GENCON 2015 Tournament

[silverclawgrizzly]

I don't see too many ways to realistically practice. Unless your local play group has enough players that at least one of them focuses on each of the mages, and plays them well, you're just gonna have to go in blind on some level. Playing on OCTGN could help though.

Then why bother playing the game at all. Why should AW continue to produce the game if we are only going to sit in our houses and play for free on OCTGN.

I know a few people within 20-30 minutes of me who play, but only play on OCTGN. So why bother continuing supporrting a product if we're only gooing to play online. What benefit does AW have to continue producing the game if the answer to playing, is play on OCTGN.

At no time did I say or intend to infer that OCTGN in any way shape or form should be a substitute for actual real life playing. I stated that it is very unlikely any particular play group has a person who specializes in each mage. That'd be what over half a dozen people right? Not to mention they'd have to go "Ok you get Druid, you get Priest, etc." By suggesting OCTGN I offered a possible method of fighting mages outside your normal play group. I do not myself play OCTGN but my roommate does....when neither I nor any of our Mage Wars playing friends are around.

Obviously the best way to play a game is in person with actual people. However the downside of play groups, and this is something our own local guy who's entering the tournament found out, is they tend to form specific ways to play based on how each person plays. That's all well and good, then we get new members and they bring new tricks to the table and kick the crap out of us a few times until we have to learn to assimilate their stuff into our thinking too. Still I say again: at no time did I say OCTGN was better than actual play.

[vlad3theimpaler]

How did the GenCon thread turn into a debate about using OCTGN?   

[Sailor Vulcan]

I have to ask, have you gone over to a friends house sat down in front of his computer, logged in and played, I don't know, Call of Duty? No of course not, you friend will tell you to go get the game and play it on your own computer.

You're totally missing what I'm saying. I'm not saying that people should play octgn as a substitute for real life play. Octgn is good for trying out a set to see if you like it enough for you or whoever owns the playgroup's collection to buy it. If it's okay to use octgn for trying a mage to see if you like it, and if it's okay for someone to play with a friend's cards they don't own with that friend's permission, then there's nothing wrong with playing on octgn to find out what mages you like so that the person who owns the collection knows what sets to buy so that he doesn't end up with tons of cards that rarely or never see use. I personally would rather not waste money on a set if I can't find friends to share it with, since otherwise there will be a lot of cards in my collection that don't see much if any play. I wrote an entire article on this subject! Why don't you just read that first?

[JasonBourneZombie]

How did the GenCon thread turn into a debate about using OCTGN?   

This post right here.

Then why bother playing the game at all. Why should AW continue to produce the game if we are only going to sit in our houses and play for free on OCTGN.

I know a few people within 20-30 minutes of me who play, but only play on OCTGN. So why bother continuing supporrting a product if we're only gooing to play online. What benefit does AW have to continue producing the game if the answer to playing, is play on OCTGN.

[Laddinfance]

I love spirited debate, but this is a post about the GENCON 2015 tournament. So let's stick to that subject. If you would like to converse about the merits of OCTGN and whether it is being used properly, please make a new thread. Thank you.

[Intangible0]

Hey guys, there's still 10 tickets left for the tournament. Remember you need to sign up for Friday's event in order to be in the two-day tourney.

In case you didn't see it before, the game ID is: CGM1578120

Much easier to find it that way since GenCon's search function isn't that great.

Hope we get to see you there!

[JasonBourneZombie]

I'm probably most excited to see if/how necromancers fare in a tournament setting. In my area, I'm the only one, and I could use a jumpstart to strategic planning.

Is anyone running a necromancer in the tournament?

[silverclawgrizzly]

Yeah that's just what I need is you getting better....

I just wanna meet a bunch of players from all over. I'd be amazed if Beast Master won it two years in a row. Who won year before last?

[V10lentray]

Last year Wizard and Necro were the most played mage. There was only one Beastmaster, and he won.

The final 4 were 3 wizards and a beastmaster.

And with the Printing Snafu with Domination, there is a good probibliity that people may choose to run that same book again, because the 2 best cards for destroying that book aren't going to be legal. Gravikor and Sandstorm.

[iNano78]

Last year Wizard and Necro were the most played mage. There was only one Beastmaster, and he won.

The final 4 were 3 wizards and a beastmaster.

And with the Printing Snafu with Domination, there is a good probibliity that people may choose to run that same book again, because the 2 best cards for destroying that book aren't going to be legal. Gravikor and Sandstorm.

I'm not playing at Gen Con nor am I as skilled as those who are, but in my opinion, there are lots of anti-Aviary cards available: Idol of Pestilence, Suppression Orb, Mordok's Obelisk and any of several zone attacks (or Chain Lightning) will generally do the job.  I think what happened last year is that nobody thought creature swarms were viable so few players bothered to bring the counters - or at least not enough of them.  That, and a Chain Lightning fizzled in the final, causing a game-changing momentum swing in that match.

If a creature swarm is on your radar, there are more than enough counters available as it is.  Gravikor and Sandstorm would add to the list, but they aren't strictly necessary.

[JasonBourneZombie]

That's true, but I think a falcon rush was more viable by far because they flew. Gravikor will probably have a greater impact on that strategy in a big tournament than idols, obelisks, and orbs, because seasoned beast masters will likely eat the cost or damage and attack the opponent. We will probably see next GenCon how well it works.

[silverclawgrizzly]

I am very much looking forward to watching this event. I'd love to compete in it but I'm also just as glad to not have that pressure......this year.

[DaveW]

I'm probably most excited to see if/how necromancers fare in a tournament setting. In my area, I'm the only one, and I could use a jumpstart to strategic planning.

Is anyone running a necromancer in the tournament?

I'm not... but Necro is my back-up book in case I change my mind. I played Wizard for so long, I'm just tired of it... so I decided to learn a different one this year.

My problem with playing a Necro book is that I would despise a Necro-Necro match. It would feel almost like random chance as to who would win. I played one this year, and found that half of my spellbook was useless (or nearly so). Poison immunity goes both ways.

[JasonBourneZombie]

I will freely admit skeletons fare better against zombies than the reverse. Zombie v zombie is terrifyingly slow.

[silverclawgrizzly]

I'm probably most excited to see if/how necromancers fare in a tournament setting. In my area, I'm the only one, and I could use a jumpstart to strategic planning.

Is anyone running a necromancer in the tournament?

I'm not... but Necro is my back-up book in case I change my mind. I played Wizard for so long, I'm just tired of it... so I decided to learn a different one this year.

My problem with playing a Necro book is that I would despise a Necro-Necro match. It would feel almost like random chance as to who would win. I played one this year, and found that half of my spellbook was useless (or nearly so). Poison immunity goes both ways.

Had a very memorable match like this one time. Skeletons VS Skeletons. I actually won it because of my Necropian Vampiress. Yes most of your book is crap against the other guy and you gotta rely on creatures, some curses, and whatever attack spells(in my case NONE) you put in a Necromancer book.