A game of Magic offers only a few ways to play perfect, but nearly infinite opportunities to misplay. Limiting mistakes is the key to success. Let’s talk about other common bad plays that are easy to avoid. I’ve compiled a top 10 list that I think will help you to be your best.
1.Stay focused with the “end of turn” effects
The most exciting step in Magic definitely is the draw step. People often tend to untap draw a little too fast, and they forget using their Prodigal Sorcerer, Veldalken Entrancer or Orzhova, the Church of Deals. Prodigal Sorcerer is worth one damage. One damage is 5% of a life total. So if you forget to ping an opponent in a tied game, your chance to win will go from 50-50 to 45-55. In the case of Orzhova the swing is even greater with the bonus of it being rather difficult for your opponent to remove.
I’m not saying that you should build a deck around these cards. Just realize how easy and often people forget to play these abilities at the end of the opponents turn.
2.Don’t bluff when it’s not necessary
At some times, in a game, you might be tempted to bluff your opponent, attacking with a 2/2 when there is a 3/3 in defense just for you would like to bluff Gaea’s Might or Stonewood Invocation. If you have nothing, don’t. Even if there are good chances for your opponent just to choose not to block, the loss of a creature is much more damageable than dealing two damage.
3.Don’t get lost in a plan
Why good players of Chess don’t necessarily make good Magic players? The reading is more complex in Magic. Even when you think you have a plan, you’re not necessarily right. When a game is tight, sometimes you’ll think, "Ok if I draw a removal in the next two cards I win” or “whenever I draw my black mana the game is over”. The problem is you will generally forget something, as everybody does.
There are numerous examples of this kind of mistake. The other day at a local City Champs I watched two players games after mine finished early. The first player was playing Dredge while the second was playing something weird that involved Bitter Ordeal. The Bitter Ordeal player had resolved a his win card and removed three Dread Returns and an Akroma, Angel of Wrath from the Dredger Library. Fortune was smiling on the Dredge player as he had a Dread Return in hand. I watched for at least three turns while the Dredge player forgot to use his Ichorid the yard to go with the Narcomeoba and Tireless tribe he had in play. He could then discard the Dread Return to his Tribe and flashback Dread to animate the Flame-kin Zealot with 9 Tokens. That’s a pretty standard play for Dredge but he apparently only saw the plan of Dredging out another Narcomoeba.
4.Sleep well!
Before a tournament, you often play test late at night, eat not such healthy things etc. It doesn’t take you too much to try and arrive in good shape on a tournament. Don’t skip any meal go for decent nights of sleep in the last few days before a tournament. In the case of a GP or a PT, it is even more important considering the money to win, the accumulation of fatigue and obviously the temptation to enjoy the place where you’re staying. The secret is to pretend that you are in Lubbock Texas or somewhere equally exciting. Whenever traveling to a different time zone, and having to face jet lag, it depends on people, but I’d recommend arrival at least 3 days before the event starts. That way your personal clock is in sync with your surroundings and you’ve had time to enjoy the venue. During the tournament itself, it is very easy to forget about eating. Don’t, even if you’re not hungry, you’ll need energy. I will always carry a couple of energy bars and a couple of sweet snacks. My issue is staying hydrated.
5.Be confident
Don’t even think "I will lose" when arriving at the table, not even if you play against a Pro, your nemesis (we all have one), or a bad match up. Don’t ever let your opponent have a psychological advantage on you, it won’t prevent him from being mana screwed but it makes a small difference in the end. Many of us have been in a situation where we’re topdecked and didn’t want to draw a land. At that moment do you think “don’t draw a land” or do you think “draw card X”….. Be honest. If you said “Don’t draw a land” you’re a negative thinker. That statement in that situation is a double negative. I would be like saying “I didn’t finish in the bottom 111 of the tournament” when you actually top 8’ed. Which sounds better?
6.Don’t get mad during a game
Magic gives you infinite reasons to be mad. Your opponent topdecked again? And so what, he got lucky? That doesn’t matter, you’ll have full time to be angry and/or disappointed after the game or after the match. But if you’re playing a game, stay in it, I’ve seen so many players missing the right plays for being mad at their decks or at their opponent’s.
7.Never ever concede
There is almost always a chance for you win games that seem lost. Your opponent can do a very big misplay, or you can topdeck the one or the two cards in a row that could save you.
8.Know your deck
You have plains, mountain and forest in opening hand. Always think before playing your first land, you probably have a two drop you could draw and not play if you play the wrong one. If you’re playing Trumpeteer, don’t lay the forest one turn one, if you’re playing Watchwolf, avoid turn one Mountain. You’re playing both? Go for Plains, you have 6% chance for it matters. No, 94% it won’t change anything, but that’s what we’re talking about here, all the same details which put together make a difference.
In the same category, if you play Transmute spells, memorize what they can search for. Who has never drawn Drift of Phantasms in late game and wondered for two minutes what to do with it?
9.Check your deck and deck list
Do it as many times as you have to, but they must both be legal. Reread with special care Drafts and Sealed decklists. On constructed lists, don’t forget to write the full name of the cards. “4 Kagemaro”: Kagemaro’s Clutch or Kagemaro, First to suffer? Everyone knows the answer, but the decklist still isn’t legal. I personally wrote 4 Cephalid on a list. I meant Cephalid Coliseum but I still took a game loss in round 2. Before every game, check you have a valid 40 or 60 cards deck, and a legal sideboard. It is crucial to check you desideboarded ?? between two rounds;
10.Ask the Judges
You don’t know for sure? They do. When you have a doubt about anything, from a rules question to an opponent’s slow play, call over a judge. They’re not only here to sign slips, don’t be afraid to call one.
11. Bonus tip.
Playtest, Playtest, Playtest, Playtest, Playtest.
Oh and by the way PLAYTEST!!!!
