Clerks (3rd, MKE Megacity)

or; How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Enjoy the Moment

"I'm not even supposed to be here today!" - Dante, Clerks (1994)

That was the quote running through my head on repeat through the entire Milwaukee Megacity. Let me explain.

For the last ~3 months, my plan was to eschew playing in my home state Megacity Championship in favor of commentating the event with my good friend Orbital Tangent (shoutouts to Orbs). However, at 5:30 PM on the day before the event, Orbs pings myself and Baxder (the event's TO) to inform us that his streaming gear is stuck on a pallet back from Portland and won't be delivered before he has to drive to Milwaukee. I volunteer to provide a webcam and microphone so that the event can still be streamed, but it's abundantly clear that the possibility of a commentary setup is a no-go. As such, I shrug my shoulders and register to play in the event, having no real expectations for myself of placing well.

I then make top 8 at 4th seed and proceed to go on a killer run through loser's bracket in the cut to make 3rd place. Not bad for a last-minute registration and limited practice, eh?

However, that's not really what this deck writeup is about. Instead, I noticed a real shift in my mentality during this event, one that helped me stay grounded and loose through nearly the whole event. I'd like to use this writeup to discuss those changes. For some of you, this might come off as self-help bullshit, and if that applies to you, then that's fine. Feel free to go read one of the many other deck writeups that will actually give you meaningful Netrunner analysis and advice (but make sure to click that heart button on your way out).

Still here? Good. Here are some lessons for you to consider.

1. Set achievable goals.

The word "achievable" is key here - if you've only been playing Netrunner for a week and you fly to Worlds expecting to win, you are setting yourself up for inevitable frustration and disappointment. Instead, set a series of small, achievable goals for yourself to try to hit throughout the event. These don't have to be huge goals; in fact, they probably shouldn't be. I've been playing tournament Netrunner for a long time, and my first goal is always to just win a single game. From there, I work my way up to my next goal, usually to have at least a 50% win rate. If I achieve that goal, I set a new one until the only thing left is to win grand finals.

Your goals may vary, and they may take other forms. You could consider, for instance, setting goals within each game, like trying to play around Measured Response against Nuvem or landing at least one Deep Dive if you're playing Shaper. It's 100% OK to play in tournaments not to win, but to learn. If you happen to win games or even the entire thing, then that's awesome! But everyone loses games sometimes, and everyone encounters bad beats. This leads me to my second point...

2. Winning isn't everything, but wanting to is.

Shoutouts to Alyssa Edwards for this one.

Here's a hot take: It's okay to lose games. Even the best players in the world can't win every game of Netrunner - all card games involve at least a bit of luck to win, and sometimes luck isn't on your side. Sometimes you access 25-30 cards throughout a game, and not one of them is an agenda. Sometime your opponent is going to touch 4 cards for 8 points. That's OK. Shit happens. Instead of dwelling on your bad beats, try to find some value in each game of Netrunner you play. Reflect back on your decisions: was there anything you could have done differently to get an edge with the information you had at the time? What lessons can you take away from that loss for your next game?

It's important to note that sometimes you can play perfectly and still lose. This isn't a bug, it's a feature. I'm a big American football fan (go Steelers), and the phrase "any given Sunday" is something I think about a lot. For non-football fans, it refers to the idea that every team has a chance to win every game they play. You can theorycraft, train, and practice all you want, but once you shuffle up and draw five cards, there is an element of the game that is out of your hands entirely. You can fight it all you want, but the variance is what makes games like Netrunner exciting. If you want a game where all the skill gets put on the table, you can go play chess.

3. Champion your friends, metamates, and testing partners.

This one was huge for me on the day. It's my firm belief that Netrunner, despite being a one-on-one game, has some team-based elements to it. We go to local meetups with many recurring attendees. We play against those people week after week, learning their playstyles and deck preferences. We form testing houses with each other, sometimes consisting of players from across the globe. We meet new people at every event, sometimes forming deep, genuine friendships with each from bonding over a card game. To me, this is beautiful and should be cherished.

I'm from Madison, Wisconsin, and the local Madison meta is one that I've been trying to cultivate and grow for at least a year now. I'm very proud of the growth that we've made - we've gone from being lucky to pull 4 players together to getting meetups of at least 10. Seven players from the local Madison meta registered and played in the MKE Megacity, and when the top 8 was confirmed, I was elated to see that half of the top cut consisted of folks from Madison that I play against every week. Even the folks who didn't make cut had things to feel proud of: jo-z was the top HB player of the day with her beloved Thule, Crowe was top Anarch on Seb, and yucca played great for its first tournament. As the top cut played out and the Madison crew continued to do well, I felt more and more like a proud parent. When I took the win over N00dle_soup in loser's semis, that's when I popped off, because Madison was guaranteed to take 1st, 2nd, and 3rd: the entire podium. I couldn't give a fuck about winning the whole event anymore: the team win meant so much more to me in the moment.

All of this is to say that if you're new to the community, make friends! Chat with your opponents before and after the games. This community is extremely welcoming and friendly, and if you're willing to put yourself out there, I can almost guarantee that you'll make at least one new friend at any event you attend.

4. Stay in the moment.

If you take nothing else away from this writeup, then please make it this lesson, because this was my ultimate lesson from the MKE Megacity.

There's a lot going on during any given Netrunner event. Lots of commotion, chatter and table talk, people yelling "judge!", time calls, and the like. It's easy to get overstimulated or caught up in the excitement of the event at a whole that you spend the whole thing zoomed out, unable to focus on the task at hand, which is winning whatever game of Netrunner you are currently playing.

High-level players have a tendency to talk about cut math and tournament structure, trying to logic out exactly what needs to break their way to make top cut. To me, this is like trying to ice skate uphill: it's not worth the effort. You can't control anything other than your own performance in whatever singular game of Netrunner you are playing, and that is where your attention should be. Don't think about how many games you have to win, just start with winning your current game and the rest will follow.

My comfort media is the documentary series The Last Dance, which follows the Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls through the final season of their dynasty. One thing that always strikes me every time I watch it is how grounded Michael Jordan is at any given time. Of course, he's constantly thinking about the big goal at the end: win a 6th championship. But he never gets lost while chasing the big goal, staying focused on winning each individual game, as those wins are what allows him and the Bulls to stay on the path towards that 6th ring.

To quote the PSAs from my childhood, be like Mike. Stay present during each of your games. Control what you can control and don't dwell on things outside of your direct influence. Just play the game of Netrunner that you're playing and come whatever may.

I hope that these lessons I've learned are of use to you. And if you made it through yet another sappy Sable writeup from me, then just know that I appreciate you being here with me to play this goofy children's card game. For the last 11 years, Netrunner has been one of the most important things in my life, and at this point, I'm just trying to do what I can to help others love Netrunner the way that I do. Feel free to DM me on Discord or Slack if you'd like to talk shop or have any questions for me, I'm an open book.

And as ever, Always Be Running.