Teaching Deck
Deck Help forum
Posted on April 2, 2012, 4 p.m. by Gaeroval
I'm looking to build a couple of very simple decks to use to teach my son magic. I just want something that will cover all the basics without getting too complicated, and maybe give him a base for starting to build his own decks in the future. I can't seem to find anything that fits the bill online. He is six years old but has about a third grade reading level. Any suggestions?
Stegosaurus says... #3
I learned quite easily from the Sixth Edition set. I don't recall there being any complicated features, plus the artwork was appealing while still being generic enough not to distract. Seventh Edition cards were pretty much the same. I found both sets to be a good entry level foundation.
I would assume any core set would have the same advantage, though the recent starter packs were all specialized to some goal, so you might want to sub out a handful of cards to keep it more generic.
April 2, 2012 5:22 p.m.
Ohthenoises says... #4
I learned with mono green ramp. Easy to win games and it appeals to most kids as it usually is "make big creature, smash face" but green has its own trickiness when it comes to pump spells (when to use them and in what situations) and sometimes that can take a in-depth understanding of stack mechanics. I believe that I agree with Epochalyptik that red and green are the two easiest to learn with. They are both similar in many regards but I would suggest this as well: Build a budget deck of each color and let him play them. If he gravitates towards one color over the other then you could build a "better" deck from there.
April 2, 2012 5:42 p.m.
Thanks for the advice guys. I sold my collection several years ago and am just starting back up. My son found a couple of straggler cards that didn't get sold and showed an interest. If I still had my collection I'm sure I wouldn't have any problem throwing together a couple of decks, but I just don't know enough cards off the top of my head to just grab them quick at the store. Any other ideas about good cards to include would be much appreciated.
April 2, 2012 8:09 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #6
If you're just starting back up and don't mind spending a few bucks, consider going to your local shop and buying an intro deck or two. That's the fastest way to get a playable yet simple deck. Otherwise you're going to be piecing something together from commons and uncommons you scrounge.
What kind of deck do you want to build?
April 2, 2012 8:41 p.m.
I would say definitely build something mono-colored out of a core set. If you're looking to rebuild your collection you might could try a few M12 Intro Packs and a Fat Pack or Deck Builder's Toolkit. I don't see much of a problem with trying to build a White deck out of M12 cards, just so long as you avoid Pacifism and control cards unless your son is going to be playing with them.
Although I would say to make him a Green deck. Druidic Satchel might be worth hunting down to teach him about recognizing card types quickly and doing stuff at the end of your opponent's turn. And if he likes dinosaurs, Alpha Tyrranax.
April 2, 2012 9:02 p.m.
I plan on just building a deck here and there, rather than putting a bunch of money in all at once to rebuild my collection. If my son really gets into it that may be an option later. As far as what kind of deck I'm just looking for a couple of very simple decks that my son and I can use while he is learning.
April 2, 2012 9:15 p.m.
Strangely enough, the deck I first learned to play with was U/W Control (obviously a very budget-crippled version that my friends threw together). Probably explains why I have never enjoyed playing anything other than U/x Control.
Red- and green-based aggro decks seem to be the conventional wisdom for how to teach the game. They are rather hollow and unfulfilling once you get a better grasp of the game, but they are a good place to start.
April 2, 2012 11:38 p.m.
SwiftDeath says... #10
I did the same for my cousin and these are the two decks I used they have both forms of play excluding combo because that is way to confusing for starting players.
April 3, 2012 12:05 a.m.
rckclimber777 says... #12
I would agree with Epochalyptik on this one. Go with Green or Red or a combination of the two. I'd actually go with the last one.
Perhaps some easy includes would be Lightning Bolt, Rampant Growth, Garruk's Companion, Llanowar Elves, Pyroclasm, Acidic Slime (maybe for the deathtouch), Giant Growth. Consider some basic enchantments and artifacts as well.
Whenever I build a starter deck, I like to have a solid creature base, but also a decent amount of other types of spells such as instants, sorceries, enchantments etc. That way they get used to all types of cards. I've also found that lifegain decks do moderately well for beginners.
April 3, 2012 11:24 a.m.
Ohthenoises says... #13
There is a r/g starter deck from m12 right now btw. Entangling webs. It has a minor control aspect in Arachnus Web but it's r/g. I know you said you didn't want to go out and buy a bunch but I'm pretty sure you're safe with a starter deck.
All m12 decklists can be found here: http://www.wizards.com/magic/tcg/productarticle.aspx?x=mtg/tcg/magic2012/themedeck
April 3, 2012 11:37 a.m.
Thanks for all the help guys! SwiftDeath, those look like great starter decks, especially since I should be able to build either at my local magic store for about 15 bucks! I'll probably use sounds of the forest or something very much like it, along with a red deck using the ideas everybody put forward. Thanks again everybody.
Epochalyptik says... #2
A mono-green deck is probably the best place to start. Green can provide a good build without much complication. Try some simple cards like Rampant Growth
to teach tutoring/searching, Duskdale Wurm
for trample and a "good" finisher, and Llanowar Elves
for a simple activated/mana ability.
Red can also offer simplicity. Goblin Arsonist
for on-death effects, Fiery Hellhound
for activated abilities and combat tricks, Shock
or Lightning Bolt
for direct damage and targeting, Lightning Elemental
for haste, Chandra's Spitfire
for evasion and triggered abilities, and Prodigal Pyromancer
for pinging.
Think about the most basic concepts and build a deck to teach those first. I would stay away from the Esper colors (WUB), since white and black can be kind of tricky and blue requires a deeper understanding of stack mechanics.
April 2, 2012 4:09 p.m.