Playtesting

[ashtavakra]

I have been playtesting with a lot of different people lately.
And I have a strict way of testing for tournaments.

1- I rarely go first
2- I never take mulligans

Just my observation, I find that some of the lesser players I see playtesting
always take mulligans when practicing and then they always like to flip a coin to see who goes first.
I give them pointers since I have been playing the game since it came out. But they NEVER seem to listen. And they always end up doing terribly at tournaments and when I bring up that fact, they get mad at me like I did something wrong to them lol..

Anyways, I'm I trying to open their eyes on how to really play test and I'm looking for different approaches to help them get better looks if they are going to continue playtesting like they are currently.
So I want to open a discussion about playtesting and different strategies/ways to spend your time wisely while play testing. Have it at!

 

[Blah]

Not taking mulligan cards is something I often do, as I really want to know how to play matchups without any extra advantage. I normally do a coin flip to go first, and while I understand it can sometimes give me an advantage, I go first about 50% of the time anyway, so it's good to know what to do in both situations (especially since the deck I'm currently playing is very meticulous about it's energy attachments, and sometimes the decision to attach a DCE or a normal energy to a Mewtwo when I go first can make or break a game).

Another thing I've began doing is when I'm playtesting with a friend, letting them search a crucial card out of their deck that they were hoping to get off of a Juniper or N. It makes the game harder for me so I can know what to do in the situations when my opponent doesn't whiff anything.

 

[Gistica]

I honestly play test as if I were playing in a real tourney game. I do this because even when you get advantages from mulligans or going first it is still a part of the game and you still need to know what to do in the situations that you do get mulligan draws or getting to go first because while you do have an advantage there is still those times when a misplay could take away every advantage you get so there is still a certain play style that comes from having those advantages. And on a side note I usually good at tournaments and @ashtavarka I don't think that play testing that way affects the way they do at tournaments. There is still that period if time for new players where they just don't do that good mostly because they are new to the game, it happened with me and I believe it happens with every new player.