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.