Loot and Lattes

Table play isn’t a single experience. It changes shape depending on scale. At major events, pacing tightens early. Decisions are made with long arcs in mind — not just the current round, but the entire event. Players tend to avoid lines that introduce unnecessary variance. Experimental choices thin out quickly, replaced by patterns that are known to hold up across multiple rounds. Losses are absorbed differently here as well. A single misstep can feel cumulative, not because it ends the run,...

Champion selection is often treated as a strategic decision, but at the table it behaves more like a personal one. Players tend to return to the same champions even when alternatives are available. Not because those champions are objectively stronger, but because they feel legible. The lines make sense. The rhythm matches how the player thinks. Some champions invite patience. Others reward decisiveness. Over time, players stop choosing based on matchup spread and start choosing based on...

Local Grand Archive play carries a different kind of information. When games happen at shared tables, decisions are visible as they’re made. Not just the cards, but the pauses between them. Players see how long choices take, when someone hesitates, and how lines are reconsidered in real time. That visibility adds context that doesn’t come from results alone. Learning also spreads sideways. Players pick up patterns by watching nearby matches, even when they aren’t directly involved. A single...