New to Magic the Gathering
Deck Help forum
Posted on July 15, 2011, 10:56 p.m. by Zifier
Hey everyone,
I hope this is the right place to post. So I am new to MTG. I have bought 1 fatpack box of New Phyrexia. I am thinking of buying 2 more New Phyrexia fatpack boxes. I also bought the 2011 starter kit. I plan on making a Black deck. I am also considering buying "Grab for Power" as well.
My questions are:
1) Should I buy two more NP fatpack boxes or 1 NP fatpack box and 1 2012 core set box?
2) With that being said, will I be able to create a deck that is competitive?
Thanks for the help, I appreciate it.
Alright, thanks for advice. I will let you know what happens.
July 16, 2011 12:18 a.m.
Also check out decks playtest them on this site. Find ones you like. You might not want to play black you might like blue/white control or a temple steel deck.
Also don't Just start buying cards unless you are positive it is the deck you want to build. Don't trade for cards unless its one you want.
Just some advice i wish I would have gotten when I started playing.
July 16, 2011 1:02 a.m.
Thank you. I have been looking around and I am really interested in some of the zombie cards. Things like grave Titan, vengeful pharoah, call of the grave, diabolic tutor just to name a few. I find control to be really fun idea to play. So that's where I am at now. I would love to get sorin and liliana.
July 16, 2011 9:53 a.m.
I guess I should look up some zombie decks then. Anyone else have tips for some one heading into mtg?
July 16, 2011 10:54 a.m.
Just like bman said if your trading a card there might be some bad person who tries to take advatnage of someone new and tell them that its a fair trade but theyre getting the better end of the deal. When i first started i pulled some cards worth like 5 10 bucks and traded them. Know how much your cards are worth.
July 16, 2011 2:09 p.m.
Thanks again. I will make sure to look cards up. I got an app for my iphone that gives me details on cards and prices of the cards. Its been extremely useful.
Update: I bought a box set of New Phyrexia, 1 box set of 2012 core set, 1 starter 2012 grab for power (i think thats what its called). I didn't get any fatpacks. Going to wait till sunday to open them becuase I promised my friend I would wait for him to get some stuff and open it all together. He is new at it as well. It is very exciting for the both of us.
I will give an update tomorrow on what we got. I appreciate all the help!
July 16, 2011 4:29 p.m.
opening packs is always fun. I just opened My m12 booster box today and Pulled a chandra, the firebrand the new garruk and a gideon jura. In all I am pleased.
July 16, 2011 4:41 p.m.
I got a box yesterday and got a garruk, gideon, sun titan, and a foil grave titan, also a time reversal.
July 16, 2011 4:54 p.m.
I really want to get a grave titan!!!
Question: How often do you get a mythic rare from a box set? Are you guaranted at least one? What are the chances of getting more then one?
July 16, 2011 4:58 p.m.
I got 4 mythics out of my booster box. The chances of you pulling a duplicate rare or mythic out of box are slim. But grave titans are cheaper than ever so get them while they are cheap. And one thing you have to remember is don't ever trade for anything you don't want. Hell I don't plan on keeping garruk or the chandra, the firebrand I got today. I plan on trading for cards I want and cards that I need to run My decks.
July 16, 2011 5:31 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #13
You are never guaranteed a mythic - there is a percent chance of opening one (this percentage is actually on the pack under the flap, given as a rare ratio of mythics to non-mythics in the set).
As for your questions, there are different levels of "competitive" decks. Something that can 4-0 consistently at Friday Night Magic events is different from a deck that does fairly well, so the definition of competitive is relative.
You should at the very least have the foundation for a good deck. Whether you want to play in FNM tourneys or just win a lot against your friends, buying a variety of cards (especially cards that are legal in the Standard format, which as of October will be the Scars of Mirrodin block, M12, and Innistrad) is a good way to not only get a collection going, but to also get a feel for what type of deck you would like to play most.
Additionally, buying from recent and standard-legal sets makes the cards you don't want more viable for trading - most players prefer to pick up newer cards that they will be able to use in FNMs for longer. You will likely have to do some trading at some point if you want to fine-tune your deck, so I suggest looking up prices for the cards you have to trade as well as the cards you want, and then memorizing at least the most important few.
In your situation, I would not recommend buying intro packs. The cards you get from buying boxes will likely be of better quality and certainly be of better variety. It is easier to buy bulk and then have the option to make a few different decks than to commit $12-15 to a single deck that is already built for you, and missing some good pieces. Don't get me wrong - they're alright for starting points, but definitely look at what you have right now and see if you can start fleshing out some basic builds before you drop more money on a single idea.
BTW: All of the titans are likely to experience a price drop in the near future, so I would wait until that happens and then try to trade your way to one.
July 16, 2011 5:39 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #14
@ bman5604: It's not always bad to trade for cards you don't want. After trading for a while and getting the hang of it, it is arguably safer to pick up things you might not necessarily want, but that many other people do want in order to do multi-step trading. I also try to move out cards that are likely to drop in value for cards that are likely to retain value (trading a Karn Liberated for some Mox Opal s, for example).
July 16, 2011 5:43 p.m.
I hear you bman. I fell into that trap a few times because I was ganked by a guy and his friends pressuring me. This is when I played yu-gi-oh when it was first released. It happened a few times. You are definitively right though, I shouldn't trade for anything I don't want.
Hopeing to get some stuff to trade. I really want to get a couple grave titans and make the rest zombies. I have been doing some reading and I hear vampire decks might be top contenders. I know I want to use Karn the liberated if I get one. I want to use grave titans and I like the idea of zombies. So, thats what I am thinking so far about a deck.
Did you guys find it difficult to start magic? Should I expect a steep learning curve?
July 16, 2011 5:47 p.m.
I agree with you epochalyptik i do it myself. But then again I have been playing for two almost three years now and I get the concept of trading. I am saying that to the newb until he gets a better feel for everything.
@ Zifier Not really but just read learn and don't be affraid to ask. If you have questions about a card you havent scene that an opponent puts out ask. Most of the people that play fnm are pretty laid back and want to help the new people. And I have two grave titans so let me know what you get and I will try and work something out with you.
July 16, 2011 6:16 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #17
I found it actually quite easy, and I had minimal prior experience with card games. It's really not too bad, especially to learn the basics. Some fine-tuning of your play style and thought process will obviously come from time and just playing game after game, but you should have little trouble jumping in and making/using a simple deck.
My suggestion is to start with a color like red, white, or green. I would argue that they are the simplest for newer players to learn because they do not usually have complicated mechanics. Blue is probably the most difficult color to master because you have to understand more about the stack and timing to play at your full potential. Black has some characteristics which can make it challenging to master as well, like using discard and other effects to your advantage.
If you have friends which play or you are friends with a shop owner, you can ask them to mentor you if you find that you have difficulty grasping a certain concept. The TappedOut community is also great for helping players of all experience levels.
Be careful about getting too excited about big cards. Grave Titan is great, and Karn is decent, but you have to have a plan to use them effectively. Add a decklist here and ask us to critique it if you want help with specifics, but it usually helps more if you start with an idea (such as "I want to make a zombie deck," as you have said) rather than with a card, because then you have a rough outline of what you want to do and how to approach it.
Once you get acquainted with the game a bit, check out http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Default.aspx
That website, especially the advanced search feature, is great for finding new cards to put in your decks. You can search for cards that have the creature type zombie, and then you instantly have pages of options for your creature base.
July 16, 2011 6:18 p.m.
Wow! You guys are extremely helpful and have provided me with some fantastic advice! When I figure things out more and do a little more research I will post a deck.
On sunday I will be opening my stuff, but I may be purchasing another boxset just for good measure. My goal is to make a zombie deck but I am only 90% sure about it.
If you were me, which boxset would you purchase? Or would you not purchase one and wait to see what one needs since they sell singles. The latter seems more reasonable now that I think of it.
I want grave titan because of the zombie effect and its a powerful card. Karn I might not use but he looks awesome and I thats the planeswalker I want.
I will take a look at the website. I will post the rare and mythic rare cards I get here. I will also give you an update on my thoughts and such for a deck.
Anyways, even if you guys don't come back to my thread, I just want to thank you for the advice. It has been a great deal of help!
July 16, 2011 6:28 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #19
M12 has strong possibilities for a zombie deck, but it may be better to post a deck idea, get some feedback, and then order singles. Tribal decks (that is, decks focused around a single creature type) are usually the ones I find myself shopping for. Either I trade for what I need or I order it online (trading is preferable, because it's more interaction with other players and it gets rid of stuff you don't need without requiring further investment).
My reasoning is that a deck like the one I picture based on what you want is something with mostly specialized cards. Buying boxes is more suited to expanding collections and trade portfolios, at least in my opinion.
July 16, 2011 7:06 p.m.
Yea I would wait until You see what you have before buying another booster box. Then I would buy singles. Also make a deck and Ill feature it for you. So that way you can get criticism and better idea's And more insight on what will run better together. check out my deck's if you want hell copy and paste them if you want. I have one that is on the top deck list now that is called bloodthirsty Obliterator. Might give you a idea of a deck with the Than mainly has m12 and Phyrexia cards.
July 16, 2011 9:26 p.m.
I left my booster boxes at my friends. I haven't open them yet and accidentally left them there. We are going back to the store and he is buying a boxset (2012) for me and he is getting Mirrdion Besiged boxset. Not really sure why but I am not complaining :D.
I will post a deck sometime today or tomorrow. The guy and the store gave me some recommendations because he has been playing for 10 or so years. He is the stores magic expert and he is a nice guy.
I really appreciate what you guys are doing for me. I will be glad to hear feedback.
Also, what are your thoughts on Geth, the Lord Vault. I was thinking of putting him in my deck but is it too much if I have 4 grave titans?
Again, I will post my deck soon
July 18, 2011 12:23 p.m.
Yea I think so I saw the one you had started you just need to finish it. And If you and your friend plan on combining yall's collection you could be looking at a hole lot of good cards. and maybe a hell of alot of good ones for trade.
July 18, 2011 12:50 p.m.
I am finishing the deck now. I will post a comment when I am done.
July 20, 2011 9:34 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #28
You kind of want to be careful about your mana curve (the pattern of converted mana costs of cards in your deck) when you choose bomb cards. The more expensive cards you put in om terms of mana cost, the more you are in danger of not being able to play them when you draw them (you don't have enough mana out, etc.).
http://tappedout.net/mtg-articles/2011/jun/3/standard-deviations-understanding-metagame/
That's HammerAndSickled's article on the metagame and deck archetypes. Definitely worth a quick read - it's not too long.
A control-based deck would probably be able to handle 4x Grave Titan s better than an aggro deck. However, we will need to see the whole deck before we say with certainty.
theemptyquiver says... #2
I wouldn't buy two more fat packs.
I would get the the 2012 core box, and then spend the money you saved by not purchasing the 2nd fat pack to buy singles of uncommons and rares you need to flesh out a deck.
You should get a good mix of cards from the core set box.
Each set that releases I usually get one or two boxes for myself and then I participate in drafts to get additional cards and learn about the other cards.
Good luck. Let us know what deck you make so we can help you flesh it out and streamline it.
July 16, 2011 12:08 a.m.