1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,140 Hello and welcome back to Illumination, the Disney Lurkana podcast. 2 00:00:13,140 --> 00:00:19,280 My name is Max and I'm Sam and we are here in episode 12 to talk about something that 3 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:25,340 has never really occurred to me early on in my career of playing card games, career in 4 00:00:25,340 --> 00:00:31,480 air quotes, but is something that once I heard the term and the ideology behind it really 5 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:37,320 began to impact in a positive way how much better I was doing in card games. 6 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:41,400 So a quick shout out to professional magic player Paul Rietzel for putting the term on 7 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:45,980 my individual radar during some Magic the Gathering coverage probably a million years 8 00:00:45,980 --> 00:00:46,980 ago now. 9 00:00:46,980 --> 00:00:50,000 The term is an inflection point. 10 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:55,000 This is typically used in mathematics, particularly when it comes to curves and it is the position 11 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:56,680 in a curve where it begins to change. 12 00:00:56,680 --> 00:00:59,040 So if there's a line and it starts to go down, that's an inflection point. 13 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:00,460 Then it starts to come back up. 14 00:01:00,460 --> 00:01:04,320 That's another inflection point where those things that change in direction starts to 15 00:01:04,320 --> 00:01:05,320 happen. 16 00:01:05,320 --> 00:01:10,020 This term, doing a little bit of research for all of you, was first coined with concern 17 00:01:10,020 --> 00:01:15,220 to card games for the game of poker, as a lot of things about card games often are, 18 00:01:15,220 --> 00:01:21,020 and it was coined in the book Harrington and Holden, volume two, and an inflection point 19 00:01:21,020 --> 00:01:26,860 is the point or points in a game that require you to change the way you are playing or require 20 00:01:26,860 --> 00:01:28,880 you to play the game differently. 21 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:32,680 So if you're doing something and then an event occurs, an opponent plays a card or 22 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:36,600 deals with a card you had out that was winning you the game, now you're in a position where 23 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:40,920 you may have to change what your initial tactic was. 24 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:43,580 And there are a couple ways to kind of break this down. 25 00:01:43,580 --> 00:01:44,580 What does all that mean? 26 00:01:44,580 --> 00:01:46,160 And I know it's a little nebulous, right? 27 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:48,560 Like this is a broad topic we're talking about. 28 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:53,400 Like a lot of the foundational episodes that we have here, the good news is these big topics 29 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:57,080 we can explore again and more in depth in the future, but I want to make sure everybody 30 00:01:57,080 --> 00:01:59,560 knows what I'm talking about when I talk about inflection points. 31 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:00,560 What does it mean? 32 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:04,400 Well, basically it's the point of the game, something really bad or something really good 33 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:09,520 has happened and that will change how you are going to play the game. 34 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:14,840 Sam, what are some cards, individual cards in the game that might change the way the 35 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:17,320 game is working both for you and against you? 36 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:18,680 Cards off the top of your head. 37 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:21,040 The first card that comes to mind is be prepared. 38 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:23,180 That is a certainly important one. 39 00:02:23,180 --> 00:02:24,180 Grab your swords. 40 00:02:24,180 --> 00:02:25,180 Yes. 41 00:02:25,180 --> 00:02:26,180 Diablo. 42 00:02:26,180 --> 00:02:27,180 Would you say Diablo counts? 43 00:02:27,180 --> 00:02:31,160 I think Diablo is kind of defining the very first and first or second inflection point, 44 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:34,640 depending on if Bucky's down or not in that particular deck. 45 00:02:34,640 --> 00:02:35,640 Certainly. 46 00:02:35,640 --> 00:02:38,200 Yeah, Bucky's definitely won locations. 47 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:41,300 Locations certainly can cause you to have to change tactic. 48 00:02:41,300 --> 00:02:42,300 No question about it. 49 00:02:42,300 --> 00:02:43,300 Whole new world. 50 00:02:43,300 --> 00:02:44,300 Whole new world is a great example. 51 00:02:44,300 --> 00:02:49,040 So these are exactly cards that are huge defining cards and it doesn't have to just be one individual 52 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:51,120 card that causes an inflection point. 53 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:54,040 It could be a series of cards, a board state. 54 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:58,800 A good example of this would be like Lilo on one, bodyguard Simba on two or Pinocchio 55 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:05,120 on two and then a bodyguard or they pick up their quick quest or with a Merlin or a madam 56 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:08,560 Mim snake or a madam Mim Fox. 57 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:12,480 Those are the things and you go, Oh, they're creating a very wide board state and they're 58 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:14,760 intending to win the game very quickly. 59 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:17,740 That is something that will create an inflection point, right? 60 00:03:17,740 --> 00:03:21,300 When you see a one drop that quest for two come down, some decks play that some different 61 00:03:21,300 --> 00:03:22,800 versions of decks can play those. 62 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:26,800 But then when you see it followed up by a two cost character that quest for three, now 63 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:28,120 things look a little bit different. 64 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:30,400 Now you're starting to get a fuller picture of what you're playing against. 65 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:31,840 You know, it's aggro deck. 66 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:34,840 And you know that that's going to create an inflection point where you're going to have 67 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:37,320 to deal with these fast characters quickly. 68 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:39,880 Your game plan changes. 69 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:41,360 That's really important. 70 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:46,440 So if you are a fellow aggro deck, you may go, Oh, I don't have any of my madam Mim Foxes 71 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:47,440 or anything like that. 72 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:50,480 I just have very low static characters who quest really high. 73 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:53,320 So I'm going to need to race this particular opponent right now. 74 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:54,320 Or maybe it's different. 75 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:55,600 Maybe you draw that madam Mim Fox. 76 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:56,600 Okay. 77 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:59,420 Maybe I need to pump the brakes a little bit and see if I can control the board this turn 78 00:03:59,420 --> 00:04:02,280 and then get back to questing the turn after. 79 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:05,540 So that's some examples of what does this mean? 80 00:04:05,540 --> 00:04:09,700 It dictates when you need to be aggressive and change to being defensive. 81 00:04:09,700 --> 00:04:13,620 When you need to play to the board, when you need to play more conservatively, it can change 82 00:04:13,620 --> 00:04:16,080 things or it can solidify those choices. 83 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:17,640 And you go, Oh no, absolutely. 84 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:18,640 I got to keep racing. 85 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:20,520 I drew another Pinocchio. 86 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,200 So we're just pressing on the gas as hard as we can. 87 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:24,200 Or okay, good. 88 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:27,240 I drew the be prepared so I don't have to try to challenge the board away. 89 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:30,520 I can quest and then just go ahead and wipe the board here. 90 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:31,920 Those things constantly change. 91 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:36,440 And that's why players who have played trading card games for a long time tend to gravitate 92 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,900 towards decks that create a lot of inflection points. 93 00:04:39,900 --> 00:04:45,600 So some good examples of this would be the Ruby Sapphire style decks, right? 94 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:47,880 The steel Sapphire style decks. 95 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:53,260 These decks draw a lot of cards and give the player access to a lot of options. 96 00:04:53,260 --> 00:04:57,560 So a great card that encapsulates the concept of this would be something like develop your 97 00:04:57,560 --> 00:04:58,560 brain. 98 00:04:58,560 --> 00:04:59,560 Look at two cards. 99 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:01,700 Which one do you need more right now based on the situation? 100 00:05:01,700 --> 00:05:05,460 Do you need something inkable or do you need a board wipe because your opponent starting 101 00:05:05,460 --> 00:05:09,200 to pull ahead or do you need a Tamatoa so you can wrap the game up? 102 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:13,760 Those are questions that require constantly changing answers, right? 103 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:14,960 The game evolves. 104 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:19,140 The game's going to change as more turns are taken, as more resources are put down. 105 00:05:19,140 --> 00:05:23,760 These decks that get favored by more seasoned players tend to generate a lot of inflection 106 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:30,040 points in the game as opposed to our example of an aggro deck generally causes one large 107 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:31,040 one, right? 108 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:32,040 It's right at the beginning of the game. 109 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:37,400 And that's important to know as well is that inflection points can happen a number of times 110 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:38,400 during the game. 111 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:39,400 There's no finite. 112 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:42,060 There are three in every game that is inaccurate. 113 00:05:42,060 --> 00:05:47,720 There could be as many as who knows in a longer mirror, something like a Sapphire Ruby mirror 114 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:53,400 match tons, tons of different inflection points where in a shorter game of two aggro decks 115 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:58,120 just pressing on the gas as hard as possible, there may be only one or two before the game 116 00:05:58,120 --> 00:05:59,120 ends. 117 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:01,880 And that's really, really important to understand. 118 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:04,320 Here's an example of one of these things. 119 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:08,840 And Sam, I'll let you kind of jump on answering this question and I'll walk you through some 120 00:06:08,840 --> 00:06:12,040 other answers or if you have a counter question, let me know. 121 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:15,240 So you are playing a deck that is more mid range. 122 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:19,500 Let's just pretend it's like a Mufasa and I am playing a red deck that is more controlling 123 00:06:19,500 --> 00:06:22,880 and you know, I'm most likely on a be prepared or four. 124 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:26,940 It's going into where I'm going to have seven ink, but you could potentially put down characters 125 00:06:26,940 --> 00:06:27,940 and win the game. 126 00:06:27,940 --> 00:06:30,240 If you put down characters and pressure me. 127 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:31,840 What are you more likely to do? 128 00:06:31,840 --> 00:06:34,800 Play the characters and try to just make me have the be prepared or are you going to play 129 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:36,240 more conservatively and go, you know what? 130 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:39,420 I have enough on the board that they're probably going to need to be prepared anyway. 131 00:06:39,420 --> 00:06:41,000 So I'm going to pump the brakes. 132 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:45,440 And if it's not obvious, what are the decisions you're thinking of when you're tackling a 133 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:46,600 scenario like that? 134 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:49,800 I think you need to look to see how many be prepared, safe played, how many are in their 135 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:50,800 graveyard. 136 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:53,360 I think it's very important because if there are four in there, then I'm just going to 137 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:55,080 play these characters to win me the game. 138 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:56,080 Absolutely. 139 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:59,960 If there's three in there and you still have half your deck or so, I might take the chance, 140 00:06:59,960 --> 00:07:03,280 but I also want to make sure that I have enough characters left in my hand that if you do 141 00:07:03,280 --> 00:07:07,360 play the be prepared, I'm not completely screwed for the next turn. 142 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:08,360 Absolutely. 143 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:10,240 Cause that's what I'm trying to do, right? 144 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:13,880 Most likely you're identifying the inflection point is you're going to push to winning the 145 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:18,800 game by questing and you can either accelerate that or you can continue on the pace you're 146 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:20,640 at and force me to come up with a response. 147 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:21,640 Right? 148 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:25,120 Cause you have to think if you can get away with not playing extra characters and they 149 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:27,320 have to take their entire turn to be prepared. 150 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:30,520 If you did not play out all your characters, now you have what? 151 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:34,000 Two, three characters in your hand that you can just play the next turn and possibly just 152 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:35,000 win anyway. 153 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:39,080 And you can see why cards that gather information about what the opponents game plan is are 154 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:40,400 really impactful. 155 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:45,480 Cards like the new one drop Diablo, that's Emerald, two drop Emerald Ursula, cards like 156 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:47,800 bear necessities are really important. 157 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:53,960 You can also see why it's unique that Lorcan has chosen a method of not allowing notes 158 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:56,160 so that you have to remember that's part of the game. 159 00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:58,200 It's a mental back and forth, right? 160 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:02,480 It's kind of in this case, more like a mental tennis match where I'm lobbing some kind of 161 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:07,600 threat and then you're volleying back with some kind of answer or a more big impactful 162 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:09,720 threat than what I've put down, right? 163 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:14,200 Like I could put down a smaller character that maybe doesn't quest as hard and then 164 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:17,240 you go, okay, well I have Tamatowa and I have six other items out right now. 165 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:20,200 So you better figure it out or I'm going to win now and go, oh crap. 166 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:22,720 Well, I was going to win in two turns, but now you're going to win next turn. 167 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:23,720 What do I do? 168 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:28,920 That's how inflection points work and they progress throughout the game depending on 169 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:31,520 again what you're doing and what your opponent's doing. 170 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:37,760 So another way you may have heard this phrased out there is what beats you versus what can't 171 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:39,260 you play around? 172 00:08:39,260 --> 00:08:42,400 Things like Sam had mentioned, what beats me in this scenario? 173 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:43,400 Be prepared, right? 174 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:44,640 I have a bunch of characters out. 175 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:46,200 Be prepared is what gets them back. 176 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:48,600 I know there are other cards in this scenario, right? 177 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:50,080 Big see Sue, things like that. 178 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:52,360 But in this particular scenario, that's the big one. 179 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:55,600 That's the big scary one that can be played is be prepared. 180 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:57,140 What beats you is that card. 181 00:08:57,140 --> 00:09:01,040 Can you afford to play around it is the opposite side of the coin. 182 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:04,560 In the beginning, if you're in the lead or just at any point in the game, you have a 183 00:09:04,560 --> 00:09:06,040 healthy advantage. 184 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:10,280 You should always in the back of your mind think, is there a card or a play pattern that 185 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:12,160 would take that lead away from me? 186 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:17,280 So we saw this a lot with newer players and I'm sure all of you who have found us probably 187 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:21,640 have social media and have looked at either Reddit posts or Facebook groups, things like 188 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:25,320 that for Lorcan and can see newer players like I don't understand how this card is 189 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:26,320 legal. 190 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:31,000 And every trading card game has a destroy all of a character, creature, unit, whatever 191 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:32,000 it may be. 192 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:33,600 You just have to learn how to play around it. 193 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:34,600 Absolutely. 194 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:36,300 And that is step one to this. 195 00:09:36,300 --> 00:09:40,160 And the question is then you have some characters out, your opponent has none and you're on 196 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:41,160 the path to victory. 197 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:42,160 What beat you? 198 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:43,240 All your characters going away. 199 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:46,800 So in your head, you have to go, well, what cards do that to me? 200 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:48,600 Always that precarious situation. 201 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:51,480 We've had this come up before where it's like, if I play one character, they could 202 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:54,920 Lady Tremaine my character or now be King undisputed my character. 203 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:58,960 So maybe I play two, but then the problem is if they use a be prepared, I lose both 204 00:09:58,960 --> 00:09:59,960 of my characters. 205 00:09:59,960 --> 00:10:03,240 So you have to really kind of do these mental gymnastics. 206 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:05,400 How many be prepared are in the discard pile? 207 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:09,340 How many Lady Tremaine's are in the discard pile from your knowledge and research? 208 00:10:09,340 --> 00:10:10,640 How many of these cards get played? 209 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:14,200 I was just about to say, and depending on if you're playing in a competitive setting 210 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:18,460 where they're playing meta decks right now, we know while recording that the red purple 211 00:10:18,460 --> 00:10:20,640 deck typically only plays two right now. 212 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:24,520 If you have one to two in your discard pile, there's less chance that you're going to 213 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:25,520 see another one. 214 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:26,520 Absolutely. 215 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:30,320 Their faith in be prepared specifically is down a little bit right now because Ursula 216 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:34,840 bear necessities, things can come in and interact with the hand to take it away and you want 217 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:36,760 to mitigate how little that can happen. 218 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:41,280 So we've seen options like the eight drop Sisu come into play and become a bit more 219 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:44,460 impactful because they don't get stripped out of your hand. 220 00:10:44,460 --> 00:10:46,600 Some copies of Scar for the same reason. 221 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:47,600 Absolutely. 222 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:52,680 It's important at the beginning in a lead situation to know what takes that away. 223 00:10:52,680 --> 00:10:56,920 And then on the other side of the coin, the farther you go, the more inflection points 224 00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:01,000 that have passed, the more maybe negative or less favorable interactions for you. 225 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:05,320 In this case, the closer you get to a different style of thinking and that's simply, what 226 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:08,440 can I not afford to play around anymore? 227 00:11:08,440 --> 00:11:10,160 Now things are looking grim. 228 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:14,520 Maybe it's been a long game and your opponents got to be prepared in their discard pile and 229 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:16,360 you're just like out of gas. 230 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:18,000 I have nothing left. 231 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:19,560 I know I'm light on characters. 232 00:11:19,560 --> 00:11:21,520 I have to put these two characters down. 233 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:22,840 I'm at 18. 234 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:24,440 These two characters, each quest for one. 235 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:28,400 I'm going to pass it back to my opponent and hope that they can't stop me here. 236 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:29,840 Or maybe you put down three. 237 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:33,600 So you play around that Lady Tremaine or be King Undisputed you haven't seen any of. 238 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:35,200 I've already seen two be prepared. 239 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:38,520 What are the odds that you're going to see three or four that might not even exist in 240 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:39,520 the deck? 241 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:43,400 Like Sam said, especially right now at time of recording versus, but if I only play one 242 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:46,360 and they Lady Tremaine me or I play two and they Lady Tremaine me, I give them a whole 243 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:49,520 nother turn to draw on a more important card again. 244 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:52,440 And then generating cards is what's going to beat me. 245 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:55,840 So you really have to go, okay, listen, I'm going to put all three characters down. 246 00:11:55,840 --> 00:12:00,080 I just can't afford to play around the third or even fourth or whatever it may be, be prepared. 247 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:02,420 I just have to hope that they don't have it. 248 00:12:02,420 --> 00:12:06,800 In this case, you may have heard that phrase uttered from streamers and other players. 249 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:10,520 You got to hope they don't have it or I'm going to make them have it because it's the 250 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:13,160 only way you can win is for them to simply not. 251 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:14,600 And there's no guarantee, right? 252 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:19,640 Four out of 60 is what any card is allowed to be unless it's Domination Puppy Tailwagger. 253 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:22,960 You just got to hope that that is not the case where it's, you know what? 254 00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:25,480 Maybe they haven't drawn a lot of cards in the past couple of turns. 255 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:27,240 I saw their hand four turns ago. 256 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:28,240 They didn't have it. 257 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:29,520 They've only drawn for turns since then. 258 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:33,420 I got to hope those top four cards, one of them was not the third or fourth. 259 00:12:33,420 --> 00:12:34,420 Be prepared. 260 00:12:34,420 --> 00:12:35,420 That's okay. 261 00:12:35,420 --> 00:12:38,160 The closer you get to what can I afford to play around? 262 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:42,760 That's when you're going to take bigger swings in the game is when you get more in that ethos 263 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:43,880 of I got to play this. 264 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:46,760 I just can't beat it or I got to hope that they don't have it. 265 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:49,520 Ryan Murphy did a great Yu-Gi-Oh article in 2008. 266 00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:54,880 Yes, this is how deep I've gone on my research where he identifies different zones of the 267 00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:56,640 game that are tied to inflection points. 268 00:12:56,640 --> 00:12:59,140 He starts at the highest being green. 269 00:12:59,140 --> 00:13:00,140 You're in the lead. 270 00:13:00,140 --> 00:13:01,140 Everything's looking great, right? 271 00:13:01,140 --> 00:13:03,720 You got the green light to proceed with your deck's game plan. 272 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:07,520 The opposite being dead, meaning you are on death's door. 273 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:09,580 You are about to be finished off in the game. 274 00:13:09,580 --> 00:13:11,460 You have almost no hope of winning. 275 00:13:11,460 --> 00:13:16,200 In between, we go from green to yellow to orange to red, then to that dead. 276 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:19,800 What's really interesting to think about, and this does actually apply pretty well to 277 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:24,520 Lorcanah, is you're moving back and forth and you can go up on the scale. 278 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:27,360 You can make a big play that gets you way back into the game. 279 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:29,720 Like, whoa, I just four for one my opponent. 280 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:31,160 That's why we play cards like be prepared. 281 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:33,880 It's why we play cards like a whole new world. 282 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:34,880 I didn't have a hand. 283 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:36,800 I just top deck seven cards. 284 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:39,360 That's pretty good in a lot of cases. 285 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:43,440 It can totally swing the game back in your favor where your opponent goes, oh no, I had 286 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:44,740 six cards in my hand. 287 00:13:44,740 --> 00:13:45,740 My opponent had none. 288 00:13:45,740 --> 00:13:47,040 Now we both have seven. 289 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:48,920 It's a level playing field now. 290 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:50,680 That is a really big swing. 291 00:13:50,680 --> 00:13:56,200 So I think that those things really end up mattering in Lorcanah the same way they matter 292 00:13:56,200 --> 00:14:00,960 in this article about inflection points written by Ryan Murphy quite a long time ago for a 293 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:02,320 completely different game. 294 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:06,680 And you can see those and it's all about that progressing from, I have the luxury of being 295 00:14:06,680 --> 00:14:11,840 able to play around some cards or some things that this deck commonly does down to, oh crap, 296 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:13,800 I just got to hope that they don't have this. 297 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:18,280 And everything else in between is the road from how you get from point A to point B. 298 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:19,840 Where are you in there? 299 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:21,200 Are you, I'm about mid road. 300 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:22,960 Like it's an even game. 301 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:26,560 Something could definitely break this game open, but neither of us have that option right 302 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:27,560 now. 303 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:30,800 So this is where really tight play and a lot of practice and the player who understands 304 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:35,000 the matchup is going to do the best on the other side of the coin. 305 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:38,200 Sometimes you have to just make a big swingy play and you go, Hey, neither of us have cards 306 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:39,900 in hand, but I know you're going to win. 307 00:14:39,900 --> 00:14:43,160 So I'm just going to go ahead and whole new world right now and hope that my seven cards 308 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:45,000 are just better than your seven cards. 309 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:48,920 Cause I can't win with the way things are right now that happens from time to time. 310 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:51,280 As a steel song player, I can tell you what happens a lot. 311 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:52,320 And that's okay. 312 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:57,380 That's part of the game is giving yourself the optimal chance to win, which would change 313 00:14:57,380 --> 00:14:59,360 things from what can I play around to? 314 00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:04,160 I got to hope I do this big move and just hope that they don't have the answer. 315 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:08,040 That's really the key, especially in this game, because there's no quote instant speed 316 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:09,040 interaction, right? 317 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:12,640 You cannot interrupt a player's turn during their turn in Lurkana. 318 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:13,640 You get your turn. 319 00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:18,880 Now other things can trigger that is even more reason to understand what inflection 320 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:23,840 points occurred, what were the cards, what were the play patterns and what got you here 321 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:25,000 in the situation you're in. 322 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:28,640 And are you at that comfortable side of things where it's like, Hey, listen, I can play around 323 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:29,640 this. 324 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:30,640 I can play around that. 325 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:31,640 I'm so far ahead. 326 00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:32,960 As long as I'm just dumped my hand on the board and they be prepared, I'm going to win 327 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:33,960 no matter what. 328 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:36,240 And then the other thing I do on the other side of it's just like, Oh man, I really have 329 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:41,400 to play this really big card and just hope beyond hope that it's good enough that the 330 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:42,800 opponent does not have it in their hand. 331 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:45,600 Cause if they have it, I lose and I can't afford to play around it. 332 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:47,280 So that's really where you're moving through. 333 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:52,000 And these inflection points are the big moments of the game that cause something to change. 334 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:54,720 So that's what the idea of inflection points are. 335 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:55,880 That's breaking them down. 336 00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:57,480 So hopefully this gives you some food for thought. 337 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:00,680 The next time you're playing where you go, Oh, that was actually a really important part 338 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:02,860 of the game or this decision is actually huge. 339 00:16:02,860 --> 00:16:07,520 This hinges on whether I'm ahead or behind right now, that is an inflection point in 340 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:08,520 the game. 341 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:11,720 And like I said, there's no hard, fast rule on how many you're going to have or how many 342 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:16,320 is going to occur in the course of a game of Lurkana or any trading card game. 343 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:19,820 But there is always one absolute when it comes to Disney Lurkana. 344 00:16:19,820 --> 00:16:33,760 And that is that you have to keep questing.