Question of the Week Thread Refresh
Added 2018-10-09 00:41:44 +0000 UTCHey All,
It's about that time to refresh the question of the week thread. Remember, if your question didn't get answered before that doesn't mean we didn't like it, so feel free to post it here again!
We'll choose one question per week to answer live on the show :)
Thanks!
Marshall
Comments
Hey Marshal and Luis? I was looking over the PT Guilds of Ravinca Top 8 player profiles, two things caught my eye. Luis, Yuuya Watanabe put you down as his hero. How did that feel? Marshal, Luis did not put LR Co-Host as an occupation. Thoughts? Thanks Y'all, Alex
Alex Gaudet
2018-11-11 03:14:37 +0000 UTCHey Marshall and Luis! Do you find the limitation to 5 viable color pairs (rather than the usual 10) to be rather boring? On top of that, the guilds very heavily define what the color pairs need to do so there seems to be less flexibility in different decks you can build. Given the next draft set will also be 5 guilds, I want to see the bright side of formats like these.
Jimmy Lee
2018-11-09 23:05:33 +0000 UTCHey Marshall and Luis! I was reading a thread on the LR subreddit about a stacked P1P1: <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/lrcast/comments/9uncl2/what_is_your_1st_pick_i_think_this_is_quite_tough/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.reddit.com/r/lrcast/comments/9uncl2/what_is_your_1st_pick_i_think_this_is_quite_tough/</a> The pack includes Knight of Autumn, Crackling Drake, Dead Weight, Deadly Visit, and Skyknight Legionnaire Most of the responders wanted to pick the Dead Weight for an efficient removal spell and the benefit of staying in one color. However, some responders wanted to pick Knight of Autumn or Crackling Drake based on power level, or utility. I am wondering if it would be better to take the Crackling Drake over the Dead Weight. In Guilds draft there are only 5 supported color combinations, so I am wondering if this means you are more likely to end up in an Izzet seat than in a draft format that has all 10 supported color combinations. Would it still be correct to take the Dead Weight even if it were the case that you ended up in a good Izzet seat? I am also wondering how this kind of thinking changes format to format? What do you guys think? Thank you!
Katherine Belisle
2018-11-06 17:47:13 +0000 UTCHey both. I'm really loving the show and appreciate how it's helped me level up as a player. That said, at the start of new formats, I still find myself waiting on the format's "gospel truth" to come from yourselves and other content creators. How can I become better at testing and experimenting at the beginning of a new set for myself: both at the high-level archetype level and the low-level card selection level? For a recent concrete example, what data points did you look for in Guilds gameplay to give you your Boros 2-drop power ranking; and similarly your guild power ranking? Is there any way to eliminate variance in testing without simply ranking up hundreds of leagues?
David Simons
2018-11-06 15:25:47 +0000 UTCWhat do you think about shuffling your hand before revealing it to something like Duress? I tend to put my cards in the order I'd like to play them, so I wouldn't want to pass additional information like that along.
Alexander Kendall
2018-11-05 18:53:23 +0000 UTCMarshal, what is the biggest misconception about poker? How does this apply to Magic?
Alex Gaudet
2018-11-04 04:45:23 +0000 UTCHey guys! Thanks for continuing to give us limited players that LR edge and helping to ween out all the DISINFORMATION that’s out there. My question is about sideboarding: Apart from the obvious choices like Mephetic Vapors against a deck with a bunch of X/1s, are there any hard and fast rules or tips you can give for what to side in against certain strategies, or when to change your creature to spell ratio? P.S. Is getting the free cup for water at Chipotle and then getting soda genius or grifter?
Blane Malcomson
2018-10-16 14:28:38 +0000 UTCHey guys! Love the show, and glad to finally be in a position to support you on Patreon. I had a question specifically about Guilds draft. My first impression was that fairly plentiful defensive creatures (especially those at low CMC, like Barrier of Bones and Wall of Mist) would be very helpful in combating fast starts from Boros and the like (that old "defensive speed" chestnut). However, in practice I've realized that Boros is perfectly happy attacking in to trigger mentor, even if they don't get any damage in (not to mention that healer's hawk gives them a more viable attack option in the air than aggro decks often have). So, are these defenders worth playing, or is it strictly better to seek out more cards that actually have power, rather than just high toughness? (Personally, I've moved away from running Wall of Mist (Barrier of Bone will still get in for the Surveil trigger sometimes), and really upped my view of Hired Poisoner). Any other thoughts?
Alicia Power
2018-10-15 15:45:59 +0000 UTCWhen playing on MTGA best of one matches, would you recommend moving stereotypical "sideboard" cards to your main deck since you only get one shot to see their effect, or it would that be too much chance for a loss in win percentage due to potentially never seeing the cards the sideboard ones hit?
Chris Hartman
2018-10-10 12:47:29 +0000 UTCHey guys, love the podcast and videos for Channel Fireball! My question is, what is a good win rate that you aim for? Even the best pro magic players must be vulnerable to mana screw, bad draws,bad matchups and bad luck in drafting etc. Obviously it also depends on who you're playing against, but say you're drafting on MTGO or MTGA, is, for example, a 60% win rate a sign of doing really well or being only slightly above average?
Fingal Plumpton
2018-10-09 23:13:56 +0000 UTCalong the lines of draft simulators, I'm coding one myself - sort of. if you had an app that could run through millions of goldfish games, what kinds of analytics would you find useful? i know you can solve lots via hyper-geometric math, but i'm finding simulating intelligent moves for each turn of the game / having all the real rules simulated, are yielding even more fine tuned results. the question is two-fold: what would you measure from a pure goldfish perspective? versus another approach: what metrics would require two decks battling together in a simulation?
MTG XRay
2018-10-09 17:35:46 +0000 UTCHi Marshall and Luis, I hope the fall weather is treating well! What are your thoughts on using draft/sealed simulators? I use them frequently, and due to my lack of free time they are one of my dominant methods of practice. I have heard many of them discredited, even considered worthless, due to the use of bots and not being the same as real life. However, MTGA uses bots for their draft, so Wotc must have some faith in bots. I’d love your guys take. As always, any input is appreciated!
Spencer Falor-Ward
2018-10-09 17:04:56 +0000 UTCHello! Firstly, thank you for the show and for all the content you both produce, it's a joy! My question is just a bit of fun really - for both of you, what are the most memorable/fun decks or plays you have had or seen in limited in recent years? (thinking along the lines of the sweet mirari conjecture deck Luis had at the team sealed gp a while ago). Thanks!
Peter Grosvenor-Attridge
2018-10-09 15:12:26 +0000 UTCHi again! Dimir decks in this format seem to have a consistent discard sub-theme, much more so than in other limited formats I've played. I find myself doing one of two things when facing Dimir (especially if I've seen Disinformation Campaign). First, I'll try keeping something discardable in hand. When this isn't an option I often decide to play out my hand so there are no targets. Is this correct? How should I approach playing against decks like this? P.S. Love the mechanics - not being able to keep secrets from Dimir is just great flavor.
Ruthi
2018-10-09 14:24:59 +0000 UTCHey Marshall and Luis! Your episode on Heuristics is one of my favorites. I love learning about different subjects and using new concepts to better understand a problem or a game like Magic. What are some non-MTG articles or books that have given you new insight on playing Magic? Thanks for all the work you do, -Ruthi
Ruthi
2018-10-09 14:24:30 +0000 UTCHi, Marshall and Luis - could you speak in detail to how to value similar card draw effects in relation to one another (ie. draw, scry/surveil, loot, rummage, graveyard recursion)? I frequently hear people say things like “scry 2 is worth about a card” because it allows you to filter away lands that you didn’t want later in the game. But if 40% of your deck is land, isn’t a draw itself only worth about 60% of a card? In this context, a spell like Divination only nets you 60% of a spell in total because it also takes a card to play and uses a spell slot in your deck. I’m speculating that we may be biasing slightly towards over valuing normal card draw effects and undervaluing Graveyard Recursion effects which guarantee that you get spells back. How significant are the setup costs on graveyard recursion? Maybe I am undervaluing drawing lands because they aren’t a complete blank? What do you guys think? Thanks for doing the show! I recently started consuming more content from Chanel Fireball because I just can’t get enough.
Eric Lynch
2018-10-09 11:46:46 +0000 UTCIm curious about the life of a professional player. What do the pros pay for, and what (if anything) is given to them through sponsorships? Also what is the threshold of success before a big sponsor like CFB would sign someone? Thanks for all the pods!
Sean Kelly
2018-10-09 05:25:17 +0000 UTCHi Luis, I have recently started playing Eternal, and I've been really enjoying it. My question is: is there an LR equivalent you know of to help me level up my Eternal game? Love the show guys, keep up the great work :)
Jethro
2018-10-09 05:15:46 +0000 UTCDo you ever listen back (or read back in LSV's case) on old set reviews to see how your opinions have changed or to refresh when there's flashback drafts on MTGO? I know I have all the set reviews in a playlist I set to repeat while I'm driving or sleeping as I find it helps me think of ideas for custom card designs and for to help my card evaluation skills. Thanks!
crushcastles23
2018-10-09 04:38:37 +0000 UTCHi guys! Went to my first GP in Montreal this weekend and came across Marshall at the end of the day. Thanks for the photo! I know that you both love cube and I started building one for myself. Do you have any advice on how to begin building a cube for a moderate value (no original duals for exemple, but fetches are ok)? Thank you very much!
Joël Boismenu-Lavoie
2018-10-09 04:23:48 +0000 UTCHi Guys! More than any other recent format, Guilds of Ravnica draft seems to really test your ability to choose between high power level, guild specific cards and lower power level flexible cards (Dead Weight for example). Obviously, a big part of working out the lines here is just a ton of drafting, but what strategies are there to help get a head start in a format like this and make better decisions early? It can be challenging to work out what to pick when higher power level cards are so tempting to take first.
David Harris
2018-10-09 03:57:11 +0000 UTCHello Marshall and Luis! I started playing 2 1/2 years ago and your show has helped me a lot to improve my game. I know that Luis is a big fan of Team Limited. I saw the new MagicFest schedule for Q1 2019 but did not see any Team GP. Do you know if there will be any Team GPs in future? For me personally playing with my friends is the real "MagicFest". Thanks and keep up the great work, Stephan
Stephan Choe
2018-10-09 02:56:47 +0000 UTCHow do I measure my progress as a player without being too ROTTY? I have trouble telling objectively if my play patterns are improving overall, especially when I hit losing streaks.
Daphoa
2018-10-09 02:41:22 +0000 UTCHey Marshall and Luis! First off, how's it going? Second, I have found myself often questioning when or when not to play creatures into my opponents open mana during game two/three. This often occurs when I have seen one or more instant speed spells in the first game that I know will very well blow me out if I play into them. Essentially, how hard should I think about playing around spells my opponents have?
Clayton T. Carlson
2018-10-09 01:44:25 +0000 UTCWhat are some things you consider when deciding that board advantage or tempo is more important than card advantage? When do you use a combat trick to trade, 1 for 2ing yourself? When do you use two burn spells to kill one creature? When do you double block, losing both creatures to trade? Etc.
William Gross
2018-10-09 01:42:49 +0000 UTCHi guys, thanks for all the work you put into the show each week :) Do you think that Hexproof should be removed from the game? I'm pretty sure most players don't enjoy playing against it, and the games where I have the unanswerable threat don't really feel like real magic, either. Is the ability somehow necessary from a game design perspective?
james anderson
2018-10-09 01:39:39 +0000 UTCThanks for the show guys! I've been drafting arena more because of pricing and a schedule that prevents me from getting to FNM. Does a single game match change evaluation of sideboard cards? Are you more likely to put narrower cards like plummet in your deck, since you don't get to sideboard?
Mike Hundley
2018-10-09 01:23:36 +0000 UTCHey guys! What advice do you have for sideboarding into entirely new decks mid-round in sealed format? I find that I've been doing this more in GRN than ever before. For instance, starting out with a slow Sultai build and then switching into Boros aggro if I know I'm on the play in game two and my opponent skimped on early plays. Thanks!
Jaeger
2018-10-09 01:01:35 +0000 UTCMy question is, which older episodes should newer players go back to if they want to get up to speed on LR-endorsed strategies and lingo?
Andy Skinner
2018-10-09 01:00:44 +0000 UTCWe’ve got a recent wave of new players in our store, folks who are super keen and I’ve evened turned one of them on to Limited Resources (shout out to Zabrina!).
Andy Skinner
2018-10-09 00:57:10 +0000 UTCIf you got to re-design the MTG World Cup tournament, what would it look like? Which formats would it cover, how would the participants be chosen, how would you time it, where would you hold it, how often would it be held etc. What should the "main event" of the game be in your opinion?
Juha Tuisku
2018-10-09 00:56:40 +0000 UTCHi Marshall and Luis. Love the show. My question is: what are the best ways to playtest? I played a lot of sealeds on MTGO before GP Montreal last weekend, and while that was somewhat productive, I think there is probably a better way to playtest. Thanks, Brian.
Brian Leaf
2018-10-09 00:56:11 +0000 UTCHi both. Guilds of Ravnica is notable for at least two reasons: the removal is better than it has been in recent memory; and the Planeswalkers are less nakedly powerful on rate (well, this trend actually pre-dates Guilds by a little). Do you think these things are a result of the influence of the Play Design team at WoTC; do you feel that they lead to better play experiences on average; and do you think we are witnessing trends here that are likely to continue for the foreseeable future? Many thanks.
Tobias Sterling
2018-10-09 00:55:20 +0000 UTCHi Marshall & Luis! Love the show. My friends & I are undertaking the overwhelming task of developing our very own MTG set. Purely for drafting purposes in our local community. Luis, what do you look at in your first pass of balancing a card within the context of a set?
Dylan Turner
2018-10-09 00:53:59 +0000 UTCAt my LGS we have all ability levels. When paired against a player who doesn't known the game as well I often find my self taking sub optimal plays knowing they will make mistakes. (Example alpha striking knowing how they will waste their pumps spells). What are your thoughts on taking these kinds of lines when the correct line is something else.
Michael Radaszkiewicz
2018-10-09 00:49:33 +0000 UTCDo you think future Grand Prix should have mixed formats that include a limited component along with a constructed one? Would it better for coverage? Players? Both? Or neither?
Mark Arucan
2018-10-09 00:46:23 +0000 UTCI’ve had some success with five color decks in Guilds of Ravnica. What are your thoughts on five color?
Alden G. Harris
2018-10-09 00:46:06 +0000 UTC
