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[johnsmith]

So my cousin and his kid got me back into the Pokemon TCG since not touching it since the base set/fossil/jungle days and it's been a lot of fun. The community is pretty healthy, mostly nice people, competitive players are almost all in their 20s and up. Haven't seen any issues that I've heard plague the Yugioh community like cheaters and scammers. I've been thinking of trying a new game. Definitely not interested in playing yugioh, for a variety of reasons. Magic might be a possibility, but it seems intimidating to get into it.

Are any of the other games worth playing? Force of Will, weiss schwarz, cardfight vanguard, final fantasy, Star Wars, etc. What are the costs like for a meta deck, tournament and event support from the publisher, community, etc. A big part of it would be looking to see if there's any local community for any game. I see nights for most of these listed at a lot of local shops, but whether people actually show up is another story.

Honestly Pokemon while not perfect, does so many things well, especially the online client, and is reasonably affordable, that it might be hard for another game to match it.

 

[Android18a]

I played Cardfight Vanguard from 2011-2016, but it's the opinion of myself and my previous circle of cardfighter friends that the game has lost its way completely. Sadly the power creep went way beyond creep into exponential growth, the effects got silly and nothing seemed to have a cost anymore, it was just endless streams of *things* happening on your opponents turn without any opportunity to interrupt the process (such as you can in MTG with Instants).

So we've basically stopped playing what was for a few years the most fun, accessible and balanced system we'd found. Kind of depressing. Our Youtube channel sits now unloved because of it.

 

[remz]

I would say Netrunner is a pretty good alternative to the big 3. It's a cyberpunk themed hacking game that's asymmetrical and pretty unique compared to most TCGs. It's unique features are you don't boosters, you just buy expacs so cost is somewhat capped compared to a TCG, and also the asymmetrical gameplay makes it stand out.

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/android-netrunner-the-card-game/

All you need to start is a core set box and two people can play.... but to be competitive you'll have to buy other big boxes + little expansion packs. I think a meta netrunner deck all up can range you a fair amount of cash, but the plus side is you'll be able to build more than one with the other stuff you're getting, as opposed to something like Pokemon when your expensive card might only really work in that deck.

I like vanguard, but kind of feel the cost of getting into the game for a meta deck is a little high. The drive check/critical hit mechanic is pretty fucking dope/fun/hilarious though.

I played Cardfight Vanguard from 2011-2016, but it's the opinion of myself and my previous circle of cardfighter friends that the game has lost its way completely. Sadly the power creep went way beyond creep into exponential growth, the effects got silly and nothing seemed to have a cost anymore, it was just endless streams of *things* happening on your opponents turn without any opportunity to interrupt the process (such as you can in MTG with Instants).

Hasn't that kind of always been a thing in VG though? Pokemon tends to have this problem too (scoop up shaymin ex) Although I guess older VG cards usually gave the defending player some kind of monkey paw choice before the shenanigans roll (the x/the end) I don't think new vanguard is that bad with this, especially since G-Guards. Don't you think G-Guards (denial griffin, defeat flare) etc. have added some of the interactivity back?

I play nightrose which is like endless streams the deck but I feel g guards have brought a lot of the thinking/interrupting back into the game and I actually really like playing it now compared to a year ago

 

[Fj0823]

I greatly enjoyed Duel Masters/Kaijudo before it died...twice.

My recommendation would be Weiss Schwartz only because having Hatsune Miku kill EVA 01 is fucking hilarious

Force of Will I don't know how to play, but the cards have the sexiest back of any TCG

Do keep in mind that YuGiOh! Is getting a big gameplay revamp in July.

You might want to check it out

 

[Sheentak]

I played Cardfight Vanguard from 2011-2016, but it's the opinion of myself and my previous circle of cardfighter friends that the game has lost its way completely. Sadly the power creep went way beyond creep into exponential growth, the effects got silly and nothing seemed to have a cost anymore, it was just endless streams of *things* happening on your opponents turn without any opportunity to interrupt the process (such as you can in MTG with Instants).

So we've basically stopped playing what was for a few years the most fun, accessible and balanced system we'd found. Kind of depressing. Our Youtube channel sits now unloved because of it.

Wow your difference in trigger awesome! Used to love your content.

Okay right now 2017 the game is heading in the right direction, Gguard have made alot more player interaction. I'd really recommend trying the game out again. Bring out the jewel Knights haha.


Cardfight vanguard is fairly luck heavy and it's all about monsters. It's alot of fun though.

 

[Z..]

MTG is all you need, really. And it's quite easy to get started actually... Game has plenty of different rules and skills to keep track of but they are always explained on the cards themselves so learning is quite intuitive.

Pokemón and Yugi are mediocre, truthfully. I started with those 2 but honestly MTG is on a completely different level.

My actual recommendation is that you play Dominion, though. Deck building game, not tcg, but fantastic game and has a very nice and active community.

 

[remz]

I greatly enjoyed Duel Masters/Kaijudo before it died...twice.

My recommendation would be Weiss Schwartz only because having Hatsune Miku kill EVA 01 is fucking hilarious

Force of Will I don't know how to play, but the cards have the sexiest back of any TCG

Do keep in mind that YuGiOh! Is getting a big gameplay revamp in July.

You might want to check it out

Force of Will cards look awesome, but I can't shake the feeling that it's basically anime art MtG, and at that point you might as well... just play MtG.

The cards are dirt cheap compared to MtG tho so it might be a good option if you have a local community to play with (unlike me)

 

[pseudocaesar]

MTG for sure. I've been playing for a couple of months now, started out with 0 experience whatsoever and now am pretty competent. I went to a Learn to Play open day, got given some free cards to get started and that's it, been addicted ever since.
If you have someone to play with, the Duel decks are great for beginners, or 2 of the Planeswalker decks. Just go to your local game store and there is always bound to be someone there willing to help you get started.

 

[Sandfox]

I wouldn't really recommend anything outside of the big 3. The bushiroad games are being handled poorly in the west and will suffer more as time goes on, while the other games just don't have strong communities and it will be hard to find people to play with.

Based on the OP I would recommend sticking with Pokemon or getting into Magic.

 

[Z..]

The cards are dirt cheap compared to MtG

MTG's exploitative prices are the reason I've been rocking MWS since Scourge ended. It's ridiculous.

Edit: to clarify, I only buy cards individually when I've settled on a deck. All the research and field testing is done through MWS.

 

[TheYanger]

MTG's exploitative prices are the reason I've been rocking MWS since Scourge ended. It's ridiculous.

MTG doesn't have exploitative prices...it has an actual secondary market, unlike almost every other tcg in existence. There is a big difference. It's actually a good thing as a consumer since basically every other card game loses all of its value as soon as you open it, due to a complete lack of any secondary value.

 

[Z..]

MTG doesn't have exploitative prices...it has an actual secondary market, unlike almost every other tcg in existence. There is a big difference. It's actually a good thing as a consumer since basically every other card game loses all of its value as soon as you open it, due to a complete lack of any secondary value.

I've been playing since 1998, I understand how it works. The problem is that my country, like the vast vast majority of countries, does not allow me to have what you would call a disposable income. I earn under 400€ a month. So, for me and most people on earth, the prices are exploitative.

For reference, I'm from a first world eurozone country. As in, I'm one of the lucky ones and can count myself among the top 20% wealthiest people on this green earth. Does that put things in perspective? In other words... count your blessings.

 

[Angry Grimace]

I've been playing since 1998, I understand how it works. The problem is that my country, like the vast vast majority of countries, does not allow me to have what you would call a disposable income. I earn under 400€ a month. So, for me and most people on earth, the prices are exploitative.

For reference, I'm from a first world eurozone country. As in, I'm one of the lucky ones and can count myself among the top 20% wealthiest people on this green earth. Does that put things in perspective? In other words... count your blessings.

It doesn't sound like "exploitative" is the word you are looking for.

 

[Hex]

Force of Will is pretty huge at the local shop here. Vanguard seems to have phased out a while back.

The big pulls for TCG are Magic, Force of Will, Pokemon and some Star Wars dice/card game

 

[Z..]

It doesn't sound like "exploitative" is the word you are looking for.

It is. In the same sense that apple or beats products have exploitative prices. Whenever any company inflates prices merely to establish itself as a premium brand despite the prices being egregiously misrepresentative of the product's actual cost of production, I'd say exploitative is very much the right word. English may be my fourth language but I do believe I'm not stretching the definition that much, am I?

 

[Ri'Orius]

Force of Will cards look awesome, but I can't shake the feeling that it's basically anime art MtG, and at that point you might as well... just play MtG.

The cards are dirt cheap compared to MtG tho so it might be a good option if you have a local community to play with (unlike me)

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.

OP, in response to your question: it really comes down to your local scene. If you can't find regular tournaments/meetups then it's not worth considering, no matter how great the game, right? I live in a pretty great area for nerd hobbies (Seattle), but have been unable to find anything other than Magic that I can play regularly (although I haven't looked for YGO).

 

[Cindres]

It is. In the same sense that apple or beats products have exploitative prices. Whenever any company inflates prices merely to establish itself as a premium brand despite the prices being egregiously misrepresentative of the product's actual cost of production, I'd say exploitative is very much the right word. English may be my fourth language but I do believe I'm not stretching the definition that much, am I?

Is this really true? I didn't think Magic was really priced any higher than any of the other major TCGs..

 

[Forkball]

Do you really like the online client for Pokemon TCG? That thing is such a hindrance to me. Slow with awful controls and a terrible art style (though it does have a nice feature set). The Pokemon Company announced that there will be a completely new Pokemon TCG app soonish, so it might be worth waiting to see how that turns out.

 

[Z..]

Is this really true? I didn't think Magic was really priced any higher than any of the other major TCGs..

I havent played anything but MTG since the early 2000s so I really wouldn't know. Doesn't change the fact that the booster packs are quite overpriced.

I get individual cards being expensive in the second hand market, that's fine since it's all about perceived value. Booster packs are a complete gamble which rarely ever pay off, though.

 

[Greedings]

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

I was coming here to mention Netrunner. I've not played much of it, but it's pretty damn fun, and way better than the big 3 IMO.

 

[TheYanger]

I havent played anything but MTG since the early 2000s so I really wouldn't know. Doesn't change the fact that the booster packs are quite overpriced.

I get individual cards being expensive in the second hand market, that's fine since it's all about perceived value. Booster packs are a complete gamble which rarely ever pay off, though.

but magic packs aren't really any more expensive than every other card gmae of similar quality...and, again, your cards at least have a CHANCE of retaining value in Magic, in anything else the instant you open it the packs might as well be torched money.

Magic has barely even changed price over the years.

 

[Android18a]

Wow your difference in trigger awesome! Used to love your content.

Okay right now 2017 the game is heading in the right direction, Gguard have made alot more player interaction. I'd really recommend trying the game out again. Bring out the jewel Knights haha.


Cardfight vanguard is fairly luck heavy and it's all about monsters. It's alot of fun though.

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.

That, and I'm really focussed on Warhammer right now because I find the hobby aspects (buying nice new minis, painting, photographing my minis etc) more satisfying than deckbuilding and buying cards. But I've still got my Jewel Knights and a Shadow Paladin Diablo deck on standby if I ever want to get back into it.

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.

 

[PsionBolt]

It almost entirely comes down to your community, I think. I was fortunate enough to have an open-minded playgroup for a few years, and during that time, I had great fun playing just about every TCG out there. There are a couple that are held back by their iffy design (Yu-gi-oh, Vanguard), but for the most part even the smaller games have very solid rules. Force of Will is basically anime Magic, Weiss Schwarz is simple but fun, Wixoss is super small but still interesting.

The fun of TCGs comes from playing with others. Without a good, responsive playgroup, even the greats (Magic and Pokemon) wouldn't be fun for long. My advice is to give a chance to one of the games you see around you.

 

[MattKeil]

Is this really true? I didn't think Magic was really priced any higher than any of the other major TCGs..

It's not, and in fact upon looking into the cost of getting back into it recently I was shocked at how inexpensive most of it is. Maybe VAT makes it way more expensive in Europe?

 

[johnsmith]

Do you really like the online client for Pokemon TCG? That thing is such a hindrance to me. Slow with awful controls and a terrible art style (though it does have a nice feature set). The Pokemon Company announced that there will be a completely new Pokemon TCG app soonish, so it might be worth waiting to see how that turns out.

It's good enough. It's obviously no hearthstone, but it does the job. Good for testing and trying out new decks. It's relatively cheap to build decks by buying codes online, and I like how every retail product includes codes for the same card online.


Sounds like I Magic is the way to go. What format is the best?

 

[A_Dang]

Sounds like I Magic is the way to go. What format is the best?

I'd suggest draft, either in person or online. It really helps players get used to the mechanics playing, evaluating cards, mana curves...generally the essentials for playing MTG. Once you get your feet underneath you you can start thinking about other formats that you may find interesting.

That is not to say draft is the "best" format, just that I think it is a good place to start.

 

[AstroLad]

I love Star Wars Destiny rn: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1371906

But yeah check to see what kind of community there is locally.

 

[The Xtortionist]

My friend who's been huge into tabletop/card games his whole life says the Final Fantasy TCG is amazing, and hangs with any of the best TCGs. Heard stock can be a bit hard to come by, though.

Netrunner is always a good option if you want to dabble in LCGs.

 

[Draxal]

So my cousin and his kid got me back into the Pokemon TCG since not touching it since the base set/fossil/jungle days and it's been a lot of fun. The community is pretty healthy, mostly nice people, competitive players are almost all in their 20s and up. Haven't seen any issues that I've heard plague the Yugioh community like cheaters and scammers. I've been thinking of trying a new game. Definitely not interested in playing yugioh, for a variety of reasons. Magic might be a possibility, but it seems intimidating to get into it.

Are any of the other games worth playing? Force of Will, weiss schwarz, cardfight vanguard, final fantasy, Star Wars, etc. What are the costs like for a meta deck, tournament and event support from the publisher, community, etc. A big part of it would be looking to see if there's any local community for any game. I see nights for most of these listed at a lot of local shops, but whether people actually show up is another story.

Honestly Pokemon while not perfect, does so many things well, especially the online client, and is reasonably affordable, that it might be hard for another game to match it.

Star Wars Destiny, but it has a stock issue right now. Once those are resolved, it will blow up even further, and it definitely has an older clientele.

 

[AstroLad]

Star Wars Destiny, but it has a stock issue right now. Once those are resolved, it will blow up even further, and it definitely has an older clientele.

Yeah the reprints of the original set are coming out this week so there should be near zero supply issues at least for the next few weeks.

 

[O Canada Our Home and Native Land]

Download Magic Duels (don't buy anything because development stopped). Learn the game and play for free. You can also try Hearthstone or Gwent for free as well.

 

[jstevenson]

I love Star Wars Destiny rn: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1371906

But yeah check to see what kind of community there is locally.

seconded, and as also noted, the stock issue is basically resolved right now with Starters, SoR, and this week/next week - Awakenings back on shelves.

It's a terrific, terrific game, and you're getting into the game near ground floor with just two sets out there.

 

[johnsmith]

Star Wars Destiny has dice? Does that make the game have ridiculous Hearthstone levels of RNG?

 

[v1lla21]

SW: Destiny for sure. Game is fun

 

[jstevenson]

Star Wars Destiny has dice? Does that make the game have ridiculous Hearthstone levels of RNG?

no. it doesn't.

It does add an element of that to the game, but the design is really elegant in that you can re-roll your dice by discarding a card.

There are many cards in the game that remove dice and/or that you use to manipulate the dice (and sides of the dice that allow this).

It certainly does have RNG - I mean, you could with an infinitesimally small chance only roll blanks the whole game. But with starting characters / dice, 30 card draw deck plus generous mulligan and hand-refill each turn, means a lot of deck RNG is mitigated.

Lukas Litzsinger is a hell of a designer. Game is super varied, addictive, and fun. It's also quick to play, which is awesome for weeknight tourneys and such

 

[Oscar]

I'm waiting on a permanent MTG digital/mobile client before pumping money into it.

I've tried the Planeswalkers one on PC, and the Magic Duels one on mobile. I'm waiting for a seamless PC/Mobile MTG client like Hearthstone's model.

 

[Beeks]

I havent played anything but MTG since the early 2000s so I really wouldn't know. Doesn't change the fact that the booster packs are quite overpriced.

I get individual cards being expensive in the second hand market, that's fine since it's all about perceived value. Booster packs are a complete gamble which rarely ever pay off, though.

Buying boosters is always a terrible value, you're basically buying lotto scratch-offs. If you are trying to play on a budget, the best way is to scope out what deck you want to play and just buy the singles you need. Costs a bit up front, but then you're up and running.

The problem is different formats evolve and change at different rates and have different costs. Standard is relatively cheap up front, but changes constantly with new sets coming in, so you often have to keep updating your deck to stay relevant in the meta. Legacy, by contrast, is very pricey to buy into, but rarely the meta is shaken up entirely, so usually your investment lasts much longer. So depending on what kind of deck you want to play, you can make an investment up front and just ride it out over years of game play.

 

[RazorbackDB]

There's MyL, if you know spanish and live in Chile or Mexico, I guess.

 

[Kawl_USC]

Picked up Star Wars destiny about a month ago and have been really enjoying it. Community at least in Houston is sizable enough and older. New enough for the investment to get all the way in is reasonable enough

 

[Busaiku]

Having gotten a bunch of Weiss Schwarz cards, and having a regular place to play, I can't recommend it.
I'm in a bigger metro, and there's really only 1 place I can reliably play. There's no official online game. Cards can get expensive, and it's extremely hard to flip them.

Unless you're minutes from a shop that specializes in it, just don't.

 

[norm9]

I've been playing Onirim. Not a trading card game but it's a card game. Real fun.

 

[Rafy]

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.

 

[crimzonflame]

What are the big three?

 

[ShdwDrake]

What are the big three?

Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, Yu Gi Oh.

 

[Neverwinter27]

The upcoming Legend of the Five Rings reboot?

 

[slightconfuse]

Play hearthstone!

Gaf thread is full of helpful people

 

[Fragamemnon]

Your area might be different, but the idea is the same-find good people first, then play what they play. Worry less about the game you're playing than the company you're keeping.

If you live in an area that has a dedicated/decent eternal mtg community (legacy/vintage), I'd look into that. Players are generally older, nicer, and have lives outside of the game that make them more interesting to be around. As a bonus, we got to play with fair cards like mana drain, mind's desire, and jace the mind sculptor.

 

[chaosaeon]

Do keep in mind that YuGiOh! Is getting a big gameplay revamp in July.

You might want to check it out

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.

 

[piratepwnsninja]

The upcoming Legend of the Five Rings reboot?

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

Wyvern.

LOL.

I still have cards somewhere.

 

[Khezu]

Wyvern.