Here is a list of resources and concepts for a person aiming to be semi-competitive at Magic: The Gathering. In order of importance, 3-2-1.
As always, demonstrate good sportsmanship. Stay hydrated, and keep healthy snacks in your bag. Get plenty of sleep and regular exercise. The body cannot live without the mind - but the reverse is true as well.
As always, demonstrate good sportsmanship. Stay hydrated, and keep healthy snacks in your bag. Get plenty of sleep and regular exercise. The body cannot live without the mind - but the reverse is true as well.
3. Deck choice, Card choice, Metagame, Drafting, and Deckbuilding
Read articles and watch videos
Watch
live/archived tournament coverage
Youtube archives
Watch
Professional/skilled player/live tournament streams
Look at recent tournament
results and decklists
StarCityGames, TCGplayer, http://mtgtop8.com/,
etc.
Playtesting
important matchups versus high-caliber opponents
If you bring your deck, and your partner brings theirs, you are
not Playtesting. You are merely
playing. To Playtest, you must build or
proxy top performing decklists, and play matches both with and against the deck
– including sideboarding. It helps to
have a specific goal in mind for testing – what are you hoping to learn?
Playing your deck in multiple tournaments or on Magic Online
is the other way to playtest – also known as grinding. Grinding is also pretty much the only way to
playtest limited.
2. Rules
Learn the actual rules
You don’t need to read the Comprehensive Rules, Tournament
Rules, and Infraction Procedure Guide cover to cover. You do need to know what they contain. It really helps you play better and communicate
with your opponent or a judge much more clearly.
Below are some sections or concepts that are worth reviewing.
Below are some sections or concepts that are worth reviewing.
Keyword abilities and common card interactions
Steps & Phases of the turn CR:[500 to 513]
Triggered Abilities [CR:603]
Replacement effects [CR:614]
State-based Actions [CR:704]
Mulligan and sideboard procedure
Communicating clearly with your opponent
Outside assistance/notes
Calling a Judge, appealing a ruling
Legally conceding or intentionally drawing games or matches [link]
Tiebreaker Math
Clearly communicating with your opponent
Tournament shortcuts and out-of-order sequencing
Infraction Procedure Guide:
http://wiki.magicjudges.org/en/w/Infraction_Procedure_Guide
http://wiki.magicjudges.org/en/w/Infraction_Procedure_Guide
Annotated IPG: http://wiki.magicjudges.org/en/w/Annotated_IPG
Calling a Judge
Slow Play [link]
Missed triggers [link]
Other Penalties and Infractions
1. Playing the Game Itself
Making strategic decisions on how, when, and why to play
your cards:
To learn more about how to play better, start reading articles and watching videos. Seek out people who you think are better than you are, and ask them to play with you and give you advice.
Identifying your role
Technical play
Tempo
Card Advantage
Calling a Judge
Communication with your opponent clearly
Deducing what cards your opponent might have
Playing around cards - if you can
Playing around cards - if you can
Tracking life total changes with Pen & Paper
Using appropriate dice or tokens to maintain a clear game
state
SEQUENCING YOUR PLAYS CORRECTLY
and
PLAYING TO YOUR OUTS
