Subject: Misc Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 16:24:22 -0400 From: Jeff Fitch To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com Killing the Metagame. This article is all about the subtle ways you can change the metagame at a tournament. Every now and then when I look at the Dojo I happen to see an article all about the Metagame, that legendary game that take place within the confinds of each players head whil they play the game. One of the most obvious uses of the Metagame is in playing a Counterspell deck of any sort. The way it is used most often is that a player will leave 2 islands untapped making the other player have to think about playing a spell. This is the simplist form of the metagame known. In the same right a all red deck has this potential with burn decks, but what if your not playing blue or red, how do you change the Metagame to your advantage? Well there are subtle ways of doing this. The first way to change a metagame is by surprise. Surprise is your biggest advantage in any tournament. Create decks based around obscure cards. How bout a mono green deck based around Scragnoth's. 3/4 for 5 and it's protection from blue and can't be countered. A surprise to all blue players and a serious bad ass Metagame changer. Now your opponents will have to sideboard in just to deal with a creature that can't be Tradewinded, Capsized, or blocked by blue creatures. Along with element of surprise is the element of fear. Fear is the greatest way to taint any metagame. The best way to do this is to have friends in the crowd pass along the word that your deck is basically unstoppable. Tell them to make up stories of how your deck went 5-0 at some tournament and that is has never been beat. Tell of some obscure "Super engine" that the cards perform when a certain combo happens. People will be sideboarding just to deal with this and then you can give them a normal beat down while they wait to deal with the "Super Engine." Another method to taint the Metagame, play strange. When I say play strange I mean make sure your opponent doesn't know what is going on at all. Play cards in a strange order. This will often throw your opponent off long enough for you to build up what you need to win. Don't play a Dojo deck. I love dojo decks personally. They are some of the best created for magic, but they are prepared for. Dojo decks are well known and are expected at the major Tourney's. Play unusual deck variations, the type that are best known for losing. These decks are never really thought about while a tournament is going on. Win! The single best way to screw the metagame up is this. If you are a relative unknown, just win. It will surprise people if you can win and make it to the final 8. They won't know your style or what type of player you are. Variety, variety, variety. This is the only way to become successful at magic. You'll never win if every tournament you play Sligh or control. Your opponents will know what tactics your using. When you use different decks you improve your chances of winning and thus change the metagame. Have fun. This is it the big one, the whole enchilada. If you want to change magic's metagame simply go and have fun. When you lose say "Nice Game." Smile and be friendly. If someone calls you a Scrub or chumly, just smile and say "I may be one right now, but soon I'll be as good as you." These are simple and effective ways of changing the metagame of any tournament. Of course you could always just play the game and not worry about it, that seems to screw people up a lot also. Jeff Fitch Team Teim (Once again proving there is an "I" in team.)