The MTG Community - Try, Don't Hate [Edward Eng - Battlemage, Level 42]
Shadows of Innistrad spoilers are upon us. And once again, I'm hearing people talk about how bad or unplayable cards are. But I actually love it when all people do is complain because you can make money on cards that people misevaluate. You also get to beat people up with cards they think suck.
It's pretty funny how people still haven't changed since Magic was released over 20 years ago. But the better players and the players who want to get better take a different approach to evaluating new sets and cards.
I remember when Ice Age came out and I opened up Necropotence. I thought it was one of the worst Magic cards ever printed. Why would you want to skip your draw step? Why would you want to pay life to draw cards? Sounded terrible. I quickly learned my lesson as Necropotence has proven itself to be one of the most powerful cards in the history of the game.
Over the years, I've learned to be patient with new sets and cards. I believe there's almost always a use for a card. And you shouldn't be so quick to judge whether or not a card is 'good' or 'bad'.
What you should do is try a card before you determine its level of playability. A perfect example of this was Jace, Vryn's Prodigy. Many people disliked the card when it was first released. I, on the other hand, wasn't so quick to praise or dismiss it. Instead, I started brewing with the card in Modern. And it wasn't till then that I quickly realized it had some potential. I clearly remember thinking that it could be better in Legacy since the format has even more spells that are cheaper to cast and more powerful than the ones available in Modern. Well, we all know how the story of Jace played out. Bonkers.
The bottom line is that's it's hard to evaluate a card without trying it first. And sometimes you shouldn't even waste your time trying to evaluate a card. Rather, you should focus on the applications of cards.
For example, take a card like Eerie Interlude.
Rather than say this card is good or bad, you should think about its applications.
1. You can use it against a deck that plays sweepers.
2. You can use it against a deck with a lot of removal.
3. You can use it in a deck that has a lot of creatures with enter the battlefield effects.
From here, this can help you determine if the card belongs in the main deck of if it's a sideboard card. Surely, this is a much more productive way to look at Magic cards. I encourage you to do this as Shadows of Innistrad cards are spoiled throughout these next few weeks. You'll be amazed at how this will improve your deckbuilding skills and strengthen your overall skill level.
What cards have you misevaluated in the past?
Peace, love, and have fun…
Eddie
Additional Reading
1. Event - $1k Magic Tournament Hosted by Galactic Treasures & The Card House
2. MTG Reporter - Jeskai Ascendancy Combo at Grand Prix Houston [Ty Thomason - Archmage, Level 46]
3. MTG Reporter - Poops Be Cheatin' [Edward Eng - Battlemage, Level 42]
4. The MTG Community - Get Lucky [Edward Eng - Battlemage, Level 42]
A Little Bit about Eddie
He started playing Magic around December of 1994 then hit the sanctioned competitive tournament scene in 1997. He played till about 2000 and was on the cusp of making the Pro Tour but stopped to focus on school. He found his old teammate on Facebook in 2009 and got back into the game in 2010. Since then he's played in two Nationals, top 16ed an SCG Invitational, and day 2ed multiple Grand Prix.
Edward Eng
Galactic Treasures
