daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn....way to derail the thread btw. what r u trying to hide?

Whenever I get an email notification that says...
...I know the thread is already derailed.

sooooo where can I get this spoiler?

Even a single WEEK of extra time over other players is a significant advantage. I can't tell you how many Magic drafts I've won because I read the spoiler a full week before the pre-release, while everyone else crammed it in the previous night or with the printed spoiler someone brought with them that morning. Having any extra time, especially once it gets into a week or longer, is a much more significant advantage than some people are giving it credit for.

For constructed deck purposes, it allows for the decks to be tweaked to a level of full tourney readiness that specifically has answers for the emerging metagame...including the metagame of "new" decks being posted all over, and playtested. Decks your team has already playtested and moved past in favor of better decks, or decks that have all the answers to defeat not only the current field, but the "new" (but not to you) decks emerging.

No matter how you slice it, having the list early, especially in the hands of a pro team (or even a single pro player) has very significant repurcussions.

Yes, that's just as likely as sources within a company leaking information to their friends.
:bigrolleyes:

Check foilball's sig.

They sky is falling, the sky is falling!

I mean really, how long do you need to look at a set and figure out what you think the best deck is? I'm pretty sure Michael Jacobs won a $10k w/ Avengers just 2 months after Avengers was released. At the same tournament the 1st version of Flying Circus hit the scene. How long did it take Rama-Light to win a $10k after GL was released? Yes these decks often improve w/ time but as Walter mentioned above, they generally improve after being played at a major event. It's not really time that improves these decks, it's exposure.

Maybe I'm delusional, or a liar (apparently those are the only 2 options), but that's what I think.

I heard the next set of playing cards is going to have an 11 of Hearts.

HEARTS IS TEH BORKEN!!

i think its a combination of what has been said...sure, it sucks hardcore that some teams get the spoiler while others don't, but Dalton is right, its exposure, but also, in a deck that maybe combo intensive such as new school or ems, the more time you have to play it, the less likely you are to make a mistake, see what the problem matchups are, etc.....

what i find even more unfair though is that there are teams out there that are taking advantage of this situation...this is one of those situations where if i was priviliged to the info, would i share? i would like to say yes, but heck if i know, becuase there is a lot of money on the line, but i, thankfully, was not put in that position, but from what i understand others were, and they didn't take that high road, which kinda makes me call into play what else those supposed holders of the spoiler will do to win....

Yes, clearly it's illogical of people to think that there's a significant advantage to having twice as much playtest time with a full 50% of a cardpool that will be used in half of a tournament.

ps: 10K Orlando was October 18.

but what if everyone who has the spoiler becomes a pillar of integrity and agrees to not use it. man, that would solve all our problems. ill get right on it....not to imply i know players who have it or dont or...er, um...nm.


TBZ
:noid:

And Avengers released in August so... that's 2 months?

I agree it is exposure that makes a deck popular. I'll bet there was a time that bastion was a crap card. But after CS started winning, what do you think happened then?

But, in all honesty (heh heh), I really think it is the player himself that is the real issue. If I had the whole list right now (PLEASE!) I don't think it would matter much, because I suck at drafting. But give it to an experienced drafter, and he can work wonders, Catch my drift?

One problem that I've not seen brought up yet, and granted, it's a bit of an unusual take...

If several members of a team do well on Day one of Atlanta - They will almost certainly be labeled as cheaters who recieved the spoiler ahead of time whether it's true or not and whether there was any advantage or not.

So Dalton - I think everyone here respects your playskills - I certainly do - but If you and your teammates all do well on day one of the PC - you do understand that there will be a great deal of people who think you got the spoiler and think you cheated?

This is a crappy effect because it's a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation for anyone who does well in day one of the PC

While I do agree that exposure is what improves a deck, in an unknown format, time is key.

All your examples are Golden Age, so you have some idea of what the metagame is. In Modern Age, there is no metagame, so having advanced knowledge of half the format is quite an advantage.

And... as Lurking Evil pointed out, 11 weeks is more than 5 weeks.

No matter how much you think you can predict the metagame, having more time can only help.