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Paul’s Perspective
Why We Suck at Magic
August 30th, 2010 

Welcome back readers the title of this column is meant to be inflammatory but also meant to help make us better players myself included. Often times people make mistakes but its those who don't learn from their mistakes that truly suffer. Today I am going to give you five handy tips to not suck at Magic in no particular order. These are things most experience players should know and practice but a refresher never hurt anyone.

#1 Don't run Singleton's

The truth is most casual players may not have the full play set of Jace The Mind Sculptor but throwing a random copy into your blue deck is not always the best idea. The idea of playing with what you have is a good one but running a deck jam packed with one or two of's is not a good idea. To maximize consistency always try to run the maximum amount of your power cards and often times one or two of's of finishers. If you have a handful of singletons in your deck and no way to search for them it may be a good idea to go over why they are in your deck in the first place.

#2 Don't Overextend

For those of you not down with the jargon of Magic, do not put more creatures on the board then you need to to keep pressure on your opponents. One of the single biggest mistakes I see players make is go all or nothing on the board, dumping their entire hands onto the table when its not beneficial or just to have something to do that turn. Some players despise inaction but a lot of times that is whats called for. I don't know how many times I have had players dump an entire army of creatures just to meet a Damnation or other board clearer. Don't make the mistake save threats in your hand force your opponent to wipe the board or to save some fuel for later. This is an important lesson do not overextend but don't ease off the pressure.

#3 Fix That Mana

Mana fixing is an important part of the game not being able to cast your spells is no fun, to insure that you can cast spells budget cards like Terramorphic Expanse and Evolving Wild's are great for multiplayer decks and often handy for duels. The enter play tapped lands from Shards of Alara are relatively cheap options for players and can allow you to go three colors easily. The come into play tapped lands from Zendikar gain you a life which does not seem like much but can stop what would be an otherwise lethal fireball. Increasing in price we have the pain-lands from numerous core sets, the shock lands from Ravnica, the fetch lands from Zendikar and Onslaught and finally out of the range of most casual players the original duel lands. Consistency in your mana base is important especially if you are running cards that require a heavy amount of a certain color, think cards like Consume Spirit and Leatherback Baloth as examples of cards requiring a dedication to a color. Fixing mana is important it makes your deck run smoother and the game more fun.

#4 Don't Worry

Be Happy, all joking aside more experienced players can be overwhelming. Their huge collections, powerful decks and knowledge about the game may be intimidating but trust me the feeling doesn't last. As you expand your collection and grow as a player  you will have the tools necessary to make competitive decks and have large trade binders. Don't worry when you get stomped for the 100,000,000 time by your friends Elf deck or lose turn three against a devastating combo deck, you live and learn and discover strategies for defeating decks such as these, its all part of growing as a player and learning the game.

#5 Don't Buy Boosters

I myself am guilt of this crime. Whodoesn't like cracking a few boosters the thrill of the chase, boosters are often impulse buys or for drafting. If your buying boosters to try and find that final Baneslayer Angel for your deck that's wasteful. Buying singles to improve your deck is the way to do, some players may scoff at spending $30 or more on a card but if you are a serious enough player and it would improve your deck its a wise investment. Which would you rather have a handful of useless commons and uncommon's and junk rares? Or a play set of a powerful card to round out your deck. The internet is full of sites that sell Magic singles and other Magic products shop around to see the best deals for you and the cards you are interested in.

Thanks for reading I will see you next time, same place.

Comments,Criticism and Concerns PlatinumFUBU5@hotmail.com