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80: Don't Block Like A Chump, Cody Lingelbach Will Teach You How

80: Don't Block Like A Chump, Cody Lingelbach Will Teach You How

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


80: Don't Block Like A Chump, Cody Lingelbach Will Teach You How

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

ratings:
Length:
50 minutes
Released:
Mar 22, 2016
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

Cody Lingelbach is making 2016 his year as he’s already made Top 8 at 2 Standard Grand Prix’s. The first was GP Oakland in Jan. 2016 and the second was the following month in GP Houston.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Cody Lingelbach when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep80
First Set
 7th Edition
Favorite Set
 Return to Ravnica
Favorite Card
Lingering Souls
What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you?
Cody recognizes that he's a very competitive person and the thrill of competing at the highest level is a major component of why he plays Magic.
He finds that he likes complicated things, and the depth and complexity inherent in Magic fits perfectly into his competitive drive. While he loves playing Poker as well, he has shifted his attention to focus more on Magic because of its added layers of strategy.
Early Challenge
When Cody was first getting into Magic he found it difficult to figure out what cards his opponent had. He would play matches solely based on what was in his hand and hope for the best. Playing Poker made it easier for Cody to decipher what cards a player was holding based on their behavior and board decisions.
Cody also started testing with a local group called Draft PDX which was started by Gabe Carleton-Barnes. He’s discovered that there are some things in Magic you can’t do by yourself, and talking to other players about the game has helped him develop the skills needed to take on tougher tournaments.
Level Up Moment
Cody feels that his greatest period of growth manifested in making Top 8 at his first Legacy Open event.
Heaviest Magic Moment
At a SCG Invitational in L.A. Cody lost 3 Win and Ins in a row.
The event was a split format with Legacy and Standard. He went undefeated in Legacy on Day 1, but when he came back to the Legacy portion his Angel Reanimator deck was crushed by the Soul Tithe decks all of the pros were playing.
He learned that the tournament itself exhausted him, and that playing a Magic tournament takes more than just playing the game. Preparing mentally and physically for the event wasn’t something he had considered before and playing match after match all day long wore him down.
Now he tries to stay even keeled during tournaments by hydrating and eating properly to maintain his energy and focus for the duration of an event.
Proudest Magic Moment
Cody made the Top 8 of Grand Prix Oakland, and then just one month later made the Top 8 again at Grand Prix Houston.
He found it difficult to do well in the old PTQ system, and while he had success at various Invitationals and Opens he still had trouble breaking through in the Grand Prix circuit. Theory crafting and discussing his ideas with friends and the players in Draft PDX has helped prepare him to tackle bigger tournaments.
Cody sticks to playing paper Magic, Drafting once a week with PDX while trying to squeeze in another day or two of play during any given week.
Best Format
Legacy
What Would You Tell A New Legacy Player?
Cody’s advice for players trying to break into Legacy is to learn your deck and how it plays. He sees some Legacy players that simply look at what decks are cool and have a good win percentage in the meta game.
However, Cody finds that if a deck doesn’t fit your play style then it can be much more difficult to learn, and he guarantees that your opponent in Legacy will know their deck extremely well.
Biggest Mistake Players Make
Chump blocking, especially in Limited, is a mistake Cody finds a lot of players making.
He feels early blocking comes from overvaluing life. Using life as a resource can lead to gameplay mistakes and prevent you from drawing other cards, like kill spells or a better creature, that could give you a much better advantage than blocking would have.
While you have to be careful about taking direct damage, you’re not in huge trouble even at 9 or 10 life.
How To Play Magic For Little Money
Cody would point players that are low on cash towards Ma
Released:
Mar 22, 2016
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.