This week we saw (and are still seeing) the World Championship for Magic. I have to say watching it, I could not have been more bored/frustrated/bummed out.
First let me tell you what they did right.
Marshall Sutcliffe and Luis Scott Vargas with Jackie Lee on the coverage team is a very good thing! BDM and Rich Hagan are also great, but really I’m just happy to see they are adding women to the rotation. Great Job!
… It sort of ends there for the good stuff.
Coverage
Wizards, Can’t you guys spend a couple bucks (that you obviously aren’t gonna spend on MTGO) on your Coverage? How much dead air do I have to watch in between segments. I now this isn’t ESPN, but seriously make this look professional.
When Richard Hagan says, “Over to BDM for a deck tech…” that transition should be seemless. It’s not seemless. It’s a wall of darkness and silence for so long I start to think that the feed cut out. That’s some low budget racket ass shit.
Come on guys. This is a commercial for your business, I don’t want to feel like I’m struggling to pay attention. There has to be a better way to present this live.
Also, particularly in Modern, it feels like you should have a player who is intimately familiar with the decks you are covering. Watching coverage teams guess plays that are obvious to a pilot is pretty upsetting. I don’t like to yell at my TV screen… please don’t make me yell at my TV screen.
Since we’re on the topic of Modern
Affinity, Living End, Boggles? These are the best players in the WORLD! What these deck choices are telling me is that they don’t really want to play Magic. These decks out right ignore the opponent and play a game that is either nothing like Magic or vaguely resembles Slap Jack. AND I LIKE A GOOD GAME OF SLAP JACK!
When you ignore the Modern meta for 11 months out of the year then ban/unban a few cards in hopes of seeing some innovation for the Pro Tour (because you know it’s gonna be on camera) …MAAAAAYBE you should try that a little more often.
What I’m not saying is that these decks are too powerful. They aren’t they are just fine. You don’t have to ban them. You need to let Modern loose. You’re choking it to death. In my meta, it’s basically all Twin, Grixis Control, and BGx decks. You know what’s good when you have to play these sort of decks. The shit all the Pros are playing right now. It’s an actual mockery to the format. Seriously, I’ve seen more interaction in a game of Pong. You are being trolled by your best and brightest.
End it on a High Note
At least this thing wasn’t decided by a mulligan to 4 in the final game. You fixed the Mulligan Rule. That’s amazing! It’s good, but I know it can be better. Don’t stop there. I know you won’t. And I’m sorry if this came off angry, or preachy. I love this game, and I believe everyone’s experience can be better. I know it’s not easy.
Zac Clark
@DurdleMagus