- MercurioBlue
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Jan 5, 2014MercurioBlue posted a message on 1/3/14 Wrong Way (FNM Theros Draft 2-1)Ha, the biggest complaint I have about the LGS is that half the people at FNM are junior high kids who barely understand the rules of the game, let alone what's necessary to make a good draft deck. That night I just happened to be at the table with mostly older kids who know that gold symbol != valuable or playable.Posted in: MercurioBlue Blog
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This is what I drafted:
1 Disowned Ancestor
1 Unyielding Krumar
1 Bitter Revelation
1 Dutiful Return
1 Murderous Cut
1 Rite of the Serpent
White: 8
1 Jeskai Student
1 Seeker of the Way
1 Mardu Hordechief
1 Alabaster Kirin
1 Abzan Battle Priest
1 Feat of Resistance
1 Suspension Field
1 Smite the Monstrous
Green: 3
1 Tuskguard Captain
1 Longbow Squad
1 Pine Walker
White/Black/Green: 4
1 Anafenza, the Foremost
1 Armament Corps
2 Abzan Guide
1 Witness of the Ages
Lands: 18
7 Plains
5 Swamp
2 Forest
2 Jungle Hollow
1 Blossoming Sands
1 Nomad Outpost
Blue: 3
2 Scion of Glaciers
1 Mystic of the Hidden Way
Black: 4
1 Rakshasa's Secret
1 Shambling Attendants
2 Krumar Bond-Kin
Green: 1
1 Hooting Mandrills
Black/green: 1
1 Death Frenzy
White: 1
1 War Behemoth
Blue/red/white: 1
1 Warden of the Eye
Black/green/blue: 1
1 Sultai Soothsayer
Artifact: 1
1 Abzan Banner
LANDS: 3
1 Rugged Highland
1 Mystic Monastery
1 Bloodstained Mire
I first picked Anafenza, the Foremost over Abzan Falconer and Incremental Growth.
Second pack I opened Bloodstained Mire for value.
Ended up going 2-2 with it. In retrospect I should have been playing the War Behemoth over the Witness of the Ages.
I then drafted at a different store on Saturday, and got this:
2 Disowned Ancestor
1 Grim Haruspex
1 Mer-Ek Nightblade
1 Rotting Mastodon
1 Swarm of Bloodflies
1 Sultai Scavenger
1 Necropolis Fiend
1 Bitter Revelation
1 Throttle
3 Rite of the Serpent
White: 7
2 Ainok Bond-Kin
1 Watcher of the Roost
2 Salt Road Patrol
1 Feat of Resistance
1 Smite the Monstrous
Red/white: 1
1 Highspire Mantis
Red/white/black: 1
1 Mardu Charm
2 Bloodfell Caves
1 Wind-Scarred Crag
8 Swamp
7 Plains
White: 2
1 Jeskai Student
1 Erase
Blue: 3
1 Wetland Sambar
1 Jeskai Elder
1 Scion of Glaciers
Red: 4
2 Bloodfire Mentor
1 Barrage of Boulders
1 Swift Kick
Black: 2
1 Sidisi's Pet
1 Kheru Dreadmaw
Red/White/Blue: 1
1 Ponyback Brigade
Green/Blue/Red: 1
1 Bear's Companion
Artifact: 1
1 Witness of the Ages
1 Dismal Backwater
1 Tranquil Cove
1 Wooded Foothill
First pack I opened Wooded Foothill for value.
Ended up going 1-2 in that draft. I think I could have won game 1 of match 3 if I didn't make a mistake with attacks the last turn, and leave myself DOB. I was just super tired after playing for 7 hours in a row.
The other stores in my area that usually have standard on Friday or weekends aren't running any standard tournaments; instead opting to run drafts or sealed events.
I already have a standard GW aggro deck ready. The only "new" cards I am using, are 4 Windswept Heath.
My tips:
1. Show up to events on a regular basis, and introduce yourself to people between rounds (ideally not people who are in middle of a game). Make friendly conversation like asking them how their last round went.
2. Have good hygiene. Don't be the guy who eats a pizza/McDonald's while in a draft, and gets the cards greasy.
3. Be pleasant to be around. Don't be loud/obnoxious, or complain constantly. I avoid people who exclaim "nice topdeck!" or "I'd be winning if I wasn't mana screwed". Also don't do the "winner GG" thing (ie. say good game when you're winning, especially if the game isn't actually over yet).
4. Don't talk smack about your opponent after a match (especially if they're within earshot). Don't say things like "my opponent played horribly".
5. Be a fair trader, not a "value" trader who always has to profit from trades. I know "Pack to Power" is a thing, but don't ask to trade your two Alpine Grizzly for my Ashiok. It just insults my intelligence. Also don't make fun of the cards someone has in their binder. People put cards in their binder for a reason, and insulting their cards just insults them.
One thing I've realized with Magic (or nerdy hobbies in general) is that it attracts people with poor social skills. So even if you're polite, greet your opponent in a friendly manner, and empathize with them when they're getting mana screwed, they might not react in a positive way, just because they don't know how to. Don't let that get you down, and just keep getting your name out there.
Welcome to the thread!
If you lived in Marin County I could suggest some casual/semicompetitive stores to go to. I've been to a few different stores during the past couple of years.
I don't play in Santa Rosa, but have you checked out Outer Planes? They've been holding the Starcity Games States tournaments there. I don't know if the playerbase/atmosphere would be too competitive for you, though.
Do you ever play Modern at Anime Imports? I used to go there to play on Saturdays, but I took a break to focus on drafting (at Versus Games). I want to get back into playing Modern again though.
http://maxpoint.tcgplayer.com/magic/diamond-140830-santa-clara-ca
I think I am going to go to this if I can find a standard deck I like, *and* I'm willing to wake up super early that Saturday to make the 80 minute drive to Santa Clara.
Unless they've changed it from the original 2014 PTQ season announcement back in August 2013, the format for the 8/30/14 to 10/30/14 PTQ's is sealed.
http://magic.wizards.com/en/content/february-2015-pro-tour-qualifier-schedule
It doesn't say the store names or the store dates, but based on the locations it looks like there will be one at Eudemonia and one at Great Escape Games.
In 2012, Amazon suggested that I buy a Deckbuilder's Toolkit 2012. So I bought the toolkit. A few months later, I went to the M13 prerelease at the LGS. I then started going to every draft FNM. I watched a bunch of videos on ChannelFireball/StarcityGames, then watched some streams on Twitch. After getting bored of drafting, I branched out into Standard/Modern, and play it occasionally in between the drafting.
I think for people just starting with the game (or getting back into it after a long absence), starting with a prerelease is the best time, since you'll be getting your first look at the cards at the same as the other people at the tournament.
The main event will offer $10,000 in prizes and be open to all Magic players who have accumulated at least 500 Planeswalker Points between March 18, 2013 and June 1, 2014.
It also helps that I am located within a 40 minute drive of a few different stores that hold Standard tournaments in the evenings. So technically I could be playing Standard four evenings per week, with a couple options for Standard on Sunday, as well.
a) staying up too late on Friday night and not wanting to wake up and drive 45 minutes (one way) to Pacifica
b) being bored with constructed formats
If you still go there, can you tell me if these tournament still fill up? Sometimes they would not fill due to people going to ChannelFireball/Eudemonia etc. I'm thinking about going back to Anime Imports on Saturdays after the World Magic Cup Qualifier weekend.
"The main event will offer $10,000 in prizes and be open to all Magic players who have accumulated at least 500 Planeswalker Points between March 18, 2013 and June 1, 2014."
That's the date range I used when I calculated my points to see if I qualified for the tournament.