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Synergy in the Woodland: Analysing almost 3000 games of Root

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One of the best parts about Root as a game is the dynamic interaction between factions. Most factions, and certainly the factions with more expansive design goals, will cause games to feel fundamentally different than games that do not feature them. One of the best examples in my opinion is the Riverfolk Company. Having the Otters in a game fundamentally changes how many factions play, as they gain access to much more card selection, with some policing power and movement options thrown in. Some of the relationships are a bit more subtle, like Lizards or Woodland Alliance limiting movement and locking down clearings with their rule/sympathy. The impact a faction can have sometimes extends to the map as well, with Vagabond and Rats both changing the board by removing ruins.  I find this interaction fascinating, and one of the main reasons I enjoy returning to Root over and over again. By analysing recorded game data, I intend to codify and define some of the faction relations stati...
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I Forced a Bot to Play 40,000 Games of Mono Red - The EV of Experimental Frenzy

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Experimental Frenzy is a beautifully complex magic card. Since it's printing in GRN it has found a solid home in standard Mono Red decks, and has even made its way into modern affinity, most notably in the hands of Matt Sperling at MC London . Throughout its time in standard, however, it's never quite been the agreed upon best draw engine for Mono Red. Printed in the same set as Risk Factor, and now facing a new challenger in Chandra, Fire Artisan from WAR, Frenzy is constantly having to fight for inclusion in the 75s of red mages. As someone who wants to play these decks and make reasonable decisions derived from sound logic, I have found choosing between these options rather difficult. The main problem with trying to make this choice is that Frenzy in particular is an incredibly random card with a terrible fail state (you find Mountain Mountain on top),  and just about the highest ceiling possible from a draw engine (see this clip ). Not being able to effectively measure t...
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MtG Stats: Pro Tour Guilds of Ravnica 2018.

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With PT GRN in the books, and lots of discussion about what exactly having 6 aggressive white decks in the top 8 means for format diversity, I figured I'd get back to doing some stats analysis of Standard and write up what I've found for everyone. I've been doing this kind of data collection/analysis for most of the year now, but this is the first time trying to write it up for presentation in blog post form, so forgive me if things aren't as organised as they could be. What This Analysis Involves (Feel free to jump straight to the next section if you just want the data) For every GP and PT, Wizards uploads pairings, results, and standings for each round. These pages are used by many people to do many things, one of the more interesting being Ajlvi and his MtgEloProject (a fantastic site, well worth checking out). Using these pages we can reconstruct the tournament from the ground up; who played who each round, and who won. All we need to do next is record what e...
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KCSai? KCSigh? Thoughts, Results, and Developments.

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Ever since I saw Matt Nass playing KCI on camera at one of the 3 GPs he made the Top 8 of, I've been engrossed by this mess of a deck. It burst onto the modern scene in the hands of Nass and others a few months ago, and has forced players to respect its power and resiliency ever since. After recent success with the deck at local PPTQs, including a win, I thought it might be worth me writing a post about how I ended up on KCI, where I think it sits now, and formalising some of the thoughts I have about where it's going in the future. No More Affinity? Picking up a new deck in modern is always a risk. Even if you ignore the financial cost, modern is a format known for rewarding mastery over a specific deck or archetype. This isn't just a line spouted by commentators when they have nothing better to say, but a true reflection of how open the field is and the impossibility of reaching the required level of competence with a new deck, while also understanding the intricacies...
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