How to Mulligan better on MTG Arena in Timeless - Basic Tutorial by a Top 10 Mythic Player

Summary

In this tutorial video, the host delves into the art of Mulligan in high-powered Magic: The Gathering formats like Timeless, emphasizing its importance and complexity compared to slower formats. The video focuses on strategic deck understanding, Mulligan decision-making, and the impact of sideboard construction. Using an energy deck example, the host illustrates how to adapt Mulligan choices based on the opponent's deck and game plan, aiming to educate players on optimizing their chances of winning in fast-paced, high-stakes matches.

Takeaways

• 📚 Mulligan strategy in high-powered formats like Timeless is crucial and differs from slower formats like Standard.
• 🃏 Many players, especially from Arena, struggle with Mulligan decisions, which can be a decisive factor in winning or losing games.
• 🤔 Players should understand their deck's game plan, speed, consistency, and interaction with the opponent's strategy for effective Mulligan decisions.
• 🔥 The Mardu energy deck example is an aggressive creature-based strategy that can win through combat or card advantage engines like Codia Nightmare and Lurking.
• 💨 Speed is a critical factor; knowing your deck's average win turn is essential to gauge if your Mulligan hand can meet that pace.
• 🗃 Sideboard construction and understanding your opponent's deck are vital for making informed Mulligan choices, especially in post-sideboard games.
• 🧩 Mulligan decisions should consider the interaction between your deck and the opponent's strategy, including the impact of sideboard cards.
• 🛡 Against combo decks like Show and Tell, specific sideboard cards like Thoughtseize and Deafening Silence can significantly alter the game's outcome.
• 🔮 Mulligan examples demonstrate the thought process of keeping or discarding cards based on the potential for fast aggression and interaction.
• 📉 Mulligan to a lower number of cards can be risky but sometimes necessary to find the right combination of threats and interaction.
• 🏆 Mastery of Mulligan decisions and sideboarding is a key skill that can elevate a player's performance in high-powered formats.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video tutorial?

The main focus of the video tutorial is to teach viewers how to Mulligan effectively in Timeless and similar high-powered formats in Magic: The Gathering.

Why is Mulliganing considered a skill-testing part of playing Timeless?

Mulliganing is considered skill-testing in Timeless because it involves making strategic decisions based on your deck's game plan, your opponent's potential strategy, and the specific cards in your hand, which can significantly impact the outcome of the game.

What is the difference between Mulliganing in Timeless and in slower formats like Standard?

Mulliganing in Timeless is different from slower formats like Standard because Timeless is a high-powered format where games can be won or lost very quickly, and the Mulligan decisions are more critical due to the fast pace and the importance of starting with the right combination of cards.

What is the game plan for the energy deck discussed in the video?

The game plan for the energy deck is to be a fair aggressive creature deck that deploys cheap-cost creatures aggressively, generates energy, and uses cards like Ragavan, Guide of Souls, and Ocelot Pride to create a snowball effect, potentially winning the game through combat or through the combo of Thoughtseize and Deafening Silence.

How does the Mardu deck interact with the Show and Tell deck?

The Mardu deck does not interact well with the Show and Tell deck in the main deck because it lacks discard spells to disrupt the combo. The Show and Tell deck can win quickly if it assembles its combo, which the Mardu deck struggles to prevent without sideboard cards.

What are some sideboard cards that are good against the Show and Tell deck?

Some sideboard cards that are good against the Show and Tell deck include Thoughtseize, Deafening Silence, and Static Prison. These cards can disrupt the combo by removing key pieces or limiting the opponent's ability to cast spells.

Why is Deafening Silence effective against the Show and Tell deck?

Deafening Silence is effective against the Show and Tell deck because it limits the opponent to one spell per turn, which slows down their ability to assemble their combo and gives the Mardu deck more time to win through its aggressive strategy.

What is the significance of knowing your opponent's deck when making Mulligan decisions?

Knowing your opponent's deck is significant when making Mulligan decisions because it allows you to tailor your hand selection to counter their strategy effectively. For example, against a Show and Tell deck, you would prioritize finding sideboard cards that can disrupt their combo.

What is the rationale behind keeping a hand with Thoughtseize and Deafening Silence but no creatures?

The rationale is that Thoughtseize can disrupt the opponent's hand, potentially removing a key combo piece, and Deafening Silence can slow down their spell casting. This can buy enough time for the Mardu deck to draw into its threats and potentially win before the Show and Tell deck assembles its combo.

How does the Mulligan process change between Game 1 and subsequent games against the same opponent?

In Game 1, you might make Mulligan decisions based on less information about your opponent's deck. However, in subsequent games, you have a clearer idea of what your opponent is playing, allowing you to make more informed Mulligan decisions that specifically target their strategy.