My observations on MtG TCG after learning the game about a month ago.
After returning home from a 6 month deployment I was hoping to spend more time with my two sons who both play MtG to some degree. Although a fan of strategy games I have always been turned off from magic because of the stereotypical image of someone who plays the game. My sons dont fit this image that I had in my mind so when I learned that they were playing it I was surprised and so, wanting to spend more time with them I asked them to teach me how to play and to lend me some cards so we could enjoy a few games.
We played three or four games and I learned the basics of the game but, thought that it had some pretty complicated mechanics. My oldest son is really very good and showed me a lot. If I ever wanted to best him I knew I would have to educate myself on this game that I found fun and interesting. I started to read forums and articles on the internet and subscribed to podcasts that I could listen to during my commutes to and from work.
After having been introduced to the game about two weeks my son asked if I would take him and some friends to the local store for a pre-release event of the new set of cards; Battle for Zendikar. Of course I would take them, after all I wanted to spend some time with them. Even before we arrived I knew that I would play, if for no other reason than to pick up some extra cards for my sons and enjoy a new experience with a game I had already come to enjoy.
As beginners luck would have it my sons old man ended up winning the tournament, facing his son in the final match up. Except for the look on his face when I beat him two games to one, it was one of the best times Ive had with him. I think he was in shock. I dont remember which cards were in my deck but, I built a U/G deck because after I separated all my cards by color those were the most prevalent. I was also lucky enough to open an Ob Nixilis Emblem in my pre-release pack and an Ob Nixilis Reignited in the packs I received for placing first. I learned a lot those couple of weeks and Id like to not only put those lessons down in digits but, also tell my story to other fans of the game.
After learning a little about how to play MtG Ive come to the (possibly temporary) realization that speed of play is the most important factor in winning games. Since MtG is a turn based game that doesnt allow the opponent to respond after being defeated in a turn, winning as soon as possible seems to be the best way to approach the game. I think this evidenced by the recent winning deck lists that Ive seen online at many of the big major events.
The second most important factor, in my opinion is synergy among the cards in a deck. A deck that runs fast where a large majority of the cards contribute to the main strategy of the deck will, I think, win more often than not. For this reason I think color and overall deck schemes are of less importance. My son consistently crushes me with an extremely fast Red deck composed of Goblins. Ive never made it past turn four or five playing him with my mono black deck or my initial Five Color deck of mostly seemingly impressively large creatures. My initial read on his red deck is that to defend against it and ultimately defeat him (or decks like his) I will need a large population of 1 cmc creatures working in tandem with many effects that add counters quickly.
I know that the five different colors all have inherent abilities that and are designed to function similar to a rochambeau model but, due to the turn based time mechanic and the cost which a player must pay for replenishing life or defend, speed of attack will continue to trump power and size until a significant counter is introduced. Although, its possible I could be wrong, Ive only been playing for a month.
There are many things that I like about MtG TCG such as its depth, collectability and its mash-up theme of sci-fi/fantasy fiction. With the ever growing vastness of the library of cards to choose from and the effects and abilities that are exponentially larger I know that Ill never be able to learn all of them and that provides a very long time for discovering new and exciting ways to build a deck from near infinite possible combinations. Growing up collecting comic books, the art, commonality and valuation all speak to me well. With my sons involvement playing the game my new attraction, it has provided another interest for us to share, and a family can never have too many of those. This card game has found a way to combine the themes of all of my favorite movies; Conan, Avatar and Dawn of the Dead to name just a few, into a fun and competitive game that I can enjoy with my sons in a short amount of time. And of course now there is no shortage of willing labor around the house desiring to earn a few more dollars to buy some new cards for their decks. I just need to figure out how to explain to my wife why I need to spend money on those cards.
And since Ive found you cant really write about MtG without mentioning your deck or specific cards Ive included my W/R deck Im currently brewing to defeat my oldest sons very fast and aggressive Goblin lineup. Ive decided to build around the Rally ability because it seems to me that it could be a real runaway train if it could get onto the board. After listening to some pod casts and reading some articles that reviewed the new set I think most people are underestimating it because it wont fit into a previously constructed deck and really needs to be its own monster.
My intent with this deck is to achieve victory by gaining an early foothold on the battlefield and quickly building an army that shares abilities to deliver as much damage as fast as possible. In order to facilitate speed and aggression Im using creatures such as Expedition Envoy and Cliffside Lookout with Lithomancer's Focus and Tandem Tactics or Feat of Resistance. As for how many of these cards to populate a deck with, Ill have to find a combination that guarantees several of these cards show up in my initial hand and frequently on top of my library while also supplying stronger creatures for the middle game and maybe a bomb or two for the end-game all fueled by a steady stream of mana. Im also incorporating life gaining effects to counter attacks and burn with Lantern Scout, Healing Hands and Blighted Steppe. Eventually Id like to explore a B/W deck using life as a resource engine to deliver damage to my opponent with Black spells, and replenish that life back with white spells in concert with other attacking mechanisms.
Surviving the opening brings me to the middle game where life gaining effects and middle strength Ally creatures will allow me to eventually overwhelm the battle space. In play testing, I noticed a combination of either of the 1 cmc creatures + Great Teacher's Decree to be a crippling blow when three or four creatures are already on the board along with Resolute Blademaster and/or Ondu Champion. Giving me the ability to deliver double digit amounts of damage in a single attack with a total cost of 5 mana in my pool; requiring only a single Plains and Mountain.
Mana base is, of course, one of the largest factors Ive found to affect play, as without a properly constructed combination of Lands no strategy will be aloud take form. In my deck I have twenty total Lands with only five Basic Lands among them (1 Mountain and 4 Plains). Four x Evolving Wilds, four x Wind-Scarred Crags, and 3 x Sandstone Bridges seem to be an adequate base along with four Blighted Steppes. Im not convinced my mana base is optimal but more play will help me tune it in. I know there are some holes in it but that just means I get to play against my son more!
Please dont hesitate to let me know what you think or provide any constructive criticism. Some things may appear to be obvious mistakes but, understand, Ive only been playing for a month or so. Thanks for reading.
