opinion | Quiet Speculation https://www.quietspeculation.com Play More, Win More, Pay Less Tue, 22 Mar 2022 16:14:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.quietspeculation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/favicon.png opinion | Quiet Speculation https://www.quietspeculation.com 32 32 Rule of Law: Ethics and Fun in Modern Magic https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/02/rule-law-ethics-fun-modern-magic/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/02/rule-law-ethics-fun-modern-magic/#comments Fri, 08 Feb 2019 17:00:24 +0000 http://quietspeculation.com/?p=19550

Yesterday, Brian Braun-Duin published "When Playing to Win Is a Loss," an article detailing the dangers of getting caught up in the competitive spirit. It admonishes angle shooting and makes a case for sportsmanship in a gaming environment. Brian's thoughts resonated with some of my own, especially as relates to the place of ethics in […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2019/02/rule-law-ethics-fun-modern-magic/feed/ 3 Dropping Destructive Revelry: Why to Keep Your Burn Board Boros https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/09/dropping-destructive-revelry-why-keep-burn-board-boros/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/09/dropping-destructive-revelry-why-keep-burn-board-boros/#comments Wed, 19 Sep 2018 17:00:25 +0000 http://quietspeculation.com/?p=18727 The earth is round, the pope is catholic, and Destructive Revelry belongs in the sideboard of every Modern Burn deck. While the first and the second principle might be unbreakable, I’d like to smash the third one to smithereens. In this article I'll explain why I think Destructive Revelry is overrated in Burn, and lay out […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/09/dropping-destructive-revelry-why-keep-burn-board-boros/feed/ 9 Love What You Play: Taking the Taste Test https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/05/love-what-you-play-taking-the-taste-test/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/05/love-what-you-play-taking-the-taste-test/#comments Fri, 18 May 2018 16:00:39 +0000 http://quietspeculation.com/?p=18021 Modern has at times been described as a format hostile to Spike, the player demographic in search of winning at any cost. Indeed, "spiking" tournaments as players do in other constructed formats—by playing the best deck and understanding the mirror—isn't a reliable path to success in Modern. Rather, this format rewards players for picking a […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/05/love-what-you-play-taking-the-taste-test/feed/ 19 Odds and Ends: Unusual Homes for Bloodbraid and Jace https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/02/odds-and-ends-unusual-homes-for-bloodbraid-and-jace/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/02/odds-and-ends-unusual-homes-for-bloodbraid-and-jace/#respond Wed, 28 Feb 2018 17:00:38 +0000 http://quietspeculation.com/?p=17401 As the metagame continues to adapt to the recent additions of Bloodbraid Elf and Jace, the Mind Sculptor, we have seen lots of the expected: Bloodbraid bolstering Jund, and Jace slotting in nicely as a finisher for controlling blue decks. Temur Midrange was also a concept that was bandied about, and is currently seeing play. […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/02/odds-and-ends-unusual-homes-for-bloodbraid-and-jace/feed/ 0 The Four-Drops Are Coming! Unban Reaction https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/02/four-drops-coming-unban-reaction/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/02/four-drops-coming-unban-reaction/#comments Tue, 13 Feb 2018 17:00:39 +0000 http://quietspeculation.com/?p=17315

Wizards really dropped a bombshell on us Monday morning. Jace, the Mind Sculptor AND Bloodbraid Elf unbanned? Oof, didn't see that one coming. I'd been outlining articles for the various cards that I could see getting banned or unbanned, but these two together were not on the list. Never even considered it. However, it happened. I'll […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2018/02/four-drops-coming-unban-reaction/feed/ 10 Testing Preordain: Qualitative & Quantitative Results https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/12/testing-preordain-qualitative-qualitative-results/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/12/testing-preordain-qualitative-qualitative-results/#comments Wed, 27 Dec 2017 21:52:44 +0000 http://quietspeculation.com/?p=16908 David is out for the holidays until next week. In the meantime, please enjoy his article from earlier this year where he presented results from the Preordain ban test. These results were originally presented in two separate articles (here and here), but I've divided them into parts for the purpose of easier reading. Part 1: […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/12/testing-preordain-qualitative-qualitative-results/feed/ 5 If I Controlled the Banned List https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/12/if-i-controlled-the-banned-list/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/12/if-i-controlled-the-banned-list/#comments Tue, 19 Dec 2017 17:00:29 +0000 http://quietspeculation.com/?p=16851 Everybody fantasizes about what they would do if given the reigns of power. In fact, most discussion around banned and restricted announcements perennially involves players pontificating pointlessly about their banned wishlist. I'm not immune. So that's exactly what I'm going to do today. I do understand how weird this article is, coming from me. I'm […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/12/if-i-controlled-the-banned-list/feed/ 7 Deep Analysis: Comparing Metagame Methodology https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/12/comparing-metagame-data/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/12/comparing-metagame-data/#respond Tue, 12 Dec 2017 17:00:40 +0000 http://quietspeculation.com/?p=16774

The plan for this week was to update my metagame data tables with the results of the Grand Prix. However, Jason surprised all of us with the actual metagame update. Not that I'm complaining, mind you; it was a very nice surprise. I'm glad the more rigorous and comprehensive table is back in action. In […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/12/comparing-metagame-data/feed/ 0 The Strange Case of the Metagame and the Unbannings https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/10/strange-case-metagame-unbannings/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/10/strange-case-metagame-unbannings/#comments Tue, 31 Oct 2017 16:30:21 +0000 http://quietspeculation.com/?p=15865 It begins, gentle seekers of glory. Today is a day of great opportunity and gangrenous rot. The pallid sun meekly illuminates the great ravenous hordes as they linger, eager and anxious, waiting for their moment, when they shall be unleashed upon the world to slack their unending hunger for inadequately-proportioned sugary confections. For those whose […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/10/strange-case-metagame-unbannings/feed/ 18 Challenger Approaching: Unban Candidates https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/10/challenger-approaching-unban-candidates/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/10/challenger-approaching-unban-candidates/#comments Fri, 20 Oct 2017 16:00:40 +0000 http://quietspeculation.com/?p=15778 The October 17 banlist announcement came and went, and no changes were made to Modern. But that doesn't mean there's nothing to glean. Wizards dropped some juicy information this announcement, and today we'll deduce which cards the company has their eye on unbanning. Wizards's latest "No changes" gave us some valuable insight into how they're […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/10/challenger-approaching-unban-candidates/feed/ 26 Two Forks: Embarking on a Video Journey https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/10/two-forks-embarking-video-journey/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/10/two-forks-embarking-video-journey/#comments Thu, 12 Oct 2017 17:28:01 +0000 http://quietspeculation.com/?p=15701 I’ve been toying around with the idea of getting back into video content, in part because I’ve found myself wanting to do similar things for other games I’ve been playing lately, like Star Wars: Destiny and, most recently, Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game. Video content is a unique animal in requiring much […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/10/two-forks-embarking-video-journey/feed/ 2 Empire State of Mind: Remembering the Fun of Magic https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/10/modern-empire-state-mind-modern-magic-fun/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/10/modern-empire-state-mind-modern-magic-fun/#comments Wed, 04 Oct 2017 19:24:12 +0000 http://quietspeculation.com/?p=15579 Sometimes you don’t know what you need until it’s given to you. No, that’s not a 2017 Cinderella cover or anything, it’s just simple truth. Whether it’s a breath mint from a helpful friend or a simple check-yourself-before-you-wreck-yourself, this age-old adage repeats. As Magic players, we experience this phenomenon all too often, whether we notice […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/10/modern-empire-state-mind-modern-magic-fun/feed/ 2 Testing Preordain: Quantitative Results https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/10/testing-preordain-quantitative-results/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/10/testing-preordain-quantitative-results/#comments Tue, 03 Oct 2017 16:00:44 +0000 http://quietspeculation.com/?p=15538 The time has (finally) come to actually reveal the results of my latest banlist test. Looking back, testing two different decks made this harder than it needed to be. Focusing just on Storm would have yielded more satisfying data, though not a more significant result. As you will see, it appears that Preordain would not […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/10/testing-preordain-quantitative-results/feed/ 5 Timeless Lists: Reflections on Masterpieces in Deckbuilding https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/09/timeless-lists-reflections-masterpieces-deckbuilding/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/09/timeless-lists-reflections-masterpieces-deckbuilding/#comments Thu, 07 Sep 2017 18:25:14 +0000 http://quietspeculation.com/?p=15314 This week I wanted to do something a little bit different from my past couple articles. Leave it to me to propose a tonal shift to my article topics, and then immediately afterwards break from the mold to do something different. Still, a couple personal/opinion pieces in a row suggests a shift every now and […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/09/timeless-lists-reflections-masterpieces-deckbuilding/feed/ 4 Perspective: A Letter and Pro Tour Story https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/08/perspective-letter-pro-tour-story/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/08/perspective-letter-pro-tour-story/#comments Thu, 31 Aug 2017 18:51:06 +0000 http://quietspeculation.com/?p=15253 Last week, I wrote a very personal opinion piece titled “Getting Disillusioned – What Magic Is Missing”. In the article, I put forward my perspective on Modern Magic, how I feel playing the game, and what sort of experience I find myself craving that Magic hasn’t been able to provide for me recently. I received […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/08/perspective-letter-pro-tour-story/feed/ 2 “No Changes” – Reactions to the Banlist Announcement https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/08/no-changes-reactions-banlist-announcement/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/08/no-changes-reactions-banlist-announcement/#comments Tue, 29 Aug 2017 22:10:27 +0000 http://quietspeculation.com/?p=15227 It is inevitable. Every time a new Banned and Restricted Announcement comes out, speculation runs rampant. Everyone has their pet cards to advocate for or against, everyone is utterly convinced they're right, and they take offense to disagreement. Every single time. It's really tiring. I've written about this problem before. I have no problem discussing possible […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/08/no-changes-reactions-banlist-announcement/feed/ 1 Diving In: Content, Stability, and Motivation https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/08/diving-content-stability-motivation/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/08/diving-content-stability-motivation/#comments Fri, 25 Aug 2017 17:18:38 +0000 http://quietspeculation.com/?p=15194 Yesterday, our own Trevor Holmes published "Getting Disillusioned—What Magic Is Missing." That piece describes the allure of other games while exploring motivation and writer's block. I don't agree with everything he wrote—opinion pieces are like that—but I think Trevor raised some interesting points, and his article got me thinking about my own motivations and the […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/08/diving-content-stability-motivation/feed/ 12 Getting Disillusioned – What Magic Is Missing https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/08/what-magic-modern-missing/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/08/what-magic-modern-missing/#comments Thu, 24 Aug 2017 17:27:54 +0000 http://quietspeculation.com/?p=15180

This one will be a little off the rails. A couple weeks ago, I highlighted an opportunity I saw for Wizards to do something risky but with the potential to change Modern forever. The feedback I received was… voluminous, and well appreciated, even though most everyone disagreed with me. Regardless, I learned something through the […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/08/what-magic-modern-missing/feed/ 26 Testing Preordain: Qualitative Results https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/08/testing-preordain-qualitative-results/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/08/testing-preordain-qualitative-results/#comments Tue, 22 Aug 2017 16:00:37 +0000 http://quietspeculation.com/?p=15158 Once again, it is time to start rolling out my results from the latest Banlist Test. As usual, I will start with the experimental setup and the unquantifiable results. I know that what most readers care about are the hard numbers, but I'm not done gathering the data yet. That will be coming sometime in […]

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]]> https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/08/testing-preordain-qualitative-results/feed/ 5 Modern Top 5: Hosers https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/08/modern-top-five-hosers/ https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/08/modern-top-five-hosers/#comments Fri, 11 Aug 2017 18:02:58 +0000 http://quietspeculation.com/?p=15099 Modern Top 5: Utility Spells kicked this series off, and in my eyes, it was hugely successful. Not only did it present a measurable way to analyze cards that I'm quite proud of, but the article also inspired a lively debate in the comments. Today, we'll revisit the series, focusing on some of Modern's most […]

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