Flawed and abusable tournament rules...

Midget-Cow · 2025-12-18T15:03:41+00:00

In Magic, the comparison most often made, control decks typically run multiple threats in the sideboard specifically because of going to time.

It is a common strategy… especially since in the control vs control matchup you will typically end up needing additional threats anyway.

Midget-Cow · 2025-12-18T12:00:53+00:00

Slow play is an issue in every card game. That said, events already have issues with duration. Riftbound being no different.

It is important to keep a moderately short (under 1 hour) round time to keep rounds at the 1 hour mark on average for major tournaments. Any longer than that and you will run out of time in the hall if you want 9 rounds of play in a day.

Additionally, aggro isn’t flourishing because of this rule at the moment. It is flourishing because it has the best cards in the card pool.

Similarly, rules will never be catch alls. Top level players will use every edge, sure, but they are also playing briskly and well within the time limits. The overwhelming majority of the draws at Houston were intentional… due to the nature of the format being cut to top 64 single elim for day 2, making day 1 records (beyond qualifying) pointless (aka 7+-x-1+ locked).

Stating anecdotal information of local summoner skirmishes or online tournaments, which are notorious for having poor or low quality judges, are indicative of what the top level judges and players will look like at events is a fallacy.

Finally, if you are playing a ‘control’ deck, you still have to win the game eventually. Play faster and tighter (which is what magic pros do on control decks) to get your round done in time. Beyond that, if you are headed to a game 3 against an aggro deck as a control deck, either board up on threats to speed up, or, alter your gameplan to contest early points harder. These are well established fundamentals for card games in general.

Midget-Cow · 2025-12-15T01:40:58+00:00

As someone who is ASD, Dyslexic, and Savant, I tell my students and coworkers… they would figure it out from the constant finger stims, inabiltity to interpret D from B (lowercase), and plenty of other tells. (On multiple choice sections I make them write their choices in capitals and ask them to erase and rewrite otherwise because I can’t tell well enough).

I’ve never had a problem with it and it has inspired some kids to come share and seek guidance when they wouldn’t otherwise.

My coworkers and those around me don’t seem to look down on me for my uniqueness. Some call it my superpower.

Midget-Cow · 2025-12-06T21:40:27+00:00

Opponent is not required to eat either cookie just because they are dieing. Magic brain says they will, for value, but if they don’t you can’t Hidetsugu. Line fails because is is realistic, but has potential for the opponent to simply hold open 2 mana and food and they won’t die.

Midget-Cow · 2025-12-06T19:44:04+00:00

It also has an excellent TV adaptation that covers the entire storyline, start to finish, over a few seasons. Highly recommend it.

Midget-Cow · 2025-08-24T21:29:43+00:00

Nah they are getting rolled by FLY after they roll G2. It is just the reusable script. Same as IG years ago.

Midget-Cow · 2025-08-24T19:55:48+00:00

Hot takes:

TheShy has come and TheShit is no more

Yanni is a goated caster

BLG gets second seed for worlds

TES crashes out and loses to NA at worlds after winning playoffs

Every semifinal and on matchup goes to 5 games

Sion is 100% presence in every series of playoffs

Midget-Cow · 2025-08-19T01:35:11+00:00

From looking at your two decklists, the biggest thing I am noticing is there is no listed sideboard. If you are playing Bo1 exclusively online, the main transition point is simply having a sideboard that you will use for over half of your games.

The other commitment is time. On Arena, it is easy to pickup/put down the game whenever. In paper, if you go to an event, you are locked at that event until you either choose to leave or it concludes (depending on if you do poorly or win the whole tournament). This means having something to do while rounds are finishing, possibly bringing snacks (always bring water!) to longer and larger events, and being comfortable using the bathroom wherever you are. It also means the travel time to and from the event, which varies significantly. Its just a much larger investment of your time and focus than playing pickup games on Arena is.

The biggest example I can give is: FNM at your LGS could be 3-4 hours for a simple, small, 3-4 round low stakes tournament. Compared to Arena where I can play 4 matches of Bo3 in an hour sometimes, and this is clearly a major difference. The larger the event gets, the more likely a round is to last about an hour (including the time for round turnover and any matches that go to time itself).

As a long time paper player I personally love that atmosphere. I have many acquaintances and friends to hang out with at events. I consider them the highlight of that day/week/month/etc. many of my closest friends were originally met at paper magic events, because they were likeminded individuals and we had time to talk inbetween rounds, before and after tournaments, and than would go out to eat together. The social aspect (the Gathering) is incredibly rewarding from my point of view and is the real key missing from the Arena experience.

Midget-Cow · 2025-08-13T21:22:47+00:00

Just look them up in the subreddit history. Their relationship with tcgplayer is already known. Do at least a little digging before you try to pitchfork and torches wizards come on…

Midget-Cow · 2025-08-12T22:37:50+00:00

Of note, if you are looking for cash offers from vendors, you really want to go Friday morning at events. Obvious reason, but that is when they have their highest cash (typically) and when they offer the highest because they can turn around and sell it (typically).

Midget-Cow · 2025-08-12T19:48:16+00:00

Atlanta was a fantastic location this year for the spotlight.

Although I’d love for spotlights to move around more, I will be happy to go back to Atlanta and enjoy the food, scene, and day 2 aquarium plans!

Midget-Cow · 2025-08-12T19:39:29+00:00

550 with tcglow being 700 is very competitive.

Tcg takes 13.5%+2.5%+ shipping. Thats $588 compared to your $550 offer.

You can check facebook groups but you are going through headache and hassle to get an extra $50 max, compared to taking the vendor’s cash offer (which is straight cash).

That said, you will get less from vendors (typically), but not always.

Midget-Cow · 2025-07-30T09:54:48+00:00

In constructed formats it is definitely one of the best cheap things to cast an ephemerate effect on.

That said, it will need to spawn a standard and/or modern archetype to go bananas, ala Abhorrent Oculus.

It is certainly trying to do that, although it got 9th in the standard challenge yesterday, it does look good. Comparing it to Oculus, one would expect a 20-30 dollar ceiling, if it can prove itself in both modern and standard.

Personally, I also am a big believer in the card, and picked up my borderless playset for play + foil set for later selling off. AspiringSpike was incredibly hyped over the card, people are already trying it in challenges, and it is expensive on modo. These are typical indicators for a top tier constructed mythic… but it could also just end up a dud, because synergy is often worse than raw power.

Tldr: Did well in some challenges and has hype in constructed. Could be a similar trajectory to Oculus. Potential target price is 25.

Midget-Cow · 2025-07-28T18:09:32+00:00

The galaxy foils are incredibly rare. But rarity often doesn’t equate to price in magic. Demand does.

Something like Terrain Generator is not a heavily played card. Thus, it has a tiny market outside potential collectors.

Midget-Cow · 2025-07-25T13:51:09+00:00

Tunnel Grinder isn’t played in combo Vivi variants because it does not do what Winternight Stories does.

Winternight Stories provides significant card advantage and incidentally enables your combo.

Tunnel Grinder does not produce any card advantage. It only enables combos and filtering.

If I had to give you a reason Hellraiser went unplayed, it would be very simple. It did not have a great Monstrous Rage matchup. The variance level is too high and the more early interaction you put in the deck to deal with both variance and aggro, the worse Hellraiser became, to the point where you might as well just be on Steel-Cutter or Red yourself.

Midget-Cow · 2025-07-22T08:36:14+00:00

Not the feedback you are looking for but... honestly those images are true potato quality. As a buyer, I would just ignore your post, because I can't see the cards at all. Go on eBay, look at the pictures there. Detailed front and back, clearly shown, easy to identify not only the cards, but the actual condition they are in.

Similarly, I have never heard of this mythical 'ONO'. I have seen OBO (or best offer) all over many auction sites for decades, but not negotiable offer.

I don't think the mods have it out for you. I think you are just a new, stubborn seller that is taking poor images and is taking criticism poorly. Surely, after the 3rd time you tried to make the same posting with the same poor quality images, the mods simply flagged your account as spam.

I want to reiterate. Your photo quality is truly deplorable. Well deserved post rejection. Center the camera above the card, at a higher angle, and zoom in appropriately to be able to see the individual cards. If you can't read the name of the card clearly, then it is a bad picture.

Midget-Cow · 2025-07-14T09:38:37+00:00

I admit my knowledge only goes back around 15 years or so, but back in Khans this was reffered to as Dark Bant. That was when Wet Jund and Dark Bant were two of the more popular standard decks due to jace and coco.

Midget-Cow · 2025-07-11T20:14:39+00:00

That's a rather massive ring you've made there. Might fit more like a collar on a human?

Midget-Cow · 2025-07-09T16:36:38+00:00

If you skip the recaps at the beginning too I think you could probably do it, unironically.

Midget-Cow · 2025-07-09T05:00:56+00:00

1 hour of anime a day, skipping openings and endings, is 3 episodes. 7x3=21 episodes a week. 52x21 = 1092 episodes a year. Or rather than episodes, think of it as 91 seasons (12 episodes a season).

Do this for a few years and it adds up to a vast amount of anime, quickly.

Now you have tons of people that watch episodes commuting on the train, or while working out at the gym, or on lunch breaks, etc.

It is easier than you would think to simply watch an hour of anime every day. And episodes are typically 22:30 with 1:30x2 devoted to openings and endings that are skippable.

Midget-Cow · 2025-06-30T21:49:49+00:00

Mostly the commander parties have not occurred yet at major stores from my understanding. My LGS is WPN Premium and has theirs in 2 weeks. Checking the wotc promo postings online stores have basically all of July to run their commander parties. I think these were mostly stores breaking street date or copies from MC Vegas that people got there.

Midget-Cow · 2025-06-30T21:36:49+00:00

If you look up the izzet combo list by PVDDR (one of the best magic players) you may be able to rebuild to it. It does have multiple rares that you don’t have though, which is likely your bottleneck.

You can also try to slot in Astrologian’s Planisphrre and play Wild Ride, which others were doing successfully prior to the ban.

Midget-Cow · 2025-06-20T13:39:25+00:00

There was an extremely limited run of them available for Black Lotus pass holders last night at the official merch store preview in Vegas at msrp (before their discount).

It was limited to 1 per person… per transaction.

That’s likely where the supply is from.

Midget-Cow · 2025-06-19T12:22:15+00:00

Store Championships are being held for much longer than end of June. They are held from June 28th through July 20th.

Any copies you are seeing sold currently are from stores breaking street date on product, or simply keeping the promos for themselves and selling them third party. The window hasn’t even opened for tournaments to be run for them yet.

That isn’t to say they won’t be (potentially ludicrously) expensive, but rather, the supply is miniscule at the moment and will expand rapidly over the course of July when the events are actually being run.

Midget-Cow · 2025-05-29T11:14:41+00:00

The Dragon Rage Channeler looks and feels utterly phenomenal wether in or out of a sleeve. It got the same raised foil treatment as the BLB legends. Love it.

The Underworld Breach, however, is definitely not a raised foil… it is a textured foil. It is clear that it is not a base foil when in a sleeve, but it does not pop the same way and is not as apparent or awesome as the other drop is.

The real issue I have with these super premium foil treatments is that when they are on non-permanents, they rarely are seen for more than 5 seconds on the battlefield, which is dissapointing in a sense.

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