You Don’t Want to Utter End a Mantis Rider
Before we get started with Mantis Rider and this week’s episode, some general stuff…
Yes! Patrick has made the Top 4 of the World Championship! More on this at the Mother Ship.
Pretty much everything you have asked for is now up and running. So if you want to follow Top Level Podcast on iTunes or another RSS feed… You can!
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Okay! Now onto Mantis Rider…
Mantis Rider is a leader in the Standard card pool, not only on “rate” but context.
Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour Hall of Famer Patrick Chapin and Michael J Flores discuss some historical 3/3 creatures with haste for three mana; and contextualize Mantis Rider among this pantheon of performers. What gives Mantis Rider such a good “rate”?
What is rate anyway? Our hosts talk about ROI principles in not just deck design, but game design!
Most players can look at a Mantis Rider and realize that it should be an efficient card for its mana cost… But what makes it such a good option contextually? We’ll give you a hint… You don’t want to Utter End a Mantis Rider! … Not only does Mantis Rider ride its own efficiencies, but it can take advantage of inefficiencies elsewhere in the Standard environment to not just perform, but over-perform.
“There are more good cards than you can play in your deck.”
How can you determine what cards you actually should play? Figure out what cards are good to begin with, contextualize how they are positioned in the metagame, and predict the perceptions of others to improve your skills. [How]
A discussion of “Leveling” in deck design, and leveling in general. How do you get to the fabled next level [let alone our own “top” level]?
“You have to metagame against the winners’ circle”.
Finally, Next Level Magic is back! Check out Patrick’s first book, remastered and back in print (along with all of Patrick and Michael’s Magic: The Gathering books) via the links below:
Patrick’s Magic: The Gathering Books
- Next Level Deckbuilding at Star City Games
- Next Level Magic at Star City Games
Michael’s Magic: The Gathering Books
- The Official Miser’s Guide (OMG) at Star City Games
- Deckade at Amazon.com