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Multiplayer Strategy

 
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Razjah
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 9:08 pm    Post subject: Multiplayer Strategy Reply with quote

Name is on the tin.

I want to have a place where we can discuss strategy for playing multiplayer. These topics may shift from 60 card to EDH and possibly moving into specific formats.
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darknesseclipse
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 9:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lecture I: Blocking: When do I use my face? My mana? My cards in hand? To know just how much needs to be said, let's all begin with what we know about the topic.
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Razjah
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 9:37 pm    Post subject: Lecture I Reply with quote

Step 1: Life Does Not Matter

Your life total doesn't matter until you are dead. Up until then it is more of a clock and not something to really worry about. The first step to blocking is about using your life as a resource. You can easily go down to 15 life in the first couple turns and come back and win. Taking a bit of early damage is also worth it to reduce your threat appearance.

Unless you can profit from the block or you will lose too much from taking it, use your face.

Step 2: Make Your Plays Profitable

I mentioned this before, but don't do something unless you profit. If you everyone has a Grizzly Bear* and one person attacks you, should you block to stop 2 damage? NO!!! Then everyone can pumel you for funzies. Instead you can take the 2 damage wait a bit and then back up the card with something harder to kill (Trained Armodon*) and then move to the offensive. If you throw away your creature to the first incoming attack you will be very easily worn down and then ground to dust by the other 4-7 people at the table.


* I am not saying to run a 2 mana 2/2 and a 3 mana 3/3 with no effects, they just make good examples.

Step 3: Chumps, Trades, and Self Sacrificing Creatures

When you need to block you generally want to avoid chump blocking. Chump blocking is where you throw a measily little critter in front of some big dude about to put a messy whoe in your face. They are meat shields, and bad ones. Chump blocking is generally only used as a last resort or to buy time. "Make a 1/1 token; chump block; cry rivers" I've been there, but only to buy myself some time.

Trading is generally thought to be good. It really isn't in multiplayer. If I block your 3/3 with my 3/3, we both lose a creature and everyone else still has one. Trading does kill both creatures, but remeber the rule from step one: Unless you profit from a block or lose too much from taking it, use your face.

Self sacrificing creatures are great. I love me some Sakura Tribe Elder throwing down with a big dude who doesn't trample. Tribe Elder can stop the damage from the fatty and then go get your a land. These guys were better when damage used the stack, but they are still very good now. These guys make the best chump blockers and normally are fairly efficient for what they do.

Step 4: Block and Crush

This is the best path. Use your bigger and better creature to beat the incoming creature. Why does my Mono-Green Stomp and Shop deck do so well? Who wants to attack into Ohran Viper and lose their creature. The psuedo- death touch stops a ton of attacks. Another method is to use big creatures for combat. A 4/4 will take on 3/3s all day and then wake up the next day and do it all over leaving a pile of 3/3 . That 2/2 does it once, dies, and the 3/3 is still there.

Step 5: Combat Tricks

Tricks are not for kids*. They are for your creatures in combat. Pump Effects (Giant Growth) will let a 1/1 trade with a lot. They also let a small creature live through burn spells, combat, and other effects.

*Yeah, yeah it's Trix.
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Razjah
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 12:19 pm    Post subject: Lecture I Reply with quote

I'm now going to attempt to address when to use cards in hand and the mana to pay them when dealing with a creature attack you. The card of reference will be Terminate, Swords, and Slaughter Pact.

When you are being attacked you first need to ask yourself, "Do I really need to waste this card in hand?" Some situations make this answer easy: if you are going to die without playing the spell- play the damn spell. Otherwise take the time to think. Look around the board, who has been attacking you recently? Chances are they will attack you again.

Set Up: Middle of the FFA, You have 10 life, a Swords to Plowshares in Hand
If you have been getting beat up by Timmy's Darksteel Colossus and Spike is sending a Flameblast Dragon at you with no mana to use the ability then take the 5. You need Swords to deal with DSC. Take note that the DSC will kill you in one shot here, kill that when it comes at you.

Now if you have Terminate in hand you need to kill Mr Flameblast Dragon becasue you can't afford that hit for 5 when Timmy has DSC. The Colossus could go at someone else, and if you have blockers you may be able to survive a turn againt the giant indestructable 11/11.... OF DOOM!

If you have a trickier spell in hand like Slaughter Pact and the situation isn't dire, you really need to think. Killing off a creature may be really helpful. But paying 3 mana before you get to draw for the turn and see your new spell is harsh. This is especially true when you end up 1 or 2 mana short of playing a huge beast like Terastadon. That 3 mana may cost you the game.


Another thing to consider is "Lord" type creatures. If someone is attacking with a bunch of goblins and you can't profit in the attack, instead of killing the biggest gobbo you should probably kill the lord. Taking out the guy giving all the littel green skins +1/+1 and haste is a pretty nice deal. Especially if you can now block for profit. That one spell could become a nearly one-sided WoG.
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Razjah
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 10:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anyone have anything else to discuss?

    Possible Topics
    Threat Assessment
    Life Gain
    Card Advantage
    Combos
    Deck Archtypes
    Removal Spells
    Weenies vs Fatties

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thisguyonetime
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 12:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

oh heck.. just to get things moving. how do you approach table politics. what should you be thinking?
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Razjah
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 4:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Table Politics or table threat assessment?

Politics change all the time based on goals, position, and the benefits of alliance and the breaking of those alliances.

Threat assessment takes your deck, the other player's decks, and the players all into consideration.
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Razjah
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 3:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I look at:
    What deck are you playing?
    Who is playing?
    What decks are they playing?


Step 1: Know Your Deck
If you are playing a mana ramp deck, then the aggro dude could be a problem.
If you are playing a big fatty deck with a couple hard to answer threats, mono black control is a problem.
If you are playing combo and need a weenie creature to live, the burn deck is a problem for you.

When you know the weaknesses in your deck you can plan to combat them. For my WUBy deck (the one with Wrath of God and Adarkar Valkyrie) the mono balck control deck is a problem because the barter in bloods wipe out my very few creatures. I have a back up plan to win, but I really need the creatures.

My soldier deck worries less about the mono black deck because the mass removal only gets rid of a few creatures and I can play around that and build up more creatures to play after the sweeper.

This means that every deck playing a sweeper is not a threat. Wrath of god is a lot less effective if you keep 2-3 creatures in you had after you have a board position. Then you can recover and the wrath guy is squirming hoping to draw another wrath effect.

Step 2: Who is Playing?
Some players are better than others and some players have different goals than others. I always play to win, Hudson used to play to cause crazy **** to happen. This was a problem because I can't win with crazy effects ruining my set up. He was a serious problem for me at the table.

If you know someone has a vendeta against another- let him go. If Andrew and Sam have been beating on each other for three games in a row, then chances are they will beat on each other in game 4. You can use that and let them wear each other out.

Another thing is to consider what their play style is. I like to play constant threats and back them up. I aim to be in the top position by having the best play every turn. My mono green Stomp n' Shop deck shows this. Turn 2- Lotus Cobra, Turn 3- Ohran Viper (he killed his family) Turn 4- Harrow into Rampagin Baloths. I like to have a steady stream of aggression and power.

Eric does not. He like to wait and let others do his bidding. He then has a devastating tactical strike that puts him in the winning seat. Eric will wait and throw out a useless Liliana's Caress and Megrim. Then when everyone is low play two Burning Inquiry and deal everyone 12 damage.

Pay attention to how players try to win and you can know when they are gearing up for a big play to try to take the lead.

Step 3: What Decks are They Playing?
If you know what strategy the enemy has and what strategy you employ you can prioritize the people who need to be taken out. Then work you way down the list. Be ready to re-evaluate efter every play (I never said this was easy). If Gollum make a back breaking play you may need to devote some time to putting him back down even if he is the third target on your list.
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Razjah
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 11, 2011 4:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is a really good article to read by The Ferrett about playing multiplayer magic. http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/misc/437_The_Official_Rules_Of_Type_WHO.html
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