Hello all! Hercules here, thought I'd make an account on here when I was told that mtgsally was the place to go for all magic inquiries, so here I am. I just recently started playing the game, like a few days ago recently, when I downloaded dotp 2015 off steam purely on a whim, and got pretty hooked. I'm not new to tcgs, I've semi-seriously played online yugioh for like a year and a half (if anyone frequents dueling network forums, you'll know me as gnarlysurf), but I'm slowly starting to get away from that game, mostly because of how freaking busted it is. I still enjoy it, but the meta game is getting to be a bit much, for those who play it, you'll know what I'm talking about.
I'm in my 3rd year of uni right now, and live in southern North America. I'm a health sciences major, and super into weightlifting/fitness as a main hobby, and videogames and tcgs as other hobbies I suppose lol.
Anyways, playing dotp has really helped out in learning the basics, but I still have some questions I really hope I can get answered. Thanks in advance!
1. There's a lot of 1 word mechanics/effects on cards (flying, trample, delve, etc), playing dotp helped me learn what a lot of them mean, and I know some cards have in parenthesis what those mechanics do on them, but some don't, so I was wondering if there was a place I can go like a database that explains all of them?
2. For testing purposes/learning, are there any online simulators that allow me to play the game but not require money? I heard something about cockatrice, is that any good?
3. I understand how the different formats work for the most part, but one quick question: are all the cards legal in standard also legal in modern? Or do cards transition from standard to modern when they rotate out?
4. What in the heck is EDH all about, and what is the allure of it? Not exactly sure how 100 card highlander decks can be fun, but apparently a lot of people enjoy it, and I've been wrong before!
5. I've been thinking about actually collecting cards and playing irl/ do FNMs. Ive been collecting yugioh cards but unfortunately all the locals around here only cater to you magic nerds (kidding! I'm one now I guess lol) so I was thinking of maybe picking up a 2015 for set, and maybe an into deck, just to get a good base of playable cards fast and cheap, quick and dirty. I'll have to be semi-budget for the most part right now. Is this a good idea, or should I look at other products?
6. I've noticed through lurking there are A LOT of slang and abbreviations for things in this game thrown around. Is there a place I can go to learn all of that, or am I kinda stuck learning it the hard way?
7.tying in to question 6, I noticed looking at some deck names that they have some weird abbreviations. One example would be RUG, which I get the R stands for red and G stands for green, but what is the U for exactly?
8. How do FNMs work exactly? Do people just kinda show up and play whoever's there, or is it something you have to sign up for, or what? I've never gone to anything similar to that before so I don't want to break some etiquette or appear foolish.
I'm sure I'll have more questions soon, and I apologize for such a long winded intro, so thanks again to anyone taking the time to read all that haha.
1. These abilities are called evergreen, they appear in all or almost all the sets so u must know them. There you have a list to learn them: http://mtgsalvation.gamepedia.com/Evergreen
2. I recommend you cockatrice or xmage. Cockatrice is sandbox(you can do whatever you want, like draw 3 cards each turn, etc) while xmage has rules automation(like MTGO). But I recommend you first learning how to play the game playing on paper, otherwise it will be difficult for you to manage this sotware.
3. All the cards legal in Standard are legal in modern unless they are banned or modern and not for standard. This don't happen too much often but for example rigth now we have two cards legan in Standard that are banned in modern: Treasure Cruise and Dig Through Time
1. These abilities are called evergreen, they appear in all or almost all the sets so u must know them. There you have a list to learn them: http://mtgsalvation.gamepedia.com/Evergreen
2. I recommend you cockatrice or xmage. Cockatrice is sandbox(you can do whatever you want, like draw 3 cards each turn, etc) while xmage has rules automation(like MTGO). But I recommend you first learning how to play the game playing on paper, otherwise it will be difficult for you to manage this sotware.
3. All the cards legal in Standard are legal in modern unless they are banned or modern and not for standard. This don't happen too much often but for example rigth now we have two cards legan in Standard that are banned in modern: Treasure Cruise and Dig Through Time
Askgar has a lot of good input the only things I would expand on are
5. Usually some of the clash decks packs, duel decks, or multiplayer supplemental products are good values but those are the only sealed products that have a decent cost to value ratio most are not legal in standard. A great way of Acquiring or collecting cards not through singles are prereleases, release tournaments and other limited tournaments.
8. That depends on the Local game store (LGS) Usually it is a tournament if enough people show up. Some have costs usually accompanied by prizes. Some are casual others are more competitive. It is the "casual" tournament scene. I have been to places where only tier 1 decks are played, and others that are casual with some tier 1 decks. Then I went to one for a while that had a gentlemen's agreement to not bring decks over $25 tcg prices.
Askgar has a lot of good input the only things I would expand on are
5. Usually some of the clash decks packs, duel decks, or multiplayer supplemental products are good values but those are the only sealed products that have a decent cost to value ratio most are not legal in standard. A great way of Acquiring or collecting cards not through singles are prereleases, release tournaments and other limited tournaments.
8. That depends on the Local game store (LGS) Usually it is a tournament if enough people show up. Some have costs usually accompanied by prizes. Some are casual others are more competitive. It is the "casual" tournament scene. I have been to places where only tier 1 decks are played, and others that are casual with some tier 1 decks. Then I went to one for a while that had a gentlemen's agreement to not bring decks over $25 tcg prices.
I actually ended up buying the 2015 core set + one of those intro decks, the ones that come with a "ready made" tournament ready deck + 2 15 card packs. Obviously I don't have extensive knowledge on the meta game or the money cards yet, but I feel I actually got some decent cards to make the first deck I wanna make (GB spider whip) just gotta get a couple more playsets to round it out (dryad, commune, whip, spider spawning, etc)
So do you think I should like show up before a tournament is going on or during? And should I complete my decklist first before I go there or just go with what I have?
Most FNMs that I have been to do not require deck registration. If you plan on playing I would show up 15 minutes early if the deck is finished and tournament legal. If you need to purchase cards to complete the deck show up earlier. Spider spawning is not standard (being from innistrad) so be aware. I would actually play in a tournament rather then suggesting watching because that way you jump in, and get a feel for how it plays. If you need to purchase cards to complete the deck show up earlier.
Most FNMs that I have been to do not require deck registration. If you plan on playing I would show up 15 minutes early if the deck is finished and tournament legal. If you need to purchase cards to complete the deck show up earlier. Spider spawning is not standard (being from innistrad) so be aware. I would actually play in a tournament rather then suggesting watching because that way you jump in, and get a feel for how it plays. If you need to purchase cards to complete the deck show up earlier.
I'm guessing I can check the LGS website to see when tournaments and FNMs occur correct? I really would like to start attending and making friends, just worried about walking into the shop with the middle of a tournament on and making it awkward lol
Most FNMs that I have been to do not require deck registration. If you plan on playing I would show up 15 minutes early if the deck is finished and tournament legal. If you need to purchase cards to complete the deck show up earlier. Spider spawning is not standard (being from innistrad) so be aware. I would actually play in a tournament rather then suggesting watching because that way you jump in, and get a feel for how it plays. If you need to purchase cards to complete the deck show up earlier.
I'm guessing I can check the LGS website to see when tournaments and FNMs occur correct? I really would like to start attending and making friends, just worried about walking into the shop with the middle of a tournament on and making it awkward lol
Welcome to Magic and there is alot to learn and take your time to slowly learn and have fun. Just some tips for you.
1) FNM stands for Friday Night Magic so it is usually on Friday's night.. lol.. Do make sure that you check out if the FNM format is standard or modern or other format though. Most is standard although some stores run modern FNM as well.
2) And if you have a smart phone, you can go and download apps like mtg familiar and it have usually all the information of the cards. Useful tool for browsing and looking at cards like when you are bored or travelling and stuff.
3) Try to decide on format that you wanna play first before you spend money on buying packs, singles and etc. In general, it is harder to form a decent deck just by purchasing boosters or packs. Singles are more expensive but can save you some $ in the long run but make sure you check the prices of the singles on mtg websites first before you buy in case traders over quote you.
4) Be sure to understand that standard format do rotates though. lol. this means if you play standard, after rotation, cards from the rotated block will no longer be legal to be used in standard format and hence playing standard format means your deck constantly have to change cards here and there.
4) Yes. You should try to make more friends. Having friends to play together will make your game alot more enjoyable.
Most FNMs that I have been to do not require deck registration. If you plan on playing I would show up 15 minutes early if the deck is finished and tournament legal. If you need to purchase cards to complete the deck show up earlier. Spider spawning is not standard (being from innistrad) so be aware. I would actually play in a tournament rather then suggesting watching because that way you jump in, and get a feel for how it plays. If you need to purchase cards to complete the deck show up earlier.
I'm guessing I can check the LGS website to see when tournaments and FNMs occur correct? I really would like to start attending and making friends, just worried about walking into the shop with the middle of a tournament on and making it awkward lol
Welcome to Magic and there is alot to learn and take your time to slowly learn and have fun. Just some tips for you.
1) FNM stands for Friday Night Magic so it is usually on Friday's night.. lol.. Do make sure that you check out if the FNM format is standard or modern or other format though. Most is standard although some stores run modern FNM as well.
2) And if you have a smart phone, you can go and download apps like mtg familiar and it have usually all the information of the cards. Useful tool for browsing and looking at cards like when you are bored or travelling and stuff.
3) Try to decide on format that you wanna play first before you spend money on buying packs, singles and etc. In general, it is harder to form a decent deck just by purchasing boosters or packs. Singles are more expensive but can save you some $ in the long run but make sure you check the prices of the singles on mtg websites first before you buy in case traders over quote you.
4) Be sure to understand that standard format do rotates though. lol. this means if you play standard, after rotation, cards from the rotated block will no longer be legal to be used in standard format and hence playing standard format means your deck constantly have to change cards here and there.
4) Yes. You should try to make more friends. Having friends to play together will make your game alot more enjoyable.
Yeah I've got the magic wish list app, it's been helpful in saving cards I wanna pick up later and helping me learn the cards, even in standard the card base is pretty huge lol
I wanna play standard, then eventually play modern I suppose when my cards get rotated out, I wanna play standard as long as I can but funds ARE an issue at the moment. Only thing is I'm kinda getting a vibe that a lot of people actually play commander instead around here, so I'm not sure what to do yet.
Obviously I have friends but none of them are actually into TCGs. Sucks cuz now I gotta try and bust into a tight-knit MTG group lol. Oh well, we'll see what happens I guess
Most FNMs that I have been to do not require deck registration. If you plan on playing I would show up 15 minutes early if the deck is finished and tournament legal. If you need to purchase cards to complete the deck show up earlier. Spider spawning is not standard (being from innistrad) so be aware. I would actually play in a tournament rather then suggesting watching because that way you jump in, and get a feel for how it plays. If you need to purchase cards to complete the deck show up earlier.
I'm guessing I can check the LGS website to see when tournaments and FNMs occur correct? I really would like to start attending and making friends, just worried about walking into the shop with the middle of a tournament on and making it awkward lol
Welcome to Magic and there is alot to learn and take your time to slowly learn and have fun. Just some tips for you.
1) FNM stands for Friday Night Magic so it is usually on Friday's night.. lol.. Do make sure that you check out if the FNM format is standard or modern or other format though. Most is standard although some stores run modern FNM as well.
2) And if you have a smart phone, you can go and download apps like mtg familiar and it have usually all the information of the cards. Useful tool for browsing and looking at cards like when you are bored or travelling and stuff.
3) Try to decide on format that you wanna play first before you spend money on buying packs, singles and etc. In general, it is harder to form a decent deck just by purchasing boosters or packs. Singles are more expensive but can save you some $ in the long run but make sure you check the prices of the singles on mtg websites first before you buy in case traders over quote you.
4) Be sure to understand that standard format do rotates though. lol. this means if you play standard, after rotation, cards from the rotated block will no longer be legal to be used in standard format and hence playing standard format means your deck constantly have to change cards here and there.
4) Yes. You should try to make more friends. Having friends to play together will make your game alot more enjoyable.
Yeah I've got the magic wish list app, it's been helpful in saving cards I wanna pick up later and helping me learn the cards, even in standard the card base is pretty huge lol
I wanna play standard, then eventually play modern I suppose when my cards get rotated out, I wanna play standard as long as I can but funds ARE an issue at the moment. Only thing is I'm kinda getting a vibe that a lot of people actually play commander instead around here, so I'm not sure what to do yet.
Obviously I have friends but none of them are actually into TCGs. Sucks cuz now I gotta try and bust into a tight-knit MTG group lol. Oh well, we'll see what happens I guess
If you start off from Standard, most of your Standard deck would be invalidated after it rotates. New Modern archetypes seldom emerge from Standard decks, thus whatever value your Standard deck has would definitely drop to very low levels after rotation. That's why investing in Standard decks is always financially bad in the long run due to rotation since your deck essentially becomes unplayable most of the time. Modern would be your best bet long term, though considering your budget constraints you should stick to Standard, where legit viable decks can be built for less than 100 bucks. There are budget decks in Modern (depends on your definition of budget), though they may not necessarily perform well. Highly recommend Modern if budget is not an issue.
Most FNMs that I have been to do not require deck registration. If you plan on playing I would show up 15 minutes early if the deck is finished and tournament legal. If you need to purchase cards to complete the deck show up earlier. Spider spawning is not standard (being from innistrad) so be aware. I would actually play in a tournament rather then suggesting watching because that way you jump in, and get a feel for how it plays. If you need to purchase cards to complete the deck show up earlier.
I'm guessing I can check the LGS website to see when tournaments and FNMs occur correct? I really would like to start attending and making friends, just worried about walking into the shop with the middle of a tournament on and making it awkward lol
Welcome to Magic and there is alot to learn and take your time to slowly learn and have fun. Just some tips for you.
1) FNM stands for Friday Night Magic so it is usually on Friday's night.. lol.. Do make sure that you check out if the FNM format is standard or modern or other format though. Most is standard although some stores run modern FNM as well.
2) And if you have a smart phone, you can go and download apps like mtg familiar and it have usually all the information of the cards. Useful tool for browsing and looking at cards like when you are bored or travelling and stuff.
3) Try to decide on format that you wanna play first before you spend money on buying packs, singles and etc. In general, it is harder to form a decent deck just by purchasing boosters or packs. Singles are more expensive but can save you some $ in the long run but make sure you check the prices of the singles on mtg websites first before you buy in case traders over quote you.
4) Be sure to understand that standard format do rotates though. lol. this means if you play standard, after rotation, cards from the rotated block will no longer be legal to be used in standard format and hence playing standard format means your deck constantly have to change cards here and there.
4) Yes. You should try to make more friends. Having friends to play together will make your game alot more enjoyable.
Yeah I've got the magic wish list app, it's been helpful in saving cards I wanna pick up later and helping me learn the cards, even in standard the card base is pretty huge lol
I wanna play standard, then eventually play modern I suppose when my cards get rotated out, I wanna play standard as long as I can but funds ARE an issue at the moment. Only thing is I'm kinda getting a vibe that a lot of people actually play commander instead around here, so I'm not sure what to do yet.
Obviously I have friends but none of them are actually into TCGs. Sucks cuz now I gotta try and bust into a tight-knit MTG group lol. Oh well, we'll see what happens I guess
If you start off from Standard, most of your Standard deck would be invalidated after it rotates. New Modern archetypes seldom emerge from Standard decks, thus whatever value your Standard deck has would definitely drop to very low levels after rotation. That's why investing in Standard decks is always financially bad in the long run due to rotation since your deck essentially becomes unplayable most of the time. Modern would be your best bet long term, though considering your budget constraints you should stick to Standard, where legit viable decks can be built for less than 100 bucks. There are budget decks in Modern (depends on your definition of budget), though they may not necessarily perform well. Highly recommend Modern if budget is not an issue.
Well, unless I win the lottery, I wasn't planning on really ever doing anything more competitive than FNMs, but I see your point. How expensive does playing EDH compare to the other formats?
I'm guessing I can check the LGS website to see when tournaments and FNMs occur correct? I really would like to start attending and making friends, just worried about walking into the shop with the middle of a tournament on and making it awkward lol
Welcome to Magic and there is alot to learn and take your time to slowly learn and have fun. Just some tips for you.
1) FNM stands for Friday Night Magic so it is usually on Friday's night.. lol.. Do make sure that you check out if the FNM format is standard or modern or other format though. Most is standard although some stores run modern FNM as well.
2) And if you have a smart phone, you can go and download apps like mtg familiar and it have usually all the information of the cards. Useful tool for browsing and looking at cards like when you are bored or travelling and stuff.
3) Try to decide on format that you wanna play first before you spend money on buying packs, singles and etc. In general, it is harder to form a decent deck just by purchasing boosters or packs. Singles are more expensive but can save you some $ in the long run but make sure you check the prices of the singles on mtg websites first before you buy in case traders over quote you.
4) Be sure to understand that standard format do rotates though. lol. this means if you play standard, after rotation, cards from the rotated block will no longer be legal to be used in standard format and hence playing standard format means your deck constantly have to change cards here and there.
4) Yes. You should try to make more friends. Having friends to play together will make your game alot more enjoyable.
Yeah I've got the magic wish list app, it's been helpful in saving cards I wanna pick up later and helping me learn the cards, even in standard the card base is pretty huge lol
I wanna play standard, then eventually play modern I suppose when my cards get rotated out, I wanna play standard as long as I can but funds ARE an issue at the moment. Only thing is I'm kinda getting a vibe that a lot of people actually play commander instead around here, so I'm not sure what to do yet.
Obviously I have friends but none of them are actually into TCGs. Sucks cuz now I gotta try and bust into a tight-knit MTG group lol. Oh well, we'll see what happens I guess
If you start off from Standard, most of your Standard deck would be invalidated after it rotates. New Modern archetypes seldom emerge from Standard decks, thus whatever value your Standard deck has would definitely drop to very low levels after rotation. That's why investing in Standard decks is always financially bad in the long run due to rotation since your deck essentially becomes unplayable most of the time. Modern would be your best bet long term, though considering your budget constraints you should stick to Standard, where legit viable decks can be built for less than 100 bucks. There are budget decks in Modern (depends on your definition of budget), though they may not necessarily perform well. Highly recommend Modern if budget is not an issue.
Well, unless I win the lottery, I wasn't planning on really ever doing anything more competitive than FNMs, but I see your point. How expensive does playing EDH compare to the other formats?
You can just throw together an EDH deck for very cheap if you prioritise fun over competitiveness. Just build around a simple theme for the deck, or put together one with whatever collection of cards you'll have. After all, EDH is a casual format just to have fun, where winning isn't the most important thing on your mind (unless it's a tournament). However, there are what I'd like to call "Tryhard Decks" that are made to win FNMs can be very expensive, even more so than Modern due to Original Dual Lands or stuff like Gaea's Cradle, Mana Crypt etc. On the bright side cards don't rotate out of EDH.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Modern
UMerfolkU
UMono U TronU
EDH
BGUSidisi, Brood TyrantBGU
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I'm in my 3rd year of uni right now, and live in southern North America. I'm a health sciences major, and super into weightlifting/fitness as a main hobby, and videogames and tcgs as other hobbies I suppose lol.
Anyways, playing dotp has really helped out in learning the basics, but I still have some questions I really hope I can get answered. Thanks in advance!
1. There's a lot of 1 word mechanics/effects on cards (flying, trample, delve, etc), playing dotp helped me learn what a lot of them mean, and I know some cards have in parenthesis what those mechanics do on them, but some don't, so I was wondering if there was a place I can go like a database that explains all of them?
2. For testing purposes/learning, are there any online simulators that allow me to play the game but not require money? I heard something about cockatrice, is that any good?
3. I understand how the different formats work for the most part, but one quick question: are all the cards legal in standard also legal in modern? Or do cards transition from standard to modern when they rotate out?
4. What in the heck is EDH all about, and what is the allure of it? Not exactly sure how 100 card highlander decks can be fun, but apparently a lot of people enjoy it, and I've been wrong before!
5. I've been thinking about actually collecting cards and playing irl/ do FNMs. Ive been collecting yugioh cards but unfortunately all the locals around here only cater to you magic nerds (kidding! I'm one now I guess lol) so I was thinking of maybe picking up a 2015 for set, and maybe an into deck, just to get a good base of playable cards fast and cheap, quick and dirty. I'll have to be semi-budget for the most part right now. Is this a good idea, or should I look at other products?
6. I've noticed through lurking there are A LOT of slang and abbreviations for things in this game thrown around. Is there a place I can go to learn all of that, or am I kinda stuck learning it the hard way?
7.tying in to question 6, I noticed looking at some deck names that they have some weird abbreviations. One example would be RUG, which I get the R stands for red and G stands for green, but what is the U for exactly?
8. How do FNMs work exactly? Do people just kinda show up and play whoever's there, or is it something you have to sign up for, or what? I've never gone to anything similar to that before so I don't want to break some etiquette or appear foolish.
I'm sure I'll have more questions soon, and I apologize for such a long winded intro, so thanks again to anyone taking the time to read all that haha.
http://mtgsalvation.gamepedia.com/Evergreen
2. I recommend you cockatrice or xmage. Cockatrice is sandbox(you can do whatever you want, like draw 3 cards each turn, etc) while xmage has rules automation(like MTGO). But I recommend you first learning how to play the game playing on paper, otherwise it will be difficult for you to manage this sotware.
3. All the cards legal in Standard are legal in modern unless they are banned or modern and not for standard. This don't happen too much often but for example rigth now we have two cards legan in Standard that are banned in modern: Treasure Cruise and Dig Through Time
4. http://mtgsalvation.gamepedia.com/EDH
5. If you want to get into competitive the fast as possible I reccomend you to only buy the singles you need for the deck you like to build.
6. http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/magic-general/334910-magic-players-dictionary
7. B = Black, W=White, R=Red, G=Green, U=Blue
8. That better ask it in you LGS, but u need a DCI number
RBGW Suicide Zoo
Legacy
RUG Canadian Threshold
OOOHHHHHHHHHHHH, U denotes Blue, that makes sense.
I'll test out both cockatrice and xmage, both seem like great resources.
Thank you very much for the clear and concise answers mate
5. Usually some of the clash decks packs, duel decks, or multiplayer supplemental products are good values but those are the only sealed products that have a decent cost to value ratio most are not legal in standard. A great way of Acquiring or collecting cards not through singles are prereleases, release tournaments and other limited tournaments.
8. That depends on the Local game store (LGS) Usually it is a tournament if enough people show up. Some have costs usually accompanied by prizes. Some are casual others are more competitive. It is the "casual" tournament scene. I have been to places where only tier 1 decks are played, and others that are casual with some tier 1 decks. Then I went to one for a while that had a gentlemen's agreement to not bring decks over $25 tcg prices.
I actually ended up buying the 2015 core set + one of those intro decks, the ones that come with a "ready made" tournament ready deck + 2 15 card packs. Obviously I don't have extensive knowledge on the meta game or the money cards yet, but I feel I actually got some decent cards to make the first deck I wanna make (GB spider whip) just gotta get a couple more playsets to round it out (dryad, commune, whip, spider spawning, etc)
So do you think I should like show up before a tournament is going on or during? And should I complete my decklist first before I go there or just go with what I have?
Really? I could've sworn I checked and spider spawningwas legal for standard. Oh well, guess empty the pits it is.
I'm guessing I can check the LGS website to see when tournaments and FNMs occur correct? I really would like to start attending and making friends, just worried about walking into the shop with the middle of a tournament on and making it awkward lol
Welcome to Magic and there is alot to learn and take your time to slowly learn and have fun. Just some tips for you.
1) FNM stands for Friday Night Magic so it is usually on Friday's night.. lol.. Do make sure that you check out if the FNM format is standard or modern or other format though. Most is standard although some stores run modern FNM as well.
2) And if you have a smart phone, you can go and download apps like mtg familiar and it have usually all the information of the cards. Useful tool for browsing and looking at cards like when you are bored or travelling and stuff.
3) Try to decide on format that you wanna play first before you spend money on buying packs, singles and etc. In general, it is harder to form a decent deck just by purchasing boosters or packs. Singles are more expensive but can save you some $ in the long run but make sure you check the prices of the singles on mtg websites first before you buy in case traders over quote you.
4) Be sure to understand that standard format do rotates though. lol. this means if you play standard, after rotation, cards from the rotated block will no longer be legal to be used in standard format and hence playing standard format means your deck constantly have to change cards here and there.
4) Yes. You should try to make more friends. Having friends to play together will make your game alot more enjoyable.
Yeah I've got the magic wish list app, it's been helpful in saving cards I wanna pick up later and helping me learn the cards, even in standard the card base is pretty huge lol
I wanna play standard, then eventually play modern I suppose when my cards get rotated out, I wanna play standard as long as I can but funds ARE an issue at the moment. Only thing is I'm kinda getting a vibe that a lot of people actually play commander instead around here, so I'm not sure what to do yet.
Obviously I have friends but none of them are actually into TCGs. Sucks cuz now I gotta try and bust into a tight-knit MTG group lol. Oh well, we'll see what happens I guess
If you start off from Standard, most of your Standard deck would be invalidated after it rotates. New Modern archetypes seldom emerge from Standard decks, thus whatever value your Standard deck has would definitely drop to very low levels after rotation. That's why investing in Standard decks is always financially bad in the long run due to rotation since your deck essentially becomes unplayable most of the time. Modern would be your best bet long term, though considering your budget constraints you should stick to Standard, where legit viable decks can be built for less than 100 bucks. There are budget decks in Modern (depends on your definition of budget), though they may not necessarily perform well. Highly recommend Modern if budget is not an issue.
Well, unless I win the lottery, I wasn't planning on really ever doing anything more competitive than FNMs, but I see your point. How expensive does playing EDH compare to the other formats?
You can just throw together an EDH deck for very cheap if you prioritise fun over competitiveness. Just build around a simple theme for the deck, or put together one with whatever collection of cards you'll have. After all, EDH is a casual format just to have fun, where winning isn't the most important thing on your mind (unless it's a tournament). However, there are what I'd like to call "Tryhard Decks" that are made to win FNMs can be very expensive, even more so than Modern due to Original Dual Lands or stuff like Gaea's Cradle, Mana Crypt etc. On the bright side cards don't rotate out of EDH.