Author Topic: 2 Player Booster- Opinions? (Read 4713 times)

Master Q · « **on:** June 18, 2018, 06:39:09 PM »

I'd be very interested to hear the opinions of 2p Booster's advocates that have played more than one tournament with the 2p booster style. Chiefly, I want to know why you like it more than the MP option. Also, I want to know exactly what type of different strategies you employ when drafting with 2p in mind.

This ended up being my first-ever 2p booster deck (from MN states this wkend):

Spoiler (hover to show)

I actually don't think I would've drafted any differently if this was done in MP as the cards I drafted but didn't include would not have made much of an impact otherwise, and 14-15 Heroes is plenty.

I will say, though the offense had only 1 failed rescue (to my recollection), and there didn't seem to be anything ridiculous this time around (I was lucky with the negate stuff I had), as I feared in 2p, I was droughted in two of three games. If I didn't have Ends (finally!) and the couple other soulgen cards I had (Captive Princes and JBP) I might not have won (I drew all of them in all three games fairly early on thanks to all the drawing I had).

So I am genuinely curious as to why anyone would want to subject themselves to an increased chance of soul drought (as 2p almost ensures) to play 2p instead of MP. To me, it seems like it just makes the category more serious and plodding than it's meant to be and takes a lot of the fun out of it. Hence, my Q.

fyero · « **Reply #1 on:** June 18, 2018, 08:30:08 PM »

I really dislike any multiplayer format in redemption mostly because I get hated on (or at least feel as though I do). It usually evolves into one person who has a soul can decide who gets to win. Also if I draft multi, I will not take a single defensive card most likely unless it’s an auto block like lions. However in Two Player, soul searching and soul making cards are much higher on the pick order as well as good defensive cards, not just boobs. I’ve done the Two Player Booster many times and prefer it much more.

Kor · « **Reply #2 on:** June 18, 2018, 11:34:54 PM »

I enjoy having more control over my own fate, therefore I like 2-player more. That's not saying that there is no luck in 2-player or no skill in multiplayer, just not as much. But if you want to keep the entire thing less serious I agree that multiplayer does that, I just disagree that less serious means more fun, at least in a tournament setting.

Kor · « **Reply #3 on:** June 18, 2018, 11:41:46 PM »

As for specific strategies I think I go about a 60/40 split offense/defense, but it really depends on what ends up being available in the draft. It's not worth putting in poor defensive or offensive cards just so they are 'there'. Cards all must be reasonably useful and reliable.

The Schaefer · « **Reply #4 on:** June 19, 2018, 01:44:03 AM »

Soul manipulation cards are on a relatively high priority from qhat ive seen for 2 player booster. I was soul droughted at regionals 3 out of my 5 games and literally in 1 game saw 1 soul until like 5 mins before time. Granted i still found a way to tie the game via soul gen and the rest of the deck performing well but all in all despite soul drought I much preferred it to Multi booster. In multi I feel like there are games where no matter how good of a deck you have you cant win because of the way the souls fall. Also games seem more boring to me in multiplayer as you tend to load heavy on offense and attack the weakest player so battles typically are less involved as a whole unless the game is on the line. In 2 player i feel that creativity in deck building has more chance to shine, strategy is far more important, and in general games are much more involved. Soul drought stinks, but so does not winning because of turn order or the way the souls fall or having RLKs and the like just give another player the game. There's always things to dislike.

As for strategies, well it really all depends on what you see but you definitely need a more balanced deck for 2 player. Soul gen matters more but battle winning is still the most important so where to draft soul gen if you see it is tricky. Its still booster so you always have to make do with what you see but try to make the best of it and you should end up doing well. Will the best draft win? Not necessarily but you can be in good contention with good choices in any draft.

Josh · « **Reply #5 on:** June 19, 2018, 07:55:34 AM »

I would honestly rather deal with being soul-droughted than sit in a 4-player game of Lost Soul Roulette that pretty much just gives LS away until players get to 3 or so, or that keeps running out of available LS on my turn.

MP Booster is also ruined if any 1 of the players isn't very knowledgeable about MP Booster strats. Witness my first Booster game at Nats 2016. I'm playing against 2 players that know what they're doing and 1 who isn't familiar with how to play MP Booster. My first rescue, I attack for the only LS available w/ David the Shepherd, which is in Unfamiliar's LoB. He blocks me with a 3/5 EC, and proceeds to play a 1/4 EE. Ok, now we're in a stalemate, I have no GEs to play, I pass. He then plays a 2/2 to become winning by numbers. And since Unfamiliar is across from me, on Familiar's turn to my left, he easily walks in past the 3/5 that has nothing left to play.

I think the biggest draw for 2-player Boosting is the drafting. If everyone is trying to draft only heroes and GEs because they know they are playing MP, that doesn't make for fun drafting. Not very strategic. Half the cards you see (i.e., evil cards) don't matter. As soon as you know you have to draft defense, it makes every pick more of a choice. You get to draft both good offensive cards and good defensive cards and actually build a solid somewhat-balanced deck.

jbeers285 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 19, 2018, 10:07:56 AM »

Josh has it nailed.

I would add that drafting strategy can overcome soul drought as demonstrated in the OP.

The Guardian · « **Reply #7 on:** June 19, 2018, 10:43:29 AM »

I have done only one 2P booster thus far and I liked it quite a bit. Granted it helped that I drafted an offense with several convert enhancements and Complainers on defense, which made for some good synergy...

Even so, it definitely felt more interactive than most MP Booster games, which have been described pretty well above.

Unlike a lot of people, I really enjoy T1 and T2 MP because I believe there's such a difference in deck-building style than 2P, and if done properly, it won't matter if you are or aren't being attacked. However, in Booster draft the deck building is obviously limited to what you draft so when it comes to the game, you often have to "save" blocks and give up "freebies" just to play keep-away from the current leader. Playing with little to no defense is usually optimal because then people tend to attack you (leaving LS you can rescue on the table), but consequently there's even less interaction.

Maybe sometime I'll host a tournament where we do a draft at the beginning, then do T1 2P, T1 MP and TEAMS all with those drafted decks...to be original we'll call it "The Booster Only"

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Author Topic: 2 Player Booster- Opinions? (Read 4713 times)

Master Q

2 Player Booster- Opinions?

fyero

Re: 2 Player Booster- Opinions?

Kor

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Kor

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The Schaefer

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Josh

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jbeers285

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The Guardian

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