Kevin Cron's article on playing with and around mana drain

[kakeboy07]

http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/expandnews.php?Article=7063
Kevin Cron's (CHA1N5) article on playing with and around mana drain


Steve posted this and then got rid of it right away (luckily i was here to mise and read it). Excelent article and very timely, as i think that small details to playing (such as this) are sometimes overlooked in light of such a fast format.

Does Kevin Cron write alot for SCG? I would like to congradulate him on a very well written article. One of those articles that can help players turn inward to analyze their own playstyle and game-time decisions.

What does this mean for Mana Drain-packing control players? Your best defense is to be mindful of what your opponent is watching for. Namely, they are looking for indicators that you are disinterested in playing spells on your turn. When you (as a control player) quickly play draw-go, you are telegraphing your intentions and making your opponent's inferences easier. Take your time. Consider your plays after you draw (even if you have none), and most-importantly: declare your Attack Step. When you deliberately declare your Attack Step (every turn - except when you can't possibly Mana Drain, of course), it tells your opponent that you are aware of their possible tricks and that you're not going to give them the "tell" about how you intend your turn to progress. Granted, if you actually have creatures to swing with, this becomes more complicated (yet psychologically simpler and more effective), as you need to weigh your options about playing spells in both Main Phases. Just don't lose sight of what may happen.

Impressed

[CHA1N5]

http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/expandnews.php?Article=7063

Aside from Force of Will, which is an over-arching and fundamental effect in Type I, Mana Drain has been a defining card for the control archetype for many years. Despite this, most players do not handle the mechanics and subtleties of Mana Drain properly. The card has much more depth and impact on player interaction than what is currently practiced.

Merged

Edit:  I do not currently write much for SCG, but that may be changing in the near future  

[Magi]

double plus unprepared

flashbacks of highschool come to mind, where after our english class was assigned to read 1984 me and my friends spoke in newspeak for the next few months...

"man, that test was double plus sub-par"



on another note, good heads up article, lots of newbies don't realize this, even though it's printed on the card.

[Jönsson]

Though the article explained only the most basic options for anyone playing with, or against Mana Drain, it does make for a good read. Brushing up the theories every now and then certainly doesn't hurt, and any article referring to new people within the T1 scene certainly must be encouraged.

May I suggest that the next article takes a further look into the #1 counterspell; Force of Will? A brief explanation for the reasons behind pitching the correct card to FoW would probably be appreciated - I see people taking this issue way too lightly all the time.

[mrieff]

Very interesting article, it made me realise some options I hadn't given much thought before.

[Klep]

Good article, clearly articulates what many people, including veterans, need to be aware of.  It's easy to forget that if you do things in your first main phase, you still have your second main phase to go through. It's bitten me and a few others I know on occasion, and having it clearly laid out like this should help people remember it and be better players.

[cssamerican]

Kevin, great article. It is about time that somebody starts writing articles on how to play effectively, instead on the state of the metagame. I like that instead of revolving the lesson around a particular match-up (That is been done before, by Steve) you focused more on core strategic principles that wasn't necessarily match-up specific. This is what made this article stand out for me, it gives people insight into the nuances of the game and makes people better players. Good Job!

[InsaneScrub]

These are the type of articles we need to see everyday on TMD, I love it.

[Soupboy]

Of course, if you're really good (or lucky), as the control player you can purposefully say "Draw, Go" if you have an outlet for mana drain mana.  Several times while playing Mint Skittles/EBA, a tastey Drain target has equaled Morphed Angel or Damping Matrix for free, which I had not planned to cast as I wanted two islands open.

"Aha!  But I know that you are an intelligent man and an intelligent man would put the poison as far away from himself as possible.  So clearly I can not choose the glass in front of me!"

Other tricks can involve only declaring an attack step on occasion, implying to your opponent that you do have a drain in hand, when in fact you may not.  

Mana Drain is absolutely a psychilogical card worthy of discussion, and I'm very glad Kevin brought it up.  But it's not quite as simple as it originally looks.  You can think yourself in circles, especially if you also have to consider whether or not your opponent has read the article

The Soup

[Ishi]

I've got to agree, nice article.

One question though, what's the advantage of playing the spell in the FMP instead of the upkeep?  The only one I saw was that they might play out a spell their FMP, allowing you to cast it at the end.  But later on, you give the potential mana-drainers the correct strategy, always declare an attack before you cast spells.

Seems to me that the only benifit of casting the spell in the FMP instead of the draw phase is to try to catch inexperienced players.   And now that you gave away the secrets on starcity it's not going to be all that likely.

Is there any other reasons to cast the spell during the FMP instead of the upkeep?

[Smmenen]

Awesome article.  

Steve

[CHA1N5]

Is there any other reasons to cast the spell during the FMP instead of the upkeep?

The biggest reason is this:  information.  For the purposes of their utilizing the Drain mana, the difference is slight.  As the aggressor (casting on your opponent's turn) your goal is to maximize the effectiveness of your card and minimize the value of your opponent's Mana Drain.  

While the article discusses the standpoint of your spell getting drained, above all, it is important to note that your primary goal should be to not get your spell countered in the first place!  If you cast on upkeep, you are ignoring the notion that your opponent may have intended to cast spells on their FMP and not leave Drain mana available.  You're basically telling your opponent:  "Now you have the choice of doing what you had planned to do on your FMP, or you can counter my spell and get your Drain mana this turn."

Keep in mind, the article is not intended to describe how you should play every situation... but as a useful guide to how best to reduce the effectiveness of your opponent's Drains.  In general, people who cast on End Step, by default, are doing their opponent a favor.  As Soup/John has pointed out, above, there are always exceptions.  [Although, having 6-7 3-colorless mana sinks in the MD might make Mint Skittles the worst demonstration example for my article! Thanks, John ]

[Soupboy]

[Keep in mind, the article is not intended to describe how you should play every situation...]

Bah!  If you can't write an article that handles every conceivable possibility, including and especially Desert-Camel Decks and Millstone/Control, then you shouldn't write articles at all.  Geesh.

Btw, no silent "h"-- "Jon" will suffice  

The Soup

[Necropotenza]

The most interesting article on TMD and SCG for a long time.
Keep the articles coming this kind of Vintage subtleties are great to improve everyone's play skill.
Well done!

[greedo]

Just more praise, impressive writing.  I rarely see other players cast spells at end of phase rather than end of turn.   I think articles like this would greatly help the intermediate player.  We've seen enough articles to help the new blood, I would like to see more of these.  Good luck on your featured spot.

Jason

[greedo]

Don't fool yourself, many so-called "experts" should read this too.

Steve

I was not refering to myself as an expert, as I miss things like this all the time.  I was simply stating that I never see actions as described within the article even attempted outside of a smaller group of players.  Like I said, I thought it was a very well written piece, very well worth the reading time.  I think that articles like this have potential to make a good player better.

Jason

[frimble]

Being reminded of things we have seen or done helps make them even more a part of continued good play.  Thanks for the extra assistance in bringing up the level of play in Type I.  

As we learn, we become better players.  If Kevin can learn something through months of experience and we can read about it, then we gain those months in minutes.  Thanks for the investment of your time.

Using/abusing the rules of the game is a way of gaining the advantage over an opponent.