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45: Be Willing to Blame Yourself with Chester Swords

45: Be Willing to Blame Yourself with Chester Swords

FromMTG Pro Tutor - Insights, Tips & Advice from Magic: The Gathering Pros


45: Be Willing to Blame Yourself with Chester Swords

FromMTG Pro Tutor - Insights, Tips & Advice from Magic: The Gathering Pros

ratings:
Length:
44 minutes
Released:
Nov 20, 2015
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

Chester Swords has 1 Grand Prix Top 8 and has been to 4 Pro Tours! In addition to his Grand Prix Sydney Top 8 his notable achievements in Magic are winning a Japanese Pro Tour Qualifier in Chiba while being there on holiday and going 9-1 in constructed at Pro Tour Dragons of Tarkir! He lives in Sydney, Australia.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Chester Swords when he shared his story on MTG Pro Tutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep45
First Set

Lorwyn
Favorite Set

Innistrad
Favorite Card
Cryptic Command
What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you?
The competitive aspect and friends you make along the way.
Early Challenge
Limited is Chester's weak point.
Talking to those who are better has been Chester's best way to improve. Other than jamming a bunch of Limited games.
Level Up Moment
Shifting to Magic Online and primarily playing there. This lead to his first PTQ win in 2011.
Proudest Magic Moment
Making Top 8 at Grand Prix Sydney 2015.
Best Format
Constructed. Chester likes seeing your win rate go up as you practice with a certain deck (in Modern or Standard).
When you're first learning a format, pick a deck and stick with it. After you have a feel for the format you can switch decks.
How to Choose a Standard Deck
Knowing your own play style is key to picking a deck. By playing Magic with different decks and against different decks you will learn what you like. 
Build the popular version of that deck and then tweak it as you continue playing.
Biggest Mistake Players Make
Keeping really loose keeps is a big mistake players are making. Especially with the new mulligan rule players should be keeping a lot fewer hands than they are.
You have to be familiar with your deck and the match up to make the optimal keep or mulligan decision.
Don't show up unprepared. Take snacks and water and get sleep.
Card Evaluation Tips
Compare new cards to similar cards in older formats, then consider how good that card was in the old format and use it as a baseline for how good the new card is.
Sealed & Draft Tips
Sealed: Sort cards by color and then take out the unplayables. Next see which colors are playable by identifying if your pool can support a certain archetype.
In Battle for Zendikar you want a fast or bomb-centric deck.
Removal is key in any Limited format.
Drafting: Look at content online before you dive in to a format. By having an idea of what the archetypes in a format are ahead of time you'll be better prepared to draft than if you just showed up and sat down. Read articles and watch videos.
How to Effectively Play Test
Drafting two or three times a day is how Chester prepares for a Limited Grand Prix. Then he will talk about his decisions with others.
For a Constructed Grand Prix he will get in reps with his deck so he can identify lines of play and become more familiar with his deck.
Improvement Suggestions
The red deck of any given format is usually pretty good. Starting with that deck is a great place to start.
Magic Resource
Surround yourself with people who are better than you so you can improve.
Channel Fireball
Star City Games
TCG Player
Connect With Chester
Twitter: @2Plowshares
Facebook: Chester Swords
Like What You Hear?
If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review.
Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content.
I read every single one and look forward to your feedback.

 
Released:
Nov 20, 2015
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

MTG Pro Tutor is a top rated Magic: The Gathering podcast and here's why: professional Magic players and community notables share their origin stories twice a week (Tue & Fri) and impart actionable tips you can use the next time you sit down to play. Learn from the wealth of experience they've built through hours of practice and playing against hundreds of opponents and start seeing improvements in your own skill right away. Don't you hate feeling like you play and play and don’t improve? Surrounding yourself with better players is the best way to level up and the MTG Pro Tutor podcast is your way of doing that. Subscribe if you want to take your Magic: The Gathering skills to the next level while hearing cool stories and getting actionable advice from the biggest names in the Multiverse.