Slow play at FNM
Standard forum
Posted on Dec. 2, 2016, 8:06 a.m. by Argy
I played in an FNM tournament tonight where my Opponent was playing an Aetherflux Reservoir deck. He eventually beat me in Game 1, but he played EXTREMELY slowly, so I never had the sniff of a chance to get a second game in.
That meant I never got a chance to play him Post-Sideboard.
I looked up the rules and you are able to call a judge over to watch your match, if you think someone is playing too slowly.
Has anyone actually ever done that?
freakman13 says... #3
I have called a judge over for attempting to settle a game via an improper means and my opponent giving the reasoning of me slow playing, the judge had to sit near me the next round (which I finished in under 20 mins, like I normally do) despite knowing I had built agro out of my sealed and that I usually am the first or second to finish the round. I believe in making the call, but there is no specific time limit on the response or anything like that other than the judge getting bored.
December 2, 2016 8:17 a.m.
Sim_Will_CMcantfindmehopefully says... #4
If you feel it was actual slow play you should call a judge, although playing a stalling, slow deck is not slow play.
If I am running an Omen Machine and Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir lock deck with the only win condition being outlasting with Elixir of Immortality I'm a dick but as long as I'm not "thinking" for a minute with no real play in hand then it's not slow play, just be carerful.
December 2, 2016 8:25 a.m.
I've had people call over judges because of that. It's legit. I was playing a Rise from the Tides meme of a control deck in standard. Every round I played, I always went to time or within 5 min. That was one durdly-ass deck. Problem is that playing a deck like that doesn't constitute slow play.
December 2, 2016 8:29 a.m.
5.5 Slow Play
Players must take their turns in a timely fashion regardless of the complexity of the play situation and adhere to time limits specified for the tournament. Players must maintain a pace to allow the match to be finished in the announced time limit. Stalling is not acceptable. Players may ask a judge to watch their game for slow play; such a request will be granted if feasible.
Seems pretty clear that if you are piloting a deck that is naturally slow, that is no excuse.
You should play at a speed where you can finish the match.
Otherwise people might choose a deliberately slow deck and only ever try to win the first game.
December 2, 2016 10 a.m.
freakman13 says... #7
As long as the board state is changing / you aren't stalling the game then you are not slow playing
December 2, 2016 10:06 a.m.
I never rarely mind a slow Game 1, but there's a guy at my favorite LGS that will always play Game 2 super-slow if he wins Game 1, hoping to force a draw on Game 2 and a match win. I haven't had to call a Judge on him yet, but others have, and the Judges (having seen the trend) are being less and less patient with him.
December 2, 2016 12:07 p.m.
My first game against the Aetherflux Reservoir deck tonight went to turns after 50 minutes.
I'd say that qualifies as slow play.
His first match was the same.
Interestingly my partner played against him for his second match and said he seemed VERY cocky, but was beaten in two extremely fast games.
Since I played against him next, I'm positive that he worked out that he needed to drag his first game out.
December 2, 2016 1:46 p.m. Edited.
BloodoftheBloodMoon says... #10
I play lantern control in modern. I know, I'm a dick. People consistently think that lantern pilots are slow, but it's really the opponents that play really slow. If I have full information about their hand, the top of their deck and the lines they have, they should be able to see them too. I've talked to a few judges on what I should do at that point, they told me that I should give them 30 seconds to a minute depending on the choices they have. They told me that it takes about 30 seconds to make a decision about the cards they want to or don't want to play, of course, depending on the board state/point in the game. If they consistently take more than a minute for each of their turns, consider calling a judge. of course, be reasonable, if it's life or death at the very end of the game, turns do tend to get longer. but yeah, 30 seconds to a minute is plenty of time to make your play.
December 2, 2016 9:36 p.m.
BloodoftheBloodMoon that's a good rule of thumb.
Occasionally I will take a slightly longer play, but it's so rare that I always say to my Opponent, "Just give a moment to think about my next play."
December 3, 2016 1:44 a.m.
My friend plays lantern. After a point, I learned the matchup well enough that turns didn't take longer than 10 seconds.
December 3, 2016 8:05 a.m.
EpicFreddi says... #13
ye, most of the time the "slow play" comes from inexperience. My biggest reason for slowplay is calculating. I'm horrible in math when I have to do it in my head, so I need to take longer.
December 3, 2016 8:07 a.m.
EpicFreddi do you use your fingers to help with adding stuff up?
I see a lot of people do that.
December 3, 2016 8:44 a.m.
EpicFreddi says... #15
Not really. For combat math I can hardly use my fingers and for combo/storm it's also not enough. I would need a 3rd hand or something like that. :D
Bigest problem is actually that in addition of being bad at calculating, I'm also unsure about what I calculated, so I redo it 2-3 times.
December 3, 2016 8:46 a.m.
I'm bad at mental math. Playing control helps, as the board tends to not get too complex, but man...
December 3, 2016 9:23 a.m.
EpicFreddi says... #17
I just try to force myself to play mental-math decks. 8 whack and stuff like that. I just need to learn it.
December 3, 2016 9:25 a.m.
Problem for me is that those decks don't really appeal to me.
December 3, 2016 9:27 a.m.
EpicFreddi says... #19
Ye, when you're a controlplayer at heart, the only things you need to count are your hand cards and your mana to cast a counter spell. :D
December 3, 2016 9:28 a.m.
Well, that's true to some extent, but you'll always run into situations where you need to think about combat across several turns. That painful truths in hand or how you want to fetch your mana also complicates shit. There are fewer pieces in play though. Still, lol who needs math when the only thing in play is lands. Hue
December 3, 2016 10:59 a.m.
I hate people who slow play.. we had a guy who would be a douche he was playing Naya Zoo and I am at 6 life, has a nacatl and 1 card in hand I am tapped out and nothing on board he spent 10 whole minutes deciding what to do... he has boros charm as his one card in hand and a nacatl what is there to even think about...
December 5, 2016 1:17 a.m.
EpicFreddi says... #23
Agreed. When there is nothing to think about, everything beyond 30 seconds is wasted time.
December 5, 2016 7:27 a.m.
Dredge4life says... #24
When I'm at two and rip the painful truths... My joy quickly turns to agony.
3 mana for half of a Divination with downside is still playable, right?
EpicFreddi says... #2
I did it. Back when Esper-Dragons was the best deck, I've played a game against it with Mono-G-Devotion. While I drew my card, tapped my mana and cast my spell he thought 5 mins bout letting it resolve (having no counterspell in hand, he just badly bluffed) just then to throw a removal spell on my creautre. In his turn he wasted another 10 mins "thinking". After a 30 min game one, I called a judge on his ass to watch over him. He still "bluffed" twice and got two verbal warnings to play his cards or pass the turn. He stoped after that, but I regret nothing.
December 2, 2016 8:11 a.m.