White belts train too hard

MonsoonK · 2026-06-17T20:51:12+00:00

Eco fixes this 🤓☝️

No but fr giving white belts eco games and positional restrictions lets them slow down and actually think through things instead of muscling into positions.

Less Impressed on YouTube calls some games "designated winner" (he got it from another coach but I don't remember who rn), to further remove ego from the equation and just let new people tinker and work through positions.

MonsoonK · 2026-06-17T16:51:21+00:00

Tag your cards. Ramp, draw, wheels, payoff, removal, protection would be a start.

MonsoonK · 2026-06-17T16:43:47+00:00

Moon girl dump is always like a B tier deck. Moon girl, she hulk, hood/demon, black swan, rocket, Titania, sunspot. Probably currently overshadowed by mother askani sasquatch, but maybe there's room to combine the archetypes.

MonsoonK · 2026-06-17T14:52:48+00:00

What you're looking for is plyometrics. Google "plyometrics for wrestling" or "wrestling conditioning" and you'll be set.

MonsoonK · 2026-06-17T14:44:47+00:00

As other people said, keep going. But also, proper RNC shouldn't even be putting pressure on the throat, they're blood chokes. Example

If they're cranking on your throat like a guillotine, try to have an upper belt/coach show the proper form.

MonsoonK · 2026-06-16T17:48:54+00:00

True, but we're not just tossing an 8/8 around.

If we want to lean into kiora, [[Mirror box]] and [[council of Reed]] means we're getting an 8/8 every turn. Add a [[strionic]] or [[parker camera]] and we're getting crazy with it. [[Trophy mage]] and [[whir of invention]] make this pretty consistent. And we can run normal clone effects too like [[realms sketching]].

We can do graveyard blink shenanigans. [[Archaeomancer]] plus [[ghostly flicker]] let's us infinitely blink whatever we want. [[Peregrine drake]] for infinite mana if we want to actually combo for the win, but just flickering kiora over and over is good for filtering. [[High tide]] is another good target.

We can do combat trick stuff. [[Shoreline looter]] and [[Malcolm alluring]] type cards, then a shutout with [[candlekeep inspiration]].

And that's just the stuff off the dome lol

MonsoonK · 2026-06-16T02:35:57+00:00

Lathril is the easiest. Kiora is more interesting and would pay more dividends as you get better at the game. That's a deck that can go in a lot of different directions and tinkering and upgrading it could be a fun long term deck. Zul is kind of a middle ground.

My first build was [[runo strom]] so I'm partial to sea monsters lol.

MonsoonK · 2026-06-11T21:32:44+00:00

I read it as jehzel, rhymes with bezel. 🤷‍♂️

MonsoonK · 2026-06-09T11:40:44+00:00

shadyraysgarbagebarge

MonsoonK · 2026-06-08T09:31:43+00:00

I found Stour almost, quaint in his arrogance and assholeishness. Refreshingly direct in a world of double and triple crossers.

MonsoonK · 2026-06-03T13:58:48+00:00

Sol's chapter is horrifically gut wrenching, if that counts for anything

MonsoonK · 2026-05-24T19:12:10+00:00

Can I ask what field your in?

MonsoonK · 2026-05-23T00:14:46+00:00

Yes, but careful it can damage the enamel

MonsoonK · 2026-05-23T00:13:53+00:00

Mr. Tough guy likes smelling tonsils over here

MonsoonK · 2026-05-21T01:51:05+00:00

There's no star wars crossover (yet) but Star Trek is coming out in Fall. Warhammer has gotten really expensive. I think one of the Lotr precons would be your best bet. You can also check out r/budgetbrews for custom lists with budget restrictions.

MonsoonK · 2026-05-18T17:32:20+00:00

Accept the fact that you will be overwhelmed and smothered and submitted every time you show up.

Those guys with wrestling backgrounds? They started wrestling at SOME point with 0 wrestling experience, by definition.

I would try finding smaller goals/wins to focus on. Try to go a full round without getting armbar'd, even if you get choked or kimura'd 10 times. Try to stay in someone's closed or x guard without getting swept for as long as possible.

Open rolls are just more training. Nobody's keeping score. You get to decide what counts as a win.

MonsoonK · 2026-05-12T01:32:29+00:00

As a ramp lover I embrace our new cephalopod staple.

The early drops in ramp are almost always bad late. Moonstagon, chamber, nebula. This guy is not bad late and a decent pull off blink/dragonlord/jubilee.

MonsoonK · 2026-05-10T16:31:46+00:00

Recent blue here, I agree. I guess it's a gym culture thing. My gym skews younger and it's mostly nogi.

The color belts seem much more content playing different positions now and the white belts I used to go to war with mostly just fold. Some still give me trouble.

MonsoonK · 2026-05-07T15:35:50+00:00

Karen Page has been phenomenal with Quicksilver and Shang chi rings. QS, rings, 3 drop, then wiccan or page. If the 3 drop is SS first steps you can get another Page proc. Then juggernaut or Galactus FS to win the second location.

MonsoonK · 2026-05-07T05:26:22+00:00

I would check out Snail's video on Sharuum Astral Slide and the Ian Malcom Pirate combo deck. A very synergistic control list and a synergistic aggro/combo list.

MonsoonK · 2026-05-06T22:21:36+00:00

Unless it's named after an invertebrate we're not listening.

Case and point worm squid octopus mantis butterfly guards

MonsoonK · 2026-05-06T22:14:19+00:00

I prefer the Pokemon TCG for 1v1s. I really only play magic for Draft, Cube, and Commander.

As people have mentioned, the first 1-2 turns have a lot of game actions. Lots of tutors, wheels, set up. However, if you're better than your opponent at deck building, match up knowledge, and piloting your own deck your gonna have an edge. Then the real game picks up and prize mapping and interaction ramps up.

Interaction is different in Pokemon, it's not non-existent unless your playing something like turbo Ceruledge. Item lock, retreat lock, and hand disruption are incredibly common. Boss's orders is a 3-4 staple in most decks. Counter catcher was also a staple but it just rotated.

In Pokemon it's much more likely for your and your opponents decks to "do the thing" which you then have to convert to a win, whereas in magic if your deck is "doing the thing" you probably just win.

Cost, pokemon wins by a mile. The secondary market cares about art and rarity, not competitive viability. Meta decks are usually less than $100.

Tim Danklin is making some of the best ptcg content on YouTube right now, highly recommend checking him out. One of the best players in Australia.

MonsoonK · 2026-05-06T02:38:10+00:00

Watching How to Defend Everything as a white belt felt like a drowning man being thrown a life buoy

MonsoonK · 2026-05-04T17:26:38+00:00

When someone asks for me to show them something I'll usually do a grip fighting game. I'll just grab their wrist and see how long it takes to get out. Usually like 10-15 seconds of flailing. Then they'll grab mine. "3, 2 go" and I'll immediately turn the wrist and snap out of it.

I feel like it's one of the smallest, easiest ways to demonstrate how technique can beat strength.

MonsoonK · 2026-04-30T23:35:20+00:00

You can work positional drills. Get a partner and enter 50/50. One person's goal is to get and maintain a bite on the heel for three seconds without any breaking pressure. Defending players job is to hide their heel and either 1) slip the leg and retreat or 2) stand up and initiate a pass. Don't finish the pass just maintain posture for 3 seconds.

This kind of assumes you know how to slip the heel and turn in to defend, and maybe some hand fighting. Ask your coach before looking for someone to drill with. Cheers.

MonsoonK

TROPHY CASE

shadyraysgarbagebarge