How long did it take you to become good at the game?

Machamp The Champion

Machamp The Champion

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This is something that I've been wondering about others for a while. How long did it take you from picking up the TCG to go from theme decks, to playing in tournaments, to doing well at tournaments (insert other steps in between).

I starting playing competitively in Fall of 2011, and I've noticed great improvement since then, but I'm still not quite at the top tables yet. I'm sure these things do take time, or maybe I'm just not good, but how the heck should I know? By asking you of course! This is were you come in...


C'mon... start posting!
 
Well, it might be because I live in a smaller area, but I started Fall 2012 (The times of DRX Prereleases). I've already shown myself to be a top contender by getting within the Top 5 in all but one event I've attended (Really Top 4, just bubbled one of them). We have quite a few power players in my area, and I missed 3 Cities I could have attended (and placed well at most likely). I think the difference is I read a lot of TCG articles before I truly started playing competitively, and TheTopCut helped a LOT by watching their videos and I learned from there. I think the biggest thing is I never learned any bad habit I was forced to overcome (Worst I've had was(is?) always building decks with 3 Catchers due to my personal limits. Even today, my decks run 3 Catcher).

Now the only event I've won is a Battle Roads, but going undefeated at our area's largest Cities leads me to think I'm at least decent at the game, just need some experience before I can do better.
 
I was terrible my first 2 years but after that I got better. I got 1st place at 5 tournies 2011 that was by far my best year the reason I was bad my first couple of years was because I didn't have a job but I do now and that's how I get most of my cards. Also no one in my family plays pokemon so I can't borrow cards from them.
 
Last year when I got t4 and 2x t8 at states, and then t4 regs.

So about a year.
 
Started playing in about 2007 or 2008, wasn't really good until my last year in Juniors where I started doing decent with Gengar. Then I did good in my first year of Seniors with Gengar and Sableye decks which I was really excited about. I didn't make Worlds though. My second year I did ok, but not too good. Didn't make Worlds then either. Now I'm in my third year of Seniors and I like to think of myself as good. I haven't been doing too hot lately though :(
I'm trying to make Worlds so my 130 CP really isn't too great.
 
I started playing at League in 2005, when I was a complete and utter noob.

Then in 2007 I started playing in tournaments. (while still being a semi-noob)

In 2008 I go to a Regionals and get very good advice from Jason Klaczynski about playing and deck building, getting better at the game as I progress through the year.

In 2009 I start playing like a good player, but with bad cards.

And finally in 2010, when I came home from the HS: Triumphant Prerelease, I grow some balls and decide I can do better than just being a noob with type based decks/competitive decks not built the right way.

2011 held nothing for me as I hadn't been to a States or Regionals since 2009 and the only other tournaments I was able to go to were a Cities and a BRs.

Looking back on 2012, it was good and bad for me, the season isn't over yet, but I haven't been doing too well because so far I've only been to 2 Cities and a Battle Roads. Also in all my years of playing I still haven't placed in Top Cut, though that's because of my bad luck and horrible resistance. (I always place 5th to 7th with around 51% to 58% resistance)
 
From the responses this thread is getting, I think it's safe to say that it's not very consistent, how long it takes to get good, and that it depends on a lot of factors. But that doesn't mean others should stop posting.

@Deoxysmatter, what do you think a "bad habit" would be? I have noticed some minor habits, but I didn't think they were big factors.
 
About a year after I started playing competitively I started to win some things. Then I did terrible for a year, and now I'm back.
 
Machamp the Champion said:
@Deoxysmatter, what do you think a "bad habit" would be? I have noticed some minor habits, but I didn't think they were big factors.
Click to expand...

I consider bad habits stuff along the lines of building with very few supporters in decks (I had this issue as I ran Empoleon during the BR season, then changed to a Darkrai build and wondered why my 7 Supporters were harder to hit), using a LOT of techs in tight deck builds (Why tech them if you can't draw into them when you cut consistency), running something weak because it seems overpowered IF YOU GET IT SET UP (I've heard the argument "once it sets up" so often involving bad decks (Gardevoir, for example), yet run few supporters to offset the absurd amount to pull it off), overreliance on specific game instances (Like you have a good testing partner that rocks Garbador lists, so your decks tend to be focused on beating Garbador...when it's a rare deck to face and you cut consistency on popular decks to beat it), and treating each deck similarly in terms of building (You can't build an empoleon deck like you build a Blastoise deck, and you can't build an Eels deck like a Darkrai deck, etc.).

Yeah, that's a lot of senseless stuff, but are hard to break once they start. I feel the better start someone has, the faster they can advance and understand more complex situations (like the value of a clutch trainer like revive) and grow and prosper as a player.
 
I still have yet to become really good, but an estimate on the time it took me to start winning would have to be after 1 season.
 
This is my first season. Im meh. Barely positive. Kind of an any given Sunday kinda player. I'm inexperienced. I've beaten a few players who are way better than me and lost to a few who shouldn't havd beaten me. I think 2013 will be a good year for me. And if it isnt ill just stick to MMA.
 
I'd say that this is my first "competitive" season. I started playing back at Majestic Dawn, but I wasn't really good (obviously), knowing about only what I pulled from packs, which was not much. I took a break (or rather forgot) and I got back into the game with the crap set that was Call of Legends. That was my first season I kind of knew what I was doing. I didn't get good until this season. Actually, now that I think about it, it was never that I wasn't good; I just didn't know what the meta was, or I was a budget player (rediculously low budget, Dual Balls over Collector, only two Junk Arms), and I did pretty well for a budget player. I played weird stuff that was fun, but no Donphan/Yanmega. I had a Stage 1 Rush of my own that centered around disruption and made my friends rage quit if I got a good start and went first, but other than that, nothing much to speak of. Until this season, anyway.
 
I started playing and going to leagues in 2007. As for when I got good, that depends on what and when you ask about.

~When I started building competitive decks: A little bit before Uxie became a League Promo.
~When I started to be good at this game: I'm still not good at this game.
 
I became decent when I found this site.
I became better when I built my first real competitive deck (Seismitoad doesn't count)
I became good when I fine-tuned my Hydreigon and place 1st and 3rd in BRs and 3rd and 4th in Cities. (sadly, I can't go to more than 2 of each because I can't travel very far)
I still have a ways to go, but considering that this is only my second year playing competitively I think I'm making progress.
 
DNA said:
~When I started to be good at this game: I'm still not good at this game.
Click to expand...

This pretty much lol.

Although when I started getting back in the game competitively, it did take me about a year/year and a half to get a couple Top Cuts and then about a year after that to win a tournament (although it was a BR). It can definitely vary for some people (and switching Divisions during your seasons where you were competitive can change it even moreso) but generally once you get pretty good, you can really only get better and better.

dmaster out.
 
I was Ok last year and at the end of the SP era, and I think I have become a million times better this season.
 
It's only my first year playing and I feel as though I've improved tremendously in the short time (from scrubbing 3-3 at everything to 5-1 cut at my 7th tournament ever, 5th ever in masters.) It's a good feeling when my record improves at every tournament I go to.

So to answer the question, probably about 8 months to a year. I'm still not a fantastic player, but hopefully I can keep the streak of improvement going and actually win a tournament sometime this year.
 
Well, I became good on the real TCGO. I know, not good simulator, Playtcg is better, yadada... I find it personally fun and competitive. I had 3 actual battle expierences at pre-release. And gonna tests Grantm1999's deck very soon!
 
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