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Thread: Time efficient way to use "Port" effects

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    Time efficient way to use "Port" effects

    I've played a fair bit of Rishadan Port and recently Opposition. I've always found it a hassle to tap opponents lands or creatures, it can also consume an insane portion of the clock. I would tap a creature, the opponent activates Mother of Runes, I would retap, he would activate another one, etc. I see similar gimmick with tapping lands and floating mana except the opponent can try to trick you with a double priority pass by arguing that the activated ability didn't resolve when you move to draw; making it even more elaborate.

    How do you shortcut those to take the least time possible and offering the less opportunity to the opponent to accumulate mana to cast spells in upkeep, draw step and choosing the right colors? Let say my opponent has Forest, Bayou, Swamp and might have Abrupt Decay. I want to tap the basic that produced the same colour as he floated so he has to tap out to cast a spell.

    I'd like to know how you reduce the minutiae to the maximum to play quickly and bringing the match to conclusion.

  2. #2
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    Re: Time efficient way to use "Port" effects

    On the opposite side, I try to make their upkeep shenanigans a bit easier on them. I find that frequently, the confusion arrives when people zoom through the start of their turn, doing things like untap, draw, play a land in the span of half a second. At big events, you'll usually hear one or two arguments saying that someone can't do their upkeep effects because the player has already drawn their card.

    If they've got Ports or I've seen a Clique, or any other probably upkeep ability, I'll say out loud "Untap. Upkeep..... Draw." I give a solid second or second and a half between upkeep and draw. If they haven't at least interjected in that time, they've lost their reasonable chance at using their upkeep effect.

    I don't often play the side with Ports but when I do, I always try to interject as quickly as possible. As I said, most people will jump to drawing. If they haven't specifically given me an opening to use my abilities, as soon as they touch the top of their deck, I interject with my effect.

  3. #3

    Re: Time efficient way to use "Port" effects

    I've said along the lines of "I end my turn; I have an effect during your upkeep".

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    Re: Time efficient way to use "Port" effects

    As you know, every phase and step in the game happens, and only ends when both players pass priority with an empty stack. Fortunately, we're not playing MTGO IRL and we frequently shortcut things; i.e. going right to drawing a card after untapping. Shortcuts like this have found their way into the norm and are essentially assumed to happen unless a player intervenes.

    It's imperative to know (as a player who wants to do upkeep effects on your opponent's turn) that the onus is on you to make your intentions clear before the other player draws their card.

    From a blog post by Level 5 judge Kevin Desprez:

    Actions taken during Upkeep and Draw step are so rare that they have not been codified by a shortcut. Instead, NAP needs to be clear that they want to intervene. This realistically, gives a small extra information to AP but this is something we are generally fine with for the sake of a smoother flow.
    I'm sure there's a better post going into upkeep/draw step actions in more detail, but I recently read this one and it was fresh in my mind.

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    Re: Time efficient way to use "Port" effects

    Quote Originally Posted by Begle1 View Post
    I've said along the lines of "I end my turn; I have an effect during your upkeep".
    This is how I do it as well, or if I have a Clique I say "effects after draw before main phase."
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    Re: Time efficient way to use "Port" effects

    At the end of my turn I'll say I have an effect on their upkeep, or as their untapping their permanents. If I have 2+Ports in play, I will split the use between upkeep and draw step.

    Edit, when I play lands, and have Tabby out, I wait until their draw step to tap down their mana against a critter deck.
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    Re: Time efficient way to use "Port" effects

    I typically announce when I pass the turn that I want to know when it is their upkeep, although after playing enough blue decks where they'd typically float a blue mana and Brainstorm in response to my Port activation before drawing, I now will activate Port at the end of their draw step instead of the end of upkeep if my opponent is playing blue (or Top).

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