MLB Showdown Cards

#Shotsfriday

A quiet week around here for #shotsfriday and If you have read the past few posts you know exactly what the pattern is. Everyone else misses the picks and the two pros pick winners. We had an interesting scoring decision to make this week. Both @MLBConnoisseur and @Tomwyliehart both picked Edwin Encarnacion initially. The game was delayed. Both players picked second players (who did not homer). In @Tomwyliehart's defense he did say "if the game is postponed". The ruling is since the game was played on Friday the pick stands and alternate picks do not count. Both players get a homer getting @MLBConnoisseur to a year leading 12 and @Tomwyliehart to 10 in 7 weeks. He also continues his amazing 7 for 7 run of consecutive weeks with a shot. Pour in your predictions for this week folks and get some fresh blood in the mix. 

We do a lot to try and change the way strategy cards are used around here. We always encourage player to play in a way that is the most fun for them. We have been adding more options into the mix over the last few months. This week we are going to focus on an area that has been somewhat neglected over the years. Utility cards have the opportunity to be the most versatile by their very nature. I have a few suggestions to spice up the lot a little bit. First card on the list is one that has no affect what so ever. Interesting though let us look.

Mano E Mano makes sure that no outside effect changes the at bat sequence. Pitcher rolls, batter rolls, result occurs, easy enough. This does bring about some hair questions that have to be answered. Example what if someone already played a card that has an effect on the game but has yet to resolve (ex. +2 to the swing played but the swing has not occurred). In our house rules if a player plays a conditional card and the condition is no longer met the card is picked up. There are many different variations of this and I am not 100% sure what the original rule on this was. Other options are that previously played cards stand or previously played cards are discarded. I like the card but it is not without its own questions.

Another card benefits players by giving them one of the most valuable resources in Showdown…cards. Players love to stock pile cards for various reasons. Stacking, mass discarding, flexibility late game and goodness knows what else. Well Scouted gives players the fun of a little bit of mind games with some high stakes. If the player who played the card can guess 3 random strategy cards from an opponent’s hand then he can flush all 3 away. If he can get 1 or 2 right then the opponent randomly discards 1. If he has no scouting or bad luck then he discards 2 of his own (plus losing the card for no benefit beyond seeing 3 cards). Doubt many people will use it competitively but no harm in a little head games for players who are too predictable.

Alright here will be a blasphemy if I have ever committed one. I have created a card that is all about stacking in the late game. I see very little reason to use this card as a defensive manager unless your opponent has 0 cards in his hand. Either way the ability to see both players go back and forth on how many cards they will discard will be very entertaining. More entertaining would be if the defense could discard to add -1 to the swing and offense for -1 to the pitch… but that is for another day. This bad boy allows players to use those 3 up 3 downs and other situational cards that are useless in the late game. What is the worst that could happen? Someone roll a 17 with +9 to the swing? Seen it already… boring. We still love to hear some creative ideas from people drop us a comment down below. 

@MLBConnoisseur with Edwin Encarnacion

@Tomwyliehart with Edwin Encarnacion 2

Twitter-Board

@MLBCONNOISSEUR:12

@Tomwyliehart:10

@Quicksand3:4

@Markrom:4

@5b_nelson:2
@Eddiezone44:2

@MLBShowdownguru:2

@LU_TX12:1
@Gregleasure:1
@IamPulseivity:1

@RuffRidinNole:1

@Roktikitiki:1

Player-Board
Adam Dunn:5
Curtis Granderson:5

Prince Fielder: 3
Miguel Cabrera:3

Albert Pujols:2

Mark Teixeira:2

Pedro Alvarez:2
Josh Hamilton:2

Michael Morse:2
Edwin Encarnacion
Mike Trout:2 
Josh Willingham:2
Giancarlo Stanton:2
Brian McCann:1

Jay Bruce:1

Jose Bautista:1 

Robinson Cano:1

Mark Trumbo:1

Hanley Ramirez:1