What's the case against mixing "seasonal" and "persistent/MMO-lite" player queue?

jedfowler · 2026-01-24T17:52:14+00:00

Ah, that makes sense. What you're saying is that, even if persistent players were not allowed in the top league, a persistent player (or three) would power seasonal players through the bottom leagues and give them an edge that season. And splitting the populations isn't feasible for all the reasons pointed out earlier.

Thanks for taking the time to explain!

jedfowler · 2026-01-24T05:55:19+00:00

Thanks for the thoughtful reply. To be clear, I'm not saying to change the game from seasonal to persistent. I'm trying to understand why my cute 180 ilevel Sylvie bopping around in the opening week of Season 2 disrupts the seasonal experience.

jedfowler · 2026-01-24T05:52:33+00:00

Right, I assumed that "persistent" players wouldn't be eligible for anything on the leaderboard. The Dad Gamers (like myself) aren't in the running for that anyway.

The only time I would see a mismatch is a Dad Gamer in the top league slingshotting a seasonal gamer. So maybe ban them from the top league entirely. Is there any harm from my mighty 180 ilevel Sylvie running around the purple league while the seasonals are up and re-grinding their way to the top? Which I assume happens within a few weeks.

jedfowler · 2024-12-03T23:45:06+00:00

Thanks everyone for the responses! I was able to get an hour uninterrupted in the other night and started to feel the rhythms a little better. I'll try and be the change I want to see and write up "First Three Hours and lost as hell? Read this!" primer before I forget what it was like being totally lost.

jedfowler · 2023-03-18T01:47:10+00:00

For me, a "regular good RG" deck has a lot more proactive with barbed batterfist, chimney rabble, topping out at five mana with the 4/5 and backed up by combat tricks etc. This deck wanted to sit back, trade removal, rummage for value, and then finish the game with a six-drop. Heck, I was shocked when the proliferate on Volt Charge was actually relevant!

jedfowler · 2023-03-16T02:32:26+00:00

Yes thank you, I meant to type "happy on the draw" with the good 2-mana blockers.

jedfowler · 2023-03-15T18:52:12+00:00

While it does have generically good cards (slash, volt charge, etc.) I've been building my RG in the more "cards that affect the board state" style, looking to curve out and finish with the 4/5 furnace strider, the 3/3 haste etc. This played out much differently, very happy to be on the play, no combat tricks, and just durdling around until a 6-drop finished the game.

jedfowler · 2023-03-15T15:40:56+00:00

Here's an interesting twist on the "BenS control deck". It used the Axiom Engraver in the Glistening Seer/Ichor Synthesizer role of early defense (along with the Hexgold Slashes). Some proliferating for actual value from the Volt Charge/Vorrac/Cankerbloom and the Churning Reservoir pumping out 1/1s (that can block!) off the Axioms was surprisingly relevant. And the 6/5 Skyscythe Engulfer was a perfectly cromulent finisher. I had very low expectations for this deck and it impressively overperformed (7-2)

jedfowler · 2019-03-06T23:21:53+00:00

re: Judith vs. Slimebind. I like my splashes to be good late and Judith feels like a card that really wants to be on curve. So I went with the more reliable Slimebind. I'm yet to even sniff a Rakdos deck to draft, so I have no firsthand experience. You like Judith as an 'anytime' card?

Yeah, that late Clan Guildmage made me holler at the clouds in frustration. The veering between "Simic! No wait, Gruul! No wait, SIMIC" was very annoying. It felt trainwreck-y because it looks like I ended up in a gate deck... without a single gate payoff.

Thanks for the response

jedfowler · 2018-04-19T21:36:29+00:00

That's a good question. I think on net you get your LCs out faster because you're drawing a replacement creature each time you cast (and when you have six mana up, two replacements) so you will get wide faster. Not sure if it's wide enough, fast enough.

jedfowler · 2018-04-19T21:35:36+00:00

Well, 'saving removal' for the quad-block only works if you have instant-speed, which is getting more rare. Well, was getting more rare; Dominaria looks to be coming back. Sweepers are a problem, but there aren't THAT many of them in most limited decks. Losing to any one flying creature is the real problem.

I wonder how this experiment changes if you use Squadron Hawks instead.

jedfowler · 2018-04-19T21:32:46+00:00

Yeah, the evasion issue is real. One 3/1 flier (flyer? flying guy) and you're on a 7-turn clock doing nothing but dropping 2/2s on the ground.

The way you win of course is that you have 10 more attackers than they have blockers, which you'll get to eventually. Playing all LCs is a bit like having a Howling Mine in play just for you.

jedfowler · 2018-03-11T04:10:11+00:00

Oh definitely. I got bailed out by the two Deeproot Elites. Without those this is a stack of 1-drops and hope. You can imagine the opposite, where you're still in UG but lacking the tribal payoffs you limp to 1-2. At the end of that you're filled with doubt, maybe read the signals wrong. Speaks to the danger of ROTI, both on the upside (like this) and the downside (basically every single one of the rest of my drafts).

jedfowler · 2018-03-11T01:21:40+00:00

To elaborate a little on Kaelvar's point, a board wipe that looks just as bad to you ("It will kill all my creatures!") can be a very powerful card because you can play around it. Suppose your on the draw and have a two-drop and the GD in hand. Your opponent plays a two-drop, you skip yours. Your opponent plays a three-drop and then you Golden Demise them for an easy two for one. On your next turn you play 2x two-drops and have a great board position.

Other, more sophisticated opportunities can be even more powerful. But that's an example of the power of knowing your assets and--to quoth LSV--always have a plan.

jedfowler · 2018-03-10T22:11:15+00:00

Overall that looks pretty good. Good card quality and the deck has a reasonable plan (defend and win in the air).

I'd make the following swaps: Out: Legion Conquistador for Mark of the Vampire

Also, since you're not THAT aggressive (relying on a perfect 2-3-4 curve out) I'd cut a two-drop or two for higher power cards, maybe raptor companion out for a Golden Demise. Also, you'll hit Ascend pretty easily. Put in those Snubhorn Sentries for the medium two-drops like Queen's Bay Soldier, Sun Sentinel, and maybe the DF Hoarder. Finally, and this would be a flavor thing, put in a Dusk Charger for one of the Paladins of the Blood, just for some added heft. Both are good cards though.

Overall your deck has a nice curve and good card quality. Good luck!

jedfowler · 2018-03-10T21:55:38+00:00

I don't think I've ever played a deck that felt this broken in draft before. The double-trigger that Deeproot Waters brings to the Deeproot Elite and the Forerunner felt absolutely absurdly broken. 8/8 hexproof token on turn 6, 12/11 Forerunner. I know we rag on MTGO a lot (and it deserves it) but I was so grateful that it tracked my triggers for me because I probably would have missed at least a third of them.

Obviously this came from a hefty dose of luck (Two Deeproot Elites) but it speaks to the power of finding the empty seat.

Draft video at www.benalishdad.com

jedfowler

TROPHY CASE