This is me exactly, and the set that the lands are from has to be fairly representative of the rest of the deck thematically. The only exception to this is my highlander deck which, in keeping with highlander's "one of each" theme, no two lands have the same art.Quote from EdPhoenix- I like all lands in a deck to be from the same set, and have an equal number of each art
I only do this is multiplayer free-for-all, and it's not at all deliberate - I just find I have a tendency to tap attacking creatures in the direction of the player I'm attacking. I sort it all out once attackers are declared, that's just the way my brain does things initially.Quote from EdPhoenix- I always Tap Lands clockwise, same as for creatures when using a Tap ability. However when swinging my Creatures go anticlockwise. (Id be interested if anyone else does this too... lol).
To add a new one (and this is almost the exact opposite of one of jdinatale's mental locks), I have trouble with optimising decks. Not that I'm incapable of seeing where a deck could be improved, it's just how much I like a deck depends largely on its look and feel, and on the journey that I took as it was built and developed. In other words, I have a very emotional relationship with most of my decks, and the more cohesive the theme, the more history shared, the stronger the bond. As such, the stronger my bond to the deck, the harder it is to modify it if I don't feel that the change suits the deck's theme, and this can be a very subjective, intangible thing, sometimes based on nothing more than a gut feeling.
Add to this the fact that I have a tendency to be a bit contrary when it comes to advice, and you can see where the problem really takes root. Not that I never follow said advice, I just hate being told "you should be playing this card" as though I have no choice in the matter. If the same card was simply suggested to me ("have you ever thought about ______?"), there's every chance I'll take it on board.
The only other thing that really springs to mind is my attitude toward players who don't seem to enjoy the game. Given that if I ever do attend a competitive event it's never anything more serious than a prerelease, so surely even the most battle-wearied players can let down their guard and crack a smile from time to time, especially since they're probably beating me. It's a game, people, something designed to be fun. I take my work seriously, MTG is something I do to unwind, and it sure as hell wouldn't be very therapeutic if my very enjoyment of it hinged entirely on winning.
As I write this, I realise that those two points are very much connected - I have made decks that have been reasonably competitive but thematically barren, and since all the deck does is either win or lose I just don't enjoy playing it, so it gets disbanded. The decks that stay are the ones that are still fun to play regardless of whether I'm winning or losing, and still provide enough of a challenge to my opponent that hopefully they're enjoying themselves as well. Probably the biggest buzz that I can get from a game doesn't involve an against-the-odds win (although that is a blast), it's seeing my opponent, friend or stranger, enjoying playing against a unique deck for a change. It truly is a rewarding feeling to be able to share with my opponent the adventure that is whichever funny little rogue deck I happen to have with me at that time.
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Active Volcano, Dormant Volcano
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