[Question 37] Keeping Informed and Up-to-Date

[Peter_Rotten]

What do you do to keep up to date and informed about the/your meta outside of the Source?
How do you deal with new decks or variants/spins of known decks. Do you simply read about them, test with or against them, discuss with people known for being good with that kind of deck (also outside of the Source)?

So, how do you keep yourself informed about Legacy happenings? What sites and resources do you rely on? What do you do when you see a relatively new or interesting idea or deck on MTS or elsewhere?

To make the question even more specific, what type of preparation (if any) do you make for large tournaments such as the 5th anniversary tourney?

[Zach Tartell]

So, how do you keep yourself informed about Legacy happenings? What sites and resources do you rely on?

I've got to admit - I'm pretty much the worst at keeping up with new things. After my first tournament (a ten player Rav block + Timespiral affair) where I played a terrible RGB stompy homebrew of a friend's - I went 3-1, losing to Firemane Angel control. It was freaking amazing and energizing. I promptly went home and spent the following six weeks reading each MTG article that had been published about any format.

As a result I will often refer Standard periods a full decade before I even touched this brand of nerd cards, but my knowledge is pretty much limited to what Flores and company (although I've probably read more Flores articles than the rest of the authors combined, just 'cause most other peoples' work just isn't kept around) felt inclined to chronicle. I'm a certified Mental Magic badass, though.

Anyway, after this flurry of reading, I crushed my third tournament (the second anual running GAGG), I came here, and started spamming the crap out of like three threads. Then I started to pay attention to other stuff, like decks with blue.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, no. I do not read anything other than the Source. I pay attention to the Unlocking Legacy articles when somebody posts them here (and, I suppose, when I posted them here forever ago). I read a Spanish forum a while ago (more to practice Spanish than to learn about European Legacy) and occasionally run over to Deckcheck.net (again, more to practice my German than to learn about Legacy). Also, Herbig showed me a Legacy forum in Tagalog, but since I couldn't read it at all I kind of lost interest.

What do you do when you see a relatively new or interesting idea or deck on MTS or elsewhere?

I goldfish pretty frequently on MWS, but I've stopped actually playing people since this summer (Nihil spoiled me - two months of a polite, English-proficient, talented opponent was just too awesome; I can't go back). I let my teammates work on most of the stuff, then suggest terrible cards and demand credit on the finished product. Like, for instance, our most recent Herbig Project (prolly somewhere around 4.8 or so) DESTROYED the format. Like, broken in two freaking pieces. We just have to wait for Dave Gearhart to finish phase 2, then we'll drop some truth on you (seriously - wait for it).

Anyway, if Colin (that's Di), Adam (Nightmare), Bryant, Trevor (getsickanddie), Nat (Brushwagg), and Matt (bigbear102) (I'd count Jim, but he never comes 'round no more) can't break it, I reckon it won't be broken. For instance:

• Painter
  • Check (EPIC Painter)
    
• Ad Nauseam
  • Check (although I bet I could have said "Tendrils of Agony" just as easily)
• Survival
  • Check (ATS (although that was before my time) and "Di" survival)
• ...Lightning Bolt?
  • Check (T&A Sligh rocked face at the last Hadley tournament)

To make the question even more specific, what type of preparation (if any) do you make for large tournaments such as the 5th anniversary tourney?

Syracuse has had a pretty excellent Legacy scene for probably since forever. Which is pretty cool, 'cause it's in my backyard. I get to play in ~15 man locals like three times a month, and then draft and sealed with some pretty excellent players (to keep me good at Magic in general, not Legacy, though)(since Dilly-Dally hates not-real formats). So, this helps me a bunch in getting comfortable with a deck.

Like, right when I started playing, EPIC itself had fairly regular testing sessions (probably once or twice a month) devoted to getting good at playing and beating the best decks in the format. But that kind of stopped (probably because Adam is too lazy to print out 75x5 or 6 cards from the company computers and cut them out all nice and everything), and we got into EDH and Skittles real hard. Like, when I show you my blinged out Teeg EDH in the Blah Blah Blah my deck is pimp Thread, you will be almost jealous (then remember that I'm in the two weakest colors and chuckle that I spent all of this money for nothing).

Anyway:

1. Zach Tartell loves lists.
   
   • More than you, Tom.
   • I'm sad that I have to buy you dinner when next we meet.
2. Testing is important, but only with people who are better than you.
3. Read everything you can (at least once - 'specially about important things like sideboarding and agressiveness).
4. The Source is actually pretty good at keeping people up to date. Just stay out of Mish Mash (or threads started by people whose last names rhyme with either Bant or Mani).
5. PM me to MWS if you'll be nice - I'm lonely and need to test for the Source Tournament.

[MattH]

I don't.

[Nihil Credo]

If there is some *big* news running around on the forums (just The Source + the main blogs/forums in your language; non-Italian players are unlikely to visit tipo1.it, for example, and if they notice something on deckcheck.net they're probably going to make a thread about it on the sites they do visit anyway), you want to test it early enough that you can make any necessary adjustments to your list, including buying new cards if needed.

Unless we're talking about Hulk Flash, this doesn't demand the intensive, tens-of-matches-and-take-notes battery sessions which are ideal against the big metagame presences. It's more like what you do when testing out a new idea: you start out with some quick two-fisted games (ie playing both decks yourself), and then if the matchup isn't blatantly lopsided you hit up a somewhat reliable friend/acquaintance to do some serious matches and, if applicable, try out different sideboard strategies.

You only really need to do this for significant new elements (eg Ad Nauseam combo, Imperial Painter), or very hyped spins on established archetypes that people probably already have most of the cards for and will want to try out (eg Team America, Trinket/Painter.dec); don't worry about putting your deck up against everything that gets posted. Even if you think a new deck is underrated, what matters is whether it catches people's attention and makes them want to pick it up.


As for evaluating a particular tournament's metagame:

1) Keep an eye on both The Source and whatever forum is used by the players in your area/country. You don't have to know every single page by heart; the day before the tournament you just check the most recently updated thread for "Hey guys, I'm gonna bring [Deck X] to Sunday's tournament and I was wondering"-type posts.

2) DeckCheck.net is great for long-term statistical data and looking for inspiration. It will not, however, tell you which winning decks are going to catch up and which ones are going to be ignored.

3) Scouting. If you're at a large tournament (over 60-70 people), scouting isn't really worth it; sometimes the dealers will notice a few cards in particular demand, but that's about it. Otherwise, do it.

Get to the location with a comfortable margin, say one hour early: you don't want to be in a rush to peek everywhere since you'll look like a complete jerk, something very bad in tightly-knit communities like Legacy. Instead, spend your time chatting and trading while keeping an eye out for people sleeving up their decks or writing down lists (yours should be already mostly written, and you should have an idea of how to assign the open slots depending on what you will see). Try to recognize most of the typically successful players and make them a priority in your scouting - they are the ones against whom you'll most need the help.

A good idea is to scout alongside a friend or two; they don't have to be teammates, just people whom you somewhat trust and don't mind being associated with. You go your separate ways and then exchange notes on what you saw.

Finally, assuming your matches end quickly, scouting between rounds is also important; while you can no longer tweak your deck, you can focus on people roughly in your same bracket, giving you much better odds of actually scouting your opponent. Plus, unlike pre-tournament peeking, watching a match isn't considered bad etiquette and you can do it openly.