Welcome back my friends to the next phase of our cPDH multiplayer game theory: Stages of the Game article series!
Today we cover The Early Game where we explore objectively Turns 0-3 in a competitive PDH pod game.

I will warn the reader: this topic is monstrous in size.
Feel free to read about The Early Game the following in partitions, should you choose to do so:

1) Turn 0: Before the game begins

2) Turns 1-2: Creating the base

3) Turn 3: Beginning to interact

Before we start, I’ll once again preface our article by saying that this theory is meant to serve as a frame of reference to help guide a player’s understanding of the environment in which they are playing.
There are exceptions to every rule.
I’m hopeful that this information from these articles are beneficial to you and your cPDH gameplay experience.

Excellent!
Let’s begin today’s topic before the beginning, with Turn 0.

Turn 0: Before the game begins

Some would argue that this is the most important ‘Turn’ of the game, which is ironically not a “Turn” at all.
Turn 0 is a very unique and very important space in the game to be taken full advantage of, as it is the only space where the 90 minute time limit isn’t applied to your actions. 

…it is in this space where players have the most time available to them to think and respond to information.
…it is in this space also where slow play rules cannot apply to player banter.
…it is in this space where each players’ initial impressions are formed of one another.

…it is often in this space where the ongoing process of ‘threat assessment’ begins.

Because of this, some would argue that Turn 0 is where the most information of a game is gathered all at once (including but not limited to): 

a. Seat position

b. Player/Pilot (Réputation & Savoir Faire)

c. Mulligans taken

d. Commander selection

 

Let’s look further into these points and how they can impact the game.

 

a. Seat Position:

In cPDH, we know that pods are regulated to four players seated at the ‘table,’ taking their respective turns in a clockwise rotation, repeating the process for each round.

The greater cPDH community uses the collective word “Turn” to describe a ’round of turns.’ (i.e. Turn 2, Seat 1 would be the beginning of Round 2 whereas Turn 3, Seat 4’s end step would initiate the table’s “Turn 4” to begin, etc. Frankly, I wish we used the term “Rounds” to differentiate, but here we are.) 

Similar to track set lanes in Olympic foot races, there are advantages and disadvantages to each starting position in cPDH: In terms of board development, Seat 1 begins the game with an automatic advantage to play ahead of the other 3 players.
Although early board development is universally beneficial to all archetypes, some would argue that the archetypes of Combo and Aggro tend to be at a greater advantage than Midrange and Control from early board development.

In terms of making informed decisions/responses, Seat 4 begins the game with the greatest advantage to play in response to the other 3 players (especially in the Mid and Late Stages of the game).
Though making informed decisions/responses is universally beneficial to all archetypes, some would argue that the archetypes of Control and Midrange (even more so for Control) tend to be at an advantage over Combo and/or Aggro strategies from making well-informed/well-timed decisions/responses.

In ascending and descending sequential order, the converse is true for all players and archetypes in the areas of board development and making informed decisions.

The meta data on [cPDH.Guide] offers a look into seat position and its impact on win rate.
Seat 1 tends to be the favored/most advantaged position, followed by Seat 2, Seat 3, and Seat 4 in descending order.
Seat 4 tends to win half as often as Seat 1.

Some would argue Seat Position is often overlooked in competitive play when determining likelihood of success.
Wasting this information on Turn 0 will likely increase your chances of losing the game.

When communicating and ‘politicking,’ it is advisable that you empower yourself with this information in order to guide your own skill development of Savoir Faire in this precious window of time: Turn 0.


b. Player/Pilot (Réputation & Savoir Faire):

This particular topic has a near infinite amount of depth to it.
To explore it properly is beyond the scope of today’s article.
It will be done the justice it deserves in its own featured [cPDH.guide] article in the future.
For today, we’ll keep to the surface.

At any stage of the game, player communication and their behavior patterns tell all. Truly.
Players are always communicating with one another.
To be clear: even the act of not communicating in a situation, is communicative to your opponents at the table.

As previously mentioned, Turn 0 provides the most time in any game for players to communicate with one another.
In this crucial moment of the game, players often speak to their opening position(s) of strength or weakness.

Take these communicated examples about a starting hand:

(displaying strength)
 Player 1, Sitting back in their chair: “Well, this hand will do.”

(displaying weakness without a mulligan)
Player 2, Fumbling about: “This (hand) is so-so… I’ll risk it; let’s see how this plays out.”

(displaying weakness with three mulligans)
Player 3, On their third Mulligan: “I guess I’ll have to give this a try.”

In a game with more than one opponent, player communication dynamics often take a body of their own. Ignoring these dynamics, or being underprepared to read them can be the pitfall of any player brave enough to step into the gauntlet.

It should also be noted that a great deal of player communication is  entirely non-verbal:

a) Two blue mana untapped could be a classic bluff (or not) to keep a player at bay, or it could be bait to force an untimely action.
b) A player reveals a removal spell in hand during an opponent’s move-to-combat to influence their opponent’s attack step.

These subtle messages between players are often where some 1v1 format enthusiasts reach points of contention with multiplayer matches as they’d prefer to remove Poker elements from their familiar game of Cardboard Chess.

It should be noted further: Managing the emotions of players at the table is an important tactic to winning at all stages of the game.

We’ll keep it there for now, but note that there are countless examples that we could expand on, but our take home message for today is this: Player communication has an indirect (and sometimes direct) impact on game actions.
The most time allowed for these actions is in the Early Game… specifically on Turn 0, before the game begins.

 

c. Mulligans Taken:

In our previous example, mulligans tell a story to the table.
It could hint to luck (or lack thereof).
How a player Mulligans their hand could hint at their chosen deck archetype.
More than any other archetype: Combo is searching for specific cards in order to win the game.
A deep mulligan could ‘tilt one’s hand’ and provide a clear giveaway to this archetype.
Conversely, a shallow or unused mulligan could lead one to believe in an optimal hand, or an archetype that doesn’t lean this way: possibly a non-combo build.

Going back to the previous opening hand communication examples:

(displaying strength)
 Player 1, Sitting back in their chair: “Well, this hand will do.”

(displaying weakness without a mulligan)
Player 2, Fumbling about: “This (hand) is so-so… I’ll risk it; let’s see how this plays out.”

(displaying weakness with three mulligans)
Player 3, On their third Mulligan: “I guess I’ll have to give this a try.”

How many times did a Player 2 mulligan in order to say those words?
What does that hint to me about them?
… About their willingness to lie?
Perhaps they aren’t lying at all… but they need a certain card in hand for the Mid Game and are sacrificing an Optimal Early Game setup instead. Is this player impulsive or over-calculating in their judgement?
How will that impact my ability to negotiate with them throughout the game?

Most importantly, for any player: are they likely to be more threatening in the Early, Mid, or Late Stage(s) of the game given the information provided?

All of this communication pairs well with our granted knowledge of Commander Selection.

d. Commander Selection:

Nearly every Commander tells a story.
Not only by hinting at color combination(s) but also at potential engines or key components for a deck to function.
Note that whatever is in the command zone is the card that the player selected to have access to at all times.

Over time, some commanders have developed their own reputation and stereotypes that may disadvantage their pilot.

To name a few notorious examples across the archetype spectrum:
– Malcolm // Kediss  (a tempo/control deck)
– Abdel Adrian // Agent of the Iron Throne (flicker-engine; absolute time-suck at the table)

– Abdel Adrian // Sword Coast Sailor (flicker-engine; control/combo)
– Gretchen Turnwillow (a control/combo deck)
– Gut, True Soul // Inspiring Leader (pure value aggro-engine)
– Hollow Marauder (devastating control)

It’s in Turn 0 that you are given a wealth of knowledge as to which seat position they hold, how these pilots choose to communicate, how they choose to mulligan, and to which commanders, colors, and indicative strategies they represent.

Compiled together, this information gathering becomes an invaluable info-dump to the table as to each person’s starting position and how one should begin their approach to Turns 1-2.

“The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy not coming, but on our readiness to receive (them)… -Sun Tzu, The Art of War


Turns 1-2: Creating the base

Crucial and often uneventful as it is to create a mana base, it is usually in Turns 1-2 where the foundation of your board state begins… or doesn’t begin. 

In most Turns 1-2, players are focused almost entirely on their own board development – specifically around their mana base and/or replacing cards they’ve used to establish said mana base.

They do this either via ramp cards, mana fixing cards, and/or card draw.

To be fair, if someone was going to be entirely focused on themselves at any stage of the game, this would be the place to do it. Turns 1-2 are the least likely places for a game to be won or lost in cPDH.

Though empirical data has yet to be captured to defend this statement, some would argue that Turn 3 is often the earliest place for interaction or spot-removal to begin in a game.

If a deck is fast enough, this could provide for a window of opportunity to steal a game with an early win-condition before players are able to interact. However, our current meta data shows that these events are highly unlikely in cPDH.

When crafting and/or ‘goldfishing’ a deck… Turns 1-2 are often played out more than any other set of turns.

It is to be assumed that players will be underprepared for interaction in these two turns.

A word of caution: it should be known that any board interaction anywhere in the Early Stage of the game can often appear ‘preemptive’ akin to ‘bullying’ which can have dramatic impacts on your ability to survive into The Late Game.

Rely heavily on your communicative skills to allow for this interaction for fear of retaliation from your opponent(s).

Turn 3: Beginning to interact

The format has gotten faster in recent years.
Some would argue that if players have their ‘heads down’ in the first two turns of the game, that they lift their heads up by Turn 3.

Though the meta data is not yet captured information to support this claim: some would argue that Turn 3 is often where the earliest combat and/or interaction between players begins.

Some would also argue that by Turn 3, players have gained enough information to perceive a ‘threat’ or ‘threats’ at the table.

And though in most circumstances, a tempo/combo deck will seek to tutor for specific cards as quickly as possible, some would argue that when playing on-curve, Turn 3 is the most likely turn to see a tutor for an essential card to be found, and consequently, revealed to the table (as most tutors in this format force a reveal.)

Turn 3 is most often where the final stage of the Early Game is found; where players now begin to develop, interact, and cause damage to one another, but necessarily in a permanent or unrecoverable way.

The Early Game is where the savvy, most subtle negotiations begin.
A word of caution to the under-practiced, overt communicator: it is in the Early Stage of the game where hyper communication can often be viewed as ‘preemptive’ and can accidentally paint the messenger to be like a fly in the table’s soup.
Some just want the noise to go away.
Don’t give them a reason to think you are ‘noisy.’

That concludes our commentary and dive into The Early Game.
I want to thank you for reading.
I hope that this information has been helpful, and thought-provoking!
If you like the content of this article, be sure to tune in for the next chapter as we delve deeper into our article series on Stages of the Game, exploring one of the most dynamic stages of cPDH gameplay: The Mid-Game; Turns 4-6.

Thank you again.
I’m your author, BeachBodGod69, signing off!