Avoid the Tilt

We’ve all been there before when playing SWU: our opponent is just doing everything to get under our skin. “Why are they taking so long?” “Stop doing that!” “Let me just attack!”

But here’s the thing: our opponent isn’t doing anything to get under our skin or piss us off. We’re choosing to be annoyed with them. Maybe they’re taking into account something we’re not aware of. Maybe that’s just the way they play. Or maybe they really are trying to upset us. Whatever the case, in the end we’re in control of our actions and we choose whether we brush off the things that are upsetting us or to act out on those feelings and tilt.

Here’s the trouble with tilting: not only does it make for a very un-fun experience for us, it also impacts our opponent, the players seated next to us, the LGS, and even the community at large. Think about it: you’re playing against your opponent and their face looks like a nuclear reactor about to blow, or maybe they already have lost their cool and are beyond frustrated. Not only has the enjoyment of the game diminished, but now you’re walking on eggshells, hoping that they will calm down and not get set off any further. Nobody wants that. So why do we do it?

We’re all human. We all have those bad days. I’ll admit that one time at my LGS I started off pretty level-headed, but after my third loss, I was frustrated. I didn’t lash out at my opponent, but I definitely lost my cool (mostly I just dug through my deck, slamming each card on the table, looking for that answer card that was of course at the very bottom). It felt bad to be so upset and I hated that I lost face in front of a friendly player (it wasn’t his fault that I didn’t draw the cards I needed).

So what can we do about this? While once we’ve tilted, it will take some time to cool down, there’s time to interrupt the process before it becomes too late.

Imagine a cooking pot with a lid on it, and we’re boiling water. All is fine at first. This is us at any given moment: cool, calm, and collected. Nothing to worry about.

However, as the water gets hotter, steam starts pushing up on the lid. Physically this feels like your face becoming flush, your muscles tensing up, or even your thoughts becoming a little fuzzy. It’s during this moment that you have the most important choice of all because you can still think rationally, but you won’t have much longer. You can either let the hate flow through you, or you can realize that you’re getting close to the edge and you need to back down.

It’s too late once the lid has flipped. All that pressure has to go somewhere, so it goes outward. Water is boiling over onto the burners and you’re pounding the table or cursing and yelling. There’s no rational thinking at this point. It’s all lizard brain.

So what can you do before you’ve flipped your lid? The first and most effective thing you can do is so simple, yet we take it for granted all the time. Just breathe. It doesn’t need to be some grand action to reset yourself. Often I’ll just take a deep breath through my nose, hold the breath for a second, and then slowly exhale. Do that as much as you need until your thoughts stop getting so clouded. Another option is to just laugh about it. Yeah, doesn’t it just suck that my board state is shitty and I’m not drawing all my answers? Yup, sure does! I must be the luckiest guy in the world right now to have such odds stacked against me!

It’ll be okay. Maybe this game is a loss, but there’s always the next one.

One thing I do before even getting to that point of my lid bobbing up and down is just being aware of what triggers me. Playing on an empty stomach is a big one. I’ll make sure to have a good meal before the tournament, or even a snack between rounds. Apparently Baja Blast Mountain Dew and Peanut M&Ms work wonders for me. Or if I’m playing against an opponent that I know bugs me, I’ll make sure I’m taking those deep breaths whenever possible and just tuning out whatever annoys me about them. It also helps to compliment them at the end of the match, especially if you lost. “Oh man, I thought I had it, but that Surprise Strike on my leader really took the wind out of my sails! It was all over after that.”

In the end, this is all just a card game. Yeah, winning is awesome, but if everyone won all the time, the game would be pretty boring. It’s those losses that make the wins sweeter. It’s all those moments of staying in control that make the SWU community the best that it is.

It’s okay to get upset: we’re all human. It’s not okay to take it out on your opponent.

On a side note, regarding that one player that I did lose my cool with: I messaged him on Discord and I apologized. I framed it in a way that used “I statements:” “I did this”, “I did that”, not blaming him at all. Because it was my choice how I acted. He appreciated the statement and totally understood where I was coming from. Now when I see him at locals, I don’t need to worry about feeling awkward around him, and I also remember that it’s so much easier to have fun playing SWU when I keep cool.