First tournament
Standard forum
Posted on March 5, 2013, 12:59 a.m. by behemoth051
I'm planning on going to my first big tournament inn a couple weeks. It'll be the Orlando 5k on March 16th. I wanted to know what to expect and any advice. I would consider myself a good player, and have above average knowledge of the rules, but no experience in tournament outside FNMs I go to that range from 8 to 40 some people.
I plan on playing a Naya Midrange deck that isn't too different than what you'd expect. I'm typically an aggro player, and I have most experience in the Naya Shard. Midrange is a little different for me and I'm wondering how fast I should expect people to play, or if the field will be very diverse.Naya Zoo Midrange
Any and all advice is appreciated. Thanks!
The players who do best at big tournaments are not always the ones who are considered the best players. Instead, the players who do the best are the ones who know their decks inside and out and know how to work within the meta game. A person who devotes his time to lelarning how to play his deck against various other decks in the meta will perform the best. So what does this mean for you? Playtest! There really is no way to determine the exact field you will be facing so it is best to test against the current powerhouses of the format: Jund midrange, naya aggro, and U/W/R control. It would be wise to test against human reanimator and esper control, as well as the other aggro decks like experiment one.
Jimhawk says... #2
I am also participating in that tournament. My first major piece of advice is to understand the importance of mastering your deck to your maximum capability. Choosing a deck is important, but knowing how to play your chosen deck is of even greater importance. It's why I routinely play aggro in tournaments; I'm skilled with aggro decks, and I know I'll perform better using a solid aggro deck than a solid midrange or control deck.
Also, even though you may know the rules, it doesn't hurt to go over the Infraction Procedure Guide (IPG) to understand the different infractions that can be committed at REL Competitive. This is to protect yourself from committing them and to identify them when your opponent commits them so you know the proper time to call a judge.
Finally, be yourself when you play at a large tournament. Trying to be someone you're not or play like someone you're not won't help. I like to appreciate my opponent's great plays as much as I like to figure out my own great plays, which leads me to being a really competitive but really friendly player who can take a loss just as easily as taking a win. That's just who I am, and if I tried to play like anyone else, I wouldn't perform well.
March 5, 2013 1:50 a.m.