't mind, ill follow up with a question.
How would I respond to a player (playing G/W) that I had 2 close games with? I felt that he was half feeling sorry and half flame baiting me. The exact words were "Aw, those were some close games. Thank God you were playing red." Its the same guy that I beat a week ago that was playing B/R aggro and remarked "that was some mindless swinging and burning" and refers to red decks as "burn monkeys".
To be honest I try not to let it bother me, but when its right after a game you lost, my red mage temper flares up.
Being courteous to fellow players is a habit of mine, since I got most of my cards from them for fairly cheap prices.
He was being a dbag, whether he knows it or not. You can passively be a dbag back at him, build a stronger matchup against that deck, or just remark that GW is a bad matchup for you, even if with your particular deck it's not that bad.
Fires :symr:f Salvation
If you don't mind, I'm going to cut-n-paste it to make a kid-friendly version to share at my LGS (with props to you naturally). I was alternately LMAO and nodding in acceptance of your treatment of "Alcohol Burner Style" and will invite my son to read through the whole piece, but your discussion of manners and sportsmanship is just about as spot-on as I've ever seen. We have a number of younger players who could stand to get a little guidance, and I think your spin on gamesmanship is just about perfect.
As to the "GL" issue, I learned to play verbal politics back in the day and can spin almost anything to a non-partisan neutral. My response to a wish of "Good luck" before a match is "Luck to you as well!" with a smile. Note I don't qualify the type of luck, and with such leeway I'm more than happy to respond.
Sometimes people are just dense and don't realize that what they say or how they say things after a game can affect somebody's mood. With that said, this guy obviously thinks less of Mono Red and its pilots; he's probably just being a douche. In either case, I'd probably just agree that it was some pretty close games (if it really was) and tell him to go kick the next guy's ass.
Ain't gonna lie, my temper has been known to flare up after a losing game. Especially when my opponent says something douchey afterwards. Best thing to do I've learned is to just quickly fill the match-slip and go outside for some fresh air. 9 times out of 10, I'll check my Facebook or see what's going on in the Clan Thread - anything to get my mind off the last game and recenter myself for the next. Then I calmly walk to my car and grab a beer....
Thanks, man! Cut-n-paste away; I'd love for this to go on and help out anybody else that's not on MTGS (I even put out a link on Facebook to this article XD).
Competitive Magic and Dick Showing Competitions - the goal is to win, but the point is to prove who's the bigger man.
—Jaya Ballard, task mage
A few comments:
Chpt. 1
1) I feel that it's never a bad idea to wish somebody good luck in a game where chance (shuffling, dice rolls, coin flips, topdecks) are prevalent. That, and it's a common saying in our culture.
Now, If I've blown somebody out then I try to be a sheepish as possible and will downplay my deck as much as possible. I cannot stress how much I hate gloating, smugness, or anything of the sort. But I'm always careful to not go so far as to make it sound like I got lucky. That can always make matters worse.
2) Nothing is more hilarious to me than when people fan out their hand and/or flip a few cards off the top of their deck after a game, while still in a match... win or lose, you've just given me more info than I'll ever give you.
I will, however, go over my deck with somebody after a match, if I can go over theirs, too. Who knows if I'll have to fight them in top8.
Side note: I have no problem being a hoverer, but will shield my cards against hoverers. Luckily being Mono-R I'm done very quickly and get to run recon earlier than most.
3) I'm very very guilty of being salty after a loss, especially if it's one I categorize as a "bad beat". I love well contested matches... not ones where I get mana screwed/flooded, etc. I am known for using the response of "I wish I could agree with you" when told "good games" by the victor. Yeah, it's pure salt.
To add to that, I feel it's a dick move to show me your hand if you've just blown me out, too. Even worse is when you explain to me what worse thing was going to happen or could have... dude/dudette you just beat me, whatever you did was enough to beat me and anything you add is insulting.
4) Love pick-ups. The aforementioned speed in which our decks win or lose with make us have very long wait times in between matches... and I can only tolerate so many smokes between them. I love playing one of the other decks I brought for playtesting.
Chpt. 2
I don't drink while doing anything slightly competitive. My bowling alley has a full bar, and I love gin... I can hear that stuff calling me... but I refuse to alter my mind while in battle. Now if we set out to play said competitive activity drunk as a rule, then bombs away.
To each their own, though, as half my store wreaks of sandwiches when they come in between rounds so... (if you need help on that reference watch How I Met Your Mother).
Chpt. 3
I'll just say this; Reverberate. And, with that said you'll know that I don't offer any deck advice to very many people, unless it's a glaringly obvious beneficial change.
Fires Of Salvation
Must Read Post for any new player!