Magic: The Gathering

[Thraben]

Any other fans of Magic here? If so, what formats/decks are you running? I'm currently running R/G Kessig Wolf Run Ravager in standard and U/R Storm in modern. When Avacyn Restored comes out I want to build either a B/W or R/W standard deck depending upon which seems more viable and then try and shift to a R/B aggro deck when the block rotates.

[Callie Del Noire]

Sorry.. Free and clear for 16 years now. No Crack:The Addiction for me. Somewhere in my parents attic is a box of Alphas, Betas and one of the nastiest Artifact decks ever made. (from the Artifacts supplement that came out after Arabian Nights)

[Thraben]

Sorry.. Free and clear for 16 years now. No Crack:The Addiction for me. Somewhere in my parents attic is a box of Alphas, Betas and one of the nastiest Artifact decks ever made. (from the Artifacts supplement that came out after Arabian Nights)

You should dig that stuff up and sell it. Most local game stores will give cash for good quality or rare Alpha/Beta cards or you could just straight up Ebay it all. You can snag a couple dollars for basic land alone if it's in good condition, a member of the power nine could get you hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

[CaptainErotica]

I used to play Magic. I was even on the pro tour, but I never made it past regionals. I did win the Kamigawa pre-Release booster draft tournement here in Japan. somehow I ended up with an all red, speed Kami deck. The only other deck that gave me problems was a big green beastie deck with some red/black splash. I stopped playing after Kamigawa, since none in my area plays anymore and it was too much of a money sink.

[Callie Del Noire]

You should dig that stuff up and sell it. Most local game stores will give cash for good quality or rare Alpha/Beta cards or you could just straight up Ebay it all. You can snag a couple dollars for basic land alone if it's in good condition, a member of the power nine could get you hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

To this day I remember on game at A-school.  I killed EVERYONE at the table in one hand. Three dingus eggs, a copy artifact and one Armageddon. Say hello to the term Pyrric Victory. 

[Roleplay Frog]

I think on all schools there are people that play magic, and on all schools theres one guy that just beats them all easily in the end, the kind of guy it takes to care to respond to this here I think :p

I just like my reanimator, no matter what they say about it it's just fun. for those people I really hate there's an almost mono blue stasis deck to really mess things up.

[CaptainErotica]

  Yeah I went to A-school before Magic came out. Actually it was out (94), but wasn't very popular yet.

[Callie Del Noire]

  Yeah I went to A-school before Magic came out. Actually it was out (94), but wasn't very popular yet.

I was playing it in Millington in 94/95.

[BraveEarth]

I'm being sucked into it around here, although I am vowing to only build one deck... >> Really.

[CaptainErotica]

Good luck with that. Once you get bitten you'll be making deck after deck after deck.

[Thraben]

I'm being sucked into it around here, although I am vowing to only build one deck... >> Really.

What deck/format did you have in mind? And yeah, as was said, good luck with that. This game really is cardboard crack, you may want to start with Standard but then next thing you know you've got a Casual deck, a Modern deck, an EDH deck and you're taking out a loan to finish off your Legacy and Vintage decks.

[BraveEarth]

Meh I have experience with Card games and deck making, if I find a concept I can really latch on to I can be satisfied with that although modifying the deck for the local metagame is where the sink comes in. I like Milling... so yeah...

[CaptainErotica]

 Where they really get you is, when they release new sets. You have your favorite deck that you enjoy playing and you can win with it on a regular basis. Bam! The next set comes out and either the new cards make your deck obsolete or you just can't compete with the newer decks, or you just see some new cards that have "awesome" written all over them. -loves him some Spiritmongers-. next thing you know your deck looks nothing like it did a few months/weeks/days ago. And you ended up dropping $100 on a box of boosters just to get one copy of the one card in the set you wanted.

[Roleplay Frog]

That would be true, if not the best edition of all time, Urzas block hadn't come out already.

[Thraben]

And you ended up dropping $100 on a box of boosters just to get one copy of the one card in the set you wanted.

That's where many people go wrong. I've only been playing for a few months but I've already learned that it's way cheaper to buy singles and just build the deck you want. The only time I buy boosters is if I have some spare change or if I'm planning to draft, otherwise I trade cards in for credit and use the credit to build the deck I want.

[Roleplay Frog]

good approach. what deck you wanting?

[Thraben]

good approach. what deck you wanting?

Not exactly sure yet. I'm competing in a Standard tournament tonight so if R/G Kessig continues to do well I might hold onto it but depending upon what comes out with Avacyn Restored I think I might starting selling off parts of it. The swords and titans wont stay in the $30 range when this block rotates out so I can get a much better value for them now and I prefer playing aggro decks to ramp decks anyways.

[WindVoyager]

*raises hand and jumps up[ and down*

I play strictly casual, tried T2 a few times and it was just way to expensive and it's pretty much the same decks over and over again. Every one here net decks.

Right now I have a Myr deck and mono blue Stormtide. Is working on a r\g agro and a mono green agro.

I'm not too impressed with the newest sets, most the cards I want from them are c\UNcs and some cheap rares.

[Roleplay Frog]

Not exactly sure yet. I'm competing in a Standard tournament tonight so if R/G Kessig continues to do well I might hold onto it but depending upon what comes out with Avacyn Restored I think I might starting selling off parts of it. The swords and titans wont stay in the $30 range when this block rotates out so I can get a much better value for them now and I prefer playing aggro decks to ramp decks anyways.

Avacyn restored. they come up with weird crap lately.

my hint is finding something that is just FUN ignoring the mechanics. you wouldn't believe the decks I beat with my luck deck and a Fiery gambit in the last second.

[Callie Del Noire]

One of my favorites was the Red/Blue deck I had. Lots of goblins with fun things like unstable mutation and such.

[Thraben]

I play strictly casual, tried T2 a few times and it was just way to expensive and it's pretty much the same decks over and over again. Every one here net decks.

That's cool, allot of the people I play with play casual as well and I try to keep at least one less competitive but still fun deck, usually something tribal with either a not as good lord or no lord at all (like Angels).

Is working on a r\g agro and a mono green agro.

For both those you need Strangleroot Geist and Vorapede, undying is just such a ridiculous mechanic! For mono-green you can't go wrong with some Dungrove Elders. A really fun and fairly cheap way to play R/G aggro right now is Werewolves, by turn three or four you're swinging with some big creatures and probably have the mayor out. I loved my Werewolf deck before I sold it off to make Kessig.

Avacyn restored. they come up with weird crap lately.

I like it, they're actually taking time to flesh out the planes and create some interesting lore.

my hint is finding something that is just FUN ignoring the mechanics. you wouldn't believe the decks I beat with my luck deck and a Fiery gambit in the last second.

I did that for awhile but I'm too competitive and I like having a singular pool of cards that everyone has accesses too (as opposed to Casual where you could play any set) so I started making competitive Standard decks and entering tournaments. I usually have fun decks by drafting at FNM or with friends and making ridiculous deck concepts.

One of my favorites was the Red/Blue deck I had. Lots of goblins with fun things like unstable mutation and such.

Yeah R/U is pretty fun, you can't go wrong with burn + control + storm.

[Roleplay Frog]

I like it, they're actually taking time to flesh out the planes and create some interesting lore.

I did that for awhile but I'm too competitive and I like having a singular pool of cards that everyone has accesses too (as opposed to Casual where you could play any set) so I started making competitive Standard decks and entering tournaments. I usually have fun decks by drafting at FNM or with friends and making ridiculous deck concepts.

Yeah, this whole plane stuff is what I ment with weird crap:P

My favourite rediculous concept apart from coin tossin is Barren Glory.

[WindVoyager]

For both those you need Strangleroot Geist and Vorapede, undying is just such a ridiculous mechanic! For mono-green you can't go wrong with some Dungrove Elders. A really fun and fairly cheap way to play R/G aggro right now is Werewolves, by turn three or four you're swinging with some big creatures and probably have the mayor out. I loved my Werewolf deck before I sold it off to make Kessig.

Don't need and have never needed a Strangleroot Geist. Vorapede costs way too and I have never like werewolves. Its too gimmicky to me. The most my decks have ever cost me was 20$ since I have little interest in the expensive\popular cards.



My Stormtide deck is dirt cheap and has pounded more then a few T2 decks into the ground.

[Geeklet]

So, I used to play MTG back in the day (from Ice Age to just the beginning of Mercadian Masques), then got out due to the store I played at moving away, as well as heading off to college and losing touch with all my friends that used to play. Then, about a year ago, I'm sitting around the house, bored, playing Duels of the Planeswalkers, trying to think of something to do to get out of the house. So I look online to see if there is any place to play MTG, since I still had all my old cards, visit a few stores, and now I have one I play at regularly.

As for the decks I play? Well, Standard, I've really only got 2 decks built, but I've shifted back and forth between many decks for the past few months. Currently I got a 5-color turbo self mill deck, amd R/W Hippoblade. Used to run U/R Delver and B/G Pod as well. Though right now, I'm in the middle of trying to build up a R/W tokens deck. Hellrider + Lingering Souls is insane.

I love me some drafts, though. Any time we can get a draft going at my LGS for FNM, I'm all over it.

The only eternal format I'll probably ever play though is EDH. LOVE LOVE LOVE EDH. Especially with this one guy who has a bunch of the planechase cards, which makes things even crazier. Right now, Ive got 3 EDH decks.
Nin, the Pain Artist (U/R Combo)
Glissa, the Traitor (B/G Control)
Radiant, Archangel (Mono-W flying beatdown)

[Thraben]

The only eternal format I'll probably ever play though is EDH. LOVE LOVE LOVE EDH.

Oh goodness, a friend of mine and I recently got into EDH when we (somewhat drunkenly) realized how good Mayael the Anima is as a commander. Nothing but ramp, land, and creatures with 5 or greater power. We can get a turn 4 Emrakul if all the stars align and his Annihilator 6 means we all but win.

[Geeklet]

I thought Emrakul was banned in EDH? But anyways, I love EDH. If you aren't trying to do something crazy, you are playing the game wrong. :P

[Thraben]

I thought Emrakul was banned in EDH? But anyways, I love EDH. If you aren't trying to do something crazy, you are playing the game wrong. :P

Well that's unfortunate. Apparently he is, but Ulamog and Kozilek aren't and they're pretty solid as well.

[WindVoyager]

Is tempted to rebuild my old EDH deck but it would cost more then my budget would allow and I don't have enough sleeves. I'll have to stick to my cheap budget decks

Pet peeve, newer players who WHINE and whine about how expensive T2 decks are, most costing in the 200$ range and whine even more when some one points out the MTG is a hobby and hobbies cost money.

[RubySlippers]

I have one deck for casual play it has three mana sources, 19 monsters all pretty cheap to summon and 20 cards to just lock down the opponents monsters all enchantments. Oddly effective since the mana costs are generally two or three (seven cards us seven three mana) so I have various special powers on all my monsters. And it is mostly commons and a few uncommon cards no rares.

And it cost me with sleeves under $20 and is a scary piece of work.

[Thraben]

Is tempted to rebuild my old EDH deck but it would cost more then my budget would allow and I don't have enough sleeves. I'll have to stick to my cheap budget decks

Pet peeve, newer players who WHINE and whine about how expensive T2 decks are, most costing in the 200$ range and whine even more when some one points out the MTG is a hobby and hobbies cost money.

Yeah that's pretty annoying, especially when you can trade cards in for credit. Your first deck will cost you some money but if you're smart and trade cards well (before they leave rotation, when they spike in price, etc) you could potentially never have to spend money on a deck again.

[WindVoyager]

I rarely send more the 20$ for my decks. My very first deck was a pre con, it was so long ago I can't remember what it was but I've never spent much on cards. My Stormtide deck costs under 20$ and tends to win more often then not.

And my decks are mostly cheap rares and c\uncs.

Before the only close by card shop closed, there used to be this one bunch of young teens that would come in and do nothing but whine and complain on who expensive popular\hot T2 cards were.

[Roleplay Frog]

I wonder..  anyone able to tell me a bit more about the fairness of cards for credit? .. I don't have top of everything things but I wonder if I could get rid off of some stuff with low inconvenience at my local store. of course serious stuff

(I'm living in germany if htis is an american only thing) ..

Studying and money don't mix.

*hijacks thread*

[Geeklet]

Pet peeve, newer players who WHINE and whine about how expensive T2 decks are, most costing in the 200$ range and whine even more when some one points out the MTG is a hobby and hobbies cost money.

If anyone does that, we typically tell them about the event decks. Not the intro decks, but the event decks Wizards releases a few weeks or so after each set. While they may not be the best decks, they are pretty good for the price point, and give new players a starting ground.

I wonder..  anyone able to tell me a bit more about the fairness of cards for credit? .. I don't have top of everything things but I wonder if I could get rid off of some stuff with low inconvenience at my local store. of course serious stuff

(I'm living in germany if htis is an american only thing) ..

Studying and money don't mix.

*hijacks thread*

Typically, at least at my store, if the card is good enough, they will buy it for a fraction of the price it is worth if someone were to buy it from them (they've got to make money too, you know). Also, there are websites that sell cards that will buy them as well, probably one of the more common ones being Star City Games.

[Thraben]

I wonder..  anyone able to tell me a bit more about the fairness of cards for credit? .. I don't have top of everything things but I wonder if I could get rid off of some stuff with low inconvenience at my local store. of course serious stuff

(I'm living in germany if htis is an american only thing) ..

Studying and money don't mix.

*hijacks thread*

Your best bet is to go in and ask what they're willing to give you. At my LGS they give around 75% credit (more if they really need the card less under some circumstances) and only give cash for really rare cards. The particular store that I choose to go to though lets me use the trade in credit on anything I want, so say I trade in a Goyf for $75 I can take that credit and buy a box set of anime. Most stores however force you to buy more cards with some going as far as making you buy singles. But yeah, your best bet is to just go in and ask what their policy is and if they only give credit and you're looking for cash, try selling on Ebay.

[Roleplay Frog]

hmnn.. I'll give it a twirl.. one day! Ebay is such a hassle.:p