From: yankees937@aol.com (Yankees937)
Newsgroups: rec.games.trading-cards.magic.strategy
Subject: <strategy> Can resources be measured on one system?
Date: 13 Sep 1997 20:18:08 GMT

As we all know, there are three basic resources in magic: life, mana (also
expressed as land) and cards in hand.  I have done some testing to see
whether there is some one system that can be used to evaluate the
efficiency of using certain resources to achieve certain effects.  

To start, I built two decks, one a fast, creature-filled quick damage
deck, and the other a slow, controlling, countering deck.  I had each deck
face an exact duplicate of itself, making sure that both decks drew exactly
the same cards in the same order.  This was done so that neither bad draws
nor a poorly designed deck could be at fault for a deck's loss, and as you
will see, I even compensated for the fact that one side had to go first. 

For my first test, I tried to see how much extra starting life makes up
for having a starting and maximum hand size (ala Vanguard) of +4.  To see
when parity in game position was achieved, I kept adjusting the life total
until every game ended in a situation where one side won, with any amount
of overkill damage, while the other side was one turn away from winning,
with an equal amount of overkill damage, plus or minus 1.

I found out that when the countering deck played its duplicate, the
double-win position was achieved with the side who started with 7 cards
having nearly 25 extra starting life,  But when the faster deck played its
counterpart, it needed only an extra 20 life to balance the +4 hand size.

In another group of duels, I had one side starting with a land that could
be tapped for any color mana, while compensatory extra life for the other
player.  Here the countering deck was balanced with 15 extra life, while
the compensatory life for the fast deck was 20 life.  I noted that on
average, the control player used the quasi-City of Brass 5 times per game,
while the creature swarm player used it almost 7 times per game.  This
averages out to 3 life for a single burst of any color mana for both decks.

Now I began assigning cards in the game efficiency values.  I calculated
each life point as 1 "Measure".  For the control deck, each card in
hand/drawn/discard was worth about 6 Measures, while the creature swarm
deck got 5 Measures for each card in hand.  A City of Brass costs one card
to play (5 life for a fast deck that typically uses the City) and, when
tapped, provides 1 mana of any color at the cost of one life.  Compare this
to my superland of 3 life per mana of any color that was used in the
experimentation.  After being used 3 times, the City has reclaimed (in cost
in Measures) all the life and cards that was used to play and use it.  A
Black Lotus costs 6 Measures for a slow deck to play (1 card from hand) and
then provides 9 Measures as a one-shot deal.

Let us assume that one generic mana, or one mana of a specific color,
counts as 2 measures.  Now consider this: You, playing a reactive deck,
play a Waterspout Djinn, and your opponent, playing an active deck,
Thunderbolts it.  He lost 9 Measures (2 measures times two mana, plus 5
measures for one card) and you lost 14 (2 measures times four mana, plus 6
measures for one card).  Now, if he had pitch-cast a Pyrokinesis.  He would
have lost 10 measures (two cards costing 5 measures each.)

Casting a Jayemdae Tome costs 8 measures, and using it each turn costs 8
more.  If you are playing a reactive deck, you get 6 measures in drawing a
card.  This may look like bad measure efficiency, but if you can use the
cards you've drawn to gain efficiency, you've repaid for the Tome's cost
through the options granted by card advantage.  For example, if you draw
four cards before your opponent Pillages the Tome, then use the drawn cards
to gain 40 total efficiency,
you've gained 40, lost 40, and made your opponent lose 11 on the Pillage,
for a net gain of 11.

Consider that you have a Juzam Djinn that has caused you 4 damage and your
oppnent 10.  Your opponent five-point Fireballs the djinn.  You've lost 13
in casting the spell, while your opponent lost 17.  In all, you've lost 17
measures and your opponent has lost 27.  Not bad.

This post should have revealed why certain cards like Mirror Universe and
Necropotence are broken.  I hope you have enjoyed this post and can improve
on my system.



Andrew Levine