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Fj0823 · Jun 22, 2017

chaosaeon said:
Is it a 4 times longer ban/limited list, and an addition of a bunch of cards that have uses outside of just one specific deck archetype ? Cause that'd be great.

Not really? non-Archetype specific cards like Twin Twisters or Effect Veiled are always there and are always really REALLY good. But Archetype-based deck is always encouraged as it has been since...early Gen 2 I think?

The ban-list is actually getting smaller as they are directly nerfing the text on reprints of OP cards that have been on the list for a while.

For example "Chaos Emperor Dragon" now has a "This is the only effect you can activate this turn" condition.

The change is that you now have only 1 monster zone to play Extra Deck monsters,like Fusions, Xyz or Synchros.

If you want to play more than 1 you have to place a Link card (for a cost obviously) that has arrows pointing to other monster zones (both yours and your opponent's), those zones become available for Extra Deck summons as long as the Link Card is on the field

Personally I'm 50/50 on the change, the card position based gameplay is a lot of fun, but it feels like they made it hard as fuck to play some fan favorite cards just to push the new stuff.

I'd love to have both options as formats tbh

Big One · Jun 22, 2017

Seconding Star Wars: Destiny

Game is brand new and is growing fast. Fantastic game all around. Extremely easy to learn and teach as well.

DTU · Jun 22, 2017

Star Wars: Destiny for sure. I've been playing it nonstop since September last year. It's amazingly fun, simple, yet strategic.

Muskieratboi · Jun 22, 2017

Magic. Xmage. Proxy Commander. Play draft at an LGS. Save up for a booster box every time a new set comes out.

Done, and on the cheap. You don't have to be competitive to play Magic!

johnsmith · Jun 22, 2017

A lot of Star Wars recommendations, I'll start checking around to see how the scene for that is.

Rafy said:
My advice would be to just stick with MTG. Instead of spending money on cards find an LGS that runs Limited (sealed or draft) FNMs every Friday and start attending those. The pre-release for the new set is only a couple of months away and it would be the perfect place to start since it's a sealed event.

Standard is not worth investing into IMO. Drafting will keep you up to date with new cards and mechanics as new sets come out, plus you'll get to crack packs.

Eventually if you feel like scratching that constructed format itch, look into slowly investing in a deck for the Modern Format.

All you have to do to get into Magic is go to a LGS and ask if they have the free starter decks, or if they can teach you how to play Magic.

EDIT: Whatever game you decide on, DragonShield matte sleeves should be your first purchase.

In Pokemon Standard is way more popular, and expanded (it's version of modern) is rarely played around here. How is it with magic? Is one more popular than the other? Or fairly even? Or is it just a situation where the game is just so big and popular that even a less popular format has plenty of players anywhere.

And I already have tons of sleeves from Pokemon. I collect character sleeves that I play with matte oversleeves to give them a better feel, though they do make decks huge.

Neverwinter27 said:
The upcoming Legend of the Five Rings reboot?

piratepwnsninja said:
This. Get in at the beginning, grow as the meta does.

Do LCGs have big scenes? I never see nights dedicated to them around here. It does look great though, nice clean design, and good art, which is actually important to me. Yugioh's horrid 90s design is another reason I"ll never touch it.

slightconfuse said:
Play hearthstone!

Gaf thread is full of helpful people

I actually used to play a lot for a couple of years when it first came out. I was pretty decent, could hit legend, and was an infinite arena player and could get all the cards without paying money. But it's just not the same as playing in real life, not as fun.

jstevenson · Jun 22, 2017

johnsmith said:
A lot of Star Wars recommendations, I'll start checking around to see how the scene for that is.

.

it's good, I honestly think it is assured of becoming part of the "Big 4" and I think with the first base set in December may even be able to long term have a shot at a Top 2 slot.

Amibguous Cad · Jun 22, 2017

Most of the interesting new stuff is happening in the video game/online space these days. If you're not married to actually having physical cards...

1.) Hearthstone is the genre king for a reason, but that reason is that they polished to hell an already proven formula. There's not much being done here that Magic doesn't do, aside from the fact that their limited is dirt cheap comparatively.

2.) Gwent is the new hotness, and while the beta has some balance issues, it IS a beta. I'm not sure if it's going to have long-term legs, but for stuff that is not even remotely descended from MTG that's actually good, it's a decent alternative to Netrunner.

3.) Duelyst is basically Hearthstone put on an SRPG grid. Oh, and is so absurdly generous with its currency you'll probably never spend a dime.

A Serious Man · Jun 22, 2017

Magic is the king for a reason, it's one of the best games (TCG or otherwise) ever designed. It's also the only game where your cards will retain some value. The only warning I give to people is that it becomes fairly expensive once you really get into it.

Karkador · Jun 22, 2017

If you can find a Netrunner group, or even just someone willing to play with you, I strongly recommend at least grabbing the core set and playing it casually. It's an excellent card game by the same designer of MTG, but original and exciting in it's shift away from monster battles and into asymmetric infiltration battles with bluffing and more focus on economy.

Rafy · Jun 22, 2017

johnsmith said:
In Pokemon Standard is way more popular, and expanded (it's version of modern) is rarely played around here. How is it with magic? Is one more popular than the other? Or fairly even? Or is it just a situation where the game is just so big and popular that even a less popular format has plenty of players anywhere.

Standard is pretty popular but so is Modern. The issue with standard is that you are going to have to keep buying decks due to rotations, meta changes, etc... Modern decks on the other hand tend to last quite a bit more. While they tend to be more expensive than Standard decks, the money you would spend on standard in a year or two would buy you a decent Modern deck you can upgrade down the road.

Having said that, I still think that Limited is the best format for new/returning players. Especially now that Magic is eliminating the small sets next year, and the limited formats will only be using packs from a single expansion. Plus, it will help you start a decent collection of cards.

BannedEpisode · Jun 22, 2017

I like hearthstone because I can avoid the man children who get visibly upset when they lose and not have boxes of cards in my closet.

Supast4r · Jun 22, 2017

I'm biased as all hell but I would recommend Magic because it's the only tcg where your cards hold stable value and appreciate the more you invest into the game. It's biggest downside is it's pricey entry.

Orayn · Jun 22, 2017

I plan to get into the L5R reboot on the ground floor since Fantasy Flight Games is local and I know I'll be able to play at their flagship store.

Des0lar · Jun 22, 2017

remz said:
I would say Netrunner is a pretty good alternative to the big 3.

I would sign this. If you want to try something new, but still familiar, without buying random packs to get the cards you need try Netrunner.

AstroLad · Jun 22, 2017

Amibguous Cad said:
Most of the interesting new stuff is happening in the video game/online space these days. If you're not married to actually having physical cards...

1.) Hearthstone is the genre king for a reason, but that reason is that they polished to hell an already proven formula. There's not much being done here that Magic doesn't do, aside from the fact that their limited is dirt cheap comparatively.

2.) Gwent is the new hotness, and while the beta has some balance issues, it IS a beta. I'm not sure if it's going to have long-term legs, but for stuff that is not even remotely descended from MTG that's actually good, it's a decent alternative to Netrunner.

3.) Duelyst is basically Hearthstone put on an SRPG grid. Oh, and is so absurdly generous with its currency you'll probably never spend a dime.

These are all really good games but I actually disagree with the premise. Games like Netrunner, Destiny, etc. are innovating in ways not seen in digital yet and I actually find them mechanically more innovative than the above. Also total ymmv but is actually play the tabletop games with my friends and family and that just wouldn't be nearly as good if we were playing over iPad. The tournament scene also gives us something fun to practice for and build up to.

SigmasonicX · Jun 22, 2017

Ri'Orius said:
From my brief experience with FoW, I thought their mana system was far superior to Magic's. I play MtG, but every time I win or lose a game solely based on one player not drawing enough lands or drawing too many lands or drawing the wrong color of lands I ask myself why people still play this game. Magic was brilliant, but as the first game of its kind it made some mistakes that I really wish TCGs could move past, but no new games can ever build up enough momentum in my experience.

There's actually a lot of interesting stuff about the importance of Magic's mana system. Here's a podcast by Mark Rosewater (head designer) about it, and here's an older but good article by him about it. In short, it's important for creating variance in the game (compare to Duel Masters, which was an attempt by him to experiment with more consistent mana), and it allows inexperienced players to sometimes beat experienced players, which is important for getting new players interested.

wanders · Jun 22, 2017

Big One said:
Seconding Star Wars: Destiny

Game is brand new and is growing fast. Fantastic game all around. Extremely easy to learn and teach as well.

Music to my ears

I love a simple game

kaname-san · Jun 22, 2017

I guess it doesn't count because you don't trade them but Dominion is suuuuch a fun game. I used to play MTG too and I still enjoyed Dominion more.

JetBlackPanda · Jun 22, 2017

Came for net runner! Was not disappointed.

MisterAnderson · Jun 22, 2017

It's not a TCG (you buy the set and you've got everything you need) but Codex is pretty awesome and very well designed. Long story short, you actually construct your deck while you play, allowing you to adapt your strategy based on what your opponent is doing (using various "tech" paths). It touts itself as "Card Time Strategy", clearly influenced by multiple RTS games, most notably, Warcraft 3 and StarCraft, with splashes of Hearthstone and MTG. Highly recommend it, especially if you're a fan of RTS games and card games.

Here's the pitch video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UlXWWEv-o4

Here's an instructional video that gives an idea of how it's played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43_ZGOsqvfk

Psyren · Jun 22, 2017

I sold off most of my MtG and Yugi collection years ago.

I get my competitive card gaming fix playing Star Realms online these days.

Noaloha · Jun 22, 2017

Amibguous Cad said:
Most of the interesting new stuff is happening in the video game/online space these days. If you're not married to actually having physical cards...

1.) Hearthstone is the genre king for a reason, but that reason is that they polished to hell an already proven formula. There's not much being done here that Magic doesn't do, aside from the fact that their limited is dirt cheap comparatively.

2.) Gwent is the new hotness, and while the beta has some balance issues, it IS a beta. I'm not sure if it's going to have long-term legs, but for stuff that is not even remotely descended from MTG that's actually good, it's a decent alternative to Netrunner.

3.) Duelyst is basically Hearthstone put on an SRPG grid. Oh, and is so absurdly generous with its currency you'll probably never spend a dime.

Eternal has ended up being the digital card game that I've been most impressed with. It's marrying the best parts of several titles with its heavy, heavy Magic-leaning gameplay and an interface that has all the intuitiveness and simplicity if Hearthstone. Its unique keywords take genuine advantage of being digital without relying on random effects, the devs are delicately mitigating instances of mana flood/screw (thougj it'll still bite ya) and it's absolutely the most generous FTP game out there, with currency / packs handed out after every win and a solid draft mode where you keep the cards you go on to build a deck from. After two months I felt like I could make nearly any deck. The game's still in beta with a proper release in a few weeks coinciding with the release of Set 2.

Rafy · Jun 22, 2017

Noaloha said:
Eternal has ended up being the digital card game that I've been most impressed with. It's marrying the best parts of several titles with its heavy, heavy Magic-leaning gameplay and an interface that has all the intuitiveness and simplicity if Hearthstone. Its unique keywords take genuine advantage of being digital without relying on random effects, the devs are delicately mitigating instances of mana flood/screw (thougj it'll still bite ya) and it's absolutely the most generous FTP game out there, with currency / packs handed out after every win and a solid draft mode where you keep the cards you go on to build a deck from. After two months I felt like I could make nearly any deck. The game's still in beta with a proper release in a few weeks coinciding with the release of Set 2.

I have to agree. I like Eternal much more than Hearthstone, it's limited-type formats are much better than what HS offers. Also, Luis Scott-Vargas (MTG Hall of Fame) is actually one of the designers for the game.

J-Roderton · Jun 22, 2017

People still play the DBZ card game? I have a ton of those cards but never played it growing up.

TerminalDogma · Jun 22, 2017

MisterAnderson said:
It's not a TCG (you buy the set and you've got everything you need) but Codex is pretty awesome and very well designed. Long story short, you actually construct your deck while you play, allowing you to adapt your strategy based on what your opponent is doing (using various "tech" paths). It touts itself as "Card Time Strategy", clearly influenced by multiple RTS games, most notably, Warcraft 3 and StarCraft, with splashes of Hearthstone and MTG. Highly recommend it, especially if you're a fan of RTS games and card games.

Here's the pitch video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UlXWWEv-o4

Here's an instructional video that gives an idea of how it's played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43_ZGOsqvfk

This seems really interesting but damn, it's expensive for that deluxe set with everything! (And correct me if I'm wrong, but the whole point of this is to be able to have everything in one go instead of waiting to buy new expansions every few months).

LProtag · Jun 22, 2017

I like the idea of LCGs a lot. Netrunner was fun, though I didn't follow it fully.

I might get in on the ground floor with L5R.

Tu101uk · Jun 22, 2017

Android18a said:
To be honest, for me, G-Guards felt like patching over the leaks in the game rather than something which fixed the problem. It's almost given them an excuse to make it even more powerful. I just miss the days when the "magic number" for a good attack was 21k or so, and you didn't ever face a turn where you needed 100k+ shield to successfully guard.

Oh, the biggest nail in the coffin for me was Cardfight Online being cancelled - I had every intention to switch to CFO and do daily livestreams against viewers and do lots of virtual pack openings, deck techs etc.

I must say that the Grade 4 era has been a bit lacklustre in terms of interest from me (though they have been adding support for some of the niche decks I've been playing like Battle Sisters and, in the next big booster, Amon and Genesis Witches). This probably coincided with the fact that one of my good friends who used to play every week with me moved up north late last year.

I still prefer CV over MtG and YGO (now THERE'S a game that breaks power creep every single booster release

) but yes I also lament the loss of Cardfight Online.

borghe · Jun 22, 2017

10th'ed? 12th'ed? for Star Destiny

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1371906

The second expansion is still readily available, and the reprint of the first expansion is street dated for today. We have pretty decent stock of the reprint in the area, which taking into account that a whole ton of us already have complete playsets (or good enough) for Awakenings, there is probably enough Awakenings to last well into the fall (provided speculators don't try speculating.. which would suck because not only will they get burned, but it will deflate the market in the process)

LeadProtagonist said:
I like the idea of LCGs a lot. Netrunner was fun, though I didn't follow it fully.

I might get in on the ground floor with L5R.

There's a really good Team Covenant video on the differences between TCG/CCG and LCGs. At their base level they seem the same.. However LCGs have to release packs monthly, and the nature of the pack releases means you are only going to use a few cards out of each pack. It also means the meta changes at a snails pace over time. The upside is it provide reliable revenue for the publisher and it is MUCH cheaper and less frustrating to collect for players, as long as they get in on the ground floor.

TCG/CCGs on the other hand basically blow up the meta completely every 3-4 months, and a good 2-6 weeks after each release the player base goes through a huge learning phase kind of figuring out what the new meta is. It potentially provides a much larger revenue stream for the publisher, and thus costs a lot more for the player.

Unfortunately doing the math... an LCG would not be financially feasible for a publisher publishing it in the quarterly big bang approach. So those differences and pros/cons will likely remain for the foreseeable future.

Rilasciare · Jun 22, 2017

johnsmith said:
Do LCGs have big scenes? I never see nights dedicated to them around here.

Lord of the Rings attracts about 10-12 folks on Sundays by me. Mostly all castoffs from the Legend of the 5 Rings scene years ago. The original Imperial edition of L5R had a fantastic storyline and characters. The living card game version is supposed to reboot the series to where it all started. Hopefully it's a hit.

Draxal · Jun 22, 2017

I think the LCG format is particularly good for coop games like Arkham Horror, i'm a huge L5R stan, but Star Wars will always be bigger then it just due to the license alone.

Rilasciare said:
Lord of the Rings attracts about 10-12 folks on Sundays by me. Mostly all castoffs from the Legend of the 5 Rings scene years ago. The original Imperial edition of L5R had a fantastic storyline and characters. The living card game version is supposed to reboot the series to where it all started. Hopefully it's a hit.

Basically, L5R began with Imperial Edition and Did a a Prequel arc called the Scorpion clan coup. The current LCG is set before the Scorpion clan coup and I'm hopeful they change it up alot.

LProtag · Jun 22, 2017

I just like the idea of a customizable game where I don't have to drop tons of money to randomly get a chance of having viable cards.

SonicXtreme · Jun 22, 2017

Hearthstone has fireside gatherings tho, i know you aren't too high on it but just throwing it out there, through FB major cities will have a meetup group, in ohio we have decent ones, and they're just about to patch in special tavern brawls for them, and recently added support into the game for local gatherings. seems like it's trying hard finally to go that way just fyi, i like that it has both options, it's just as fun in person as hand cards to me with the super convenience. i donno how you'd consistently find groups for anything besides HS and magic, those definitely seem the 2 games where your invested money is probably going to be around indefinitely no matter where you live.

i wouldn't want to spend the money on others since those have eternal formats so you will always have a basis even if you don't keep up forever but they are popular enough that they will be around indefinitely.

MisterAnderson · Jun 22, 2017

TerminalDogma said:
This seems really interesting but damn, it's expensive for that deluxe set with everything! (And correct me if I'm wrong, but the whole point of this is to be able to have everything in one go instead of waiting to buy new expansions every few months).

I can assure you that the initial investment (while not cheap as you pointed out) is much cheaper than getting into a TCG where you need to buy tons of expansions/booster packs/specific cards to round out certain decks. (Since yes, if you own the Deluxe Set, you own everything that will ever be released for this game)

Violet_0 · Jun 22, 2017

johnsmith said:
In Pokemon Standard is way more popular, and expanded (it's version of modern) is rarely played around here. How is it with magic? Is one more popular than the other? Or fairly even? Or is it just a situation where the game is just so big and popular that even a less popular format has plenty of players anywhere.

Standard is usually popular but it went through turbulent times recently because of a number of cards that required a ban, which very rarely happens in MtG otherwise

Modern right now is the most popular competitive format. It's restricted to cards printed from 2003 onwards, unlike the "Eternal" formats Vintage and Legacy

Commander is a very popular casual format. You pick a legendary creature card as your commander and then build a 100 card deck around it's color restrictions, using only singleton cards

Limited (booster drafts and sealed) events have the highest attendence most of the time and is the best format for beginners, and the sane players

since MtG is so huge compared to other card games, you can pretty easily participate in any of these formats

for starters, I recommend downloading the Magic Duels games (which is not getting updated anymore, don't invest money in it for the love of god), go through the expanded tutorial in the options, get familiar with the phase order and triggers, then attend booster draft FNM events

ReadingRambo · Jun 22, 2017

If you're starting something brand new I suggest Star Wars Destiny. Very simple, fast paced, and interactive game to play. It's popular to boot.

fuzzyset · Jun 22, 2017

From people I know that play Netrunner, the community is upset with the state of the game currently. I guess the meta isn't interesting and the LCG model is showing it's flaws. Sets don't rotate out fast enough, so for new players, there is a ton of cards to buy. That said, if you wanna jump in, FFG sells premade "worlds" decks that are the same decks that won the Worlds Tournament https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/...6-android-netrunner-world-champion-corp-deck/

If you're looking for digital, Eternal (game not Magic format) is pretty great. Still in open beta, but it's been fun. Very new player friendly. The game allows you to build your collection fairly easily. It's got some Magic pros on staff (LSV in particular). Kibler and Amaz stream it regularly on Twitch if you want to watch it played. It's a very nice balance of accessibility and depth.

sturgboski · Jun 22, 2017

Khezu said:
Wyvern.

Hey there are dozens of us. I remember buying a few starter decks from Toys R Us as a kid because they were dirt cheap.

Edit:
Another throwback: Rage. Learned what a collectible card game was with that thanks to the disappointment of never completing a set. I was dumb. I don't remember how to play but the art was awesome and brutal plus werewolves.

Karkador · Jun 22, 2017

fuzzyset said:
From people I know that play Netrunner, the community is upset with the state of the game currently. I guess the meta isn't interesting and the LCG model is showing it's flaws. Sets don't rotate out fast enough, so for new players, there is a ton of cards to buy. That said, if you wanna jump in, FFG sells premade "worlds" decks that are the same decks that won the Worlds Tournament https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/...6-android-netrunner-world-champion-corp-deck/

This is why I suggested the game be played casually at this point. It's a fantastic game despite the whole metagame problem at the moment.

johnsmith · Aug 8, 2017

So update. I started playing Star Wars destiny and it's really fun. My local scene is pretty good, and we get a dozen or more people for the local casual tournaments I've been going to. Haven't been to any store championships yet, but hoping to go to one in a few weeks.

If there's a local scene for it I would definitely recommend checking it out.

Wulfric · Aug 8, 2017

Another vote for Magic here:

I'd recommend it for several reasons:

Big 1000+ person tournaments almost every weekend on Twitch
Can resell your cards for 60-70% of it's secondary market value when you get bored
Can play for years and still have things left to learn. I've been playing for 4 years and and I'm still rubbish.
The artwork is really good, and a lot of artists are active in the community. You can buy the actual card paintings if you're into that sorta thing.
Variety of formats depending on skill level and budget
Most LGS will have an active MTG scene, YMMV of course

edit: Oops, didn't see you had already picked a game. Star Was looks like a lot of fun to me. The tabletop games w/ all the little ships seem like a lot of work to set up though.

Supa Necta · Aug 8, 2017

Glad to hear. It's still slow in my area (been to 2 casual events with only 4 people). There's a store championship this Saturday so I'm sure I'll get something in prizes.

If you haven't already, get tabletop simulator to practice.

jstevenson · Aug 8, 2017

johnsmith said:
So update. I started playing Star Wars destiny and it's really fun. My local scene is pretty good, and we get a dozen or more people for the local casual tournaments I've been going to. Haven't been to any store championships yet, but hoping to go to one in a few weeks.

If there's a local scene for it I would definitely recommend checking it out.

Yay!!!

AstroLad · Aug 8, 2017

that's awesome and really cool you have a nice consistent community around you. that can be the most variable part outside of the big 3, but it's super nice when you find it

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