Fairly New to MTG and Have Questions.
General forum
Posted on July 20, 2017, 3:28 p.m. by 3devils
Hello, I am new to the game, (couple of months) and have a few questions. I was briefly introduced to the game then played a little online but wanted to build my own physical decks. I have read a bit and tried to expand my card knowledge but there are a lots of cards out there. I would like to build a budget command deck and I like the soul sister type deck. Should I buy specific cards one at a time or is bulk better for card knowledge and cards to swap out. Also suggestions on where to buy cards,(best bang for the buck) and With the Mono Black EDH deck i have started, I really like Army of the Damned. I would like to get that out earlier. Thanks and sorry if i seem lost. Just excited and a little overwhelmed.
I'll try to answer your questions, but first two suggestions:
You should start with a constructed 60 card deck, like this budget Soul Sisters list or something like Hey Soul Sister (Budget). 60-card Constructed is the most common way to play MTG, but also because it's only 60 cards and you can have playsets of up to 4 for each card in the deck, it requires you to know and command much fewer cards overall.
So I really recommend buying a 60 card deck you like to play, for Standard or casual or whatever your friends or LGS plays. It's generally a good idea to get a deck of the same format that your friends play, or there could be a huge power mismatch in the decks which makes games less interesting.
If you like to learn and play commander, I highly recommend starting with either a friends' EDH deck--many people who play have more than one-- or buying a pre-constructed deck that looks interesting to you. Since you like B/W and lifegain, you might like Daxos, the Returned, maybe using the alternate commander Karlov of the Ghost Council. Starting with a pre-con is super useful, gives you fairly good value, and then you can swap out cards for more powerful versions along the way.
Best bet is to buy your cards from TCGPlayer. It's an online marketplace, so you're usually getting the best deal just by buying the cheapest offering. The only things to look out for are Condition (Near Mint to Heavily Played), listed under the card price, and be aware you need to have more than $1 from each seller in your cart to check out.
Buying singles is almost always the best way to get cards because it's cheap and you end up with exactly the cards that work in your deck. The only exception I'd make are the pre-constructed Commander decks just because Commander is such an overwhelming format to get into unless you've played for awhile and have a collection.
July 20, 2017 4:04 p.m. Edited.
I have recently purchased a couple of plains walker decks. I think I will grab a standard/modern Pre-con and give it a shot. Lots of info out there. I do appreciate the help, just trying to focus on what i need. Will be shopping soon.
July 20, 2017 4:12 p.m.
First I think you should familiarize yourself with how the game works. Perhaps the best way to do that is to buy a budget Standard deck, because it's a relatively slow and by-the-book format. You could probably buy one for roughly $50 - MTGGoldfish is a good place to find budget decks for both Standard and Modern (if you get around to playing it), in a series called Budget Magic. Best to check the most recent ones, preferably no more than a month or two old.
As a sidenote, "official precons" are usually subpar. Commander precons done by WotC are an example of a rare exception to this rule.
Then, once you're familiar with the game, since you've expressed an interest in commander, you may want to buy a commander precon or two and slowly upgrade your decks.
As for how to tell what decks you like, the best way to tell is by playing them. Of course, this generally isn't possible unless you already own the cards. So you may want to watch videos of other people playing those decks instead and see how enthusiastic you are about the decks.
July 20, 2017 4:37 p.m.
Ginja-Ninja says... #6
Can someone tell me, if I play Edifice of Authority and my opponent has a creature with shroud, does anypart of this card work on shroud? It makes no mention of ability in the first part.
Thanks
July 21, 2017 10:10 a.m.
michael921 says... #7
Ninja, look at the rules text of shroud. Shroud means that the permanent with the ability can not be the target of ANY spell or ability. As such, the Edifice of Authority can NOT target the shrouded creature.
July 21, 2017 11:13 a.m.
I started off with a Nissa vs Ob Nixilis duel deck. I really liked the decks as they have two very different ways of playing, and the planeswalkers inside are very powerful. Also, if you have a local mtg store then they should give you a free intro deck, which is great for beginners, but not for experienced players. Some shops will make you pay for these, but they should be fairly cheap. It's great to buy two and get a friend to okay with you.
July 22, 2017 9:30 a.m.
Michael1921, would the brick counter still be put on Edifice Of Authority?
July 22, 2017 9:31 a.m.
Thanks to all, I have purchased some cards for a soul sister gain deck and and got some stuff for a green infect deck to start playing and learning combos and synergy. Ill post what i get and put together. Then after playing a bit ill start working on my EDH deck.
Bulldawg1310 says... #2
Not the most familier with edh but i feel its always better to buy cards as you need them. Especially if youre only buying them for the purposes of deck building and not collecting. I was a long time customer of channel fireball, but ive recently switched to tcgplayer as i feel they are a bit more fair with pricing and buylist submission. Your soul sisters archetype is very common in 60 card formats, i dont think you usually see them in EDH but as i said i am not well versed in the ways of EDH. Welcome to the game, youve got an awesome forum here to help you with your deck building journey and overall knowledge of all things MTG!
July 20, 2017 4:02 p.m.