Critical Miss: Issue 2 [Playing Magic Badly & Still Having Fun]

Playing Magic Badly & Still Having Fun

Conceding Defeat Immediately

At this point I think it is import to draw a distinction between a win and a victory.

A win is when a game, according to its rules, is completed, with you being the player who had bought it to its completion.

A victory is when your gloriously triumph over your opponent, causing you to feel good, and him to feel bad.

The objective here is to ensure that though your opponent might achieve a win, he does not feel the flush of victory. The best way to do this is to concede defeat immediately it has occurred.

I need to make one thing very clear here. I am NOT talking about giving up when you are losing. The problem with giving up when you are losing is not that it is childish - it is - but that it is seen to be childish. No-one will respect you if you just throw down your cards in a sulk and storm off.

The key thing here is to recognise the point where defeat is now mathematically inevitable. This is usually after you have drawn a card.

For example:

You have two 1 point creatures on the table and 3 life points. Your opponent has three creatures, each of which deals 3 points of damage. You have three cards in your hand, two of which are land, and one of which is a spell which at this point in the game happens to be useless (what you really need is something to create a creature, destroy one of your opponents create or give you some life points back - and it ain't any of those).

It is your turn. You draw a card. It is another land. Defeat is now inevitable. There are no spells you can cast. You have no way of avoiding what will happen in your opponents turn. He will attack with his three creatures. You will block two of them, one will get through doing 3 points of damage, and the game will be over.

At this point you should immediately concede defeat, saying something along the lines of:

"That's it, I'm dead... I've got nothing to cast, and whichever way I block one of your guys will get through."

Then immediately pick up your cards and start shuffling for the next game. The key thing here is to say it in a matter of fact manner as though you were simply doing everyone a favour by accepting reality, and not making everyone go though the motions.

Of course, going through the motions was exactly what your opponent wanted to do. He wanted to savour the satisfaction of sending forth his legions of creatures for one final attack. He wanted to see your blockers overwhelmed in futile efforts to protect their master. He wanted to metaphorically plunge the dagger deep into your heart.

But you didn't let him.

You haven't avoided the defeat. But you have deprived your opponent of victory.

You're deranged... what else have you got?

Back...