Unfortunately...
General forum
Posted on March 12, 2016, 3:16 p.m. by ninjaclevs13
Yesterday I told people my story on magic: the Redditing ((https://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/comments/49zywi/is_magic_really_worth_it/)). I then asked if magic was worth it. The overwhelming answer was no. I was then wondering, what other hobbies are similar to magic but not as expensive? I love magic more than anything but I don't have money or cards to play it. Magic wasn't meant for 15 year olds I guess. Any suggestions?
Raging_Squiggle says... #3
You could play on MTG computer programs like xMage? It's a free tool to use and it enforces the rules so it's mostly reliable from what I've been told.
You could also go official and use Mtg Online. It is probably cheaper than paper, so it's more forgiving to younger players.
March 12, 2016 3:29 p.m.
ducttapedeckbox says... #4
MTGO is an option but it does take away from some of the social aspect of the game. There's not really any way to play it for free.
March 12, 2016 3:32 p.m.
LOL YES. MtG is totally worth it. Have you considered picking up playing limited or EDH? Both can be done with relatively little money and EDH doesn't even rotate. It's a format that allows you to make whatever you want of it. You can just pick up a commander precon and maybe work on it little by little.
You don't necessarily need to play tournament level decks either. I have a friend (complete lunatic) who loses standard. He's played budget decks for the past 4 years. His creations are never worth more than $50 unless he gets to convert his prize money into cards. He usually top8s at FNM just because he's an excellent player even when he plays at rather competitive stores.
March 12, 2016 3:49 p.m.
VampireArmy says... #7
Question: why are you letting random annons on the internet decide if something is worth it to you? Do you like to play mtg? If so, do you like playing it in a serious environment? Does the money feel well spent?
March 12, 2016 5:49 p.m.
ninjaclevs13 says... #8
I can't determine if the money would be spent well or not because I have no money to spend in the first place
March 12, 2016 5:54 p.m.
VampireArmy says... #9
in which case, my only reply can be to advise a change in priorities
March 12, 2016 6:43 p.m.
The_Redpill says... #10
I think I'm in a similar situation as you. Being young and not being able to afford something you love is a little irritating. I don't have much money to spend, so I play budget decks. Anything under $50. They usually won't be as good as the competitive decks, but I only play casually among friends who also mostly play budget, so it's okay. If you still want to play Magic, then I suggest that you start (or continue) playing casually so you don't have to spend a lot to even be able to play. Staying out of Standard and MTGO helps with this too. Also, is the money a personal problem or is your family having financial problems? (You don't need to answer) If it is personal - you, yourself can't get money - then it is your choice whether or not to keep playing, although it is very easy to play for <$20. However, if your family is having money problems, then I suggest you give it up, or maybe a friend can give you a deck they don't use. I got my first cards (~350 from RTR and Theros) from a friend for $10. As stated before, it really is up to you and whether you personally think it is worth it. Ask yourself: Am I happy when I play? That will help you decide.
Sorry I was all over the place. Feel free to message me if you have questions.
March 12, 2016 9:39 p.m.
CharlesMandore says... #11
Defy the consensus, break the rules and print proxies like there is no tomorrow.
March 12, 2016 10:42 p.m.
It depends a lot on who you play against. If you have several friends in a similar boat, like a club, clique at school, or just kitchen table magic, it's much easier. If you're doing this at the card shop...that's harder. Standard and Modern are DEFINITELY not worth it for you.
That said, you have a few options.
Play Sealed. Sealed is a format where you crack six boosters and make a simple 60-card deck with it. Wizards makes their expansions so most sealed decks will be balanced against other sealed decks of the same expansion, which makes building more decks later easy.
Play EDH Multiplayer. It's counterintuitive, but it's actually cheaper and easier to build a cogent EDH deck than a standard. In fact, 2-3 sealed decks from different sets + $10 for a commander can usually make a playable (but not great) commander deck. If your group is OK with a few proxies you can even play some pretty powerful decks for the budget. The downside is that EDH is a slow, politicking format that not everyone enjoys.
Make a Cube. This is probably the most involved, but if you've got 5+ people who love magic and are in the same boat you are, you should think about it. Almost nobody cares about proxies in cube, which means the barrier to entry is much lower than you would think.
...Although it's not zero. You will need almost 600 cardsleeves for a 360 card cube and the lands, which is NOT cheap. And cube REALLY likes having quality sleeves from a brand like KMC or Dragonshield.
March 12, 2016 11:50 p.m.
KillDatBUG says... #13
Alright, here's the thing. When I started, I was 14. Didn't have a job, and only had a starter deck. However, I managed to get from that... all the way to a $2000+ dollar collection in just a few years. Of that, I estimate that I've only spent a few hundred. And it's very simple! All I did was:
Trade
Buy cards
Sell cards
Play the game
I'm telling you man, it's possible. As long as you believe, MTG is worth it!
March 13, 2016 12:08 a.m.
Rasta_Viking29 says... #14
Magic is a fun hobby when you have disposable income and free time. If you're making sacrfices or really having to budget hard to make Magic a part of your life then I would set it aside until I stepped my shit up.
March 13, 2016 12:27 a.m.
There are a lot of ways to play Magic without spending a ton of money. As someone who knows what you're going through, here's how to play the game you love without dropping loads of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
Build an EDH deck. Seriously, there are so many budget alternatives, and the precon decks are actually pretty solid.
Build a pauper deck and play Kitchen Table and or Pauper Tournaments.
Play limited. Drafting is by far the easiest way to MAKE Money off playing Magic. Not only does it allow you to build a binder, but if you Top 3 enough, you can build store credit and play for free. I currently have 90+ packs I've won that I can turn into whatever I want. Usually, I just take 3 from my credit and draft. I will normally Top 3, which nets me another 3+ and I will sell back the money cards I opened.
Some/Most stores will have a deck or 2 for players who don't have one, who wants to play FNM. They are normally budget, but sometimes they are pretty decent.
March 13, 2016 12:36 a.m.
I agree with the crowd that says you should buy an EDH Precon. EDH is a very fun format, and the Precons are a great starting point in terms of both power and investment.
March 13, 2016 1:23 a.m.
ninjaclevs13 says... #17
Thank you to everyone who gave suggestions. There are a few problems though. My parents at really busy and don't have time to drive me to shops far away, so I go to one close to my house, but it is quite small. They really only play EDH and standard. They aren't a specifically a mtg store either, they do warhammer 40k too. Sealed sounds fun, really actually, but I have no way of playing it. As for casual, I only know of one other person that plays it near me. I guess playtesting by myself will have to do for now. I will just get a job and ask for cards for my birthday/christmas. Slow, but adds up over time. Again, thanks everyone who helped. If you know not anyone who is trying to get rid of their collection or don't want their cards anymore just let me know
March 13, 2016 1:50 a.m.
Speak to people in your store and ask if theyd be interested in playing pauper (only commons) or peasant (commons and uncommons).
You can acquire commons and uncommons for virtually no money and both pauper and peasant are fantastic formats and actually quite powerful.
But you'd have to go to the shop near you and talk to people and ask them if they'd be interested. If no one near you plays formats you're interested in then you need to communicate with them and request that they give it a go so that you can feel included.
ducttapedeckbox says... #2
Heartstone is an online card game that requires no investment. That's about all I know about it.
March 12, 2016 3:25 p.m.