Tonight I had a conversation with a friend who is trying to raise up his level of play so he can reach the top of the mountain. He told me that he feels like he missed out on the critical testing phase when people were learning and becoming optimal. He’s had some good results, but acknowledges that he gets smashed by some “nightmare opponents”.
So how does one level up in this way?
The answer in my opinion is, “time”. It’s not fun, it’s not glamorous, but it’s the truth. With Magic I am 20+ years into my journey along the path and am still learning and leveling up. I continue to climb the mountain, but I am not at the top because there is always more to climb. Looking back on it I have leveled up every four or so years. Here has been my progression:
2000 – I got cards for the first time but didn’t really know how to play
2003 – I learned how to play Magic
2007 – I made my first Vintage Top8
2011 – I won a Mox Sapphire and Mishra’s Workshop in back to back monthly Vintage tournaments
2015 – I lost a “win and in” for Top8 of Vintage Champs at 8-1
2019 – I won my 3rd TMD Open in Vintage and a month later won the Eternal Weekend Old School event which was the largest Old School event to date
2023 – I lost in the Finals of Arvika Festival playing for a Giant Shark and then won the Summer Derby later that year
Along the way there have been countless setbacks and low points:
2009 – I remember going 4-0 then 0-3 to miss Top8 of a Vintage event with several game-sealing mistakes getting called out by a friend and mentor along the way
2012 – I went to ten Vintage events, making the Top8 of two and losing in the quarterfinals both times which was a shock to the system after I won a Mox and Workshop the previous year in only six events
2016 – I flew to Columbus for Vintage Champs and went 1-3 drop
2021 – I went 2-5 in a Spikefest event I hosted, losing multiple matches I could have won due to obvious mistakes
2024 – I went 4-4 in the Winter Derby playing the same list of The Deck that I’d used to win the previous Summer Derby, losing to Zombies and underpowered Mono Blue Robots
I try not to let my results define me, though it can be hard because that is the measuring stick that people can use to define others. It would be easy for someone to define me either by my high or low points and use those data points to paint the picture of who I am.
In my experience, if you fixate on achieving a single accomplishment you will feel hollow and empty after you get there. The journey is far more fulfilling than the destination. My goal is to play as well as I possibly can. I want to keep getting better in terms of my preparation, deckbuilding, sideboarding, emotional regulation, and how I actually play the cards. If I keep doing that then achievements will undoubtedly follow.
It is tempting to try and rush things. You can purchase the cards and copy the great decks, but that will only get you so far. If you want to truly innovate or become a great player you need to invest a lot of time and effort. Simply having the best cards and the best list will not get you there. I learned that time and again back in 2012 when my Vintage mentor would give me his cutting edge list right before the tournament and I would still have a mediocre finish despite having one of the best decks in the room. What I was lacking at the time was my mentor’s repetitions with the deck and his superior grasp of Magic theory. This lack of understanding and experience showed up time and again for me at this point in life until I took the time to do something about it. I studied lists, spent hours on my sideboard strategy, talked and played with players much better than me. Over time, I improved and eventually leveled up.
No one knows where my path will go from here. I cannot say with any degree of certainty what I will accomplish in the future. What I do know though is that I will keep working to improve and get better. I expect to face challenges along the way, but as my Dad has always told me, “That which does not destroy me only makes me stronger”.
Everyone has to find their own path. My path is going to be different than yours and that is OK. The specifics of any one person’s path doesn’t really matter; it is more important that you find your own way and stick to it. Every step you take is progress.
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