|
5 months ago ::
Jan 19, 2013 - 9:18PM
#21
|
Date Joined:
Aug 10, 2012
|
Keep at it! I'm impressed by anyone who is relatively new to magic who dives into drafting.
Actually it makes a lot of sense, even though that's probably the excercise that requires the most concentration.
What I mean is that if you are new to magic, you can forget about playing Legacy, Vintage and Modern.
What is left is T2 (standard) and T3 (Sealed and Drafts). To be "good" in standard you need to know at least all the cards from the last 2 blocks + MXX (roughly 1000+ cards), and all the possible interactions between those cards... which is already a lot!!
My situation is a bit different. I started playing Magic casually starting with Portal Second Age, Starter 1999, and Classic VI Edition. I played a lot, but only at home. Fast forward some years, I started playing Magic Online, but only in the Planeswalker format, which, as you probably know, is not Standard but uses its own lists of cards, including a restricted list. Fast forward to last year, when my daughter started showing an interest in our old cards. So, this summer, I picked up M13 and started playing store events. So, in my case, I'm not new to Magic and I'm comfortable playing building and playing constructed decks. While I'm much more familiar with M13 and RTR than I am with the Innistrad block, I've played enough now that I'm fairly comfortable at least with the key cards in Innistrad and last Friday I won my first Standard FNM. I figure once Innistrad rotates out in October, I will be on a level playing field as far as card knowledge goes.
Drafting intimidates me, however, mostly because of the notion of reading signals and figuring out what the other players are doing. I think I can do a reasonably good job at 6-booster sealed deck, and I wish that was an option at FNM. I might start that on Magic Online actually, time permitting. But I've never drafted and I'm still working up my courage to go to my first one. I think I'll try one post-Gatecrash to see if I enjoy it or not.
You have good deck-building instincts, I've seen that in your posts in the standard thread. Draft is, at its most fundamental level, formulaic: 16 creatures and 7 removal spells. I've seen first-time drafters win tournaments with this formula, against much more experienced players. And oftentimes drafting doesn't require reading signals: you just take the best cards in a pack. It can be an incredibly organic experience; that being said, there's a lot of variance depending on the players drafting, which can really make drafting more difficult in guild/color-combo reliant sets like RtR.
Still, I enjoy it more than Standard. Standard at this point feels like the same match-ups over and over again, for all the talks about variance. That might be bc my meta is very much focused on Jund midrange or GW/Naya aggro right now, though. Speaking as someone who reads your deck threads and likes your evaluation skills, it'd be great to have your input in the limited forums. I know I've learned a lot from posters here, particularly Lobster, Sleeping, Eyehunter, silentbobus, CommanderGreven, UrzasApprentice, shadowdeux, and catotheyounger. Stick around.
|
|
|
|
5 months ago ::
Jan 19, 2013 - 9:28PM
#22
|
Date Joined:
Jul 13, 2008
|
About draft...Jump right in.
During your first draft you shouldn't think about signals. In fact your group might not be good at "cooperating" or "hating" anyway.
For the first 4-5 picks just take whichever card you feel to be the best of the pack, after that you might try to angle towards a certain guild. But if you get a bomb in pack two or three you may still be able to change gears.
Some people have success really quickly and others struggle for a while.
Sometimes you build a great limited deck and still go 1-3.
Sometimes you build a mediocre deck but draw well and go 3-1.
bulletd Guidelines: 5.0: I will take this card no matter what. Creature 1 or playable 1 or hate 1. Domri Rade  4.5: Bomb and splashable. Creature 1-2, playable 1-2, removal 1. Obzedat, Ghost Council  4.0: Excellent first pick first pack, will sway me into same colors. Creatures 1-4, removal 1. Rubblehulk  3.5: Excellent first pack pick two, will confirm colors or possibly sway into second color. Ground Assault  3.0: Good in-color addition, or splashable removal/creature. Creatures 3-9, removal 1-3. Kingpin's Pet  2.5: Solid pick in-color; creatures 5-12, removal 3-5. Mugging  2.0: Creatures 10-16; removal 6-7. Act of Treason  1.5: My 23rd or 22nd card, depending on removal. Gutter Skulk  1.0: 23rd card if I don't maindeck an additional land. Mental Vapors  0.5: This card will sometimes be sideboarded in. Shattering Blow  0.0: I will shred this card for counters. Frenzied tilling 
|
|
|
|
5 months ago ::
Jan 19, 2013 - 9:33PM
#23
|
Date Joined:
Aug 10, 2012
|
About draft...Jump right in.
During your first draft you shouldn't think about signals. In fact your group might not be good at "cooperating" or "hating" anyway.
For the first 4-5 picks just take whichever card you feel to be the best of the pack, after that you might try to angle towards a certain guild. But if you get a bomb in pack two or three you may still be able to change gears.
Some people have success really quickly and others struggle for a while.
Sometimes you build a great limited deck and still go 1-3.
Sometimes you build a mediocre deck but draw well and go 3-1.
I feel like the thread at the top of the forum needs a post like this, including a ton of details/examples. Draft strategy is something the regular posters here assume we all know, but it seems like there's been a lot of newer posters lately.
|
|
|
|
5 months ago ::
Jan 19, 2013 - 11:53PM
#24
|
Date Joined:
Jul 13, 2008
|
About draft...Jump right in.
During your first draft you shouldn't think about signals. In fact your group might not be good at "cooperating" or "hating" anyway.
For the first 4-5 picks just take whichever card you feel to be the best of the pack, after that you might try to angle towards a certain guild. But if you get a bomb in pack two or three you may still be able to change gears.
Some people have success really quickly and others struggle for a while.
Sometimes you build a great limited deck and still go 1-3.
Sometimes you build a mediocre deck but draw well and go 3-1.
I feel like the thread at the top of the forum needs a post like this, including a ton of details/examples. Draft strategy is something the regular posters here assume we all know, but it seems like there's been a lot of newer posters lately.
I agree.
I think, in general draft is misunderstood.
Many people are too intimidated to try it. It seems mysterious and difficult I guess.
I'd like to make a more detailed guide but also don't want to over-state my abilities.
I think draft is easy to learn but hard to master.
Many veteran drafters aren't very good but they don't ever address their mistakes.
We do need a new sticky.
I think Lobster is pretty big on writing about limited at the moment.
I wouldn't mind chipping in but we'll see...
bulletd Guidelines: 5.0: I will take this card no matter what. Creature 1 or playable 1 or hate 1. Domri Rade 4.5: Bomb and splashable. Creature 1-2, playable 1-2, removal 1. Obzedat, Ghost Council 4.0: Excellent first pick first pack, will sway me into same colors. Creatures 1-4, removal 1. Rubblehulk 3.5: Excellent first pack pick two, will confirm colors or possibly sway into second color. Ground Assault 3.0: Good in-color addition, or splashable removal/creature. Creatures 3-9, removal 1-3. Kingpin's Pet 2.5: Solid pick in-color; creatures 5-12, removal 3-5. Mugging 2.0: Creatures 10-16; removal 6-7. Act of Treason 1.5: My 23rd or 22nd card, depending on removal. Gutter Skulk 1.0: 23rd card if I don't maindeck an additional land. Mental Vapors 0.5: This card will sometimes be sideboarded in. Shattering Blow 0.0: I will shred this card for counters. Frenzied tilling
|
|
|
|
5 months ago ::
Jan 20, 2013 - 2:17AM
#25
|
Date Joined:
Sep 20, 2012
|
I think I'll try one post-Gatecrash to see if I enjoy it or not.
If you are a little intimidated to draft, I would recommend you to do your first draft(s) with an edition you are confortable with, namely RTR. Get ready, next Friday is your day! 
|
|
|
|
5 months ago ::
Jan 20, 2013 - 9:33AM
#26
|
Date Joined:
Oct 27, 2007
|
If you are a little intimidated to draft, I would recommend you to do your first draft(s) with an edition you are confortable with, namely RTR. Get ready, next Friday is your day!
My store alternates Standard and Draft and also relies heavy on player input in terms of organizing events. My understanding is they are doing "weird" drafts, like M10/M11/M12 (I think because all the players have all the RTR cards they want). But all the postings above are definitely getting me excited to give it a try next time it's a draft Friday.
|
|
|
|
5 months ago ::
Jan 20, 2013 - 11:16AM
#27
|
Date Joined:
Jul 15, 2012
|
Don't be intimidated. Just view it as any new skill. You will probably not be great at first but if you continue to learn and try new things it will all become clear. You just have to jump in and learn to swim.
|
|
|
|
5 months ago ::
Jan 20, 2013 - 10:14PM
#28
|
|
|
im not very good at draft but i found an app for android called mtg booster. its free..ish. < some set are .99c it simulates a draft lets you build your deck w/lands and look at sample hands. not sure how reliable it is as a learning tool but i have learned a little from it. best of all you open fake packs which is much cheaper than real ones.
|
|
|
|
5 months ago ::
Jan 21, 2013 - 8:18AM
#29
|
Date Joined:
Jul 12, 2007
|
My situation is a bit different. I started playing Magic casually starting with Portal Second Age, Starter 1999, and Classic VI Edition. I played a lot, but only at home. Fast forward some years, I started playing Magic Online, but only in the Planeswalker format, which, as you probably know, is not Standard but uses its own lists of cards, including a restricted list. Fast forward to last year, when my daughter started showing an interest in our old cards. So, this summer, I picked up M13 and started playing store events. So, in my case, I'm not new to Magic and I'm comfortable playing building and playing constructed decks. While I'm much more familiar with M13 and RTR than I am with the Innistrad block, I've played enough now that I'm fairly comfortable at least with the key cards in Innistrad and last Friday I won my first Standard FNM. I figure once Innistrad rotates out in October, I will be on a level playing field as far as card knowledge goes.
Drafting intimidates me, however, mostly because of the notion of reading signals and figuring out what the other players are doing. I think I can do a reasonably good job at 6-booster sealed deck, and I wish that was an option at FNM. I might start that on Magic Online actually, time permitting. But I've never drafted and I'm still working up my courage to go to my first one. I think I'll try one post-Gatecrash to see if I enjoy it or not.
I wouldn't focus too much on signaling. Its good to keep in mind, but so many ways for it to go wrong for you. On here people worry far too much about the singals they are sending rather than what the are receieving. Plus you can have someone passing to you that has no idea what they are doing, they could change on you, or packs could just be really skewed to one color. AVR I would often find that I think everyone is in one color and find out later its just that AVR print runs were such that you could have 5 packs that had no cards (playable or unplayable) of one color in them on a regular basis.
For drafting I would focus more on card evaulationg, deck building, and playing. That will get you a lot further than anything else.
|
|
|
|
5 months ago ::
Jan 21, 2013 - 10:03PM
#30
|
Date Joined:
Oct 27, 2007
|
For drafting I would focus more on card evaulationg, deck building, and playing. That will get you a lot further than anything else.
Sounds like good advice. I know I'm at least decent at building a sealed deck in 6-pack booster events, like the pre-release events.
|
|
|
