Went to the local LGS for FNM last night. There were three guys playing he exact same deck. Nykthos, shocks, scrublands, Garruks, Xanagos, Domri, Polykranos, that creature that untaps everything during your opponents turns. They were getting ready for some big tournament, IQ or something. They took top 3. No one else stood a chance.
I know I don't build the best decks and am. It a superstar player, but I want to at least have fun. I don't expect to win each game, but I want to feel like it was an even playing field.
So the question is, should this still bother me? Or am I blowing it out of proportion? Thanks.
It gets frustrating when "teams" play a small FNM tournament as they usually will give wins and strategize to take the whole prize package together and split it.
Standard is nothing but frustration when you get pwnd, but getting pwnd allows you the opportunity to learn from your mistakes.
Playing with competitive people have made me more aware of my plays and also about calling out potential cheats/flakey players: (oh did I draw? Did I play a land?)
Just tune your homebrew deck to deal with these problems, test and balance it. Removal is great just not too much of it or you won't grab creatures to kill your opponent with.
If you're net decking....well just gotta learn to play that deck.
I can understand being blown out of the water regularly lol.
The fact is that not everyone can approach the game on equal footing. Money is always a factor in raising your chances for success. Cards that people know kick ass just cost more. They made an investment and are profiting from it.
That being said, the pilot matters as well. Some people are just really good at making plays and all the right decisions.
If all three of them took top 3, that just goes to show that all 3 of them are capable of piloting what is sure to them now as a good deck.
Nothing too far from the criteria of any winner.
I understand what you are saying, and you are right. There was just no way to be competitive in that situation.
Seeing money card after money card got old quick. Especially when you catch their mistakes, or they draw games out way longer, like adding insult to injury. Like they were not really better players, just could afford better decks.
At the end, one of them offered me their commons from their winnings which really put me off. I think they could tell I wasn't happy.
Well they were 🍆 offering you a common.
It's very frustrating when people have more cards in their deck worth more than yours, these cards give many advantages of course, but they are able to afford them.
This is why standard is frustrating: deck idea? 40-$80 in just mana base.
Soooo dumb
If they weren't being explicitly rude then losing is just something that comes from competition. Fnm IS a fight to the finish, after all. I'm not trying to apologize for anything rude they did, but winning is winning.
How many people competed there last night?
Quote from: Steerpike on January 18, 2014, 02:45:44 PM
If they weren't being explicitly rude then losing is just something that comes from competition.
I believe the op stated they were: drew out games for overkill, and offered him a common from their pack pulls.
Who offers a {Mending Touch} when you lose to them? A jerk
This is why I only do sealed or draft. Kinda keeps a level playing field. Except for that random time someone pulled the mythics that work well to gather. Also you may want to look at a different lgs that isn't as competitive.
We had enough people for 5 rounds. Several ended up dropping so I got 1 bye. So I went 2 -3 for the night. My other matches were great; good interaction and conversation. They just kind of ruined it for me.
The things I've read can be interpreted differently.
Drawing out a game isn't inherently rude. OP also mentioned they were preparing for a tournament, seems like a natural thing to want to do in order to play test.
And the whole offering commons totally depends on how they did it. Did they he try to hold back a laugh as he offered them? Or did he genuinely recognize discomfort and tried to think of some meager way he could mitigate it?
If they were deliberately trying to be rude, then sure, anger is justfied. But I'm also trying to give consolation by being devil's advocate.
Quote from: Steerpike on January 18, 2014, 02:54:31 PM
The things I've read can be interpreted differently.
Drawing out a game isn't inherently rude. OP also mentioned they were preparing for a tournament, seems like a natural thing to want to do in order to play test.
And the whole offering commons totally depends on how they did it. Did they he try to hold back a laugh as he offered them? Or did he genuinely recognize discomfort and tried to think of some meager way he could mitigate it?
If they were deliberately trying to be rude, then sure, anger is justfied. But I'm also trying to give consolation by being devil's advocate.
. Drawing out the game was from inexperience. He couldn't tell he had me beat by board state and wouldn't attack. I had to tell him.
Offering the commons just came off as rude from them. Like,"here is the crap I don't need."
Time delay is very frustrating especially when you could go to 3 rounds and a win is always better than a draw
Quote from: Dmreiss on January 18, 2014, 02:57:41 PM
Quote from: Steerpike on January 18, 2014, 02:54:31 PM
The things I've read can be interpreted differently.
Drawing out a game isn't inherently rude. OP also mentioned they were preparing for a tournament, seems like a natural thing to want to do in order to play test.
And the whole offering commons totally depends on how they did it. Did they he try to hold back a laugh as he offered them? Or did he genuinely recognize discomfort and tried to think of some meager way he could mitigate it?
If they were deliberately trying to be rude, then sure, anger is justfied. But I'm also trying to give consolation by being devil's advocate.
. Drawing out the game was from inexperience. He couldn't tell he had me beat by board state and wouldn't attack. I had to tell him.
Offering the commons just came off as rude from them. Like,"here is the crap I don't need."
Some people are scared if you are untapped and have cards in your hand to attack. I see this a lot in kids (early high school and younger).
Dat {Boon Satyr}!
:/ how did you answer him when he offered?
Just said no thanks and walked away. My son was playing 40k and my daughter was playing cards, so I was kind of stuck there waiting on them. It was a little awkward.
Quote from: Rass on January 18, 2014, 03:00:15 PM
Quote from: Dmreiss on January 18, 2014, 02:57:41 PM
Quote from: Steerpike on January 18, 2014, 02:54:31 PM
The things I've read can be interpreted differently.
Drawing out a game isn't inherently rude. OP also mentioned they were preparing for a tournament, seems like a natural thing to want to do in order to play test.
And the whole offering commons totally depends on how they did it. Did they he try to hold back a laugh as he offered them? Or did he genuinely recognize discomfort and tried to think of some meager way he could mitigate it?
If they were deliberately trying to be rude, then sure, anger is justfied. But I'm also trying to give consolation by being devil's advocate.
. Drawing out the game was from inexperience. He couldn't tell he had me beat by board state and wouldn't attack. I had to tell him.
Offering the commons just came off as rude from them. Like,"here is the crap I don't need."
Some people are scared if you are untapped and have cards in your hand to attack. I see this a lot in kids (early high school and younger).
They were in their 20's. Second game and he should have known by then I didn't have any board wipes or anything.
Well it's a bummer they impacted your night so heavily. But it sounds like the turnout otherwise was enjoyable.
If you ignore the positive things, the terrorists win!
Quote from: Steerpike on January 18, 2014, 03:08:33 PM
Well it's a bummer they impacted your night so heavily. But it sounds like the turnout otherwise was enjoyable.
If you ignore the positive things, the terrorists win!
Thanks. Cannot let the terrorists win. +1
Look at this way: you're a parent and spending $400+ on a deck would not be something you're focused on compared to someone 17-25
That age demographic is usually the people who are very competitive in my area (Los Angeles) constantly change decks and constantly net deck in order to win tournaments. But that's their focus: Magic.
Sometimes when I get some rude treatment from players I don't know, I remember some great things about my life. And losing at magic really isn't that bad when I think about it.
And I also really love killing a competitive player with {Master of Cruelties}. They just get really confused about how they let him happen. Even if its only 30% of the time I play.
Quote from: Muggywuggy on January 18, 2014, 03:10:32 PM
Look at this way: you're a parent and spending $400+ on a deck would not be something you're focused on compared to someone 17-25
That age demographic is usually the people who are very competitive in my area (Los Angeles) constantly change decks and constantly net deck in order to win tournaments. But that's their focus: Magic.
Sometimes when I get some rude treatment from players I don't know, I remember some great things about my life. And losing at magic really isn't that bad when I think about it.
And I also really love killing a competitive player with {Master of Cruelties}. They just get really confused about how they let him happen. Even if its only 30% of the time I play.
Great, now I have to create a master of cruelties deck. B/U/R... {Aqueous Form} and then magma jet them.
You don't have to, I just choose to play cards and mechanics I enjoy playing.
You can easily make a white deck where soldier of the pantheon is your most expensive card that will hold up pretty well.
Quote from: Muggywuggy on January 18, 2014, 03:29:28 PM
You don't have to, I just choose to play cards and mechanics I enjoy playing.
You can easily make a white deck where soldier of the pantheon is your most expensive card that will hold up pretty well.
I was joking, but I think it could be fun. A friend plays white weenie and does well.
I hate net decking, and like brewing. Maybe I need to think of some other interaction that could work. Thanks.
I know that you probably don't want to build a deck to beat them but against RG Monsters (their deck) play a budget version of UW Control have things like {Supreme Verdict} being your most expensive card (but have 4 of them) and play controlly cards like {Azorius Charm} {Detention Sphere} {Aetherling} as your win condition and some counter spells {Dissolve} {Negate} {Essence Scatter} and even some of the detain mechanics {Lyev Decree} for example just make sure that you can deal with your planes walkers! :P
Sorry to hear about your night. I too had one of my worst FNMs! I just kept s*** hands but at my LGS we are all friends and we all are cool about it so it was still a good night. I went 1-4 got the pity prize which was a pack of Theros and pulled a {Magma Jet} and a {Boon Satyr}! So it was a fun night.
But next week I hope that you kick their a**
Quote from: Mattao19 on January 18, 2014, 03:42:22 PM
I know that you probably don't want to build a deck to beat them but against RG Monsters (their deck) play a budget version of UW Control have things like {Supreme Verdict} being your most expensive card (but have 4 of them) and play controlly cards like {Azorius Charm} {Detention Sphere} {Aetherling} as your win condition and some counter spells {Dissolve} {Negate} {Essence Scatter} and even some of the detain mechanics {Lyev Decree} for example just make sure that you can deal with your planes walkers! :P
Sorry to hear about your night. I too had one of my worst FNMs! I just kept s*** hands but at my LGS we are all friends and we all are cool about it so it was still a good night. I went 1-4 got the pity prize which was a pack of Theros and pulled a {Magma Jet} and a {Boon Satyr}! So it was a fun night.
But next week I hope that you kick their a**
Solid recommendations. You are right I don't want to just respond to their deck; but I do need to keep them in mind.
I know losing is part of the game, but I want interaction and conversation. I don't want to play someone that cannot carry a conversation and cannot figure out if they can win or not.
Quote from: Dmreiss on January 18, 2014, 03:49:52 PM
Quote from: Mattao19 on January 18, 2014, 03:42:22 PM
I know that you probably don't want to build a deck to beat them but against RG Monsters (their deck) play a budget version of UW Control have things like {Supreme Verdict} being your most expensive card (but have 4 of them) and play controlly cards like {Azorius Charm} {Detention Sphere} {Aetherling} as your win condition and some counter spells {Dissolve} {Negate} {Essence Scatter} and even some of the detain mechanics {Lyev Decree} for example just make sure that you can deal with your planes walkers! :P
Sorry to hear about your night. I too had one of my worst FNMs! I just kept s*** hands but at my LGS we are all friends and we all are cool about it so it was still a good night. I went 1-4 got the pity prize which was a pack of Theros and pulled a {Magma Jet} and a {Boon Satyr}! So it was a fun night.
But next week I hope that you kick their a**
Solid recommendations. You are right I don't want to just respond to their deck; but I do need to keep them in mind.
I know losing is part of the game, but I want interaction and conversation. I don't want to play someone that cannot carry a conversation and cannot figure out if they can win or not.
I'm the same way if I lose I lose I just go for fun and 99% of the time I have a blast but damn nothing pisses me off more than mana screw lol anyways good luck!!
Interesting read. I hope to offer a diiferent perspective even though most of what I have to say has already been touched on.
I am on one of those teams that dominates the local meta. Honestly the chaotic meta right now has made us work really hard to keep winning. Sure between the group we can build most anything on the spot but that doesn't make us win. We have to constantly adapt to the meta and brew new ideas. Very rarely do we work off a net deck but when we do we research all the versions and them build our own from scratch based on what we learned about it and our current meta. It sounds like they had collectively home brewed a deck at your shop and honestly that is awesome that they could win with it. Although it sounds like something with a terrible mono black match up. As for the card thing often times people who get frustrated about value show it enough for experienced players to pick up on and they worked for their rares but dont need commons. I have seen some of these players throw away those cards and honestly that was a 100 times more insulting than ever being offered the rest of a pack. Atleast they have some interest in their community improving which incidently is the only real way for them to improve.
Now where they recieve no support from me is attitude. Part of improving your community to better challenge yourself is making people want to play. Roughly half of our fnms gets a sinking feeling when paired against us but all those people like us and look up to is enough to come ask how to get better or just learn more about magic. When your winningest individuals cant make that type of enviroment the game as a whole suffers.
Quote from: Kaleo42 on January 18, 2014, 06:10:10 PM
Interesting read. I hope to offer a diiferent perspective even though most of what I have to say has already been touched on.
I am on one of those teams that dominates the local meta. Honestly the chaotic meta right now has made us work really hard to keep winning. Sure between the group we can build most anything on the spot but that doesn't make us win. We have to constantly adapt to the meta and brew new ideas. Very rarely do we work off a net deck but when we do we research all the versions and them build our own from scratch based on what we learned about it and our current meta. It sounds like they had collectively home brewed a deck at your shop and honestly that is awesome that they could win with it. Although it sounds like something with a terrible mono black match up. As for the card thing often times people who get frustrated about value show it enough for experienced players to pick up on and they worked for their rares but dont need commons. I have seen some of these players throw away those cards and honestly that was a 100 times more insulting than ever being offered the rest of a pack. Atleast they have some interest in their community improving which incidently is the only real way for them to improve.
Now where they recieve no support from me is attitude. Part of improving your community to better challenge yourself is making people want to play. Roughly half of our fnms gets a sinking feeling when paired against us but all those people like us and look up to is enough to come ask how to get better or just learn more about magic. When your winningest individuals cant make that type of enviroment the game as a whole suffers.
Prepping a deck for a pro tournament is not the point of FNM, as far as I am concerned. It does not foster the community like you say. It drives people away. This is similar to what happened just before the last rotation. These guys played a restoration angel, thragtusk, voice of resurgence deck. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. You feel like you have to create a deck just to beat them and it becomes the Meta. It really stagnates everything.
@demr. Is this lgs a big one? How many people and is it know to be competitive?
Quote from: Dmreiss on January 18, 2014, 06:43:27 PM
Prepping a deck for a pro tournament is not the point of FNM, as far as I am concerned. It does not foster the community like you say. It drives people away. This is similar to what happened just before the last rotation. These guys played a restoration angel, thragtusk, voice of resurgence deck. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. You feel like you have to create a deck just to beat them and it becomes the Meta. It really stagnates everything.
Are you saying these guys should play against the same two people for hours on end when they probably only have access to 2-3 different decks to play against an then go to a major event and hope to do well because they practiced with eachother? Fnm is for getting better regardless of what your current level is.
The meta is what is winning and what is played most (often but not always the same thing). Your statement confuses me because it sounds like their winning means they should just leave and never play magic. The up and comers adapting to the big dogs is what makes the meta evolve. If you simply let the top players keep winning with the same deck thats what stagnates the community. The winners dont drive the meta, the communities response to those wins is what drives it. I have to say it's starting to sound like you just dont like these guys and the actual games have little to do with it beyond giving a chance to vent. Which I fully support cause some (actually a lot) of subpro highly competitive players are not fun to talk to, play with, or even watch play.
Quote from: Rass on January 18, 2014, 06:54:08 PM
@demr. Is this lgs a big one? How many people and is it know to be competitive?
It is pretty good size. FNM is usually between 15 and 40. Prerelease events can get up to 100. They will also have yugiho and 40k going in Friday nights and other tournaments all weekend. They regularly have scg qualifiers as well.
It is usually pretty competitive, and I know that. But this time it was different. Running three copies if the same deck and making comments about "being one of their players" just got a little out of hand.