Playgroup Anyone?

With the third World Magic Cup Qualifiers fast approaching, and as I have mentioned in my previous post, we are working on starting a playgroup. I believe (if it's not already common knowledge) that regular playtesting will do wonders for your tournament results. You probably have seen live streaming of games of pro players on the internet and wondered, "How could they make quick decisions over very complicated situations?". I'll tell you why. It's because Magic: The Gathering is a game of familiarity.

To give you a few examples, the week after I made my Naya Blitz, I accompanied Rein to playtest with one of the Pinoy pro players, Mr. Gerald Camangon. After a few games, we decided to drop by a newly opened shop by MRT Shaw Station, Tobey's. We were able to get enough people to fire a tournament and so we did.

If you haven't paid Tobey's a visit yet, I suggest you do. I love how the place is conducive for testing. They have really nice tables, delish food and very friendly people. See map below. Check out their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tobeys-Games-Cafe-Manila/380470332031625?fref=ts

During the tournament, I made lots of misplays which may easily be considered downright stupid. You might even actually find them funny. Like this one time when I had several copies of Cavern of Souls and named them all 'Human' when I had Flinthoof Boars. And yes, those boars ended up stuck in my hand for the rest of the game. Even Ge himself couldn't hold back the laughter when he snickered 'Walang nakalagay sa Cavern of Souls na Human.' (Cavern of Souls doesn't say it has to be named 'Human').

I also played against a green deck which of course ran Thragtusks. I had Pacifisms and Volcanic Strengths in my sideboard as the list I got off the net had them but I didn't know exactly what they were for. I believe I lost that game. During the drive home, Ge explained to me 'Hindi nakikipagbakbakan sa Thragtusk. Ang dami mong dadaanan dun. Para mong hinarap yun gain 5 life, 5/3 Thragtusk, 3/3 Beast token.' (I'm too lazy to translate that in English so. Haha!) And only then did I realize how effective those cards were.



Rein's collection of playmats. Hope we'll get an addition to the collection from the Game Day tomorrow. Hihi.

I also had a discussion with Bayani Manansala recently. I asked him about his opinion on my first post. He said two copies of Renounce the Guilds in the sideboard is okay but I should never consider putting them in the main. And you know how Yani is one who thinks outside the box. He also suggested to add copies of Unflinching Courage in my board, together with Boros Charms against aggro decks. This way, I have the chance of winning via infinite life. If that doesn't work, I should know how painful it is playing aggro and my opponent gains life. I was just stunned. I never would have thought of that on my own. He stressed how we should always take the interaction of the cards into consideration whenever we think of what cards to put in the main or side.

With all that said, I cannot stress enough just how important it is to have a playgroup or a team to make it in a game like Magic: The Gathering.

Brainstorming
Not all of us are innovators. I admit, I'm one of the people who resort to the internet for deck ideas. I read articles when I have the time to keep abreast with updates on the latest deck developments. It's always good to have someone in the team who can think out of the box for solutions to problems your deck may encounter. I would also now make room for Unflinching Courage in my board as Bayani suggested.

Learning from your teammates
You can always learn a thing or two from your teammates. 'Two heads are better than one' is a cliche for a reason. Just like how I never make the same mistake whenever my opponent would do a 5th turn Thragtusk because Gerald told me 'Hindi nakikipagbakbakan sa Thragtusk.' Now I know I should board in Pacifisms and Volcanic Strengths. Also, whenever I get 2 copies of Cavern of Souls in my opening hand, I now would never forget to name the other copy 'Boar' if needed be.

Playtest
I have actually started inviting people to organize a playgroup. Imagine having the best players of the popular decks like UWR, Junk Rites, Junk, RDW and Naya in your team. Now imagine getting to playtest with them regularly. And with every game, you become more familiar with just about every possible scenario. Like say for example you're down to two against UWR, and you need to decide whether to play conservatively or to race. You would know what to do. You're playing against RDW. What do you + and - from your sideboard to your main? You play with them regularly so come the tournament day, you know you're prepared and that you have nothing to fear.


Magic: the Gathering was not designed to be played alone and I think that just adds to the beauty of the game. I'm sure you also have a few ideas of your own on how having a playgroup can contribute to your development in playing the game. Feel free to share them!

Also, should you be interested in being part of the playgroup we're trying to organize, please leave a comment and I will get back to you on the date for the first meeting. Ray De Guzman of Tobey's was kind enough to have the playgroup in his store.