This whole thing started in my mind as a rant but I suppose it developed into something more, because you really don't get anything from a rant.

Anyhow I - like I do many a week - went down to my local Hobby League. I did a little trading and I played some kid playing Doom/Thunderbolts. I was like okay whatever, and I pulled out my Faces of Evil deck. I proceeded to get triple Reign of Terror'd out of the game on turn 5 I think.

So I think okay. I will try New School against him. I really like New School because I think I am good with it. I think I have done enough practicing, goldfishing and what not. While I do not claim to be adept at it, I'd like to think that I have a certain degree of compatency and familiarity that you can only get with practice.

I get Embassy'd on turn two.

So anyhow, I try to console myself that like NS can't beat Embassy, which it can. But I make like Mariah Carey and I shake it off, and proceed to play sealed which was the main theme of the deck.

I don't know exactly how good my deck was. It was probably a 5.0, but I had a SS Scarecrow so it was probably closer to 8.5. Anyhow, I proceed to lose every single match I play, in a spectular fashion.

I am not the type of person who likes to lose, but I am not the type to brood either. In the above situations with my constructed decks I know I should've been able to pull it out, but I wasn't able to. Thus, there was something wrong with my playing. Same goes for my limited games. I am quite good at winning... when my opponent misses his drops. Thus I inquire to the VSRealms community?

a) How do you become a better VS player?
b) Does practicing limited or constructed make you better? Which should be played more often?

Thanks!

honestly, playing it all has made me better...I find sealed to be the most fun (probably because it is what I have had the most success at)

netdeck, its what 95% of everyone does. if one person comes up with a brilliant idea and win one 10k, by the next 10k about 50-60% of the field will have that deck

i never netdeck, therefore i never win

play against "better" players and ask them about how to improve your timing and tactical decision-making. this is ideal if said "better" players are buddies of yours, hehehe.

Personally I am a big believer in drafting to increase your overall skill set in the game. When you get beat try to analyze why, what mistakes led you to lose that game. If you win try to figure out why, did you succesfully bait your opponent to use their defensive plot twist early in the match, did they miss drops, etc.. One thing I really like about this game is that I learn something almost everytime I play it.

-Alex

constructed fan here.... try avengers reservist i hear they are good and easy to play if you need a deck to start out with.

To become better one must try to win and yet be willing to lose. And always play with better players.

To get better? Always listen to other people's opinion and test them out. Don't simply brush them aside when you feel it sounds like rubbish.

Play against better players, and genuinely ask them to point out things mistakes...play an "open" kinda of game where you go through the motions and you and your playtest partner discuss the pros and cons of each move, what each person may or may not be able to do...you'd be surprised how much it helps...

I think that drafting makes you and overall better player for a lot of reasons...you have to make a lot more decisions, you have to respond to/expect a lot more cards, and you end up in a lot more interesting (if not uncomfortable) situations.

Constructed is important if you are preparing for a big event. The most important thing is to know your deck. followed closely by that is to know as much as possible about as many of the decks in the metagame as you can.

Juz keep on playing. Make sure the people your playing against are experienced players though. And dont be cared to ask other players what your doing wrong. (unless you in the middle of a tourney)

well, paul, i tell ya, netdecking doesn't do as much good for the average player as they don't understand what the deck is supposed to do over all.

that means that when you play new school you don't realize how much it is going to make you suffer when your opponent plays his embassy. so you don't know how much you need to play a have a blast then use that 2 drop lacuna ot pitch the blast in favor of a new team up card.

changes everything for you.

another thing to know is that you shouldn't try to be too sneaky with your twists, that can bite you in the butt frequently.

chain your midnight sons together all at one time, to prevent any one from playing an embassy and screwing you over.

these are the things you learn through play and experience that a netdecking can't teach you usually.

If you're picking up a deck and cannot understand at least the basic goal of making it win, then there's a fundamental issue there. That said, assuming you have at least a basic idea of how you're trying to win, the longest but perhaps most engraining way to learn is trial and error. This assumes that the player is able to accept that some ideas are NOT successful ones, and be willing to try different play patterns.

Reinforcing that trial and error process with insight from others is what produces results faster. My friends have been quick to pick up on the concept of when some cards are more useful to use by commenting on it after a game. It can take time to sink in, but it helps a lot. I don't have to see Mega-Blasts played on turn 2 for the extra damage any more. lol

The best lesson is to be aware of all the options available, and be willing to admit when some cards in a deck aren't doing anything for you. Even a deck as seemingly simple as Big Brotherhood or Avengers Reservist can have a lot of options that aren't normally good ones, but will occassionally be exactly what you need to take for the win. If you can, learn to think faster, so that you can consider more options when in a tight spot without risking a 'slow time' call. Spend time understanding what the cards you run can do for you, and practice; anyone should be able to handle a good deck's god draw, but the 'winners' are usually defined by those who can make the most of a mediocre draw.

tchalla - i think you have too little faith in the "average" player. After playing a deck (netdecked or not) enough times they figure out what they should be doing, how to get the most out of their plot twist, and how to play around certain cards.

i think i may not be expressing the thought correctly.

there are subtle decision making options ingrained in to some decks that i watch netdeckers miss out on using against me, and i don't feel the need to direct them through their strategies against me, so long as no rules are being broken.

things like not knowing to play have a blast in case an opponent is playing embassy seem like a good example.