jeudi 7 avril 2011
mercredi 6 avril 2011
Why do I always lose round 1?
I've just qualified for the French nationals by playing in the Regnional championships of Paris. (We are still old style, we might a NQ like everyone else starting next year)
It has been an observation for a while, and I never took the time to analyse it, so I'm doing it right now : Why the hell do I always lose round 1?
Let's search on my total rating page and search for numbers :
Regionals France 2011 Ile de France: 2011-04-03 : lost round 1
PTQ Nagoya 11 Paris-2apr.11-2 slots: 2011-04-02 : lost round 1
PTQ Nagoya 11 Le Mans-20mar.11-1 slot: 2011-03-20 : lost round 1
PTQ Nagoya 11 Rouen-13mar.11-1 slot: 2011-03-13 : lost round 1
PTQ Nagoya 2011 - 1 slot: 2011-03-05 : bye, then lost round 2
Grand Prix Paris 2011: 2011-02-12 - 2011-02-13 : first loss round 5
Prerelease Mirrodin Besieged: 2011-01-29 : lost round 1
PTQ Nagoya 11 Poitiers-9jan.11-1 slot: 2011-01-09 : lost round 1
PTQ Paris 11 Reims-19dec.10-1 slot: 2010-12-19 : lost round 1
EU PTQ Paris: 2010-11-28 : draw round 1
PTQ Paris 11 Rouen-14nov.10-1 slot: 2010-11-14 : lost round 1
PTQ Paris 11 Lille-14nov.10-1 slot: 2010-11-11 : lost round 2
Grand Prix Bochum 2010: 2010-10-30 - 2010-10-31 : lost round 1
PTQ Paris 11 Paris-17oct.10-2 slots: 2010-10-17 - 2010-10-18 : first loss round 7
So in those last 14 tournaments, I lost round one 10 times, drew 1 time, and won 3 times (but lost round 2 once).
I made 1 top 8, three 9th-10th place at 7-1-1 and qualified for the French nationals.
I got some really nice good story to tell. But I really think this can't be by chance.
First one Good Story :
My first extended PTQ this season, I've just seen an interesting jund deck which made top 8 on MTGO and I switch a little before the tournament for Jund instead of whatever I was planning to play. I make some changes making the deck more explosive, but, in fact, worse.
Round 1 I got to play a 5c control deck. I win the first one, loose the second one on a double Cruel Ultimatum and we are playing game 3. He's a 3. I thoughsized him and discarded him a baneslayer last turn, he drew land and played it. I play and attack with a demi god to force him to sacrifice his UW manland.
On my board, 2 man lands and other lands, in my hand 2 demi gods of revenge.
My oponent draws, plays preordain, one top, one bottom, plays spreading sea, draw, play spreading sea, draw, play spreading see, draw and pass the turn.
I draw blank.
He draw, play cruel ultimatum, get back a kitchen finks and I got myself 0 cards in hands.
Of course he won this game.
As much as this story seems to be bad luck (or good luck for my opponent) I learned one things : My deck could have been better and if it had been, I wouldn't have lost this game since he would have been long dead before beeing able to make 4 top decks.
This is one of the reason I lose round 1, I am not always playing a strong enough deck. Like playing Bant lately in a fairly well prepared fea field. (and playing fea with to few preparation)
The second reason is probably concentration.
I've always have been someone who has a lot of difficulties to concentrate, so this could make sense. Not sure I'm doing more mistakes round 1 though.
The third one, for limited event is probably not knowing my deck enough. When I play in Limited it takes me some time to understand my deck fully and use most of it's ressources.
I've been trying to strenghten those points, but I really still only lose round 1. So there should be other reason lying around.
Couldn't find them yet, do anybody have an idea?
It has been an observation for a while, and I never took the time to analyse it, so I'm doing it right now : Why the hell do I always lose round 1?
Let's search on my total rating page and search for numbers :
Regionals France 2011 Ile de France: 2011-04-03 : lost round 1
PTQ Nagoya 11 Paris-2apr.11-2 slots: 2011-04-02 : lost round 1
PTQ Nagoya 11 Le Mans-20mar.11-1 slot: 2011-03-20 : lost round 1
PTQ Nagoya 11 Rouen-13mar.11-1 slot: 2011-03-13 : lost round 1
PTQ Nagoya 2011 - 1 slot: 2011-03-05 : bye, then lost round 2
Grand Prix Paris 2011: 2011-02-12 - 2011-02-13 : first loss round 5
Prerelease Mirrodin Besieged: 2011-01-29 : lost round 1
PTQ Nagoya 11 Poitiers-9jan.11-1 slot: 2011-01-09 : lost round 1
PTQ Paris 11 Reims-19dec.10-1 slot: 2010-12-19 : lost round 1
EU PTQ Paris: 2010-11-28 : draw round 1
PTQ Paris 11 Rouen-14nov.10-1 slot: 2010-11-14 : lost round 1
PTQ Paris 11 Lille-14nov.10-1 slot: 2010-11-11 : lost round 2
Grand Prix Bochum 2010: 2010-10-30 - 2010-10-31 : lost round 1
PTQ Paris 11 Paris-17oct.10-2 slots: 2010-10-17 - 2010-10-18 : first loss round 7
So in those last 14 tournaments, I lost round one 10 times, drew 1 time, and won 3 times (but lost round 2 once).
I made 1 top 8, three 9th-10th place at 7-1-1 and qualified for the French nationals.
I got some really nice good story to tell. But I really think this can't be by chance.
First one Good Story :
My first extended PTQ this season, I've just seen an interesting jund deck which made top 8 on MTGO and I switch a little before the tournament for Jund instead of whatever I was planning to play. I make some changes making the deck more explosive, but, in fact, worse.
Round 1 I got to play a 5c control deck. I win the first one, loose the second one on a double Cruel Ultimatum and we are playing game 3. He's a 3. I thoughsized him and discarded him a baneslayer last turn, he drew land and played it. I play and attack with a demi god to force him to sacrifice his UW manland.
On my board, 2 man lands and other lands, in my hand 2 demi gods of revenge.
My oponent draws, plays preordain, one top, one bottom, plays spreading sea, draw, play spreading sea, draw, play spreading see, draw and pass the turn.
I draw blank.
He draw, play cruel ultimatum, get back a kitchen finks and I got myself 0 cards in hands.
Of course he won this game.
As much as this story seems to be bad luck (or good luck for my opponent) I learned one things : My deck could have been better and if it had been, I wouldn't have lost this game since he would have been long dead before beeing able to make 4 top decks.
This is one of the reason I lose round 1, I am not always playing a strong enough deck. Like playing Bant lately in a fairly well prepared fea field. (and playing fea with to few preparation)
The second reason is probably concentration.
I've always have been someone who has a lot of difficulties to concentrate, so this could make sense. Not sure I'm doing more mistakes round 1 though.
The third one, for limited event is probably not knowing my deck enough. When I play in Limited it takes me some time to understand my deck fully and use most of it's ressources.
I've been trying to strenghten those points, but I really still only lose round 1. So there should be other reason lying around.
Couldn't find them yet, do anybody have an idea?
mercredi 16 février 2011
Seiko's Fearless magical Inventory
I'm gonna translate my french one right here, right now (echo), to twitt it so that everyone can see it!
I discussed the subject a little with friend and Jeremie Lagarde advised me to categorised it a lot more so it might be more helpful to look at, and think at.
Before the game (opponent's deck, shuffling, mulliganing, sideboarding)
1) I should level up my way of shuffling. It took me an afternoon of testing different methods, but I could go even further.
2) I'm far too kind with my opponents. (this tends to get better!)
3) If I win the first game, I can keep bad hands the second game.
Managing environment (Time, opponents, public, fans, judges, girlfriend)
1) I'm pretty bad with managing time, or I only think about it, when it's too late. Should play more control decks in extended.
2) I tend to over-estimate my opponents. Sometimes I could have made a better play figuring my opponent wouldn't understand why I did it.
3) I read my opponents pretty well, but forget to use the information I got.
4) I can't play seriously when many friends are around me and watching me.
5) I can't play with someone, I go in autofollow mode way too easily.
Managing myself (Stress, tiredness, personality, mindset)
1) I have a lot of trouble to stay focused and in the right mindset all day long.
2) I still let my bad plays control my next games.
3) I pity my opponents when they are in colordeath and such. Sometimes letting them come back.
4) I'm usually over excited before an event, preventing me to sleep as much as I'd need to.
5) I'm so underconfident in myself and my skills.
Relations, Image (even outside events)
1) I measure my skills only with my performences. (I'mstarting to feel better :D)
2) I always want to play, but don't like playing too much with noobs anymore.
3) I want to show off my skills more than I want to get better.
Game analysis (board, game)
General :
1) I sometimes forget to put free damages
2) I tend to miss-evaluate my role in the game when it's often changing.
3) I sometimes think of a lot of different plays, but don't think far enough to really make the best one.
4) I go into auto-pilot mode, far too easily.
5) I play too fast.
6) I should watch my opponent more, to read them more efficiently.
7) When testing, I don't play serisouly enough
Limited :
1) I don't remember enough the cards I give my opponents when I pick a card.
2) I often switch colors too late when I should switch.
3) I don't know the archetypes well, I draft the best cards before anything else.
4) I tend to overvalue somes cards/bombs.
5) I sometimes try to hard for my curve, sometimes not hard enough.
Constructed :
1) I don't have correct side plan, or sometimes change them when I shouldn't
2) I know all the decks, but never enough to play well.
I discussed the subject a little with friend and Jeremie Lagarde advised me to categorised it a lot more so it might be more helpful to look at, and think at.
Before the game (opponent's deck, shuffling, mulliganing, sideboarding)
1) I should level up my way of shuffling. It took me an afternoon of testing different methods, but I could go even further.
2) I'm far too kind with my opponents. (this tends to get better!)
3) If I win the first game, I can keep bad hands the second game.
Managing environment (Time, opponents, public, fans, judges, girlfriend)
1) I'm pretty bad with managing time, or I only think about it, when it's too late. Should play more control decks in extended.
2) I tend to over-estimate my opponents. Sometimes I could have made a better play figuring my opponent wouldn't understand why I did it.
3) I read my opponents pretty well, but forget to use the information I got.
4) I can't play seriously when many friends are around me and watching me.
5) I can't play with someone, I go in autofollow mode way too easily.
Managing myself (Stress, tiredness, personality, mindset)
1) I have a lot of trouble to stay focused and in the right mindset all day long.
2) I still let my bad plays control my next games.
3) I pity my opponents when they are in colordeath and such. Sometimes letting them come back.
4) I'm usually over excited before an event, preventing me to sleep as much as I'd need to.
5) I'm so underconfident in myself and my skills.
Relations, Image (even outside events)
1) I measure my skills only with my performences. (I'mstarting to feel better :D)
2) I always want to play, but don't like playing too much with noobs anymore.
3) I want to show off my skills more than I want to get better.
Game analysis (board, game)
General :
1) I sometimes forget to put free damages
2) I tend to miss-evaluate my role in the game when it's often changing.
3) I sometimes think of a lot of different plays, but don't think far enough to really make the best one.
4) I go into auto-pilot mode, far too easily.
5) I play too fast.
6) I should watch my opponent more, to read them more efficiently.
7) When testing, I don't play serisouly enough
Limited :
1) I don't remember enough the cards I give my opponents when I pick a card.
2) I often switch colors too late when I should switch.
3) I don't know the archetypes well, I draft the best cards before anything else.
4) I tend to overvalue somes cards/bombs.
5) I sometimes try to hard for my curve, sometimes not hard enough.
Constructed :
1) I don't have correct side plan, or sometimes change them when I shouldn't
2) I know all the decks, but never enough to play well.
lundi 14 février 2011
GP Paris and Besiege
At least it's over and my girlfriend is happy to get me back.
Even though it was in Paris, I had to wake up one hour earlier and would come home everyday aroung 11pm (while telling everyone that I could not go karaoke/drink/whatever with them).
PT:
Coulnd't get in the PT at the last chance but 2 friends got in so it's cool anyway. Had a freaking bad sealed deck, and I had opened 8 of them before to train.
Tried to affiliate my deck thanks to Jeremy Dezani for the standard battle for mirrodin challenge. Not very hard to cut wurmcoil, black sun zenith and massacre wurm to be full mirran. But you still loose a lot.
Dropped after loosing the Julien Parez current French champion. A Pretty friendly fellow. And far better than I heard.
GP :
With only 1 bye thanks to my bad extended PTQ I had less time to play before the rounds.
Started with a nice 4-0 beating a friend round 4.
I missplayed and lost round 5.
I played against a really slow deck trying to sleep with walls (wasn't playing green) and kill with the 3/5 metalcraft and bombs. After a long game 1 which ended in : "the first who'll draw something else than a land will win", I thought I could take him over by the air in the next ones.
Worked game 2, but failed game 3. I clearly should have brought in the 3/1 artifact that can prevent creatures from blocking it. This way I would be able to make the last 3-4 damages I was missing to win it.
So after this 4-0 start, I was at 4-1, than 4-2 (got killed by a mirrorworks followed by 6 artifacts top decks, and a really aggro start game 2).
I won an easy match than got to play against a good belgian player who got me out of the GP. Played the last one for fun and won it against a really nice man.
I played a lot during the previous week end made 5 drafts so I learned a lot. The draft format is pretty nice.
About the draft format :
For those who still don't know, the besiege boosters contains 5 mirran cards, 5 phyrexian cards and then 2/1 in unco.
This is really helpfull when you try to understand the signals.
It helps knowing if you can go infect or not, since otherwise it's pretty difficult thanks to the pretty high numbers of infect creatures in each boosters.I think it's pretty good for people with less experience in drafts and who usually have trouble reading signals.
jeudi 27 janvier 2011
Preparing Pro Tour Paris and GP Paris
Hi there!
It will soon be time for the biggest magic event ever!
Imagine a week including a last chance, a pro tour and a grand prix.
This is completely sick right?
5 days of fun, even better than the greeks ;)
But before that it will be time to have a little fun in the Mirrodin Besiege pre-realease this week end.
I haven't tried to look too much into it, I'll play phyrexia juste because I want to get some cards.
I don't really care :)
The most important things right now is preparing our decks for the pro tour, and the next PTQ.
I'm trying to go for a GW token deck. I've tried various pretty interesting Merfolk decks (UW pre besiege, UB post besiege).
It's pretty good against fea, I tried a version with the 8 lords and 4 grand architects. Pretty awesome for a beatdown!
Against jund it depends. Usually it's a correct matchup, the White one beeing better with sigg which if he stays alive is game.
My last version of jund for the PTQ poitier was complete trash, I didn't had time to test it and I shouldn't have played it. Cobra lotus never was and never will be good in jund.
Good luck to everyone for Paris!
samedi 8 janvier 2011
First Extended PTQ
Okay tomorow is the first french PTQ for Nagoya!
I've been looking for a deck to play the last 2 weeks or so.
I know the field pretty well, but still I wasn't sure what the french metagame will look like.
Probably a lot of fearies. Heard there should be a lot of wargate omen and some people I know will play ooze.
Before the results of the Magic Online PTQ I was really going to play Gerry Thomson's wagate list.
Well with a few changes since I wanted to put 2 vendillon main deck and maybe less mana leaks.
But right now, we made a nice Jund list.
We started with ""ch0b1"'s list. We really liked the Fauna Shaman and Demi God Of Revenge.
We were first going for the land destruction plan, removing the anathemancer for 4 Fulminator Mage and 4 goblin ruinblaster.
We then got back to anathemancer but wanted to do things differently. Instead of classic putrid leech we went to another turn 2. It was played a bit before, probably stopped cause it's not the best cascade we can do, but could still be pretty powerfull in this field : Lotus Cobra.
We also put thoughtseize main deck, 4 of them let's not be shy. So we could now use a lot of mana and preferably efficiently.
We can put tap land and still play a turn 4 or 5, we can play a fetch land and do a turn 3 demi god. We can put a turn 3 bloddbraid. A turn 3 mana turn 3 and then still have mana to bolt something away or thoughtseize your oponent.
On the paper it's really strong, and in tests it fares clearly well.
So tomorrow's gonna be a nice 100 people or so PTQ and since I already made 3 9th-10th place by have bad ties last season, this time I'm gonna qualify right away :)
Wish me luck!
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