Magic Gets a Facelift

[FrustratedPoet]

BTW, in case anyone missed it ... the first card completely designed by the fans (through voting on the Magic website) will be released in the second Onslaught expansion.

Here it is. Another card worth building a deck around:


They are also starting the whole process up again. The vote for picking the colour (not green this time, but you can choose Artifact if you want) starts on Monday. You'll have to register to vote, but it's free.
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/feature/125

[Ben Kenobi]

Mr. President;

I wrote WotC- we'll see what they have to say. I'd back up my position with the rules, except that I don't know how the rules apply to this case.

[CapitanGarlic]

I haven't played Magic in nearly long enough...don't live near enough people that are into it, so that makes it tough.

I've always been a fan of the blue/white or blue/red decks.

[Panda]

Just scrolling back through older threads, when I noticed this:

Originally posted by Chowlett
As it happens, I'm heading down to London on Saturday for the Legions pre-release - basically a huge sealed-deck tournament (about 200 players) on a set which isn't available in the highstreet for another fortnight. Should be cool.

Chowlett, you wouldn't be related to Jason by any chance?

Also:

Originally posted by Standup
Only played Magic once or twice and soon got bored as i was consistently outgunned by friends who seemed to have the GNP of a small european nation on cards to get the best ones. I assume that there are various house rules to stop this sort of 'buying' success?

No house rule as such, but there are alternative formats. Peasent Magic, for example is played with at least 55 commons, and no more than 5 uncommons. No rares at all, so quite cheap, and quite accessible.

On topic, I don't like change

Seriously, the artwork does make it more accessible to new players, so creating an even larger marketing base for WoTC. I won't have a definitive opinion until I actually play with these cards.

[DinoDoc]

Is Scourge going to have Dragon pre-con decks?

[Mr. President]

It damn well better.

Peasent Magic, for example is played with at least 55 commons, and no more than 5 uncommons.

That's more or less how I play anyway. I have a friend who's new to the game, and he hunts rare cards just like I used to - and then wonders why they don't beat my Yotian Soldiers.

[Urban Ranger]

You can make a nasty white-green stack with mostly common cards.

[DinoDoc]

Disclaimer: I have never played MtG before but I got turned on to the game this semester at the dorm I was living at and Scourge will be the first time I buy cards.

1) Assuming Scourge has a Dragon pre-con decks (the main thing I would be interested in), how many booster packs would you suggest I buy to have a good modded deck?

2) How hard is it to mod a deck if you've never made a deck before? Should I get an experienced player to do it for me?

[Mr. President]

1) Hard to say. Clearly the more you buy, the more variety your collection will have and the more choice you'll have when creating decks.

2) I wouldn't say it's hard for new players to make decks, but there are certainly things you need to watch out for. It's often tempting to throw massive piles of cards together and call it a deck. If you do, you'll likely be discouraged when it doesn't work. I usually find that 60 cards in total with 22 lands is a good size for casual play.

Common cards are the salt of the earth. Don't be mystified by the big spectacular abilities on rare cards; your Grizzly Bears will probably win more games than your Thorn Elementals.

Above all, have fun! Don't spend too much time worrying about what's legal in Type 2 or what your friend is going to use. There's plenty of room for using cards with good art and flavor text.

[Panda]

DinoDoc:

1) Without seeing the decklist for any Scourge Precon decks, I really couldn't say, yet. Do you have any links?

Precon decks are a good place to start off for friendly play, but if you're thinking of playing constructed tournaments you might be better off looking at published decklists on http://www.brainburst.com/ and just buying singles to make up a deck.

2) It is always difficult to make a top quality deck. You do need experience, and you do need to test the deck out frequently against other varied decks, and go back and make adjustments. Of course you'll only get experience by doing this yourself, otherwise you'll never really *understand* what makes a good deck, and be at a considerable disadvantage in any limited format (booster drafting, sealed deck).

[Urban Ranger]

Dragon decks are hellishly expensive though. Probably better play White-Green-Blue weenie deck with slivers backing them up. Don't forget the Mistform Ultimuses. Toss in 4 Lords of Atlantis and 4 Goblin Kings.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Dragon decks are hellishly expensive though.

It goes with the theme they were going for with this set though. Don't worry if there are no Dragon precons for me to mod, I'll feel a little disappointed but I'll choose another deck.

[Ben Kenobi]

You can make a nasty white-green stack with mostly common cards.

The key with deckbuilding is finding cards that work well together. It helps to have the money to buy good cards, but its better to have the right cards. Oftentimes, the right cards will be commons that you need 4 of then the rares.

[Urban Ranger]

I think it's best to stick with sealed deck and draft tournaments, where the $ factor is taken out of the equation.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by obiwan18
The key with deckbuilding is finding cards that work well together.

I have an extremely annoying blue-white control deck sitting around somewhere. It has Kismet, Winter Orb, Stasis, and this other card that won't let critters with power greater than 2 untap, plus a whole bunch of counters. This is a very slow deck though.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
I have an extremely annoying blue-white control deck sitting around somewhere. It has Kismet, Winter Orb, Stasis, ...

Pacification?

[Urban Ranger]

Ah, I remember it now. It's called Meekstone

[Urban Ranger]

This Retribution of the Meek is kinda weak, now if it buries critters with power greater than 2...

[Ben Kenobi]

I have an annoying cycle blue deck that uses a similar lockdown, just with Arcane Laboratory and Memory Lapse. The key to the deck are my scriveners and anyone of a host of return creature cards in my hand.

You can't cast anything, and every turn you draw the same card.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by obiwan18
I have an annoying cycle blue deck that uses a similar lockdown, just with Arcane Laboratory and Memory Lapse. The key to the deck are my scriveners and anyone of a host of return creature cards in my hand.

You can't cast anything, and every turn you draw the same card.

Ah, Arcane Laboratory. That stops combos dead in their tracks. Great card to add to my annoyance stack.

[Mr. President]

What does your annoyance stack do when someone casts Obliterate?

Or worse, Apocalypse?

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Mr. President
What does your annoyance stack do when someone casts Obliterate?

Or worse, Apocalypse?

Well, the point is the opponent is denied mana to case big spells. Combination of Kismet and Winter Orb generally does the job. Besides, Apocalypse can be countered or spiked, depending on the mana situation.

[DinoDoc]

Which one of these precons would be the easiest to customize into a workable deck?

[Urban Ranger]

I have no idea what the "storm" effect does, but the Storm Surge deck looks interesting, at least more interesting than the others. Of course, it's also got the White Knight, a very kickarse card.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
I have no idea what the "storm" effect does,

I think it means that you get to play a free copy of that spell for every spell (summon spells, Sorcery, etc.) you play before it that turn.