MTG thread

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Leon

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Aight boys, i ain't reading 538 pages so i'm gonna be a cunt bout this, sorry in advance.

I played MTG back in the beta/alpha days, don't ahve cards anymore, my 2 boys told me over dinner to my shock they play with a few of their friends. They don't have their own decks so they borrow from their buddies.

In this current ruleset/expansion or whatever we're at 25 fucking years later, what is the best way to get them going as far as starters + boosters. They ain't gonna be playing anywhere but with their buds, need enough cards to make a few different decks and have fun.
 

Arbitrary

Tranny Chaser
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Aight boys, i ain't reading 538 pages so i'm gonna be a cunt bout this, sorry in advance.

I played MTG back in the beta/alpha days, don't ahve cards anymore, my 2 boys told me over dinner to my shock they play with a few of their friends. They don't have their own decks so they borrow from their buddies.

In this current ruleset/expansion or whatever we're at 25 fucking years later, what is the best way to get them going as far as starters + boosters. They ain't gonna be playing anywhere but with their buds, need enough cards to make a few different decks and have fun.

There are a number of different preconstructed deck products.


If they're just pissing around the kitchen table with their friends the commander precons are probably just fine. There are also standard precons if they're friends are playing standard. I would think gifting them something that is actually a deck and maybe some packs would go over fine.
 
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Ukerric

Bearded Ape
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There are a number of different preconstructed deck products.


If they're just pissing around the kitchen table with their friends the commander precons are probably just fine. There are also standard precons if they're friends are playing standard. I would think gifting them something that is actually a deck and maybe some packs would go over fine.
Another way is finding standard Jumpstart (not the expansion-based horrid versions of Jumpstart, the one that is based around core sets). The way it's designed is that you pick any two Jumpstart boosters, mix them, and you get a working bi-color deck with a semi-consistent pair of themes. For example, you could end up with a white/green Unicorn and Elves theme deck, or a Minion/Flying deck. Jumpstart 2020 was good and there is some around still, Jumpstart 2022 which ships tomorrow is expected to be okay as well. The three expansion "jumpstarts" were universally badmouthed.

(Jumpstart cards are not legal in Standard tournaments, but fine for casual play)

Alternatively, Commander works.
 

Mr Creed

Too old for this shit
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the real problem is some variant spinoff format is more popular than the game they designed (tournament magic)

What kind of fan fiction is that? This game was not designed for tournaments. If anything, EDH is closer to what the good people at WotC envisioned back in 92/93.
 
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fanaskin

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What kind of fan fiction is that? This game was not designed for tournaments. If anything, EDH is closer to what the good people at WotC envisioned back in 92/93.

they had no idea what they wanted then, it took several years for them to figure out what they wanted to do, by 1996 drafting was part of pro magic.
 

OneofOne

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Mr Creed

Too old for this shit
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they had no idea what they wanted then, it took several years for them to figure out what they wanted to do, by 1996 drafting was part of pro magic.
And that means they did not design it for tournament play, right?

The game structure itself was designed in the year(s) leading up to the release in summer 1993. Then, after it blew up into a huge success, the tournaments gradually sprung up, and certainly influenced individual card design as early as the late 90s. But the game was not designed for tournament play to begin with, that's just false.
 

fanaskin

Well known agitator
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that dark ritual is hot, the rest is meh
Dark-Ritual-The-Art-of-Frank-Frazetta-SLD-672.jpg

And that means they did not design it for tournament play, right?

The game structure itself was designed in the year(s) leading up to the release in summer 1993. Then, after it blew up into a huge success, the tournaments gradually sprung up, and certainly influenced individual card design as early as the late 90s. But the game was not designed for tournament play to begin with, that's just false.

you're misunderstanding me, they've spent like over 2 decades building up tournament magic and suddenly commander is more popular which is a format that was fan made. you're thinking I meant from the moment of inception, no.
 

Mr Creed

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Well, "suddenly" was like a decade ago, too.

I do think they've pivoted the product too far from what it was in the 90/00s and that's been going on for some years. The slow death of organized play started when, 2014ish? I guess Covid and trying to compete with digital were merely the final nails in the coffin.

But then again I quit in 2020 because of too much special set BS and the rise of IP collabs, so the current product isn't aimed at me anyway.
 
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Arbitrary

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Well, "suddenly" was like a decade ago, too.

I do think they've pivoted the product too far from what it was in the 90/00s and that's been going on for some years. The slow death of organized play started when, 2014ish? I guess Covid and trying to compete with digital were merely the final nails in the coffin.

The writing was on the wall when they started cutting deals with Walmart, Target, Amazon, etc. for product at deals better than your LGS could get.
 
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Derpa

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New Secret Lairs on Monday, must be that time of the week.

Frank Frazetta gets his own - The Legendary Artwork of Frank Frazetta Is Coming to Magic: The Gathering

3 Transformer SLs - Secret Lair: Transformers

I do actually like the look of the Transformer cards (not enough to buy them, let's not go crazy here!). The kid in me would love to see an entire Transformers set or even block, if they were normally priced. But I realize I'm likely in the minority on that.

Geez they wasted good Frank Frazetta art on subpar cards (besides Dark Ritual of course)

The midnight reaper just pisses me off.
 
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OneofOne

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I'm not so sure that's their opinion. I rather agree that the 2m they made on this product is less than the value of the goodwill they lost. In the first time of, well, ever, they managed to unite the entire player base. I'm curious to see if this affects the products they offer in the future.
 
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Kuro

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Bank "Magic is printing too much."
Hasbro "The bank just doesn't understand how helplessly addicted these nerds are."
 

OneofOne

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The whole call was exactly what you knew it would be - a waste of time. Players also need to understand that call wasn't meant to reassure THEM, but the shareholders.
 
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