Tips and Tricks to help you WIN!

Here are my (not so) secret Tech Tips to help anyone do better in Masques Block Constructed (aka MBC) play. Actually these generalizations work well in any format, but since you want to play in a PTQ and do well I'm tailoring this information to that format. 1. RESEARCH! Do your homework! Read magazines and scour the internet to see with what decks and colors others are playing (and winning). Think about how those decks work and figure out how to beat them. I suggest trying not to over-metagame at this point, but just try to get a feel for what to expect. Of course White and Blue are strong in this format, but MBC may not be as imbalanced as everyone suspects. 2. CHOOSE A COLOR! No, it doesn't matter which one - go with your strength :o) I played a mono-green deck at the PTQ in Detroit a couple weeks ago and did ok with it. I would have actually done well with it if I hadn't played stupidly at critical times (more on that topic later). The problem is not always with the deck but also with our play - no? Sample Deck: Accelerated Green (aka Invigorated Green) Start with 4 Land Grants, 4 Skyshroud Claims, 4 Vine Trellis, and 4 Silverglade Elementals. This puts a ton of Green mana into play while simultaneously thinning your deck. You also get a couple decent (hard to kill) chump blockers in the deal. Add 4 2-3cc creatures (Horney Trolls regenerate), 4 Blastoderms, and 4 other Stompy Dudes (I like Rushwood Elementals & Rhox rocks!). For control, add 4 Desert Twisters and a couple Tranquilities ... and 4 Invigorates (more punch anyone?)! For Instant Replay action, add 2 Revives. 20 Forests complete the salad. Mix well and serve, serve, serve :o) Sideboard cards might include Lumbering Satyrs (great anti-green!), a couple more revives (or a Flagship or 2?), 4 Rushwood Legates (Kills Waters dead), Snags, 2 more Tranquilities, & 2-3 Woodrippers (just say no to Tangle Wire lol). 3. GO ROGUE! On the back of each Magic card is a color wheel. USE IT! Naturally opposing colors are displayed across from each other. If everyone else is playing green & white - look across from them to get a clue what color might give them nightmares (especially if they are all worried about each other). The element of surprise is your friend - let him help you! Plan tricks into your sideboard. For example, run no enchantments or artifacts in your main deck, but have 12 in your sideboard (or vice versa). Your opponent might side out all his removal spells when he needs them most (bwahahahahaha!). Or run 7 land and 8 spells of a different color in your Sideboard (DOH!) Couldn't switching from mono to two colors mess withg any opponents head? Yikes! Blastoderms! Crap!!! Where did those come from? Yikes! Massacres & Snuff Outs! Crap!!! Get It? 4. KNOW YOUR DECK! Playtest it as extensively as possible. MBC is a notoriously slow format, so accelerated decks like this (mono-red & black can be fast too) actually have a speed advantage. By the 3rd-4th turn you can have your opponent on the defensive. Play against all the other dominant decks and try to learn from your mistakes in playtesting. In Tournament Play mistakes cost games and matches, and lose precious points. If you need to change a card or two to make the deck work for you, DO IT! Trade or go pay money to buy them. If you want to win you gotta have the cards. One or two missing cards can spoil a great strategy. To maximize your chances, optimize your deck so the critical card has the best chance of appearing when you need it the most! How well you do after that depends on you. Good decks don't make good players, but good players play with good decks! 5. GET MENTAL! Get plenty of rest the night before the tournament. Eat breakfast before you start play (yes, even if you normally don't eat breakfast). Remember what I said about MBC being slow? Remember the 50 minute rounds? There may not be enough time to eat later when your body is telling you it's starving. Staying focused on winning matches is trouble enough. Play with Confidence - know you can win because you are ready! Exercise Patience - think & play, think & play ... Don't let yourself be distracted - but pay attention to what is going on in your game/match. Practice Good Sportsmanship - be polite and gracious to everyone. REMEMBER - just playing in a PTQ and being a good sport can make you more popular. But also kicking ass and taking names will make you a WINNER! I hope these tips prove beneficial to you. If I practice what I preach, you'd better hope you don't meet me in a match though! GOOD LUCK! I hope to see your name soon in the Top 8 !!! PHAMOUS PHILO 'The Legacies of Dominaria' https://www.angelfire.com/oh2/philo ICQ# 20100736

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