You missed my last lesson! Time to makeout your lost work by watching that lesson on Card Advantage here: ua-cam.com/video/yUnytR_VDng/v-deo.html Or just by by watching each and every Tolarian Tutor on my playlist: ua-cam.com/video/Q6aUeTn-DYY/v-deo.html&list=PLvqw7t0kbGX_w_HxyEq2DGzLpuATyxgKi&index=2 Reading Homework, the famous "Who's The Beatdown?" by Mike Flores: www.starcitygames.com/magic/fundamentals/3692_Whos_The_Beatdown.html
Could you please not use the word "kill" when describing defeating your opponent? It could be interpreted too seriously. Also, creatures aren't getting "killed" either. They get destroyed, bounced, removed, etc.
Hey professor, would you be willing to check out this Tremor Goblins Decklist? www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1128567 I've been trying to make this deck as competitive as possible while keeping the combo going.
WHY SO SERIOUS!?!!? in this game stuff dies, in Pokemon stuff doesn't die. The very art of MTG is brutal unlike aforementioned Pokemon, both card games are night and day. Death is a natural cycle, if you don't want to die in MTG learn to scoop than it doesn't feel like you died:P
It's so great seeing one of the great classics of MTG being mentioned. "Who's the Beatdown?" was one of the most important eye-openers of my early magic days. I know that it's difficult for most people to understand, but it's actually not almost 10 years ago, that Mike Flores wrote this but almost 20(!) years ago! To put it into perspective, this article was released more than 4 years before the first set in Modern (Mirrodin) was introduced. Flores' insight was truly ahead of his time.
Who's the Beatdown? is freaking 20 years old, not 10 years old. Amazing. To this day, I still mentally ask myself "Who's the beatdown?" every time I build a sideboard and when I actually sideboard during a match. Super important when I was piloting a GB Contrictor deck. here are no bigger steps from new to intermediate player than "Whos' the beatdown" and card advantage. I'm so glad there's now a modern source I can cite on Offense vs Defense. Sending people to a 1999 article that talks about the 1.x format was a hard sell. A 15-minute UA-cam video from one of the most prominent voices in Magic is so much better.
A tutorial on deckbuilding tips would be great - more specifically, how to edit your deck and choose which cards to remove to make it stronger and more focused. I struggle with that a lot!
I believe Prof had a video on that, teaching your friend Magic or smth, I forgot what it was called. Other than that, as a beginner to MTG (but not card games in general) I can't offer much, but still, my advice: Pick cards that are simple to follow or explain, but still have depth and possible combos in mind. This way they won't get frustrated at the difficulty, but will get intrigued by what options even simpler cards have. The deck should be fast enough for the player to learn the tempo of the game, but slow enough to allow them to fight back. Hardly will they learn the game if they lose few turns in the game, but playing slow against them will make them thing the game is much slower than it is. Switching deck types is good for these reasons, but only after you're sure they're somewhat comfortable with the game. Don't play too many hard counters. Most people will recommend just not playing Blue in general, though I leave that to you. Countering, bouncing and removing stuff from your opponent is an important part of the game, but will keep them frustrated. After some games, review your deck with your partner and tell him why you have what cards in the game - what purpose they serve. You could do it with their deck (and actually, you should sooner or later), but often people just feel stupid for playing the cards they play. This way, they're like "oh I see, so that's how you can have a strategy, hmm, maybe I could alter my deck to some extent".
Duel decks allowed my wife to pick a theme that seemed interesting and they were balanced enough to keep her interest. Dont try and win but focus on helping them learn and take your time. She refused to learn for years but now she is ready to play magic every night lol.
When I heard the subject of the video, I was on pins and needles waiting for you to talk about "Who's the Beatdown?" Well done mentioning it right off the bat. That gave me a lot of confidence in your video. :)
Sending this to my friends. We are OLD school(played during legends at the tender age of 12), casual players. We often get caught up with our machinations and combos to the point were we don't see the simple route to victory.
For the Glistener elf scenario, best to terminate on opponents turn during combat to try to burn other pump spells from their hand as well. (Love this series prof!)
Ay_Ay Ron Against an aggro deck, yes it is. However, for infect, they usually run Vines of Vastwood and Blossoming Defense, which protects the creature from removal and pumps the creature at the same time. It is usually better to kill the elf on your turn so the opponent has a better chance of being tapped out and/or forcing them to use a protection/pump spell without inflicting additional poison counters to you
@@B-Ran_the_Man Unless you expect them to tap out on buffs (leaving them unable to give hexproof in response), or are quite sure they don't have any of those at that moment (for example, if you just used Thoughtseize). It definitely adds another dimension to play, with a risk versus reward axis. Also, if you are able to keep up something like a Dispel or Force of Will you don't mind trading with their hexproof-pump, it could be worth it to run out more of their nastier combat tricks (like a Double Cleave). The complexity of the decisions at work here is part of what makes Magic so special and intriguing.
As a fairly new player your videos have been super helpful. What I have learned through playing at my LGS is not only what to counter but when to counter it. There are times when it's better to counter something, one experience that comes to mind is me destroying a creature when it was summoned, only to then realise my opponent had a buff card they applied to another creature.
I am allways amazed on the topics you discuss. I never really gave this much thougt into these topics but rather do them by instinct. So I miss how much depth is to these topics.
I got into Magic during University, and you were the first youtuber I was truly drawn to. Most likely due to your amazing teaching qualities. Thanks again for an amazing lesson! Cheers :)
Just got into magic a few months ago. I've never been this deep into magic before this last month and I've been watching a lot of videos from different sources, including yours. All I can say is that it's all been very rewarding. Cool community from what I've seen.
I've always put it in terms of are you a early game, mid game, or late game player. Me? I've always been the type who always plays decks that can handle all 3 of these things and that can also win early, mid, or late. Think you'd consider doing a video and putting it in this perspective? Cause sometimes the best offense is a great defense and etc, etc, etc.
About 5 years ago my son was 10 years old and became interested in MTG..we bought him a tool kit and boosters to get started and got myself a tool kit to play with him. We developed a collection over about 2 years and played about 4 or 5 times a week mostly by our own house rules. (We knew nothing about priority or the stack). He didn't have any friends who also played and we lived about 90 mins from the closest FNM location so we never tried that. He eventually grew out of it and our cards sat in the closet. I recently downloaded arena bc I wanted to play again. I quickly found out that I didn't really know enough to play competitively and found your channel. I watched about everything now and I wanted to say thanks for the information. I am a lot better now and actually close to competitive on the ranked ladder. This old man appreciates the help.
I've been a fan and watching for several years, and I still don't play magic. I've played a handful of games here and there but I mainly play Cardfight!! Vanguard as my go to TCG. Hand it to the Prof to entertain and inform even non-Magic players to this wonderful channel and community. Even if you don't play Magic the Gathering, you can definitely take from this channels informative content and great execution and apply it to your own TCGs. This is exactly what a great Professor does, any lecture you can take home and apply beyond the classroom is more valuable than anything. Hands down wonderful content as always Prof, I tip my hat to you. A long time watcher finally turn subscriber sorry I couldn't come any sooner. I might even pick up Magic and learn it a bit. Cheers!
As I’m so early I just want to extend my deepest gratitude to you for introducing me to MTG, you’ve helped me get over some dark times, thank you. Keep up the great work and do what makes you happy. EDIT: I don’t know if you’ve done this but how about a video like “how to choose your colour” or “how to decide which format to play”.
Mistake #3 is one I've learned the hard way. Now if I attack into any deck that may have a sweeper and all their mana up, I only attack with less valuable creatures. Sure it may be less damage, but countless times now I've had opponents tell me after that they couldn't justify using their Aetherize or etc on only a fraction of my creatures.
Now this is the in-depth discussion of in game tactics I like. Applying lessons across archetypes to recognize when the time is to stave off blows or go in for the kill. This is the knowledge people should practice if they are to see them selves improve or become competitive.
You three are quite a dream team! Great job on these segments, I have a few friends who are nervous to make the transition btwn kitchen table play and that first LGS event. These videos are perfect not just for the lessons here, but also the introduction to the MtG lexicon. It really helps take down some of those intimidating entry barriers. Great job team 👍
Welp. Threat assessment is easy. Look at the board and identify who has the best board presence or who is closest to winning or who is the player who maybe closest to comboing off for a win.
R.C. Beringuela believe me I fully understand threat assessment however the amount of players I come across don't, just think it will be a fun/helpful video to help others. Some people just see certain commanders and it's a red rag to a bull regardless of what else is going on and they wonder why they lose there games
A well done tutoring session. Threat assessment, board assessment, and timing issues are all critical in knowing when to switch from one role to the next. I liked that you gave specific examples to really drive home how the you should consider each situation. Thank you for this great video.
I love your videos. 3 months into mtg. I've been spending at least 2 hours a day. Only playing standard and I've learn so damn much, but feel like I just blew off the dust on a stack of info.... so much to learn! But that's what's keeping me interested!
The Prof always with the great lessons. Hopefully we can have a special lesson on everything we've learned so far and apply them to Commander as there are slight differences in game play in multiplayer especially in role and threat assessment. Thanks for all the lessons Prof!
Great work. Keeping this sort of stuff in mind has made my recent foray into Modern much more successful than my last one. One thing you could cover: tuning a deck for a local metagame.
I think in the jund vs infect example the correct answer was pass the turn, let the elf atk and player use pump spells, than terminate it before damage.
yep, if you scooze and not block infect can't nut kill you yet, and while you do want to trade removal for their creatures, you don't know how many creatures they have yet.
Of course it depends on how many creatures they have and draw. It can easily happen that they does not have a defense spell. We miss other important information, how many removals do i still have in hands? I i have another 2 i’d cast terminate playng safe when the infect player does not have mana, cause if he has another creature it would cost 2 and as well leave him with no mana (unless it’s hierarch, but i would never use removal on him) and so i could use my second removal without hassle. Infect is a head/tail combo deck, the player could have anything in hand. If for example terminate is your only removal in hand i’d try to catch infect off guard, use his pump spell and than terminate, cause i don’t want him to use his spells on the second creature i will not be able to remove
I've been playing Magic off and on for years, but I never really bit like I have other games. It's not my main game, but I recently found myself coming back to it and not being able to let go of the idea I'm missing something. Since then, I've loved digging into resources like this to strengthen my understanding of the game from a deeper level. From the beginning, I played everything very wrong and then I got bothered by my own misplays without calling them misplays and blamed my opponent's "better cards" for running away with the game while I sat topdecking because I burned by resources into their removal with nothing in kind from me. Lately, I've been holding back, playing the card as late as possible as many lessons suggest, and I have felt really good about playing Magic. It's surreal to think I enjoyed Magic when I first got into it despite being so awkward with it to the point of almost playing backwards? This video and all of Tolarian Tutor have really helped in theory and comprehension, but I'm looking forward to my next chance to put the ideas in practice to know that it sticks. I also look forward to graduating from the Arena precons to playing smarter with splashier spells, but that costs money and we all gotta start somewhere, right?
Hey Professor! I've been trying to get better at deck building and I have had mostly little improvement. I think that a Tolarian Tutor on Deck Building would offer a lot to newer players. You've covered the basic archetypes of different types of decks, but it would help to here how to go about building into these archetypes without Net-decking. Regardless, thanks for what you do!
I think a more complicated breakdown of drafting would be great. Like not just reading the pack to see what colors are open, but picking up on someone suddenly switching colors pack 2, when is a good time to determine your 2nd color, what to do if suddenly in pack 2 one of your colors are no longer open, etc.
honestly although I may not need to watch this video it's still good to watch. I don't care how long you have been playing, or how good you are, watching this can still help you. oh and I have been playing for around 8 years(started when I was 10)
This was super helpful! I just played my 1st game against a real player on MTGA (& won 😄) Something I was wondering about was why I was able to cast a spell but then couldn't play a creature card on the same turn. I must have already tapped too many mana cards to still be able to summon the creature 💭 Cheers!
I'd like to see an episode about power level within commander/edh. I.e. how to determine power level, why to determine power level, and when players should worry about determining a power level before a game.
Another important thing while ahead, or on offense, is to say to yourself "How could I possibly lose this lead right now?" On defense, it's good to always think "What gets me out of this and into an advantage? What are my outs right now?"
What I love about Settle the Wreckage, is how it's presence in the meta, means that people will make lesser attacks even when you don't have it just because you have the mana for it. Never underestimate how a card can be beneficial to you just because you play the same colors.
I will be interested to see a vid that discusses how this scales to multiplayer, where you usually will play both roles at once towards different opponents. Failing to pivot smoothly at this condition usually means you successfully kill someone only to be killed soon after.
I'd like to point out that combo decks can definitely be on offense early in the game, especially in vintage, legacy, highlander and commander, since these formats allow lots of fast combo. Being on offense can also mean, for these decks, for example playing aggressive card draw or pieces instead of leaving up countermagic or removal. For example, when playing combo in EDH I on the offense try to manaramp quickly into wheels and other large draw effects. On the defense I try to leave up stuff like chain of vapor, cyclonic rift or mana drain.
Would love to hear some Commander tips if you have any for intermediate players! Also, what are your thoughts or advice pertaining to OVERestimating your opponent and possibly making mistakes suebto misjudging your opponent & their deck/skill level?
Hey Professor, I'm pretty sure WTBD was published in 99, making it almost *TWENTY* years old! SCG's archive lists it as January 99 (you can google the link since YT won't let me post it). If you look at the web archive project's records of The Dojo, their earliest record of the original WTBD article was taken on May 3rd, 1999. The more you know!
huge fan base here. mr dean of magic. im new to ur channel but you are already number 1 for me u and rudy lead the pact would love 2 play a few games against you im going to start making my own mag vids no spoilers but i think i can charge the charts with my plot 2 be ty over look my gamer grammar
Def depends on the Deck Im using! With my pride & joy Zombie Decks both a Modern/Legacy one & my own Commander Deck, I tend to be a midrange Combo Deck. Depending on my draw & situations I tend to mix offensive & defensive early, either getting a sizeable board early & beat em down OR, I'm able to defensively chump block with Token factories, deathtouch enablers and beefy Zombies, until I can assemble the combo pieces to where it goes off (usually a mass wide of chain buffing a huge board, doing a turn 1 or turn 2 mill strategy With my Commander Deck, it's all about constant pressure of damaging their life total with on-gling effects until I can swing in for lethal).
As a new player..,, I'm happy I played chess my whole life. I picked this type of stuff fairly quickly. (not perfect by any means. But I grasped the understanding offense to defense swings due to "piece" or "field" advantage at the most basic level) New or FNM should play chess to gain the basic understanding of offense defence swing in my opinion.
How about shuffling? What is the right or wrong way to shuffle in an official tournament? What "right" ways are fastest, best at reducing chunks of land, easiest on sleeves or unprotected? Etc.
found your youtube channel like 3 weeks ago. Man I hated your voice in the beginning, but damn you're gunna help me get good at magic, and I'm really starting to like your videos
So basically, unless you're aggro, you're likely to be on defence from the get-go. I think I know now how to improve my Vampire deck ready for the store championship day/game day event. I'm expecting aggro and control, so something that beats down turn 1-3, but also can stall out the game, seems the best course of action.
Rarely a good idea. It will give your deck a split personallity where is A) Not really good at anything, though having a bit more reach. B) Having worse reach than a Midrange or Tempo deck. If the format is standard it may be your only option, due to the limited cardpool, but if you're playing a more diverse format, you should have better options. Collective Brutallity, -Kalastria Highborn and Vampire Nighthawk are good vs aggro, while not sucking agaist most control decks. Blood Baron of Vizkopa is really good if you expect Mardu, U/W or Esper Control. Bloodghast is rediculous vs control but bad against aggro. It could be a 1-2 of or it could be sideboard card. Play a midrange deck, with control and aggro in mind. That's my advice. (Unless it's standard. Then I don't know what's best)
Not really. Control deck is always on defence. Aggro deck always open on offence. Midrange and tempo adapts based on opponent - they go under control and on top of aggro. Mirror is always tricky and often fluid, with both players switching their role sometimes even multiple time. It's about how fast you go comparing to your opponent.
How to reach Diamond rank in Arena 101? Constantly changing meta with RDW on top one week then UW Control the next, nearly impossible for F2P players to advance beyond Bronze/Silver. Thanks, keep up the great content.
I had an interesting experience on modern tournament. I played elves tribal. 6 games were versus different control and combo decks they tried to protect themself but I was stronger. In final i played vs infect it was 3 fastest face race game in my life, turn 2-4 kills, it was fun, nobody tried to play defence role. P.S. sor for my english
I can only imagine college students of the Professor playing MTG before class, quickly packing up so class can begin, and then The Professor calling to them:"Don't pack up! Finish your game. I applaud students of mine taking interest in such an educated hobby." Or something along those lines.
metagame refers to the decks that are commonly being played in the format that you do. When deckbuilding, make sure to take into account common archetypes and cards. For instance, if a lot of people are playing with enchantments, put some enchantment removal at least in your sideboard. It's sorta like pre-game sidebaoarding. Know what people are probably doing and plan ahead
You missed my last lesson! Time to makeout your lost work by watching that lesson on Card Advantage here: ua-cam.com/video/yUnytR_VDng/v-deo.html
Or just by by watching each and every Tolarian Tutor on my playlist: ua-cam.com/video/Q6aUeTn-DYY/v-deo.html&list=PLvqw7t0kbGX_w_HxyEq2DGzLpuATyxgKi&index=2
Reading Homework, the famous "Who's The Beatdown?" by Mike Flores: www.starcitygames.com/magic/fundamentals/3692_Whos_The_Beatdown.html
Could you please not use the word "kill" when describing defeating your opponent? It could be interpreted too seriously.
Also, creatures aren't getting "killed" either. They get destroyed, bounced, removed, etc.
Hey professor, would you be willing to check out this Tremor Goblins Decklist? www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1128567
I've been trying to make this deck as competitive as possible while keeping the combo going.
WHY SO SERIOUS!?!!? in this game stuff dies, in Pokemon stuff doesn't die. The very art of MTG is brutal unlike aforementioned Pokemon, both card games are night and day. Death is a natural cycle, if you don't want to die in MTG learn to scoop than it doesn't feel like you died:P
It's so great seeing one of the great classics of MTG being mentioned. "Who's the Beatdown?" was one of the most important eye-openers of my early magic days. I know that it's difficult for most people to understand, but it's actually not almost 10 years ago, that Mike Flores wrote this but almost 20(!) years ago! To put it into perspective, this article was released more than 4 years before the first set in Modern (Mirrodin) was introduced. Flores' insight was truly ahead of his time.
Who's the Beatdown? is freaking 20 years old, not 10 years old. Amazing.
To this day, I still mentally ask myself "Who's the beatdown?" every time I build a sideboard and when I actually sideboard during a match. Super important when I was piloting a GB Contrictor deck.
here are no bigger steps from new to intermediate player than "Whos' the beatdown" and card advantage. I'm so glad there's now a modern source I can cite on Offense vs Defense. Sending people to a 1999 article that talks about the 1.x format was a hard sell. A 15-minute UA-cam video from one of the most prominent voices in Magic is so much better.
Don't tell Rudy that I stole his green screen.
He's probably too busy thinking up some new Wizards conspiracy theory, anyway..
I am sure he will not notice :-)
How do you steal a green screen the size of a convention building?
Tolarian Community College I'll take your secret to the grave.(along with the green screen)
How do we know this isn't Rudy green-screening without pants on and he's in a Professor costume?
I trust nothing.
A tutorial on deckbuilding tips would be great - more specifically, how to edit your deck and choose which cards to remove to make it stronger and more focused. I struggle with that a lot!
Hey Prof! How about a lesson on “How to play against new/young players”
“How to not scare off new players”
Buy a bunch of third edition cards and build old old school decks to play with
He kinda does that in this video: ua-cam.com/video/mvoweBn72tE/v-deo.html
I believe Prof had a video on that, teaching your friend Magic or smth, I forgot what it was called.
Other than that, as a beginner to MTG (but not card games in general) I can't offer much, but still, my advice:
Pick cards that are simple to follow or explain, but still have depth and possible combos in mind. This way they won't get frustrated at the difficulty, but will get intrigued by what options even simpler cards have.
The deck should be fast enough for the player to learn the tempo of the game, but slow enough to allow them to fight back. Hardly will they learn the game if they lose few turns in the game, but playing slow against them will make them thing the game is much slower than it is. Switching deck types is good for these reasons, but only after you're sure they're somewhat comfortable with the game.
Don't play too many hard counters. Most people will recommend just not playing Blue in general, though I leave that to you. Countering, bouncing and removing stuff from your opponent is an important part of the game, but will keep them frustrated.
After some games, review your deck with your partner and tell him why you have what cards in the game - what purpose they serve. You could do it with their deck (and actually, you should sooner or later), but often people just feel stupid for playing the cards they play. This way, they're like "oh I see, so that's how you can have a strategy, hmm, maybe I could alter my deck to some extent".
Duel decks allowed my wife to pick a theme that seemed interesting and they were balanced enough to keep her interest. Dont try and win but focus on helping them learn and take your time. She refused to learn for years but now she is ready to play magic every night lol.
Play starter decks with them, not constructed Modern/Standard decks.
When I heard the subject of the video, I was on pins and needles waiting for you to talk about "Who's the Beatdown?" Well done mentioning it right off the bat. That gave me a lot of confidence in your video. :)
A phenomenal early morning lesson. Thank ye for your continued guidance and for sharing your knowledge!
✨🌞✨
Sending this to my friends. We are OLD school(played during legends at the tender age of 12), casual players. We often get caught up with our machinations and combos to the point were we don't see the simple route to victory.
Jason Cid magic is such a great game with all the new mechanics. Love the game
For the Glistener elf scenario, best to terminate on opponents turn during combat to try to burn other pump spells from their hand as well. (Love this series prof!)
Ay_Ay Ron Against an aggro deck, yes it is. However, for infect, they usually run Vines of Vastwood and Blossoming Defense, which protects the creature from removal and pumps the creature at the same time.
It is usually better to kill the elf on your turn so the opponent has a better chance of being tapped out and/or forcing them to use a protection/pump spell without inflicting additional poison counters to you
James Moore you make a good point. I stand corrected. Thanks!
@@B-Ran_the_Man Unless you expect them to tap out on buffs (leaving them unable to give hexproof in response), or are quite sure they don't have any of those at that moment (for example, if you just used Thoughtseize). It definitely adds another dimension to play, with a risk versus reward axis. Also, if you are able to keep up something like a Dispel or Force of Will you don't mind trading with their hexproof-pump, it could be worth it to run out more of their nastier combat tricks (like a Double Cleave). The complexity of the decisions at work here is part of what makes Magic so special and intriguing.
As a fairly new player your videos have been super helpful. What I have learned through playing at my LGS is not only what to counter but when to counter it. There are times when it's better to counter something, one experience that comes to mind is me destroying a creature when it was summoned, only to then realise my opponent had a buff card they applied to another creature.
I am allways amazed on the topics you discuss. I never really gave this much thougt into these topics but rather do them by instinct. So I miss how much depth is to these topics.
Gorn agree
I got into Magic during University, and you were the first youtuber I was truly drawn to. Most likely due to your amazing teaching qualities. Thanks again for an amazing lesson! Cheers :)
I wish that you had taught at my university Professor! Such a great lecture! 😁
I
Just got into magic a few months ago. I've never been this deep into magic before this last month and I've been watching a lot of videos from different sources, including yours. All I can say is that it's all been very rewarding. Cool community from what I've seen.
I've always put it in terms of are you a early game, mid game, or late game player. Me? I've always been the type who always plays decks that can handle all 3 of these things and that can also win early, mid, or late. Think you'd consider doing a video and putting it in this perspective? Cause sometimes the best offense is a great defense and etc, etc, etc.
About 5 years ago my son was 10 years old and became interested in MTG..we bought him a tool kit and boosters to get started and got myself a tool kit to play with him. We developed a collection over about 2 years and played about 4 or 5 times a week mostly by our own house rules. (We knew nothing about priority or the stack). He didn't have any friends who also played and we lived about 90 mins from the closest FNM location so we never tried that. He eventually grew out of it and our cards sat in the closet. I recently downloaded arena bc I wanted to play again. I quickly found out that I didn't really know enough to play competitively and found your channel. I watched about everything now and I wanted to say thanks for the information. I am a lot better now and actually close to competitive on the ranked ladder. This old man appreciates the help.
as a mono white life gain player, I am always on defense until I eventually lose lol
GoiabaAFK hahaha real story.
Your profile looks hot
These things happen 😂
I too am a mono white life gain player, and I'm usually on the defense until I can play storm herd 😈
I relate so hard XD
I love this channel, me and my sisters follow and watch. Ive improved my over all game. Thank you for all your hard work
I've been a fan and watching for several years, and I still don't play magic. I've played a handful of games here and there but I mainly play Cardfight!! Vanguard as my go to TCG. Hand it to the Prof to entertain and inform even non-Magic players to this wonderful channel and community. Even if you don't play Magic the Gathering, you can definitely take from this channels informative content and great execution and apply it to your own TCGs. This is exactly what a great Professor does, any lecture you can take home and apply beyond the classroom is more valuable than anything. Hands down wonderful content as always Prof, I tip my hat to you. A long time watcher finally turn subscriber sorry I couldn't come any sooner. I might even pick up Magic and learn it a bit. Cheers!
As I’m so early I just want to extend my deepest gratitude to you for introducing me to MTG, you’ve helped me get over some dark times, thank you.
Keep up the great work and do what makes you happy. EDIT: I don’t know if you’ve done this but how about a video like “how to choose your colour” or “how to decide which format to play”.
Eglieag that's cool. How long have you played
Daily Boosters I haven’t ‘played’ for long but I started properly playing before Dominaria. I’m so glad I’m a part of this community.
Mistake #3 is one I've learned the hard way. Now if I attack into any deck that may have a sweeper and all their mana up, I only attack with less valuable creatures. Sure it may be less damage, but countless times now I've had opponents tell me after that they couldn't justify using their Aetherize or etc on only a fraction of my creatures.
This series is so helpful. Thank you. Keep em coming Prof!
That deck box is worthy of a credit too, it's BEAUTIFUL!
Now this is the in-depth discussion of in game tactics I like. Applying lessons across archetypes to recognize when the time is to stave off blows or go in for the kill. This is the knowledge people should practice if they are to see them selves improve or become competitive.
You three are quite a dream team! Great job on these segments, I have a few friends who are nervous to make the transition btwn kitchen table play and that first LGS event. These videos are perfect not just for the lessons here, but also the introduction to the MtG lexicon. It really helps take down some of those intimidating entry barriers. Great job team 👍
You are a natural educator, we need more people like you.
Please do a video on threat assessments in commander many many people ask the question "Who is the threat at the table? And why?"
Welp. Threat assessment is easy. Look at the board and identify who has the best board presence or who is closest to winning or who is the player who maybe closest to comboing off for a win.
R.C. Beringuela believe me I fully understand threat assessment however the amount of players I come across don't, just think it will be a fun/helpful video to help others. Some people just see certain commanders and it's a red rag to a bull regardless of what else is going on and they wonder why they lose there games
That's easy: the blue player
@@r.c.beringuela2426 I'm honestly more afraid of a blue player with a massive grip of cards than a green player with not quite lethal board.
A well done tutoring session. Threat assessment, board assessment, and timing issues are all critical in knowing when to switch from one role to the next. I liked that you gave specific examples to really drive home how the you should consider each situation.
Thank you for this great video.
Another great video from tcc! Helps me so much with magic
Akiva Sherin agree
Thank you. I love your videos. I'm ready for Friday Night Magic
Great video, great summary of "Who's the beatdown?" - probably the one piece of advice that improved my Magic skills the most.
I love your videos. 3 months into mtg. I've been spending at least 2 hours a day. Only playing standard and I've learn so damn much, but feel like I just blew off the dust on a stack of info.... so much to learn! But that's what's keeping me interested!
The Prof always with the great lessons. Hopefully we can have a special lesson on everything we've learned so far and apply them to Commander as there are slight differences in game play in multiplayer especially in role and threat assessment. Thanks for all the lessons Prof!
This part of the game is so nuanced, thank you for explaining a little more, I now have a couple things I know I will improve on and avoid from now on
Excellent video! Please keep this series going.
This has been one of my favorite lessons so far. It even includes a bit of case study and application of previous videos. Very informative. ^_^
Great work. Keeping this sort of stuff in mind has made my recent foray into Modern much more successful than my last one.
One thing you could cover: tuning a deck for a local metagame.
That pivot visual had me shook
I'm waiting for your Commander Anthology 2 Review so desperately!!
That was super awesome, professor! Cheers from Brazil
Another well-structured and comprehensive video guide. Thanks, Professor!
I think in the jund vs infect example the correct answer was pass the turn, let the elf atk and player use pump spells, than terminate it before damage.
Druido Bianco I was going down here to say the same thing
Sparky TheSpooderDuck instant speed!! 2 for 1 !!! Value!!! XD XD
No good infect player would cast pump spell into open mana without protection.
yep, if you scooze and not block infect can't nut kill you yet, and while you do want to trade removal for their creatures, you don't know how many creatures they have yet.
Of course it depends on how many creatures they have and draw. It can easily happen that they does not have a defense spell. We miss other important information, how many removals do i still have in hands? I i have another 2 i’d cast terminate playng safe when the infect player does not have mana, cause if he has another creature it would cost 2 and as well leave him with no mana (unless it’s hierarch, but i would never use removal on him) and so i could use my second removal without hassle. Infect is a head/tail combo deck, the player could have anything in hand. If for example terminate is your only removal in hand i’d try to catch infect off guard, use his pump spell and than terminate, cause i don’t want him to use his spells on the second creature i will not be able to remove
The only correct way to play against fumigate is to wait until the next rotation before playing standard.
hi prof, my fav vvideos are these, i hope u spend more time making tutor and mtgo gameplay videos ! i learn the most from those.
We need more Tolarian Tutor!!!
I've been playing Magic off and on for years, but I never really bit like I have other games. It's not my main game, but I recently found myself coming back to it and not being able to let go of the idea I'm missing something. Since then, I've loved digging into resources like this to strengthen my understanding of the game from a deeper level.
From the beginning, I played everything very wrong and then I got bothered by my own misplays without calling them misplays and blamed my opponent's "better cards" for running away with the game while I sat topdecking because I burned by resources into their removal with nothing in kind from me. Lately, I've been holding back, playing the card as late as possible as many lessons suggest, and I have felt really good about playing Magic. It's surreal to think I enjoyed Magic when I first got into it despite being so awkward with it to the point of almost playing backwards?
This video and all of Tolarian Tutor have really helped in theory and comprehension, but I'm looking forward to my next chance to put the ideas in practice to know that it sticks.
I also look forward to graduating from the Arena precons to playing smarter with splashier spells, but that costs money and we all gotta start somewhere, right?
Hey Professor! I've been trying to get better at deck building and I have had mostly little improvement. I think that a Tolarian Tutor on Deck Building would offer a lot to newer players. You've covered the basic archetypes of different types of decks, but it would help to here how to go about building into these archetypes without Net-decking. Regardless, thanks for what you do!
Ah the classic "Who's the Beatdown" topic!
I will never miss a class!!
I think a more complicated breakdown of drafting would be great. Like not just reading the pack to see what colors are open, but picking up on someone suddenly switching colors pack 2, when is a good time to determine your 2nd color, what to do if suddenly in pack 2 one of your colors are no longer open, etc.
honestly although I may not need to watch this video it's still good to watch. I don't care how long you have been playing, or how good you are, watching this can still help you. oh and I have been playing for around 8 years(started when I was 10)
This is a nice refresher before I brought Modern Sligh to Modern tonight,
I've never played Magic, and yet I find these videos interesting XD
This video is very useful specially playing commander and you have a demonic tutor at hand.
As always thank you professor.
This was super helpful! I just played my 1st game against a real player on MTGA (& won 😄) Something I was wondering about was why I was able to cast a spell but then couldn't play a creature card on the same turn. I must have already tapped too many mana cards to still be able to summon the creature 💭 Cheers!
I'd like to see an episode about power level within commander/edh. I.e. how to determine power level, why to determine power level, and when players should worry about determining a power level before a game.
Great update to who’s the beat down.
Another important thing while ahead, or on offense, is to say to yourself "How could I possibly lose this lead right now?"
On defense, it's good to always think "What gets me out of this and into an advantage? What are my outs right now?"
What I love about Settle the Wreckage, is how it's presence in the meta, means that people will make lesser attacks even when you don't have it just because you have the mana for it.
Never underestimate how a card can be beneficial to you just because you play the same colors.
I will be interested to see a vid that discusses how this scales to multiplayer, where you usually will play both roles at once towards different opponents. Failing to pivot smoothly at this condition usually means you successfully kill someone only to be killed soon after.
Love this series. Thank you Prof!
Love this show. Hope we can branch to multiplayer formats soon
I'd like to point out that combo decks can definitely be on offense early in the game, especially in vintage, legacy, highlander and commander, since these formats allow lots of fast combo.
Being on offense can also mean, for these decks, for example playing aggressive card draw or pieces instead of leaving up countermagic or removal.
For example, when playing combo in EDH I on the offense try to manaramp quickly into wheels and other large draw effects. On the defense I try to leave up stuff like chain of vapor, cyclonic rift or mana drain.
Would be great to get some lessons on Deckbuilding for the limited format, or some pointers/strategies for Draft, how and when to splash …
How to be a better tempo player would be nice. Also great work as always.
I'd really love some tutoring on the course "Using the Stack". I guess I flunked the last test. Maybe the faculty could do a little series on it?
I am offensively defensive.
OOM- 32 how does that work
@Daily Boosters He probably plays turbo fog -- that's definitely an offensive deck choice.
I’m offended by your offensive defensiveness.
Am offended - Good Job
or just play walls with something like high alert
Woo love these videos. As I am very lower intermediate in my skill.
Would love to hear some Commander tips if you have any for intermediate players! Also, what are your thoughts or advice pertaining to OVERestimating your opponent and possibly making mistakes suebto misjudging your opponent & their deck/skill level?
Hey Professor, I'm pretty sure WTBD was published in 99, making it almost *TWENTY* years old!
SCG's archive lists it as January 99 (you can google the link since YT won't let me post it).
If you look at the web archive project's records of The Dojo, their earliest record of the original WTBD article was taken on May 3rd, 1999.
The more you know!
huge fan base here. mr dean of magic. im new to ur channel but you are already number 1 for me u and rudy lead the pact would love 2 play a few games against you im going to start making my own mag vids no spoilers but i think i can charge the charts with my plot 2 be ty over look my gamer grammar
Thanks Prof! This really helped me!
Def depends on the Deck Im using! With my pride & joy Zombie Decks both a Modern/Legacy one & my own Commander Deck, I tend to be a midrange Combo Deck. Depending on my draw & situations I tend to mix offensive & defensive early, either getting a sizeable board early & beat em down OR, I'm able to defensively chump block with Token factories, deathtouch enablers and beefy Zombies, until I can assemble the combo pieces to where it goes off (usually a mass wide of chain buffing a huge board, doing a turn 1 or turn 2 mill strategy With my Commander Deck, it's all about constant pressure of damaging their life total with on-gling effects until I can swing in for lethal).
As a new player..,, I'm happy I played chess my whole life. I picked this type of stuff fairly quickly. (not perfect by any means. But I grasped the understanding offense to defense swings due to "piece" or "field" advantage at the most basic level) New or FNM should play chess to gain the basic understanding of offense defence swing in my opinion.
How about shuffling? What is the right or wrong way to shuffle in an official tournament? What "right" ways are fastest, best at reducing chunks of land, easiest on sleeves or unprotected? Etc.
Can we get some limited lessons?
or perhaps lessons on evaluating a meta?
Best. Channel. Ever.
Great video prof! Thank you.
found your youtube channel like 3 weeks ago. Man I hated your voice in the beginning, but damn you're gunna help me get good at magic, and I'm really starting to like your videos
Keep up the lessons. Thank you.
It's always a weird feeling when your opponent needs to play blockers to live, then they attack you for 2 or 3 irrelevant damage.
Bill Carroll lol
Would love a nice guide to deck building within a structured setting. I'm always brewing Pauper, but am never sure what builds are good.
Keep these up they are amazing
4:47 Editing mistake with green screen left. Other than that, great video, and those hair are getting wild ! 😂
4:47 nice board you got there professor
Thanks, that was really useful! I am interested in modern manabases, both how do you play shock/fetch lands and how do you deckbuild them.
thanks prof for helping me learn magic
Excellent video topic.
This is probably one of things I struggle with most.
Great lesson. Thank you
Great video! More theory for edh and edh deck building. Thx!
So basically, unless you're aggro, you're likely to be on defence from the get-go.
I think I know now how to improve my Vampire deck ready for the store championship day/game day event. I'm expecting aggro and control, so something that beats down turn 1-3, but also can stall out the game, seems the best course of action.
Rarely a good idea. It will give your deck a split personallity where is A) Not really good at anything, though having a bit more reach. B) Having worse reach than a Midrange or Tempo deck.
If the format is standard it may be your only option, due to the limited cardpool, but if you're playing a more diverse format, you should have better options.
Collective Brutallity,
-Kalastria Highborn and Vampire Nighthawk are good vs aggro, while not sucking agaist most control decks.
Blood Baron of Vizkopa is really good if you expect Mardu, U/W or Esper Control.
Bloodghast is rediculous vs control but bad against aggro. It could be a 1-2 of or it could be sideboard card.
Play a midrange deck, with control and aggro in mind. That's my advice. (Unless it's standard. Then I don't know what's best)
ModernMinded this is for Standard. Modern I wouldn't do this anyway
Not really. Control deck is always on defence. Aggro deck always open on offence. Midrange and tempo adapts based on opponent - they go under control and on top of aggro. Mirror is always tricky and often fluid, with both players switching their role sometimes even multiple time. It's about how fast you go comparing to your opponent.
will you be doing Battlebond booster box game?
How to reach Diamond rank in Arena 101? Constantly changing meta with RDW on top one week then UW Control the next, nearly impossible for F2P players to advance beyond Bronze/Silver. Thanks, keep up the great content.
Thanks Prof!
In this broken world I'll always have prof. To brighten my day lol
Hey Proffesor when will you make a video of you actually playing magic? Just asking love your vids man 👍
BOTB bestofthebest check out “tolarian public library “
He also played in Game Knights
Thanks guys
Yes the command zone is an amazing source of great mtg content :)
I had an interesting experience on modern tournament. I played elves tribal. 6 games were versus different control and combo decks they tried to protect themself but I was stronger. In final i played vs infect it was 3 fastest face race game in my life, turn 2-4 kills, it was fun, nobody tried to play defence role.
P.S. sor for my english
I can only imagine college students of the Professor playing MTG before class, quickly packing up so class can begin, and then The Professor calling to them:"Don't pack up! Finish your game. I applaud students of mine taking interest in such an educated hobby." Or something along those lines.
i love this series. What does the metagame mean and how to evaluate/use it for deck building.
metagame refers to the decks that are commonly being played in the format that you do. When deckbuilding, make sure to take into account common archetypes and cards. For instance, if a lot of people are playing with enchantments, put some enchantment removal at least in your sideboard. It's sorta like pre-game sidebaoarding. Know what people are probably doing and plan ahead