Just starting magic: the gathering
- Thread starter Kjmac5771
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I don't know if there is a free way of playing, but I've had a lot of fun with Duels of the Planeswalkers off of Steam. Right now it's about 16? with all of the expansions and half of that without. The deck builder isn't as robust as one would like, only being able to modify premade decks slightly, but the variation between the decks is really big.
I've heard that DotP 2012's deck builder gives more freedom, but I haven't played that yet, so... yeah... No idea.
Long story short: The PC version is a cheaper way of finding out if the game is something for you.
I've heard that DotP 2012's deck builder gives more freedom, but I haven't played that yet, so... yeah... No idea.
Long story short: The PC version is a cheaper way of finding out if the game is something for you.
Magic: Duels of the Planeswalkers and Magic 2012 both have demos.
They lack total deck freedom, but I suppose that might have something to do with balance.
I bought 2012 yesterday and I'm enjoying it immensely.
Keep in mind that I don't even own a single actual REAL Magic TCG card.
Because it's an expensive as fuck hobby to build proper decks.
They lack total deck freedom, but I suppose that might have something to do with balance.
I bought 2012 yesterday and I'm enjoying it immensely.
Keep in mind that I don't even own a single actual REAL Magic TCG card.
Because it's an expensive as fuck hobby to build proper decks.
This is actually why I prefer the video game to the card game. It becomes more about strategy, and less about who has the money to buy the best cards.Onyx Oblivion said:
they added an online co-op mode, and the format of the decks has changed.bjj hero said:
The White deck is a now an Equipment heavy deck based around Kor soldiers and tapping oppossing creatures to breach defenses.
I just got into the game as well. I'm using a really old version (90's or early 2000's maybe) for windows. No tutorial so I'm really just haphazardly guessing what I'm doing. 
Still not totally into it, but I'm getting the hang of it. I just wish there was a simple handheld version like what Yu-Gi-Oh or Marvel Card game have. (Hell, Pokemon had a couple of handheld TCG titles).
Still not totally into it, but I'm getting the hang of it. I just wish there was a simple handheld version like what Yu-Gi-Oh or Marvel Card game have. (Hell, Pokemon had a couple of handheld TCG titles).
I believe Magic Workshop is free. It's primarily used to test decks before actually going out and buying all the cards for them. I think it has online play as well, but I've never used it so I'm not 100% on that. Also, if you want to get started irl go to your local gameshop and buy one of the event decks. You actually get some decent cards in them as compared to the crappy starter decks.
The video games are a nice place to start for beginners since they enforce the rules and you can get some deck ideas from the pre-built decks. I got the deck builders tool kit for my first cards which would help you get started on having enough basic lands and a few cards to get started. As for looking for places to play, find out if a few of your friends already play so you can set up a network of people to play against and trade. It might also be a good idea to see if there's a shop near you that does Friday Night Magic. I would look to play limited formats (draft and sealed deck) at first so you can start building a collection of cards and won't have to worry about going against those big budget decks that dominate constructed tournaments.
Apprentice is a free program with all the cards and online support. It isn't pretty, but it works.
IRL, have a look for any game shops. They quite often have tables set up where people can play, and it's a great way of getting to know people. The pre-built decks you can buy is a good way of getting familiar with the game on a basic level, though eventually you'll want to make your own decks. It's pretty tricky at the start since you won't have a lot of cards, and in software there'll just be too many cards to get any real oversight. I think Wizards release boxes named "Deck Builders Toolset", they're a good way of getting started with building your own decks.
The key to getting started is finding people you want to play with though, or at least people who are willing to give you hints at improving your game. In my experience any Magic community will be full of such people, the problem is just finding them
Edit: Also what the person above said. FNM is a great way of getting in touch with players, and an excellent way to have a look before you invest too much money in the game.
IRL, have a look for any game shops. They quite often have tables set up where people can play, and it's a great way of getting to know people. The pre-built decks you can buy is a good way of getting familiar with the game on a basic level, though eventually you'll want to make your own decks. It's pretty tricky at the start since you won't have a lot of cards, and in software there'll just be too many cards to get any real oversight. I think Wizards release boxes named "Deck Builders Toolset", they're a good way of getting started with building your own decks.
The key to getting started is finding people you want to play with though, or at least people who are willing to give you hints at improving your game. In my experience any Magic community will be full of such people, the problem is just finding them
Edit: Also what the person above said. FNM is a great way of getting in touch with players, and an excellent way to have a look before you invest too much money in the game.
If you go to a nearby cardshop and tell people you're new, they should be really helpful in getting you started. It might just be my cardshop, but a lot of the experienced players just gave me free cards they didn't need anymore, and they can give you advice on constructing a deck if you need it.
Playing the game just for fun isn't too expensive, assuming you just get a fatpack and some booster packs. In my experience it's a money dump at first to get a heap of cards, then afterwards you can space out purchases and get cards individually at fairly cheap prices.
Green mana ramp FTW by the way.
Playing the game just for fun isn't too expensive, assuming you just get a fatpack and some booster packs. In my experience it's a money dump at first to get a heap of cards, then afterwards you can space out purchases and get cards individually at fairly cheap prices.
Green mana ramp FTW by the way.