Question of the Week Thread
Added 2017-02-04 09:05:20 +0000 UTCHey All,
Here is the refresh for the Patron Only Question of the Week Thread! If you have questions for Luis and I, put them here for consideration on the podcast. If your question from the other thread didn't get answered on the show, feel free to post it here again as well.
Thanks as always,
Marshall
Comments
Hello again, Marshall and Luis My question this week: There are some types of cards that are deemed unplayable in Limited, like Fog or 1/1 for 1 etc. My question is: Are there any sets you can remember where these cards where actually good? Also, would it sometimes be possible that because a card is deemed unplayable, that it might actually become a little MORE playable just because of the sheer fact that no one will expect it / play around it? Thanks for the work during the GP, and as always, thank you for the show! Sigwaldo
Sigurd
2017-04-03 17:22:01 +0000 UTCI like your question Sigurd and would like to hear Marshall and Luis' take on it. While we wait for that, there's a brilliant article on the subject that PVDDR wrote on the subject on CFB that's worth looking at: <a href="http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/how-to-convince-your-opponent-to-hand-you-the-game/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/how-to-convince-your-opponent-to-hand-you-the-game/</a>
Nicholas Weber
2017-03-29 22:35:14 +0000 UTCHello Marshall and Luis As a somewhat experienced Magic player, I have settled with a play style I feel comfortable using. I'm not a huge fan of flickering cards and other sick brags, but I have noticed that I might be a bit worse than I thought on bluffing. I know this is something you guys don't advocate us doing on a regular basis, as there are more Call Towers in Magic than the opposite, but I still wish I was able to make my opponent think I had three counterspells on hand, when all I have are Islands. Any tips at making your play style more fluent, regardless of how many lands you have on your hand? Love the show. Still waiting for that thankyou note. But the postservice moves slow in Norway. Sigurd
Sigurd
2017-03-27 06:59:26 +0000 UTCHi gentlemen, I love the show even though I don't draft very frequently. I can't often make it to FNM and when my friends get together we usually only get four of us to draft. Do you have any tricks for making a 4-person draft more interesting, as I have been waiting to draft my box of Conspiracy and want to make the most of the experience. I also intend to turn my box into a Conspiracy Cube to redraft over and over. Thanks, and keep up the excellent content! Dougall de Totth
Fithäkk
2017-03-23 01:11:16 +0000 UTCWhen you're in The second set of a block like this how much should the relative strength of a color in the third pack affect how you draft the first two. Specifically red is much better in aether revolt than it was in Kaladesh, is there ever a scenario where you would pick a lower quality non-red card pack one pick one over a red card due to the drop in value in Kaladesh.
Andrew J Dufour
2017-03-16 12:30:30 +0000 UTCHey Marshall, Hey Luis! I come from a very weird Magic background as Commander/EDH was the first format that really hooked me. I still play more EDH than any other format but I started to dabble in other formats and I also started to draft more and more with the release of leagues on MTGO and I quite enjoy it. I started to notice something though: In 'special' draft formats I usually do reasonably well, i.e. Cube or the Masters series. I am pretty confident that I will at least 2-1 a draft if not win it but my success rate in 'normal' draft formats is not nearly as good. I tried to pinpoint the flaw in my drafting and I started to notice that I have problems with picking 'just ok' cards. I find myself picking cards that do something - i.e Welder Automaton - over some Vanilla or french Vanilla creatures just because I am somewhat underwhelmed by those creatures and I often find myself in situations where my creatures do something but get quickly outclassed by your run of the mill 5 mana 4/4 . Do you have any tips on how I might adjust my Card Evaluation for 'normal' sets? Thank you for all the great content you put out every week! Regards, Gabriel Rittener
Gabriel Rittener
2017-03-15 09:54:14 +0000 UTCHey guys As a father and student, my financial situation keeps me from playing MTGO on a daily basis, and even drafting is something I have to save up for. I really love the game, and use it as both a tool to relax and steam off, but also as a challenge. I have tried for months to improve, but feel like the only thing I really can do is play a lot of games, and since I do not have the opportunity to do this, I'm kind of stuck in my learning curve. Any tips at improving without playing the game? Articles to read, videos to watch etc. Thank you for your contribution to the Magic Community, you guys are my all time favourites both in the booth and on my ears. Sigurd, Norway
Sigurd
2017-03-13 10:26:04 +0000 UTCHere's a community-generated list of the best (non set specific) episodes, from /r/lrcast <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/lrcast/comments/497xa2/updated_essential_podcasts/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.reddit.com/r/lrcast/comments/497xa2/updated_essential_podcasts/</a>
Nick Gloaming
2017-03-11 17:11:26 +0000 UTCDo you think there is (or is going to be, depending on timing) a Molten Rain/Blood Moon/Ancient Grudge deck in Modern Masters 2017 that's going to punish the five-color decks?
William McDuff
2017-03-11 00:26:53 +0000 UTCHey guys - Not really a question but more of a episode suggestion. Can you guys maybe have an episode that goes back to fundamentals? Things like the stack come to mind. I recently learned the hard way that if I cast "Prey Upon" (a sorcery) on my Aether Chaser (2/1 first strike), and have it fight my opponents creature (any 2/2) that first strike doesn't apply, they simply trade. That was bad for me, but was a valuable lesson. It's fundamental things like this that sometimes trip me up lately.
Jon
2017-03-02 19:20:05 +0000 UTCOn your last episode you talked about how much worse removal has gotten. Correspondingly, does this mean that auras have gotten that much better? Is Siege Modifications now an actively good card?
Leon
2017-03-01 00:25:56 +0000 UTCHi Marshall and Luis, Thank you for making this podcast. I love listening to it and being able to use the advice when playing Magic and when playing other games. Several games have come out recently that offer limited formats, including one of particular interest to LSV. Do you plan to discuss those games' limited if something relevant can be learned from them or do you plan to stay focused on Magic? Thanks.
jvluso
2017-02-24 08:23:54 +0000 UTCHey M&L. My name is Andrew Stirling MacDonald, and I am the friend of Jesse (from the AER Listener Questions episode) with whom he plays magic 3-5 hours a day. I've been playing since October and listening since pretty much day one of playing thanks to a recommendation from my cousin Marty. I recently won my first Game Day, which (though it was Standard instead of limited) I definitely wouldn't have managed without the skills I've learned listening to this podcast. I have two questions: 1: Somehow despite the 3-5 hours per day I play (mostly sealed deck and Winston drafts) with Jesse, I find myself with more-than ample time in which to listen to your program. I've been listening to older episodes, especially ones with "level-up" in the titles, and I'm wondering, first, if there is some kind of list of like "The Best of LR," where people can easily find things like the Quadrant Theory episode, or the Having a Plan episode, or the First appearance of Elmer, or whatever. Additionally, are there other podcasts or programs that you'd recommend, that offer content you feel would be valuable for LR listeners? Second question: Several friends and I are interested in buying an older Booster box and drafting it. I've had several people recommend Scars for this. What would your recommendations be for this draft?
Andrew Stirling MacDonald
2017-02-23 06:22:02 +0000 UTCHi guys. With Aether Revolt being fairly aggressive I’ve been running into this decision tree a bunch, and I’d love your thoughts. If you’re getting beaten down and on the defensive, when do you decide to play a removal spell over a solid blocker. Is it better to try and stabilize and build out your board or to remove a threat permanently? Does this decision change with your life total, how many tricks or removal spells you’ve seen from the opponent, what phase of the game you’re in (developing, midgame, endgame), what else is in your hand, or how many cards your opponent is holding? Thanks!
Dana Billings
2017-02-22 16:29:14 +0000 UTCHey Marshall and Luis, I have been noticing an issue with my play recently - I am having trouble forming and maintaining a plan when the late game arrives and both players are topdecking. I keep planning based on the board and thinking in terms of 'if nothing changes'. Any tips on thinking ahead with no information from hands? Thanks!
Seraphim_MTG
2017-02-20 13:19:25 +0000 UTCWhich is better: a 2/3 for 3, or a 3/2 for 3? Or does it all depend on your deck and the environment?
Eliah Hecht
2017-02-19 19:27:05 +0000 UTCHey Marshall and Luis, I was wondering if you have any tips for drafting with less than 8 people? Are there alternate drafting methods which work better with fewer people?
Matt Carr
2017-02-17 11:03:14 +0000 UTCHey guys, first thank you for all the time you put into this show. It really shows in the quality information that you provide. My question revolves around consistency, variance, and synergy. I have noticed that sometimes I draft a lot of great quality cards, but then consistency and variance come into play and I don't see as many of my quality cards. My awesome combo's don't get to fire off because the card or cards I needed were buried in my deck. So my question is how do you cut down on this? I know you can't really cut out variance because it is part of the game, but can you at least make your deck more consistent? Do you look for a lot of 2-3 of's so your deck is more consistent? For example are 5 Aether Poisoner's too many?
Jon
2017-02-13 21:39:20 +0000 UTCI see at GP-NJ they are going to have an interesting "new" format -- sealed box. Crack a box and build a 40 card deck. Any ideas about the meta-game for such an event? I'm thinking fast red and/or fast white -- of course some rares might change that... what do you think? -- Hogan
Hogan Long
2017-02-11 19:59:08 +0000 UTCMarshall and LSV, thanks for the great show. I was listening to the Aether Revolt Pro Tour Testing episode and LSV commented that over 50% of the time White/Blue skies is thing. I know it's a archetype that shows up enough that even as sets change there's a general deck wants to do the same thing with similar types of cards. I'm trying to get better at understanding the ins and outs of these frequent limited archetypes so I'm not starting at zero with every format. But I know there's a range between pairs like White/Blue with a very clear and common archetype like Skies, and then something like Green/Blue on the other extreme that has been energy-focused, clue-based, or converge with splashes of other colors, just to name a few of its more recent incarnations. Generally speaking, where would you put the two color pair archetypes in limited, the ones where there's a general pattern that's worth spending time learning how you want to pilot the deck versus those that are a box of chocolates and you'll never know what we'll get in a format.
Logan Ferree
2017-02-09 18:21:52 +0000 UTCHi Marshall and Luis, Really appreciate you putting together the podcast - very entertaining and informative. I'm very new to the game (came in at Kaladesh) and I feel like I've made a ton of progress as a player and no longer struggle with the basics of steps or casting...however recently I feel like my progression has slowed down and I worry it may keep me from reaching the next level. What tips do you have for newcomers to avoid plateauing and continue to get better?
Keaton Andersen
2017-02-09 05:13:09 +0000 UTCHey Marshall and Luis, Thanks for all the great tips! I made my first day 2 at GP San Jose, and I attribute it all to the fact that y'all have helped me dramatically improve my Limited game (and also Barals Expertise was good... very good). On MTGO I have had some success and some failures. This format has been very difficult to figure out. I keep some stats on my play, and it seems that green has been really been underperforming considering how there seems to be a consensus on it being one of (if not the best) color. Do you think the color is underperforming just because it is overdrafted and it's hard to build a good green deck because so many people are in the color, or is the hype around green just because of how good it was in Kaladesh + Tusker just wins games? Thanks, Harrison
Harrison Little
2017-02-08 22:27:41 +0000 UTCHey guys, I'm getting back into MTGO after only playing at the store for quite a while. You guys have sold me on leagues from your discussion on the podcast, so I want to jump in. However, I'm kind of confused by the different pay outs. I used to play 8-4 or Swiss drafts, because the old 4-3-2-2 structure had a lower payout EV etc. Is there any similar advice that applies to joining leagues for draft or sealed? Which leagues do you guys play? Thanks for the great show every week. Go team Shelly!
Chris Diffin
2017-02-08 13:51:24 +0000 UTCHello from snowy Seattle! My question is slightly off topic: What outside material has influenced you each as it relates to your mindset & overall approach to Magic and even learning in general? I assume a lot of poker & game theory literature - though swear I occasionally hear references to sports psychology thrown in. Bonus question for Marshall: Huskies or Cougars?
Kenji
2017-02-08 05:01:37 +0000 UTCHello Marshall and Luis. Been a listener for about two years - my first episode was actually LSVs first as cohost. My question is a little bit different, but something I've often wondered about. I've heard time and time again that THE reason variance is important is because it offers newer players an opportunity to win . Many players seem to think that Magic's variance reduces the importance of skilled play. My question is, would you agree with the following premise: While variance may mean that the most skilled player will not win every game, variance does require that players need more skill in order to be successful players. My thought is that variance leads to a wider variety of game states, and requires players to be prepared to play optimally when they're ahead, behind , and at parity. If Magic had less variance, while there would be fewer non-games, the skills needed to succeed seems like they would be shallower. Any thoughts?
Matthew Taylor
2017-02-08 04:54:42 +0000 UTCHey Marshall and LSV! When dealing with FNM "continuous construction" draft events (where you don't have to de-sideboard to the same deck every round, etc.), there will be occasions where I'll end up being influenced by the matchup of round 1, and have it more permanently stick into my deck in round 2 if it was successful against that opponent (even if it's not the best overall version of the deck). For example: if I have a lower-to-the ground aggro deck, but face off against a deck with enough Consul's Skygate-like creatures to hold off the ground game, I might side into a more late-game deck to go over the top. Since the sideboard plan didn't involve obvious sideboard-style cards, I'll end up letting this influence the normal deck construction in round 2. Is this line appropriate? It's sometimes hard to tell if this type of continuous construction is results-oriented thinking, or adapting to the very local format of the 8-man pod. Thanks for all your advice!
Nick G
2017-02-08 03:42:20 +0000 UTCHey Marshall and Luis. I wanted to ask about focus. When I'm playing Magic, whether it's in person or online, I sometimes find my attention drifting away. This happens especially when my opponent goes into the tank. I'm a fast thinker, and although I'm not perfect I don't believe I'm playing too quickly or playing on autopilot. However, I know I'm giving up percentage points by not keeping my head in the game, since I have to work harder to evaluate the changes in the game and keep my game plan when I snap back into focus. What do you guys do to keep your mind focused exclusively on the game? Thanks for the great content!
A.J. Frank
2017-02-06 15:29:39 +0000 UTCHey Marshall, Hey Luis, First time caller, long time listener... As a long time constructed player, limited has taken a lot of patience -- and a whole lot more losing -- to wrangle down, but has since proven itself a limitless source of complexity and creativity. If it weren't for my strong local drafting community, I might have never expanded my love for Magic into 40 card decks. My question for you involves an observation i've made on an individual drafters prowess in limited being in direct proportion to the that player developing their own 'style'. By this I mean, when someones perspective on drafting and limited play grows beyond the foundational principles established by public resources such as podcasts (like yours!) and pick orders into something that, while on the surface may seem unorthodox, reveals an underbelly of sophistication and creativity. You know the type: they'll begin to say and do so many things that just seem 'wrong' to you, but they stick to their guns, withstand the barrage of criticism, and one day they break through the ceiling and really start winning. Strong tournament finishes, PT qualification, etc. It's not that they're incapable of drafting ABC magic, but they accept, and seem to possess an almost iconoclastic attitude towards Limited...hence, 'Style'. So, to my question. At what point do we begin to apply 'ourselves' to our Limited development, adding our own sense of creativity to a format with so many principles? Because it seems that the ones who really get it... well, they don't have the same creed. And while i'm busy losing with good cards, they're intent on winning with bad ones. Thanks a ton, guys, for everything you do. Best/Derek
derek gallen
2017-02-06 14:52:57 +0000 UTCKaladesh block is a 16-land format, while others like Return to Ravnica or Theros are 17-landers. What hints should a player look for in order to determine the appropriate (in average) number of lands foreach Limited environment? Thanks for everything you do.
Celso Távora
2017-02-06 11:30:52 +0000 UTCI have been playing for around a year now and have dabbled into Modern, and am now looking at getting started with Sealed and Standard. I tend to play one game per day online; I used to play more but prefer now to go over the games and ensure I learn something from them all. My question is, with a view to improving across the formats, how should I divide my play time between these three- such as alternate each day between the three, or run say five days per format, or play one format per month, or focus more on the new ones, etc.? On the one hand I do not want to restrict myself to one format for a prolonged period, on the other I do want to ensure I get enough consistency at each to improve my play. Thanks a bunch guys, it's a truly great show!
Kaushalya-Frank Munro
2017-02-06 03:49:14 +0000 UTCHello Marshall and LSV. Thanks for all you do. I've been listening to LR and playing limited for about 2 years. Your show has helped me a lot in both sealed and draft. My question relates to draft, gameplay and sideboard choices in a format with a lot of ability words like menace, trample, first strike, double strike and revolt. Do you think differently about creature ratios, removal, blocking, combat tricks and efficient use of mana on your turn? How does it relate to result oriented thinking. Thanks! Scott L Syracuse NY
Scott Laundry
2017-02-05 15:51:01 +0000 UTCHey Marshall and Luis, As a player, I've found that my efforts to improve are often stymied by my inability to really remember everything that goes on in a game. I'll think things through in the moment, but after the draft is over I can only remember some highlights and a general sense of how good or bad my deck felt. This goes for games as well as the draft portion, even moreso in paper drafts where I can't line up my cards and look at them all the time. Do you have any tips or tricks for remembering what goes on, or does it come more naturally to you? Should I acknowledge that this is a personal weakness and commit to writing down lots of notes, or is there a way to train my brain? Best, Erik
Erik Fink
2017-02-05 09:05:07 +0000 UTCHad a player cast a consulate dreadnought turn 1 of every game at fnm this last week. I was his round 2 opponent. In game 2 we both mulligan, I jokingly said "what, no dreadnought " which he replies "no lands, but it was in my hand. I only have 1". These are signs of deck manipulation. At what point should an investigation begin and should it matter if it's regular rel? Yes I am a judge and have partake in investigations before. I was going to ask more questions but the guy dropped after that game. He told the employee running the event that I was a jerk to him because I talked about the turn 1 dreadnought and his sloppy play after the games, including covering a creature with another.
Kyoji Takenouchi
2017-02-05 05:59:14 +0000 UTCWhat do you think of the notion that draft is perhaps the most skill intensive format. I've heard a lot of people say this and I tend to agree. In draft there are more vectors you can use greater skill, knowledge, and preparation to leverage, and while there is greater RNG, the fact that it's the same for everyone means that those with the patience and knowledge to eke out every % advantage can gain an even greater edge over the competition. Even just in my own personal experience this seems to hold true; I've lost plenty of constructed matches over the years to my more casual friends due to bad draws etc. But I I've lost astronomically fewer draft matches to them, because of how much farther game knowledge gets you when drafting a pool, building a deck, and playing out the games. Thanks for such a great show. -Willie G. Seattle
William Gross
2017-02-05 04:00:06 +0000 UTCMarshal and LSV: I have a question on the different types of drafting formats. I drafted sporadically, but really got into it with Kaladesh. I dove full into the research and practice and ended up doing really well in my drafts. By the end of it I felt I had a solid handle on the format and even got to the top 8 of my draft league. However, with Aether Revolt, i'm finding that I'm not doing well at all. I've thought about card evaluation, and read what others have thought, but i'm going 1-0-2 and 0-0-3 for every draft i'm in. Are there fundamental differences in sets, and if so, how do you recognise/adjust to these differences? Also, I find that when there aren't perfect numbers my LGS or in draft league, I really struggle with 6-man pods. I feel like it's particularly hard to evaluate when a color's open and when to move into them. Is there some way to adjust for smaller pod-sizes? Cheers, David
David Baggett
2017-02-04 22:42:31 +0000 UTCHey Marshall & Luis! Long time listener - thanks for all the content you two put out. Myself and two other Nashvillians recently started a team of other locals (plus a few non-locals). We try to get together at a local game store to draft when we can and have a group chat to discuss a variety of formats, but recently was trying to think of other ways we can improve as a team. Do you use (or have you heard of) any strategies that maximize the team? For example, doing timed drafts or assigning certain roles to team members (limited research, standard deck brewing, designated deck testers, etc.)? If possible, could you also elaborate on the importance of being well-rounded in terms of format knowledge? All too often, I hear Magic players say, "I don't play limited, I'm just a standard player." I have been trying to break that habit in our team members by having those who only play limited build what they think is a fun standard deck as a starting point; and by having those who traditionally play standard listen to your podcast. Thanks again for everything! P.S. When y'all are here in Nashville for PT Amonkhet, the team would be honored to take you both to dinner (our treat)!
Vinny Cavaliere
2017-02-04 21:18:32 +0000 UTCHey, coming back to my question around introducing a listener-eye to set-reviews in a chosen form: it could be done live as a more or less random patreon joining the set reviews or - more realistic - by doing a pre-set review survey among patreons and then using the data during set reviews and seing where listeners see bombs and unplayables (and how close they are to your perception). You could spend more time around cards percieved on average as F (where you see it as B+) or other way around. It would be a very nice addition to wonderful set reviews and it would benchmark you agains your crowd and build additional connection :) (FYI, I didn;t get the thank you card yet, maybe it was countered). thanks
Janusz Okoń
2017-02-04 18:41:56 +0000 UTCAny advice on how many lands you need to keep a hand, as opposed to mulliganing? Assuming I have a 2- or 3-drop I will usually keep a hand with 2-5 lands on the draw, and 3-5 lands on the play, in general. Do you use a similar rule of thumb?
Eliah Hecht
2017-02-04 18:37:39 +0000 UTCHey guys. Having both played and covered feature matches at high level magic, what should we as viewers know that isn't obvious from watching coverage.
Tyler Spiering
2017-02-04 16:58:34 +0000 UTCHey Marshall and Luis! My question for you guys is do you have any advice on how to re-evaluate cards in a draft format? I find myself getting tunnel-vision as I draft a set and it becomes hard for me to open my eyes and start seeing the other cards that I typically ignore. Over time and while listening to the podcast or reading Frank Karsten articles I do eventually start looking at cards that I previously thought were either unplayable or not early picks so I never ended up taking them. I'm wondering if there is a faster way to accomplish this on my own. Thanks, you guys are awesome!
Kilian Johnson
2017-02-04 15:19:41 +0000 UTCHi Marshall and Luis, love listening to the show, thanks for all the work you put into it. My question is about deciding between using onboard mana sinks and casting the cards in your hand. I usually get caught up seeing the advantages and disadvantages of each and rarely feel confident I've made the better choice. What sort of tricks or strategies do you use to help you make that decision?
Tom Kamenick
2017-02-04 12:12:54 +0000 UTC
