New to MTG
Deck Help forum
Posted on Aug. 14, 2015, 8:13 p.m. by ChirpyBird
Hello! I was at GenCon again this year and this time picked up a free 30 card starter deck and booster pack and got the run down on how to play. Then I bought the Fate and Fury core starter kit, and tried a few games and think I'm hooked. The problem is, I don't know the first thing about building my deck. So far I've only played the green Fate deck. I also am about to purchase the Bearer of the Heavens card along with the green Journey Into the Nyx intro. Are those two worth it? Or are there other cards I should be spending my money on? How do I know where to start?
I think for now I want to play casually with friends and work up to a tournament at GenCon next year.
Thanks everyone!
magnetcrocodile says... #3
I advise to NOT to buy those items you mentioned since they're gonna rotate out of Standard soon(Look up what 'Standard format' is)
And I suggest you start in Standard format since the card used is relatively new, thus easier to acquire
August 14, 2015 8:29 p.m.
I personally hate standard. It comes down to who has the most money. If playing casual, don't worry. I personally like EDH.
August 14, 2015 8:32 p.m.
JANKYARD_DOG says... #5
I find those Deck Builders Toolkits a great start for new players. Gives you a pool of cards you can play around with, and experiment with.
August 14, 2015 8:32 p.m.
magnetcrocodile says... #6
I understand that some people tend to not play Standard because of financial issues, but currently there are a ton of cheap deck in Standard that is semi-competitive(MonoRed Budget, BG Elves without Collected Company, BW Warrior, take your pick)
August 14, 2015 8:41 p.m.
RegisteredDecksOffender says... #7
Try and get a few friends I to it. But a Deckbuilder's Toolkit, stay active in this site, look into to differences of each format (Modern, EDH, Standard, Legacy,etc.) and experiment with casual deckbuilding with buddies. Don't worry for the time being about which type of deck or card is best.. Simply have fun with it and learn along the way. Don't worry so much about the competitive side of MTG and focus on comprehending each rule and card interaction. Have fun with it and don't drop too much money until you're acquainted with card inflation and long term stability of a card's worth. You'll pick up on these things over time, but for now I would focus on fun :)But as mentioned previously, I would invest in a cheap Deckbuilder's Toolkit and a starter deck or 2 (seeing how neither are overwhelmingly expensive) and edit the pre-built decks. I highly suggest trying to get a buddy to play with you so you have someone to bounce ideas off of and to play a few games with :)Welcome to Magic!
August 14, 2015 10:17 p.m.
Yeah, use this site. Find a friend to play with. Make your own decks. And I would suggest using sites like tcgplayer.com to get an idea of card values on the secondary market. It'll help you in trades with more experienced players. Prices for standard fluctuate and fall the most dramatically. EDH is an excellent format to start in since nothing rotates out, and has a creative depth other formats can't touch.
August 14, 2015 11:12 p.m.
PepsiAddicted says... #9
Save your money till you really know what you wanna do!
And welcome to the game
August 15, 2015 6:55 a.m.
This is a copied and pasted response from a similar thread roughly 4 months ago, so bear in mind that some details here and there may be off.
What kind of player are you?
Timmy - this player archetype likes big, flashy plays and massive amounts of overkill.
Johnny - this player archetype likes strange interactions and any and all combos.
Spike - this player archetype wants to win at all costs.
Of course, there are many different combined variations, but these are the basic player profiles.
What kind of deck do you want to play?
Aggro - winning as soon as possible by applying pressure from T1. Typically win around T4, or lose steam and flop.
Midrange - uses a variety of value creatures and spells to keep the opponent in check while advancing one's own game plan.
Control - prevents opponent from doing anything at all via removal and countermagic until playing a win condition in the late game, typically just as a formality. By which I mean the game is won by preventing the opponent from winning.
Combo - utilizing strange interactions to win the game, often regardless of the current state of the game.
- For example, a particularly common and relatively simple combo is Deceiver Exarch + Splinter Twin . When Deceiver Exarch is enchanted with Splinter Twin, you are able to tap it and produce another Deceiver Exarch (Note: as tokens are not cards, you will not put another copy of the Deceiver Exarch card into play. Use dice to signify this token.). When the token Deceiver Exarch enters the battlefield, it untaps the original enchanted card. This allows you to tap the original enchanted Deceiver Exarch again for another token. You essentially make an infinite amount of these tokens all of which can attack immediately and kill your opponent(s). NOTE: I used this as an example to explain combo and am in no way trying to influence your decision as a player, deckbuilder, or customer.
As you said you simply wanted to play casually with your friends, I advise you to agree upon a budget to start so as to avoid "power creep." However, as you said you wish to someday participate in tournament play, use your time wisely to study formats, deck archetypes, vocabulary and play styles. Make sure to use multiple resources (Wizards.com, YouTube, Reddit, TappedOut, etc.) to ensure you know what you're doing and what you're spending your money on.
Good luck and happy tapping.
August 15, 2015 8:21 a.m.
ChirpyBird says... #11
Thanks everyone! I really appreciate the feedback! Right now I'm trying to figure out the difference between the types of games (casual, EDH, etc). I do know that I'd rather not play casual if it cycles cards out because I find that a little annoying after I buy cards I can't use them anymore, so I'm looking into EDH and other types. Is there a good website that will just explain everything easily? Break things into simple explanations?
August 16, 2015 3:26 p.m.
JANKYARD_DOG says... #12
Go here for explanations and other related goodies.
August 16, 2015 4:34 p.m.
ChirpyBird says... #13
If I have the Fates and Fury core pack with 1 booster, Into the Nyx Intro pack with 2 boosters, what format is best for me to play?
August 16, 2015 5:18 p.m.
JANKYARD_DOG says... #14
You can play standard for about a month before all those sets rotate out of the format. You can play casually if you have other MTG friends to play with around the kitchen table. Or modern, though without investment would be like running into a wall aimlessly.
Quick rundown of the listed formats:
Casual: pretty self explanatory, follow the rules and play with any old deck you can piece together.
Standard: Involve cards in Theros, Born of the Gods, Journey into Nyx, Magic 2015 (until October), As well as Khans of Tarkir, Fates Reforged, Dragon's of Tarkir and Origins. Same thing, follow the rules. In competitive settings there are time limits and rounds. Look at banlist to make sure the cards you're using are standard legal.
Modern: 8th Edition up to Origins. Other than that, same as standard but faster (aka 4 turn format).
Standard requires you to buy into cards a lot because sets rotate now every 18mos. Modern requires an investment into a deck or 2 and generally the more you sink in it the better it is. Modern rotates at a much slower rate.
Casual is just with what you got and what your friends are willing to put up with.
Hope this helps.
August 16, 2015 5:45 p.m.
ComradeJim270 says... #15
Yeah... modern doesn't rotate, but does require more initial investment and in my opinion it demands greater knowledge of the game than standard since it has a much larger card pool and a much greater variety of interactions between those cards.
EDH is an interesting (and if you ask me, extremely fun) format. Look at vault's post above where it talks about player types. I'd consider EDH to be a very Timmy/Johnny format and a lot less appealing to Spikes.
It plays quite differently than any other, and uses skills that aren't applicable in other formats. Deck construction is also very different. It's the least competitive format and focused more on social interaction and general wackiness than anything. There are premade commander decks you can buy and then improve with time, or you can look at budget decks on this site. Feel free to ask me more on my userpage.
One other thing to consider if you're getting into the game is which colors you want to play. They all have distinctive playstyles that appeal to different people. The way the colors play differently is one of the defining characteristics of the game. Maybe have a look at this page to get a feel for that. See what sounds appealing to you.
hempel says... #2
You're just starting. I don't know your financial situation. So for now I say play and watch. See what you like and move from there. If need be start with the most appealing starter deck to you. Figure out your personal playstyle before putting real money into this game. This site is also really great for receiving help and pointers on a deck before you try to make it real. Have fun, this game will always be a joy of yours.
August 14, 2015 8:18 p.m.