Getting into Magic (re-starting and new players)

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Getting into Magic (re-starting and new players)

Postby andNowMyWatchBegins » 11 Feb 2013, 10:08

I dabbled in Magic back in 2008 mainly by playing EDH with a Friends Deck. I was about ready to go down the rabbit hole with the Shards of Elara expansion when I moved from the UK to the East Coast and left my small collection (and the offer of a massive old backcatalog from my friend) behind. I have since not got back into the game apart from on XBLA and it doesnt compare to plying in person

Seeing all the Magic Content on here has made me really want to get back into it. However my girlfriend is dismissive of the whole thing and already thinks I give too much of my time over to Sports and videogames. I am thinking of getting her involved by getting a duel deck pack and trying to play at home and teach her the game.

Does anyone have any experience introducing others (espcially other halves) to the game and any duel decks that would be good for this purpose

Also I'd like to hear stories of how you got/got back into Magic over time and any success stories of converting Skeptics
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Re: Getting into Magic (re-starting and new players)

Postby Drecon » 11 Feb 2013, 10:30

Tip 1: if she's not interested it might not really be possible to get her into the game. If however you really want to here's another tip.

Tip 2: When I tried to get my girlfriend into magic I used decks from Portal. The thing about that set is it's just creatures and sorceries. Try to go easy on the complexities and try to make her figure stuff out for herself.

Tip 3: If that went well it's time to up the difficulty a bit. Duel decks are perfect for that as they have a strategic depth but are also powerful and versatile.

Tip 4: Most importantly have fun! She might not be into the game but if she's willing to try it that's something great in itself. You don't have to enjoy the same things but it's great if you do of course.
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Re: Getting into Magic (re-starting and new players)

Postby Utilitarian » 11 Feb 2013, 12:55

Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 is a great entry point into Magic as well.
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Re: Getting into Magic (re-starting and new players)

Postby Dubious_wolf » 11 Feb 2013, 17:17

andNowMyWatchBegins wrote:I dabbled in Magic back in 2008 mainly by playing EDH with a Friends Deck. I was about ready to go down the rabbit hole with the Shards of Elara expansion when I moved from the UK to the East Coast and left my small collection (and the offer of a massive old backcatalog from my friend) behind. I have since not got back into the game apart from on XBLA and it doesnt compare to plying in person

Seeing all the Magic Content on here has made me really want to get back into it. However my girlfriend is dismissive of the whole thing and already thinks I give too much of my time over to Sports and videogames. I am thinking of getting her involved by getting a duel deck pack and trying to play at home and teach her the game.

Does anyone have any experience introducing others (espcially other halves) to the game and any duel decks that would be good for this purpose

Also I'd like to hear stories of how you got/got back into Magic over time and any success stories of converting Skeptics



Who knows maybe she'll be like Tally and really enjoy it?
I'd be worried if she doesn't already participate in "nerd-centric" activities as is.
Start slow. Relate it to things she enjoys. (i.e. Kathleen and cats)
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Re: Getting into Magic (re-starting and new players)

Postby Lord Hosk » 11 Feb 2013, 19:07

Your best bet is to explain that you would like to try it. Make it so that you express to her your desire for something, its not that you dont value your relationship with her its just that you know there is something else out there and it intrigues you. Dont force it on her, play a little yourself and then mention it in passing "hey I was playing Magic with a friend and it was really a good time" then a couple weeks later say "hey I was going to come over on saturday to watch (that movie or show) we like (that she likes way more than you). You could then sort cards/play against yourself on the floor and see if she takes any interest.

I introduced my wife to D&D sorta like that. "hey the guys are coming over on Thursday and I know you have your day off, I was going to make up some fresh salsa and make some quesadillas if you wanna hang out for an hour or so while we play" Then after 20 minutes she was asking questions and the next week she wanted to create a character that could "just tag along sometimes"
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Re: Getting into Magic (re-starting and new players)

Postby andNowMyWatchBegins » 12 Feb 2013, 10:07

Lord Hosk wrote:snip


Thanks for the tips, we actually already live together and she had *some exposure to it through her brother so she has an idea what it is (also that it is something very nredy)

She was a huge fan of Zelda/Mario Kart/Goldeneye on the N64 when she was younger but she has had trouble migrating to Dual Analog control. She also enjoys Game of Thrones (as long as she can skip the violence) when we watch that.

I figure that she may have seen it as a silly card game but if videogames are beyond her for now then possibly card games and Board games could bridge the gap. I took Drecon's advice and picked up a Portal starter deck to see if shell play a game or 2 with me and see where it goes
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Re: Getting into Magic (re-starting and new players)

Postby Trisha Lynn » 22 Feb 2013, 06:42

On a different sub-topic—and also because of the amount of Magic content here—I popped into my FLGS to see if they could teach me how to play and came away with a White starter 30-card deck from the M13 set and a renewed interest in picking up the game.

However, when I went to the store's website, I couldn't find anymore of the 2013 Core Sets. I sent an email, and after a back and forth with one of the employees, this is what he recommended when it came to creating a new deck for the very first time as a new player (as of this writing). Here are my questions about his advice:

1.) I'd probably buy 2 intro packs, two different two color combinations I think I might like.

Why two-color combinations? Is that because it's impossible to play a one-color deck these days? I understand the strategy of having more than one kind of spell or creature at your disposal that isn't in your "set" because sometimes something just does a cool/crazy amount of damage or has a neat effect, but wouldn't you just ensure that you have enough mana to be able to cast that spell and be done with it? (Also, is that what they call splashing?)

From there I'd have 2 decks and 4 booster packs. I'd take the very best cards from the packs and alter the intro decks once I had played them both several times to learn which cards I tended to like and not like from having played with them.

No issues here because that make sense.

2.) Next I might buy a deckbuilder's toolkit ($20), which comes with 4 packs and some staple building materials. At this point I'd probably build a deck in the color that I haven't used in the other two decks.

What's the value in the deckibuilder's toolkit? Why is the selection of cards in it best for augmenting the starter decks I got in Step 1?

From this point you could literally buy an infinite number of packs but they will help you to a certain degree since you'll need to practice deck building and playing to make the most out of random cards. Of course you are likely to get some good cards this way but better than having just good cards is having good cards that complement each other and to have a cohesive strategy.

I also have no issues with this.

I'd probably say if you are really enjoying it still at this point to buy one of the 'Event decks' for one of the most recent sets ($25) and modify that Ike with your best cards.

Again, same question as before. Why is an Event deck a good thing to have? What's the advantage in doing this?

After this point if you've played enough to feel comfortable I'd suggest playing in FNM and then as you play you will see other strategies as you play new opponents - some you will like and want to adopt and build towards, at which point you will want to trade or buy a few specific individual cards.

Also, makes sense.

So my question to you is, does this sound like a good strategy? Or is cH!Paul's strategy (and my original plan) of buying a booster box of the current set and just making up a deck from the cards I open a good plan?

Also, how did you start building your very first deck? Approximately how much money did you spend? The things I think I'd need/want are a binder or a cube to store my extra cards/lands, sleeves in my favorite color, a few counters, and a HP app. Is there anything I'm missing that would be totally useful to have?


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Re: Getting into Magic (re-starting and new players)

Postby Yaxley » 22 Feb 2013, 07:15

Trisha Lynn wrote:Why two-color combinations?

While there is nothing wrong with mono-color most of the time, the past two sets, Return to Ravnica and Gatecrash, were specifically designed to be played in two color combinations (commonly referred to by their guild names). Any mono-colored deck using those cards will be under-powered.

Trisha Lynn wrote:(Also, is that what they call splashing?)

Splashing is when you have one or two cards that aren't in your main colors, but are too good to not use, so you add them and a couple of lands to be able to cast them.

Trisha Lynn wrote:What's the value in the deckbuilder's toolkit?

I've never opened a toolkit, so I don't know for sure what is in them, but I get the impression that if you are starting a collection from scratch, it makes sure you have some basic cards that go in a lot of decks and help fill in your initial deck building. Maybe someone who actually has one could tell you if it's worth the price.

Trisha Lynn wrote:Again, same question as before. Why is an Event deck a good thing to have? What's the advantage in doing this?

Event decks are designed to be fairly powerful, at least as opposed to intro packs. I think the idea is that you could walk into a Friday Night Magic with an Event deck and have a chance at being competitive. If there is an event deck that you think you'd like to play, I'd get that before a toolkit.


Trisha Lynn wrote:So my question to you is, does this sound like a good strategy? Or is cH!Paul's strategy (and my original plan) of buying a booster box of the current set and just making up a deck from the cards I open a good plan?

From a financial standpoint, it would probably be better to buy an event deck that looks good, and improve it as you go, because it's already designed to be cohesive and has multiple rares in those colors. You could buy a booster box and open a ton of great cards and make a great deck, or you could open none of a particular uncommon that would make a deck really good, and then need to go buy even more cards. Not that you won't be buying more cards anyway; this is an addictive hobby. But I think going with a Event deck gets you the most bang for your buck.
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Re: Getting into Magic (re-starting and new players)

Postby Drecon » 22 Feb 2013, 08:57

On the deckbuilder's toolkit: It contains many copies of cards that are played a lot and it is especially useful if you're looking to get into things like Friday Night Magic but don't have a collection yet to actually make some good decks. It's kind of a jumpstart into building a collection.

Mostly I agree with the event deck strategy Yaxley suggested. If you get hooked from that there is plenty of time to invest anything you want into the deck, but at least from an event deck you have a starting point without investing into cards and strategies that you might not even like.

Try to figure out what parts of the game you like. If you like the strategy aspect invest in a single competitive deck and play that one. If you like the social aspect of it try to make a few nice multiplayer decks without worrying too much about winning and losing.
Lastly if you like the collecting (like me) you might want to buy thousands of cards and not even have time to play all of them... Probably safer to go for either of the other routes :p
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Re: Getting into Magic (re-starting and new players)

Postby Trisha Lynn » 22 Feb 2013, 15:27

Though Yaxley's advice was strong indeed and I may end up buying an Event deck the first time I go to an FNM, I went with the deckbuilder option because it was only $20 before tax and I can pretend I'm cH!Paul, build decks, and play against myself.

Thanks for all the advice!


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Re: Getting into Magic (re-starting and new players)

Postby the amativeness » 22 Feb 2013, 17:00

Trisha Lynn wrote:...someone needs to build a deck-testing website or something like that...


Watch Paul build his deck in Friday Night Magic for why this is a bad idea.
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Re: Getting into Magic (re-starting and new players)

Postby Trisha Lynn » 23 Feb 2013, 04:41

That's why I think it's an AWESOME idea!
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Re: Getting into Magic (re-starting and new players)

Postby Yaxley » 23 Feb 2013, 06:17

It's certainly not a bad idea. Building decks can be as much fun as playing them. Let us know if you have any more questions.
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Re: Getting into Magic (re-starting and new players)

Postby Utilitarian » 24 Feb 2013, 11:57

Speaking of Friday Nights... does anyone else really want card sleeves with the image of Paul behind a fan of cards that shows on his iPhone when he's playing the rules audiobook? I do.

Also just card sleeves with the LRR logo.
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Re: Getting into Magic (re-starting and new players)

Postby Myrph » 24 Feb 2013, 12:57

Yaxley wrote:
Trisha Lynn wrote:Why two-color combinations?

While there is nothing wrong with mono-color most of the time, the past two sets, Return to Ravnica and Gatecrash, were specifically designed to be played in two color combinations (commonly referred to by their guild names). Any mono-colored deck using those cards will be under-powered.

There's also the fact that 90% of intro decks seem to be two-colour decks. Dunno why that is, although I suspect it allows for some interesting interactions and a better variety of abilities and flavours in a single deck, making it slightly more interesting for a new player, rather than a mono coloured deck which plays off a single win condition combo that the rest of the deck fluffs around trying to make happen, where playing it is just a game of stalling until the right set of cards appear.

That isn't to say there aren't mono coloured intro decks, nor that monocolour has to be dull and monotonous, one of my first decks was a monowhite intro deck, which was fun, but I do think you get more versatility out of a two colour deck.
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Re: Getting into Magic (re-starting and new players)

Postby Kapol » 24 Feb 2013, 14:49

Myrph wrote:
Yaxley wrote:
Trisha Lynn wrote:Why two-color combinations?

While there is nothing wrong with mono-color most of the time, the past two sets, Return to Ravnica and Gatecrash, were specifically designed to be played in two color combinations (commonly referred to by their guild names). Any mono-colored deck using those cards will be under-powered.

There's also the fact that 90% of intro decks seem to be two-colour decks. Dunno why that is, although I suspect it allows for some interesting interactions and a better variety of abilities and flavours in a single deck, making it slightly more interesting for a new player, rather than a mono coloured deck which plays off a single win condition combo that the rest of the deck fluffs around trying to make happen, where playing it is just a game of stalling until the right set of cards appear.

That isn't to say there aren't mono coloured intro decks, nor that monocolour has to be dull and monotonous, one of my first decks was a monowhite intro deck, which was fun, but I do think you get more versatility out of a two colour deck.


I think it's due to the fact that multiple colors allows the newer players to experience a couple different flavors without being overwhelmed. There's also the fact it's easier for newer players to build decent multicolor decks than single color decks. With single color decks, you're normally restricted to certain mechanics and ideas. Especially when you're just sticking to Standard. It becomes harder to build a powerful deck simply due to being restricted by color.

At the same time, three-color decks are a challenge for newer players as well. They normally don't have the mana-fixing needed to make the deck consistant if it's in three colors. RTR makes that a bit less of a problem, but then there's balencing the deck so that the colors are accessible without being overwhelming. A new player might put 12 guild gates into a deck, and then wonder why they lose when their deck is very slow. Plus, the best cards of each color don't neccessarily synergize very well. So choosing the best of what a new player has doesn't work out incredibly either.

Hence why the middleground is normally for the best. Two colors allow pretty simple mana access, so you don't have the wrong color as often. It also gives newer players more cards they have to work with since they'll normally be limited by that matter. And picking two colors normally has the benefit of easing newer players into the game. From what I've seen, Green/White is a normal starting point for newer players. If one wants to start mono though, red is normally easy to pick up.

That's from my experience however. So I'm not sure.
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Re: Getting into Magic (re-starting and new players)

Postby AdmiralMemo » 25 Feb 2013, 11:44

If trying for mono-color, the best solution is to go tribal. Get all of one type of creature.

Elves = green
Beasts = green or red
Goblins = red
Giants = red
Zombies = black
Skeletons = black
Merfolk = blue
Soldiers = white
Wizards = blue

(Probably showing a bit of my MtG age as some of those tribes are probably not as relevant these days.)

Anyway, going tribal usually gives you the strength you need for mono-color, as it's not usually centering around a single mechanic, but it's just creatures at all game stages reinforcing other creatures of the same type.

RTR and GCR aren't the best times to try to jump in and play mono-color, granted. However, I think you could get some good going out of a mono-red deck in the current format.

For two-color decks, a good starting point is Gruul (Red/Green). It's usually got the good burn and small creatures to chump with at the start of the game and the beefy creatures in late-game.
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Re: Getting into Magic (re-starting and new players)

Postby Duckay » 14 Mar 2013, 16:15

When I first started out I played green/red and blue/black, but I didn't start to feel a passion for the game brewing in any way until I built a mono-coloured deck. Don't ask me why; it just did.

I play a mono-red deck in standard now, and it's very competitive. However, I'm one of the only a small number of people people I've seen at a tournament in this current standard (at two different stores) playing mono-coloured. Partly that's the norms of the people in my area, and partly because of what's been said before about RTR and GC being built around guilds of two colours.
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Re: Getting into Magic (re-starting and new players)

Postby DSmaster21 » 14 Mar 2013, 16:44

The people at Wizards of the Coast actually recommend two color decks because they help new players to enjoy the different things that each colors does and how two of them overlap. I will add the link if I can find it. I remember reading this when I was getting back into/starting playing Magic (It is a joke among my friends that I knew how to play for 9/10 of my 16/17 yrs of life but only played when someone had a spare deck which is why I never won) I decided to read the archives. I still try to forget that ill-fated attempt.

Update:
Duckay wrote:
DSmaster21 wrote:The people at Wizards of the Coast actually recommend two color decks because they help new players to enjoy the different things that each colors does and how two of them overlap.


For clarification, do you mean they recommend starting with a two-color deck, or that they recommend two-color decks for play in general?


They reccomend them to use for the purpose of teaching beginners (new players). The next steps are (I think) try limited/collection building (Limited helps you gather more things that are cohesive as in you get more of what you want then just random stuff from packs) and then experimentation.
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Re: Getting into Magic (re-starting and new players)

Postby Duckay » 14 Mar 2013, 17:02

DSmaster21 wrote:The people at Wizards of the Coast actually recommend two color decks because they help new players to enjoy the different things that each colors does and how two of them overlap.


For clarification, do you mean they recommend starting with a two-color deck, or that they recommend two-color decks for play in general?
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Re: Getting into Magic (re-starting and new players)

Postby cuddlyblade » 17 Mar 2013, 14:33

I started playing with the Phyrexia vs the Coalition Duel decks. Loved the Phyrexia deck but maybe it was because I was new but I could never do anything with the coalition deck apart from loose. That deck put me off multicoloured decks for a long time.
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