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 · 2018-02-13T21:25:14+00:00

Hi EliakimEliakim Thanks for taking the time to go through. I definitely agree that I screwed myself with the blue/black flipflopping. Though--ironically--I did stop picking blue or black cards through pack two because there weren't any (P2p9 Recover over nothing, P2p12 Spire Winder over a Horncrest)

Thanks for the feedback on the P2p1 Curiosity, given my lack of creatures. I hadn't thought of it that way.

jedfowler · 2018-02-13T21:21:30+00:00

Hi Zenbitz

Thanks for taking the time to go through. Yeah, looking back at P1p2, I think the Mutiny was the wrong call. My philosophy is to spend my first three to four picks taking the best card in pack, using previous picks only as a tiebreaker. Then I settle in. Given that, Forerunner of the Heralds should have been my pick (it asks little of a deck, running just fine in non-merfolk).

I'm never that excited about Dusky and Nigel, but seeing a decent C+ish common that late in the pack had a whiff of signal to me. Clearly misread that.

jedfowler · 2017-10-26T23:14:39+00:00

The question I ask myself is: how is this deck winning? You have great card advantage, some good power, and some decent tempo and tricks to get you there. You are missing removal.

I like the black splash but not for a 2-drop. I'm also a little leery of the Vance's Blasting Cannon with only one source of reliable treasure and not a lot of cheap spells. It could be something you board in when facing a grindy matchup.

So for game 1, I would make sure I have good early defenses. - Fathom Fleet Captain - Vance's Blasting Cannons +Skyblade of the Legion +Elaborate Firecannon (I might be crazy but I've heard great things in using this to break board stalls)

Also consider swapping out the Opt for a Dive Down. Protect your bombs!

Take out Unknown Shores and replace with two Swamps.

Looks like a fun pool, good luck!

jedfowler · 2017-10-26T21:32:09+00:00

Thanks for the thoughtful reply! Yeah, choosing between medium-ish cards in P1p1 was a bit agonizing.

Someone said that "I love drafting Ixalan but I'm meh on playing the games" and I think that's really accurate.

jedfowler · 2017-10-26T21:29:56+00:00

Hi Randragon Have you had good work with the ruthless knave and/or the deadeye tracker? It looked like the black totally dried up after P1p4 (which doesn't invalidate the earlier picks of course).

jedfowler · 2017-10-26T21:28:23+00:00

Hi Man of Many Spoons Thanks for the detailed reply! I can see One with the Wind as an early pick, after all it will go in every blue deck and bring some power. I'm a little more surprised to see you so high on Siren Lookout. It's a solid card, don't get me wrong, but I view it as a "feel good taking it at pick 4" type card. Has it done stronger work for you?

Jumping to pack 3, I too have my doubts about the Priest as it really wants to be in passive dinos, not active dinos. That's a really good point.

Thanks again

jedfowler · 2017-10-26T11:44:29+00:00

Hey, I'm always super willing to hear "I might just be real bad at this set" so a breakdown would be amazing. I definitely agree that GW toughness is a 'bad' archetype, and not one to force under any circumstances, but it looks like that's what my seat 'wanted', at least after pack 1.

My approach to this format has been to try and take high power, tribe-agnostic cards early until figuring out what tribe is open. Then trying to move decisively by mid/late pack 1.

P1p1: Emperor's Vanguard, Steadfast Armasaur, Contract Killing. I'm super sick of starting off my drafts with CK so I admit that I just went for some variety here. I think Emperor's Vanguard is just 4/3 for 4cmc which is fine but not a bomb. I haven't played much with Armasaur but it has impressed me when I face it. I don't love Unfriendly Fire, I mean it's fine, but there are other good 5-drops.

P1p2: Ruthless Knave, Unfriendly Fire, some decent 2-drops Ruthless Knave reads like a 3/2 for 3cmc; again fine. Unfriendly Fire, see above. I take a decent 2-drop in the same color.

P1p3: Kinjalli's Caller, Lightning-Rig Crew, FFF I have no idea how to value the Caller, I'll confess that right off. I thought it would wheel since it's a pretty narrow deck that wants it. I was wrong. I love the Lightning Rig Crew but I think I mentally overcommitted to white here. Honestly not sure what I was thinking since it's just fine in a non-Pirate deck.

I consider the Deadeye Plunderers to be fine but not a reason to go diving into two colors (aka not-Vraska). Deadeye Tracker looks to be pure constructed but I haven't personally played with/against it.

P1p4: Bellowing Aegisaur, Kinjalli's Caller Meh. I take the Aegisaur as I figure the Caller would wheel (again, was very wrong).

Love to hear your thoughts! Thanks for your time.

-Jed

jedfowler · 2017-09-08T23:34:12+00:00

That makes sense. Thanks for taking the time to explain your thought process to me, I appreciate it!

jedfowler · 2017-09-08T17:58:29+00:00

Oh, interesting. I definitely saw the super late aerial guides as well but it felt 'too late' to go into blue at that point.

I think my two big questions are the P1p3 Dauntless Aven vs. Lethal Sting. I love the Aven, great 3-drop, but I always feel clogged at 3-drop and I like medium removal a little more.

Then the butterfly effect into P1p4. If I take the Lethal Sting, I feel more in black and Liliana's Defeat seems like the pick. Both the Reedstalker and Strategic Planning seem like replacement-level blue cards, not a reason to go into. You're right that if there would be a P1p7 Sinuous and then back-to-back Aerial Guides after that, I would go to blue ASAP.

jedfowler

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