[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” _i=”0″ _address=”0.0″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” _i=”0″ _address=”0.0.0.0″]

Well we have our official dates and places for the US regional events and now the big question for us is “what am I going to play?” Well I’m glad you asked because I have some tips to help narrow the field and hopefully get you ready for what’s coming in the next few months.

Pre Errata

We know it’s coming! Lukas said it on our podcast and other places that FN is on the watch list and something will happen. We don’t know exactly when or what will happen but I can make a few educated guesses as to what might happen

1) FN gets banned or his point cost changes. Now the ban is not something I expect at all, but it’s possible the point cost is more likely I feel since you could still play FN, just not with the current teams dominating the meta.

2) FN’s ability becomes a power action or a limit of once per turn. This would make FN “fair” and it’s pretty easy to adjust as compared to option #1.

3) Something else. A lot happens at FFG and there is very possibly some other design process we haven’t considered that might even the playing field for FN versus everyone else.

The point I am trying to make is that I don’t believe that FN will be dominating the metagame once regionals begin to get rolling. Now the late November and early December regionals might still have an FN meta, we don’t know. But I’m willing to wager that the 2018 regionals will not have to deal with that. This is purely speculation but based on the community asking for a chance and the fact Lukas has clearly said FN is getting a nerf, we should expect to see him drop from the most popular decks to being a contender and not the primary or only choice.

Rivals and Legacies

Another idea we cannot quite describe is what the game will look like when Rivals and Legacies are released. We don’t have a release date for either set but it’s safe to guess that Rivals (should) release in late 2017 and Legacies early 2018. So that does that mean for players? Well Rivals has some powerful cards and Legacies also has more options, new card types and the whole game will be a different beast than today. What am I getting at? Well depending on when your regional is, your current testing isn’t going to really help understand everything until you’re closer to the event because new cards, errata and whatever potential stuff comes up can totally change what you’re doing now, compared to a month before the actual event.

So What Then?

Well there are a few approaches to getting ready I want to discuss. This comes from personal experience so it’s not for everyone but I want to share what works for me.

1) Have fun! This is the perfect time to play games and a LOT of them. The best Destiny players are the ones playing games every week and sometimes every day. They see the value of a card or die and when to resolve one at the right time. They understand what puzzle they are being given and how to solve it. They understand when to re-roll and what cards to pitch at the end of the turn. They understand the intricate choices and options they have in their deck and dice. Well they only got that good by playing the game over and over and over. And if your regional is in Feb (like mine) now is the perfect time to just play games with as many decks as you want. Experience what each faction and color does well. Get ready for that big day so when you sit down from any deck and/or color, you know what staples to expect and what they cost. You know what characters do and how the player sitting across from you wants to accomplish their goal. You will better understand the value of die faces in weird situations because you already experienced that before in your testing.

2) Get a team of friends. Going to the lab means getting together with people and talking about decks, making adjustments and then testing those adjustments over a period of games, sometimes 5-10 or 20-50. Finding friends to play and test consistently will make you a better player and make them better as well. Iron sharpens iron and this is no different. Getting together is fun and being able to bounce ideas off other players is fun and helps open up avenues of Destiny you might not have considered. Plus making new friends and having new stories as you prepare is super fun! These friends don’t even need to be local only. We have such a large group of players worldwide plus the largest Discord in the world, finding sparring partners is very easy (SHAMELESS PLUG!!! discord.gg/bEAtcQZ). But that also helps keep you open to other deck ideas and meta ideas if your team is spread out across the world. Basically the primary idea is to make friends and find people to play games with. This will help you grow and see what’s going on in the community at the ground level, which in turn will improve your gameplay.

3) Understand that things are going to change. With an errata and 2 sets there will be a Wild West Destiny showdown. Yes people will be testing on TTS and locally, but your local events might have little actual truth to what you see at Your regional event. For example some players don’t have a regional in their local city, this means traveling to another meta and community. So what works for you in your local store might not work so well in your regional location. Also you might have a regional a few weeks after a set releases and it’s legal at the regional. This means that what you know now doesn’t really apply 100% to what you’re going to experience. And to clarify that statement (because I hear groaning already) what you’ve tested and know about your deck is true. But if you haven’t tested the new cards, combinations and matchups, then what you know about your deck VS the opposition isn’t going to be accurate because things have been changed. So keep an eye on your stores, meta and release dates so that you’re up to speed and not caught off guard when your event happens.

4) Read and listen to Destiny content. As new cards are released more and more players will begin to test and play and figure out what decks work and what cards are powerful. Read articles. Listen to podcasts. Absorb information because it will help you keep up to speed without having to do all the work. Plus when an adjustment happens or a card is discovered, you’ll already understand why it’s powerful because you’ve done the necessary footwork to understand the current meta. Of course I recommend the Knights of Ren podcast and Artificery but I recommend you use whatever Destiny content creator you enjoy because there is a reason you enjoy what they say and why they say it. None of us are the absolute authority on Destiny but with as many creators out there, there are plenty of sources with valuable information and perspectives that will improve your gameplay.

5) This is my super personal advice based on years of gaming, (Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Netrunner, WoW TCG….) regionals, MtG PTQ and whatever high level gaming events I’ve been to.

First of all trust yourself! If you’ve done your work and played games and prepared, trust your instincts. I cannot stress how many people decide the night before to change their deck and then go into their tournament blind with no experience piloting that deck. If you’ve played Vader/Raider for 3 months and just kept updating it over time, don’t swap to anything else. Trust in yourself, your knowledge and your time invested in the deck. You’ll feel a lot better on game day and you’ll have the understanding of the ins and outs of what your deck can and can’t do. This is valuable information because you know at any specific point in the game what you can do and what you’re unable to accomplish. This allows you to spend resources, cards and dice efficiently and effectively, moving you closer to victory as you play each round. Bringing a new deck you’ve never played before or very little is much more stressful to play because you won’t know how the little interactions fall out and you won’t know exactly what cards are where and how to access them based on what you’re seeing on the table.

Second (and this is my go to tip), relax!!! I know tournaments are high pressure and winning a seat to Worlds is important. But you have to slog through a lot of games plus a top cut. This will strain you mentally and physically and if you cant keep up with the strain, the end of the day will show more mistakes and cost you games. Take each game as 1 game, no more and no less. Focus on your goals and ignore you phone, friends and other players.Being able to win major events is a test of your skill AND endurance as a player. Major tournaments push your limits as a player but they also force you to balance your emotional, mental and psychological states while performing well consistently. Worrying about all those factors makes performing well MUCH harder. Relaxing and taking each game in stride helps to relieve some pressure and focus your skills toward whats happening now and not later. Its not perfect for everyone but this helps me because I can tune out everything not related to what’s happening now in the current game state.

Wrap It Up!

I’ve said a lot but I’m really excited about what’s about to happen. A LOT! But more exactly, we are going to see players tested in their knowledge, skill and ability to play Destiny. New cards, decks, plots, characters, all these things will force us to become better and then put those skills to the test in hopes of a ticket to compete at a higher level next year. So have fun! I know that may sound crazy but this is a game. If you’re not having fun, play something you love. This will help your mind absorb the intricate paths to Destiny and it won’t feel like a chore, I’ve been there and it’s the worst. Feeling like you went to work while you were hanging out at the local game store sucks. Having fun and playing games while learning is my favorite way to play Destiny. It may sound silly and counterintuitive to the “professional way” to play a CCG, but I’ve found that a happy psyche means a stronger ability to play games with a mental and strategic ferocity a lot of players let fade after round 3-4. And believe me, regionals will be a long day of Destiny, so giving yourself every advantage possible will help in the long run (also snacks and water).

-Sugi

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.0.76″ custom_margin=”50px|||” animation_style=”fade” animation_direction=”left” global_module=”3918″ saved_tabs=”all”][et_pb_row custom_padding=”10px|10px|10px|10px” custom_margin=”|||” background_color=”#ffffff” padding_top_1=”2″ _builder_version=”3.0.76″][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ padding_top=”2″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.0.76″ background_color=”#e02b20″ text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”|||” custom_padding=”|||”]

Read More Artificery

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_blog fullwidth=”off” posts_number=”2″ offset_number=”0″ use_dropshadow=”on” _builder_version=”3.0.76″ custom_margin=”10px||10px|” custom_padding=”|||” animation_direction=”left”]

Read More Artificery…

[/et_pb_blog][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.0.76″ background_color=”#e02b20″ text_orientation=”center”]

On Sale Now

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_shop type=”featured” posts_number=”2″ columns_number=”2″ orderby=”price-desc” _builder_version=”3.0.76″][/et_pb_shop][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.0.76″ background_color=”#e02b20″ text_orientation=”center”]

Upcoming Events

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=”3.0.76″][ecs-list-events limit="3" ][/et_pb_code][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]