veles-content/strategies/pauper/infect/1/reflection.md

Reflection Template For Infect

For each loss, name one primary cause and one secondary cause. For each win, name the card, package, or tactical policy that most contributed to the win. Classify each result as a card quantity problem, card selection problem, mana problem, tempo problem, matchup problem, sideboard problem, pilot sequencing problem, or closing-power problem. Report mana performance, sideboard impact, stranded cards, overperforming cards, underperforming cards, and whether the Deck Strategy or Tactical Policy guidance was followed.

• Deciding factor: Identify whether the game was won or lost by early infect creature access, protection timing, blocker evasion, mana timing, or an opponent answer. Record the exact turn where the poison clock became realistic or collapsed.

• Mulligans: Check whether the opener had a legal path to cast Glistener Elf, Blight Mamba, or Ichorclaw Myr early. Flag hands kept with pump but no infect creature, hands kept with infect creature but no green source, and hands that needed Hickory Woodlot or Escape Tunnel to do too much.

• Mana: Record whether Hickory Woodlot, Escape Tunnel, and Forest supported the planned turn sequence. Note any game where a tapped or utility land delayed the first attacker, delayed protection, or prevented double-spell pump on the lethal turn.

• Velocity: Track whether the deck presented poison pressure before the opponent stabilized. If poison counters were not applied early, identify whether the cause was no infect creature, blocked attacks, removal, missed evasion, or overly defensive play.

• Engine pressure: Treat the deck engine as threat plus pump plus protection, not a value loop. Log whether Rancor, Snakeskin Veil, Vines of Vastwood, Mutagenic Growth, Might of Old Krosa, Embiggen, Seal of Strength, Llanowar Augur, and conditional Go Forth actually converted one attacker into a decisive clock. Card text check required for Go Forth.

• Removal and protection: Review every opponent removal or bounce window and ask whether Snakeskin Veil or Vines of Vastwood was held, spent proactively, or absent. Mark mistakes where protection was used as pump while visible open mana or prior-game information made removal likely.

• Sideboard: After each post-board game, record whether Nature's Claim, Gut Shot, Scattershot Archer, Crop Rotation, Bojuka Bog, extra Seal of Strength, or extra Vines of Vastwood had a concrete target or role. Flag over-sideboarding when sideboard cards were drawn but the deck lacked lethal density.

• Closing: For each failed lethal attempt, reconstruct the visible legal line before committing pump. Check whether the agent counted poison, trample or unblockable implications, blockers, open mana, available protection, and whether waiting one turn had a better chance.

• Role: Record whether the pilot correctly stayed aggro-combo or incorrectly shifted into a control role. Infect should usually race; defensive play is justified only when blocking, holding protection, or preserving an attacker clearly improves the next poison attack.

• Mistakes: Tag each error as mulligan, mana sequencing, pump timing, protection timing, combat, sideboard dilution, target choice, pass-under-pressure, or rules-text uncertainty. Use public information only; do not blame choices on hidden cards unless they were legally revealed.

• Stranded cards: List repeated stranded Mutagenic Growth, Might of Old Krosa, Embiggen, Rancor, Seal of Strength, Llanowar Augur, Go Forth, Snakeskin Veil, or Vines of Vastwood. Separate stranded pump from missing threat, missing mana, missing attack window, and opponent interaction.

• Overperformers and underperformers: Identify which exact cards produced poison progress, protected a threat, cleared a blocker, or sat unused. Compare main-deck cards against sideboard cards by matchup rather than by raw draw frequency.