So, I've been playing Magic for 9 months now, specifically standard. I've tried home brews at tournaments, net decks (card for card), and net decked with some preferential changes.....I'm not seeing any productive tournaments!
I just want to know what is the best way to get better at it...I've been playing more frequently at tournaments lately, at least weekly....Any suggestions??
For me, building a deck is one thing. Learning how to play it is another. You have to be able to identify each card in your deck. Find it's significance. Find out why you are playing it, find out if its the best card todo what you want.
Then being able to play against so many deck types that you truly understand exactly how to play it. Watching other people play, seeing how their decks work. And then most importantly, when you are playing. Don't rush, and don't overthink. Just play.
So, my exoerience, or lack there of, really plays a part in it....time to slow down and really pay attention
Look at decks, watch others play, and look up rules on every card you plan to play.
That I would say is step one. With that you get yourself in the right position to get better, but there is something very important and easy to over look about all that. Why?
Ask yourself why about everything. Why is that card in this list? Why is this card worded like this? Why is that rule necessary? Why did he make that play? Why is he playing cheaper seemingly weaker cards and beating these expensive (money and cmc) cards?
Every time you find an answer to one of the questions you ask yourself, your understanding of the game gets better, your deck building improves, and your creativity in play and building will be able to convey more desirable results.
Also know when to trade cards. Sometimes it's worth it to attack knowing your gonna lose a creature or two. This can open up the field. Also when to block and take the damage. Being at 20 life in a standstill against a mana ramping deck waiting for them to drop a bomb isn't a good idea. Final point is dont be afraid to hold a card or two. Late in the game is it worth it to play your 9th land or hold it having you opponent guessing what you have in your hand.
And one thing I do is always mix up my cards in hand. Some people see you grabbing a land from the middle and working your way out its a tell. I usually keep my hand on the table if its my opponents turn.
Just some ideas.
One more thing. Depending on what level your competing in you can talk to your opponent after the game and ask for suggestions. At my lgs we help each other on ideas.
what i did when getting into it, was i played veterans and always players that were better than me, and had better decks. (it was casual play though) I tweaked my decks until I could go toe-to-toe with them, and that's how i got better. I'm also right now, trying to get better at per-releases to improve my deck building skills
First off, slow down a bit. Understand that Jon finkel, Kai budde, Conley woods, LSV, etc were not world reknowned players overnight. Build your basic skills. Learn the rules, especially learn the stack and priority and how to exploit them to your advantage. Building net-decks and altering them to your preferences is great. It shows you have the ability to change what you see fit and what doesn't work at your meta game. However, pay attention to what decks are in your meta game. Example, are you trying Esper Control in a heavy Aristocrat field? This is usually a bad idea if you aren't well practiced in playing control. Are you trying Naya Blitz on a heavy Junk Reanimator field? A lot of Reanimators in my field are running {Voice of Resurgence} and {Centaur Healer} and will aggressively trade the voice for a much larger token that will end up owning your smaller critters easily. If there are certain players at your LGS that are constantly in the top 8, watch their games. Watch what they do, when they do it, and how they plan the wins out. They are consistently on top not just because of the deck they are playing. And don't get discouraged. You will win if you practice and pay close attention. Good luck!
Thanks a lot for all the advice. It sucks to not have a lot of people that I know that play outside of my lgs....I only have 1-2 people that I can play against and it's typically the same deck over and over again, so play testing becomes an issue.
I've been getting into the rules a lot more and definitely learning how the stack works....just like a stack of pancakes!!
Have you figured out hat style of play you prefer. You said you have tried some different types of decks; have any of them really sparks your curiosity? Once you do that, then settle on a deck list as a starting point and refine it to your style of play.
When I build a me deck the first thing I do is shuffle up and deal 7 cards. Is it a hand I would keep, or would I mulligan? I use this to refine it and then I play casual, and finally I take the deck to an event. It may not do well and need some tweaking, but I have a good idea if where I want to go from there.
Play against people who are better than you. I learned by getting destroyed in tournaments. Whenever I felt discouraged, I reminded myself "hey I'm still learning!".
Playing is pretty much the best way to learn, theorize all you want, nothing really compares to just playing a person in a sealed deck draft