SECOND EDIT: (Pretty much no one suggested legacy or vintage for beginners, so I replaced those with commander. Please cast your votes, as the poll ends soon)
So, based on my research, these are some of the most popular formats (please correct me if I'm wrong on anything)
Standard (60 card decks, only cards from the most recent four block sets)
Modern (Edit: cards from the "modern" era, from 8th edition to present day)
Legacy (Edit: cards from all sets, starting with Alpha)
Vintage (Older cards, only format where cards can be restricted)
Constructed (Construct your own deck. Most of the formats above fall into this category)
Draft (Pay to enter a tournament where everyone builds a deck from three boosters each person; pick one card and pass the rest of the booster to the next person. Land cards can be freely added.)
Sealed (Everyone get six boosters to build a deck from. Land cards can be freely added.)
Which would you suggest for a beginning player, and why?
Edit: Keep in mind that a new player would most likely NOT want to enter competitive tournaments, just go to FNM and have casual matches.
Modern is only 8th edition onwards, which leaves out the first ten years of sets. Legacy is cards from every set since alpha.
I think the best start is playing at the kitchen table with friends. Then move to modern if you want to get more competitive. But really I don't think there is any good entry point for beginners anymore. Wizards really, really want it to be standard but so often those players leave shortly after as soon as their deck rotates out.
Commander, there are actually pre-built decks you can find at Wal Mart that let you play the format with other players out of the box. Every other format requires serious deckbuilding commitments a new player has no way to be prepared for, because the only pre-built product avaliable for them are the Standard-legal "Planeswalker Decks" that are purposedly built to be unable to compete with normal Standard decks.
Keep in mind that I don't plan on entering serious tournaments, only playing casually at local game stores.
Also, everyone on here seems hellbent on making a perfect or near perfect deck as FAST as possible. Why? Isn't part of the joy of the game slowly altering your deck to combat new strategies or just to play around and experiment?
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I'm new to Magic and have a lot of stupid questions. Thanks to everyone in advance who help answer these stupid questions.
The best format to start with is Casual, since it involved no strict tournament rules and is likely going to be the default of how people play the majority of the time. Otherwise the answer is Standard, simply because it involves the most immediately accessible and affordable cards.
If you're planning to play at your local store for FNMs you would play Standard. Just so you know the Battle for Zendikar and Shadows over Innistrad blocks are rotating out at the end of the month.
Modern might be too quick and too "broken" for new players.
Commander can be great if you can find others who play it.
You're certainly entitled to find your own sources of joy, and you would definitely not be alone if brewing and improving is your thing, furthermore the game would be immeasurably poorer without people doing that; but most people enjoy playing a deck that's competitive. In my experience, most players find it easier to learn to play a deck that's already strong than trying to improve a sub-par deck as they're also learning the game itself. Certainly not everybody feels that way, though, and variety is part of the genius of the game.
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They just couldn't put 7th edition into Modern because of the card borders? Seriously? Count me out.
I see where you're coming from, Mr Mo. If someone is playing competitively, it would be a good idea to netdeck and just add a few adjustments, but I'd rather not do that, at least not to begin with.
Besides, if I'm just going to FNM and there are no prizes or incentive to win, I really doubt people are going to bring their $200+ standard legal decks and sweep everyone.
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I'm new to Magic and have a lot of stupid questions. Thanks to everyone in advance who help answer these stupid questions.
So with that in mind, to go back to your original question, you'll probably want to pick between Standard and Modern. Standard is easier to learn and requires less initial cash input, but it also requires more regular cash input to keep playing, as sets rotate out of Standard fairly quickly. Modern is more difficult to learn, and although you can brew a decent tier 2/3 deck relatively cheaply, improving that deck can become costly, but once you've spent the money on a deck it will usually remain competitive for years and only require occasional upkeep.
Over the years i've found it's easier to home-brew in Standard than in any other format, as far as brewing something that can play well and make week-to-week adjustments against a local meta; however, Modern gives you a much bigger card pool for brewing inspiration - the flip side of that is as a new player it's very easy to brew things that seem original to you, only to find out that you've brewed a deck that fizzled out years ago in the format, and for good reason. A good Modern brew deck can take people by surprise for a week or two but generally once they know the deck, they'll figure out how to compensate against it pretty quickly, and Modern brews often tend to be gimmicky, which usually makes those compensations pretty easy.
Commander/EDH could be a good option for you too, especially if you're just looking for fun and not concerned about prizes. My only caveat is that it's a much more complicated game than Standard or Modern, especially from the perspective of someone trying to learn deck-building skills and the game itself at the same time. A bonus though is that it's generally more affordable than Modern and doesn't rotate sets out like Standard.
I hope we're giving you some good food for thought. Ultimately the decisions are yours, and should depend on what you want to do in the game rather than our personal opinions on which formats have better values - each format appeals to different people for different reasons.
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They just couldn't put 7th edition into Modern because of the card borders? Seriously? Count me out.
I can't help but to notice that Drafting is not an option in your poll, but is presented in your post.
I would choose draft. While it is not an easy format, there is no real commitment. If you mess up you can go again fresh and new for $15. Even Commander decks have a $40 barrier to entry. I also choose draft because new players get to see as many new cards as possible, they get to make more of their own decisions, ask a zillion questions if they like, change their deck between rounds, each opponent will have a new deck they've not seen before, and it's impossible to have games against tier 1 deck lists that veteran players have invested both time and money in. As someone who used to draft pretty frequently, I know that even well drafted decks need to be played decently well against a new player; the higher variance of the format simply lends itself to it.
Draft has it's issues, but they're less feel bad than constructed's potential for getting stomped.
EDIT: The other big draw to draft that I love is that no matter what you draft you saw it, you came up with it, you did it, and that sticks with new players.
I hope we're giving you some good food for thought. Ultimately the decisions are yours, and should depend on what you want to do in the game rather than our personal opinions on which formats have better values - each format appeals to different people for different reasons.
Yes you guys are helping a lot. I think the best choice for me is Standard. That way, if I don't feel like keeping up with buying the latest blocks a few years down the line, I can use some of my established card base to help me build a Modern deck.
And if that fails, I still have a lot of options. Commander sounds fun, and Pauper sounds very affordable, even though few play it.
I love hearing all your thoughts and opinions, everyone. The reason I didn't get into Magic much earlier on is because I was worried about interactions with people. But being a part of this online community has quelled a lot of those fears.
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I'm new to Magic and have a lot of stupid questions. Thanks to everyone in advance who help answer these stupid questions.
I can't help but to notice that Drafting is not an option in your poll, but is presented in your post.
I would choose draft. While it is not an easy format, there is no real commitment. If you mess up you can go again fresh and new for $15. Even Commander decks have a $40 barrier to entry. I also choose draft because new players get to see as many new cards as possible, they get to make more of their own decisions, ask a zillion questions if they like, change their deck between rounds, each opponent will have a new deck they've not seen before, and it's impossible to have games against tier 1 deck lists that veteran players have invested both time and money in. As someone who used to draft pretty frequently, I know that even well drafted decks need to be played decently well against a new player; the higher variance of the format simply lends itself to it.
Draft has it's issues, but they're less feel bad than constructed's potential for getting stomped.
EDIT: The other big draw to draft that I love is that no matter what you draft you saw it, you came up with it, you did it, and that sticks with new players.
I'm going to say limited is probably better than draft because draft includes some decision making that may not actually be intuitive. Namely, knowing which cards to pick when drafting is a very important part of drafting and there are points where the seemingly obvious card is not always the right pick. Fat Pack limited is a great way to start if there is a friend about to help with deck building.
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1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Maybe I'm not fully understanding what you mean by "limited". I thought draft was a type of limited. If you're getting at sealed, then I'd be fairly anecdotal about opening literal garbage next to the guy who got 3 on color dragons and a walker for rares. That's just less likely in draft circles.
I do think that picking cards, aka deck building, is a huge piece of learning magic. That's why I would direct new players away from constructed (referencing opponents net decking and destroying new player's will to be creative). Sealed certainly allows you to deck build relatively freely.
Aaaand maybe I'm misreading your post and you mean casual? I've never heard of a store hosting a fat pack limited. I thought we were talking about store hosted events for new players.
Also, @Sergeant_Wolf, I don't think I saw a correction anywhere but draft is 3 packs and passing, sealed is 6 packs and no passing.
Maybe I'm not fully understanding what you mean by "limited". I thought draft was a type of limited. If you're getting at sealed, then I'd be fairly anecdotal about opening literal garbage next to the guy who got 3 on color dragons and a walker for rares. That's just less likely in draft circles.
I do think that picking cards, aka deck building, is a huge piece of learning magic. That's why I would direct new players away from constructed (referencing opponents net decking and destroying new player's will to be creative). Sealed certainly allows you to deck build relatively freely.
Aaaand maybe I'm misreading your post and you mean casual? I've never heard of a store hosting a fat pack limited. I thought we were talking about store hosted events for new players.
Also, @Sergeant_Wolf, I don't think I saw a correction anywhere but draft is 3 packs and passing, sealed is 6 packs and no passing.
I was referring to sealed, and yeah there is the randomness in sealed that isn't present in draft, but it lets players see all the options they have at once and work out a deck without the draft table politics. Either way I think that the entire scope of limited in general is the most new player friendly of the options.
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1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
The best format for new players is cube, if you can find someone who owns one to play with. Power level is fairly standardized and it will help you to intuit the hidden rules like card advantage, deck archetypes, etc. It also helps to familiarize you with the assocoated formats card pool.
A pauper cube is low power but would help you to understand why mull drifter is better than storm crow, etc. Then when/if you decide to go constructed you will know most of the cards and how to build around an archetype.
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Pauper: UB Wight Phantasm RB Burn UR Faerie Rites of Initiation
The answer is obviously Vintage... throw them in the deep end with a concrete life jacket and see if they float....
All kidding aside, the only answer to this question (from the options given) is Standard. The smallest card pool, the highest availability of cards, lowest initial cost of entry, and there are rarely "unfair" decks to contend with.
I would actually recommend sealed deck tournaments like Pre-releases as the perfect way to get into the game and learn how tournaments work in a relatively low-stress, low-key environment.
Other than that, playing casual decks with whatever cards you own is pretty much how I learned how to play. Of course, that was before Legacy, Extended, Modern, or Commander were created and almost nobody drafted back then... so I can see where the plethora of options can be overwhelming to a new player.
Also, @Sergeant_Wolf, I don't think I saw a correction anywhere but draft is 3 packs and passing, sealed is 6 packs and no passing.
Do you mean that Draft is where someone picks one card from their pack and passes the rest to the next person? I'll edit my post but I just want to be sure.
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I'm new to Magic and have a lot of stupid questions. Thanks to everyone in advance who help answer these stupid questions.
Is draft the same as league? A lot of stores have leagues where you pay for some boosters and make a deck that you can play over and over with others in the league.
And both Draft and Sealed fall under the "Limited" category, right?
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I'm new to Magic and have a lot of stupid questions. Thanks to everyone in advance who help answer these stupid questions.
Limited means oe of a number of types of pool of card options.
Draft has some variations, but basically you have a pod of players who pass packs around and each tries to make a viable deck.
League sounds like sealed, which is everyone just gets some cards and then tries to make it work. Benefits of sealed is no drafting skills required, drawback is it is much less fun than guessing what other people are going for.
Cube is a singleton version of the above using a preset variation of cards, from 360 to thousands.
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Pauper: UB Wight Phantasm RB Burn UR Faerie Rites of Initiation
How come Commander doesn't have "serious deckbuilding commitments"?
Because there are very few Commander tournaments, it's not a competitive format, and therefore people don't spend time breaking the format looking for the most optimal decklists.
It's the only real casual format, and it allows you to build your deck in time as you see fit to better deal with your local playgroups. Just pick a legend and build around it without having to worry about metagames, sideboards and recent tournament results.
Also, @Sergeant_Wolf, I don't think I saw a correction anywhere but draft is 3 packs and passing, sealed is 6 packs and no passing.
Do you mean that Draft is where someone picks one card from their pack and passes the rest to the next person? I'll edit my post but I just want to be sure.
Yes, that is what drafting is. The 6 packs, build from what you open option is called Sealed.
I agree with Forgotten One, playing some Sealed at a Pre-Release is the best way to go. Low stakes, lots of people to help out, and you don't have to know how to evaluate cards when drafting them (pick orders, reading signals, etc).
How come Commander doesn't have "serious deckbuilding commitments"?
Because there are very few Commander tournaments, it's not a competitive format, and therefore people don't spend time breaking the format looking for the most optimal decklists.
It's the only real casual format, and it allows you to build your deck in time as you see fit to better deal with your local playgroups. Just pick a legend and build around it without having to worry about metagames, sideboards and recent tournament results.
This isn't 100% true, though it's true in spirit. I've seen the format "solved" twice (both by the same player), but each time new releases re-opened the format not long after. Not that that invalidates your point, just a clarification.
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They just couldn't put 7th edition into Modern because of the card borders? Seriously? Count me out.
So, based on my research, these are some of the most popular formats (please correct me if I'm wrong on anything)
Standard (60 card decks, only cards from the most recent four block sets)
Modern (Edit: cards from the "modern" era, from 8th edition to present day)
Legacy (Edit: cards from all sets, starting with Alpha)
Vintage (Older cards, only format where cards can be restricted)
Constructed (Construct your own deck. Most of the formats above fall into this category)
Draft (Pay to enter a tournament where everyone builds a deck from three boosters each person; pick one card and pass the rest of the booster to the next person. Land cards can be freely added.)
Sealed (Everyone get six boosters to build a deck from. Land cards can be freely added.)
Which would you suggest for a beginning player, and why?
Edit: Keep in mind that a new player would most likely NOT want to enter competitive tournaments, just go to FNM and have casual matches.
http://magic.wizards.com/en/game-info/gameplay/rules-and-formats/formats
at the end all comes to this: go to a Local Game Shop and see what they play, learn how to play and go with the most popular format in the store.
Playing online or with you group of friends? the BEST format IMHO is pauper (all common cards)
I think the best start is playing at the kitchen table with friends. Then move to modern if you want to get more competitive. But really I don't think there is any good entry point for beginners anymore. Wizards really, really want it to be standard but so often those players leave shortly after as soon as their deck rotates out.
Also, everyone on here seems hellbent on making a perfect or near perfect deck as FAST as possible. Why? Isn't part of the joy of the game slowly altering your deck to combat new strategies or just to play around and experiment?
Modern might be too quick and too "broken" for new players.
Commander can be great if you can find others who play it.
Standard: BG Golgari Midrange
Modern: U Merfolk GWUBR 5 Color Humans UBW Esper Gifts GW Bogles
You're certainly entitled to find your own sources of joy, and you would definitely not be alone if brewing and improving is your thing, furthermore the game would be immeasurably poorer without people doing that; but most people enjoy playing a deck that's competitive. In my experience, most players find it easier to learn to play a deck that's already strong than trying to improve a sub-par deck as they're also learning the game itself. Certainly not everybody feels that way, though, and variety is part of the genius of the game.
**Legacy**
Grixis Delver
16post
**Standard**
I'll let you know if/when i go back to Standard. I hate pulling cards i can't use.
Besides, if I'm just going to FNM and there are no prizes or incentive to win, I really doubt people are going to bring their $200+ standard legal decks and sweep everyone.
Over the years i've found it's easier to home-brew in Standard than in any other format, as far as brewing something that can play well and make week-to-week adjustments against a local meta; however, Modern gives you a much bigger card pool for brewing inspiration - the flip side of that is as a new player it's very easy to brew things that seem original to you, only to find out that you've brewed a deck that fizzled out years ago in the format, and for good reason. A good Modern brew deck can take people by surprise for a week or two but generally once they know the deck, they'll figure out how to compensate against it pretty quickly, and Modern brews often tend to be gimmicky, which usually makes those compensations pretty easy.
Commander/EDH could be a good option for you too, especially if you're just looking for fun and not concerned about prizes. My only caveat is that it's a much more complicated game than Standard or Modern, especially from the perspective of someone trying to learn deck-building skills and the game itself at the same time. A bonus though is that it's generally more affordable than Modern and doesn't rotate sets out like Standard.
I hope we're giving you some good food for thought. Ultimately the decisions are yours, and should depend on what you want to do in the game rather than our personal opinions on which formats have better values - each format appeals to different people for different reasons.
**Legacy**
Grixis Delver
16post
**Standard**
I'll let you know if/when i go back to Standard. I hate pulling cards i can't use.
I would choose draft. While it is not an easy format, there is no real commitment. If you mess up you can go again fresh and new for $15. Even Commander decks have a $40 barrier to entry. I also choose draft because new players get to see as many new cards as possible, they get to make more of their own decisions, ask a zillion questions if they like, change their deck between rounds, each opponent will have a new deck they've not seen before, and it's impossible to have games against tier 1 deck lists that veteran players have invested both time and money in. As someone who used to draft pretty frequently, I know that even well drafted decks need to be played decently well against a new player; the higher variance of the format simply lends itself to it.
Draft has it's issues, but they're less feel bad than constructed's potential for getting stomped.
EDIT: The other big draw to draft that I love is that no matter what you draft you saw it, you came up with it, you did it, and that sticks with new players.
"Reveal a Dragon"
Yes you guys are helping a lot. I think the best choice for me is Standard. That way, if I don't feel like keeping up with buying the latest blocks a few years down the line, I can use some of my established card base to help me build a Modern deck.
And if that fails, I still have a lot of options. Commander sounds fun, and Pauper sounds very affordable, even though few play it.
I love hearing all your thoughts and opinions, everyone. The reason I didn't get into Magic much earlier on is because I was worried about interactions with people. But being a part of this online community has quelled a lot of those fears.
I'm going to say limited is probably better than draft because draft includes some decision making that may not actually be intuitive. Namely, knowing which cards to pick when drafting is a very important part of drafting and there are points where the seemingly obvious card is not always the right pick. Fat Pack limited is a great way to start if there is a friend about to help with deck building.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
I do think that picking cards, aka deck building, is a huge piece of learning magic. That's why I would direct new players away from constructed (referencing opponents net decking and destroying new player's will to be creative). Sealed certainly allows you to deck build relatively freely.
Aaaand maybe I'm misreading your post and you mean casual? I've never heard of a store hosting a fat pack limited. I thought we were talking about store hosted events for new players.
Also, @Sergeant_Wolf, I don't think I saw a correction anywhere but draft is 3 packs and passing, sealed is 6 packs and no passing.
"Reveal a Dragon"
I was referring to sealed, and yeah there is the randomness in sealed that isn't present in draft, but it lets players see all the options they have at once and work out a deck without the draft table politics. Either way I think that the entire scope of limited in general is the most new player friendly of the options.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
A pauper cube is low power but would help you to understand why mull drifter is better than storm crow, etc. Then when/if you decide to go constructed you will know most of the cards and how to build around an archetype.
UB Wight Phantasm
RB Burn
UR Faerie Rites of Initiation
Legacy:
R Burn
CG-Post
All kidding aside, the only answer to this question (from the options given) is Standard. The smallest card pool, the highest availability of cards, lowest initial cost of entry, and there are rarely "unfair" decks to contend with.
I would actually recommend sealed deck tournaments like Pre-releases as the perfect way to get into the game and learn how tournaments work in a relatively low-stress, low-key environment.
Other than that, playing casual decks with whatever cards you own is pretty much how I learned how to play. Of course, that was before Legacy, Extended, Modern, or Commander were created and almost nobody drafted back then... so I can see where the plethora of options can be overwhelming to a new player.
Jalira, Master Polymorphist | Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder | Bosh, Iron Golem | Ezuri, Renegade Leader
Brago, King Eternal | Oona, Queen of the Fae | Wort, Boggart Auntie | Wort, the Raidmother
Captain Sisay | Rhys, the Redeemed | Trostani, Selesnya's Voice | Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight | Obzedat, Ghost Council | Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind | Vorel of the Hull Clade
Uril, the Miststalker | Prossh, Skyraider of Kher | Nicol Bolas | Progenitus
Ghave, Guru of Spores | Zedruu the Greathearted | Damia, Sage of Stone | Riku of Two Reflections
Do you mean that Draft is where someone picks one card from their pack and passes the rest to the next person? I'll edit my post but I just want to be sure.
And both Draft and Sealed fall under the "Limited" category, right?
Draft has some variations, but basically you have a pod of players who pass packs around and each tries to make a viable deck.
League sounds like sealed, which is everyone just gets some cards and then tries to make it work. Benefits of sealed is no drafting skills required, drawback is it is much less fun than guessing what other people are going for.
Cube is a singleton version of the above using a preset variation of cards, from 360 to thousands.
UB Wight Phantasm
RB Burn
UR Faerie Rites of Initiation
Legacy:
R Burn
CG-Post
It's the only real casual format, and it allows you to build your deck in time as you see fit to better deal with your local playgroups. Just pick a legend and build around it without having to worry about metagames, sideboards and recent tournament results.
Yes, that is what drafting is. The 6 packs, build from what you open option is called Sealed.
I agree with Forgotten One, playing some Sealed at a Pre-Release is the best way to go. Low stakes, lots of people to help out, and you don't have to know how to evaluate cards when drafting them (pick orders, reading signals, etc).
This isn't 100% true, though it's true in spirit. I've seen the format "solved" twice (both by the same player), but each time new releases re-opened the format not long after. Not that that invalidates your point, just a clarification.
**Legacy**
Grixis Delver
16post
**Standard**
I'll let you know if/when i go back to Standard. I hate pulling cards i can't use.