Kyle Edwards

Added 11-3-09

Stop reading this article right now if you don’t want to win and can’t take criticism. If you say you want to win and can’t take criticism, you are lying to yourself. This series is for those of you who want to win at tournaments and are willing to put in what it takes. Truly listen and you will learn something.

In summation, I am going to give it to you straight; I don’t serve bitch drinks in this house.

Today’s article is about card advantage. You may think you know what card advantage is, but the odds are you don’t know how to maximize it and confuse it with virtual card advantage.

First I will cover some basics and then get into some more advanced lessons.

Card advantage was first proposed back in 1996 by a man named Brian Weissman. His theory was that the player who had the most cards would win. For the most part he was right and he first showed this theory in action with what he termed “The Deck.”

The Deck

4  City of Brass
4  Island
1  Library of Alexandria
3  Plains
3  Strip Mine
4  Tundra
2  Volcanic Island

2  Serra Angel
1  Amnesia
1  Ancestral Recall
1  Black Lotus
1  Braingeyser
2  Counterspell
1  Demonic Tutor
4  Disenchant
2  Disrupting Scepter
1  Jayemdae Tome
4  Mana Drain
1  Mirror Universe
2  Moat
1  Mox Emerald
1  Mox Jet
1  Mox Pearl
1  Mox Ruby
1  Mox Sapphire
1  Recall
2  Red Elemental Blast
1  Regrowth
1  Sol Ring
4  Swords to Plowshares
1  Time Walk
1  Timetwister

Sideboard

2  Blood Moon
2  Circle of Protection: Red
1  Disrupting Scepter
2  Divine Offering
1  Feldon's Cane
1  Fireball
1  Ivory Tower
1  Jayemdae Tome
1  Moat
2  Red Elemental Blast
1  Tormod's Crypt

Now the deck looks pretty crazy. Its full of one ofs and a whole lot of powerful cards. This is because at the time the only format that was really played was Type I, what we now call Vintage. The whole point of the deck was to play defense with counters, discards and most importantly: moats. The whole idea of the deck is that it would slow the game down so that it would win. The reason it would win is because it had more card advantage than any other deck. Eventually, they would have no cards in the hand and no real threat on the board, while you sit back with a full grip and beat down with the defensive Serra Angel (who can by the way, attack through the moat you set).

Card advantage has evolved, but still holds the same truth that whoever has the most cards has the greatest probability of winning.

Moving on from our history lesson, modern card advantage is now dominated by X for 1’s. The whole concept of a 2 for 1 is that if you can turn one card into two, you are +1 card. The whole idea is to be +1 or more above your opponent. Some basic examples:

1. A card that says “draw 2 cards.” – You use one card that is now in the graveyard and receive 2 from your deck.
2. A card that says “target player discards 2 cards.” – You use one card from your hand to get rid of two from your opponent. You are -1, but your opponent is -2, so you are +1 in relation to your opponent.

Here are some more advanced examples:

3. Your opponent casts Ancestral Recall. In response, you cast Misdirection using its alternate cost. As of this moment, your opponent is -1 and you are -2, they are winning. Now the stack resolves and you draw 3 cards. You just received a +2 in card advantage. You are -2, your opponent is -1 and you are +3. Anytime your opponent -1 that is a +1 for you.
4. Your opponent controls a Serra Angel. You cast Mind Control targeting it. You are +1 in card advantage. You are -1 card, +1 creature and your opponent is -1 creature. This is a 2 for 1.

These are all pretty easy to understand, but what some people confuse is what they think is card advantage that is not.

1. Mill is not card advantage. Mill is not, and never will be card advantage. In card advantage, you only count obtained cards, such as in play or in both players’ hands. On a similar note, cards such as Jester’s Cap are not and will never get you card advantage. In fact, when you crack Jester’s Cap or cast Tome Scour, you are -1 in card advantage. You used one card to gain zero cards. An easy thing to remember is that unless it affects a hand or in play, it is not card advantage.
2. Tutoring is not card advantage. If you cast Demonic Tutor, you are +0 in card advantage. You traded one card for one.

Now I would like to tell you why card advantage does not win the game. You can draw cards all day, but it will amount to nothing if that is all you do. Sometimes getting more natural +1s does not get you card advantage. Imagine this scenario:

It is in the late game. Both players are in top deck mode and have used all of their cards. The battlefield consists of 10 lands on each side of the board, and each player has no cards in hand. Player A draws his card for the turn and it is an Ancestral Recall. He plays it and draws 3 Islands. Player B then draws her card for the turn and draws a Tarmogoyf. She casts it. Player B is +1 in card advantage.

While player A may technically be “+2” in card advantage, Player B actually has a card that will do something. For this reason, cards like Path to Exile are not 2 for 1ing yourself. You opponent only receives tempo from the additional land.

3. Lands do not count towards card advantage. If a card says, “Search your library for 2 lands and put them into play,” you have received no card advantage. In fact, you are -1. You did however gain tempo, which is another article.

This is the problem most people have with trying to calculate card advantage, they just count things. You can only count things when the dust settles, not until then.

4. A card that says, “Draw 2 cards, skip your next two draw steps,” is only card advantage for the turn it is cast. When you cast it, you are +1. The turn after, you are +0. When it is all said and done with, you are -1 card. That card does not generate card advantage no matter how you slice it. It is negative card advantage.

So remember when building your decks or making a play, ask yourself: Will this generate me card advantage? Unless it wins you the game, it is probably not the correct play if it does not maximize your card advantage.

Kyle Edwards

Email me at: Kyle_Jacob_Edwards@yahoo.com

Click Here to Discuss in the Forums

or Click Here to Send the Author a Personal Message