Tolarian Tutor: How To Be A Better Control Player in Magic: The Gathering
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- Опубліковано 28 сер 2024
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Long touted as one of the most difficult archetypes to master, Control players require insight and stamina to reach their endgame. Long known for denying their opponents key resources and creatures, Control players can be seen as cruel and unyielding, always saying “No” and never relenting. However, there can be times when saying “yes” is as important as saying “no”, and knowing when to do that is one of the many topics we’ll cover in today’s lesson. We’ll be looking at common mistakes that Control players make, evaluating cards and situations, and how to handle match-ups against the other archetypes.
Time benefits the Control player, and the best players use that time to disrupt their opponent’s threats while making their own unanswerable. Since Control is reactive by nature, knowing when and what to react to is key in making sure your strategy isn’t sabotaged.
Control is not about reacting for the sake of reacting, or providing an answer. If you do decide to counter a creature or a spell, it must done with purpose and with a specific goal in mind - your endgame. Knowing this can help you determine which cards you’d like to counter, and which you’d like to resolve. - Ігри
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How's Sprankle holding up?
when will the winners be announced?
Professor, I know you go through the trouble of trying to keep your identity hidden. Are you aware that Polygon name dropped you in their article about everything going on between jeremy and the MtG community.
thanks prof!
Tolarian Community College another great video, as always. Gotta show my control friend now :D
Blue Professor teaches about control. Pure synergy
Control vs Control = Metapod vs Metapod
Monoblue uses harden
@@firstnamelastname489 monotwo responds with counterspell
Monoblue used negate
That is a good analogy. I do have a tip for you. Catch a caterpie first. Then evolve it into metapod. Metapod will still learn harden. Plus it can remember takle and string shot from the Caterpie stage. So the metapod can still useharden for defense and string shot for slowing the opponent down. Then the metapod can use tackle to finish the opponent off. It is not the fastest way to win the battle, but it is doable. It should go without saying, but one should evolve Metapod to Butterfree when given the chance. Butterfree is a much better Pokemon. It has access to many moves including plenty that deal damage. It also has two powerful control moves, stun spore and sleep powder. I am looking up Butterfree on Bulbapedia out of curiosity. Ooh! Butterfree has access to one of the most brutal control methods, paraflinch. Butterfree can use stun spore to paralyze the opponent. Then it can attack with air slash, which has a chance to flinch. Butterfree would likely get the first turn, due to paralysis. I recommend using a quick claw to help get the first move. When the opponent has to deal with both paralysis and flinch at the same time, it is very unlikely for them to get in a hit. I don't remember the exact chance. However I do know it is about as low as one hit moves like guillotine and horn drill.
@@c.d.dailey8013Just use paraflinch jirachi, less than 20% chance for them to move
I like to counter cards based on how much money the card costs
Drew Horst YOU MONSTER
You're a fuckin' savage mate. XD
Love this idea.
😂
Woah there Satan.
Let’s play MTG.
“How do I play?”
Oh, you don’t, I negate everything you do and you get to watch me play.
I would never do that to you
@@josephzanes7334 Suuure, I'm sure you won't.
Get better?
This is how my cousin introduced me to MTG.
Cousin: Let's play MTG, I'll use this deck, and you can use this one.
Me: Okay.
Cousin:
Me: I'm never playing MTG with you again, douchebag.
@@christianbatchelor1448just started playing MTG and this was very much my experience, my friend played, I sat in silence watching him play by himself for a dozen or so games.
Just stopped playing MTG.
Keep hands with only lands. Then, leave 2 blue mana open and bluff until you have something...
I stay on the safe side and keep THREE blue mana open when I bluff.
Yeah...no.
If his hand is full of land he's no doubt going to be leaving mana open
I've done that XD
@@jdortiz86 it's about how much you're playing
I have to say your lighting is excellent. Beautiful job.
Brad Ringhausen I second that, and I adore that lamp in the background.
This is such a great video for a lot of players. As someone completely out of touch with new sets, your examples gave me a pretty decent idea of what to look out for in Standard.
Also, this video actually makes me want to play constructed, which is crazy.
Milo!
I just bumped into your channel a few days ago, and I’m knocking out your videos left and right.
The content is magnificent, the approach is thorough, but YOUR PRESENCE and DELIVERY are astounding. I’m not sure if you were/are some type of instructor (outside this channel) but you are incredible and I just wanted you to know that you’re doing something really special man.
Great job, and keep up the MAGNIFICENT work.
First you tell us we need to come together as a community, then you make a video about blue control. You're sending mixed messages, sir! :P
Affinity for MTG alright, I give you full props for that one.
I don't think I want you comment to resolve...
😂😂😂☝🏽
*you're
**your
My brother suggested listening to TCC videos at 1.5 speed. Life changing advice.
Yeah, I cannot recommend this enough. This was me trying to speak more quickly, too! I just can't seem to break my natural rhythm.
Tolarian Community College I noticed the improvement! I listen to your videos at 1.25x, but I do that with coverage archives too so it's not unique to TCC. :)
I do it because it's funny.
How does one do this type of thing
Play at .5 or .25 to unlock The Drunkian Tutor. Aaaalllwwwaaaayyysss ssaaayyyiinnngggg nnnooooooooo :D
Gotta love this guy
Use every counter and kill spell, then always threaten with 2 open blue mana.
This is so true
You know, back when I was first starting back in 2003 during elementary school this was essentially my whole strategy. Bluff bluff bluff ----> play Storm Crow ---> Profit
The classic blue bluff;I've used that trick in the past,as your opponent will always be leery to cast an important card only to see it get countered. What most players don't take into account is that you're forcing the control player to burn up a counterspell.
Man the theme, the production quality, and content of these Tutor videos are excellent!
But Control Mirrors are the purest form of Magic, and the way Richard Garfield envisioned his game being played :)
Marc Western boooo
Prof's first comment at 11:48 was accurate. Control mirrors are a nightmare. When the win con becomes who decks first, it is no longer magic as Garfield intended.
He made Counterspell common for a reason...
+Coffeemancer
Richard Garfield is a mathematician that made games, he has little to do with current MTG...at all. Sold MTG to those than want to run it as a business.
@@wearealreadydeadfam8214 and 10 versions of counters for that matter
What about the purest form of control; land destruction?!
We do not speak of that.
‘‘Tis breaks the social contract.
If you break the social contract, prepare for an unanswerable meta game.
With some hand destruction thrown in for good measure. Ignore social contracts, friends just get in the way of world domination.
My stepdad made a land destruction deck
Is anyone else in love with the professor's tie? It's amazing just like him.
Love the improvement in the production quality while keeping the same feel - keep up the good work
I love when the Professor gets fully into character.
Even as someone who no longer plays Magic the Gathering, I've been enjoying watching these videos quite a bit. They do ask you to have a general understanding of MtG, but beyond that it's been super useful (although sometimes not easy) to parse the information you give us into other games.
Love it. Proud to be a patron, even if it's a small one!
As always, well presented and worth-while content. Thank you, Professor!
Dear Professor, I enjoyed learning with this video, as I have only been playing for 3 months and didn't quite know when it was right to play certain counter spells and this video helped out a lot.
I just want to say that I began as a Pokemon TCG Collector and stumbled upon one of your Pokemon Booster Box Game videos months ago and really enjoyed what i saw. Then, a few months ago a friend talked me into learning how to play Magic and I remembered your videos and I just want to say I've been a fan ever since and I love what you do for the Community. Thank you good sir, for your contributions.
Been watching for a while but just noticed now how good you are are looking at the script on the side. Can barely tell you’re looking away almost like your using one eye lol. Impressive.
Today I learned I've been playing a control deck in MTGA "Jump In"
I'm very new to Magic and these videos have been very helpful in allowing me to become more thoughtful when I play. When I started I lost pretty much every game I played, but after some tips from this channel I've been on a long win streak. The most helpful one has been to wait to cast my Instants, but holding onto mana so I can react to my opponent has also been very important.
My favourite play so far is casting Burrog Befuddler when my opponent attacks, using it to crash into their 2 toughness creature and weaken their other creature (usually allowing me to safely crash into that creature with something else). 2 mana and I end up +1.
You nailed it by pushing the control mentality, because everything else with control is situational; you really can't draw out a flowchart on how to react to what because it depends on your build, the match-up, what's on board, etc.
Ultimately, if one wants to be good at control, they need to put in the rounds with the deck until they're familiar.
As a relatively new control player I found this video very informative.
I'm going to start taking a lot more care in being selective with what I remove or counter!
Professor, it is your channels like this that will help keep MTG alive, as a new player I love watching your videos!! Keep up the amazing work!
Glad you got to make your control video, Prof. Thanks for all you do for the community
Thanks Prof for the video. I love playing control in pauper and standard i have just gotten back into the game after a long hiatus and these Tolarian Tutor episodes have been great to relearn the game. Keep up the great videos.
As a control only player over 20 years great job on the video. Should definitely help beginning control players. You can also see and hear the influence of the great Emma Handy.
Thanks prof. I'm an aggro player at heart but decided to learn to play control and built a dimir control deck for pauper. This video has helped a lot!
I love your videos rather it's a experienced are a new player you always have good sound advice to spice up the game thanks
This video encourages control players to be thoughtful in reacting to unknown threats on board. Great job prof! !
Alright back to the magic!!!
I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed this video. You sir are one of the people who I'd love to play against. Win or Lose, I feel like I'd have a great time, and that's what this crazy game is all about.
I have always avoided playing control in standard because it doesn't match my playstyle. I've tried it and gotten outplayed time and time again. That is until I started looking at playing control in EDH. I turned my Geist of St. Traft deck from a Voltron to a control deck and I followed most of the points you made in this video.
thank you very much!, most of my tcg life has been yugioh and now playing magic with friends and being a complete noob trying to upgrade my deck, it rly helps to discover new cards every single video that you make :P :)
Having good answers are the best way to interact in a magic game. Great video prof.
Yes Prof! Great to see the channel return to it's former glory. More videos like Tolarian Tutor please. Over the last 6 months or so, the channel has lost its way and your style of presentation has not matched that which we used to enjoy. This is Prof we know and love!
Great video and breakdown of the control archetype. As a lover of control decks, it's nice to hear this all laid out in a succinct fashion.
I like the concise nature of your tutor videos. It's always nice to have a quick guide to refer to. Are you going to talk about the ramp matchup at all? I feel like it's a lot more important for EDH players and is worth mentioning but I get that it's a lot less common in standard and limited which are used in most of your examples. Thanks!
This is a great start for new aspiring control players. I like how you explain that you need to counter or remove threats for a reason, although I disagree with some of your examples. Sometimes its good to try to get your opponent to "overextend" into your sweepers or other 2+ for 1 scenarios for example. Or even to sandbag counters for an obvious threat to trick your opponent into thinking you have none.
For more advanced players they need to be very astute to perform well. You can't cover every situation and really. Good control players know what their line is to win, and are planning many many turns ahead.
That being said I'm a mediocre control player so take this with a grain of salt.
I've been playing magic since high school in 2014 and I would consider myself to be a C- player. But your videos and tips really helped me pull myself up to a B player. Plus it's kinda hard to listen to people if their voice is annoying. Yours isn't and I actually like hearing your videos when I'm at work.
Thank you so much professor! I have been trying to get my dimir treasure control deck to go off in standard but didnt know how to deal with aggro decks. Like cats and mono red. I shall put your lesson to heart!!
Loving these tutor videos!
Appreciate the effort put into these videos Prof. Very well done! Thank you for your hard work.
This is the one I was waiting for. Keep it coming Professor, your videos are what got me started.
Amazing video Professor, I love this one, Alot. It will help me a ton in concidering when not to counter. I have an itchy counter finger, but thanks to this I'll be a lot more analytical in trying to determine my opponents strategy. I play blue black control for the most part in modern and commander. I'm always calculating life because of this, but now I'll be alot less itchy in my counterspell trigger finger. Love the vid. Very very helpful, ty.
Hahaha.
It's so cool to see this highly professional teacher, who could as well lecture at harvard, learn you the fundamentals of a trading card game!
This was very helpful Prof! I planned on taking a mono blue control deck to FNM tomorrow so this was a much needed refresher course!
That's the true Professor of Tolarian community college.
I absolutely love all of your fantastic content! I recently purchased some eclipse sleeves after watching your review. I tried the rip test myself they really held up! Thank you so much professor. Keep up the fantastic work.
Excellent video. Just one important note: Hand disruption spells like Thoughtseize, Duress and Collective Brutality are a control player's kryptonite. Cast Thoughtseize, pull a removal spell out of their hand and put out your threat that they can't answer.
ConsoleCleric you're forgetting the ultimate discard spell- mind twist
This video was insanely helpful! As someone who just recently started dabbling in control I found it very insightful. Is there any way you could make a video about the best way to sideboard in control when you are running a creature heavy aggro style of play with splash control?
You might find it helpful looking for tempo deck guides. That sounds sort of like what you are doing.
It's a merfolk deck so tempo is the main idea. I have alot of control in my sideboard though (and a few control spells in the main deck) and I wanted to get an idea for the best way to sideboard
Never been much for commenting, but i watched his video on UA-cam policy so commenting to support.
The video has just started and I already know it's going to be your best one
Love the merfolk art in the background. Fishy ponder is a good ponder.
Going to have to go back and catch up on the rest of the Tutor series. This was so good.
Glad to see you back! I was wondering where you've been the past couple of days.
Had an amazing game last night vs another control deck. I was down to 4 life and every turn I kept thinking it was my last but with some careful execution I was able to stall turn after turn until I got my win conditions in place and my opponent conceeded.
This was exactly what i needed as a control player. Maybe next you could do a strategy guide about playstyles like ramp or graveyard recursion.
"You may also want to sideboard out draw spells in a control matchup."
So this whole video has been great. I've personally been trying to get a better grip on control/tempo lately. While all of the information in this video has been useful, I would say this one line is perhaps what was most useful to me. I see a lot of deck techs which go into really granular detail explaining exactly how many if this card get sided in or out, and that can certainly be helpful, but I'd really like to see more sideboarding "rules of thumb." You're playing control and your opponent is playing combo? Side out draw spells. If you could make a tutorial video on sideboarding and cover what to side in and out for each of the archetype matchups, I think I would personally find that super helpful.
Thanks for all the great videos over the years!
Amazed that I was right. XD (took your popquiz on twitter). I don't think I'll ever be much of a blue player, but I'm glad I could at least grasp that lesson X3
Thank you for another great video in the Tolarian Tutor series. I always learn something new. Can't wait for the next episode.
Man, this new set was worth it. So happy for you---and us. :)
I have that exact tie! It's my favorite. Looks good on you, Prof!
Hello professor iv been following you most recently and I’m very happy to have found these videos. The video on the dice was interesting and I even purchased the monster rocks dice after watching your video. Keep up the good work!!
This is a wonderful video. Thank you! I personally love playing tribal decks, and am looking to play a B/U Faeries deck in Modern, and just traded for the last few pieces a few days ago. This video is a fantastic guide to control as I usually go for more aggro Elves and Goblins and Slivers. Thank you so much for all the info!
This video has perfect timing, as I just built my first control deck, and the advice provided shall be put to use.
I really enjoyed the portion of the video where you quiz the audience. That was both fun and informational. I'd like to see more practical applications of he principals you are discussing. Could you do these practical applications perhaps for each format? Perhaps a primer for the archetype in each format...?
I am also going to take the opportunity to express my appreciation for the pauper deck techs, they're great!
this will come in handy for my ub pauoer control, thx Professor
Great video, Professor, as always. If anyone in the comments wants to see control vs control matchup, I recommend watching the world championship video that's mentioned in MagicManSam's video "Bolt". That was real hardcore stuff, total carnage
I'm playing a white black stax voltron its so much fun and this has given me more ideas
Love the tie in this video prof!
Thank you for this. Been wanting a good control primer.
Really dig the tie too.
I like Mill and counter mono blues one of my favorite ways to beat someone is Traumatize into keening stone
I love those videos.
Now Tempo needs its own video too ;)
But I really think you should use Modern decks as case studies for the archetypes, it would make more future-proof videos since the decks and cards you are talking about here won't exist anymore in a year or two (for the most part).
Or you could also give a selection of decks following the archtypes you're presenting in different formats !
Anyway, thank you for the constant stream of quality content Prof !
Emma and the Prof always do such a great job on these!
Awesome vid prof. I was looking forward for more advice on being a better control player. My very first deck i ever made was mono blue counter deck. Nothing but control and denial. Great combo.
Great video Prof. Working on a control build right now and got some solid tips. Thanks!
Thank you, Professor. I play Control and I want to play it as best I can.
Hey Prof. Thanks for the lesson. I think I now understand what kind of deck my commander deck is. It's blue/black affinity with milling being the main strategy. I think though that my deck is a little bit more aggro than control because I got creatures that are better at attacking than defending. I'm going to test it out at this tournament this weekend. I understand that Commander can utilize multiple strategies so it'll be educational to see how my home brew works out.
Oh Control . . . how I really hate playing against you, but you're so damn effective in the right hands.
kereminde reason why I’m trying to master control
I never realized how into Magic the Gathering Jeff Daniels was! Big fan!
Love the video and the suit, Prof! Great synergy with the threads! Love all your hard work! Keep it up!
LOVE LOVE LOVE this series. Great job, keep it up, and more PLEASE!
YES YES YES!!!! CONTINUE THE SERIES!
When I first started watching professors videos I didn’t know what the channel was called exactly so I would just type in “Magic college” 🤣
watching in 2020 as a mage thats been playing control since original zendikar this video holds up very well a complement to the professor and wotc for keeping the archetypes solid also control v control is was and always will be death but thats what makes it fun i mean i cant be the only one who enjoys 20+ mins of playing lads and staring the opponent down with both boards empty right?
wow, I just realized your Arcturian salutation, thank you.
Control vs. Control is a game of attrition. Akin to whittling seasoned oak with a spoon. Control doesn't necessarily mean they will be playing Blue, but it's the most common. Ex: 8 Rack decks are mono black but are extreme control in a fun (IMO) and very unique build.
Thank you sir, this is Great content.
I 'm a long time control player and I think this video is a very good starting point for a curious blue sympathizer
Thank you this video helped with some of the problems I was having
Cheers!
I've come to the point where I like the video before it even started. Great suit btw :D
A perfect example of using your life total as a resource is in Victor Silva's game against Vagnar Casatti in GP Porto Alegre 2017. Temur Tower going down to 2 life vs Mardu Vehicles!
Hey, Prof, it would be cool if you gave us some "homework" in the description in the form of good example matches to watch for the various matchups you discuss in the video.
Holy shit the Tolarian Tutor intro graphic is golden.
Thanks prof been playing a rackdos control deck this helped a lot
Hell yeah Professor back to Grade A content.
I love the Esper & Jace themed suit! :)
I used to dominate with a Stasis deck, and later a Type 2 Rising Waters/Rhystic Study deck with like 20+ counterspells, ones I didn't have to pay Mana for, like Foil, Thwart and Daze, which worked great with the Rhystic Studies. Add Patron Wizards, Temporal Adept and Archivist, and my opponents were extremely frustrated. Nothing is more insulting than losing to a deck who's kill card is Spiketail Drake hitting you 7 turns in a row while you literally can't do anything.
Edit: After having finished watching the video, hi I thought it would be important for me to comment on how I used the strategies he talked about, especially against aggro, which in my experience is going to be your toughest matchup, specifically fast green. With my Rising Waters deck, I had less of a problem with aggro Red, because they would have o cast so many burn spells to kill me, the Rhystic Studies more than paid off here, and I'd always be able to draw what I needed to hold Red off long enough to kill. I actually beat some type 1.5 aggro Red decks in tournaments with my unmodified type 2 Rising Waters deck, including decks that had stuff like Ball Lightning, Fork,Lightning Bolt, Fireball, Bloodlust, Disintegrate, etc.
But aggro green is a different story. You have to be very precise when you're choosing which creatures of theirs to Counterspell. I couldn't tell you the number of times that I had to turn one Daze a Llanowar Elves or Birds of Paradise, and it was always a difficult decision, because I was effectively losing a turn by having to return an Island to my hand, but it was almost ALWAYS the correct decision. Because Rising Waters only allows one land to untap every turn,allowing them a Llanowar Elves, especially on turn one, could completely foil my game plan, not to mention it would just speed them up way too much.
Also, the way you describe looking at your life total was always exactly the same way I looked at things, you think, "Okay, if I allow him to cast this 2/3, that gives me 10 turns to get things locked down." Control Blue is the most difficult, skill based style there is, but is also the most rewarding. That's why I quit playing when they "nerfed" Blue by not reprinting counterspell. It takes a tremendous amount of dedication to get good with Blue. Case in point, I used to let my friends play with my Rising deck all the time because they would say it was unfair. I would play against them with aggro, and I would beat them way more than they beat me, which just made them even more frustrated.
You have to constantly plan ahead and know exactly how to play your deck against your opponents deck. With every spell cast, you have to be making a ton of calculations and decisions, something that other really strong decks don't have to do. You have to meticulously manage your Mana, trying to decide whether it is better to play an important spell, or save Mana for a Counterspell. But with my Rising Waters deck, I had managed to find a way around this with the combo of Rhystic Studies and cards like Foil,Thwart and Daze. Because of the wording on Rhystic Study, "Whenever an opponent *PLAYS* a spell, you draw a card unless he pays 1," which meant that you got to draw your cards when they *PLAYED* the spell, not *SUCCESSFULLY CAST*, it allowed me to use the ability of my counterspells like returning Islands to my hand instead of paying the casting cost, or discarding a blue card and an island from my hand instead of paying the casting cost, which meant I could always Counterspell even when I was tapped out. But without this luxury, your going to need some bounce spells or something like Temporal Adept, and even then, it's going to be tough.
I know a lot of people hate playing against Blue control, but it is the most difficult style to play. I think it's really a shame how badly they have nerfed blue to appease these scrubs. It's the same exact thing Capcom has done in their fighting games. They have severely nerfed all projectile/zoning characters, so that the only viable characters are all rushdown/gimmicks instead of allowing defensive players to have fun too.