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CCGs / Multiplayer Play Decisioning: An Example
« on: January 16, 2006, 12:58:52 PM »
Last night we played a large, 6-person game of Magic, and I think a generally good time was had by all in attendance. As we were leaving, I made a comment to EUOL about how I had removed one of the players from play, as he had been engaged in a different game at the time, and I received a comment back from another source that it was mean of me to do this to a less experienced player. (Names being omitted in part because I don't know the correct TWG IDs for all involved.) While I didn't think the comment was serious at all, I didn't like the suggestion that I had done something mean, and commented back that I could have killed the individual making the statement much earlier in the game. I hadn't wanted to end the conversation then, but it was late and people were departing, and that was where the conversation ended.
I'll admit, the comment sounded bad, and it could easily be taken as me toying with people throughout the game. What I wished I could have added at the time was why, although I could have taken that person out of the game earlier, I didn't. I couldn't really. Fortunately, the experience also makes for a good point about playing Magic: The Gathering in multiplayer.
In the first few draws of the game, I got sufficient tools to build my mana base (playing a 5-color deck, I had to keep the hand) and a number of instants. That wasn't the best hand I could have imagined, but I played through it. I never did get many permanents out on the table, but I held onto three different cards throughout the vast bulk of the game: Darigaaz's Charm, Blinding Beam, and Consume Strength. I managed to get plenty of land in play, but ended up being able to put little other than land and a bare minimum of blockers in play the entire game long. The one card that most kept me going was a single Aven Redeemer.
Considering the person to whom I had commented that I could have killed them much earlier, the statement was correct as they fell to less than three life some time before they died to a player other than myself and Darigaaz's Charm could have killed them at any point thereafter. The point I was trying to make was also correct...that I hadn't been trying to pick on less experienced players. The truth was that I fully couldn't afford to use the card to do so, and I wasn't playing anyone for fools.
Three other players were on the board, I had an inferior field position, and a subpar life total. My only hope of remaining in the game was to rely on my combat instants to respond to attacks, and only when I couldn't afford to not use them. I took quite a drubbing over the course of the game while waiting for the right moment to use those cards. While some people mentioned during the match that I was trying to look weak and building up, nearly the opposite was the case: I *was* weak, I was holding onto everything I could get my hands on to survive, and I was just hoping to draw something to let me get into the game. In the end I did draw Treva, the Renewer and came back to win the game, so I can't say that their assessment of what could happen was incorrect, only that I wasn't pretending to be weak.
What can be learned from the situation?
1. Versatile combat instants are powerful, but only when used correctly. At various points in the game, I was facing the possibility of being struck by a threat that I would have to expend one of my combat instants to fend off. Saving Consume Strength to kill an Undead Warchief to debuff a zombie army at instant speed or to allow my Aven Redeemer to pull a trade out of a battle with a buffed Boros Swiftblade were two examples. Had those theats been played against me, it would have forced me to play my hand sooner. In the end, I used Consume Strength to kill a flier and allow Treva to win me the game. Conversely, the Tribal Flames I used to kill a player after they attacked me with a monstrous rat was a Sorcery, and after it became apparent that I couldn't afford to face down the same threat a second time, I had to act proactively to remove them from the game.
2. Reading hand size and board position can tell you the opponent's hand. I sat through most of the game with at least 4 cards in hand on top of a mountain of mana, and I had color versatility. I also kept three mana open as often as I possibly could. While the exact nature of my hand was secret, of course, that information could be read easily enough to show that I had cards in my hand that were better there than aiding my inferior board position, and that I needed at least three mana to use them. A cautious attack strategy against me that didn't expose gaps in a player's defense, but that exceeded the strength of my board position could have been used to draw out my secrets.
I'll admit, the comment sounded bad, and it could easily be taken as me toying with people throughout the game. What I wished I could have added at the time was why, although I could have taken that person out of the game earlier, I didn't. I couldn't really. Fortunately, the experience also makes for a good point about playing Magic: The Gathering in multiplayer.
In the first few draws of the game, I got sufficient tools to build my mana base (playing a 5-color deck, I had to keep the hand) and a number of instants. That wasn't the best hand I could have imagined, but I played through it. I never did get many permanents out on the table, but I held onto three different cards throughout the vast bulk of the game: Darigaaz's Charm, Blinding Beam, and Consume Strength. I managed to get plenty of land in play, but ended up being able to put little other than land and a bare minimum of blockers in play the entire game long. The one card that most kept me going was a single Aven Redeemer.
Considering the person to whom I had commented that I could have killed them much earlier, the statement was correct as they fell to less than three life some time before they died to a player other than myself and Darigaaz's Charm could have killed them at any point thereafter. The point I was trying to make was also correct...that I hadn't been trying to pick on less experienced players. The truth was that I fully couldn't afford to use the card to do so, and I wasn't playing anyone for fools.
Three other players were on the board, I had an inferior field position, and a subpar life total. My only hope of remaining in the game was to rely on my combat instants to respond to attacks, and only when I couldn't afford to not use them. I took quite a drubbing over the course of the game while waiting for the right moment to use those cards. While some people mentioned during the match that I was trying to look weak and building up, nearly the opposite was the case: I *was* weak, I was holding onto everything I could get my hands on to survive, and I was just hoping to draw something to let me get into the game. In the end I did draw Treva, the Renewer and came back to win the game, so I can't say that their assessment of what could happen was incorrect, only that I wasn't pretending to be weak.
What can be learned from the situation?
1. Versatile combat instants are powerful, but only when used correctly. At various points in the game, I was facing the possibility of being struck by a threat that I would have to expend one of my combat instants to fend off. Saving Consume Strength to kill an Undead Warchief to debuff a zombie army at instant speed or to allow my Aven Redeemer to pull a trade out of a battle with a buffed Boros Swiftblade were two examples. Had those theats been played against me, it would have forced me to play my hand sooner. In the end, I used Consume Strength to kill a flier and allow Treva to win me the game. Conversely, the Tribal Flames I used to kill a player after they attacked me with a monstrous rat was a Sorcery, and after it became apparent that I couldn't afford to face down the same threat a second time, I had to act proactively to remove them from the game.
2. Reading hand size and board position can tell you the opponent's hand. I sat through most of the game with at least 4 cards in hand on top of a mountain of mana, and I had color versatility. I also kept three mana open as often as I possibly could. While the exact nature of my hand was secret, of course, that information could be read easily enough to show that I had cards in my hand that were better there than aiding my inferior board position, and that I needed at least three mana to use them. A cautious attack strategy against me that didn't expose gaps in a player's defense, but that exceeded the strength of my board position could have been used to draw out my secrets.
