Starting to play Magic: The Gathering

Post » Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:20 pm

My girlfriend and I were talking a few days ago and we just realized how both of us have passed by opportunities to play Magic: The Gathering so we decided that we would purchase a deck and start playing a little bit when we can. However, the problem that I/we face is .. neither of us know much about M:TG, let alone which card sets to begin looking for or at. So I was just wondering if anyone here that plays quite a bit could assist in choosing a starting deck/pack that would be efficient enough to play on our free time. Would be very much appreciated. ^.^


there was like a week when I was a teenager that I played, some one let me borrow one of their decks to play with them over the summer. my original opinion was that it was too geeky (because I assosiated it with hardcoe role players, which I am now) but it was fun and function more like a trading card game than a rpg with playing cards (as i had originally interpretted it as) I haven't picked it up since but theoretically I may some day.

the rules are kinda wonky at first compared to other trading card games, but it has it own logic and is very easy to follow once you get used to it.
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Danger Mouse
 
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Post » Tue Feb 01, 2011 4:50 pm

I recommend you grab a duel, decks and one of those "make your own" starter packs that comes with some 100 cards (edit, Yeah, its one of those "Deck Builders Toolkits"). Those are very useful for making decks. I've been playing for ten years now and have quite a collection going. When you get more experienced and want to have some REAL fun, make a deck using http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Default.aspx and a spare piece of paper or notepad, then purchase the cards off Cardshark or something. I love my zombie deck. So fun.
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I’m my own
 
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Post » Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:20 pm

All I know is, I bet I'd get absolutely swept with my ancient ass cards.

Same, my deck consists of cards mostly dating from 1995-98. Black/artifact deck was my primary. I miss playing, its such a fun game.
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BaNK.RoLL
 
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Post » Tue Feb 01, 2011 5:48 pm

Same, my deck consists of cards mostly dating from 1995-98. Black/artifact deck was my primary. I miss playing, its such a fun game.

That's not correct. There are MANY old cards that are still very powerful. A well made deck will be strong regardless of which era deck it plays against.

In fact, when I make new decks with cards bought off the internet, many of my cards are usually older ones. And this is with me searching the ENTIRE list of magic cards for the best ones for the deck I have in mind. I will literally type search for "instants" and go through the entire list. I've done that for every type. I will often come up with a list of cards usually dating around to 1998-2002 or so.

That reminds me, I need to get around to making this deck:
Spoiler
4 Icy Manipulator-1T:tap target permanent
4 Winter Orb-player's cant untap more than 1 land during their untap step
4 Disrupt-counter target spell unless its controller pays 1, Draw a card
2 Daze-You may remove a blue card in your hand from the game rather than paying its mana cost. Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1
4 Gush-You may return two islands you control to their owners hands rather than paying its mana cost. Draw two cards
3 Foil-You may discard an Island card and another card rather than pay Foil's mana cost. Counter target spell.
2 Snapback-you may remove a blue card in your hand from the game rather than pay its mana cost. Return target creature to its owner's hand
4 Frantic Search-draw 2 cards then discard 2 cards,you may untap up to 3 lands
4 Black Vise-at the beginning of chosen opponents upkeep,that player takes damage equal to the number of cards in their hand in excess of four
4 Viseling-At the beginning of each opponents upkeep,that player takes damage equal to the amount of cards in their hand minus 4
4 Frogmites-affinity for artifacts 2/2
1 Zuran Orb-pay 0: Sacrifice a land and gain 2 life

MAYBE: 4 Sapphire Medallion: Blue spells you control cost 1 less to cast
Logic Knot: Counter Target spell unless X paid. Delve, exile cards from your graveyard for reduced cost of 1
Commandeer: Remove 2 blue, gain control of target non-creature spell.
Power Sink: Counter Spell unless X. If not, that player taps all lands and empties mana pool.
Howling Mine: At the beginning of each player's draw step, if Howling Mine is untapped, that player draws an additional card.
Propaganda: Each turn, each creature can not attack you unless its controller pays 2 for that creature.
Mana Short: Tap all lands target player controls and empty his or her mana pool.
Remand: Counter target spell, it goes into their hand instead of graveyard. Draw a Card.
Vedalken Mastermind: U, tap: Return target permanent you control to its owner's hand.
Chronatog: 0: Chronatog gets +3/+3 until end of turn. You skip your next turn. Activate this ability only once each turn.\
Stasis: Players skip their untap step
Echoing Truth: Return target nonland permanent and all other permanents with the same name as that permanent to their owners' hands.
Into the Roil:Kicker 1Blue (You may pay an additional 1Blue as you cast this spell.)
Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand. If Into the Roil was kicked, draw a card.

Lands
2 Academy Ruins-t,add U to your mana poll. 1U t,return target artifact from your graveyard to your hand
2 Strip Mine-t,add one colorless mana to your mana poll. t,sacrifice strip mine,destroy target land.
4 Faerie Conclave - Faerie Conclave enters the battlefield tapped.t,Add Blue to your mana pool. 1U: Faerie Conclave becomes a 2/1 blue Faerie creature with flying until end of turn. It's still a land.
2 Calciform Pools


Yes, you would pretty much never be able to do anything at all. ANYTHING.
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daniel royle
 
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Post » Tue Feb 01, 2011 9:14 pm

The deck creation kit has two problem. It's mainly fixed cards when I know how to build a deck and I have already have a half decent amount of land. Unless you meant the OP, in which case I can only fully endorse it.
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Baylea Isaacs
 
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Post » Tue Feb 01, 2011 5:36 pm

Great job guys, I just bought 100 cards on ebay for some fun lol. And here I thought I had kicked the habit :turned:
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Johnny
 
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Post » Tue Feb 01, 2011 6:53 pm

Great job guys, I just bought 100 cards on ebay for some fun lol. And here I thought I had kicked the habit :turned:

What I always thought was funny is sometimes, I have more fun building decks and tweaking them than playing them!

I just love the feeling of a concept coming out of nowhere and then materializing into a playable and powerful deck.

I have a deck on the back burner right now that has no creatures. Instead, it uses lands to fight. Land animation instants, sorceries, and enchantments are all part of its power. In addition, it has enchantments that allow me to play additional lands each turn, and other cards that let me get lands back from the graveyard. Basically, I can have a constant stream of aggressive, disposable creatures that also count as mana!
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Breanna Van Dijk
 
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Post » Tue Feb 01, 2011 12:04 pm

What I always thought was funny is sometimes, I have more fun building decks and tweaking them than playing them!

I just love the feeling of a concept coming out of nowhere and then materializing into a playable and powerful deck.

I have a deck on the back burner right now that has no creatures. Instead, it uses lands to fight. Land animation instants, sorceries, and enchantments are all part of its power. In addition, it has enchantments that allow me to play additional lands each turn, and other cards that let me get lands back from the graveyard. Basically, I can have a constant stream of aggressive, disposable creatures that also count as mana!

Yeah def, building and tweaking decks is half the fun! Specially to make decks that are specialized in doing something particular like you said, focusing on all lands.

My black deck focus almost entirely on bringing the dead back to life stronger, and dealing damage to everything over time (pestilence). Even though sometimes I end up killing myself from so much damage its still fun to use :D

There are so many possibilities its really something.
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djimi
 
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Post » Wed Feb 02, 2011 1:47 am

I haven't played it with real cards but I do enjoy the Xbox live arcade version.
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Chrissie Pillinger
 
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