The Barash Files 004 — Building Skill vs. Building Community and Learning from Your Mistakes

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Andy, Anthony, and Zach talk about improving as a Magic player, building a community and how they try to balance the two. They talk about the challenges of fostering positive social standards and how that can conflict with trying to improve at a competitive game.

Discussed in this episode:

• The Null Hypothesis

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

Lucky Paper
PO Box 4855
Baltimore, MD 21211

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Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Timestamps

• 0:00 - Intro
• 2:22 - Balancing Developing Skill as a Player with Building a Community
• 9:17 - The Nuanced, Complex Social Dynamics of Playing Magic
• 12:57 - The Factors that Contribute to a Playgroup’s Vibe
• 27:20 - The Tension Between Improvement and Community
• 32:54 - The Value of Shared Expectations in a Community
• 40:45 - On “Take Backs” and Learning from Your Mistakes
• 1:03:07 - Zach asks Andy and Anthony if they’re satisfied with their level of competitiveness
• 1:06:42 - Sequencing speed round