I'm looking at getting back into Magic the Gathering (in real life) after 7 years of not playing.
I am only interested in Type-2 play.
To cut to the chase: I'm bringing my older brother into the game with me a little bit (the deal is he has me learn D&D so I play with him, and he in turn learns MTG so he can play with me). Since Return to Ravnica isn't out yet, we're looking at the Innistrad block to buy packs from. M13 doesn't look like such a great choice to buy a box of packs from, given the low number of valuable cards.
So what we want: We want to buy a box of magic packs that will stay in type-2 play for a while, and we want to pick a box which will have packs that will give the best value for the money spent.
The reason we aren't buying singles and getting them shipped to us is because we want to do some drafting play with each other (12 packs each, two decks each, we open a pack and decide whether to put that pack in pile #1 or pile #2, from which it cannot be removed, and then we play best of 3 between the two decks we create).
I would say Innistrad. It has alot of good cards like Snapcaster Mage and Garruk Relentless that will remain staples in Type 2 play for the year. Plus drafting triple Innistrad, whichever way you do it, is awesome. It's very interactive and there are cool archetypes to build like Spider Spawning and Burning Vengeance. I never drafted triple Dark Acension, it's not really meant to be drafted alone, and triple Avacyn was a boring and lame format IMO.
If you look at deck list they are saturated with cards from those sets. INN has snapcaster, lands, geist of St Traft, and lilliana. That is about it. You are better off buying singles for decks from INN.
For draft INN + DA was probably one of the best draft sets EVER. You are aiming for a type of deck. Color didn't matter. Each type of deck has specific cards you wanted. Many many drafts I was in the same colors as the person on my left and right but we all came out with good decks because we were aiming for different decks. The real key that format was knowing when a certain deck was open to draft for.
Yeah, Avacyn Restored will give you the best $ return, but the return on buying ANY booster box is still a joke compared to buying singles... so I assume that your draft plans are more important to you than the value aspect.
Assuming that, buy Innistrad, and it's not close. 3x Innistrad is widely regarded as one of the best draft formats of all time (it's my personal favorite, and if you poll a bunch of people on the Top X draft formats, I bet Rise of the Eldrazi, Ravnica, and Innistrad are going to make the most appearances on those lists). Dark Ascension was never meant to be drafted by itself, and Avacyn Restored is a pretty lame draft format. And the value on Innistrad isn't terrible (for a booster box) thanks to Snapcaster ($20ish) and several lands that are worth a few bucks each all at Rare (plus a couple mythics that are worth something).
Oh, and you may know this, but from the way you phrased your question I'm not sure: all of the sets in Innistrad block will be legal in Standard for the same amount of time. The whole block will stick around until it rotates out as a unit in Fall 2013.
Value wise FOR NOW AVR is the best set. However it also has the highest "dud" rate.
What i mean by that is that the Mythic/Rares slot, the most played are the highest value, but thats a low percentage. The mythics are very bad for this.
ISD, however, has the highest EV rate, because the cards are more playable. This means that, after SOM block rotates, odds are these cards go up higher than AVR, especially Lands. Besides that, Snapcaster is a VERY good card to get a hold of.
Based on that fact, and the fact ISD/ISD/ISD is one of the best draft sets like...ever, i would buy a box of Innistrad
I would say Dark Ascension is worth getting a few packs. It doesn't have as many money mythics as AvR, or the wealth of rares like Innistrad but you will get playables.
At uncommon you have Lingering Souls, Strangleroot Geist, the 4 tripe captains and many more. Many good commons as well and as a short run set I think the cards have the most upside at this point.
Frankly if I buy any packs between now and September they will be DA and INN.
Another vote for Innistrad but I would throw in some DKA packs to try drafting DII as well. DKA also has some very good cards, i.e. Lingering Souls, Strangleroot Geist, Huntmaster.
INN is nice but there's really only a few cards carrying it. I really like DKA, it's filled with GREAT uncommons that make up for your bad/cheap rares. DKA is the only set in(INN block) which I actually bought a box and got almost all of my money back from card value. It's a great middle block since like forever.
INN has dual lands and many great cards. It's a 249 card set making it hard to get valuables from. AVR is a good close call, but either one is a good choice. DKA, not so hot overall. I don't see where people think AVR is bad for the topic at hand. The uncommons are the best DKA holds and uncommons are... uncommon. Cheap as singles.
Innistrad and Dark Ascension is what I played when I started playing Magic. It was so much fun. If your brother is new, he will probably get hooked like I did. I am speaking from Limited (the game type, not my knowledge (though that is arguable)) experience, however.
It is worth noting that I was absolutely horrendous for about 2 months. But it was still so much fun. I actually went to a SCG Open 2 months after I started playing (because why the hell not) and got Top 8 in a SCG Open Draft which was INN/INN/DKA with Increasing Confusion.
Sorry to brag, but what I mean to say is that even a baddie can have fun and do well with the cards in a Dark Ascension and Innstrad because the cards are so well made that even a clown baddie like me can do well and build a strong deck even after a limited time being able to play with the set and Magic in general.
Innistrad and Dark Ascension is what I played when I started playing Magic. It was so much fun. If your brother is new, he will probably get hooked like I did. I am speaking from Limited (the game type, not my knowledge (though that is arguable)) experience, however.
It is worth noting that I was absolutely horrendous for about 2 months. But it was still so much fun. I actually went to a SCG Open 2 months after I started playing (because why the hell not) and got Top 8 in a SCG Open Draft which was INN/INN/DKA with Increasing Confusion.
Sorry to brag, but what I mean to say is that even a baddie can have fun and do well with the cards in a Dark Ascension and Innstrad because the cards are so well made that even a clown baddie like me can do well and build a strong deck even after a limited time being able to play with the set and Magic in general.
At a triple-DKA draft I was at once someone managed to get three increasing confusions, one or two of which was passed to him. He probably would've won but he got some ****ty draws. Triple DKA doesn't make for a very balanced draft, though.
I have been playing Magic since 1995, stopped playing multiple times. The sets that brought me back were Ravnica and Innistrad. Innistrad is one of the best sets in along long time, and if you can only get 1 box, get Innistrad.
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Playing Magic Since 1995 -
Best Standard of all time was "Scars/12/Innistrad"
Fav Cards of all time: Geist of Saint Traft; Kaalia of the Vast
If your set on buying packs/boxes. I'm going to have to suggest that M13 might be the best. Core sets are typically very balanced color wise so you shouldn't have too much trouble building sealed pools or drafting. Most things will be very straight forward in teaching another person to play. Another perk to the core sets is that most of the commons/uncommons fit a wide range of standard decks and you will have a good basis for your collection moving forward. Innistrad was a great draft format, arguably one of the best ever. I bought multiple boxes of it. AVR probably has the best dollar per pack value in standard right now, but the limited format is horrid.
Innistrad by far...Delver, Snapcaster, geist, enemy m10 duals, lily, Garruk all good value cards...most will hold value because they are played in multiple
Formats. Even the lands see
Fringe play in modern.
AVR has Tomiyo (prolly still over valued), cavern of souls (as solid as
Inn cards) and restoration
Angel (good but unsure future)
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Current Decks
Standard BEtched Champion/InfectB WSoilders/knightsW WUVenser SplicerWU RRDWR GFeed the Pack comboG WUPool of ExhaustionWU
EDH GEzuri, Elf OverrunG BGeth, GraverobberB UThada Adel, ThiefU RUrabrask, Big RedR WElesh Norn, CrusadeW WUGAngus Makenzie, Bant ControlWUG
The nicest thing about Innistrad as a limited format is the fact that it had a lot of variance and flavor. While you had your obvious archetypes in the format (lol, spider spawning) you also had some other fringe stuff that was really fun to try and force. I always tried to force Burning Vengeance in triple Innistrad limited, and it worked a fair enough amount of the time. It was also hilariously fun to try and force mill, even though it wasn't actually that good until Dark Ascension.
So I've gotten some mixed feedback, but the general consensus seems to be that Innistrad is the way to go.
I want to confirm this. I played MWS actively while Dark Ascension was out (played type 2). I haven't actually played the real game in-person in forever (7-ish years). From what I remember, DKA was a little boring, and Innistrad had a few rares that were awesome and a bunch that were absolutely crap for competitive standard play.
Is Avacyn Restored really a bad choice? I just want to confirm this. I will be going with Innistrad if that is the case.
I may be getting one box for the $ value of packs (maybe...), and one box for the draft value.
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I am only interested in Type-2 play.
To cut to the chase: I'm bringing my older brother into the game with me a little bit (the deal is he has me learn D&D so I play with him, and he in turn learns MTG so he can play with me). Since Return to Ravnica isn't out yet, we're looking at the Innistrad block to buy packs from. M13 doesn't look like such a great choice to buy a box of packs from, given the low number of valuable cards.
So what we want: We want to buy a box of magic packs that will stay in type-2 play for a while, and we want to pick a box which will have packs that will give the best value for the money spent.
The reason we aren't buying singles and getting them shipped to us is because we want to do some drafting play with each other (12 packs each, two decks each, we open a pack and decide whether to put that pack in pile #1 or pile #2, from which it cannot be removed, and then we play best of 3 between the two decks we create).
If you look at deck list they are saturated with cards from those sets. INN has snapcaster, lands, geist of St Traft, and lilliana. That is about it. You are better off buying singles for decks from INN.
For draft INN + DA was probably one of the best draft sets EVER. You are aiming for a type of deck. Color didn't matter. Each type of deck has specific cards you wanted. Many many drafts I was in the same colors as the person on my left and right but we all came out with good decks because we were aiming for different decks. The real key that format was knowing when a certain deck was open to draft for.
Because we care about facts.
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Value: AVR
Playables: Innistrad
My DCI ELO Ratings - May they rest in peace :'(
Assuming that, buy Innistrad, and it's not close. 3x Innistrad is widely regarded as one of the best draft formats of all time (it's my personal favorite, and if you poll a bunch of people on the Top X draft formats, I bet Rise of the Eldrazi, Ravnica, and Innistrad are going to make the most appearances on those lists). Dark Ascension was never meant to be drafted by itself, and Avacyn Restored is a pretty lame draft format. And the value on Innistrad isn't terrible (for a booster box) thanks to Snapcaster ($20ish) and several lands that are worth a few bucks each all at Rare (plus a couple mythics that are worth something).
Oh, and you may know this, but from the way you phrased your question I'm not sure: all of the sets in Innistrad block will be legal in Standard for the same amount of time. The whole block will stick around until it rotates out as a unit in Fall 2013.
What i mean by that is that the Mythic/Rares slot, the most played are the highest value, but thats a low percentage. The mythics are very bad for this.
ISD, however, has the highest EV rate, because the cards are more playable. This means that, after SOM block rotates, odds are these cards go up higher than AVR, especially Lands. Besides that, Snapcaster is a VERY good card to get a hold of.
Based on that fact, and the fact ISD/ISD/ISD is one of the best draft sets like...ever, i would buy a box of Innistrad
Thanks Hero's of the Plane
Modern
-------------
xRxAffinityxRx
At uncommon you have Lingering Souls, Strangleroot Geist, the 4 tripe captains and many more. Many good commons as well and as a short run set I think the cards have the most upside at this point.
Frankly if I buy any packs between now and September they will be DA and INN.
It is worth noting that I was absolutely horrendous for about 2 months. But it was still so much fun. I actually went to a SCG Open 2 months after I started playing (because why the hell not) and got Top 8 in a SCG Open Draft which was INN/INN/DKA with Increasing Confusion.
Sorry to brag, but what I mean to say is that even a baddie can have fun and do well with the cards in a Dark Ascension and Innstrad because the cards are so well made that even a clown baddie like me can do well and build a strong deck even after a limited time being able to play with the set and Magic in general.
To be fair, Increasing Confusion is a busted-ass card in limited.
Because we care about facts.
Heh, yeah it is. Mill for double digits on turn 5 = 1/3 of their deck = easy wins
At a triple-DKA draft I was at once someone managed to get three increasing confusions, one or two of which was passed to him. He probably would've won but he got some ****ty draws. Triple DKA doesn't make for a very balanced draft, though.
Best Standard of all time was "Scars/12/Innistrad"
Fav Cards of all time: Geist of Saint Traft; Kaalia of the Vast
Formats. Even the lands see
Fringe play in modern.
AVR has Tomiyo (prolly still over valued), cavern of souls (as solid as
Inn cards) and restoration
Angel (good but unsure future)
BEtched Champion/InfectB
WSoilders/knightsW
WUVenser SplicerWU
RRDWR
GFeed the Pack comboG
WUPool of ExhaustionWU
EDH
GEzuri, Elf OverrunG
BGeth, GraverobberB
UThada Adel, ThiefU
RUrabrask, Big RedR
WElesh Norn, CrusadeW
WUGAngus Makenzie, Bant ControlWUG
Extended
WGElvesWG
Legacy
RGoblinsR
UBGFariesUBG
UBGRaffinityUBG
Because we care about facts.
I want to confirm this. I played MWS actively while Dark Ascension was out (played type 2). I haven't actually played the real game in-person in forever (7-ish years). From what I remember, DKA was a little boring, and Innistrad had a few rares that were awesome and a bunch that were absolutely crap for competitive standard play.
Is Avacyn Restored really a bad choice? I just want to confirm this. I will be going with Innistrad if that is the case.
I may be getting one box for the $ value of packs (maybe...), and one box for the draft value.