A Little Bird Told Me You’re Missing Out.
March 27, 2012
If you have read any of my previous posts, you are aware that I always end with a few things. I tell you to go listen to my podcast and I tell you that you can contact me on Twitter. The podcast, Planeswalker Asylum, primarily focuses on Magic Culture, which for the most part evolves on Twitter. Obviously articles and tournament results play in to it as well but the community’s reaction to the articles and tournament results happens most organically on Twitter. I thought everyone who had anything to do with Magic had a Twitter. It only makes sense, from an insiders stand point. Then I found out that this wasn’t true.
“I don’t get it. The number sign thing is weird.”
“No Twitter is dumb.”
“How can I say anything in 140 characters? I like using words!”
If you have said anything like the above statements, then you need to read this article. Twitter is where the Magic happens.
I’d be willing to bet that most people who read this like playing at the local FNM so that is where I will begin. The reason why you like FNM is not just because you get to play Magic. You like FNM because you get to see your friends. You get to hang out, crack some jokes, talk about Magic, and of course laugh when your friend totally punts a game. You go to FNM for the atmosphere. For the most part, that is how everyone on the Twittersphere interacts with one another. You get to see what your friends have to say about the most recent announcement almost instantly. Not only that, you get to see what the Pros like LSV and Patrick Chapin think about the most recent announcement.
That level of connectivity to people that you normally wouldn’t be able to talk to or hear their personal opinions makes Twitter that much more important to those involved with Magic. It isn’t just the Pros that you get to interact with though. Mark Rosewater is on Twitter, as is Aaron Forsythe and several other members of the Wizard’s staff. They each encourage you to give feedback to things they say. While they might not always respond immediately or even at all, you can be reasonably certain that if they asked for a response, they read the responses.
Connectivity with the Pros and the people who actually make Magic is fantastic but you actually have access to a larger group of people than you might imagine. Have you watched Star City Live coverage? What about the new Grand Prix coverage by Wizard’s? Then you have seen the Twitter feed going. Want to comment on a misplay or a sweet deck or even want to try to get your friend who is X-0 on coverage? Tweeting at Star City or the Magic Pro Tour account with the appropriate hash tag (That is the weird number sign thing, FYI.) might get you a few responses. Tweeting your record as you continue through an event with the hashtag usually results in someone wishing you luck or telling you not to punt in your feature match. A perfect example of the power and versatility of Twitter is 20 Tweets–an article found on LegitMTG.com–which covers important tournaments and popular issues pertaining to Magic that arise on Twitter.
On a more personal level, if you just made a sweet deck, finished a fantastic looking alter, posted your most recent blog or podcast, Twitter is the place you go to make sure that people instantly see it and go take a look. More than that, if you have a question about the rules randomly or about logistics getting to the next GP, Twitter is usually quick to respond to your query.
When I started writing this article, I asked people what they liked about Twitter. I got responses throughout the day. People said that they enjoyed being constantly connected to the community, that they liked seeing what was happening at tournaments-even if they couldn’t watch the coverage, and that they actually enjoyed the challenge of making a coherent, clever post in such a confined space. Each of these reasons makes a lot of sense and showcases a different aspect of Twitter that is enjoyable.
So let us, for the moment assume that I convinced you to actually acquire a Twitter. Where do you start? First, think of a cool name. Now be sad that someone has taken it already. Think of another cool name. Be sad again. Repeat until you find a name that works. Then write a neat little bio about yourself. If you write a blog or something, the website area is a good way to flaunt that. Then you need people to follow!
This list is very brief but it is a good place for you to start.
Star City Folks:
Channel Fireball Folks:
MTG Finance Folks:
Wizard’s Folks:
Assorted individuals of import:
To be clear, this is by no means a complete list and if I left you off, it isn’t because I don’t think you are important. Instead I have just provided 20 people that are a good starting point for anyone getting involved in Twitter for the first time. If you are involved with Twitter and aren’t following some of these people, consider it. They usually say good things or are relevant in some way.
Hopefully this has changed your mind about Twitter. If it hasn’t, tell me why. If it did convince you, tell me why on Twitter @samdavisboyhero and you should follow the host of this entire blog network, Neale. Take a listen to the podcast if you are interested in Magic Culture, or if you want to know what my voice sounds like (Hint: sexy). And as always, thanks for reading.
Until next time, keep your sleeves clean and your tweets funny.
Not a Tournament Report!
March 13, 2012
I don’t know about you but I don’t enjoy tournament reports. There are exceptions, of course. But as a general rule, I just don’t see the point most of the time. If you have a sweet deck, tell me what you liked and didn’t like. Feel free to offer some matches as examples. What I don’t want to see is something dull that has literally no point. The first game of my first match of the Legacy event is a perfect example of what I am talking about. This will be boring. Stick with it. It will pay off. If it doesn’t, you can write mean comments.
I sit down across from my opponent. He seems cool. We say the words we are supposed to. Where are you from? Oh that isn’t the worst drive. Did you play standard? Oh that is an interesting choice. How did you do? Oh that isn’t too bad. Blah Blah Blah. Dice are rolled. He is on the play. He shuffled weird. I see an Underground Sea and then an Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite. Okay, this is the worst match up for me.
We draw up our hands. He keeps. I have no lands. Down to 6. No lands. 5. No lands. 4. No lands. Keep it anyway. Underground Sea Go.
Draw. Not a land. Go.
EOT Brainstorm. Untap. Land. Careful Study discarding Inkwell Leviathan. Reanimate targets the big fish. Go.
Draw. No land. Go.
Draw. Hit you for 7. Go.
Draw. No land. Scoup.
That was boring. Just a bad beats story. Now I know that not all reports go like that but sometimes it is round after round of effort to meet the final wordcount. I would honestly rather you put out no content at all than content that isn’t worth reading. So I would like to try something a bit different for my games 2 and 3.
Feeling the shame of a crushing defeat at the hands of the Leviathan, I blinked off the plane and into the Void. The space between one plane and another is the perfect place to gather my thoughts and devise a plan to fight off this powerful, necrotic foe. Fortunately, stored in a bubble and hidden in the Void at a location only I knew, there exists a cache of spells that might assist me. Finding it, I smiled to myself, selected a choice few, and blinked back to the plane.
The dark mage stood, mockingly, across a blank field. He called out to me, asking if I was prepared to try my luck again. My mind was full of fire and thoughts of home. I simply nodded to him and I saw his eyes glow blue with the untold power hidden inside his head. Focusing on the mountain ranges where I first discovered my spark, I saw the ground dry and turn a dusty red. The lands had responded to my call. Not a moment later, a goblin snapped through the aether and charged headlong, unfazed by its trip from the plane of Zendikar, toward my opponent. I could see for a moment, in the necromancer’s eyes, thoughts of a delta, tainted by evil. Then the teeth of the goblin met the flesh of his leg. The pain was certain but the mage stood stoic. After a moment the goblin exhausted his energies and paused his assult.
The same delta that formed in the mage’s eyes moments ago appeared beneath his feet. Then the land shifted and he stood at the mouth of a cave, water trickling past his boots. He closed his eyes for a moment and I saw his aura grow blue as he chanted in a language I didn’t understand. Suddenly, behind him appeared the corpse of a radiant angel clad in armor. I had heard tales of such an angel from a knightly female who claimed that once summoned the angel would accept upon itself the dangers and damages that would normally befall a mage.
The fire flowed into my mind with even greater zeal than at the beginning of the battle. The red earth beneath my feet shook and a mountain appeared behind me. The goblin, regaining his strength, again gnawed at the mage, who was now certainly worse for wear. Then again calling upon the power of my home, I let fire flow through me. It burned. The pain was great but I knew that the necromancer felt the same pain. His discomfort made mine easy to dismiss.
He gestured arcanely at the angel and I saw that this attempt to rouse the guardian, were it to prove successful, would hinder my spells from finding their true mark. His face paled as he strived to reanimate her lifeless corpse. At that moment I knew that this spell would hurt the mage a great deal and I thought of a plan. Desperate but potentially rewarding, I pushed forth the flames from mountains at my back. I knew that doing so would certainly sever my connection with these lands but the damage it would deal the tainted mage would be enough to ensure that victory was mine this time. The lands disappeared and so too did the mage. I knew he would be back shortly.
I blinked again into the void and cleared my head. Then back to the contested plane. Moments later my opponent was back as well. I looked at him and he shook his head, dismissing what knowledge might be therein, seeking to find more potent sorceries to fight my magics. After a moment, he nodded and I found almost all my thoughts again consumed with fire, save the piece of trickery I had pulled from the bubble in the Void. Our fight was about to begin for a third time and to the victor would go the plane along with whatever treasures and spells that might have been hidden here.
The delta again appeared and this time it transformed into an island. Once more the mage closed his eyes and he glowed with power. In the waters behind the island, the body of the dreaded leviathan that had bested me upon our first encounter floated to the surface. I knew that in moments I could be met with the attacks of this monster.
A mountain emerged underfoot and with its power I threw a bolt of lightning. It connected with the mage and his face was wracked with pain for the briefest of moments.
Next to the island a swamp emerged and I knew that my time may not be long for this plane. Instead of simply reanimating the beast still floating behind him, the mage closed his eyes for a third time. Careful consideration went into the next few moments then the corpses of not one but two of the Phyrexian Praetors. I know that my fear must have shown. This mage was clearly well traveled and powerful.
I call upon a second mountain and summon an elemental. The mage winces as the elemental’s claws pierce his skin. After a moment the elemental disappears and a pile of ash, still smoldering, appears behind me. The warmth at my back reassures me that I may yet have hope to defeat this necromancer.
He smiles and I am filled with concern. Again he whispers arcane words and I feel the taint of his spell engulf the area. Black tendrils curl about the pile of ash behind me, attempting to beckon it back to life. Similar whisps dance between the three dead monsters behind the mage. I then realize my rage has blinded me to my own options. I shake my head, seemingly dismissing a thought. A faerie appears behind me for a moment and the corpses of both Phyrexians disappear into the aether with a malicious giggle and a snap. The dark tendrils afix themselves to the mighty leviathan and to the faerie, animating both of them with its dark touch.
I send the faerie over the oddly helpless leviathan to scratch at the eyes of the dark mage. As soon as the faerie stops, a spike of lava erupts from a mountain behind me, splashing against my opponent.
He retaliates, sending the leviathan straight for me. There is nothing I can do to prevent its attack. The pain is massive and I know I won’t be able to survive more than one more attack like that.
I preform a bit of necromancy, asking the smoldering pile of ash behind me to reform once again for just a moment. The ashes form and the revived elemental joins my malicious aerial ally against the necromancer. After its purpose is served, the elemental disappears into the Void.
Unwilling to give up hope, the black mage sends the leviathan crashing in a second time. I know that this will hurt, but bracing against the might of the sea monster does little to lessen the pain. I coax lightning from my fingers toward the mage but through sheer force of will he swats the spell away.
My faerie goes toward the mage again, making contact with his throat. After just a second, The Void opens up and the necromancer and his vile taint are gone from the plane.
I stand alone, victorious. Now to seek the spoils…
That was certainly more enjoyable to write than a play-by-play of what otherwise would have been fairly uninteresting games. I hope that you had just as much fun reading it. If you’re interested in reading more like this, please let me know. In fact, any feedback on this would be greatly appreciated. As always, I can be found on Twitter if you can’t get in touch with me here. Thanks for reading!
Until next time, keep your sleeves clean and your reading interesting.