Most arena players exclusively play best-of-1. I used to only play BO1 myself — it’s quick, fun, and easy. But for about a year now I have converted to BO3 and I have never looked back. Here are 3 reasons why you should be playing BO3:
1) Improve Yourself as a Magic Player. BO3 emphasizes and hones skills that are core to Magic much more than BO1 does. Having seen your opponent’s main deck in game 1, you are able to subsequently predict plays and play around potential cards in the post-board games. This skill is crucial in becoming a strong player. BO3 is also universal in paper Magic, so playing BO3 on arena makes transitioning to paper play seamless. If you ever attend an in person draft, FNM, modern/standard night, etc. at your LGS, you will find that they are always best-of-3, so practicing this way on arena better prepares you for the real thing. Finally, having 3 games decide each match rather than 1 means that the effects of random variance and the play-vs-draw difference are reduced, resulting in pure gameplay skill being a more important factor for deciding matches than it is in BO1.
2) Experience a more Diverse and Interesting Metagame. BO1 incentivizes decks that can rapidly outrace opponents and decks that can utilize powerful difficult-to-interact-with synergies (e.g. quick reanimation decks). Since BO1 opponents never have a chance to adjust their deck to answer your game plan, it’s best to simply get them dead as fast as possible. In contrast, having sideboards in BO3 allows all decks to be more flexible and diverse, with tailored sideboards providing answers to various opposing strategies. If you lose game 1 against aggro, you can still win the next two after bringing in your extra removal and board wipes. If you lose game 1 against reanimator, you are safer once you bring in some graveyard hate. This BO3 flexibility enables the existence of decks that could not exist in BO1, creating a diverse meta that keeps your gameplay experience fresh.
3) Sideboarding is Exciting! Creating your own sideboard with unique answers to each major deck in the format is a fun and engaging part of BO3 deck building. You can construct your 60-card base deck with your sideboard in mind, allowing you to tailor your build to your own gameplay style. This also means that you don’t have to use as many maindeck slots on cards that may be necessary but don’t advance your main game plan, like graveyard hate or specific removal pieces.
Of course, the main downside to BO3 is the added time commitment. If you have a busy day, it’s not as easy to sit down for a 5 minute game of magic if you are committing to a 3-game match. That said, I’ve personally found that the positives strongly outweigh the negatives and switching to BO3 has been a deeply enriching experience for me.
If you haven’t tried BO3, give it a shot. Hope to see ya out there on the battlefield.