If you DO want to draft know that you aren't going to go infinite, instead your goal should be the "slow bleed" - to spend money as slowly as possible. The rules I follow: (1) play Swiss (2) know the card prices of all the cards (including foils), (3) snap up any cards worth over 2 tickets and sell them and (4) never ever drop from a tournament.
My average cost per draft since I've started following this strategy: $1.17.
Also, don't ever buy packs from MtGO, instead buy from bots as that is a whole lot cheaper. Some of the same bots which will purchase your individual cards will also sell you booster packs, or you can just find another bot since there are plenty of them.
When you first start, you are presented with new player points which may be used to enter new player drafts or sealed with 4 participants. If you win both matches then you get a pack, and you can build up several packs that way before you run out of new player points, so that at least the "slow bleed" begins from non-zero. I as big-time worried about the cost of MtGO when I began in January, and I even opened a thread on this forum about it, but fortunately the cost is very low due to drafting a card whenever it is worth a ticket or more and selling those to bots.
Also, don't ever buy packs from MtGO, instead buy from bots as that is a whole lot cheaper. Some of the same bots which will purchase your individual cards will also sell you booster packs, or you can just find another bot since there are plenty of them.
When you first start, you are presented with new player points which may be used to enter new player drafts or sealed with 4 participants. If you win both matches then you get a pack, and you can build up several packs that way before you run out of new player points, so that at least the "slow bleed" begins from non-zero. I as big-time worried about the cost of MtGO when I began in January, and I even opened a thread on this forum about it, but fortunately the cost is very low due to drafting a card whenever it is worth a ticket or more and selling those to bots.
I still have all of my new player points. I've never been able to figure out how to use them. I've been playing online for the better part of a year but never understood the point when the only events that accept them (not that I can find them anymore) still require Event Tickets. I suck at drafting so for me its still a complete waste to spend the 2 bucks on cards I'm not going to get to keep. Unless of course I'm missing something or doing something wrong.
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The following link is an invitation to join Pucatrade (card trading service though similar to TCGPLayer). If you follow the link then it awards me with tokens to exchange for actual cards. Thanks! https://pucatrade.com/invite/gift/86097
Also, don't ever buy packs from MtGO, instead buy from bots as that is a whole lot cheaper. Some of the same bots which will purchase your individual cards will also sell you booster packs, or you can just find another bot since there are plenty of them.
When you first start, you are presented with new player points which may be used to enter new player drafts or sealed with 4 participants. If you win both matches then you get a pack, and you can build up several packs that way before you run out of new player points, so that at least the "slow bleed" begins from non-zero. I as big-time worried about the cost of MtGO when I began in January, and I even opened a thread on this forum about it, but fortunately the cost is very low due to drafting a card whenever it is worth a ticket or more and selling those to bots.
I still have all of my new player points. I've never been able to figure out how to use them. I've been playing online for the better part of a year but never understood the point when the only events that accept them (not that I can find them anymore) still require Event Tickets. I suck at drafting so for me its still a complete waste to spend the 2 bucks on cards I'm not going to get to keep. Unless of course I'm missing something or doing something wrong.
They changed this for some reason. New player events used to only require new player tickets. I don't think it would be profitable enough for people to keep making random accounts and beating up new players but maybe it was.
I think anyone who wants to play this game seriously needs to set themselves a budget they are going to 'invest' in it for a while. Maybe it's $50 a month, maybe you want to play sealed deck events to get cards, maybe you want to do swiss drafts, or maybe you just want to buy a cheep deck from bots and learn how to play it.
THS drafts for instance have a -6 tix ev (50% win rate) right now if you kept all the cards but if you put $50 in the client you would in theory get 9 or so drafts out of that or about 24 hours of play time. $2 an hour is pretty cheap excitement if you have any source of income. (1.5 hr movie is $8-10, bucket of range balls $7-10, hour of laser tag $15. Heck parking on the beach right now just to be there is $2 an hour.)
Don't care about the newest cards? Play VMA right now and it's positive. Luck crack power and trade it for a standard deck.
Don't want to draft? Put your $30, $50 or $100 into the client and get a deck you think you might like. Play it in the practice rooms a lot. Next month/paycheck you can finish it and start doing some dailies.
In the mean time you are learning the client, learning the interface, learning the competition et.
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Out of the blackness and stench of the engulfing swamp emerged a shimmering figure. Only the splattered armor and ichor-stained sword hinted at the unfathomable evil the knight had just laid waste.
I've played two VMA swiss drafts and failed to get anything of value. Then I got my butt handed to me in both. I'm skeptical of playing any more.
I've played so many JBT drafts that 95% of the time I go 2-1 or 3-0. I love when people pass money cards in swiss draft because "it's the correct draft choice". Seeing as a JBT draft costs <9 tickets, passing an Eidolon of the Great Revel or Mana Confluence just pays for 2/3 of the draft...By knowing the format and practicing it's been easy to profit from almost every draft, but VMA seems like a huge gamble.
I still have all of my new player points. I've never been able to figure out how to use them. I've been playing online for the better part of a year but never understood the point when the only events that accept them (not that I can find them anymore) still require Event Tickets. I suck at drafting so for me its still a complete waste to spend the 2 bucks on cards I'm not going to get to keep. Unless of course I'm missing something or doing something wrong.
They changed this for some reason. New player events used to only require new player tickets. I don't think it would be profitable enough for people to keep making random accounts and beating up new players but maybe it was.
I think anyone who wants to play this game seriously needs to set themselves a budget they are going to 'invest' in it for a while. Maybe it's $50 a month, maybe you want to play sealed deck events to get cards, maybe you want to do swiss drafts, or maybe you just want to buy a cheep deck from bots and learn how to play it.
THS drafts for instance have a -6 tix ev (50% win rate) right now if you kept all the cards but if you put $50 in the client you would in theory get 9 or so drafts out of that or about 24 hours of play time. $2 an hour is pretty cheap excitement if you have any source of income. (1.5 hr movie is $8-10, bucket of range balls $7-10, hour of laser tag $15. Heck parking on the beach right now just to be there is $2 an hour.)
Don't care about the newest cards? Play VMA right now and it's positive. Luck crack power and trade it for a standard deck.
Don't want to draft? Put your $30, $50 or $100 into the client and get a deck you think you might like. Play it in the practice rooms a lot. Next month/paycheck you can finish it and start doing some dailies.
In the mean time you are learning the client, learning the interface, learning the competition et.
My ultimate goal is to get into Modern Dailies. Your point about cost of entertainment is quite valid and well put. I wish I were better at draft becomes it seems like its more cost effecient. It seems like the overall level of competition is lower at least. I understand the Daily queues are extremely competitive. Right now I'm playing Soul Sisters and I'm only waiting to complete the sideboard but shelling out $40 for Auriok Champion (on top of the other investment of the deck) only to get stomped anyway kind of hurts. I do really well in the practice queues until I come across a deck I'm not familiar with but I have also heard that the practice queues are not quite indicative of what you face in the Daillies and other events. Is that true?
It would be nice to be able to finance the rest of the deck via Draft wins, especially the phantom ones while I still have the tickets because the return on investment is nearly 200%. If nothing else I would like to get better at drafting anyway. I think its fun but I find it harder than constructed formats.
While I'm thinking about it, can someone provide a break down in level of competitiveness in skill and competitiveness in deck list between Tournament Practice, the Constructed Events, and the Daillies? I don't think I'm a bad player but I certainly don't know if I would have what it takes to take down a PTQ either even with the best netdeck. MTGO is my practice grounds because my bros are quite adamant about being casual only. I just don't want to invest a bunch of money in tickets before I'm actually prepared for the next level. I'm assuming it goes something like Tournament Practice -> Constructed Events/Tournament Queues -> Dailies.
I've played two VMA swiss drafts and failed to get anything of value. Then I got my butt handed to me in both. I'm skeptical of playing any more.
I've played so many JBT drafts that 95% of the time I go 2-1 or 3-0. I love when people pass money cards in swiss draft because "it's the correct draft choice". Seeing as a JBT draft costs <9 tickets, passing an Eidolon of the Great Revel or Mana Confluence just pays for 2/3 of the draft...By knowing the format and practicing it's been easy to profit from almost every draft, but VMA seems like a huge gamble.
This is what I need to learn lol. It does kind of seem like a jerk move but honestly you have to come out with something even if you lose. Also, digital prices are so shockingly different from paper prices its hard to evaluate card value sometimes. Like Ranger of Eos, in paper its $10+, in digital its like $2.
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The following link is an invitation to join Pucatrade (card trading service though similar to TCGPLayer). If you follow the link then it awards me with tokens to exchange for actual cards. Thanks! https://pucatrade.com/invite/gift/86097
I've always been shocked by how few people know about Player Run Events. They are generally free to enter, and have prize support from dealers/bot owners (typically in the form of bot credits or gift certificates). They are great for people trying to stay on a budget.
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Going infinite is not what it used to be. They just took away Theros block constructed events, so Modern Burn or some standard deck is your only choice.
Pauper and Momir were the bread of butter of building a collection cheaply, but they are long gone as DEs.
The client is garbage, I wouldn't even bother with MTGO.
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http://www.mtgo-stats.com/stats/THS Block
don't draft
don't play tired
have enough bankroll so you can hold boosters for months to sell them for max value
My average cost per draft since I've started following this strategy: $1.17.
Also, don't ever buy packs from MtGO, instead buy from bots as that is a whole lot cheaper. Some of the same bots which will purchase your individual cards will also sell you booster packs, or you can just find another bot since there are plenty of them.
When you first start, you are presented with new player points which may be used to enter new player drafts or sealed with 4 participants. If you win both matches then you get a pack, and you can build up several packs that way before you run out of new player points, so that at least the "slow bleed" begins from non-zero. I as big-time worried about the cost of MtGO when I began in January, and I even opened a thread on this forum about it, but fortunately the cost is very low due to drafting a card whenever it is worth a ticket or more and selling those to bots.
Also:
(5) Don't open booster packs - sell them or use them as entry to tournaments.
If you play Magic IRL you can estimate your cost per event by plugging in your expected win percentage here:
magicev.com
Although I will warn you, I find the competition stiffer online than at my LGS.
I still have all of my new player points. I've never been able to figure out how to use them. I've been playing online for the better part of a year but never understood the point when the only events that accept them (not that I can find them anymore) still require Event Tickets. I suck at drafting so for me its still a complete waste to spend the 2 bucks on cards I'm not going to get to keep. Unless of course I'm missing something or doing something wrong.
https://pucatrade.com/invite/gift/86097
They changed this for some reason. New player events used to only require new player tickets. I don't think it would be profitable enough for people to keep making random accounts and beating up new players but maybe it was.
I think anyone who wants to play this game seriously needs to set themselves a budget they are going to 'invest' in it for a while. Maybe it's $50 a month, maybe you want to play sealed deck events to get cards, maybe you want to do swiss drafts, or maybe you just want to buy a cheep deck from bots and learn how to play it.
THS drafts for instance have a -6 tix ev (50% win rate) right now if you kept all the cards but if you put $50 in the client you would in theory get 9 or so drafts out of that or about 24 hours of play time. $2 an hour is pretty cheap excitement if you have any source of income. (1.5 hr movie is $8-10, bucket of range balls $7-10, hour of laser tag $15. Heck parking on the beach right now just to be there is $2 an hour.)
Don't care about the newest cards? Play VMA right now and it's positive. Luck crack power and trade it for a standard deck.
Don't want to draft? Put your $30, $50 or $100 into the client and get a deck you think you might like. Play it in the practice rooms a lot. Next month/paycheck you can finish it and start doing some dailies.
In the mean time you are learning the client, learning the interface, learning the competition et.
I've played so many JBT drafts that 95% of the time I go 2-1 or 3-0. I love when people pass money cards in swiss draft because "it's the correct draft choice". Seeing as a JBT draft costs <9 tickets, passing an Eidolon of the Great Revel or Mana Confluence just pays for 2/3 of the draft...By knowing the format and practicing it's been easy to profit from almost every draft, but VMA seems like a huge gamble.
My ultimate goal is to get into Modern Dailies. Your point about cost of entertainment is quite valid and well put. I wish I were better at draft becomes it seems like its more cost effecient. It seems like the overall level of competition is lower at least. I understand the Daily queues are extremely competitive. Right now I'm playing Soul Sisters and I'm only waiting to complete the sideboard but shelling out $40 for Auriok Champion (on top of the other investment of the deck) only to get stomped anyway kind of hurts. I do really well in the practice queues until I come across a deck I'm not familiar with but I have also heard that the practice queues are not quite indicative of what you face in the Daillies and other events. Is that true?
It would be nice to be able to finance the rest of the deck via Draft wins, especially the phantom ones while I still have the tickets because the return on investment is nearly 200%. If nothing else I would like to get better at drafting anyway. I think its fun but I find it harder than constructed formats.
While I'm thinking about it, can someone provide a break down in level of competitiveness in skill and competitiveness in deck list between Tournament Practice, the Constructed Events, and the Daillies? I don't think I'm a bad player but I certainly don't know if I would have what it takes to take down a PTQ either even with the best netdeck. MTGO is my practice grounds because my bros are quite adamant about being casual only. I just don't want to invest a bunch of money in tickets before I'm actually prepared for the next level. I'm assuming it goes something like Tournament Practice -> Constructed Events/Tournament Queues -> Dailies.
This is what I need to learn lol. It does kind of seem like a jerk move but honestly you have to come out with something even if you lose. Also, digital prices are so shockingly different from paper prices its hard to evaluate card value sometimes. Like Ranger of Eos, in paper its $10+, in digital its like $2.
https://pucatrade.com/invite/gift/86097
but playing in the 8 man queues are bad value and you should avoid them if you want to go infinite
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Not always.
Pauper and Momir were the bread of butter of building a collection cheaply, but they are long gone as DEs.
The client is garbage, I wouldn't even bother with MTGO.