A
arhar
Guest
Ok, right now I'm in the biggest Magic slump in my career, and it's pretty depressing. So I need help!
G
Gizmo
Guest
I`ve got to be honest.
I cry like Susan O Susan the smallest girl in the playground - I quit Magic on a regular basis.
Actually seriously I do keep quitting, it`s because I HATE playing but LOVE designing and I always forget how much I hate playing and convince myself I want to go to a tournament. I don`t mind going to tournaments cos I have loads of mates I only meet there, but we keep having to break up the conversation to playmagic.
I cry like Susan O Susan the smallest girl in the playground - I quit Magic on a regular basis.
Actually seriously I do keep quitting, it`s because I HATE playing but LOVE designing and I always forget how much I hate playing and convince myself I want to go to a tournament. I don`t mind going to tournaments cos I have loads of mates I only meet there, but we keep having to break up the conversation to playmagic.
D
Dead
Guest
Change format.
If type 2 is getting you down because it seems that everything you build can't stop a spiritmonger try extended- the field is wide open atm, you'll have fun designing if not playing new creations. If constructed play in general is the problem, try some sealed or draft.
If all of those have lost the shine, try a more casual variant: crapdeck tournaments, emperor or onedeck are all more concerned with fun than actually winning. Recently we did a 5 booster homelands draft, which was a real blast (more details on all these formats can be found on my site's magic section)
An interesting idea i saw on the wizards msg boards (which i can't sign up to for some reason ) was a sortof 1 booster blind sealed- open a single pack of cards and without looking at them, shuffle them into 10 basic lands (2 of each type) to create a 25 card deck. You'll have no idea what you're playing or what you're playing against, or even if it's possible to win .
There's plenty out there to keep magic players amused beyond the standard forms of play. If all else fails organise a 20 player grand melee
If type 2 is getting you down because it seems that everything you build can't stop a spiritmonger try extended- the field is wide open atm, you'll have fun designing if not playing new creations. If constructed play in general is the problem, try some sealed or draft.
If all of those have lost the shine, try a more casual variant: crapdeck tournaments, emperor or onedeck are all more concerned with fun than actually winning. Recently we did a 5 booster homelands draft, which was a real blast (more details on all these formats can be found on my site's magic section)
An interesting idea i saw on the wizards msg boards (which i can't sign up to for some reason
) was a sortof 1 booster blind sealed- open a single pack of cards and without looking at them, shuffle them into 10 basic lands (2 of each type) to create a 25 card deck. You'll have no idea what you're playing or what you're playing against, or even if it's possible to win .There's plenty out there to keep magic players amused beyond the standard forms of play. If all else fails organise a 20 player grand melee
U
Ura
Guest
First thing I always do is check the mana ratio, after that its just bad karma.
I've found that some people just can not play certain decks because the deck will never ever ever ever work for them.
I can't play stompy/stampy decks or anything even close to resembling a sligh deck. Not because I don't know how, but because I rarely ever see more then 1 or 2 lands if I'm lucky and manage to get the exact wrong spells to go with them. On the flip side I also do remarkably well playing against these kinds of decks. I actually built a stompy deck once with 26 lands (forests, treetops, and cradles) and never drew more then 3 of them in a game even though the deck was exactly 60 cards.
So the best thing to do is just switch decks to something different, completely different. If your playing sligh go to turbo-stasis, if your playing fires make a nether-go deck.
Beyond this, take a break from magic for a week or two to get your juice back and give your cards a stern talking to about team work yadda-yadda-yadda, you'd be surprised how well it can work.
If all else fails just take Giz's info and feel free to cry like Susan O Susan. If anything is can be stress relieving.
I've found that some people just can not play certain decks because the deck will never ever ever ever work for them.
I can't play stompy/stampy decks or anything even close to resembling a sligh deck. Not because I don't know how, but because I rarely ever see more then 1 or 2 lands if I'm lucky and manage to get the exact wrong spells to go with them. On the flip side I also do remarkably well playing against these kinds of decks. I actually built a stompy deck once with 26 lands (forests, treetops, and cradles) and never drew more then 3 of them in a game even though the deck was exactly 60 cards.
So the best thing to do is just switch decks to something different, completely different. If your playing sligh go to turbo-stasis, if your playing fires make a nether-go deck.
Beyond this, take a break from magic for a week or two to get your juice back and give your cards a stern talking to about team work yadda-yadda-yadda, you'd be surprised how well it can work.
If all else fails just take Giz's info and feel free to cry like Susan O Susan. If anything is can be stress relieving.
H
Hetemti
Guest
I fold if I have no creatures on the board or in my hand after turn 4, or if someone plays a BB-Vampiric Tutor.
T
Thallid Ice Cream Man
Guest
Purposely use those cards that you'd never use otherwise in weird decks.
You probably won't do any better, but it might be fun.
You probably won't do any better, but it might be fun.
F
fuzzy510
Guest
Two reasons:
1. You're bound to win sometime.
2. When you do win, you have a legitimate reason to laugh at the person you just beat.
1. You're bound to win sometime.
2. When you do win, you have a legitimate reason to laugh at the person you just beat.
Z
Zadok001
Guest
Well, first of all, there's an old strategic rule to remember - If you're going to lose if a certain condition is true, you must play as though the condition is false. If you're going to lose if your opponent has a Wrath of God, you must play as though your opponent does not.
But if I know I can't win a game, I start playing with my opponent's head. Maybe I go horrendously overconfidant, or I start making absolutely insane plays, etc... Basically, trying to throw my opponent for a loop via Jedi Mind Tricks. Most of the time, it doesn't work, and I lose anyways. But I always get a wierd look...
But if I know I can't win a game, I start playing with my opponent's head. Maybe I go horrendously overconfidant, or I start making absolutely insane plays, etc... Basically, trying to throw my opponent for a loop via Jedi Mind Tricks. Most of the time, it doesn't work, and I lose anyways. But I always get a wierd look...
A
arhar
Guest
I think I should expand on the situation a little bit.
My slump, for some reason, only exists when I'm drafting. When I'm playing Type 2 or multiplayer, or anything else, everything's ok. But drafting is a different story. Usually I win about a half of the drafts I play in, and I consider myself pretty good. So it all started a few days when I drafted an absolutely amazing deck in a four person draft. I went red and black with a splash of green for Darigaaz and his charm and white for Fervent Charge and Vindicate. The rest of the cards were simply amazing, as well - my "bad" creatures were Phyrexian Reaper and Bloodstock. The mana base was good, too. So normally, I'd expect to win or at least get second with this kind of deck. I went 0-3. One game I'd get mana screwed, the other mana flooded, etc, etc.. Usually I take philosophically to mana screw, but not when it happens every game! Since then, I won maybe one match in all drafts I have played - now that's pretty depressing! I almost never get last place, and in those couple of days, I finished last in all drafts I've played And the thing is, I can't figure out why - I don't feel any different, and everybody else didn't turn into Finkels all of a sudden.
So, there's my story
My slump, for some reason, only exists when I'm drafting. When I'm playing Type 2 or multiplayer, or anything else, everything's ok. But drafting is a different story. Usually I win about a half of the drafts I play in, and I consider myself pretty good. So it all started a few days when I drafted an absolutely amazing deck in a four person draft. I went red and black with a splash of green for Darigaaz and his charm and white for Fervent Charge and Vindicate. The rest of the cards were simply amazing, as well - my "bad" creatures were Phyrexian Reaper and Bloodstock. The mana base was good, too. So normally, I'd expect to win or at least get second with this kind of deck. I went 0-3. One game I'd get mana screwed, the other mana flooded, etc, etc.. Usually I take philosophically to mana screw, but not when it happens every game! Since then, I won maybe one match in all drafts I have played - now that's pretty depressing! I almost never get last place, and in those couple of days, I finished last in all drafts I've played
And the thing is, I can't figure out why - I don't feel any different, and everybody else didn't turn into Finkels all of a sudden.So, there's my story
I
Istanbul
Guest
There's no such thing as luck. If you can't win, something's wrong...whether it's your deck or your playing style, you're doing something wrong. Take a long, hard look at what you're doing, diagnose why you're losing, and fix it.
T
Thallid Ice Cream Man
Guest
Look back a month or so before this started.
Has anything, anything at all, however insignificant (except maybe for your shoes) changed since then?
If so, any of those things may be the cause.
So short of reproducing the exact situation you were in in May, you're going to have to think about what may be the main cause.
Are you playing with a new group of people?
Has anything, anything at all, however insignificant (except maybe for your shoes) changed since then?
If so, any of those things may be the cause.
So short of reproducing the exact situation you were in in May, you're going to have to think about what may be the main cause.
Are you playing with a new group of people?
Ask around and get other players' opinions on your draft decks. Did you make the best choices and did you build the best deck with the right mana ratio/spells/etc. If they think you have and you haven't made any play errors, you probably just gotta clench your teeth and keep playing.
Otherwise, keep improving in draft by analyzing why the other players' would have drafted/built differently than you and see if it's better.
Otherwise, keep improving in draft by analyzing why the other players' would have drafted/built differently than you and see if it's better.
I
Istanbul
Guest
How to cure chronic mana screw:
Examine your mana ratio. SERIOUSLY.
Examine your shuffling style.
Shuffle more.
Examine your mana ratio. SERIOUSLY.
Examine your shuffling style.
Shuffle more.
C
Cateran Emperor
Guest
The same thing I always do; do weird things for my own entertainment! If I can't win, I might as well enjoy losing and go down in the biggest, most brilliant ball of flame imaginable!
T
Turtlewax Joe
Guest
i fiddle wit' the mana and Hampster on the outher guys deck and talk about how he got lucky.
I
Istanbul
Guest
Sounds like a lot of Magic players I know. How irritating.
E
Ephrils
Guest
I wonder why the deck doesn't work when it needs to but always, and I mean always, works in practice and playtest games.
E
EricBess
Guest
Gizmo: I think I'm the same way you are. I love designing new decks. Usually, I judge, but sometimes, I try my hand at the tournaments. I actually do enjoy playing, but I hate playing against all of the power decks that are out there. I can do okay to design against one or two, but I'm really bad at guessing which decks I'm actually going to run into.
I really like limited because it is as much about designing a good deck as it is about good play. I like that balance. Plus, good play can offset a lot without it all being about the best decks. I'm about to digress off the topic. Just the other day, I was at one life and had just cast Illuminate to draw a handful of cards. I was tempted to just play out, but decided against over committing just in case, so I kept some mana open. My opponent cast Backlash on my Kavu Monarch. He would have won right there if he had targetted my Voldalian Zombie. As it was, he went into top-decking mode when I cast Agonizing Demise (no kicker ) on my own Monarch.
Istanbul: My problem isn't chronic mana screw. The limited tournaments are usually 4 rounds and I always seem to lose one match due to mana screw, but I have absolutely no problems the rest of the night. I do have to echo your sentiments about shuffling. I shuffle a lot to avoid clumping, but statistics are statistics and luck is luck, and sometimes, mine is bad
I really like limited because it is as much about designing a good deck as it is about good play. I like that balance. Plus, good play can offset a lot without it all being about the best decks. I'm about to digress off the topic
. Just the other day, I was at one life and had just cast Illuminate to draw a handful of cards. I was tempted to just play out, but decided against over committing just in case, so I kept some mana open. My opponent cast Backlash on my Kavu Monarch. He would have won right there if he had targetted my Voldalian Zombie. As it was, he went into top-decking mode when I cast Agonizing Demise (no kicker ) on my own Monarch.Istanbul: My problem isn't chronic mana screw. The limited tournaments are usually 4 rounds and I always seem to lose one match due to mana screw, but I have absolutely no problems the rest of the night. I do have to echo your sentiments about shuffling. I shuffle a lot to avoid clumping, but statistics are statistics and luck is luck, and sometimes, mine is bad
A
Apollo
Guest
Find a friend. Sit him down in your kitchen. Begin playing Magic. Do not allow your friend to get up from the table until you win a game. Deny him food, drink, and use of your bathroom. Play untill you win.
You may lose the friend, but it will end your losing streak!
Someone did this to me once. We sat down around 9:00 pm and played until well into the next day when he finally beat me. He went on to tin the next 10 or so games he played.
You may lose the friend, but it will end your losing streak!
Someone did this to me once. We sat down around 9:00 pm and played until well into the next day when he finally beat me. He went on to tin the next 10 or so games he played.