[Free article] Forging your experience (in french)

[Enigma]

I wrote an article for the Quebec's metagame which also has a small tutorial about counterbalance's interactions.

It is in French, but I'm planning to write it in english too. I'm sharing you the french version because I know there is a couple of you speaking both langages.

Article (fr version) (www.intoblivion.com/PMDLegacyforgersonexperience)

P-M

[Nihil Credo]

I'm not entirely sure what the aim of this article was. The first part, which seems just fine, suggests some Web resources for Legacy beginners, but if so one would expect it to be followed by either an overview of the main metagame decks or by an organised primer on a specific deck recommendation. Instead, you say you were going to explain "the interactions in CounterTop" (I'm assuming you plan to write more articles about other tier 1 decks?), and follow with a few basically random paragraphs - (1) Goyf is good and doesn't usually die to Bolt; (2) Top is good; (3) Counterbalance can counter stuff on turn 2; (4) Fetchlands are good!; (5) Play this many cards for each CC for CB/T purposes.

I think you need to figure out what you are trying to write in the first place, and for whom. Are you trying to teach a new player how to pilot/build CounterTop ("build" should come later)? Then you need examples of decklists, mulligans, opening plays, rough matchup guides. Are you trying to teach the reader how to play against CounterTop? Then you need to assume you're talking to someone with already a basic knowledge of the format, and go into more advanced territory - what resources to attack, how to sideboard and counter-sideboard, how to anticipate the Plan B combos (Progenitus, Painter, Thopter, etc.).

As it is, I don't think your article is of much use to anyone, except for the links in the first part. I would recommend taking a step back and making a real plan.


Also, this probably isn't your responsibility, but I should NEVER have to enable Flash to read a text-and-pictures article! Among many, many other reasons, you could have shared it with non-French readers via Google Translate if it had been on regular HTML .

[Enigma]

While you are right about the fact that the first part could be follow up by a current analysis, the reason why I didn't is that there was already an article done 2 weeks ago about that in the same website.

I felt this first part was not as great as the effort I wanted to put in this, meaning that I wanted something more than just giving some useful links. That's why I decided to offer a second part where we could see some interactions that are not necessarily known among the large and growing community of Legacy players. It may seems to you that those "tips" are not useful enough for the experience you have in the format, but this article was mostly directed to beginners (like I'm mentionning in the article and on mtgquebec.com, where people are following this new website (intoblivion)).

I firstly put a decklist of a Thopter CB/Top list, but finally decided to remove it because I wanted to direct those interactions to all the CB decks available.

But I must give you reason on something: The mix of the 2 parts makes the whole thing not really focused, and I'll try to follow this tip for future articles.

Thanks for the comment, it's appreciated!

PS: I fully agree that Flash is horrible for text (I can't even open it from my job's computer because it has Open DNS blocking it)

P-M

[Lothian]

See new post below

[Enigma]

Well... I would prefere not showing this version as there is 4 really important sections missing.

Could you just link it or simply remove this, please?

I appreciate you've made the effort to try, though!

P-M

[Lothian]

ooops...

Ctrl + A went crazy...

Here is the full version, waiting for your own translation later ;-)

Several elements are needed to win a tournament Legacy. One of the most important elements is, in my view, the knowledge of the format. In this analysis of the metagame, it must nevertheless consider that there is a random factor very far, and especially the Legacy, since the format is very open. Our victory is very dependent on match-ups encountered, and it just has to see the last performance of Samuel Vaillancourt Spellkeeper 1k last 24 April to see this statement. He decided to play a deck that loses to combo decks like Belcher and ANT, but made sure the choices of cards to ensure victory against Aggro, an archetype represented much more. He fortunately did not have to meet his nemesis, which allowed him to go in the final.

But I digress. This analysis of the metagame, it must rework week after week, and that's what makes me love as the format. This work is still to be redone and requires a continual investment in research and new dynamics between these different archetypes. For example, the output of Wild Nacatl Qasali Pridemage and made the deck Zoo extremely versatile, especially in the United States, where Merfolk was very present, which gave good performance deck. This choice was of course given table quality combo decks. With the release of Iona Shield of Emeria, we saw the tombs resurface Reanimator deck. In GP Madrid, several have turned Pros ANT. This choice is of course very thoughtful as the worst nightmare of the Combo deck CB / Top, who at this moment, experiencing great difficulty in winning decks Aggros cons. The deck CB / Top who seems to perform better these days it seems that combines the control aspect and the aspect Counterbalance combo Thopter Foundry.

How do the work yourself? I'll try to make a quick tutorial on how to update the format.

First, one must know the sources of information and relevant.
The most important site is of course The Source, a website especially dedicated to Legacy. You can put your questions, which offer decks, discuss new cards that can influence our format, and work your decklists on different threads of the most popular. A daily reading will be up to date on what is new. For the construction of decks and news, it is especially here that you find what you need. But there are other important sources to consider: those advising you on the decks that perform. The best known is Check Deck, where we find the largest inventory of decklists in all formats, but it is obviously necessary to put this information, as it is placed outside the local context (if that choice is good in Singapore, he did is not necessarily in Montreal). The second largest is in my view, Star City games, where one finds the results of the largest series of tournaments Legacy U.S., the SCG 5k.

Secondly, it is important to be connected to its local metagame. For the people of Montreal, everything revolves around the Face to Face which offers a major Legacy tournaments once a month. Might be performed on a weekly basis every Tuesday evening. Mtg IntOblivion and Quebec are also good ways to stay connected to what is happening locally.

Third, you can read the reports of tournaments, both on The Source, SCG Mtg Quebec here when still on Channel Fireball. Some videos are even available on Youtube.

You can find all these sites Mtg Pop, and a huge range of references in general Mtg.

Part 2: Interactions in CB decks / Top

So here is a short summary on how to analyze the metagame, which can help us make our choice of decks and the sideboard to carry. The knowledge of the format learned especially with experiences observed, but what about the good Magic players who are new to Legacy? They must rely on their knowledge of rules and interactions to win. This part is, I think the weak point of most players Legacy. Since there is little interaction during the phases of attack (When do we "trade" our creatures Legacy: Very rarely, in contrast to formats such as Standard or Limited), the quality of "Plays "Legacy is in a less important factor than in some other formats. So what I want to explore is today. I could of course write several pages on this subject, but I will try to concentrate where they say the best; EST to say the interactions with decks Counterbalance and Sensei's Divining Top.

The main interactions, cards card:

Tarmogoyf: The most important thing to know about the creature most played format, how it looks at its power / thoughness up to the last second. In other words, if one has a stake, and he is half through a graveyard fetchland, and your opponent decides to target a Chain Lightning, you just have to play nIMPORTANT that it now in response, which will resolve before the sorcery, which will make your Tarmo 2 / 3. Then, the Chain Lightning solves the damage is assigned, Chain is in graveyard and Tarmo, before going to the cemetery, look again at its p / t which is now three quarters, and therefore does not die. This error is commonly made in legacy, which usually cost dear to fault. Thus, we can keep cards like Brainstorm, Daze or Misty Rainforest in order to defeat our opponent.

Sensei's Divining Top: the best card in the deck allows you much more than the combo with Counterbalance. You can always pay for a spin in his second response is used for power dip, which makes us immediately dip the desired card, and once that power is resolved, we change three cards, or to confuse the opponent on the top card, or to not re-dip the top. You can also add the activation of a fetchland between two activations: Spin, in response, fetch, in response to freelance router. What makes us dip map of our choice, fetcher (ie stirring), watching the three (new) first maps. It must of course be careful with this kind of game that the player does not take this opponent time to thwart our combo with Counterbalance. Note that with Thopter Foundry at stake, it is possible, in addition to a token with the router (Skimming, in response destroys Router)

Counterbalance: Interactions with Brainstorm and router are very easy to see, but there are others more subtle. What is important with this card is the abuse of power very quickly early in the game before ladversaire can put pressure. For most players, this seems difficult because the combo can not be fully active before the 3rd round (Round 1 router, Counterbalance Tower 2, Tower 3, three possible activation of router). It is possible to take full advantage of the card in the second round. Just do not play in the first round router (unless you play against a deck where most of the cards cost 1 cc sorcery). If we begin, here is how to proceed with a hand like this: Misty Rainforest, Counterbalance, Brainstorm, Tundra, Tarmo (or any CC 2), Sensei's Divining Top, X. If Counterbalance is a good card against a deck which faces, trying to establish the lock quickly. In this particular instance, I would play Rainforest Misty and I spend around. At the end of the turn my opponent, when in response to his play (Vial Cursecatcher, Dark Ritual, Thoughtseize, Duress), I would play Brainstorm to provide a DC power of 2 as the second card (not the one we select the winning entry the next round). Why Misty more than the Tundra? To play CB in the second round without having to stir the card 2 CC that lon just put on top. If our hand has a Daze and more, you may want to put a DC one on top, and have the Daze and should he ever tap out the second round for a DC 2. That way, we ensured that it can counter everything he plays. In a similar situation, but where our opponent would begin, it may be interesting to put a 3 CC to surprise his opponent. The play with Daze can also be spread by putting a map of 2 DC.
Note that if CB is not the card key, or if we need to protect Daze, it is better to play the Tundra and Misty rainforest can use to re-mix the deck after playing Brainstorm.

Sometimes it may seem strange to put a second Counterbalance in play, but no top, it may be interesting to do. For example, it allows us to use fetchlands to trigger twice but with CB tops of the two different decks. When your opponent plays a spell, each CB trigger, you can flip the top card at random and if this is not the right CC, fetch it before resolving the second trigger, can shake the deck and a pinball new card. It also works with Brainstorm, obviously.

The fetchlands: Along with all utilities Counterbalance, Tarmogoyf, Brainstorm, Sensei's Divining Top, the fetches are excellent golf to play the first round against a deck that could play Wasteland, or at any time within the party slow down the effectiveness of Wasteland and Port Rishidan.

Tips during the construction of the deck:
Ideally have a minimum of 14 cards with 2 DC
Have between 4 and 8 3 CC, and some 4-CC.
Have a minimum of 18 blue cards for Force of Will (20 being the ideal figure. (Then there is an effect of "Diminish returns" that makes each blue card added does not increase very much fortunate to have a blue card in his hand departure (excluding FoW))).

So now to this article, I hope you enjoyed. I will try to do periodically, and especially analysis of the metagame that are always important to update them.

On that note, I wish you a good tournament next Sunday May 9, 2010 in Face to face. If you have comments, please send them to me via TheSource, Mtg Quebec, or in real time every Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Pierre-Marc D.
Enigma

[Forbiddian]

Fuck, I took three years of French in High School and am currently taking more French... and Google Translator is miles better than I am.