Who's the beatdown?

[fadedblue]

One mistake I see a lot of at local tournaments is the idea of who has control of the current board state. This is important to know because it will directly effect decisions and plays. This concept has been around since the beginning of magic and even though the article is old, its a very important read if you want to improve your game especially with those agro vs. agro games in limited.

http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/fundamentals/3692_Whos_The_Beatdown.html

I hope this helps some of you as much as it has helped me.

[DarthStabber]

This is one of the most important things you will ever read in your magic playing career.

[Kaitscralt]

I think about this article at least once per tournament.

[DarthStabber]

If you aren't think about it at least once per round it's not enough.

[Khaospawn]

It's worth rereading every year, imo

[Kaitscralt]

If you aren't think about it at least once per round it's not enough.

This isn't true.

[Stardust]

If you aren't think about it at least once per round it's not enough.

This isn't true.

There are so many factors to consider in the matchup between RDW and UB Control. How can you know how aggressive to play?

[DarthStabber]

I remember the years of the faeries, some people made "control" variants that were still very fast.

[Kaitscralt]

If you aren't think about it at least once per round it's not enough.

This isn't true.

There are so many factors to consider in the matchup between RDW and UB Control. How can you know how aggressive to play?

This is true but there will inevitably be games where the UB player never has to consider the concepts of Who's the Beatdown, they will enter knowing they are control and get mindless removal
after removal until the only thing left to do is play a finisher and win. Their mind will never go to this article. You use what you learn here for specific matches and situations, but not all.

[DarthStabber]

That's true, there are some decks that are, game 1, a giant pile of answers and 2 copies of 1 big beater, and I have no idea how to play that as beatdown (unless it's a R/X control deck where you start throwing burn at their face), especially in UB and UW (and especially esper)

[Stardust]

I was actually being sarcastic. Obviously you play as aggressively as possible until they Wrath you, at which point you remember that you're supposed to play around that shit.

[DarthStabber]

Just because you are obviously beatdown doesn't give you an excuse to overextend into board wipes.

[Stardust]

I was actually being sarcastic. Again.

[DarthStabber]

Never ascribe to sarcasm that which can adequately be explained by incompetence.

[Stardust]

Pretty sure it's the other way around on the 'net. "Never ascribe to sarcasm that which can adequately be explained by malice" might be right, though.