It's really interesting seeing all this hate for Ari. I don't understand it, because to me it's so refreshing to watch a player who has a personality, and some character about him. Interesting characters are amazingly.... interesting. Everyone knows who Mike Long is, and yet how many people playing magic today have ever seen him in the flesh, or even played in a tournament where Mike was? Someone with this much charisma is fantastic to watch, and a breath of fresh air. Love him or hate him, Ari won the pro-tour, and for all the "ari was a complete prick," we're all talking about him. Good on you Ari and congratulations on the victory.
***** Usually when you're likely to win a hefty reward that is the culmination of a lot of hard work and labor you are pretty excited about it. I'm sorry we can't all be your stoic, stone-faced ideal of a player. Also: these player's aren't playing for the viewers enjoyment, only their own and the prize at the end of the tunnel. Expect no change or apology from Ari Lax or anyone else.
***** Well if he manages to get under the opponents skin, all the more credit to him. Its a competition after all and its not against the rules to try and get the opponent off his game.
Maaan, I started playing MTG like three years ago and I wish so much I could play when Khans were in Standard. I love it so much! I will have to start playing Pioneer and build an Abzan deck...
I came back to Magic when Return to Ravnica/Magic 2014 were in Standard, and that was great, but Khans were extra special! Those three color cards and the whole vibe was amazing.
The only instances Ari's behavior really came off as disrespectful was his match with YuYu in Draft. Even if you have the game winning card you don't just slam on your opponents cards like your staking a vampire through its heart.
I rather liked Ari Lax because of his emotion, he got excited, and he wasn't very rude about it at all. I mean he just the really good top deck (Elspeth) and got really excited.
With these commentaries, they ought to quickly go over the each player's deck. Just like the pre-match team analysis in football and pretty much every other team sport.
Hey guys, so after watching through PTKTK and reading on some comments, I've come up with the some reflection and personal analysis about Ari, his opponents, and us (yes, the spectators)... let's go. But first, I still have to congratulate Ari for winning the Pro Tour. The folks against Ari are calling him out for bad sportsmanship such as constantly asking "Oh, are you going to destroy (stuff)" or "am I dying (from burn)?" and the slam casting the cards. On the other hand, other side argued "It's his first PT final, cut him some slack" or "It's his major event. Ari is just being Ari" When Ari was playing against Yuuya, he had Zurgo in his hand for most of the game all he needed was the plains that he had not drawn, so technically the win draw is actually the plains/fetch. When he draw the fetch he was clam, while fetching he was calm (even offered Yuuya to cut/shuffle), but emotionally slammed cast Zurgo sideways (hitting Yuuya's cards). Yuuya was also starving for swamp, so Ari should know how painful it is to get stuck on lands. So why do that? When Zurgo came down smashing, it left Yuuya dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events, if he left a blocker to block then he would have survive and possibly won. After the game, Yuuya disappointingly looked at his next card and slammed the card back in disappointment. Watching Yuuya plays, I know he rarely does that especially on camera. Am I favoring Yuuya too much? Yes, but I have more points. So some Ari's defenders mentioned "While Craig Jones and Gabriel Nassif did it and they are liked. When Lax did it you guys just hating on him" Being salty? Perhaps.... but I can definitely tell that Lax's situation is not the same as Nassif and Jones. When Nassif slow peeled Cruel Ultimatum and Jones slammed that Lightning Helix, both of them did not know the next draw is going to be their endgame card. Further, they were dead the next turn if they did not peel that particular card. Relate that to Ari, did he have to slam Zurgo? No, because by that point the really climax card is actually the Plains or fetch not so much Zurgo. Now fast forward to Semi-Finals, Ari vs Tiago. Tiago was at a disadvantage from the start but he manage to clear out most of Ari's creatures and other stuff, then Tiago Thoughtseize Ari for nothing. With nothing on the board, Ari top-decked and slammed cast Elspeth. That is not necessary... Why? Because how does he know Tiago wouldn't peel a kill spell for Elspeth? A lot of what if? What if Tiago continued instead of conceding? This is not the same situation as Nassif or Jones, because they were hellbent ,like Ari, while their opponent IS going to win the next turn, but Tiago was not in any way going to win the next turn. The questions.... Now to be fair, there were some matches where asking these question are justifiable, i.e Ari 's opponent was obviously slow-rolling when the said person got nothing else to play and just dead on board. Then Ari mentioned about the clock. But being constantly asked "Oh, are you going to destroy (stuff)" or "am I dying (from burn)?" is very annoying. Can I brainstorm the possible plays where I can survive? I.e the finals when Ari asked Shaun "Are you going to slam it?" to which Shaun decline, because he can bluff Ari into making a bad play or make him second guess. It's the finals, I believe the players should and are going to get all the time they need to make a decision. So, being constantly asked those questions makes me feel somewhat rushed. To a certain extent being asked "Are you dun yet? (by Grumpy Cat)" It is not the same as being interactive. If I want to be interactive I would say "Are you sure you don't want to bolt my mystic? It does make that one extra mana." Last, saying It's his first PT final, cut him some slack" or "It's his major event. Ari is just being Ari" True, very true. But then when Jacob Wilson got into the Finals of Pro Tour Born of Gods, I don't remember seeing him slammed casting Birthing Pod or asking his opponent "Oh, you going to Wear/Tear my Pod?" All the time, Wilson is calm and collected. And guess what? Jacob is younger than Ari... so can't say Ari is young and cut him some slack. Conclusion, is Ari a bad player? Definitely not, in fact he is an extremely great player. But understand that some of the stuff that he has said and done, which might seem minute, comes across as being a bad sports to others. Hence, a lot people are giving Ari a hard time over his PT win. Thanks for reading...
I think that that's just how Ari is when he plays magic, and I (personally) don't mind having a little fun to alleviate the stress in a high-stakes environment. The draft match against Yuya wasn't the greatest tho
The games would be so much easier to follow and understand, if they'd tighten up the management of the right-side info box with some basic guidelines like: A. Switch "Cards in Hand" to the person whose turn or decisive priority it is. B. Show information of the card that was last played. C. Find a consistent pace for managing it in real time. As a new fan of MTG, I'm constantly on Google looking up the cards and then wondering what cards are in the other players' hand, all because the pace and guidelining of that right-side info box is fucking atrocious.
Not sure why so many people have a problem with Ari's behavior. He seemed like he was having a lot of fun. Additionally, even with strategies and statistics calculated with every turn between two evenly matched decks, there is still another layer of strategy - behavioral manipulation. Not sure if Ari was doing that at all, but bluffing with your body language and facial expressions can make the difference between winning and losing, and it can be a good way to ever so slightly distract your opponent's focus. That all said, I play everything with a total poker face such as that my opponent can't judge whether I'm happy with my draws or not. Leave them guessing.
are magic fans scared of celebration? dude just won a pro tour and people ripping on his every move, guess i'm used to regular sport where it's thought of as a momentous occasion to win at the highest level. too many bitter fans deeply on the spectrum commenting here, i was actually surprised and found it a little depressing how minimal his expression was for his first time pro tour win. even if you're not aspie it feels like the community expects this of its players.
It does not matter what YOU think of one of the players, it matters what his opponent thinks and the guy was clearly smiling (even if at times only just to be polite but sometimes genuinely).
I am shocked, shocked at the communities support of Ari's behavior. Ari showed a distinct lack of class in his flagrant displays of “emotion” and general “chattiness” with other players about which “Ajanis he liked”. Most of us understand that this is a time for quiet, nay, solemn contemplation. Much like Sorin himself we must act with decorum, as Solemn Visitor's to a plane of professionalism. Not only did he make this proud and righteous pursuit of the sacred Pro Tour seem like some sort of game of fantasy and scraps of paper, he forgot the foremost rule of all human interaction: pretend you didn't enjoy success because that way others might find company in misery. When I was young we apologized for winning. Most importantly, this unconscionable display by “Mr” Lax has set back the community as a whole in a devastating fashion. How are we supposed to continue acting like Magic is serious business and that we are mentally superior beings when this guy is making a game of it!
That was some of the weakest satire I've seen in a while. Magic players aren't saying they're better than anyone else, but we do acknowledge good sportsmanship. Ari isn't a good sportsman.
StyxTBuferd If someone was this excited over a win in lets see, Lol, Dota 2, starcraft 2, football, baseball, soccer, basketball the list goes on but nobody would bat an eye, you say hes a bad sport but when the match might have been taken into a 5th game by shaun top decking you could see lax smiling and excited, i love seeing this personality from mtg players its much better then people getting salty from loses and not caring about the game just throwing their cards down. the skewed view of sportsmanship in magic is stupid and wrong as long as you aren't being purposefully mean or hurtful to your opponent then you can play the game however you want.
i rather game with people who show emotion rather than someone who is a robot who stays completely silent, and emotionless. besides that if it bad sportsmanship to show emotion than your not really passionate about your hobby.
I think there's a disconnect as to why I think he's a jerk versus why you think I think he's an ass. Emotion is fine, the Ajani thing is fine, all of that is fine. It's the way he handled certain situations during the pro tour that make him come off as being snobbish. Also dat shuffle.
Why did no one tell me there is a pro tour?! I like Ari, i liked watching him win, and I like the way McLaren enjoyed the moment. This is my new favorite sport.
Levy's mardu walkers is amazing…i love that deck…A strange pro tour in my opinion, why ub and not esper? why did lax win :D? Anyway if THIS is the future standard i'm definetely gonna love it :D
Hey im a young mtg player im only 14 and have been playing for a few months almost a year.....i have the card courser of krupnix from the born of the gods set but i thought that in pro tours they have to use cards from the current set?
Not just the current set. What they play is called Standard. It includes the two most recent blocks and the most recent core set. That means currently Theros block--Theros, Born of the Gods, and Journey into Nyx--M15, and the Khans of Tarkir block which currently only contains the Khans of Tarkir expansion set.
aqw Taj You're welcome. And in case you are interested in keeping a standard deck you should read up on the coming changes to the way sets are released and rotated. You can find that information here: magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/mm/metamorphosis This is also a helpful site for quick reference: whatsinstandard.com/
ever since khans started ive noticed the potential power of abzan...when i play abzan i feel like im doing much more damage then i normally do if i were playing a mardu or jeskai deck. its almost subconcious.. itll be halfway though a match and realize to my self "wow theyre hurting that much already?"
So ive been checking out these Magic tournaments and was wondering just how expensive it is to get into this game. Do I get rolled over by expensive decks if mine is mediocre? Is it crucial to have the newest cards from every edition released? Or can I succeed with older cards aswell? Im a 17 yr old student and dont really have too much cash at my disposal but still would like to get into this game as it seems fun. I dont want to get rolled over by players with more money so I would appreciate your answers :)
There are viable options that aren't as expensive as McLaren's or Lax's, but still compete. I would go for a hyper aggro approach with mono-red or something. I'm sure you could keep it under $100 which is pretty solid.
One big thing to understand about magic, is that the cards that make up the top decks BECOME expensive after someone is successful with them in standard. There are some cards that start out expensive because people see potential, but most don't get high too early. Effectively, one way to save money is to analyze what card you think will be good and figure out a way to use it, and buy it before it becomes expensive. Kinda like stocks. This takes experience usually though. Now, there are inexpensive standard decks (check out the 'Ensoul Artifact' decks or maybe some versions of RDW, aka red deck wins), but what most will recommend is that you merely practice with friends and learn the game for a bit. That's a good way to have fun on a small budget. If you're just looking for casual fun, then old cards are cheap and pack of a lot of punch. Try an event deck to start with (Not intro pack. EVENT DECK). Good luck, mate.
You could also do draft at a local shop. Learn how to play first, but the second you learn I recommend drafting, it's usually cheapest if done moderately, and it's the most level playing field.
Ok so I've only been into magic for around 4 months now, but I have a question regarding game 2. Why did Ari scoop? Sure he was low on life, but he could've just taken one bile mantis and blocked both tokens with coursers. THEN next turn drop a lilianna for a discard effect (Since McLaren only had 1-2 cards) and even if he dropped sarkhan he would still be alive to kill sarkhan with 3 life left over; regardless of how he does it( Either discarded from liliana because he wants to save his other card OR take the 4 go down to 3 and then heroes downfall it) not to mention what his draw could've been. One more land and he's out of the danger zone of burn spells. I feel like the second game was in his hands completely and he scooped.
I actually watched this game very closely. What i didn't understand is why he didn't block the rabblemaster that had only 3 power with his second courser. Maybe it was nerves playing that game? Idk
Why is the Jeskai player using Abzan sleeves? And why is the Abzan player using Jeskai sleeves? What madness is this? Or is it just supposed to be some kind of sly tactic to confuse the other player?
It could be a tactic, or it could be that they grabbed the first available sleeves. At the same time, if everyone was using their tribe's sleeves, it would give the other player an advantage.
LoudWings Yeah, I suppose it would be stupid to just downright tell your opponent the colours you're playing! I just thought it seemed weird how they ended up playing someone who was using the sleeves of the opposite clan!
No one plays Netcaster Spider - I'm rather surprised, it's a really great card. Three cost, has reach and can trade with Mantis Rider, Sarkhan and Stormbreath Dragon. Food for thought.
Sarkhan is indestructible while he's in Dragon form. But I have always looked at Netcaster and thought it has some use in a green deck. Never actually seen it, though.
Hammdog Porkington Oh that's right! I almost never play any planeswalkers in my decks so I often forget their precise effects - that and they always have three or four! Thanks for reminding me. At the very least you could chump block a Sarkhan with Netcaster...
Hmm i think that the main reason is that green based deck are not "aggro" and the excellent 3 drop is courser. What's more there were no green devotion deck where it could have done his best! Turn 2 caryatid can't be followed by a non-courser 3 drop…am i wrong?
Samuele FrizzyTm No not strictly speaking - it's just that in my standard play half of all the games are won because the losing player can't block a 4/4 or 3/3 flyer. I think the card will get a lot better once Mantis Rider becomes more prevalent - and I have no doubt that it will since it's basically a three cost multi use burn spell. Also - do you have any idea why everyone seems to despise Ari Lax - I know nothing about him other than what I've seen in this and a few other videos. Cheers.
Jeremy Dreger Mantis rider is very very good but the spider does not survive…althought it gets +2+0…trades stormbreaths and just chump blocks sarkhan…Anyway it's also a beast that could attack when u want to so seeing it played in G devo won't be absurd… I did not like Lax behaviour all tournament long…he talks too much and say :"am i dead?"…"removal?"…"u are dead!" and things like that, i don't like people who speak too much…i mean, i always have fun at the table speaking with my oppo, but in a 40000$ tournament speaking that way is not appreciated. If i were shaun i would have asked him to keep silence
Since I'm still fairly new to the game, can someone explain why they are looking at the top card of their deck? I know it could be because of Scry, but sometimes I can't tell
< Comes to watch a Pro Tour match and read the comments for interesting perspective, finds hundreds of comments about Ari's supposed "personality flaws".
I play a similar deck to McLaren ever since the pre-release I loved jeskai, I got my pre-release box with a foil jeskai ascendancy, and a mantis rider. So I built a jeskai deck. A little dissapointed jeskai didnt win. but oh well. After watching the pro tour, I think I could use some scry lands and rabblemasters O_o
And taking your sweet time when you have no real play is cool? Ari didn't really slam it down, he just knew he had it. i mean the dude was at 1 life! Learn to enjoy games, man, even when you lose.
Guy, first I'm not defending yuya's play and second I wasnt there, for me is just a game i dont.care if i lose, third, even LSV said it, you dont do that stuff because you know what means to be on the other side of the table.
It's a little awkward that they don't get any comments from the 2nd place finisher. That segment would be better put together if they got some brief comments from the runner up and then went to the champ. Calling the runner up to the stage only to watch the champ seems incomplete.
I really enjoyed watching Ari in this match. He always seemed like he had a good read on his opponent and played super tight. His little mannerisms that you all seem to think are him just being a dick would also be suuuuper disarming at this level of play and probably fucked his opponent up at least a little. And in a game of margins like this, I'd take anything I could get too. Also, go blue.
I'm the first person who hates pricks, jerks and show offs... But to be honest, Ari's personality just seems like a bit of a weirdo but not really with bad intentions. He is ok in my book. Congrats you little weirdo :)
Mantis, Sarkhan, and the Reef all appear to be in Russian. The use of non-english cards is allowed as ruled by Section 3.3 of Wizard's tournament policy, but for most people it's just preference as long as they know what the card does in English.
is it just me or does it not take any skill to play turn 3+4 siege rhino? At least Mantis Rider dies to the majority of removal. This is a complaint against wizards for printing such an easy-mode card, not Ari.
It is debatebly the 2nt best 1 drop ever. Goblin guide is but swiftspear is in every format. If you have a deck with red in it, your running 4 main board
Ari Lax's response to Mclaren's play at 50:45: How did he have enough mana? It appears all but 1 land was untapped, and 1 elvish mystic. Thats two mana, yet he casts 2 abzan charms?
Could someone give some criticism on my standard deck? it's a green blue white deck. it's kinda budget cause i don't really have alot of money to spend on magic. anyway, here is the deck list: Creatures: 4x Sagu mauler 4x sunblade elf 3x wall of frost 2x daxos of meletis 2x shu yun, the silent tempest 1x monastery mentor Instants: 4x icy blast 4x feat of resistance 3x cancel 3x jace's ingenuity 3x ephemeral shields Enchantmens: 3x Battle mastery so that's my deck. feel free to give any type of criticism. i would really appreciate it.
Fetches weren't a big thing until battle for zendikar, since they can only fetch basics and all of Takir clan's colors are only represented by one side of the fetches printed in the set (eg abzan get green and white on heath, but they need to play a blue black or red black fetch to get swamps, which can't fetch other colors) so they weren't play much until the tango lands got printed Also the scry lands are really powerful in a slow format like standard, free card advantage and mana fixing
Anyone else have a rough time with Abzan Midrange at your local FNM? I was slaughtered and out of luck when I went against Abzan with a budget Mardu Rush/Aggro deck
Ari had could have swung with both Rhinos, leaving Shaun unable to deal with both Rhinos on his turn, which would leave the remaining Rhino to kill him next turn. These guys know each other's decks :P
True. Lax's deck is powerful cause there are too many powerful individual cards in it. Unlike mono blue last standard when you have to play a lot of shitty cards cause they work together.
This is going to be a super grindy standard for sure. 3 color decks do add to the overall slow in play, but even some of the 2 color decks are drawn out in play style. Not very exciting play if you like quick matches, but if you like a nice, slow, methodical matches, get stoked on it lol.
I think you'd be hard pressed to find a player as successful that has been in the game for a larger percentage of his lifetime. (Ari has spent 80% of his lifetime playing MTG). I have to compliment him, as I also starting buying packs during Sixth Edition, Urza, and Portal, Portal II....but I'm twenty years older than Mr. Lax (Da Champ!).
So what's wrong with Ari Lax? Just because most match-ups involve almost no speaking due to the fact that everyone knows what everything does doesn't meaning that talking is illegal. He seems cocky, but he has every right to be. He just won. The only thing I can sort of understand is that the way he excitedly played his counter into the opponent's board side after topdecking it was slightly uncivil, but you can forgive him given circumstances of 40,000 dollars and two more years of Pro Tour.
at the final interview, Ari sounded sober at all...this took me to the 'episode scene' when he plays figuring out all the time, what's going to be played and done, in both sides. I can think quietly my gameplays and strategies, he can't. So the way he plays catch some ppl on the line between love and hate. a Pro Tour game can be changed with this kind of 'playing behaviour'. Cheers to the guy, but not so much. Just the obvious.
Our Pro Tour Khans of Tarkir champion should be renamed: Ari Sucks is much more suiting. I'd also vote for him to enter Hall of Shame for his behavior throughout the whole tournament. Hopefully Eric "Cartman" Froehlich joining him in the same class..
Having started playing competitive magic when khans came out I really miss this
I've came here for nostalgia too
Good times!
Peak competitive MTG, for sure.
I’m gay
I love how the person playing abzan midrange is using Jeskai sleeves and the guy playing jeskai aggro is using abzan sleeves.
It tripped me up a bit during the introductions
OMG they are using the sleeves of the opponents deck...... FLAVOR FOUL
It's really interesting seeing all this hate for Ari. I don't understand it, because to me it's so refreshing to watch a player who has a personality, and some character about him.
Interesting characters are amazingly.... interesting. Everyone knows who Mike Long is, and yet how many people playing magic today have ever seen him in the flesh, or even played in a tournament where Mike was? Someone with this much charisma is fantastic to watch, and a breath of fresh air. Love him or hate him, Ari won the pro-tour, and for all the "ari was a complete prick," we're all talking about him.
Good on you Ari and congratulations on the victory.
I know exactly what you mean.. It's so boring to play against a statue
If douchebag counts as refreshing then your a sad person
*****
Usually when you're likely to win a hefty reward that is the culmination of a lot of hard work and labor you are pretty excited about it. I'm sorry we can't all be your stoic, stone-faced ideal of a player.
Also: these player's aren't playing for the viewers enjoyment, only their own and the prize at the end of the tunnel. Expect no change or apology from Ari Lax or anyone else.
Mike Long wasn't unlikable because of being "interesting", he was unlikable because he was an unrepentant cheater.
***** Well if he manages to get under the opponents skin, all the more credit to him. Its a competition after all and its not against the rules to try and get the opponent off his game.
Maaan, I started playing MTG like three years ago and I wish so much I could play when Khans were in Standard. I love it so much! I will have to start playing Pioneer and build an Abzan deck...
I came back to Magic when Return to Ravnica/Magic 2014 were in Standard, and that was great, but Khans were extra special! Those three color cards and the whole vibe was amazing.
It was an awesome standard. You had aggro, midrange, and control, as well as combo. FNM was alive every week.
The only instances Ari's behavior really came off as disrespectful was his match with YuYu in Draft. Even if you have the game winning card you don't just slam on your opponents cards like your staking a vampire through its heart.
50:50
10/10 BM on both ends. Love it.
"Would you call it a DICE-advantage?"
Dammit, LSV... I love you so much.
I rather liked Ari Lax because of his emotion, he got excited, and he wasn't very rude about it at all. I mean he just the really good top deck (Elspeth) and got really excited.
he just got the*
Sigue Rinho won this final and also the next zendikar final. This card should be banned!!!
Nice game for Shaun McLaren!!!
@@kswiss220 siege rhino was the most obnoxious card during khans pro tour that's for sure
Pause at 0:38 for a beautiful Shaun McLaren
With these commentaries, they ought to quickly go over the each player's deck. Just like the pre-match team analysis in football and pretty much every other team sport.
I love how Ari inadvertently slow rolls the token drop here. You can literally here the bird about to land! 47:20
Hey guys, so after watching through PTKTK and reading on some comments, I've come up with the some reflection and personal analysis about Ari, his opponents, and us (yes, the spectators)... let's go. But first, I still have to congratulate Ari for winning the Pro Tour.
The folks against Ari are calling him out for bad sportsmanship such as constantly asking "Oh, are you going to destroy (stuff)" or "am I dying (from burn)?" and the slam casting the cards. On the other hand, other side argued "It's his first PT final, cut him some slack" or "It's his major event. Ari is just being Ari"
When Ari was playing against Yuuya, he had Zurgo in his hand for most of the game all he needed was the plains that he had not drawn, so technically the win draw is actually the plains/fetch. When he draw the fetch he was clam, while fetching he was calm (even offered Yuuya to cut/shuffle), but emotionally slammed cast Zurgo sideways (hitting Yuuya's cards). Yuuya was also starving for swamp, so Ari should know how painful it is to get stuck on lands. So why do that? When Zurgo came down smashing, it left Yuuya dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events, if he left a blocker to block then he would have survive and possibly won. After the game, Yuuya disappointingly looked at his next card and slammed the card back in disappointment. Watching Yuuya plays, I know he rarely does that especially on camera. Am I favoring Yuuya too much? Yes, but I have more points.
So some Ari's defenders mentioned "While Craig Jones and Gabriel Nassif did it and they are liked. When Lax did it you guys just hating on him" Being salty? Perhaps.... but I can definitely tell that Lax's situation is not the same as Nassif and Jones. When Nassif slow peeled Cruel Ultimatum and Jones slammed that Lightning Helix, both of them did not know the next draw is going to be their endgame card. Further, they were dead the next turn if they did not peel that particular card. Relate that to Ari, did he have to slam Zurgo? No, because by that point the really climax card is actually the Plains or fetch not so much Zurgo. Now fast forward to Semi-Finals, Ari vs Tiago. Tiago was at a disadvantage from the start but he manage to clear out most of Ari's creatures and other stuff, then Tiago Thoughtseize Ari for nothing. With nothing on the board, Ari top-decked and slammed cast Elspeth. That is not necessary... Why? Because how does he know Tiago wouldn't peel a kill spell for Elspeth? A lot of what if? What if Tiago continued instead of conceding? This is not the same situation as Nassif or Jones, because they were hellbent ,like Ari, while their opponent IS going to win the next turn, but Tiago was not in any way going to win the next turn.
The questions.... Now to be fair, there were some matches where asking these question are justifiable, i.e Ari 's opponent was obviously slow-rolling when the said person got nothing else to play and just dead on board. Then Ari mentioned about the clock. But being constantly asked "Oh, are you going to destroy (stuff)" or "am I dying (from burn)?" is very annoying. Can I brainstorm the possible plays where I can survive? I.e the finals when Ari asked Shaun "Are you going to slam it?" to which Shaun decline, because he can bluff Ari into making a bad play or make him second guess. It's the finals, I believe the players should and are going to get all the time they need to make a decision. So, being constantly asked those questions makes me feel somewhat rushed. To a certain extent being asked "Are you dun yet? (by Grumpy Cat)" It is not the same as being interactive. If I want to be interactive I would say "Are you sure you don't want to bolt my mystic? It does make that one extra mana."
Last, saying It's his first PT final, cut him some slack" or "It's his major event. Ari is just being Ari" True, very true. But then when Jacob Wilson got into the Finals of Pro Tour Born of Gods, I don't remember seeing him slammed casting Birthing Pod or asking his opponent "Oh, you going to Wear/Tear my Pod?" All the time, Wilson is calm and collected. And guess what? Jacob is younger than Ari... so can't say Ari is young and cut him some slack.
Conclusion, is Ari a bad player? Definitely not, in fact he is an extremely great player. But understand that some of the stuff that he has said and done, which might seem minute, comes across as being a bad sports to others. Hence, a lot people are giving Ari a hard time over his PT win.
Thanks for reading...
I think that that's just how Ari is when he plays magic, and I (personally) don't mind having a little fun to alleviate the stress in a high-stakes environment. The draft match against Yuya wasn't the greatest tho
This Ari guy seems to be a quite a good guy, cheering up the game and all.
This was the second Protour I ever watched and this is nostalgia
This was a very good Pro Tour! Ari was a really convincing winner, and entertaining to watch. Theros/Khans era was a really good time for Magic ✌
The games would be so much easier to follow and understand, if they'd tighten up the management of the right-side info box with some basic guidelines like:
A. Switch "Cards in Hand" to the person whose turn or decisive priority it is.
B. Show information of the card that was last played.
C. Find a consistent pace for managing it in real time.
As a new fan of MTG, I'm constantly on Google looking up the cards and then wondering what cards are in the other players' hand, all because the pace and guidelining of that right-side info box is fucking atrocious.
I've been playing for 15 years, and I could not agree more.
Ive been playing three months and understood everything in the games
I feel like Ari really does have some light form of asberger's, I don't blame him for being a little inappropriately excited.
What Magic player (especially pro player) doesn't have Asperger's?
My favourite Pro Tour of All Time!
Not sure why so many people have a problem with Ari's behavior. He seemed like he was having a lot of fun. Additionally, even with strategies and statistics calculated with every turn between two evenly matched decks, there is still another layer of strategy - behavioral manipulation. Not sure if Ari was doing that at all, but bluffing with your body language and facial expressions can make the difference between winning and losing, and it can be a good way to ever so slightly distract your opponent's focus. That all said, I play everything with a total poker face such as that my opponent can't judge whether I'm happy with my draws or not. Leave them guessing.
Man, I love this set. Congrats to Ari as well! That guy's the real deal :D
Wow I haven't watched this match in a few months and now the comments are full of hate. Weak.
On the real
I was Abzan since the moment I saw it's beautiful three color combinations. I knew it would win the Pro Tour, I'm so happy I stated loyal to Abzan.
I haven't been following the Pro tour, but I must admit. There's something I don't like about that Ari guy
I love how their sleeves are opposite to each other's clan lol
are magic fans scared of celebration? dude just won a pro tour and people ripping on his every move, guess i'm used to regular sport where it's thought of as a momentous occasion to win at the highest level. too many bitter fans deeply on the spectrum commenting here, i was actually surprised and found it a little depressing how minimal his expression was for his first time pro tour win. even if you're not aspie it feels like the community expects this of its players.
GAH DAHMAT!!! I was so rooting for Shaun McLaren!!! Got to have love for Jeskai.
It does not matter what YOU think of one of the players, it matters what his opponent thinks and the guy was clearly smiling (even if at times only just to be polite but sometimes genuinely).
I am shocked, shocked at the communities support of Ari's behavior.
Ari showed a distinct lack of class in his flagrant displays of “emotion” and general “chattiness” with other players about which “Ajanis he liked”.
Most of us understand that this is a time for quiet, nay, solemn contemplation. Much like Sorin himself we must act with decorum, as Solemn Visitor's to a plane of professionalism.
Not only did he make this proud and righteous pursuit of the sacred Pro Tour seem like some sort of game of fantasy and scraps of paper, he forgot the foremost rule of all human interaction: pretend you didn't enjoy success because that way others might find company in misery. When I was young we apologized for winning.
Most importantly, this unconscionable display by “Mr” Lax has set back the community as a whole in a devastating fashion. How are we supposed to continue acting like Magic is serious business and that we are mentally superior beings when this guy is making a game of it!
That was some of the weakest satire I've seen in a while. Magic players aren't saying they're better than anyone else, but we do acknowledge good sportsmanship. Ari isn't a good sportsman.
StyxTBuferd If someone was this excited over a win in lets see, Lol, Dota 2, starcraft 2, football, baseball, soccer, basketball the list goes on but nobody would bat an eye, you say hes a bad sport but when the match might have been taken into a 5th game by shaun top decking you could see lax smiling and excited, i love seeing this personality from mtg players its much better then people getting salty from loses and not caring about the game just throwing their cards down. the skewed view of sportsmanship in magic is stupid and wrong as long as you aren't being purposefully mean or hurtful to your opponent then you can play the game however you want.
i rather game with people who show emotion rather than someone who is a robot who stays completely silent, and emotionless. besides that if it bad sportsmanship to show emotion than your not really passionate about your hobby.
I think there's a disconnect as to why I think he's a jerk versus why you think I think he's an ass. Emotion is fine, the Ajani thing is fine, all of that is fine. It's the way he handled certain situations during the pro tour that make him come off as being snobbish. Also dat shuffle.
Joshua Young I agree with all of this, but his showing emotion is not why I think he's a bad sportsman.
Why did no one tell me there is a pro tour?! I like Ari, i liked watching him win, and I like the way McLaren enjoyed the moment.
This is my new favorite sport.
33:09 Does he mean previously? Did we see this? Or was is off camera?
Siege Rhino, what a fun balanced card.
Siege Rhino. It's a auto win condition against burn and against other decks.
Yep!!! Should be banned.
I love how it's considered unplayable now. Went from a must ban to not played
@@jakecollin5499 it was only ever good in the context of that standard season, but it was too good and there just weren't answers for it at that time
Levy's mardu walkers is amazing…i love that deck…A strange pro tour in my opinion, why ub and not esper? why did lax win :D?
Anyway if THIS is the future standard i'm definetely gonna love it :D
I love watching Shaun
Does anyone notice the Abzan sleeves for McLaren and Ari Lax's Jeskai sleeves? A bit confusing.
Know the opponent more than you know yourself =P
Hey im a young mtg player im only 14 and have been playing for a few months almost a year.....i have the card courser of krupnix from the born of the gods set but i thought that in pro tours they have to use cards from the current set?
Not just the current set. What they play is called Standard. It includes the two most recent blocks and the most recent core set. That means currently Theros block--Theros, Born of the Gods, and Journey into Nyx--M15, and the Khans of Tarkir block which currently only contains the Khans of Tarkir expansion set.
Oh ok thanks that helped me a lot.
aqw Taj You're welcome. And in case you are interested in keeping a standard deck you should read up on the coming changes to the way sets are released and rotated. You can find that information here: magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/mm/metamorphosis
This is also a helpful site for quick reference: whatsinstandard.com/
Just curious, why are they using sleeves of each others' deck's clans?
ever since khans started ive noticed the potential power of abzan...when i play abzan i feel like im doing much more damage then i normally do if i were playing a mardu or jeskai deck. its almost subconcious.. itll be halfway though a match and realize to my self "wow theyre hurting that much already?"
So ive been checking out these Magic tournaments and was wondering just how expensive it is to get into this game. Do I get rolled over by expensive decks if mine is mediocre? Is it crucial to have the newest cards from every edition released? Or can I succeed with older cards aswell? Im a 17 yr old student and dont really have too much cash at my disposal but still would like to get into this game as it seems fun. I dont want to get rolled over by players with more money so I would appreciate your answers :)
There are viable options that aren't as expensive as McLaren's or Lax's, but still compete. I would go for a hyper aggro approach with mono-red or something. I'm sure you could keep it under $100 which is pretty solid.
echoing the mono red aggressive deck, its the best budget option and always relevant and competitive.
One big thing to understand about magic, is that the cards that make up the top decks BECOME expensive after someone is successful with them in standard. There are some cards that start out expensive because people see potential, but most don't get high too early. Effectively, one way to save money is to analyze what card you think will be good and figure out a way to use it, and buy it before it becomes expensive. Kinda like stocks. This takes experience usually though.
Now, there are inexpensive standard decks (check out the 'Ensoul Artifact' decks or maybe some versions of RDW, aka red deck wins), but what most will recommend is that you merely practice with friends and learn the game for a bit. That's a good way to have fun on a small budget. If you're just looking for casual fun, then old cards are cheap and pack of a lot of punch. Try an event deck to start with (Not intro pack. EVENT DECK). Good luck, mate.
thanks for hte answers every1
You could also do draft at a local shop. Learn how to play first, but the second you learn I recommend drafting, it's usually cheapest if done moderately, and it's the most level playing field.
Hello I'm new into magic, what expansion do they use. Born of the gods...?
They are using Khans of Tarkir, Born of Gods, Journey to Nyx, Theros and M15 that is currently what is standard.
Ok so I've only been into magic for around 4 months now, but I have a question regarding game 2.
Why did Ari scoop? Sure he was low on life, but he could've just taken one bile mantis and blocked both tokens with coursers. THEN next turn drop a lilianna for a discard effect (Since McLaren only had 1-2 cards) and even if he dropped sarkhan he would still be alive to kill sarkhan with 3 life left over; regardless of how he does it( Either discarded from liliana because he wants to save his other card OR take the 4 go down to 3 and then heroes downfall it) not to mention what his draw could've been. One more land and he's out of the danger zone of burn spells.
I feel like the second game was in his hands completely and he scooped.
forgot to subtract the 1 from land, so actually he'd be at 2 if sarkhan attacked, but still alive assuming no lightning or magma jet.
I actually watched this game very closely. What i didn't understand is why he didn't block the rabblemaster that had only 3 power with his second courser. Maybe it was nerves playing that game? Idk
Why is the Jeskai player using Abzan sleeves? And why is the Abzan player using Jeskai sleeves? What madness is this? Or is it just supposed to be some kind of sly tactic to confuse the other player?
It could be a tactic, or it could be that they grabbed the first available sleeves. At the same time, if everyone was using their tribe's sleeves, it would give the other player an advantage.
LoudWings Yeah, I suppose it would be stupid to just downright tell your opponent the colours you're playing! I just thought it seemed weird how they ended up playing someone who was using the sleeves of the opposite clan!
I'm happy Ari won with all that money the title and status on the line he was excited who wouldn't be.
that handshake must have felt amazing for Ari
No one plays Netcaster Spider - I'm rather surprised, it's a really great card. Three cost, has reach and can trade with Mantis Rider, Sarkhan and Stormbreath Dragon. Food for thought.
Sarkhan is indestructible while he's in Dragon form. But I have always looked at Netcaster and thought it has some use in a green deck. Never actually seen it, though.
Hammdog Porkington Oh that's right! I almost never play any planeswalkers in my decks so I often forget their precise effects - that and they always have three or four! Thanks for reminding me. At the very least you could chump block a Sarkhan with Netcaster...
Hmm i think that the main reason is that green based deck are not "aggro" and the excellent 3 drop is courser. What's more there were no green devotion deck where it could have done his best! Turn 2 caryatid can't be followed by a non-courser 3 drop…am i wrong?
Samuele FrizzyTm No not strictly speaking - it's just that in my standard play half of all the games are won because the losing player can't block a 4/4 or 3/3 flyer. I think the card will get a lot better once Mantis Rider becomes more prevalent - and I have no doubt that it will since it's basically a three cost multi use burn spell. Also - do you have any idea why everyone seems to despise Ari Lax - I know nothing about him other than what I've seen in this and a few other videos.
Cheers.
Jeremy Dreger Mantis rider is very very good but the spider does not survive…althought it gets +2+0…trades stormbreaths and just chump blocks sarkhan…Anyway it's also a beast that could attack when u want to so seeing it played in G devo won't be absurd…
I did not like Lax behaviour all tournament long…he talks too much and say :"am i dead?"…"removal?"…"u are dead!" and things like that, i don't like people who speak too much…i mean, i always have fun at the table speaking with my oppo, but in a 40000$ tournament speaking that way is not appreciated.
If i were shaun i would have asked him to keep silence
Dat last game tho...
Since I'm still fairly new to the game, can someone explain why they are looking at the top card of their deck? I know it could be because of Scry, but sometimes I can't tell
There is a card he plays that forces him to play with the top card of his deck revealed as long as its on the feild.
Gratz Lax
I'm here for Gadnuk, Breaker of Worlds.
10 percent gameplay 90 percent shuffling...
anybody notice the jeskai player using abzan sleeves and the abzan player using jeskai sleeves
Totally! XD Hilarious, right?
Charles Rammell Yes I noticed. The commentators even said that..
Charles Rammell It made me so mad. Not only are they using the wrong sleeves, they're using the sleeves the other person should be using.
That to me was the best part of the finals
+Izandai They use the wrong sleeves to throw off their opponents so they don't know what color they actually are playing
I was hoping to see a sultai or temur in the end game of the finals...
Mainly because I play primary temur and secondary sultai.
Where can I get those specific dice from?
< Comes to watch a Pro Tour match and read the comments for interesting perspective, finds hundreds of comments about Ari's supposed "personality flaws".
I play a similar deck to McLaren ever since the pre-release I loved jeskai, I got my pre-release box with a foil jeskai ascendancy, and a mantis rider. So I built a jeskai deck. A little dissapointed jeskai didnt win. but oh well. After watching the pro tour, I think I could use some scry lands and rabblemasters O_o
Wow. I'm not the only one who dislikes this Ari guy I noticed. But he played the game well, and based on his plays he earned the win. Congratulations!
You dont slam hard your victory card into your opponents board when you topdeck it for the win, thats disrespectfull
Ok Edmond, ok.
And taking your sweet time when you have no real play is cool? Ari didn't really slam it down, he just knew he had it. i mean the dude was at 1 life! Learn to enjoy games, man, even when you lose.
Guy, first I'm not defending yuya's play and second I wasnt there, for me is just a game i dont.care if i lose, third, even LSV said it, you dont do that stuff because you know what means to be on the other side of the table.
Does it bother anyone else that the jeskai deck is using abzan sleeves and the abzan deck is using jeskai sleeves?
How doe all these pros rifle shuffle with such ease? I have dragon shields and rifle shuffle slowly.
It's a little awkward that they don't get any comments from the 2nd place finisher. That segment would be better put together if they got some brief comments from the runner up and then went to the champ. Calling the runner up to the stage only to watch the champ seems incomplete.
What is the decklist of the two deck ?
I really enjoyed watching Ari in this match. He always seemed like he had a good read on his opponent and played super tight. His little mannerisms that you all seem to think are him just being a dick would also be suuuuper disarming at this level of play and probably fucked his opponent up at least a little. And in a game of margins like this, I'd take anything I could get too.
Also, go blue.
I'm the first person who hates pricks, jerks and show offs... But to be honest, Ari's personality just seems like a bit of a weirdo but not really with bad intentions. He is ok in my book. Congrats you little weirdo :)
Did Shawn win any prize money?
They actually banned him for attempting to win.
13:43 Which language are these cards in, and how are players allowed to play with non-english cards? And why? I thought Shaun McLaren was Canadian?
Mantis, Sarkhan, and the Reef all appear to be in Russian. The use of non-english cards is allowed as ruled by Section 3.3 of Wizard's tournament policy, but for most people it's just preference as long as they know what the card does in English.
***** even if you don't know, you can call a judge to look up the oracle text at any time.
To bad I started playing this game at the end of this block. -3-
Haha I started playing at the start, but didn't bother to buy any Khans cards, just bought Theros.
The trick is to make the sleeves explode (peels from the top) so they opponent as to resleeve it
is it just me or does it not take any skill to play turn 3+4 siege rhino? At least Mantis Rider dies to the majority of removal. This is a complaint against wizards for printing such an easy-mode card, not Ari.
im confused why did shaun play cards without any mana or is it is it i cant see it hahah
So I think it's fair to say there has been a bad Ajani, now? (Intentionally bad, but still...)
Dunno why but i think Abzan aggro/midrange is going to get countered soon enough.
if ari grabbed my deck and butchered it with a corner riffle shove shuffle i'd ask the judge to shuffle it instead.
Shaun, where was the spark jolt???
I like how Ari explains his game winning plan, and then he does it super slowwwwww
why is nobody playing monastery swiftspear, it seems like a good one drop?
It is debatebly the 2nt best 1 drop ever. Goblin guide is but swiftspear is in every format. If you have a deck with red in it, your running 4 main board
Their sleeves annoy me. The guy playing Jeskai has Abzan sleeves, while the guy playing Abzan has Jeskai sleeves. Whose idea was that?
Ari Lax's response to Mclaren's play at 50:45: How did he have enough mana? It appears all but 1 land was untapped, and 1 elvish mystic. Thats two mana, yet he casts 2 abzan charms?
Deemsterz You are stupid. He was revealing what he had and counted his mana.
Well yeah, a person learning a new game for the first time is considered stupid in the eyes of a person with more experience, you condescending fuck.
+Speedie 1337 yeh so what? he has a life he doesnt know everything from the game. no need to be a dick about it
Their outfits and their haircuts 💀
This was in Oahu?>???
Funny to see that abzan is still the thing now during BFZ standard.
+Alex Vignolo Yeah but they're completely different decks, this deck was more Midrange/Control-y while the BFZ deck was a lot more aggressive.
I would be happy with either of them winning
Siege Rhino seems like it is going to make this format a lot of fun....
"Just the same smirk as always, right?" Couldn't get more pretentious than that.
no elf beats to get those Rocs out?
Could someone give some criticism on my standard deck? it's a green blue white deck. it's kinda budget cause i don't really have alot of money to spend on magic. anyway, here is the deck list:
Creatures:
4x Sagu mauler
4x sunblade elf
3x wall of frost
2x daxos of meletis
2x shu yun, the silent tempest
1x monastery mentor
Instants:
4x icy blast
4x feat of resistance
3x cancel
3x jace's ingenuity
3x ephemeral shields
Enchantmens:
3x Battle mastery
so that's my deck. feel free to give any type of criticism. i would really appreciate it.
Not enough Ban-Kai
Battlefield Thaumaturge, Run 2 of them.
There are a lot less fetchlands than I was expecting
Fetches weren't a big thing until battle for zendikar, since they can only fetch basics and all of Takir clan's colors are only represented by one side of the fetches printed in the set (eg abzan get green and white on heath, but they need to play a blue black or red black fetch to get swamps, which can't fetch other colors) so they weren't play much until the tango lands got printed
Also the scry lands are really powerful in a slow format like standard, free card advantage and mana fixing
that's sorin, solemn visitor right?
Yes.
God, I cannot wait until Rabblemaster rotates out of standard.
Anyone else have a rough time with Abzan Midrange at your local FNM? I was slaughtered and out of luck when I went against Abzan with a budget Mardu Rush/Aggro deck
Why did they stop when it was 10-20?
Ari had could have swung with both Rhinos, leaving Shaun unable to deal with both Rhinos on his turn, which would leave the remaining Rhino to kill him next turn. These guys know each other's decks :P
Oh, I`m kind of a noob in magic...
I want to enjoy watching these finals but felt like very little "Play" was involved. Seige Rhino is going to be fun playing against, so no one ever.
And Jeskai wins is just burn your opponent and hit with mantis rider.
True. Lax's deck is powerful cause there are too many powerful individual cards in it. Unlike mono blue last standard when you have to play a lot of shitty cards cause they work together.
Ya I'm just saying the coverage at this Pro Tour does not lead me to believe there will be exciting standard play anytime soon.
This is going to be a super grindy standard for sure.
3 color decks do add to the overall slow in play, but even some of the 2 color decks are drawn out in play style.
Not very exciting play if you like quick matches, but if you like a nice, slow, methodical matches, get stoked on it lol.
Ari is the guy to the right, right?
I think you'd be hard pressed to find a player as successful that has been in the game for a larger percentage of his lifetime. (Ari has spent 80% of his lifetime playing MTG). I have to compliment him, as I also starting buying packs during Sixth Edition, Urza, and Portal, Portal II....but I'm twenty years older than Mr. Lax (Da Champ!).
That $40 000 US dollars
The stamp on the cards is very obnoxious.
Just look for my name in the pro tour within the next five years. I'll be at the top!
Any luck?
Just play the damn Mantis Rider
So what's wrong with Ari Lax?
Just because most match-ups involve almost no speaking due to the fact that everyone knows what everything does doesn't meaning that talking is illegal.
He seems cocky, but he has every right to be. He just won.
The only thing I can sort of understand is that the way he excitedly played his counter into the opponent's board side after topdecking it was slightly uncivil, but you can forgive him given circumstances of 40,000 dollars and two more years of Pro Tour.
at the final interview, Ari sounded sober at all...this took me to the 'episode scene' when he plays figuring out all the time, what's going to be played and done, in both sides. I can think quietly my gameplays and strategies, he can't. So the way he plays catch some ppl on the line between love and hate. a Pro Tour game can be changed with this kind of 'playing behaviour'. Cheers to the guy, but not so much. Just the obvious.
Our Pro Tour Khans of Tarkir champion should be renamed: Ari Sucks is much more suiting. I'd also vote for him to enter Hall of Shame for his behavior throughout the whole tournament. Hopefully Eric "Cartman" Froehlich joining him in the same class..
I wonder if the winners takes all the money for them selves, or if they split some of it with their team
They split with their team mates.
Most likely there's a split based on how well they did. That is, after sponsors get a little something also.