Think Like A Pro - Mistakes!

[@kameenook]

If you play casual the only real mistake you can do is to not have fun.

[@elizabertolini9905]

Or play a one sided deck

[@theredsorcerer7764]

+kameenook Or tilt out but that probably goes under the don't lose the aspect of fun.

[@man.newton]

Or play something like Jund against someone who just built their first Gruul Stompy, and ruin their fun. Always remember, it's not masturbation. You need them to enjoy it too. Now if they're playing 192 lands, 4 Battle of Wits, and 4 enchantment tutors, that's not on you.

[@robertpaterson6560]

my playgroup always tilts at the end of a game if an infinite combo or bordwipe were used and then we just talk about it and how it would be avoidable.

[@robertpaterson6560]

my playgroup is mostly commander

[@kevinweaver2445]

Do the credits I earn for this degree transfer to the Tolarian Community College? Thanks in advance

[@MTGDegree]

+Kevin Weaver Lol :p

[@colinderue8095]

+Kevin Weaver yes. and that was amazing.

[@Oddip]

+Kevin Weaver Brilliant :D

[@ryanlilienthal8741]

im literally dying XDDDDD

[@zombiejuggalotus]

I hope so....

[@blakesleegoss6991]

Great points. Especially the bit about fear of taking damage. Other mistakes: 1 - Over committing all your resources to the board. OOPS!!! Board wipe 2 - Not being aware of opponents hand size. Leading with best spells. Failing to bait out counters/removal. 3 - Succumbing to counter/removal bait. "How much do I really care about that? What worse thing could happen?" 4 - Failing to bluff cards. "Do I really need to drop a ninth land when the only other two cards in my hand are two casting cost?"

[@PrebenHollywoodTV]

+blakeslee goss advice no. 4 is a great one! Thanks! So obvious, but still worth remembering

[@bipolarprobe]

I think a lot of people really don't understand how to identify when they are over committed to a board because people need a shift in mindset when thinking about the game. Often times people will under commit fearing a boardwipe, and miss out on damage they could be dealing, or they will over commit even when it doesn't actually change the number of turns it takes to kill the opponent. tarmogoyf is a great example of this idea with board commitment because a 5/6 tarmogoyf puts a 4 turn counter on the opponent that they have to answer. when you have a faster clock than the opponent, you have control of the match. when you can chip at their life total with a flipped delver while removing their creatures, you're in control and don't have to push too hard and risk being blown out. and when there's a counter on you you either need a way to turn that counter back on the opponent or get rid of their counter on you. basically thinking about the game and each turn in terms of how it leads to a victory or a loss and making sure to do enough to turn it in your favor but only just enough. TL;DR over committing is a common mistake and can be helped by thinking of the game in how many turns until someone wins.

[@Eddneton94]

@@bipolarprobe thats controll decks in a nutshell. but what about aggro, burn and engine? doesnt realy fit too well since as aggro you want to end asap since the longer the game is taking, you become less likely to deal with threats/ solutions of your enemy. burn only deals with board to an extend so it can stay >0 LP. mostly leaving weaker creatures on the bord and try to deal with them with the view creatures you have leaking as view damage as possible. and i think there is no discussio about why its almoast impossible to overcomit as an engine/combo deck for your wincondition.

[@gamekeeper777]

Thumbs up as soon as you said "don't tell people they can't play magic." Nothing said before or after that will change my mind. Also subscribing, ty.

[@vonBelfry]

I like this guy. I love hearing the saying "To win, you have to lose". Don't think he says it explicitly, but it's implied in the "choosing your opponent" section. Lose more to win more. It's how things are.

[@MTGDegree]

+vonBelfry Thanks for the compliment :D

[@MrBuns-yi2hk]

vonBelfry My cousin is pretty good at this. Don't be a jerk. Be a good loser. I try to as often as possible.

[@VideoGameManiac8]

the worst mistake I made was bringing Pokemon Trading Cards into a Magic tourney

[@Galactor99]

Rita Rubary 🤣🙃 that's kinda too much

[@redi8229]

are you saying i can't use this +4 uno card in this mtg table?

[@VideoGameManiac8]

@@redi8229 well its not a Pokemon card so you might have a chance!

[@TheLegalCustodian]

YOU DESERVE WAY MUCH ATTENTION! The quality of your content is outstanding!

[@MrCScottie]

I agree!

[@MTGDegree]

Thanks for the compliment! :) Maybe one day we'll be a big channel :p

[@FluffyFractalshard]

Hülzen von Spackingen totally!

[@Chewie9]

+Hülzen von Spackingen Agree!!!

[@bobhelger5794]

+Hülzen von Spackingen 100% true (Even though i subbed yesterday)

[@TheNdoki]

Pffft. I don't need no stinkin' lands.

[@christophercombs7561]

that's legacy it's called "oops all spells"

[@MTGDegree]

Excellent reference!!

[@naomisalama430]

Or pauper 1 land spy

[@coffeecaesar1443]

Just play 56 land Siesmic Assault Burn

[@MrPranks247]

If there is anything i have learned from playing mono red aggro/burn for the past 3 or 4 sets, its that i don't care about my life total until its at 0

[@Sephirothstrife-yk8en]

I play blue red counter burn and it follows the same principle where I just go till I got about 5 life and then it usually slows down

[@mrbones9196]

Sephirothstrife 2600 I started playing red blue counter burn deck after I drafted two cinder wind and I tend to slow down at around 7-8 life because by that point I’ve either board advantage, I’m in a position to win or I’ve set up my meme tier win condition of swarm intelligence, turn 3 miari conjecture and a bunch of burn. Or for maximum meme strats, miari, swarm and kicked fight with fire

[@geezydeezy]

Saying, "I'll alow it" when I have no counters in hand. Lol

[@Yoshi92]

@@geezydeezy hehehe yea

[@3weiter]

I got a few! 1. Planeswalkers Sometime people gets to fixed on killing their opponent's planeswalkers, and attack relentlessy, losing many creatures and cards over that one card. You have to ask yourself "What is this planeswalker doing against my stragegy? and what happens if I leave it unchecked? But perhabs the most important one. Can I kill the opponent instead, and attack him raither than the planeswalker. Some planeswalker will destroy you fast if left unchecked. Others are aren't really protection the opponent, but makes him or her's threats bigger. If you are winning the race don't get to focused on killing the planeswalker. Remember, if you kill your opponent, the planeswalker dies aswell. 2. Kill spells Sometimes you keep your removals or damage spells to long, fearing your opponent might put a bigger or more powerfull creature on the board. Suddenly your realise that the two drop you spared you bolt on, have dealt you 9 damage. Is that really worth it? A path or abrupt decay is so powerfull, and it can be difficult sometimes to know when to use them. I guess there is no true right or wrong in this matter. But I tend to think that kills spells should be used on the creatures you have no other means to get rid of, or creatures that will outright kill you. It sound obvious, but think about how many times you killed something to late, because you were waiting for something bigger to come along. Remember, killing the biggest threat, doesn't take away the first one :) 3. Damage spells Sometimes we tend you use our bolts or other direct damage spells with only creaturs in mind. Some times it can actually change the game if you throw your bolt at the opponent when they are at low life. This will make them less inclined to attack, leaving themselves open. Being at low life, with your opponent having several creatures on the board, can be scary. Hope some of these make some sense. If you already know this, well then good for you :)

[@michellegarcia-ortiz3638]

Bjørn Hørning Thanks for the great advice:)

[@pontious99]

When I first started playing at my LGS, a guy who I am now actually decent friends with actually pointed out one of the main flaws in my gameplay. He was actually pretty nice about it. Pointing it out after game one, and then game two actually reminded me just before I attacked with it. Granted he then knew I would probably do it, so thinking about the fact that he told me to, I didn't. Turns out he didn't have a way to stop that attack, and it would've won me that game. He wasn't actually leading me into a trap, he was actually showing me that I was able to win that turn if I did things right.

[@feliciaamore1105]

Ethan Dills i like to try to be that player for people. Problem is, i have a voice that makes it sound like everything i say is sarcastic. Soooo, my opponents don't trust me when i advice them xD

[@danacoleman4007]

Actually?

[@michellegarcia-ortiz3638]

Its true. People have all been there and want to pay it forward. Everyone where I play FNM have been extremely patient and helpful!

[@christophercombs7561]

health is just another resource

[@latorquemada]

The biggest mistake is to forget mtg is a game and not have fun

[@NathanSquarez]

lol I love to leave a few Islands untapped just to scare my friends :P

[@SirChocula]

Lol, well said friend. I play blue as well and I always do this whenever I can too :)

[@nickrush2992]

You have friends AND you play blue? Something doesn’t add up here...

[@Eddneton94]

@@nickrush2992 *kollegues

[@IvanSensei88]

Instructions unclear.. mulliganed down to zero

[@jamham69]

not aggressive enough. mulligan more.

[@KhanGarth]

another tip is waiting till the last moment to play stuff. wait to play sorcery speed stuff till main phase 2 unless it will help you out during combat. wait to play instant speed on the opponent's turn unless you need it out on your turn. also, use lands to bluff unless you need the land for something you need to cast. just like poker, deception and tricking your opponent is a big part of the game.

[@invisible4ever]

Sometimes true, sometimes not. I found myself bolting in my turn 3 because my opponent was tapped out. If they run blue or other creature saves, these rules are pretty much situation based. However, instants often like the opponents EOT, that is fact^^

[@ellahazan-fuchs7249]

A common mistake for begining and early players is to use instants and abilities in their turn instead of leaving up the mana to "bluff" or for a real spell, and then using the mana at the end of the turn or when it's more relevant. For example, i had a Lightwalker and my opponent had Raise the Alarm (casual game). My opponent cast it in his turn but if he had cast it during my turn after i attack he could have 2 for 1 me.

[@geerin.]

harel Hazan-Fuchs This is great advice. Another spin on this is to save an instant for after an opponent has tapped out and doesn't have mana left for a counter spell.

[@victorgbs]

The flipside of that is that, once people learn Instants can be used in an opponent's turn, they need to remember they can also be used as sorceries. Good examples include attempting to kill an Infect creature on your turn instead of during combat, Brainstorming main phase (especially if you currently have no active fetch) or popping the Dark Depths combo on your turn if facing a deck with Wastelands with no Wasteland currently on the board.

[@michaelreppenhagen736]

When you tell people to put the correct number of lands, you should quickly do a bit about mana curve or at least link to something.

[@KevinSmith-qt4hz]

"Excessive fear of combat tricks" , I'm too guilty of that.

[@Nalianna]

+Kevin Smith As a control player, i do too. I don't like math. seeing in a 5 v 5 creature battle all of the permutations which will live/die. so, i prefer to Wrath/Supreme Verdict them all away., while i do my favorite things... drawing cards.

[@captainnoobface1124]

+Nalianna I just unsummon a problematic creature then cast memoricide bye bye 10/10 creature with trample and your twins!

[@Nalianna]

Memoricide? cheers, good luck resolving a 4 drop spell against control :D

[@Toddalotapodamus]

This was good to watch. I used to play with sound judgement, around Theros/M15 standard, and won with less than top tier decks. I've been on a huge losing streak and I think it's because I've fallen away from actually playing good Magic and relying on my deck to do the work for me. Thanks for the refresher.

[@jonathanebers2909]

A lot of this really rang true for me. When I was first starting out I would make the worst blocks/trades because I was too afraid to take any damage. Great video, Thanks!

[@robertthompson7698]

I will always make the mistake of playing Turbo Mill. Always.

[@djisar-official]

Definitely add pay close attention to any land abilities. Nothing worse than attacking a seemingly defenseless opponent just to realize they have two wondering furmoiles.

[@zakarytaylor187]

damn those wondering furmoiles always sitting there wondering

[@djisar-official]

Wandering Fumarole... lol what was I on that day?!

[@zakarytaylor187]

+djisar XD

[@magnuspens2003]

I'm new to MTG and your channel, I enjoy both very much. I also have a suggestion, create a video describing and explaining some terminology and all that for newcomers like myself. Thanks and keep up the good work!!!

[@danielgoetschel9297]

great video, any newish player, or actually just anyone trying to take their game to the next level should watch this video.

[@MTGDegree]

+Daniel Goetschel Thanks for the kind words :D

[@90spepe]

I used to be a much too aggresive player (as in attacking all the time not like verbally agressive or anythig like that) and most of these advice i had to learn by myself... The hard way... So thanks for these good points. I recomend a lot your youtube channel (and the manasource) to my friends but they kinda ignore more me on this. Which is the the very first mistake you pointed out! Thinking you don't do any mistakes.. It leads to arrogance. "I don't need any advice from some youtuber magic nerd!"

[@FrontLineMarine84]

I know my weakness is I play aggressive, sometimes over aggressive, I build decks to come out hard and fast and I don't think of the long play.... I have made strides to fix this, honestly playing commander with 4 other people has taught me to learn to slow my pace down set things up for the longer haul.

[@levihayden4880]

This video told me I'm a pro....at making mistakes 😂

[@chriswhitman458]

I play a lot of MTG Arena, and the most common game mistake I see right now is with Mono Red Aggro decks. When I'm on the play with green, I'll drop a land and pass the turn. Then the mono red will go "Mountain, Fanatical Firebrand, Attack." Then on turn 2 I'll drop a Branchwalker and explore to make it 3/2. If they had just left the Firebrand untapped, I would either miss my turn 2 drop for fear of them killing it, or they'd get a good trade.

[@ShinnsDestiny]

Always read your cards and opponents cards thoroughly to see what they do! Has helped me and my friends big time!

[@wesleyholcombe9609]

M... his hair line makes a "M". Now that I've seen it, I can't unsee it.... Majin Magic Degree. Great videos, appreciate the perspective you deliver.

[@KeysofIDproductions]

One of the mistakes I kept making early on was not fully undestanding each phase during my turn and when to cast instant/sorceries. Now I make sure to understand more what each colour represents and what to expect when people play those colours, so I can better prepare my decks for the next time I play them. I play EDH more than constructed but the same general rule of thumb applies here too. One big mistake that should also be pointed out is that people forget to read their cards properly and end up misplaying them as a result.

[@johngagon]

Beginners often don't know the real benefit of playing at the end of someone's turn and other timing tricks. Sometimes, an instant is better during main phase but sometimes, better right when your opponent can't do much more about it than play their own instant tricks. The ah-ha moment of finishing utilizing all your resources to get some setups for your next turn and having them untapped right afterwards can be powerful for beginning players and it's something I've seen myself and others go through. You did touch on it a bit when you mentioned bluffing with that one untapped plain or island. Having it there pressures the opponent during their turn but when their turn is ended, the pressure lifts and you can then utilize all that resource that was being used to bluff.

[@satchmogames5189]

Take Care of yourself...take a bath please!

[@rayk5785]

And wear clean clothing. Please and thank you.

[@victorsandeen2694]

Are you sure they aren't Yugioh players if they smell that bad?

[@Mynamedoesntreallyfi]

Not sure if it was mentioned but I guess this is more of a tip. Which phase to play your land in. Precombat main land drops help fight force spikes and help defend yourself in combat. Postcombat main land drops help bluff combat.

[@MrInfernoblade10]

really good advice, one thing is scooping too early in a match or during testing. If you think there is any hope of winning go for it don't give up. Sometimes, this leads to doubt for the rest of the match, tournament, etc.

[@flodehaan3935]

Dude! Cool tips! Very helpful! Even outside Magic

[@Zudexa]

I honestly came into this thinking the tips would be useful for beginners, but I came away from this with a lot of thoughts of everything I do wrong and the few things (well, thing really) I already do. Thank you for shedding some insight into my own mistakes that I can improve on.

[@bukkfrig]

It can be an 'opponent selection' mistake to play with people who don't enjoy the game for the same reasons you do. Some people will enjoy playing against the more competitive meta-gaming player. Some will enjoy playing with someone who shares their interest in the story, art and themes. I'm somewhere in between. I like technical play with a lot of interesting interactions in the mechanics of the cards, which means I enjoy optimizing my deck, but I'm not interested in following the meta and solely playing to win. I most enjoy playing against like-minded people with interesting decks who really understand the rules and conventions.

[@Telgar_]

I just like Zombies. Thus I have an EDH deck revolving around Liliana, The Last Hope's Ultimate, Endless Ranks of the Dead and Coat of Arms with the Commander of The Scarab God.

[@sjorpha]

This is a great video, it's great to go through these and just ponder when I've made them. I'd like to add my own #1 mistake, and that is: Missing that could win this turn. What I mean by this that I'm often using or withholding resources to stop the opponent even when those could have won the game that turn. Examples are many but can be holding back for blocking when I had a winning attack, spending a bolt on removal when it could have been combined with something for a win. Fetching a controlling card with any kind of tutor when there was a game winning fetch. So one example here from my sunforger list: my opponent bolts one of my creatures and I use sunforger to fetch my last boros charm and give it indestructible, missing the fact that fetching it to give the other creature double strike would have been a lethal attack. I've lost count of the times I've done this, only to have my opponent top deck his wincon the next turn. That is one of the worst feeling in magic, seeing your opponent win and realize: "Wait a minute, I could have won the turn before!"

[@Finkeldinken]

I am a new player and definitely in the excessive "I take the damage" phase, ha ha..."Oh, wait. There's such a thing as _burn range!? Oopsy."_ Thanks for your videos! I learn a lot from you tubers, and it is solely thanks to you and The Professor that I put on my big girl panties, went to the OGW prerelease and got my butt thoroughly kicked. I had so much fun and people were so nice to this newbie, so thank you again. :)

[@MTGDegree]

+Pru-Pruh No problem, glad you're getting something out of them :)

[@TheArborphiliac]

Know how many turns it's going to take you to finish off your opponent, and then leave blockers up accordingly. If you have the board state to be attacking with two creatures for the win in two turns, don't deal extra damage this turn, just swing in with one creature now and leave the blocker up, finishing them off next turn. It takes the same amount of time either way, and that way you had a defense against haste or whatever.

[@X8551516]

New to magic myself, but I already knew to use a lot of lands when building my first deck. Kind of certain rules to deck building that carry on through all TCG's. If I've learned anything it's feel your deck. Add and subtract whatever your deck requires. Too many lands will flood you, not enough will screw you. What your deck needs all depends on your personal deck. Playing a lot of games will help you find that sweet spot.

[@letseeker1594]

some thing I would like to share that has helped my a lot is at the beginning of my turn I say untap, upkeep, draw. I used to always miss upkeep triggers and this has helped a lot. also just slowing down and stating the triggers has helped me not miss them. hope this helps someone lol also I love the videos, been playing magic for four years and this has got me thinking about how I could improve as a player and eliminate some of my mistakes, great videos

[@stefanglintzer6831]

Mana tapping: Oh god. i have 8 islands. wich to tap aaagh... Perks of mono blue. Bluff like its poker. Will never play any other color again.

[@catiseith]

I use instant removals from every color during my opponent's turn. Just ending the turn with my mana untapped makes my adversaries tremble during theirs.

[@legendofeon]

You could have talked about timing and ruling of cards. For me, It's important to know when to play your cards and understanding how to play around other cards and/or situations. Awesome Video!

[@naturesmojo]

Also... add a splash of cologne that smells of fine corinthian leather.

[@JCMELKOR]

1-scry, harhar that's a nice drawing sequence right there... 2-fetch a land and shuffle 3-bash your head in with a 2x4

[@tyleryoung7104]

Playing your cards in the right order is super important too. Many times I have played a land first thing during my main phase and then realize that I had a creature with landfall that I should have played first before the land. My advise would be to constantly go over your plan, and make changes phase to phase. This allows you to always remember what you have and how you can use it so that you never play cards in an order that is less efficient than it could be.

[@jacobh5346]

I think these "think like a pro" videos are awesome! I'd have to agree, biggest thing in a game and especially play testing with friends is assessing the game. Which cards in your deck were stars? Which ones did you feel underperformed? After you feel your deck is perfected to your taste, ask yourself what you felt went wrong. I think the best way to know if it was your mistake or just chance, look at all the information you had at that moment. If you find yourself feeling that you made the right choice with the given information, chances are you did the right thing. Also id love to see a video on sideboarding or playtesting :)

[@torreyherrera1941]

Really great channel I really enjoy the mutual feeling of learning from your mistakes and growing as well as helping others the same way. Always tough when you use a combat trick on something that was completely called for only to know you could've saved it up for the next threat that ended you. I always say that's just how the magic do haha

[@dirtyconsole2247]

My friend and I are both relative beginners. I'm a decent bit more experienced, but have a lot to learn and I taught my friend how to play about 2 years ago. Anyways, one thing he's guilty of is not mulling a bad hand and just playing with it, then getting frustrated that his deck sucks when he probably should've just mulled. One mistake I often make is miscalculating my damage or how much mana I should leave open. A mistake we both tend to make, but far more so for my friend is to let our emotions show our hand state. DONT CELEBRATE WHEN YOU GET A GOOD CARD OR SHOW FRUSTRATION WITH A TRASH HAND. JUST TAKE IN THAT 89th LAND IN A ROW AND HOLD AS BLUFF.

[@TheGhostQuarter]

In my experience sometimes things just go wrong from turn one. You can have the perfect "god hand" and someone will still just happen to have that 1 caster cantrip that just happens to throw a wrench into it that you cant recover from easily. It happens. Liked the video btw.

[@TheBroLuke]

Have you ever looked at a game (magic or other) from an outside/over the shoulder perspective? Having the ability to step back and to not be in the player's seat feels very relaxing; I feel we should all try to take a step back when the game starts getting big and messy. Also, it's important to remember that you can take your time, don't feel bad and don't try to rush things if you turn takes ages!

[@EasleyAmused]

But how do I drink water

[@jensklingenmaier1745]

EasleyAmused exactly my thought o.o

[@thedanath]

a mistake i see a lot is forgetting triggers. just a simple example you have soul warden out and a creature comes into play and you totally forget about your soul warden being there. but basically anything that triggers because of an effect can be easlyy forgotten during the game

[@josuanachname1914]

I remember that I've seen this video when I began to play again. Thank you for sharing your wisdom, it helped me so much!

[@Obversechaos]

Ok, I know I'm late, but... I have a tip for people which is something I always try to do. Try to get into good habits, even when you know there's no reason to do so. For example, you should always try to free up the land you might use later in the turn or on an opponent's turn, even if you know you're not going to use it. Dropping lands at the right times (as late as possible unless you're going to use it) is another one. These are mistakes I make myself, so I'm trying to develop better habits.

[@bricksloth2599]

In my regular group we have a house rule of not quitting when your just about to lose. The thought being, yes it sucks when you see it coming but if it’s been a good back and forth game then let the person have and enjoy their victory.

[@blade6321]

That last point, and some of the other points to an extent, is very analogous to poker. So many times people kick themselves for losing a devastating hand to a luck- thinking "well I lost, so I must have misplayed. Next time I won't do X again" when in reality 99% of the time X may very well be the best line of play. Think about the decision and what made you make that decision when you made it, not what the outcome actually was!

[@TheFr4z0r]

miscounting! attacking with a 4/4 master of etherium while he has an untapped gurmag angler, yeah, thats why I went 1-4 that day...

[@hugofontes5708]

+TheFr4z0r | Freelance Motion/Background Designer Me a few years back: "Tap for 2 mana, Sincopy" *the guy still had 1 mana*

[@ConZon4]

9:23 I totally agree with his next point. What new players need to be taught most about their life can be summed up in this: Life is a vital resource, but like any resource, you don't need all of it. Think about it, who needs buckets of water when a single bottle would do to survive? Who needs a buffet when a salad is on the ready to go? Who needs 20 life when all you need is 1 to win? Of course, it's always nice to have more, whether it be water, food, or life. Always try your best to keep the total high. But when it becomes more profitable a trade-off to just let some of it go, then drop it. Can I get a hooah?

[@mosquitoskeet2189]

Oh man I can't count how many times I forget to leave the right mana untapped

[@davidschultz5874]

Another mistake a lot of people make is thinking only of their current turn or the very next one, and making decisions in the short term for strategy. It's a good idea to know your deck and how it runs and what it's capable of, then set a longer term strategy. Be proactive rather than reactive, but be prepared with appropriate reactions to unforseen threats that can disrupt your plan. Control players generally do this, but even aggro or midrange should be thinking ahead like this.

[@hentaiboy22]

This was helpful; Having that field awareness is everything

[@nicholaswarman6794]

A mistake that I make frequently is to zone out in nervousness when my opponent does a million things at once and I only know what a couple cards in his massive combo does, and before I know it I've already lost before I can finish reading the first card

[@mikeybinfl]

Great video man. I recently started playing again after stopping during the URZA set and its great getting some of this info playing catch up......

[@VanOnline]

Even though this video was longer than what I normally watch you brought up a lot of great points I would of loved to hear when I was a new player. Great video!

[@sarendrei2255]

Ive seen mostly deckbuilding mistakes like ignoring a good mana base, or being afraid of powerful cards because they dont like the downside. I once traded a bounceland for a shockland because the guy thought that taking 2 life for a land was suicide, but somehow a bounceland would allow him to run 22 lands(8 of them being bouncelands). I beat him every time and some of those times were because he couldnt draw a basic land for his bouncelands.

[@Judexor]

Luke, this is the first video I have ever commented on, and I think you can take that as an obscure badge of honor.I thought of two more mistakes players make before playing. 1. Not knowing the current meta-game, and 2. Not understanding/not critically thinking about the deck list they copied from someone else. I suppose they aren't mistakes pros make, but they will help less experienced players understand why a deck they know can do very well is losing when in their hands.

[@briannalitke5109]

countering the right spell is crucial. they may bait you with a spell that seems important but know what you need to counter especially after something like a g-probe

[@Rath_9]

My biggest problem is forgetting about manlands, either ones you control or ones your opponent controls. always take note if they have a man land and prior to declaring attacking if they have the mana avaliable to activate that man land

[@6slade]

Huge, wonderful realization I had in this game understanding that I don't want really expensive decks solely because I want to win, but because I want to play cards that are cool/dope looking. Yes, I've become the foil guy (don't worry I keep a low amount of decks so that I don't go broke/they're very optimised). I still enjoy being strong and winning sometimes, I have $300--$1k+ EDH decks--but that being said one of them is a mono-white EDH deck that's very expensive despite it not being really competitiveEDH, just because I really like those cards and playing it. A game is played for fun, and although winning can be a part of the fun, playing shit that I think is cool is way more rewarding for me than say... playing Zur Doomsday or Storm (which are cool mechanics, but the decks are way too oppressive for fun lol).

[@VictorReyes-rc9xp]

As a new player I have realized, and taught myself to only cast spells until I absolutely have to, say a removal piece or a counterspell. Also creatures and land drops. I understand the uncertainty on both sides and chances are my opponent will not read me easily if I play that way.

[@damiendayton3583]

Something I've come across pretty often while playing Magic and I'm sure most of us have as well that you forgot to touch upon is giving away free information. I see all the time when someone loses their game 1 against someone or myself, they often times reveal the hand they died with and go "aw man, next turn I was gonna do this, this, and this!" and just give their opponent a bunch of free information about their gameplan before sideboarding happens.

[@dreadmoc12]

I thought I made a mistake once, but I was wrong. The first thing any new player has to learn is how to top deck. You need to develop the skills to will the card you need to the top of that deck. All the greats will agree, top decking the answer is the ultimate level up. I heard from a guy that heard from his friend who was there that Luis Scott Vargas can top deck any card in a set while playing limited. The man is legendary, he doesn't even have to draft a card to have access to it. He can literally summon it to the top of his deck. Wow. I can't wait to be that good.

[@johnmraz4332]

Know your role = "who is the beatdown". One of the most valuable things I learned in magic was how to play red aggro, like I'm playing blue.

[@BlazingNuggets13]

I think mistriggers are some of the more interpersonal annoyances a player can make. Example: in a commander game, I had a Xenagod on the field and an Avacyn, Angel of Hope, and they were at 16 life, and for two turns I had forgotten to trigger off Xenagod's ability both times, until my opponent had said that I could've killed him last turn, it took me a second but eventually I realized my trigger mistakes.

[@danacoleman4007]

Mist riggers would be a great name for a creature

[@cornxx3]

I get either flooded or screwed about 65% of my losses. The other 35% of the time I made poor plays and can see them. Luckily I play with a buddy of mine who will (if he sees something that I could either do better, or that I missed something) just kind of freeze there for a moment so I can see what I did at the time it happens. Doesn't change the outcomes of the plays or mishaps, they still happen that way. But it's nice to be able to see things as they happen and correct for future plays. So I've started doing the same to him when I catch something. It really helps us to grow as both friends and players. He's always been a better play strategist than I have, but I've been the better deck builder (we homebrew decks to screw the meta up at LGS). so he helps me with mistakes I know I make, and I help him to build better decks or come up with easier or better synergy. It's mutually beneficial. So far in the probably 10 FNM I have attended, I've won about 7. He won 2 of the 3 I didn't. So we're a pretty damn good team in our area. These practices do work, as we pretty much do these subconsciously already. Good to see some reassurance from you, and that it will help make better players. Keep up the good fight. FYI. I have no idea when this video came out, I stumbled onto it- typing on mobile and can't check. Could be old, but hey! It's still solid advice.

[@caleb-sb9yq]

4:10 I'm literally the opposite of that, everyone at fnm is playing great decks, and I'm just sitting there with a beginner planeswalker deck from amonkhet

[@plsmorecats]

Once I was playing a casual multiplayer game and an opponent cast a card that makes target opponent mill the top half of their deck. I counted out half my deck, looked through it to see what I lost, then realized that I'm playing blue and have three counters in my hand.

[@macjones6394]

2:00 A side note on that, give yourself a good mix of basic and nonbasic lands. First homebrew deck I built hand bounce lands (Azorius Chancery), utility lands (eye of ugin), and triple lands (Dromar's Cavern). I thought, "hey, wouldn't it be good if any land you play could produce more than one mana or more than one color?". Without a single basic land, I fell so far behind in the game.

[@esands36]

One mistake I don't like much is, I know someone that won't sleeve cards. I believe all cards should be in a sleeve rather it's a 15¢ common or a $115 mythic rare. The cards desreve respect and we should treat them as such.

[@Sephirothstrife-yk8en]

Not everyone can afford to buy sleeves for every deck they have. Especially if they're like me and keep multiple decks together to change it up a bit

[@esands36]

+Oscar Delacruz Just get 100 for $1. All cards desreve respect. I have a card from Revised, Ivory Tower, its only worth $1 but I still put it in an penny sleave.

[@Nalianna]

+Oscar Delacruz For this reason, i'll carry a couple sets of cheap sleeves, and just hand them to the other player, (help them slip them, if they are interested) quick 30 or 45 second positive chat before the round starts. makes me feel good, makes them feel good.

[@brandonsmith8024]

Pretty awesome how much of these tips can be applied to my Warmachine game, as well.

[@RedCloud2012]

You have also read Chapin's book I assume and could touch on the Philosophy of Fire. You should touch on Being a Pro:Sacrifices to the tune of Adel Hello and X-Ambassadors Renegades while you show clips of all the guys traveling in planes and trains, eating fast trying to beat a round clock after 14 hours with no time to eat. Sleeplessness the night before a tourney brooding over a deck and SB. Borrowing cards scrambling to slap something together stretching the budget to max. Every Pro is reliant on there team to be successful, but that is what you become, a traveling baseball player. Not many women will wait for a magic player to come home. Its a lonely road for many and full of fun but also full of a lot of Disappointment.

[@cotton1983]

That first time an expert attacks with a big monster and is blocked by a 1/1 death touch first strike.

[@heylookitsme7934]

I'm pretty new to magic, have only been playing for a few weeks, and have been absolutely loving your videos. keep up the good work.

[@MTGDegree]

+HeyLookItsMe Glad you're having a good time watching! I'm always extra happy when I hear I've been useful to a newer player :D

[@mrsplays9817]

I have this one mono-green deck where most of the cards are only one or two mana, and this one enchantmant makes or breaks it for me (I've learned to always mulligan unless I have at least one of it and one land in my opening hand, winning with 3 cards in my starting hand before). An opponent wipes the board but we can each choose a few permanents to keep. He keeps no creatures so I keep two lands and that enchantment. I should be able to draw something to play (I'd be able to play about half of my library if I drew it). I would not draw land or anything below 3 mana in the next five turns. I probably drew every 3+ mana card in my library that game.

[@rickehrgaming3330]

One big mistake I've seen throughout many years and levels of magic is people misreading cards or misunderstanding abilities. This should be an easy problem to fix, even though we're all probably guilty of it at least once.

[@siborgstare7077]

if you don't exist you cant play magic... plz dont ban me

[@rederen3350]

if you dont know how to play magic then you cant play magic “i summon my shivan dragon, in attack position!”

[@mrkoshtip]

honestly self shaming when playing helped me the most ... I just say it out loud so even my opponent can hear me ... I feel the impact and makes it stick a little bit better to help me the next time that situation comes up again... "crap I should have tapped those different!" next time I see it I just say "I know what to do here"

[@MTGGoddess]

Really awesome ideas! Super important to admit when you make mistakes so that you can grow from it.

[@JadeIsBunny]

Fear of combat tricks is one side of a coin, the other being smart playing. For instance, I see a lot of beginners play their creatures (non-haste) in main 1, then attack with something else, and end turn. Strategically, why not play that creature in main 2? It leaves your mana untapped and your opponent HAS to consider a possible combat trick. Using that mana for a creature eliminates the possibility (yeah well maybe that phyrexia trick and some others..), which is basically handing out information to your opponent for free. Generally, the less information your opponent has, the better. That even includes shuffling your drawn card into your hand every turn. It all adds up. Or rather, is subtracted.

[@ExplodingVoids]

Great video, thanks for sharing your thoughts! Every Magic player should embrace his mistakes, because every single one bares a chance of understanding the game better.

[@jedne2]

The deck choice really hit a chord with me. Ever since I started playing magic (which hasn't been very long, I started when 2013 and innistrad just rotated out) But during this time I have ALWAYS, always played Grixis control. I did it when Esper sphynx's revelation/aetherling was the deck to have, when elspeth dominated standard and now when abzan's siege rhino is wrecking standard. I've never strayed because I love the colour combination so much. Honestly, i've tried other combinations, but i always run back to my grixis.

[@tealjbody]

I never make mistake, i generate learning opportunities. Thanks for pointing out some of those opportunities.

[@arenkai]

Yup, my Narset trigger revealed 4 lands, 2 turns in a row, totally my fault ! :D Great video here ! ^^

[@minecraftrealms7207]

its like that moment when i was playing mono red aggro and my opponent was tapped out with no blockers and i didn't cast my ball lightning and ended up losing the game

[@DarthBatman420]

You forgot "not casting after combat ends." Once I figured this one out, my game increased greatly.

[@jadedflames]

The biggest eye opening "I'm not perfect" moment I have ever had was getting my third loss in my first GP by going on autopilot and searching my deck while tapped out versus a leonin arbiter. Boy did I feel dumb.