I will say that the packard's on cedar bluff is tiny, but it usually has a good turnout as well. I went to the DKA game day there and there were about 46 people. They had to have matches on the sales counters, the sidewalk outside, and I think they even sent some people to the subway next door. The OR one is nice also.
I think that CM in West Town Mall may be closed for remodelling. I was in the mall last weekend and it seemed that they were converting it into more of a used video-game store than a game store. Also, the more competitive local players tend to play there, so if you are looking for a 'friendly' couple of games, you would want to look elsewhere.
I'm not sure this is the place for this thread, but here goes:
I don't think you will find much in the crossville area. Your closes bet would probably be to drive the hour or so to knoxville. Check out packard's on cedar bluff or organized play downtown.
I think this is the issue though. WotC markets FNM as their casual, easy event for new players. I don't know about all of you, but every FNM event I have ever been some of the most cutthroat competitions I've been to. Do I mind? No, but I have no problem being competitive and dealing with over-competitive jerks. I've been to several FNM events where newer players looking to get an introduction to the game get dominated and trounced, which is absolutely something discouraging. There's one tournament I distinctly remember where a kid was just looking to join his dad in a fun night of drafting, only to get downtalked, called a scrub, and slammed out the tournament in the first 2 rounds by guys grinding their ratings at FNM.
Was the store owner right in his decision? It's gonna depend on who's side you take. From a casual player/owner standpoint, he did the right thing. He lost a single customer to protect the many. From a competitive player standpoint, he was wrong to ban the player. FNM is sanctioned, and as long as the deck was legal, it should be allowed. Unfortunately, the MTG player base seems to have this huge divide between casual and competitive.
I hate to say it, but the behavior you're describing is considered to be part of the "culture" of the MTG community, and if you don't "pay your dues" by being treated like this, then you don't deserve to play. It kind of reminds me of the recent controversy surrounding the fighting game community.
I also think this attitude will eventually be the reason that the community dies, as established players are taught to hate new players, "casuals," and "scrubs."
I only have one, and that its catering to and letting the local "alpha" players get away with anything.
For example, there is one player in particular that rarely buys anything in the store, except maybe a snack every couple of weeks. He is quite good and has hit the top 8 in several SCG opens and at least one GP event.
He takes losing very seriously though, and will win at any cost. During one match, his opponent took control of one of his Grave Titans. When it died the opponent placed it in his graveyard. After the game, both started shuffling, and he called the TO/store owner, who DQ'd his opponent for theft.
Also, on several occasions, he has flipped the table when he lost, literally. When asked for the match result, both he and his opponent state that they won. There is no proof since everyone's cards are all over the shop. The opponent is then given the choice to concede, play again, or take a loss.
These both occurred at an FNM, and he has never been reported to the DCI for his antics.
W/R/T the whole snap-drag-snap thing: I call shenanigans on preventing double draws. I've seen people double draw, or dump the top card off their deck, many-a-time with this technique. It's not infallible, and it is irritating.
I have to agree with this. Whenever I see someone at my LGS do this, I have to assume they are cheating. Of course, getting around the rules seems to be an accepted part of the metagame at my LGS, so I have to assume most people are cheating.
to avoid flipping the card or drawing two cards, which could lead to a warning or something like that. Don't know about the "snap", though, lol.
I guess that makes sense. I still don't get the "snap and drag" though. I don't think only drawing one card is that difficult. It seems like it would be easier to disguise drawing multiple cards using this method though.
I have a few peeves, I guess I can list them out...
[LIST]
[*]I don't mind the hand flicking/shuffling, I shuffle my hand constantly in the interest of gamesmanship. I don't like the guy who draws his card with an audible snap, drags it on the table, then audibly snaps it into his hand. Come on, now.
LIST]
This ... Why do people do this?
List tags are malformed.
First, I want to say that I think that blue is fine, and control is fine. It is a deck in whatever form (UW, UB, etc.) that does take skill and strategic thinking to play.
What is unhealthy for the game is where it is the ONLY deck to play. Back before the bannings, my FNM was over 75% caw-blade. That puts a significantly higher (about $1000) barrier of entry for a new player to be even remotely competitive at FNM. That would result in far fewer new players if that trend continue. And yes, new players are good for the game.
Since then, the meta has been far healthier, with a much wider variety of decks.
Personally, I'm not altogether convinced about the recent changes, but at least Wizards is trying to keep the game fresh by trying new things.
Finally, luck does have some part in every game of magic. It can be minimized through skillful play and proper deck-building, but it can never be fully eliminated without cheating.
TLDR version: Control should always be viable, but shouldn't ever be the only viable deck, as the OP is suggesting.
One of mine is when stores refuse to kick out or report highly-rated players because they are afraid of the backlash. We have one 2k+ rated player in our area, and he is a blatant cheater - lying about cards, drawing extra, playing extra land - and has yet to be banned from any stores. He also is very unsportsmanlike - threatening other players, intentionally damaging cards and sleeves hoping for a DQ, etc.
I've asked the owners about him, and they are afraid that if they banned him, it would cause fewer players to show up, but I'm thinking about not going he's there.
Oh, and he says that Magic is his "job" so he never spends any money either.
If you are looking to play standard, I would recommend the Event Decks. The vampire one from m12 is pretty good, especially if you can get it for MSRP. Into the Breach from MBS and War of Attrition from NPH are also good.
I would probably stay away from the Intro packs, and just buy boosters if you want to go that way.
For playing casually and for fun, both Commander and the Duel Decks are a blast. I also enjoyed last year's casual release "Archenemy" if you are into play multiplayer games.
Is it legal for one player to use multiple DCI numbers. I recently found out that several of the "top" players in my area use two numbers in order to protect their rating. For example, they play in a tournament and then decide while number to apply the rating to afterwards by filing an appeal if they do poorly.
One of the local stores also runs a tournament when only sub-1800 players can participate. One of these players has his "main" DCI which is 2k plus ranked, and his "alt" which he maintains around 1600 so he can play (and win, obviously) these tournaments and the prizes that go along with them.
I will say that in my LGS, the only ones that will riffle shuffle are the spikes who do it so they can tear cards or break sleeves and try to get a DQ.
Like "That Dismember is torn. JUDGE!" or "JUDGE! HE'S PLAYING WITH TORN SLEEVES. DQ HIM NOW!"
Edit: I do realized that not all "spikes" are like this. Some just enjoy playing well and winning, and are otherwise nice people. It just seems that at my store, at least, the majority of them believe that they should win at any cost, including cheating or bad sportsmanship.
In our area, we have a player we call "Greasy." He shows up to every event with a calzone or pizza or other greasy food, and eats loudly while he plays - with his hands. It's like he pulls a hunk of cheese out of his calzone, throws it in his mouth, and then grabs one of your cards to see what it does, leaving a big smear on your sleeve.
I recently paid $10 each for 2 Surgical Extraction as a NPH preorder. I made up for that loss because the same order contained 3 Spellskites for $2 each.
I think that CM in West Town Mall may be closed for remodelling. I was in the mall last weekend and it seemed that they were converting it into more of a used video-game store than a game store. Also, the more competitive local players tend to play there, so if you are looking for a 'friendly' couple of games, you would want to look elsewhere.
I don't think you will find much in the crossville area. Your closes bet would probably be to drive the hour or so to knoxville. Check out packard's on cedar bluff or organized play downtown.
I hate to say it, but the behavior you're describing is considered to be part of the "culture" of the MTG community, and if you don't "pay your dues" by being treated like this, then you don't deserve to play. It kind of reminds me of the recent controversy surrounding the fighting game community.
I also think this attitude will eventually be the reason that the community dies, as established players are taught to hate new players, "casuals," and "scrubs."
For example, there is one player in particular that rarely buys anything in the store, except maybe a snack every couple of weeks. He is quite good and has hit the top 8 in several SCG opens and at least one GP event.
He takes losing very seriously though, and will win at any cost. During one match, his opponent took control of one of his Grave Titans. When it died the opponent placed it in his graveyard. After the game, both started shuffling, and he called the TO/store owner, who DQ'd his opponent for theft.
Also, on several occasions, he has flipped the table when he lost, literally. When asked for the match result, both he and his opponent state that they won. There is no proof since everyone's cards are all over the shop. The opponent is then given the choice to concede, play again, or take a loss.
These both occurred at an FNM, and he has never been reported to the DCI for his antics.
I have to agree with this. Whenever I see someone at my LGS do this, I have to assume they are cheating. Of course, getting around the rules seems to be an accepted part of the metagame at my LGS, so I have to assume most people are cheating.
I guess that makes sense. I still don't get the "snap and drag" though. I don't think only drawing one card is that difficult. It seems like it would be easier to disguise drawing multiple cards using this method though.
This ... Why do people do this?
List tags are malformed.
What is unhealthy for the game is where it is the ONLY deck to play. Back before the bannings, my FNM was over 75% caw-blade. That puts a significantly higher (about $1000) barrier of entry for a new player to be even remotely competitive at FNM. That would result in far fewer new players if that trend continue. And yes, new players are good for the game.
Since then, the meta has been far healthier, with a much wider variety of decks.
Personally, I'm not altogether convinced about the recent changes, but at least Wizards is trying to keep the game fresh by trying new things.
Finally, luck does have some part in every game of magic. It can be minimized through skillful play and proper deck-building, but it can never be fully eliminated without cheating.
TLDR version: Control should always be viable, but shouldn't ever be the only viable deck, as the OP is suggesting.
I've asked the owners about him, and they are afraid that if they banned him, it would cause fewer players to show up, but I'm thinking about not going he's there.
Oh, and he says that Magic is his "job" so he never spends any money either.
I would probably stay away from the Intro packs, and just buy boosters if you want to go that way.
For playing casually and for fun, both Commander and the Duel Decks are a blast. I also enjoyed last year's casual release "Archenemy" if you are into play multiplayer games.
One of the local stores also runs a tournament when only sub-1800 players can participate. One of these players has his "main" DCI which is 2k plus ranked, and his "alt" which he maintains around 1600 so he can play (and win, obviously) these tournaments and the prizes that go along with them.
Is this legal?
Like "That Dismember is torn. JUDGE!" or "JUDGE! HE'S PLAYING WITH TORN SLEEVES. DQ HIM NOW!"
Edit: I do realized that not all "spikes" are like this. Some just enjoy playing well and winning, and are otherwise nice people. It just seems that at my store, at least, the majority of them believe that they should win at any cost, including cheating or bad sportsmanship.