In card games like Magic: The Gathering (MTG), netdecking can be a serious topic up for debate. Simply put, a person who netdecks is someone who copies a deck they come across online – especially if a person’s strategy has found success at the tournament level. A player may opt to switch a few cards…

Trying to take your game to the NEXT level? Bay Area sensation Noah McKee shares this pro-tip on the ever-divisive practice of netdecking (playing a deck that was built and tested by someone else, then posted online):

“For advanced players, I would encourage you not to netdeck or make deck-building choices based purely off of internet trends. I think netdecking is really positive when you first start out or you are looking to improve, but for the top competitive players, I think it becomes a hindrance. I’m not a particularly amazing deck builder, but I have had success in understanding a particular environment and identifying what is ahead of the curve. Netdecks should be seen as the standard for a tournament or meta, and it is your job to figure out what beats that standard.

You have to get comfortable being the only one in your group who is playing a particular card. You also have to get comfortable with people doubting your choices with varying levels of intensity, both in real life and on the internet. If you can do this, however, you will find that the testing you do becomes more meaningful because you are leveraging personal experience and using a more developed sense of the game than your average player has to inform your choices. I think these are the types of trends that, if implemented properly and in moderation, win you the important games in big tournaments.”

An interesting question....and one I'm willing to answer. Honestly.

Even if the response might be a little long.

(However I only run 2 blogs actually)

If I love one thing about Magic the Gathering, and specifically Standard, is that it is the breeding ground for the metagame. New cards come in, older ones shuffle out, and the game has a fresh start on what works, and doesn't work.

Now, netdecking (specifically replicating the best decks in the current format) can be either pricey for people who want to win, or easily achievable by those who have good trades. Netdecks are online to be viewed by those who want to replicate it. And that's fine, you'll probably win an FNM or something by doing that.

Here's my opinion thought: that's boring. That's really boring. If 20 people run the exact same deck at an event, I wonder who's gonna win? DOES IT MATTER NOW? WE ALL KNOW DELVER'S GONNA WIN. (or Pod, or Trading Post, or etc etc etc)

Magic Standard is a play style for creative players to come in and do something different. Maybe their Pod deck isnt Bant, or their B/W Tokens has Entreat the Angels, Skirsdag High Priest, or Bloodline Keeper. Maybe they wanna win with a bunch of commons and uncommons. Maybe they make a 250 card deck built around Battle of Wits, and take first place during an FNM (it's happened at my FNMs).

My personal opinion is that if people netdeck, and they win, GOOD FOR THEM. But I don't respect as much as the people who may take netdecks and add a new spin to them, or creating a deck that for the time can surprise a lot of the metagame, and probably steal a few wins here and there. They're not overly powerful, they're all their own kind of deck.

Ultimately, everyone wants something out of Magic the Gathering. I want to see creativity, appreciation and sportsmanship. Creativity in Standard (and by extention, Legacy, Modern, Commander, etc) is something I hold above the expensive cards.

On Cockatrice.

All I end up playing against are these janky homebrews that don't do anything.