Is the time limit at tournaments problematic after all?

[ringkichard]

I think of Druid as Control because she's so dependent on Treebond, so she often defaults to a defensive stance to try to recover her initial investment. Barkskin, too, is a potent defensive tool. Combined with uproot costs, Druid is pretty heavily penalized for attempting to chase down the opponent without building some economy first. Of course, Aviary plays Lair, so it's not like Druid can't play agro. It's just working against some of her natural strengths.

Regarding time: I'm not the fastest player, especially after 5 games, so I can't really play Druid at a competitive level in a timed setting. But I've got no trouble playing a single match within 70 min, if that's what's called for.

[Borg]

I'd say it's a fact that fatigue is an important factor at a long drawn out tournament. The less fatigue, the better your play.

Therefore you improve your chances of success at a tournament by playing a relatively simple, straightforward, fast finishing book as it gives you the opportunity to end the game within the time limit and it keeps you fresh for a longer period of time because you have to "work" less and you can "rest" more between matches.

Just like in the NFL where you want to keep your Defense fresh by generating as much as possible three-and-outs or by playing a fast and simple burn or sligh deck in a Magic tournament as opposed to playing a taxing, time consuming deck.

Even without a time limit, a tournament is an environment that benefits fast and simple books simply because of the limitations of the human mind and body.

However, if you could have something like a Mage Wars League, a competition, where you play like 1 game a week against a different opponent every week and then tally the standings over the course of the "season", that would certainly would be an environment where the more complex and time consuming strategies could shine.

[ringkichard]

It sounds unlikely to say Charmyna or Hanma are under-rated, but it might be true! I don't think they get enough credit for their endurance. When I play Wizard for two or three games I'll start making dumb mistakes. If you've got the stamina, go watch Hanma's recent Battledome game against Drefan: top level play from both of them throughout, for three+ hours. (Disclaimer, I had to take a break from the live stream to eat dinner, so I didn't actually even have the stamina to *watch* the whole thing.) Or go watch Charmyna's 30+ game winning streak.

The best Wizard players have mental clarity, even after hours of brain-burning play. Convention tournaments can't really do that in any specific game, but the final match after a long day or two of thought can be similarly demanding.

[gdieckhaus]

As the only druid at gen con, I only had one match go to time, and I only lost one game which was on a bad rules call.

If I remember I only won that game by 1 life difference.  It could easily have gone the other way too.
Gregg "House"

[V10lentray]

As the only druid at gen con, I only had one match go to time, and I only lost one game which was on a bad rules call.

If I remember I only won that game by 1 life difference.  It could easily have gone the other way too.
Gregg "House"

If that was the case, I never felt that I hade much chance at winning. Although the game took a big swing back in my favor when I got rid of all of your enchantments. Albeit a quick action too late as you wallopped me pretty good with the enchantment transfusion trick.