December Blog Post

Born of the Gods Is coming out in February of 2014, however spoilers are being leaked. As of now, there aren't that many released. Regardless there are numerous possibilities that have spurred from these few spoilers. For example, Simic has a new planeswalker. It's the first in the entire history of the game. Born of the Gods was promised to be a multicolored  set. Another promise is that of demigods. I am truly  excited. December  was alot of things for Magic, but most of all, December  was hype.

November Post

Another month, another Homebrew. I decided to turn my Gruul Ramp list into a Naya Aggro one. Gruul is the term used for the guild that uses the colors Red and Green. Naya is a Clan that utilizes three colors. Red, Green, and White. The reason for this change was that I figured my deck would be more consistent in each phase of the game. It would have the ability to utilize more removal spells as well as stronger finishers and creatures. The hard part about the Naya transition was trying to balance out the essential cards I need, with cards that would synergize with/without them. As well as trying to determine what cards I could afford.Also dealing with the stats for the new mana base I would have to implement due to the addition color added (white). I bought the cards for my new Naya list recently, and I'm looking forward to play test it at events.

As you can see from the Charts provided the new Naya list has a more balanced mana curve which peaks at 3.  However the mana distribution doesn't correlate with the mana source distribution. This is due to a confounding factor called shock lands. They basically provide mana for 2 colors instead of the basic one color. Because of the shock lands, the distribution of the mana source is about 30%, 30%, 30%. This was necessary and it can't be replaced by trying to get the mana distribution/source to correlate to one another without running the risk of ruining my entire mana base.

Blog 9: EQ

1) I reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ.

2a) What is the most important factor in healthy weight loss?
A: It does not meet the rule of three.
E: It follows the first and third rule, however it doesn’t take a stance on the issue. As a result the answer to the EQ could be a list of ways to achieve said EQ.

2b) What is most important to securing a conviction in a criminal investigation?
A: It does not meet the rule of three.
E: It is not specific enough, it doesn’t specify what type of criminal investigation. As well as the wording is confusing. (Most important what?)

2c) What is most important in creating a hairstyle that best satisfies a customer?
A: It does meet the rule of three.
E: It’s specific and allows for research on the stance he/she has taken. the research would result in an answer that could be stated without using a list or recitation of facts.

2d) How can an Anesthesiologist best treat chronic pain?
A: It does not meet the rule of three.
E: It’s not specific enough. It does not specify what type of chronic pain. This would cause conflicting answers in research due to the different types of chronic pain. (Diseases, and illnesses.)

3) What is the most efficient pathway to become a professional Magic: the Gathering player in the Pro Tour Circuit?

End of the Month Post: October

This month I participated in four FNM events. the Prize for getting 1st or 2nd place are Promo cards. For the month of October, the Promo was Ghor-Clan Rampager. I won one for each Friday of the month. The significance of this is that it shows my development of my MtG skills from such a low level. I used to always get last place, but now due to my research, dedication to play-testing, and perfection of my homebrews I have become a better MtG player.

 In the picture are the four Ghor-Clan Rampagers that I won with a regular one for comparison.

Research and Working EQ

Content:

1) What is the most efficient way to become a professional Magic the Gathering player?

2) EQ: What is the most efficient way to become a professional Magic the Gathering player?

• Gain experience by play testing and homebrewing decks with friends
• Use the knowledge that you gained from playtesting at local tournaments (FNM) and Pro Tour Qualifiers
• Learn from your mistakes & change your game accordingly for your next match. (Sideboard)
• Work with a team for more playtesting and deck feedback.
• Think about the cause and effect of each move you make in a game.

3) Any information that was collected via magic.tcgplayer.com I spend so much time on that website. It provides so many articles and analyses that help me get a better understanding of the game. I absorb new information every day in regards to how to become a better magic player due to the connection I have to magic.tcgplayer.com

4) Andrew Dire, former Pro Tour participant. What I’m doing relates to my EQ because he’s giving me feedback while I pitch new homebrews and talk about deck ideas to ultimately come up with the best understanding of what’s considered good and bad. As well as I can look at how magic has changed since 2001 and change my gaming habits and compositions accordingly.

Independent Component 1 Approval

1. For my 30 hours I plan to playtest a variety of different Magic: the Gathering cards via Cockatrice. An online server where a community of Magic players can duel each other and test new deck ideas without buying the cards themselves. I also plan to delve into the mathematical aspect of Mtg. For example, the odds of drawing a win condition compared to the probability of drawing a land card. I also plan to frequent many MtG events such as Friday Night Magic events, Game Day events, as well as Drafts and Pre-releases in the hopes that my points for attending will accumulate over time to the point where I can join a Pro Tour.

2. In order to show evidence of this, I will either just take pictures of the events with captions, or I will go through an analysis of different deck ideas that I encountered or came up with in detail. Statistics and ratios included. Over the course of time, the hours will accumulate as well as the corresponding documentation. Summaries and background reasoning will be provided to clarify any confusions in the analysis of the events or “homebrews” (self-constructed decks).

3. In addition to the previously stated examples for independent component completion, I will delve into the more technical side of Magic: the Gathering as to achieve a better knowledge of the game. This would put me at a greater advantage than if I just played the game for fun without striving to become a more skilled player. The act of this self imposed limitation would result in me finishing my independent component with a higher sense of knowledge of MtG as well as essential prowess required for success in the Pro Tour.

Extra Post: August

On Saturday I went to Frank and Sons to purchase a magic deck that I have been working on for several weeks now, I built the deck according to my play style as well as what seems to be considered reliable. The reliability was tested online via Cockatrice. (an online host for mtg)

It wasn't built for how "STRONG" the cards are individually, but for how well they work in unison in regards to both statistics and mechanics.                






 Overall, the end result was successful & I'm looking forward to test this out at a local Friday Night Magic event. I owe the construction of this deck to the insight of my friends and mentor.

Second Interview Questions

Content:

1. Preferably my mentor would be Andrew Dire if he’s not too busy. He works at Odyssey Relocation Management. (MtG Pro Tour doesn’t employ work, you have to qualify for tournaments in order to make money.)

2. To you, what’s the most appealing aspect of Magic the Gathering?
What caused you to pursue Pro status?
What do you hate most about Magic?

Even though MtG is overlooked as just a hobby, how would one strive to make a professional living off of it?
Do you think Magic the Gathering will be discontinued? (Will they stop printing cards all together?)

Blog 5 Project Reflection and Working EQ

The Pentagon:

1) One positive thing that has happened so far as a result of what I’ve completed is that I’ve been able to get more and more people interested in Magic the Gathering. For example, I was able to get Juan Munoz & Facundo Holzmeister focused on how to become an overall Mtg player by creating deck lists for them and showing them a few tricks.

2) Research: (Source 4c). This source was able to guide me to the outlining key points of how to become a great MtG player from just a mediocre one. Additionally, it provided me with some new found information regarding tips and tricks on how to learn from my mistakes in matches and how to prevent them to begin with. For example, in the section under “Teammates” it talks about the importance of working with people that have the same drive and desire that you have. The reason being is so that you both are on the same page when it comes to achieving your goals.

3) What has worked for me so far in the senior project is the level of fun & ease of my senior project. I’ve created several deck lists for friends of mine. With each one I get an added idea to my knowledge base; something stored in the library of my mind. For example, when I made Facundo’s deck I had to think of what cards were going to give him the advantage as well as fitting the colors (red & black) and play style he wanted to maintain (aggressive) . This train of thought sparked a chain of ideas; that is why I love magic. In other words, most things have worked for me.

4) The only thing that hasn’t worked so far is getting a mentor for my senior project... I’m working on it though.

Finding Value:
5) A potential question for my essential question is “What makes a professional Magic the Gathering player any different than a casual player?”
I haven’t found a mentor yet, so I’m trying to get in touch with some people that may have connections & or people that I know personally that have made it to the MtG pro tour. I’m also looking at getting in touch with people through local card shops.

August: Monthly Post

I was doing some research today on future magic sets that were coming out. One of which is Theros. Theros is a new set coming out at the end of this month, and I just cannot wait.Ever since I started playing Magic the Gathering I was interested in the storyline of the cards I was playing with. For example, in the Return to Ravnica block there’s this set called Dragon’s Maze. The story behind it is that there are 10 guilds that are racing to the end of a maze. Seems simple enough right? Well, each a guild has an obstacle that they have to pass that was set by the other guilds.For example, the Selsnya Guild champion needs to get past the Izzet Gate, but Rakdos guild had set a deadly trap for her. Anyways the point I was getting to is that Magic the Gathering offers so much variety and room for imagination. I think I’m drawn to Magic because it is one of the very few things that I’m good at. Regardless, to me it’s not just a game... IT’S AN ADVENTURE!

Blog 4: Interview Preparation

Content:

Who do you plan to interview?  Why?

1) I plan to interview Andrew Dire because he was a player in the MtG Pro Tour. Coincidentally, I know him because he was my SAT prep teacher last year. I’m pretty confident that I would be able to not only get an interview, but a mentorship from Andrew Dire as well.

What additional questions do you plan to ask?

2) How long have you been into Magic the Gathering?
What was the main reason you started playing?
What was the most exciting moment you remember from a game of MtG?

Blog 3: Topic Choice and Semester 1 ESLR Goals

1. Magic the Gathering in the Pro Tour Circuit

2. iPoly Citizen:

This year I plan to show growth as an iPoly Citizen by addressing any questions asked my way that relate to a homework assignment, instructions on a classwork assignment, or just clarification in general. For example in Physics we were working on our homework when a fellow student asked me how to solve number 17, I kindly smiled and proceeded to help. iPoly Citizenship isn’t exactly a\strong suit of mine, but it’s all about being on the same level.

Effective Learner:

I plan to become a more effective learner by writing down my notes more vividly. That way I would be able to commit what I’ve learned to long term memory with ease. For example I could use different colored pens to make a distinction between important and unimportant details for my notes in Ortega’s class.

Effective User of Technology:
The way I believe  I might become a more effective user of technology is by utilizing keywords when searching for research on Google. For example, “How do I become a rocket scientist?” would yield simple results, but “How does an individual accomplish the needed tasks to become a rocket scientists?” should yield more specific results because the question was more detailed.

Effective Communicator:
This year I plan on emphasizing communication with my fellow students as well as my mentors and teachers. The way this would be accomplished would be by utilizing the skills taught in the maze exercise we did today. The maze made me realize the importance of describing thoughts with or without words. If we did the maze individually, I’m sure it would’ve taken a more than excessive amount of time to complete. Communication is the key to success; Without it, we are bound to stumble into failure.

Blog 2: Summer Mentorship Component

Literal:
1)https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AuGr86m0QNJIdE5paERyYkhjOEpwWUdvZkdDR0dyc1E&rm=full#gid=0

2) Amit Patel; (951) 235-3159

Need to Know:
3) Q1: If a player casts “Doom Blade” as a response to  his opponent’s cast of “Searing Spear”, does the effect of the opponent’s “Young Pyromancer” resolve?

Q2: If a player has 1 life left and casts Thragtusk by tapping Sunpetal Grove, does said player die if Burning Earth is on the battlefield? Or does he gain 4 life instead of 5?

Q3: If Supreme Verdict is cast, does a creature with protection from white such as “Blood Baron of Vizkopa” die?

Answers: (1) Yes because “Searing Spear” was still cast; (2) He/she dies because the “Sunpetal Grove” triggers the “Burning Earth” damage before Thragtusk enters the battlefield; (3) Yes because “Supreme Verdict” doesn’t target creatures which renders the creature’s protection useless.

(Cards that were named can be found on http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Default.aspx)

Interpretive:
4) The most important thing I gained from this experience was the surprisingly informational encounters with decks that were created for the synergy each of the cards had with the deck as a whole. These decks are called “homebrews”. I was able to learn new card combinations and possibilities that may help me in the future in becoming a professional MtG player.

Applied:
5) The 10 hour mentorship helped me choose a topic by solidifying prior inquiries about the validity of professional MtG as a lucrative and exciting career path. It’s not all just fun and games; when you get down to the brass tacks, MtG is a strategic card game that exercises the mind like Chess would, causing you to think several steps ahead and implements the bluffing tactics involved in Poker. Overall, Magic the Gathering would be an ideal topic to delve into knowing that time wouldn’t be mindlessly wasted. It would be fruitfully enhanced.

2013 2-Hour Presentation Reflections

1) The presentations that I viewed are as follows:
Bobbie- Marathon Running
Lucas- Designing Haunted Attraction
Danielle- Horticulture
Gawen- Criminal Investigation
Ivy- Art Curating
Joseph- Firefighting
Arista- Fashion
Dolores- Theater Technician
Jose- Music Journalism
Eric- Marine Conservation Bio
Dina- Body Building/Boot-camp
Lauren- Homelessness
Amber- Equine Assisted Therapy

2) Questions about a topic. In particular, Marine Conservation Bio.
I would've liked to hear more about the fight against pollution, not just about what we could do if it were up to us. So my question for Eric is, if there are any petitions against pollution of marine life, how effective and influential are they?

3) In my opinion, the most important part of the senior project would have to be the delivery and dictation of words. The difference between a great presentation and a mediocre one was determined by how confident the speaker was. If the projection of the information was pronounced, then it would seem more convincing as if the speaker knew what they were talking about.

4) The topic I'm considering is none other than the trading card game Magic the Gathering. There is a vast history behind it, and as each year passes more lore keeps getting released. It has captivated me since the start of my freshman year. As a result I'm very knowledgeable when it comes to magic and I can convey the information convincingly while meeting all the criteria needed in the rubric. Also, I would be able to complete my mentor ship by helping out at one of the card shops and/or by becoming a qualified Friday Night Magic judge. I would need a topic I'd enjoy and Magic the Gathering would suffice.