Question of the Week Refresh!
Added 2017-12-21 09:13:26 +0000 UTCHey All,
Fire off those sweet sweet questions of the week right here in the comments. Most any topic goes :)
- Marshall
Comments
Hey Marshall and Luis. First just wanted to say I loved the Alpha show and am in complete support of more atypical content as we move forward. Related to that, my question is have you guys ever considered doing an actual live draft (mtgo) as part of LR? You both make/ stream drafts as it is, but never really through the LR lense (looking at you Luis). It seems like either reading out picks and discussing (with editing for extended discussions) or a video bonus could be really sweet. Keep up the good work guys. Thanks!
Tyler Spiering
2018-02-20 12:30:35 +0000 UTCHey guys, same questions as Matt B above! My friends and I will be playing Team Limited at the Columbus GP April 27-29, and CFB lists it as being Dominaria. We played in the Cleveland Team Limited Gp last year for Amonkhet, and bought a few boxes, and had plenty of time to test and practice. This time we get pre-release weekend, and that's it. How helpful will it be to sit down with the card lists once they're fully spoiled, and just talk it out? We will most likely only have the rare/mythic rare LR set review to compare our thoughts to, and sealed is a bit different on top of that. Thanks for all the great work you guys do, it is much appreciated and enjoyed.
Christina L Beargie
2018-02-19 06:02:20 +0000 UTCHey guys, my friends and I love the podcast. It’s a must listen every week. We’ve been wanting to try some events beyond our local gaming store, so we’re going to take a stab at the team limited GP in Columbus on April 27-29. It’s the same weekend as the dominaria release though. Does that mean that GP will be dominaria, or rivals? And if dominaria, do you have any tips on preparing for a GP event when you’ve never played the set outside of the prerelease and a week of mtgo?
Matt Biddulph
2018-02-12 17:12:19 +0000 UTCHi Marshall and Luis! This show is the best thing on the internet so thank you for making it exist. With Rivals I am finally enjoying aggressive decks. I’ve never been good at them before, which always led me to drafting (and loving) decks with a more Minister of Inquiries vibe. I’m curious, when your goal is to burn down your opponent as quickly as possible, is it ever prudent to burn up combat tricks to add more kick to unblocked early attacks, or should those always be saved for creature interaction? I understand not every trick can be buccaneers bravado, but it does seem like an extra 1 or 2 points on those early swings could pay off, and maybe even help spend a point of mana that would have otherwise gone unused. I’ve found myself faced with this decision a few times recently and I never opt to use the trick. I was curious what y’all think. Thanks!
Kyle Stewart
2018-02-10 06:17:51 +0000 UTCHI Marshall and Luis! Thanks for the podcast; it's really expanded my previously limited skill set! My question is about metagaming in limited. You spent Ep. 426 talking about Luis's preparation for a PT, and a part of that was not only focused on developing pick orders, but also understanding how other people valued cards relative to you. I was wondering how you figured out the "draft metagame". For constructed formats, you can look at a decklist aggregator to figure out what decks are common, but you don't necessarily get an average pick number for cards. Is there a systematic way of doing this or is it simply just an intuition for what cards can wheel? Thanks for the show and keep up the good work!
David Lam
2018-02-07 22:25:23 +0000 UTCHey folks, how do you deal with 'bad' drafters at your table or in your pod? If you draft black/white vampires because it's open, picking the good cards, and pack 2 it dries up because the people you were passing to went in the same colors because they got opened Elenda, the Dusk Rose and are sticking with it despite you cutting them as hard as you can, what do you do?
William McDuff
2018-02-03 00:32:54 +0000 UTCHi guys - great show. I've been watching CFB draft videos for Rivals, and I am noticing that almost all the pack one pick ones end up in the deck, even when it seems to me that the first pick's color isn't really open. Is "don't marry your first pick" a principle that doesn't apply in Ixalan? Or is this like pro basketball players missing free throws - a lapse in fundamentals, but the DeAndre Jordans of MTG are just so good it doesn't matter? Or, is "don't marry your first pick" a piece of advice that sounds smart, but is not followed - like "don't take too many three pointers" in the NBA? Thanks!
Jonathan Montgomery
2018-01-31 06:43:52 +0000 UTCHi Marshall and Luis, My son and I listen to LR together every week. Thanks so much for the fun and helpful content. Here's my question: Since RIX is a bomb heavy format, how do I balance following signals with forcing a color or even forcing a color pair for an early pick bomb. For example, if I first pick Tetzimoc, I want to play it whether black is open or not and splashing double black is not easy. What’s your advice?
Brian Leaf
2018-01-23 19:41:31 +0000 UTCI started listening in the lsv days. What are some pre-lsv episodes that are worth going back and listening to, that go into how you approach limited on a more theoretical (non-format-specific) level?
P
2018-01-11 02:03:02 +0000 UTCMy playgroup usually does single games instead of best-of-three matches after we draft. How would you draft/deckbuild differently if you know you'll be playing only one game against each opponent. Would you maindeck cards like Naturalize which are usually sideboard-only?
Evan
2018-01-03 19:01:54 +0000 UTCAfter vintage cubing a while i still cant get my head round which is a better first play when in big green ramp: generic mana dork e.g elvish mystic or joraga tree speaker. I often have to choose and play either without good reason. Cheers and love the show, ed
Malo
2017-12-27 23:52:43 +0000 UTCHello LR! As I've been navigating Ixalan draft and flashback drafts online, I find myself more often than not losing when the board gets stalled. Is there something vital that I'm missing here in terms of posturing and board state?
Nicholas Miller
2017-12-27 01:53:04 +0000 UTCHey guys! A hole that I have noticed in my game is that I tend to get too aggressive when I should just be developing my board, and I have been working hard to improve it. So far I am mostly just emulating what I see from you, and it works. I was hoping you could provide some insight into WHY it is often better to take a turn to develop your board, so I can make better decisions in the future. Thanks for everything you guys do!
Gwiz
2017-12-27 01:29:19 +0000 UTCHello Luis and Marshall I am a fan of your show since trying to learn to play magic before the Sydney GP in June 2017. A triple Amonkhet team sealed event. I love the game I love the ever changing mechanics and the stories that blend into the artwork providing a deeper meaning to the entertainment. For example I played an Hour of Devastation draft last week and played a Manticore Enternal onto the Battlefield. My opponent a young lady said that creature looks just ugly and evil. I cheerfully agreed stating that Nicol Bolus had summoned the Manticore Eternal from the dead to serve his evil army and so on. Thus adding to my pleasure of my opponent's distaste of facing my creature. Now comes my question specifically biting into the death touch mechanic and forcing blocks that the dual card presents "destined /// lead" my 3 creatures were forced to block a two powered death touch rat. Is the rat allowed to allocate 1 damage to two creatures of the attackers choice. Even if the toughness of my creatures was 3 and 4 respectively? The previous time an opponent played destined /// lead on my the opponent was also a lady and I also lost. I do not mind losing that is apart of the game and the learning curb, I just want to lose justly or correctly.
Michael Hamilton
2017-12-22 03:43:39 +0000 UTCI read Sahsa's question above and was hoping to add another request to discuss some of these issues that are unfortunately still ubiquitous in the Magic community. Reading the comments section on Brian DeMars’ article on gamer language (<a href="https://www.channelfireball.com/articles/a-critique-of-gamer-language)," rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.channelfireball.com/articles/a-critique-of-gamer-language),</a> and Dan Fournier’s article on Mana Deprived(<a href="http://manadeprived.com/men-magic-building-community/)" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://manadeprived.com/men-magic-building-community/)</a> has been really discouraging for me. I would like to hear your take on some of these issues.
Mary C
2017-12-22 00:14:25 +0000 UTCHi Guys thanks for the show it has really made me a better player. My question is more of a show idea, I would love for you guys to go deep on drafting the holiday cube. I'm pretty green when it comes to broken combos and drafting super powerful cards and could really use an in depth look at what the cards are meant to do and what strategies are available to draft. Cheers
Jonathon Alward
2017-12-21 19:26:51 +0000 UTCHi Marshall and Luis. Earlier in the year I had two successive drafts where I passed an early 2-colour payoff card, as I didn't want to lock into two colours so early. Both times I realised by about pick 6 that that colour pair was flowing freely from my left, so jumped in. However the gold payoff card I passed had put my right-hand neighbour into that very colour pair, so while I got passed good cards in packs 1 and 3 I was cut badly in pack 2, ending with an unimpressive deck. OK, my neighbour's deck was a total mess, but that wasn't much consolation. Two questions: When should I stay away from colours where I have previously passed strong cards? and Why can't I make plays like that when I'm team-drafting?
Matthew Barratt
2017-12-21 18:54:18 +0000 UTCHi Marshall and Luis. I was wondering how you conduct yourself around new players. If I play someone at FNM and they say that they're new to the game, I tend to allow more "undos" and more lenient play in general. If I win the first two games, I ask if they'd like to play another. In those extra "just for fun" games, I will sometimes actively lose. My mindset is that I want them to keep playing the game, and if they only lose, they might not enjoy it as much. The issue is they might not be getting better because of it. Do I have the correct mindset? Do you have any advice on how to interact with new players in a more constructive manner? Thanks, your input is always appreciated!
Matthew Bernstein
2017-12-21 16:51:24 +0000 UTCIf you want to create a line break, all you have to do is hold shift + press enter as you are typing.
Mark Churchwell
2017-12-21 15:06:24 +0000 UTCMarshal and Luis, Love the Show, have been listening since (oddly enough) day 1 of the Wong Era. I have a more light hearted question: What are your guys' opinions on Chaos Drafts? Strategies? Lastly, what would be your 3 packs to bring to a chaos draft to open? Thanks for the best limited content out there, sincerely, Mark.
Mark Churchwell
2017-12-21 15:05:18 +0000 UTCHi Luis and Marshall. I love the show. When I started drafting, I would draft a R-G deck, or a U-G deck, or some kind of color combination deck. I just took what I thought was the strongest on color card in each pack. I have advanced past that level, to instead drafting a theme within the color, such as R-U spells, or B-W Vampires. I would like some tips about how to draft individual synergies, in addition to a theme. Thanks. PS: could you talk about how to ask questions? I can't figure out how to press return for a line break, without submitting the post.
Brian Leaf
2017-12-21 15:03:33 +0000 UTCHi Marshall & Luis! My question is about ones' mental game. Some of the greatest plays we all remember are those that involve complex bluffs/reading your opponent (i.e. Terry Soh; Luis' Head Games v. Gabe Nassif). However, as online play has become more ubiquitous, where the ability to read ones' opponent is greatly diminished, emphasis seems to be placed on strict technical play and highest EV to gain advantage. When playing magic today, how much room is there for this kind of mental gaming? Is it always correct to take the statistically best play? What can we learn from playing paper magic that we can't from MTGO?
TISH
2017-12-21 14:33:53 +0000 UTCHey guys! I was hoping to get a little advice. My LGS is going to be doing all Chaos Drafts until the release of Rivals, but I am feeling at a bit of a disadvantage. This is due to having coming back to Magic roughly a month before the release of Ixalan, after not playing since Kamigawa. So I find myself rather unsure of not only what packs I should chose to draft from, but also the best strategies to use when drafting from sets I have barely any familiarity with. Do you guys have any suggestions short of me using my free time to go back and study every card released in the past few years? Thanks in advance for any insights you can share with me, and for all of the great advice you guys give every week.
William Ruby
2017-12-21 14:12:26 +0000 UTCAfter my experiences with Ahmonkhet and Fate Reforged, I'd love to know your strategies for drafting Prince formats when you don't see any of the bomb rares. How do you draft around your opponents' Glorybringers and Mastery of the Unseens when the set doesn't provide reliable outs at the common/uncommon level? Also, thank you for the show, discovering Limited through you and LRR rekindled my love of Magic and ignited a drive to be better I didn't think I had.
Spencer St. James
2017-12-21 13:42:14 +0000 UTCHi Marshall and Luis! I have a question that has weighed heavy on my heart. I used to play at a local gaming store during Khans of Tarkir block, and drafted every week. I had a great time, and made some great friends. Then, I came out as transgender, and the behavior of the folks at the store towards me changed. I no longer felt welcome there. I moved to a bigger city, and noticed the same things here. With how the magic community has reacted to social justice (largely a negative one), how do you think the magic community can move to be more inclusive of queer folks? Thanks for your thoughts, hope you both have a wonderful holiday! <3
Sasha Evelynn Francis
2017-12-21 13:36:36 +0000 UTCHello Marshall and Luis. Enjoy the show as I listen on my commute to work. My question is about cheating. I have read several articles and watched youtube videos describing cheating all levels of competitive. The most common complaint is adding cards to your sealed/draft pool. Have either of you personally or professionally experienced cheating and what would your recommendation be to prevent it?
Jacob Mohr
2017-12-21 13:30:03 +0000 UTCHi Marshall and Luis - my question is for Luis if he wants to put his Game Designer hat on. One complaint about Ixalan has been that there are a lack of playables, which limits your options and makes for a shallower format. This is particularly the case when the speed of a format is fast so you have to stick to tried and true solutions. Can you envision a format where a "lack of playables" might actually be an interesting feature of the format, forcing players to use cards that might not normally make the cut or trying unconventional strategies? Is it just a moot point because "playable" is relative within a set, or is there more to it than that? I'd love to get your thoughts.
Eric Lynch
2017-12-21 12:46:32 +0000 UTCWhy doesn't channel fireball have an option to get MTGO Tickets for paper cards?
Adam hoffmann
2017-12-21 10:37:12 +0000 UTCHi M & L, In follow up to your recent episode on bluffs: When you have no combat tricks in hand but you do have them in the deck, is it more correct to bluff the trick that you have in the deck or one that you do not?
Ian Firth
2017-12-21 09:42:21 +0000 UTCHey guys! This isn't so much a question as it is a topic for discussion. I am a tournament chess player, and one of the biggest skills I've carried over from chess to magic is the idea of "thinking on your opponents turn". When playing chess (and MtGO) and you're on the clock, there is measurable value in using your opponents time to make decisions and plan out your next turn, but I feel like there are strategic advantages outside of that specific situation. I think less disciplined magic players tend to "switch off" when it's not their turn, and just put their logical machine in neutral until they get to untap their lands and see a new card, unless their opponent does something that directly affects them or their creatures. Any thoughts on "keeping the engine in gear" so to speak, and using every second of game time to make decisions and evaluate the evolving game state?
William Gross
2017-12-21 09:32:11 +0000 UTChey marshall and luis! i dont have a lot of money so i dont have a big collection on mtgo or in paper. can i improve in mtg from playing other card games such as eternal and/or hearthstone? and do you think its possible to be a top player in multiple games? cheers guys!
Drago Van Pierce
2017-12-21 09:19:07 +0000 UTC
