Support NeoGAF

[Xis]

Cool, where could I find some decklists? and this game has diferences on the ruleset compared to the paper?

If you are just starting, they give you a small collection of cards, but to get more, you have to unlock cards (very slowly, or pay $$$). Someone on the internet has probably built some OK decks out of the starter cards they give you. I think red / white beatdown is best with the starter cards maybe?

Ruleset is intended to be the same as paper, but there are probably corner cases where stuff doesn't line up right. It's missing a lot of the cards from paper; they only release about half of the cards for each set in Duels. Deck construction is very different than paper - you are limited to 4 x of any common, 3 x of any uncommon, 2 x of any rare, and 1 x of any mythic.

 

[Yeef]

Cool, where could I find some decklists? and this game has diferences on the ruleset compared to the paper?

The rules for priority aren't quite as tightly enforced as they are in 'real' Magic. Basically, after every action, there's a countdown timer until whatever's on the stack resolves (or it moves to the next part of the turn if the stack is empty). You can pause the timer at anytime, so it's not a twitch thing, but it can lead to some situations that just aren't possible in paper.

For example, if I want to cast something at the beginning of combat before I declare my attackers, in the paper game, I'd have to either do it immediately or lose the opportunity after passing priority if you don't do anything. In duels, I can wait until there's just a sliver left on the countdown timer to see if you plan on doing something before doing whatever it is I want to do.

Also, the upkeep step is auto-skipped unless there's a trigger. Doesn't come up much, but there are times where it's relevant, like if you've been milled out and have a burn spell on your upkeep or if you have Elder Deep-Fiend and want to tap down their lands before their draw step.

The last thing, and the biggest, is that because of the way collections work, you can never own for than 3 copies of any single uncommon, 2 copies of any rare and 1 copy of any mythic. It makes decks have a bit more variance than real Magic where you can have up to 4 copies of any card.

 

[Ventara]

Hey guys, I'm looking to get into MTG casually and want to buy some cards to get started, and I need some advice.

I've looked on Ebay and I see I can buy some big lots for pretty cheap, but I don't know if I'll be able to do anything with those. On the flip side, I can buy this collection for $105. Would that be a better deal?

Again, just looking into getting into the game casually. Would like to build 3-4 decks to play with friends. I have some fond memories of playing with some really good decks back in highschool that belonged to them like an elf/beast/ninja/artifact/angel/goblin deck. It would be super cool if I could build a deck like those.

 

[SigmasonicX]

Hey guys, I'm looking to get into MTG casually and want to buy some cards to get started, and I need some advice.

I've looked on Ebay and I see I can buy some big lots for pretty cheap, but I don't know if I'll be able to do anything with those. On the flip side, I can buy this collection for $105. Would that be a better deal?

Again, just looking into getting into the game casually. Would like to build 3-4 decks to play with friends. I have some fond memories of playing with some really good decks back in highschool that belonged to them like an elf/beast/ninja/artifact/angel/goblin deck. It would be super cool if I could build a deck like those.

Those big card collections usually aren't worth it, since they'll be full of junk. The only cards you really need a lot of are lands.

If you're just starting with the paper game, then I highly recommend starting with a prebuilt deck and then adjusting it with cards you get, until you're comfortable building them from scratch or just copying decks online. For example, Duel Decks and the new Planeswalker Decks are great for this purpose.

If you haven't played the game at all, or are unsure about the rules, then I recommend playing Magic Duels, since it's free.

 

[blindrocket]

Hey guys, I'm looking to get into MTG casually and want to buy some cards to get started, and I need some advice.

I've looked on Ebay and I see I can buy some big lots for pretty cheap, but I don't know if I'll be able to do anything with those. On the flip side, I can buy this collection for $105. Would that be a better deal?

Again, just looking into getting into the game casually. Would like to build 3-4 decks to play with friends. I have some fond memories of playing with some really good decks back in highschool that belonged to them like an elf/beast/ninja/artifact/angel/goblin deck. It would be super cool if I could build a deck like those.

You could spend a little more money and this might be right up your alley. Lots of fun and several prebuilt decks.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OI2NOF4/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[Xis]

Hey guys, I'm looking to get into MTG casually and want to buy some cards to get started, and I need some advice.

I've looked on Ebay and I see I can buy some big lots for pretty cheap, but I don't know if I'll be able to do anything with those. On the flip side, I can buy this collection for $105. Would that be a better deal?

That collection is all older stuff. If you want to pick up a big bunch of cards for deckbuilding, I'd focus on new stuff; you could get a Kaldadesh Deckbuilders Toolkit ($20, gets you a storage box, and a bunch of lands and commons / uncommons) + maybe a Kaladesh Bundle Pack ($40, gets you a storage box, a set guide, and 10 boosters).
In the past I've also bought 4x common / uncommon sets off eBay; they usually go for about $50 for a big set:

 

[I am Error]

Hey guys, I'm looking to get into MTG casually and want to buy some cards to get started, and I need some advice.

My take on this is that you should buy some battle decks. Here's a video about them and why they are good for casual players video.

They are about 10$ each and very balanced. Might be a good starting point especially if you want to get your friends into mtg. You can use these decks as a foundation and expand on them in the future.

 

[charlequin]

I can't believe they would leave out older sets from a MTGO successor. If anything it seems like the perfect time to add in the sets that they've missed.

Long-term certainly not, but if they're doing a new platform from the ground up it's tough to actually launch with everything. (And at this point there isn't really anything significant that isn't on MTGO -- it's all random garbage from pre-Mirage sets that you couldn't sell as-is anyway since they can't really be drafted.)

I find myself wondering why

Expeditions were more common than people expected, and the knowledge that every set will have Masterpieces means more hesitancy to buy in to any given one at high prices.

Prices should be dropping right now because of people opening packs, so I'd wait until after the set has been released for a while

It's not like they're gonna go back up. If he doesn't sell now his next shot to get the same value is gonna be like a year from now at least.

cant decide if I should go to a store thats closer to draft tonight that does play for picks or a store 30 min away that does keep what you draft...

I always recommend people refuse to draft at places that try to force rare-redraft or similar nonsense on principle.

 

[phazedplasma]

I always recommend people refuse to draft at places that try to force rare-redraft or similar nonsense on principle.

Its crazy, in NYC no stores do this, but out here in Denver almost all do. Where did this come from.

 

[Joe Molotov]

I've never seen rare redrafting, and I wouldn't draft at a store that did it.

 

[Violet_0]

Its crazy, in NYC no stores do this, but out here in Denver almost all do. Where did this come from.

this is what my out-in-the-woods game store did more than a decade ago. Newer/less expensive players basically get fucked because they can't keep their value mythics and rares even when they get a lucky booster

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

I don't like Kaladesh and energy.

Too bad nobody is drafting conspiracy.

 

[red13th]

wtf Greater Gargadon is $9. It's one of my favourite cube cards but it used to be bulk not long ago.

 

[GoutPatrol]

wtf Greater Gargadon is $9. It's one of my favourite cube cards but it used to be bulk not long ago.

It became Dredge hot tech because it allows you to sac your stuff if someone tries to exile it.

 

[Santiako]

wtf Greater Gargadon is $9. It's one of my favourite cube cards but it used to be bulk not long ago.

It's getting played in Dredge now.

 

[Ozigizo]

So, based on the mythics I pulled, I guess I'm building a wonder deck. It seems like it'll be fun.

 

[RevenantKioku]

I've never seen rare redrafting, and I wouldn't draft at a store that did it.

It's very unfortunate that the store I found that I enjoy the most does rare redrafting. I went to a normal draft last night and pulled a copter, and would have hate to have lost that because I got screwed one game.

Pulled a Nissa in my prize pack, though! Makes me wonder if Sultai Superfriends could be a thing.

I don't like Kaladesh and energy.

Too bad nobody is drafting conspiracy.

Really? I've quite enjoyed it. I love managing the resource to try and pull off tricks. The bird that gives flying, the various pumpers (particularly that 2G rhino) and so on.
Conspiracy just seems like a convoluted time waster to me.

 

[charlequin]

Its crazy, in NYC no stores do this, but out here in Denver almost all do. Where did this come from.

Smaller stores where the people running the tournaments want to pay off their buddies, more or less.

 

[RevenantKioku]

Smaller stores where the people running the tournaments want to pay off their buddies, more or less.

I was told at the one store that "otherwise the draft cost would be too expensive" but everyone basically paying for a fourth pack for prizes seems so much more worth it for the the off chance someone pulls something ridiculous.

Oh well, next week most places will be doing standard again at least. Fuck a draft.

 

[Firemind]

I want Kaladesh to be over with already. Such a disappointment from a worldbuilding, story and mechanics perspective.

 

[OnPoint]

I want Kaladesh to be over with already. Such a disappointment from a worldbuilding, story and mechanics perspective.

I hate to agree but I do

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

Really? I've quite enjoyed it. I love managing the resource to try and pull off tricks. The bird that gives flying, the various pumpers (particularly that 2G rhino) and so on.
Conspiracy just seems like a convoluted time waster to me.

I just played exactly that deck and energy came down to.
Can I attack -if yes spend energy
-if no pass the turn
There's no particular managing there's not much decisionmaking it's just another resource you have to keep track of moreso than manage.

Vehicles are also annoying.

 

[red13th]

I like the setting but the cards themselves are very underwhelming.

 

[Supast4r]

Hey guys, I'm looking to get into MTG casually and want to buy some cards to get started, and I need some advice.

I've looked on Ebay and I see I can buy some big lots for pretty cheap, but I don't know if I'll be able to do anything with those. On the flip side, I can buy this collection for $105. Would that be a better deal?

Again, just looking into getting into the game casually. Would like to build 3-4 decks to play with friends. I have some fond memories of playing with some really good decks back in highschool that belonged to them like an elf/beast/ninja/artifact/angel/goblin deck. It would be super cool if I could build a deck like those.

Would recommend getting a duel deck to play with a friend so you can both learn (they are est $15-20) Then if you like it, you should go and draft.

 

[boclfon479]

I bought a box of kaladesh today and the first 31 packs were making me feel like it was a waste. Nothing that seemed too good. Opened the last 5 and saw a masterwork sol ring followed by a nissa.


To say that my opinion on the box changed was an understatement lol. Probably the only 2 things I noticed that I pulled that would be over $10, not sure how much the lands are going for


Edit: also, whole box and zero energy tokens

 

[OnPoint]

I bought a box of kaladesh today and the first 31 packs were making me feel like it was a waste. Nothing that seemed too good. Opened the last 5 and saw a masterwork sol ring followed by a nissa.


To say that my opinion on the box changed was an understatement lol. Probably the only 2 things I noticed that I pulled that would be over $10, not sure how much the lands are going for


Edit: also, whole box and zero energy tokens

Energy tokens didn't make it in due to a printing error. Next wave they will.

Nice pulls.

 

[Violet_0]

I like energy, fabricate is whatever - just not a very interesting mechanic. The setting is cool, but it seems like Takir is still the role model for how to do a great set

 

[RevenantKioku]

I just played exactly that deck and energy came down to.
Can I attack -if yes spend energy
-if no pass the turn
There's no particular managing there's not much decisionmaking it's just another resource you have to keep track of moreso than manage.

Vehicles are also annoying.

The mechanic interests me because of the various things I've been able to use it for. Mana (Hub and the 2/2 dork), scrying, granting abilities, pumping, boosting kill spells or leaving some over for future kill spells or stuff like the Hub again.
Plus I get to keep track of it with dice on a Pokémon energy card. What's not to love?

Vehicles are interesting because they change sorcery removal and make for a balance of keeping them and crew members up.

This has been my first pre-release and new set since Odyssey, so maybe I'm just colored by that, but I've been loving it.

 

[Santiako]

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. I find the set fantastic! The art and flavour and on point, the mechanics play great and the overall common/uncommon power level is off the roof, making limited way more interesting.

 

[SigmasonicX]

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. I find the set fantastic! The art and flavour and on point, the mechanics play great and the overall common/uncommon power level is off the roof, making limited way more interesting.

Don't worry, the general consensus seems to be that this is a very good set.

My take on this is that you should buy some battle decks. Here's a video about them and why they are good for casual players video.

They are about 10$ each and very balanced. Might be a good starting point especially if you want to get your friends into mtg. You can use these decks as a foundation and expand on them in the future.

I like the idea of another company offering actually decent prebuilt decks, but I don't like these that much. First of all, including cards that aren't in Standard is definitely a bad move, if the target audience is a starting player. Second, from the video, I don't think the mix of mechanics works well for beginners (including, you know, mechanics not in Standard); my preference would be to only have mechanics from the new set, but still use spells and simple creatures from previous sets. And lastly, though it's likely the decks don't push this as much as Wizards' products, I'm actually not a fan of all 3 or 4-ofs if the intention is to leave room for modification by the owner. It's easier for a player to find room to change things if the deck as a whole isn't that finely tuned.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

The mechanic interests me because of the various things I've been able to use it for. Mana (Hub and the 2/2 dork), scrying, granting abilities, pumping, boosting kill spells or leaving some over for future kill spells or stuff like the Hub again.
Plus I get to keep track of it with dice on a Pokémon energy card. What's not to love?

Vehicles are interesting because they change sorcery removal and make for a balance of keeping them and crew members up.

This has been my first pre-release and new set since Odyssey, so maybe I'm just colored by that, but I've been loving it.

All of them are self contained with a higher ceiling. There aren't energy cards that are unable to create their own energy for instance.
All of them do a moderately well job by themselves and a slightly better job with more energy.

Fabricate makes it so evasion is even more important than regularly, otherwise board go too wide.

Vehicles I dislike from a general perspective even moreso in constructed.

 

[Joe Molotov]

I was told at the one store that "otherwise the draft cost would be too expensive" but everyone basically paying for a fourth pack for prizes seems so much more worth it for the the off chance someone pulls something ridiculous.

How much do their drafts costs? My local store does $10 drafts and then the winner gets 3 packs.

 

[RevenantKioku]

How much do their drafts costs? My local store does $10 drafts and then the winner gets 3 packs.

I am in Japan so prices are in general stupid, but I think this place just does the exact price of 3 packs which would be roughly $10? The place I did last night was $15 with a pack per win in swiss. The old dude that runs the store also gave us "pack credit" (buy X packs, get a pack free) so that was nice.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

The best part about Kaladesh is the absurd power creep in Green.

 

[RevenantKioku]

The best part about Kaladesh is the absurd power creep in Green.

Well, I mean, with the loss of CoCo, green needed something to remain ridiculous.

 

[Hero]

I want to love Kaladesh but it doesn't have as much of an emphasis on artifacts as it should and giving dwarves to white was dumb.

 

[Ashodin]

I want Kaladesh to be over with already. Such a disappointment from a worldbuilding, story and mechanics perspective.

Besides vehicles being cool as shit (surprise, they're related to Equipment!) I'm sad because they could have done WAY more. Making the setting just all about Ghirapur was a bad idea as well.

Hopefully Aether Revolt goes good.

Did well in draft tonight, 3-0, so 5 extra packs for the win. Pulled a Cataclysmic Gearhulk from the winnings

Fleetwheel Cruiser got me there so hard

Got a bundle (and another one that will be opened soon) and I pulled everything except the shit I need for my standard deck. WTF WOTC

 

[Yeef]

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. I find the set fantastic! The art and flavour and on point, the mechanics play great and the overall common/uncommon power level is off the roof, making limited way more interesting.

I'm on the same page as you. When it comes to energy, knowing what's in your deck and knowing what you're opponent's doing is vital. Game 1 you can just use it as you get it, but game 2, maybe you save it up for a Whirler Virtuoso or Confiscation Coup to deal with their bombs are get over their ground defenses. It's great.

More importantly, I opened an Aether Vial in my prize packs tonight!

 

[MoxManiac]

I like the re-drafting rares prize structure a lot, actually. I didn't do well in my draft tonight, came in fourth, but still at least got a smug copter and a couple dollar rares out of it.

It beats keep drafts where you open 3 bulk rares then a bunch more bulk rares in prize packs.

 

[ultron87]

Real fun night with two drafts!

Had an awesome Panharmonicon deck in my second draft. Green/White with all Fabricate stuff and energy things that made so much energy. Also the card that lets you pay 1 to out a counter on creatures when they enter was great. Splashed for a Cloudblazer and got to live the Draw 4 Gain 4 dream.

Got a Rings of Brighthearth invention in the my prize packs. Yay.

 

[Angry Grimace]

3-1 with UG Marvel. Lost to land screw against a Bant deck running Tamiyo in place of Company.

That's a super tough matchup for the deck though. They have such high value low in the curve and he was playing lots of bounce and Quellers.

I shouldn't have listened to that guy that told me to take Smuggler's Copter out.

 

[Infinite Stars]

I actually really love the set designwise. Energy is one of those mechanics that it sounds completely gimmicky but actually functions really well. Paying 8 to bounce everything back to hand with the Skywhale is great, and I'm honestly hoping we get a counterspell that uses Energy in Aether Revolt.

Aether Leak UU
Instant

You gain 3 energy counters, then you may pay any amount of Energy.

Counter Target spell unless it's controller pays X, where X is the amount of energy paid.

 

[Angry Grimace]

I actually really love the set designwise. Energy is one of those mechanics that it sounds completely gimmicky but actually functions really well. Paying 8 to bounce everything back to hand with the Skywhale is great, and I'm honestly hoping we get a counterspell that uses Energy in Aether Revolt.

Aether Leak UU
Instant

You gain 3 energy counters, then you may pay any amount of Energy.

Counter Target spell unless it's controller pays X, where X is the amount of energy paid.

That's just Mana Leak but better.

 

[Supast4r]

That's just Mana Leak but better.

It's more mana intensive so it's not "strictly better."

 

[Angry Grimace]

It's more mana intensive so it's not "strictly better."

I didn't say strictly. It's still just Mana Leak but better.

 

[phazedplasma]

Pulled Torrential Gearhulk tonight and went 2-1 with G/u beats.

Pulled Dovin in my win packs.

Good night.

Also the store will offer me 43$ for my pre-release chandra, but they had no cavern of souls to trade for it :\

 

[Ashodin]

So I got a Skysovereign! No Chandra though

Almost everything for my deck,

Mythics:

Verdurous Gearhulk
Noxious Gearhulk
Cataclysmic Gearhulk
Combustible Gearhulk
Nissa, Vital Force

 

[charlequin]

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. I find the set fantastic!

Magic players are one of the most relentlessly negative fandoms on the Earth. This thread is actually pretty chill compared to most places people talk about MTG online and even so every new set is bad and boring and low-power, has a poor draft format, will ruin Standard, etc. etc.

I do think the complaints about energy are unusually off-base. If you play with a mechanic like this just by having exactly one thing you always do and never thinking about it, you are almost by definition playing suboptimally. You pretty much have to engage it either full-throatedly Johnny (by building crazy decks around it) or Spike (by carefully arbitraging the most value possible out of the theoretically-equal energy expenditures) to get the benefit of the mechanic.

 

[Crocodile]

Oh I see we are at that part of the thread cycle where we call rare back-drafting the work of scammers/SATAN

I think the only bad thing I have to say about this set so far (I haven't played enough of the limited format to have a real opinion) is that all the value seems to be concentrated in very few cards which makes trading a pain in the ass. I'll probably pick up the few cheap cards I want as singles and then wait to get a Chandra in like a year :/

 

[Royal_Flush]

All of them are self contained with a higher ceiling. There aren't energy cards that are unable to create their own energy for instance.
All of them do a moderately well job by themselves and a slightly better job with more energy.

You remember how everyone shits on Kamigama for having parasitic cards? Think again if you really want that.