Welcome to the latest edition of the Magic: The Gathering thread, a wondrous thread dedicated to those Magic enthusiasts with refined taste, who enjoy a fine draft played in nothing but their socks and a pint of beer at their side. Come in, relax awhile, and feel free to recount your saltiest moments at the kitchen table.
A Guide for the New and Returning Player
A Guide for the New and Returning Player
As it goes with most things, players enter and exit the game with some regularity. Similarly, the game changes with the introduction of every new set and the costs to play are always in flux due to the various economic conditions and overall popularity of the game. So how you gonna stay on top of a thing?
To start: Rules Primer for New and Returning Players
If, after reading that primer, you feel the urge to make a post complaining about how Mogg Fanatic is terrible now — don't. No one cares anymore.
Presumably the other thing on your mind, as a new and/or returning player, is "how large my debt grow?" This is understandable and largely why I'm writing this. As a service to you, and the thread, an outline of the fundamental costs associated with the most popular formats:
Limited (Booster Draft / Sealed) - As these formats are wholly dependent on you acquiring unopened product, the cost is nigh indeterminable but can be astronomical for the beginner or bad player. Be very cautious about entering into the game and heading straight to the draft queues. Expenditures of ~$15 will quickly multiply and you will be broke as fuck; dedicated drafters become masters of the ephemeral collection, trading all cards of value for store credit/MODO tix to amass a stack of unopened packs for the next draft.
Standard - Arguably the most popular constructed format, currently comprised of the two most recent "blocks" + the most recent Core set; however, Magic is transitioning to a different structure of two-set blocks and no Core Set, so Standard will eventually be the six most recent sets. As with most constructed formats, Standard has a high cost of entry that is partially exacerbated by the fact that the format rotates frequently and players have to "re-up". This cost can be diminished through quick market decisions and much praying that the core components of your deck are reprinted.
Modern - The Modern format is a so-called "eternal" format comprised of everything printed with the modern border, so effectively 8th Edition forward. While there are no rotations, there are periodic bans of specific cards which tend to cause shifts in the metagame and shake up the Magic economy. Entering Modern (or any of the eternal formats) is not cheap, but it is very popular and offers opportunities to play many of the archetypal styles of Magic that no longer see print (like Storm combo).
Besides the above, popular formats include: Legacy, Vintage, Pauper, Commander, and (mostly just online) Momir.
To start: Rules Primer for New and Returning Players
If, after reading that primer, you feel the urge to make a post complaining about how Mogg Fanatic is terrible now — don't. No one cares anymore.
Presumably the other thing on your mind, as a new and/or returning player, is "how large my debt grow?" This is understandable and largely why I'm writing this. As a service to you, and the thread, an outline of the fundamental costs associated with the most popular formats:
Limited (Booster Draft / Sealed) - As these formats are wholly dependent on you acquiring unopened product, the cost is nigh indeterminable but can be astronomical for the beginner or bad player. Be very cautious about entering into the game and heading straight to the draft queues. Expenditures of ~$15 will quickly multiply and you will be broke as fuck; dedicated drafters become masters of the ephemeral collection, trading all cards of value for store credit/MODO tix to amass a stack of unopened packs for the next draft.
Standard - Arguably the most popular constructed format, currently comprised of the two most recent "blocks" + the most recent Core set; however, Magic is transitioning to a different structure of two-set blocks and no Core Set, so Standard will eventually be the six most recent sets. As with most constructed formats, Standard has a high cost of entry that is partially exacerbated by the fact that the format rotates frequently and players have to "re-up". This cost can be diminished through quick market decisions and much praying that the core components of your deck are reprinted.
Modern - The Modern format is a so-called "eternal" format comprised of everything printed with the modern border, so effectively 8th Edition forward. While there are no rotations, there are periodic bans of specific cards which tend to cause shifts in the metagame and shake up the Magic economy. Entering Modern (or any of the eternal formats) is not cheap, but it is very popular and offers opportunities to play many of the archetypal styles of Magic that no longer see print (like Storm combo).
Besides the above, popular formats include: Legacy, Vintage, Pauper, Commander, and (mostly just online) Momir.
