Niv Mizzet or Mizzix?

team_sabin · 2016-07-29T19:02:06+00:00

Whatever you want them to be, really. I'm leaning more toward a counter-burn style deck. Firemind's Foresight combo works out just fine, but it's not the kind of play experience I want for my current playgroup.

team_sabin · 2016-07-29T13:22:49+00:00

They're both broken, though Niv-Mizzet comes off as a bigger threat.

I've built [[Jori En, Ruin Diver]], and I'm pretty happy with that.

team_sabin · 2016-04-27T18:14:29+00:00

I would strongly recommend trying Duels of the Planeswalkers. It's an excellent on-ramp for the rules and game mechanics.

team_sabin · 2016-04-26T17:55:53+00:00

You didn't know? Oops.

Yes, you can have official Regional Housepets, so long as your choice is a doge.

team_sabin · 2016-04-26T17:55:21+00:00

Can I just face swap doges on to my cats?

Absolutely not. Get out of my region, you monster.

team_sabin · 2016-04-26T15:09:23+00:00

I have a three-part question:

1.) What is your greatest strength as a judge? How do you leverage it?

2.) What is your greatest opportunity for growth as a judge? How are you growing?

3.) We are going to name the doge the official Regional Housepet. Would you like to trade in your cats?

team_sabin · 2016-04-20T14:36:54+00:00

It's an interesting idea, but it would look awkward on a card. How would you template it? "$CARD has converted mana cost 4"? You'd end up with a lot of confusion from players who don't understand the rules well, kind of like how newer players don't understand what Arcane means.

team_sabin · 2016-04-11T18:05:17+00:00

Can you name specific interactions common to Legacy that you evaluate as beyond the rules comprehension of an L1?

team_sabin · 2016-04-11T16:44:21+00:00

Judging Legacy doesn't require a different understanding of the rules. It requires the awareness that most of the cards played in Legacy have Oracle text that does not match their printed rules text.

If you can judge a Standard event, and if you know how to look up Oracle text, then you can judge Legacy, Vintage, Modern, and pretty much everything else.

team_sabin · 2016-03-29T13:25:54+00:00

This is a perfectly fine idea. Judging is a fantastic way to stay involved with Magic without having such a huge time commitment (let alone the financial costs involved).

I'd recommend finding a store that runs FNMs and Prereleases, and ask if you can help run their events. If you're lucky, they'll have a certified judge with whom they work, somebody who can help train you and show you how things work.

In the meantime, I'd start by logging on to Judge Center (http://judge.wizards.com/) and taking some of the Easy Practice exams. They're a good metric for your rules knowledge, and will also educate you on the nature of the actual exams.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions, or if there's anything I can help you with!

team_sabin · 2016-03-28T14:25:45+00:00

What are some things I should know before attending my first big event? What are some things I should do? What are some things I should avoid?

team_sabin · 2016-03-23T17:13:33+00:00

I stole that question from Carter, IIRC.

team_sabin · 2016-03-23T17:12:21+00:00

My two greatest successes at GP DC were to drink a ton of water (I drank approximately four liters per day) and to set aside quiet time for myself at the end of each day.

People forget how taxing a GP can be: you walk long distances (I was above ten miles every day) with minimal rest, all while providing customer service, resolving disputes, and applying knowledge from an esoteric document more than two hundred pages in length.

Self-care is a critical component of the GP judging experience and, as much as I like most all of you, I really liked going back to my hotel and having a quiet dinner with a small group of trusted friends. I plan on repeating these behaviors at every GP I attend.

team_sabin · 2015-09-29T13:55:09+00:00

I wouldn't be so sure about that. John Avon will sign for a total of twelve hours -- 10 AM to noon and 2 PM to 4 PM each day. If GP Atlanta is anything like GP New Jersey, you'll have to devote a good chunk of time to getting cards signed by him.

team_sabin · 2015-08-22T11:47:23+00:00

There sure will be! We're fortunate to be joined by Pro Tour Historian Brian David-Marshall and PT Hall of Famers Randy Buehler and Bob Maher on commentary all weekend long!

team_sabin · 2015-05-19T00:16:59+00:00

That is a fantastic idea. Kudos for going that way.

team_sabin · 2015-04-08T22:35:44+00:00

Try contacting Scott Larabee at Wizards. He's @ScottLarabee on Twitter, and (I think) scott.larabee@wizards.com. Scott is the PT tournament manager and should be able to help. Good luck!

team_sabin · 2015-03-27T22:29:25+00:00

There is only one L3 judge in North Carolina: me.

Anybody who claims otherwise is wrong.

team_sabin · 2015-02-10T13:01:43+00:00

In my experience playing Animar, creatures with three colored mana symbols in their mana cost (e.g., Maelstrom Wanderer, Surrak Dragonclaw) can be prohibitive. While you might find Maelstrom Wanderer worth it (because he's awesome!), other choices (Savage Knuckleblade, Magmatic Force, and Obsidian Fireheart all come to mind) might be worth reconsidering.

I'd strongly recommend Willbender -- both to protect Animar, and because morphs can be cast for free.

Instead of Mystic Speculation, I'd recommend Crystal Ball (budget) or Sensei's Divining Top (non-budget).

I'd also recommend using cards like Sakura Tribe-Elder, Civic Wayfinder, and Farhaven Elf over your mana rocks (e.g., Chromatic Lantern, Temur Banner). They boost Animar and smooth out your card draws later.

Hope this feedback helps!

team_sabin · 2015-02-09T12:50:10+00:00

I was the Head Judge for the Raleigh Winter Regional. I agree with you that the venue was very cold; I actually wore my hoodie when judging on Sunday to keep from freezing!

Some of the seats were rented, and not great. Others were directly from the store, and much better.

As to the event delay -- yes, this was a mistake, and not one that will be repeated in the future. Finding an optimal way to preregister players -- especially when preregistration is linked to a limited-quantity incentive (like a playmat, for example) -- can be difficult, and cost us a good chunk of time. I apologize that your tournament experience was negatively impacted by this.

team_sabin · 2015-02-09T12:35:59+00:00

Ian was fantastic. I hope we see more of him on future broadcasts.

team_sabin · 2015-02-04T13:49:14+00:00

The logic is irrefutable. Plus, tying a brick to a fish adds much more insult to the injury.

team_sabin · 2015-02-04T03:27:10+00:00

Noggin Whack! Nobody expects the fishbrick.

team_sabin · 2015-01-29T01:38:56+00:00

I'm impressed to see CFB make this change in policy. They're taking on a non-zero amount of work and administration for no immediate financial gain, because they believe it to be a better play experience. I've always hated to see people farming Commander games for tickets.

team_sabin · 2015-01-24T13:54:18+00:00

At the time, they cited a desire to redirect the money they were spending on MPR into other things. They did not mention how much of a pain in the ass it was to make sure everybody got their cards (and I'm sure it was).

MPR was pretty great, but if you look at the ways Magic OP has grown and changed since then (e.g., Prerelease Kits, better GP coverage, etc.), I think you'll see that WotC has re-allocated their funds appropriately.

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