One in Eight
May. 27th, 2012 07:19 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sarah_tvAbout 900 people showed up to play Magic at the Anaheim Convention Center this weekend. After grueling delays, and about 12 hours later, they had knocked down that 900ish to about 120. For ever 1 that made it to day 2, another 7 to 8 people left home without the prize.
I... did not do well. The top players will show that my deck was fine, and that the top tables of the tournament were playing the deck that I ultimately choose to play with, too. I can blame a combination of luck and lack of experience for the straight three loses I had that day, but really, what I blame is not paying attention to my heart.
I am not saying I would have faired better at the tournament mind you. The first game I played, I was up against an old timer and Pro Player from Brazil, and it was a honor and a pleasure to play against him. I even won one of the games of the match, so it was still fine.
There is the matter of deck choice, however. The first thing I must remember about deck choice is that other people are always, and I mean *always* wrong. They may be good about choosing the right cards, but never have I played a deck that someone else built and have it come out well. Except for Senor Stompy, but that's neither here or there.
I should have played my champion deck. It's a tad modified sure and I would have to get one more paladin, but I knew that deck, as it's very, very close to my regular standard deck. It might even just needed a few card subsitutions, and I could have ran it just like I ran my standard deck. It wouldn't have been favored, I am sure, but I would have felt a lot more comfortable with the deck, and I think that in the end, it would have made a difference emotionally.
The Bant deck is effective, mind you. Untargatable creatures, pump, a little bounce (I think I would have liked more by the end of the three rounds I played, mind you). However, I don't think it had enough soul. I played it because I knew it had really good plays, not because I liked the deck emotionally. I was playing what I felt was my best shot, and maybe that was the wrong play to start with.
I won't say I didn't enjoy myself, though. I had a really good near mirror match with the Rules Manager for Wizards, with dueling Counter Producing decks. I also played in a Draft after I had lost, and played a neat BR deck that gave me an idea for a new deck to play with. I got some neat card sleeves, and overall, I was glad I got to see some of the people who I've been seeing online in person, even though I was containing my inner fan, so I didn't say hello.
Well, I get another chance in about four months, when the GP comes back to San Jose. I'll try to not listen to my brain next time, and listen to my heart. My heart just tends to do better.
I... did not do well. The top players will show that my deck was fine, and that the top tables of the tournament were playing the deck that I ultimately choose to play with, too. I can blame a combination of luck and lack of experience for the straight three loses I had that day, but really, what I blame is not paying attention to my heart.
I am not saying I would have faired better at the tournament mind you. The first game I played, I was up against an old timer and Pro Player from Brazil, and it was a honor and a pleasure to play against him. I even won one of the games of the match, so it was still fine.
There is the matter of deck choice, however. The first thing I must remember about deck choice is that other people are always, and I mean *always* wrong. They may be good about choosing the right cards, but never have I played a deck that someone else built and have it come out well. Except for Senor Stompy, but that's neither here or there.
I should have played my champion deck. It's a tad modified sure and I would have to get one more paladin, but I knew that deck, as it's very, very close to my regular standard deck. It might even just needed a few card subsitutions, and I could have ran it just like I ran my standard deck. It wouldn't have been favored, I am sure, but I would have felt a lot more comfortable with the deck, and I think that in the end, it would have made a difference emotionally.
The Bant deck is effective, mind you. Untargatable creatures, pump, a little bounce (I think I would have liked more by the end of the three rounds I played, mind you). However, I don't think it had enough soul. I played it because I knew it had really good plays, not because I liked the deck emotionally. I was playing what I felt was my best shot, and maybe that was the wrong play to start with.
I won't say I didn't enjoy myself, though. I had a really good near mirror match with the Rules Manager for Wizards, with dueling Counter Producing decks. I also played in a Draft after I had lost, and played a neat BR deck that gave me an idea for a new deck to play with. I got some neat card sleeves, and overall, I was glad I got to see some of the people who I've been seeing online in person, even though I was containing my inner fan, so I didn't say hello.
Well, I get another chance in about four months, when the GP comes back to San Jose. I'll try to not listen to my brain next time, and listen to my heart. My heart just tends to do better.
