Talking about playing slowly

In my last two PPTQ reports, I've mentioned my struggles to avoid draws. This is something I've come to terms with recently and I thought I would write about it.

Hello, my name is Ty, and I play slowly.

This wasn't always the case. When I first started playing competitively, I was very fast. I also wasn't nearly as good as I am today. I would try to finish my FNM draft round as quickly as possible in order to playtest block or extended or even my draft deck in between rounds. Routinely at PTQs I  would be involved in concurrent money drafts to be completed in between rounds.

I didn't play quickly for any particular strategic reason. I wasn't trying to rush my opponent into making a mistake (though that happened quite frequently). I wasn't trying to "show off" or "intimidate" my opponents either (this also likely happened). Mostly I did it because I would get bored thinking about the game at hand. This was combined with a desire to play as many games of Magic as possible, because I really loved playing Magic. Probably my favorite aspect of Magic is the ability to play many games over and over in a relatively short amount of time, especially when compared to other strategy games.

Playing so many games made me better at Magic. It also made me faster at Magic. A sort of feedback loop existed, like the guy in the old anti-drug commercial talking about why he does cocaine. I wasn't trying to be the fastest player, nor was I trying to be the best player, I just wanted to keep playing. I knew lots of players that were good played much slower than me. Players like Trent Boneau and Kelly Wichert would take minutes on what I thought were simple decisions. In my youth I assumed it was because they were older than I (I don't like thinking about how much younger they were then than I am today). It was meeting two players close to my age that also played slowly, Taylor Williams and Taylor Webb, that I started to see how actually taking time could help.

The biggest game changer was when I joined the U.S. Navy. Before boot camp, I was a player that had good instincts for the game. I would avoid common mistakes by playing so many practice games and making them all before hand. Boot camp taught me to focus. The feeling that I only really experienced before hand while taking exams in school I was able to apply to other endeavors. Right after boot camp, I was in extensive nuclear power training that involved multiple written exams every month. This involved memorization of large lists of related things, explaining complicated processes step by step, and some basic (to me) math. This all helped me rapidly grow as a better Magic player.

One of the first times I distinctly remember taking my time to work something out in a game of Magic was an RRG draft where I needed to draw my one copy of Pyromatics to win the game after getting my opponent to exactly a life total that I could kill him from. This was the first time was thinking about a long term plan in draft. Normally I would just make the "best play" every turn and hope to win, but this involved not making the best play, and instead saving cards for when they were crucial to the plan. When it worked and I won a game I knew I couldn't have won a year earlier, I began to see a change in how I played.

Magic Online also changed the pace I play. It taught me to play constructed Magic more thoughtfully. At the time I mostly played purely aggressive decks. My constructed PTQ top 8s were with Goblins, RDW, and Affinity. The decks do require thought to play, but there are also many games where you just would roll over your opponent. As I began to build more of my own decks and learn some nuances to how cards line up in constructed, I played fewer aggressive decks.

All this is to say, for many of my successful Magic playing years, slowing down meant playing better. This is very much a good thing. There are two other factors to playing slow that are not as good.

This first of these factors is thinking way too much about things that don't matter. I enjoy finding new things to think about, whether its which land to play on turn 1 or which counterspell to lead with in a potential counter war. This things are relevant, but only some of the time. Sometimes your turn 1 land doesn't matter at all. Sometimes the counter war you expected never happens. While its good to be prepared for things, Magic is a complicated game and there are way more things to think about than you need to. This is where playtesting is most helpful for me these days.

The second factor is age. It is sad but true that I can't think as quickly as I used to, for as long as I once could. The fatigue after tournaments is close to the hangovers I feel from a night of drinking. A recent Twitter conversation summed it great:

This is compounded by not playing nearly as much Magic as I used to, especially IRL Magic. For whatever reason, I need to play IRL to keep certain skills sharp, especially avoiding slow play. So many things are done for you online that you forget how important it is to do them quickly IRL. Shuffling, fetching, shortcuts, life total adjustments, adding counters to your creatures, all of it can bog down a game and take you to extra turns despite the fact you never stopped doing things.

When I first moved back to Texas from Hawaii in 2011, I played in a SCG Open in DFW. I was playing a Boros Landfall deck with Squadron Hawk, Stoneforge Mystic, Plated Geopede, and Steppe Lynx (I had yet to figure out that CawBlade was the best thing ever). I had played the deck quite a bit online, and won an untimed GPT in Honolulu. In round 1 of the SCG Open, I drew playing against CawBlade. I realized I wasn't ready for IRL timed Magic when I sacrificed a fetchland, searched, shuffled, marked my life total, presented deck to opponent, then realized I wanted to play a fetchland for the turn and also sacrifice it. This was the correct sequencing to play around something I'm sure, but it's perfectly reasonable to shortcut if they don't have whatever that something was. A few turns later I played a SFM and searched, only to realize after presenting the deck that I also wanted to play a Squadron Hawk. Predictably, we didn't come close to finishing.

So yes, I am a slow player. But unlike the many of other slow players out there, I know that I am slow. I try to play fast, and occasionally I even do! I try to hold my opponents to a reasonable pace, but when I'm my own benchmark, many times that isn't fast enough for us. I think this was an interesting look at the causes of it to hopefully better help me going forward.

Thanks,
Ty

A PPTQ Win Report

Since the last time I posted actual Magic content, I didn't play a whole lot. Weeks went by when I suddenly remembered I had another PPTQ opportunity coming up, so I began where I left off. The first thing that happen was more of the same - I played slowly. I timed out on MTGO in a match, up a game, in a game I was very likely to win. This was disheartening. I've come to terms that I'm not the fastest player anymore, but this was something else. I finally found a deck I liked and it was exacerbating the problem.

I tried some other things in a panic. The Naya Evolution list just felt clunky by comparison. The Saheeli Combo version had a low enough curve and Oath of Nissa to help out, but had way too many cards that are bad on their own (including both combo pieces). This is one of the reasons I shy away from traditional Counters Company deck. I even considered trying to learn a Death Shadow variant six months after the fact. Luckily for me, my friends have my back.

I did decide to make some changes. I added two Retreat to Coralhelm to the maindeck. The combo with Knight of the Reliquary would hopefully give me a better chance to close out games in time. It's also a reasonable card in a deck full of Courser of Kruphix, Ramunap Excavator, and Azusa. The other changes were to sideboard after feeling out more of the bad matchups.

The Unified Will definitely stayed with added blue mana to the deck. They do a lot of work in unknown PPTQ environment. Phrexian Revoker was too fragile to be relied upon in the matchups I wanted; I switched it with Linvala. This let me cut a Stony Silence because Linvala does the same work vs Eldrazi Tron a lot of the time. I could now afford to play Fracturing Gust (which I learned during the tournament is an instant!) to cover the weakness to Etched Champion from Robots. Dromoka's Command was mainly to play against Burn while giving me extra removal spells vs other Company decks. The Gideon's Intervention is good against Valakut, and can be played vs other combo decks if you want. 

The last time I played a PPTQ in Huntsville, I won the Sealed event battling through quite a gauntlet of opponents in a 25ish person event. This time, there was 73 people for Modern, but not as many opponents I knew of. I showed up an hour early because I was confused on start time (this was actually my fault), and got to check out the new location for Gamers Grove. It is much nicer than their old location, though I still don't understand why they don't have an apostrophe in their name. I settled in for the seven rounds of swiss grind with this grindiest of decks.

Round 1 vs Bogles

This is not a matchup I was expecting a lot of. Game one his turn two Spirit Dancer was adequately suited up and I didn't draw any way to stop it. Game two he again has turn two Dancer and puts Spirit Mantle on it, but doesn't have a third land. This lets me use Dromoka's Command to make him sacrifice enchantment and have my Excavator fight his Dancer, and he doesn't draw another threat before I'm able to Ghost Quarter him off of all his mana. Game three he has threat heavy hand, so I have time to set up since they are mostly too small to attack into my 2/X guys. He has Grafdigger's Cage, but lacking in the pants department for his dudes. Eventually his army is suited up sufficiently to stall the board, but I have Fracturing Gust to get rid of all the troublesome stuff. He topdecks Daybreak Coronet and tries to cast it, but I inform him he has no legal target (if only I had known Gust was an instant before I cast it!). Then I'm able to GQ him off WW and then eventually all his land and his army of 1/1s can't keep him alive.

2-1

1-0

Round 2 vs Grishoalbrand

Game one I was unsure what he was on so on turn two I played Retreat instead of Knight into his Bloodstained Mire, hoping to play around Fatal Push or other removal since my hand was blanks after those cards. He doesn't cast anything turn two, so I play Knight turn three. He still does nothing, but I have nothing but lands in hand so my turn four I try to go off and he just kills me in response. I think I would have won easily if I play Knight first. Game two my hand is reliant on mana dudes for mana and he has Anger of the Gods and then kills me easily afterwards.

0-2

1-1

Round 3 vs Jund

Game one I draw three Voice of Resurgence and he only has three lands for a while maybe? I do know one turn I attack two 4/4 Voice tokens into his two 4/5 Tarmogoyfs, which he blocks. I then exile my Courser from my graveyard with Scavenging Ooze and his Goyfs perish in combat. Game two he has THREE Dark Confidant and reveals land every single time, and then I whiff on Collected Company for the real rub ins. Game 3 he has Dark Confidant again, but is stuck on lands again. He reveals a Flaying Tendrils that I play around adequately forcing him to eventually use it on his own Bob, but my two Scavenging Ooze survive and kill him.

2-1

2-1

Round 4 vs Grixis Death Shadow

Playing vs Jason Herren this round. Game one he draws 10 or so lands and only one creature, not very difficult to win. Game two I delay casting Company a turn to play around Stubborn Denial possibility, but he didn't have it. He did have two Death Shadow which started double Abyss on me and even the two Company I cast wasn't enough to turn the corner as he continually played more threats. I kept drawing cards that gave me a chance, so I spent about 10 minutes playing this game once I thought I was dead but conceding didn't seem like it was a given. Game three begins with only six minutes left in the round. We both play very fast, I have a good start with turn two Knight but he has a turn three Death Shadow. The Retreat I drew that I hoped would let me close out the game was countered by Stubborn Denial. He is low enough though that when time is called, I was going to get the turn five so I chumped for two turns and searched out Township, made my two Birds of Paradise into 3/4s, and killed him from 6 life on turn five without having to worry about dying on the backswing. This is an interesting position because if there was more time left I'm not sure its the correct play to go for the kill since any removal would leave me dead on the backswing.

2-1

3-1

Round 5 vs Abzan Delerium

Game one he has turn one Bauble but then only has one land and has to discard on turn two. He only draws WB lands for first three land drops, so I'm very far ahead by the time he can play real spells. Game two he has turn three Lost Legacy, which really scares me for a brief moment as my hand contains three Collected Company, but he names Retreat to Coralhelm. I use the Companies to set up GQ loop, and when he tries to Surgical my GQ I search for another one with Knight in response (though in the process I forgot to make two Voice tokens from his spell. Didn't matter, he had no lands after that.).

2-0

4-1

Round 6 vs Dredge

I cut all dedicated GY hate after no seeing any Dredge and also it not being good enough vs other matchups. I was worried it would come back to bite me here. Game one I win die roll and start turn one Birds, turn two GQ + Azusa + fetchland, turn three Excavator and then activate GQ on him four times. He only had two basics in his deck. Once he was unable to cast spells, it was just a matter of getting enough dudes into play to avoid dying to Prized Amalgrams and eventually Township plus Birds let me block Narcomoebas as well. Game two I kept a no land on five with a mana guy and Scavenging Ooze. I didn't draw a land ever and lost. Game three I led mana dork into Excavator. Turn three I had Ooze to remove a Bloodghast and Haunted Dead, but he had Abrupt Decay and no third land. I stared attacking with Excavator and began using GQ. His turn he goes for Conflagrate to kill two mana dudes and my Excavator, but I have Dromoka's Command to stop it and then GQ him off of spells the rest of the game.

2-1

5-1

Standings put me in 7th at this point, breakers slightly better thna 8th. 9th place is the only 13 and his breakers are about the same as mine. I'd be willing to draw at this point but I knew it wasn't likely my opponent would want to if he was smart. I also knew that 9th and 10th road together so 10th would likely concede to 9th to guarantee a top 8 vs playing to hope to get in.

Round 7 vs Affinity

I'm on the play, I have Birds into two Knights with multiple fetches, and it's not even close vs Vault Skirge, Ornithopter, two Signal Pest and Master of Etherium. I die unable to do anything. Game two was probably the best or second best game of the day. I take quite a bit of damage from early beats but get out Linvala and Knight of the Reliquary. Knight begins to search out GQ for all his Nexus while Linvala keeps his lone Signal Pest with Plating at bay. At some point, I'm at 2 life vs his 37 life. But Knight was a 13/13 thanks to ten lands and a counter from Dromoka's Command. I start swinging as he's flooded out, and win the game at 1 life. Game three was also very interesting. I had a turn two Stony Silence, but he had Aether Grid to take out some mana guys. Linvala was there to stop attacks, and soon Courser was gaining me life to offset the losses from Grid. Eventually I draw Dromoka's Command (MVP!) and get rid of the Grid and can easily win from there. 

2-1

6-1

1st after Swiss

I don't know everything in the top 8, but I do know that there was Infect, Eldrazi Tron, RG Tron, Counters Company, Cheerios, and myself. 

Quarterfinals vs Cheerios

I can't imagine this is good matchup for me. Game one I try to GQ him but he has plenty of basics and kills me on turn three anyway. Game two I play turn two Courser off Hierarch, then hold up two Unified Will the whole game while attacking for three. He never draws what he needs to go off. Game three starts the same way, except he counters my Stony Silence on turn two with Swan Song. The bird token and a Courser start the beats while I hold up Will and Command. Finally at 6 life he casts Silence, which I counter with Will. He has another Silence though, then a Sram and begins to go off. He is very tight on mana though and at one point has to Echoing Truth his own three Paradise Mantle just for more cards. Eventually he runs out of mana before ever finding Grapeshot so I win!

2-1

Semifinals vs Eldrazi Tron

Game one starts with Knight and me double GQ him but he has a TKS off Temple anyway. I go for even more GQ but he has a one turn window to get second Temple to cast Endbringer and he hits. The Endbringer depletes my mana by killing all my Birds and my lands have all been turned into GQ so I can't make any headway. Eventually he draws enough lands to cast All is Dust. Game two I have Stony Silence to stop his Relic, and have enough GQ to keep him off AiD. Eventually a Linvala flies over for enough damage while the ground is stalled. Game three my hand isn't great. He has Tron Map Tron, and my turn two Stony on the draw isn't fast enough to stop the turn three Endbringer. I Path it and he plays another. I play Eternal Witness and Path again. He only has Reality Smasher followup. I get out two Coursers and start gaining life to mitigate the damage. Eventually I get a Knight out as well and he can no longer attack. I'm at two life but his 7/7 Ballista can't activate. Eventually I find Azusa and can GQ him three times a turn while gaining 6 life and I put the game out of reach.

2-1

Finals vs Infect

I ask before hand if there is any interesting in make a deal, but he wants to try to play the Modern Pro Tour. I'm a bit worried about the matchup so I suggest maybe splitting the $270 total cash between the two of us and playing for invite, but he declines. Oh well. Game one I mulligan to five cards and keep Hierarch, Hierarch, Courser, Path, Scavenging Ooze. At least my scry was a forest. I pass the turn without playing a land. His turn one is Glistener Elf. I play forest and Hierarch. He plays Pendelhaven and attacks but only for 1 poison. He follows up with second Elf. I don't draw second land so have to play Hierarch and pass. He activated Pendelhaven, plays a second Pendelhaven and activates, hitting me for 4 poison, bringing me to 5 total. I draw Horizon Canopy so I'm still in it. Courser reveals GQ but I play Canopy from hand to hold up Path. He casts Might of Old Krosa on an elf then attacks with both. I path the pumped one then block his other one with Courser. He declines to use Pendelhaven, instead opting for Become Immense to kill my Courser. My follow up is two Scavenging Ooze, which he declines to attack into despite Pendelhaven. He does have Inkmoth at this point. I try to GQ the Inkmoth, he animates and saves it with Vines. I play Excavator and replay GQ. He attacks with Inkmoth on his turn and pumps with Pendelhaven, so I use GQ. He plays Overgrown Tomb and passes. At this point my Scavenging Ooze has killed off his other Elf while attacking thanks to the counter it got from eating Courser. I start trying to be aggressive since I'm still very dead to any unblockable infect creature and a pump spell. I have a Birds and a GQ to stop lands but Blighted Agent still a worry. He plays Noble Hierarch to block for a turn, but at this point he is at 4 life and I have four 2 power attackers. His Plague Stinger is too late. 

After winning game one, I realize my SB doesn't have much that is good. Dromoka's Command is not the ideal kill spell vs a deck full of creature pump. I ask the HJ if we can still work out a deal, and he says yes. So I offer a split of the cash, he gets the box, and I get the invite. He accepts, and the long grindy day is over.

I'm happy, I get Whataburger to celebrate, I listen to MBDTF on the drive home, and everything is great.

Props:

Will and Collin for being great sounding boards, questioning me when I'm confident, but believing in me when I doubt myself

Dromoka's Command

Opponents for getting unlucky or playing badly or whatever they did to let me win another Magic tournament. It's greatly appreciated, not sure how many more tournaments I'll win in my life.

Also all my opponents for being great sports about getting GQ locked and just being friendly overall. I wish I could be more involved with the local community sometimes.

Slops:

Clockwork Games for not being able to sell me cards on Friday afternoon. I get you have to do inventory or whatever, but Friday doesn't seem like the best day to do that.