"Timmy is what we in R&D call the 'power gamer'. Timmy likes to win big. He doesn’t want to eke out a last minute victory. Timmy wants to smash his opponents. He likes his cards to be impressive, and he enjoys playing big creatures and big spells."
"Johnny is the creative gamer to whom Magic is a form of self-expression. Johnny likes to win, but he wants to win with style. It’s very important to Johnny that he win on his own terms. As such, it’s important to Johnny that he’s using his own deck. Playing Magic is an opportunity for Johnny to show off his creativity."
How many of you remember that moment you changed from being a Timmy into a Johnny? Or from a Johnny into a Spike? What was that golden moment for you as a player when you evolved?
Me, Myself and I
I've been a proud, self-professed Timmy for some time. I like playing mono-red with Thundermaw Hellkites. I enjoy smashing face and turning cards sideways. My win percentage isn't anything to brag about in Standard or Limited, but when I do win I generally do so very decisively with big, nasty creatures or powerful spells. When I draft, I'm always looking for bombs then creatures. I worry about removal, combat tricks and combos when I'm darn good and ready. Which is as you're likely aware, is too late to do anything about it in most cases.
I am, by every measurement and definition, an old and goofy Timmy. I enjoy the game for the game's sake. No deck is to tricky for me to play against, no opponent is to smart. On any given day, I believe my stable of big nasties will overwhelm my opponent - if only I can get to them. I have my share of nemeses that I will one day defeat, some of them have beaten me consistently since I've started. There is a part of me that wants to beat them as a Timmy, but the reality is a Timmy may not have the right skill set to do it in any format.
I think 95% or more players start as out as a Timmy. The rare exceptions are those people that come to the game with a definitive skill set in place from other similar games. While there is a part of me that wishes I could say, "I was always a Spike or a Johnny from day one," I know it would be a lie. To be honest, I'm proud of my status as a Timmy. It fits me and my play style. My son, Jacob, is also still a Timmy. I'm sure he'd be happier as a Johnny. From what I've seen, he'll make a good one. He loves to brew up the jankiest of decks. When he spends a little bit more time figuring out combos and rules - he'll take the next step.
Dispelling the Myth
Those preceeding paragraphs are 100% true. Almost...
A few weeks ago, I was drafting in a DGR format at my local LGS. I wanted to force Simic after my first couple of picks. As the draft progressed though, things didn't quite come together. I knew I'd be in trouble, so I started to think defensively. I picked up a few counter spells, which goes against my overall play style. There was one card, and one play from those matches that I recall as being important.
Lacking any strong creatures only a few picks into Pack 2, I selected Dispel. Not a typical Timmy card by my definition. It's simple enough, but I want to be hitting hard, not playing the denial game. As I sat there looking over my picks when the drafting portion completed, I knew that Dispel would have to go into my deck. For me, it was the 23rd card. I wasn't happy giving it a slot in my deck, but given the alternatives felt it was justified...barely.
The games that night were a blur. Play a creature or two, lose to someone playing better creatures and spells. My Simic build was just too weak to go toe to toe with the rest of the field. But there was a moment. Just a singular, perfect moment two matches in when I had the perfect set-up in my fourth or fifth turn to play Dispel. It only found its way into my hand once that whole night. When I played it though, something happened. Deep down, in the cockles (what the heck is a cockle anyway?) I felt a stirring. I denied my opponent a chance to play what they wanted. I found a way to limit their game plan and forced them to reevaluate me as an opponent. This wasn't the Timmy they were used to playing. It felt glorious, to see the look on their face as I kept them from doing something nasty to the board state.
Was this the moment? Did I finally break through to a new level of play?
I don't think it was. Most players would agree that this fails the test. One singular Dispel does not a Johnny make. But I had a taste of something and wanted to do it again. I wanted to find ways to use my cards in a more creative manner, timing my plays to my advantage. How would I capitalize on it though?
Achievement Unlocked
So there I was, only a week later playing in a sealed pool. I had built a pretty interesting Orzhov/Boros deck, relying on Extort and a some strong creature support and spells to win out. During my build, I had added Weapons Surge almost as an afterthought. We've all seen it, +1/0 bonus with a chance to Overload it cheaply. The kind of card that can win a game in the right circumstances. My opponent had been whittled down to two creatures and I was well situated with 5, including a Ripscale Predator along with a 1/1, 2/1 and a 2/3 (I know I had something else mid-range). He was at 13 life.
I was at the point of the game that I just wanted to win - but winning wasn't quite enough. I wanted to do so with style. A small crowd had gathered watching our play. Maybe that was reason enough for me to want to do better. Or, more likely, I simply was tired of just squeaking by in Limited formats. So I looked and calculated, taking my time to figure out the board position. If everything fell into place, I was pretty sure I had the game. But I've been here before. I've been down this road. Oh, how I've been down this road, only to lose to a last second removal spell or a clever block.
I've been close. I've been so sure of myself. I was feeling good and wanted the win. This time, I was pretty sure I had it.
With a breath and one last glance at my opponent, I turned them sideways. All of them. I calculated damage and knew he had to block. So did he. He put his paltry two chump blocks into play, thinking it was only going to buy him a turn and one set of creatures in trade would head to the graveyard. I did one more quick calculation and realized I had missed something very important.
I was short 1 damage, even with an Overloaded Weapons Surge. But that wasn't what I missed. No, I had missed something more important. I had missed my two creatures with Extort. And I had the mana to spare.
Smiling quietly to myself, I played Weapons Surge. I declared I was Overloading it and paid the costs. Then I put the hurt on my opponent - I called the two Extort triggers and added them to the stack.
My opponent looked at his hand, the board, his hand, the board...(you know how this goes folks, he's trying to fathom how to get out of an impossible situation). It was after his second look to the board that I knew I had him. After what seemed like an eternity and about 10 more looks, he reached across the table, offered his hand and scooped.
(As near as I could tell he simply didn't have the cards to do much better than he had already played and he was a good sport about it.)
Afterwords, we talked for a few moments. I left before too long, wanting both to report and to let him have a minute to himself. But as I walked up the Judge's station, I reflected. Was this the moment? Did I just leap into the world of 'Johnnydom'?
My play was as clever and as tricksy as my deck allowed. I had played smart, offensive Magic, luring my opponent two other times in the game into making bad decisions. And I closed out strong, using every available resource to me to do so. Did this, in fact, mean I had unlocked the achievement? I hadn't simply attacked. I didn't just use a combat trick. I attacked, used a combat trick and pulled out some triggers for good measure.
I think this was the moment I unlocked the achievement. It feels right and true. But I know that it will be a little bit of time before I'm sure. One strong series of plays, regardless how well done does not a Johnny make.
I'm a VERY red player (and there will be an article on this, following some other thoughts I have). I incorporated the best of red that I was given, and tied it into a workable deck that did what I wanted it to do - better yet, what I envisioned it could do. Then I willed it to happen. This is, at the crux, what being 'Johnny' means to me.
Timmy? Who's Timmy?
To be safe though, I'm going to refer to myself as a Timmy for a little while longer. I think it's bad form to just jump ahead without more evidence that I have earned it. That one game will serve as a bar to me that I must reach again if I'm to consider myself a Johnny. I'll keep you posted. Or maybe, just maybe, I'll simply change my description one day to one that a Johnny would be proud to have.
You never know - we Johnnys can be tricksy.
Footnotes
"Our Three Favorite Players: Timmy, Johny and Spike," by Mark Rosewater, http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr11b
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