I do love the idea of just plunging in. I did that myself and it was wonderful :). But to get as many people playing as possible, preconstructed decks are a really good place to start, because not everybody has the time to dive into the wonderful and deep world of Magic. And not everybody will play at the level some of us do. So I do somewhat agree with what you say, but I do think that giving people a preconstructed deck - mostly if they don't have access to somebody who has knowledge of the game - is a great way to introduce them. If they want the next level, we might abandon the precon. Or build upon it. If they don't want the next level, at least they have fun decks to play with and to tinker with.
I very much disagree on that :). Duel Decks are maybe not up to par with any tournament deck, but most people don't play tournaments. Maybe they just want to play together. And when they discover the game, they might want to find other players. Or not.
And starting players should not worry AT ALL about monetary value. Just buy what makes you happy and what makes you having fun.
When you are truly hooked you start reading and learn more about the inner depths of the game, but that should be of no consideration of what you buy as your first catds.
I think the best way to to check out the so called "Duel Decks". They are two preconstructed, ready to play, decks that are made to play against each other. Also most Duel Decks (there are many versions) are quite capable to handle the other Duel Decks.
I thought about it, but decided it wasn't worth it. I also don't like infinite things in my decks :).
The combo is: make a creature from Griffin Canyon (for example with clutch of currents) and then change its type to Griffin (with [card]Amoeboid Changeling[/card). Then tap it to untap itself and give it +1/+1. Rinse and repeat until it's big enough.
That was the first thing that I thought of when I saw that card :).
I decided that I'm not going to use it though...I rarely have so many creatures on the board that it's very good. Sure, sometimes you cast Master of Waves with 5-7 devotion and then it's a big boost. But usually I have 2-4 creatures out and then it's not really worth the card IMHO.
But I'll keep a close eye on the number of creatures I have on the board and if it's worth including.
I made this deck as an idea. I had a lot of time at work in 2009 and I was creating decks for all unused Commanders :).
Part as a way to entertain myself, part as a to have a sample deck if anybody wanted to build a deck with one of the weaker but still very cool Commanders.
But of course you may :). I don't apologize for not including it, because I was at that time another 2+ years unaware of the fact that it would exist :p.
I still have plans to build this, but I will be long-term plans :D.
And starting players should not worry AT ALL about monetary value. Just buy what makes you happy and what makes you having fun.
When you are truly hooked you start reading and learn more about the inner depths of the game, but that should be of no consideration of what you buy as your first catds.
The combo is: make a creature from Griffin Canyon (for example with clutch of currents) and then change its type to Griffin (with [card]Amoeboid Changeling[/card). Then tap it to untap itself and give it +1/+1. Rinse and repeat until it's big enough.
Very cool, but not for me :D.
I decided that I'm not going to use it though...I rarely have so many creatures on the board that it's very good. Sure, sometimes you cast Master of Waves with 5-7 devotion and then it's a big boost. But usually I have 2-4 creatures out and then it's not really worth the card IMHO.
But I'll keep a close eye on the number of creatures I have on the board and if it's worth including.
Thanks for the update though!
Try and adept it to your liking. I would love to hear what works for you!
1 Mistform Ultimus
37 Lands
1 Academy Ruins
1 Ally Encampment
1 Blighted Cataract
1 Elephant Graveyard
1 Griffin Canyon
1 High Market
22 Island
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Mystifying Maze
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Riptide Laboratory
1 Rogue's Passage
1 Seraph Sanctuary
1 Swarmyard
1 Temple of the False God
30 Creatures
1 Adaptive Automaton
1 Amoeboid Changeling
1 Burnished Hart
1 Callous Oppressor
1 Clever Impersonator
1 Coralhelm Commander
1 Diffusion Sliver
1 Grand Architect
1 Guardian of Tazeem
1 Higure, the Still Wind
1 Lord of Atlantis
1 Lord of the Unreal
1 Master of the Pearl Trident
1 Master of Waves
1 Merfolk Sovereign
1 Merrow Reejerey
1 Mistform Mutant
1 Myr Galvanizer
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Roil Elemental
1 Sakashima the Impostor
1 Sakashima's Student
1 Scion of Oona
1 Scourge of Fleets
1 Sea Gate Loremaster
1 Shapesharer
1 Shifting Sliver
1 Stonybrook Banneret
1 Sun Quan, Lord of Wu
1 Wing Splicer
1 Back from the Brink
1 Blade of the Bloodchief
1 Caged Sun
1 Crystal Shard
1 Extraplanar Lens
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Gauntlet of Power
1 Hall of Triumph
1 Inundate
1 Knowledge Exploitation
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Mana Drain
1 Myr Matrix
1 Mystic Remora
1 Nevinyrral's Disk
1 Oathkeeper, Takeno's Daisho
1 Obsidian Battle-Axe
1 Pact of Negation
1 Perilous Vault
1 Proteus Staff
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Rite of Replication
1 Sol Ring
1 Staff of Nin
1 Sword of the Animist
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Unnatural Selection
1 Unstable Obelisk
1 Vedalken Shackles
1 Whelming Wave
1 Whispersilk Cloak
1 Xenograft
Part as a way to entertain myself, part as a to have a sample deck if anybody wanted to build a deck with one of the weaker but still very cool Commanders.