10 Lessons I Remembered the Hard Way in February
It’s been some time since my last post, and with reason - I lost a ton after going 7-2 at the SCG 5K on 2/7, and felt like I simply didn’t have anything valuable to share.
Ultimately, it boils down to the fact that I wasn’t consistently playing my best Magic, which is the complete opposite of what I intended. After that 7-2 Sunday I actually tried to use that momentum to double down on my efforts to continue getting better. As a result, I played a ton of Magic in February - we’re talking 6-7 hours every single day. And in doing so, left no time to write.
Additionally, between poor outcomes at SCG events on 2/19 and 2/21 and a 2-3 at the February Arena Qualifier, I wasn’t too motivated to write about Magic. I definitely wasn’t in a very mythic mindset, and I felt as though writing would have been disingenuous. But in my refusal to write, I failed to share a lot of valuable information and experiences that other players can learn and improve from.
So, here’s a list of some of the most important MTG lessons I forgot - and remembered in February.
#1: The more you play, the more you lose.
Despite how many times I said it previously, I managed to forget this fact throughout February. It’s easy to forget that when you’re preparing for tournaments and spending several hours playing every day. It’s easy to forget that when you feel as though you’re trying everything you possibly can to put forth a good effort and string together wins, but match in and match out, your opponent just seems to always have it. Which gets us to #2.
#2: Your opponent always has it.
Ok, well sometimes they don’t, but you always should play and make your decisions as if their hand consists of the exact card you fear the most in that situation. There are going to be some situations in which you can’t avoid getting blown out by a Mystical Dispute or Negate. There may even be some times when you have to play a Lovestruck Beast and you’re 99.999999999999999999999999999999% sure that the two unrevealed cards in their hand consist of at least one Claim the Firstborn. But don’t play into those lines unless you literally have no other choice (aside from conceding). Because statistically, there still is that .000000000000000000000000000001% chance they don’t have it. And that gets us to #3.
#3: Make it as difficult as possible for your opponent to win.
Seriously. I don’t care if you’re up 1-0 and your opponent just mulled to 5 in a good matchup. Don’t give them a millimeter.
Going with the Claim the Firstborn example, don’t run any creature into it unless you can counter it or at the very least respond by destroying their sac outlet. If your opponent is representing Jwari Disruption, make it sour in their hand until you can play through it. Catching a whiff of The Great Henge from your opponent? Kill that Kazandu Mammoth RIGHT NOW. If you go out of your way to deprive your opponent of juicy plays, in turn you will win more.
I remember having this epiphany driving home from FNM one night a few years ago, and it’s a code I’ve played by ever since - until mid February. Don’t forget this point.
#4: Know when to lay off the gas.
Three frustrating days of Magic in a row is a pretty good sign that it’s time to make sure that day four includes zero Magic. Do something productive on that day that will undoubtedly make you feel good, no matter what.
Instead of taking a day off from Magic, I kept pushing through February in order to prepare for the February Qualifier. And by March 1 I found myself resenting the game, which is so unbelievably far from what you’re supposed to experience after playing MTG. March 2 was a day of zero Magic. Just that one day off gave me a chance to reset my head, reset my approach to the game and get back to really focusing on improvement.
#5: Winning isn’t what’s most important in Magic.
Becoming a better player is. Oh, do I ever continue to struggle with remembering this fact. The most important things in Magic are:
Preparing well (adequately assessing metagame, deck choice, card choices, playtesting, sleep, diet, etc.)
Putting your all into trying to make the very best decision each and every time you have priority
Putting your all into post-game analysis and trying to identify areas for improvement
Doing these things and losing doesn’t feel as good as winning, but the benefit of these actions is actually better than winning, because it makes you a better player in the process.
#6: Winning isn’t always indicative of improvement.
No elaboration necessary.
#7: Don’t let a loss cloud the good.
While this lesson isn’t one that I forgot and remembered the hard way, it’s worth mentioning because I probably didn’t do this enough in February. In the middle of a nine match losing streak I found myself paired against a popular high-level player. Game 2 on the play I mulled to five and won that game because I literally did everything I could to make it as difficult as possible for my opponent to win. Though I was disappointed in losing the match, I was very proud of the way I managed to win a game against one of the best players in the world, starting the game with three cards less than he had. Bad players don’t find ways to win games against pros after mulling to 5. Good players do.
Even when you’re on a train wreck of a losing streak, try to identify the spots where you shined. It may be a single match, a single game or even a single great play you made that you might not have been skilled enough to make a year or even a month before. Aim to recognize those moments of improvement, because the truth is that…
#8: Losing is necessary for improvement.
Yes, there will be plenty of games in which you actually play really well but still lose, but in many cases, you will lose because you were outplayed or you underplayed. Sure, you can identify mistakes you made in games that you won, but losing motivates us more to look for the things we can do better. Losing doesn’t feel great, but it’s a bit easier to swallow if you look at your losses as objectively as possible. Take your ego out of the equation and really try to zero in on what you need to change in your game.
#9: Hard work doesn’t always result in wins.
If only. You can put in the time to learn and master any skill you want, from running and weight lifting to web development, sales, playing the clarinet, you name it - and you’ll see positive results. Magic doesn’t quite work like that. When you work hard and smart at improving at Magic, you position yourself to play better and win at a competitive level. Winning is an indirect, and often delayed result.
Considering the 8 points I mentioned above, hard work doesn’t need to result in wins. It should result in long-term improvement though.
#10: Magic is full of opportunities.
Thanks to digital play, there are more opportunities than ever to compete at a high level. Don’t let unfavorable results get under your skin, because there is always another event around the corner to prepare for. Always.
These lessons may appear pretty elementary, but it’s those simple, yet super valuable lessons that so many of us manage to overlook, especially during those times when wins are few and far between.
Care for Context?
In case you’re interested, here’s an overview of some of the experiences that led me to remember these lessons. I’ve also included a recap of the February Arena Qualifier, which was a Standard event on 2/27.
Testing
One of the final benefits of that 7-2 at the 5K was that it punched my ticket for the Arena Qualifier in March. As a result, I was able to “ladder freely” and experiment with different decks and different configurations, without the pressure of worrying about my ranking falling too low.
A quick aside - the reality is that it’s best to have a “ladder freely” mindset anyway and simply play with the goal of having fun and improving at the game. Working to maintain and ladder up in ranking is a solid way to compete. The problem is that it can add a great deal of unnecessary pressure that negatively impacts how you approach every play, and every game. All of a sudden, every game becomes a must win, and your in-game decisions aim to fulfill that desire, rather than aiming to simply make the very best in-game decision at each and every opportunity. I’m speaking from first-hand experience here, and it’s something I definitely continue to struggle with from time to time.
Knowing that I was qualified was additional motivation to branch out and experiment with different decks on the ladder. I spent the weekend of 2/19 playing Naya Fling, Naya Adventures and a bit of Sultai. but I couldn’t get decent traction with any of these decks. In hindsight, it would have been helpful to test these builds sooner and for a couple more days before deciding to switch back to Gruul in preparation for the February Arena Qualifier.
Up and Down
Despite best efforts, my matches did not go well the week of the February MIQ either. I decided to take a step back mentally, focus less on achieving results and really double down on making sure I was playing good Magic. Over the course of the week I realized that playing Gruul at the time was like trying to force a square peg through a round hole, and so I switched to Temur Taking Turns. I spent Friday the 26th learning the deck in and out, posting a 9 match win streak. After that I went for a run, made some dinner, came back and decided to practice the deck more - only to lose 12 matches in a row.
Hmm.
The up and down experience that day was a perfect illustration of February as a whole. I realized that I was literally trying to control everything I could, and still losing a ton. And so for the Arena Qualifier on 2/27, I decided to stick with my plan and play Temur. I finished 2-3. Here’s the event log:
Round 1: UB Yorion. Grindy matchup. In game 1 I didn't have much action - resolved an early Bonecrusher Giant, which my opponent followed up with a Crystalline Giant. Odd for a Yorion deck. We raced by exchanging combat hits, and they threatened casting a Yorion on top of two Omen of the Sea the entire game. Fortunately I had a Mystical Dispute in my opener, but I ended up dying with it in hand, as my opp killed the Bonecrusher with Heartless Act, resolved an Ascendant Spirit, and I wasn't able to draw enough action. I did resolve my Obosh, and with my opp at 7 life, I attemped a Goldspan, which was countered.
Game 2 I was able to swing in with 1/1 humans for most of the game while holding up countermagic and a foretold Alrund's Epiphany. My opp eventually tried to resolve an Epiphany of their own, which I was able to counter, and which enabled me to resolve my own the following turn and win the game.
Game 3 I stumbled on lands but was able to resolve multiple Edgewall Innkeepers, which eventually led to me drawing a ton of cards while holding ample countermagic. My opp played a vanilla Yorion against my board of Lovestruck Beast, two Innkeeper, Bonecrusher and a 1/1 human token. I attemped to bounce Yorion, which caused my opp to tap out for a counter. I followed up with Goldspan Dragon and took the win. Win 2-1.
Round 2: Naya Showdown. Stumbled on lands both games, though started with three in both of my openers. Opp ran Toski for extra card advantage. Game 2 I was able to resolve Henge, though my opponent had a very timely Gemrazer, which seems like is always the case when I resolve Henge against another green deck. Tough beats. Loss 0-2.
Round 3: Rakdos. This match went much better than the previous one. In Game 1 I was able to keep the board relatively stable, though my opp was ahead much of the game, but never too far ahead. Mid game I was able to flash in a Brazen Borrower, after which I started hitting more land drops, which enabled me to resolve two Epiphanies in a row.
Game 2 I was able to resolve a turn 3 Klothys, which did just enough to keep the game stable while giving me the mana that I needed later in the game. My opp came through with Rankle beats, but chose draw a card and discard off of the triggers. I eventually bounced the first Rankle, though he sac'ed it in response, which was strange. I eventually drew another Borrower and bounced the second one, untapped, resolved Goldspan and swung, which left me with three mana. As a result, I was able to resolve my second Brazen Borrower, which my opp foolishly swung his Rankle right into. The following turn I resolved Elder Gargaroth, swung with Goldspan again, and used bonus mana to bring Obosh to hand. The turn after that my opp had no answers for my big creatures, so I was able to untap, cast Obosh and seal my second match win of the day. Win 2-0.
Round 4: Naya Fling. I took an iffy Game 1 - key play was being able to Dispute a Showdown of the Skalds. Game 2 I drew pretty poorly, opp got there with Kazuul’s Fury. Game 3 I was briefly ahead - had a key turn where I decided to cast Goldpsan rather than play an Innkeeper and Lovestruck Beast, because my opp was representing Stomp mana. Goldspan got through, but they untapped and played their own. I tried bouncing it but they played Sejiri Shelter, and more or less ran away with the game from there. Loss 1-2.
Round 5: Grixis Sacrifice. Frustrating match. didn't sequence my lands perfectly. Opp seemed to have the answers when most needed. Lost to a Kazuul's Fury in g3, which I hadn't seen all match. Strange build but I guess that was the point. Nice job by the opponent, and lots of room for improvement for me. Loss 1-2.
NOTE: I’ll be taking more screenshots and posting them in future tournament reports.
March Forward
I came out of February with a numbing feeling. Understandably, I found myself exhausted with the game. A day off helped me get right, and I jumped back on the ladder on 3/2 with Temur and a grind-free mentality. After a few days of casual laddering and aiming to play my very best Magic, I reached Diamond on 3/4. I’d play a couple matches here and there when I had time at the end of each day, rather than trying to advance three or four tiers in an entire session. It paid off.
On 3/12 I played in SCG Satellite #2 and went 4-1 with my take on Temur. I moved Mystical Dispute to the sideboard, added 2 Demon Bolt to the main to help with the Jeskai Matchup, and added a third Saw it Coming.
I finished 2-3 (1 bye) at the 5K on the 14th, which is not the finish I wanted on my last competitive event for a while, but it’s certainly not a big deal.
I’ll be traveling three of the next four weekends, and as much as I want to compete, the next few weeks are a great opportunity for me to step away from the game and refresh for what will be an awesome Spring and Summer of MTG. I’m looking forward to posting more consistently and sharing my experiences in greater detail.
Thanks for reading!
