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[Asklepios]

As a mirror to these excellent articles ( http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=595.0 ) I'd like to show you how to lose ranks like crazy! Looking at council room, I've dropped 7 ranks in the last 1 month, so I consider myself an expert!

First, go on holiday for a week or two. Without matches, your skill level will slip downwards as isotropic loses confidence in you.

Second, play only when extremely tired and stressed, such as at 4am when you've been woken by a crying baby and can't get back to sleep.

Third, accidentally resign matches when you're ahead by clicking too fast. Ok, I only did this twice last month, but twice is enough!

Fourth, try our wacky strategies for experimentation's sake, rather than sticking to what you know works.

Fifth, try to convince yourself that Develop is actually quite good in the hands of a skilled player, and delude yourself into thinking you are at that skilled player. Seriously - the one or two occasions where Develop has won me games in beautiful and aesthetic ways have led to me buying it waaaay too often.

Sixth, if you lose your first three matches of a night, quit and do something else. This denies you the opportunity to level things out, and lets isotropic knock a level or two off you for the day.

Finally, if a better player beats you, ask them if they'd like a rematch, and continue to do so with increasing determination the more times they consecutively beat you.

Anyone else got any tips?

[Davio]

Start a new account, you'll start at level 0!

[DG]

Get annoyed and stop thinking.

Stubbornly try to prove that your losing strategy from a previous game can work (regardless of the kingdom).

Try to play a new game in the way an opponent beat you recently, without understanding how or why.

[pingpongsam]

Play in auto-match registered only. Wait until you get matched with someone ranked at least 20 ranks ahead of you, preferably more. Play this person and most likely you will lose. If you managed to win make sure to play them again so that you do lose. Regardless of the outcome make sure to return to the lobby immediately and hopefully you'll get rematched about 8 times in a row taking 8 or so defeats.

Finally, make sure not to pay any attention to how this guy is trouncing you so that you take no knowledge away from these encounters.

[Captain_Frisk]

Start playing forum mafia instead of online dominion.  My uncertainty has dropped from 7ish to like 11.  Bye bye 4 levels!

[Qvist]

Fourth, try our wacky strategies for experimentation's sake, rather than sticking to what you know works.

That's what I always like to do. I have more enjoyment in trying experimental strategies rather than just "only winning". But that's maybe just me...

[brokoli]

Fourth, try our wacky strategies for experimentation's sake, rather than sticking to what you know works.

That's what I always like to do. I have more enjoyment in trying experimental strategies rather than just "only winning". But that's maybe just me...

Not only you, me too. And we are currently at the same level (22) 

[jamuspsi]

Get annoyed and stop thinking.

Stubbornly try to prove that your losing strategy from a previous game can work (regardless of the kingdom).

Try to play a new game in the way an opponent beat you recently, without understanding how or why.

Is everyone guilty of this sometimes?  Because that would make me feel much better.

[Young Nick]

Finally, if a better player beats you, ask them if they'd like a rematch, and continue to do so with increasing determination the more times they consecutively beat you.

This.

I went through a phase where I thought I was as good as anybody on Isotropic. This was after I jumped to 19th on the leaderboard way back when. So because I was better than everybody, I decided that I must beat everyone. If I lost to them, then I rematched them until I won. This is a horrible thing to do to yourself. Frustration mounts with every loss, making you play worse and worse.

I think I played 8 or so games against one person, and at one point after the sixth or so, he made the joke "SO YOU WANT TO KEEP LOSING, HUH?" Needless to say, this only added fuel to the fire. The next day, I was a) exhausted b) very unprepared for school considering I had had no time to do homework c) still pissed off, and d) far removed from my top-of-the-'board status.

I still do rematch people until I win if they are willing. It is probably one of my worst faults as a Dominion player. That and my lack of understanding Fool's Gold, I suppose.

[Lekkit]

I still do rematch people until I win if they are willing. It is probably one of my worst faults as a Dominion player.

How is playing the game being a fault? I never decline a game because of level. Since I want to play the game and become a better player every game counts for me. The problem is blindly losing and not think about what whent wrong.

[Eevee]

Instantly rematching someone after taking a beating is actually very beneficial to your level. Going first is HUGE.

[GendoIkari]

I disagree with #6. While it is true that quitting when 0-3 will hurt your ranking (depending on the skill of those you lost to), continuing to play after a start like that has often led to me losing multiple levels at once, instead of just the one I would have lost. If I start out 0-3, I tend to end the night at 2-12. Going 0-3 can just be a sign that now is not the best time to be playing Dominion.

[RisingJaguar]

Fourth, try our wacky strategies for experimentation's sake, rather than sticking to what you know works.

That's what I always like to do. I have more enjoyment in trying experimental strategies rather than just "only winning". But that's maybe just me...

I think this is one of the best ways to grow as a player long-term.  If you never seek to experiment new interactions with cards (both combos and nombos, they are both just as important), you'll never... 'grow'.  Experimenting will give you more general knowledge on the card as well as specific things and in general probably develops better adaptation. 

The game is just so much more fun and rewarding when you learn the game yourself.  Experimenting leads you there (as long as you are learning from your mistakes just as well as your successes.)

[Young Nick]

Instantly rematching someone after taking a beating is actually very beneficial to your level. Going first is HUGE.

Sure, the first turn advantage is huge. But what is more important, much more important, is to take a deep breath and relax. Your status as belonging in the first-seat pool will not change if you go to the bathroom, check Facebook, look over the log, check f.ds, and then go start another match. As long as you are still signed in to Isotropic, you will still get first turn. Instantly rematching has you playing while your emotions from last game are still lingering. You are not properly focused on the current game. And that is the problem.

[WanderingWinder]

Instantly rematching someone after taking a beating is actually very beneficial to your level. Going first is HUGE.

Sure, the first turn advantage is huge. But what is more important, much more important, is to take a deep breath and relax. Your status as belonging in the first-seat pool will not change if you go to the bathroom, check Facebook, look over the log, check f.ds, and then go start another match. As long as you are still signed in to Isotropic, you will still get first turn. Instantly rematching has you playing while your emotions from last game are still lingering. You are not properly focused on the current game. And that is the problem.

But rematching them is going to guarantee you first turn. Playing against someone else will only have you in the pool, which means you have a pretty decent chance of missing out on your 1st-turn advantage after all.
I do think it's important to stop and take a breath, and make sure you think straight, or yeah, you're not going to play so well (well, you can play reasonably okay on tilt anyway...). But I don't think you have to do so many other things.
I advocate just taking two minutes on your first turn of the next game, to cool yourself off, slow yourself down, and really think through the options and come up with a good plan.

[blueblimp]

I advocate just taking two minutes on your first turn of the next game, to cool yourself off, slow yourself down, and really think through the options and come up with a good plan.

This is good advice in any situation. I wouldn't be surprised if it's optimal to allocate most of your game time to assessing the board on turn 1. After all, that's the hard part.

[Young Nick]

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying to do ALL of those things. Just doing anywhere from one to three could be enough, depending on who you are as a player. Playing on tilt, though, that's the problem. And that is what you get with an insta-rematch. Or I should say, that's what I get. I may not throwing insults like certain other forum frequenters, but I will certainly be more prone to blame stuff on luck and not think straight. I can bet I am not the only one to do this and I can bet that playing in a cool and collected manner is bigger than first turn advantage.

This is not to take away from seating position, but to emphasize how important calmness is.

[Eevee]

You guys really get that upset over losing a game or five? Like, it acually starts affecting your decisions significantly?

This thread makes me realize I should definitely take more time analyzing the board in the beginning of a game though.

[Young Nick]

Personally, after a series of lost games, I just start to rush more. I don't think as creatively. "Oh, JoaT is there? I can play the mirror better than this ****." Yeah, I'll say trashy stuff like that to myself. And of course, then my opponent goes for a more creative, but reasonable engine and destroys me. I don't analyze the opener as much, either. I might be exaggerating to some extent, but, man, it is a real thing, for sure.

[Axxle]

Whenever you lose, log out and log back in so that you get a disproportionate number of second player starts.

[Kahryl]

Always play your favorite cards no matter how bad the kingdom is for them (for me: Develop, Black Market)

[Asklepios]

Always play your favorite cards no matter how bad the kingdom is for them (for me: Develop, Black Market)

I'm with you on Develop, definitely. I just can't quit that card, no matter how many times it messes me up. I am Develop's abused spouse!

[Davio]

For me it's the other way around.

I've never been able to embrace Native Village.

[Morgrim7]

Whatever strategy you think you should pursue, do the exact opposite. $16 and two buys? Double curse. Sea Hag? Buy Thief instead.

[Death to Sea Hags]

Instantly rematching someone after taking a beating is actually very beneficial to your level. Going first is HUGE.

Sure, the first turn advantage is huge. But what is more important, much more important, is to take a deep breath and relax. Your status as belonging in the first-seat pool will not change if you go to the bathroom, check Facebook, look over the log, check f.ds, and then go start another match. As long as you are still signed in to Isotropic, you will still get first turn. Instantly rematching has you playing while your emotions from last game are still lingering. You are not properly focused on the current game. And that is the problem.

Is there a way on Iso to look at a game log from a game you played today other than the one you just played? (assuming you didn't leave the game log open in the background, that is...)