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Whit3 Ghost
07-17-2007, 11:16 PM
I'm writing this as a public service on how to properly promote your deck.

I would love to hear other people's opinions on the concept of promotion, and these are my own set of personal conclusions and observations on the subject.

I wrote using a scenario that required the most work, not just randomly developing some random thing and getting lucky and winning a big tournament, that's the easiest way to earning some recognition.


Anyway, here goes.

We've all had it. The idea that would break the format in half. However, when you've posted it on the internet, it's sat on the back page of the New and Developmental Forum.


Well, here is a 12 step guide to making sure your deck gets the recognition it deserves.

1.) First, you must come up with an idea. One that is different enough from all existing ideas to warrant it's own thread.

2.) Before you post this list on the internet, you should discuss and test the list with friends and run it through a gauntlet to make sure your idea does not, in fact, suck. It is also advisable to take the deck to a local tournament and place well, to show that in a tangible and random metagame, your deck can perform well.

3.) Using your tournament experience and the conclusions from your discussions and gauntlet, refine your origional list.


----Repeat steps 1-3 until you feel that your deck is ready for the internet. The best ideas usually go through this process numerous times.----

4.) Now, your deck is ready for the internet. Give your deck a thorough and informative writup. Include card choices and explanations and the results from your discussions and gauntlet testing. Post older lists and show how your concept has improved. Explain why certain things were left out of your list. Optimally have a tournament report or three and do some sample hands/games.

5.) Have people who are better at magic then you post in your threads. Get admins/mods/adepts to post in your thread. Join a team and have those people post in your thread. The more people who are widely recognized who post in your thread constructively, the better.

However, do not needlessly bump your thread or encourage people to do so in your place. Make sure your posts have content and advance discussion.

6.) Try to keep the idea fresh in peoples heads. If major changes occur to the deck, re primer it in a new thread or add the content to your origional thread (if it's still alive). What you chose depends on how extensive the changes are and whether your origional thread is still going strong.

7.) Advocate your deck in other threads when appropriote. One of the reasons for TES's sucess was the constant support by Bryant and Team Epic. Bring your ideas up in format discussions, especially when those discussions focus on positive matchups.

8.) I forget what 8 is for.

9.) Convince people to play the deck at local and major tournaments. If you're the lone man playing your creation at a given tournament especially a 50+ event, your chance for sucess is obviously not as high as if you have a group of people all familiar with the deck.

This part of the article is dedicated to a brief overview of what major article writers have done to garner themselves negative attention. Simply put, avioid these mistakes.

10.) Anusien. Although some of his decks aren't necesarily "bad" he has introduced his most controversial ideas as "metagame destroyers." This in itself should be avoided, you should present your idea as a new addition to the format (Truffle beating Rifter and Thresh but losing to Solidarity), or a better alternative to an existing deck (TES being superior to Iggy Pop*). This sets his readers off on the wrong foot to begin with and makes those who disagree with him more prone negative criticism, instead of promoting different card choices and ect. He also presents shoddy testing results containing role misassignment and general misplays.
In addition to that, he has taken heat for not going to tournaments in his area.

*opinion of Team EPIC and other TES supporters, not a fact

11.) Smennen. Before the past few GPs Smennen advocated decks that he didn't play (in Iggy's case, he said he wouldn't have, he didn't because of Flash). Reportadly, he called one of his advocations in particular "garbage" after defending it across the internet. If you don't think your deck isn't good in a certan meta or for a certain tournament, then SAY SO. You'll come off a lot better then saying play x, then playing something completely different. If you want to keep what your playing secret, then say that you aren't playing your pet deck, but you want to keep your tech secret.

12.) Toad. Although somewhat vindicated by the somewhat recent sucess of Aluren stateside, Toad's creation came under fire because of his general attitude toward modifications to his list. Don't be a jackass, take criticism with a grain of salt and test things that catch your fancy, but don't go into flaming and personal attacks on your detractors, keep yourself above that. Also, avoid something I call the Bobby Fisher complex, in where you have some brilliant ideas, but your reputation is lost in your other rediculous and unpopular comments (see Toad's comments about goblins).

Anyway, I hope you found this interesting, and I look forward to the feedback.


My observations were based on the internet sucess of TES before it had the opprotunity to win a major tournament, and other discussions on the Source, especially arguements in article threads.

Thanks:
Bryant for writing, and convincing me to actually finish this.
The Source, for being awesome.
Team Blitzkreig and Team Level 4 Wizards
The Violent Femmes for number 8.

Music Listened to While Writing:
Against Me!: Americans Aboroad, ...Is Reinventing Axel Rose, Searching for a Former Clarity
Beastie Boys: Check Your Head
The Lawrence Arms: Oh Calcutta!; The Greatest Story Ever Told


EDIT- I'm explaining the Bobby Fisher thing to those who might not understand the reference. Fisher was a genius and a chess grandmaster, the best in the world. Unfortunately, his antisemetic comments have detracted from his legacy and resulted in his fading into obscurity.

This is a hyperbola, and in no way is anything that toad said related to antisemitism.

EDIT #2- Figured I'd Summarize the Article, to provide some brief points of reference.
Develop Idea
Refine Idea
Writeup Idea
Keep Threads Alive
Keep Idea Fresh In People's Minds
Get Results.

Samshire
07-17-2007, 11:35 PM
this is more like the 11 step Guide to promoting your deck. Seems like that this is a case of ,you know...false advertising...

So that this is not a complete flame, that was very informative. Hopefully this will better the legacy community in...some...way

TheInfamousBearAssassin
07-18-2007, 12:29 AM
8.) I forget what 8 is for.

Nice reference.


Otherwise, not enough Jack Elgin in this thread.

Whit3 Ghost
07-18-2007, 08:42 AM
Nice reference.


Otherwise, not enough Jack Elgin in this thread.
I was waiting for someone to get it.

You're indirectly referenced a bit, actually. A lot of what I wrote in the last 3, is based on you and the rest of the Source's arguements with these writers.

Editing in some stuff I wanted to put in last night, but couldn't due to tiredness.

Also, "The 12 Step Guide to Promoting Your Deck" is a better title. If a mod could please change that, that would be great.

Bryant Cook
07-18-2007, 02:35 PM
Seems solid, I'll give it the EPIC Stamp of approval after all it had enough me in it. It's pretty much what happened to me...