So I've been working on teaching my 8 year old Magic. He understands basics but not more complex mechanics.
On Saturday, there is our local Battlebond twoheaded giant tourney. I think with being able to communicate, he'd do much better.
Is it wrong to play if the expectation is that we may go to time in the round and I plan to "default" the game to opponent regardless of result?
I think it will be a great learning experience for him, but also want to respect my opponents.
We'd probably only play first round since I think with deckbuilding, the time will be plenty.
I don't think the best place to teach someone magic is a tournament. If however you think he has progressed to the point where playing against you won't teach him much more, two-headed giant is a good format because you can help him out with everything.
If you let me know before starting that you were planning on going slow and would concede the match if it went to time I would not have a problem with you taking your time to help him learn.
If your son doesn't understand "more complex mechanics", a supplemental product also probably isn't the best way to teach him. Battlebond has three non-evergreen keywords, and 2HG rules are pretty different from regular Magic.
Thanks, I think I'll probably go and let the attendance dictate.
If its the normal "store tournament" I know 90% of the people there, I'll try it but if its lots of external players, skip it.
I've reviewed/played a little with Battlebond so I am familiar with the non-evergreen keywords. Also, have a box of it picking up Friday to work with him in advance.
Last weekend during prerelease, another guy had his ~12 year old son, and I can tell you as a father, I was jealous of the experience they were having. As an opponent, they were slow but still was great to see the learning.
Big difference between an 8 year old and a 12 year old. I just took my 12 year old to Dominaria as his first draft. My 9 year old wants to go now, but he just isn't ready for it; I really don't recommend trying yet.
I built a peasant cube, and I've drafted that with my kids - it's far more kid friendly because there are no prizes on the line. We play it just for fun. Even if it's just you and one kid, using a cube to play sealed is a great way to tech card evaluation and selection.
I agree that 8 is too young for a tournament. I was matched against a kid who must have been 9 or 10 at the Dominaria prerelease, and I had to correct his errors approximately once every other turn. I won the round, but I didn't especially enjoy it. I also told him after the last game that if he had cast the Saga he accidentally revealed in his hand turn turn before I killed him, he would have been able to win the game (I'm not sure which Saga it was, but I saw the frame, and simply casting the Saga would have untapped his Traxos; paired with the Grunn he also had and my single blocker, he would have had lethal).
I brought my 9-year old to play Battlebond. He and I had only played a few games, but he had expressed interest in playing a 2HG. It was a good learning experience for him; I built the decks, and helped him more at the beginning. As the 4-rounds progressed, he definitely got better with some of the basics. 2HG allows for communication, and helps to fix some of the little mistakes. It also helped that we went 3-1, losing only in the last round. He was hooked
I've been playing with my kid since he was 8 (now 10). 2HG is often a great time for learning and bonding. A lot of players who play 2HG are more casual and are often willing to take the time to play with this. You'll have to build the two decks, so get quick at it. The good thing is you can tailor his deck to his play style. Definitely, if you know the people playing, they'll probably be decent. We love to teach new players and taking time during 2HG is perfect for it. I'd give it a shot. Battlebond looks like so much fun. Really, as long as he knows how the turn structure and casting spells works, he's easily able to play with you.
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Thank you all for your comments.
The varied response is the exact struggle I'm dealing with. From everything I've read and other players I know, 2HG is the perfect avenue to really help him grow. At the same time, 8 is too young for almost all MTG outside kitchen table. I'd never think of having him do a normal prerelease or FNM for atleast 3-4 years. However, your comments reinforce that "2HG" is that rare opportunity that "MIGHT" work.
I'm going to crack a half box tonight/tomorrow AM and play with/against him to see how he does with Battlebond itself.
Thanks again.
Magic knowledge is something that builds up over time. Don't rush it, even if it takes years, and it's also not for everyone. Patience is a virtue.
Wiser words have never been written/spoken. Don't rush it. Let it be natural and organic. Too many parents push their children into activities and sports they aren't ready for yet. Grow the seed, nurture the plant, let it fruit when its ready.
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STOP using "dude/bro" as a pejorative or insult. Grow up.
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My LGS does one session of each prerelease as 2HG, and I've brought my daughter (just turned 8 last week) to the last few. We're playing the BB launch tomorrow, and I think she'll be up to it. However, she generally gets the basic mechanics and we've been playing casually at home with simple decks since she was 6.
I've definitely seen her progress by doing the prereleases together, with the earliest attempts feeling more like I was telling her what/when to play each turn. The Dominaria prerelease was awesome, as she's experienced enough now that she knows what she can cast and is now thinking a turn or two ahead and the intra-team conversation feels more like any other team game of magic where we are coordinating our plays. Best moment last time was where we coordinated a big attack together to force our opponents down to 2 life and she finished them off with a Chainer's Torment.
If they have the very basics of magic down, it's probably ok to bring them. You may need to intervene or advise a bit more than usual depending on their comfort/experience. I'd say that it's still likely a good experience for them even if you are directing most of their plays.
At my LGS, we had a new player, a sibling of one of the regulars, watch rather than play. I hadn't thought of team communication being useful for explaining the game, but I'm new to 2HG.
The kid of another regular, age 10 or so, came to Dominaria draft once. They knew the game well enough to play with minimal help - though not the greatest, they were okay.
On Saturday, there is our local Battlebond twoheaded giant tourney. I think with being able to communicate, he'd do much better.
Is it wrong to play if the expectation is that we may go to time in the round and I plan to "default" the game to opponent regardless of result?
I think it will be a great learning experience for him, but also want to respect my opponents.
We'd probably only play first round since I think with deckbuilding, the time will be plenty.
Let me know your thoughts.
If you let me know before starting that you were planning on going slow and would concede the match if it went to time I would not have a problem with you taking your time to help him learn.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
If its the normal "store tournament" I know 90% of the people there, I'll try it but if its lots of external players, skip it.
I've reviewed/played a little with Battlebond so I am familiar with the non-evergreen keywords. Also, have a box of it picking up Friday to work with him in advance.
Last weekend during prerelease, another guy had his ~12 year old son, and I can tell you as a father, I was jealous of the experience they were having. As an opponent, they were slow but still was great to see the learning.
I built a peasant cube, and I've drafted that with my kids - it's far more kid friendly because there are no prizes on the line. We play it just for fun. Even if it's just you and one kid, using a cube to play sealed is a great way to tech card evaluation and selection.
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The varied response is the exact struggle I'm dealing with. From everything I've read and other players I know, 2HG is the perfect avenue to really help him grow. At the same time, 8 is too young for almost all MTG outside kitchen table. I'd never think of having him do a normal prerelease or FNM for atleast 3-4 years. However, your comments reinforce that "2HG" is that rare opportunity that "MIGHT" work.
I'm going to crack a half box tonight/tomorrow AM and play with/against him to see how he does with Battlebond itself.
Thanks again.
Wiser words have never been written/spoken. Don't rush it. Let it be natural and organic. Too many parents push their children into activities and sports they aren't ready for yet. Grow the seed, nurture the plant, let it fruit when its ready.
STOP using "dude/bro" as a pejorative or insult. Grow up.
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Martin Luther King Jr.: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
I've definitely seen her progress by doing the prereleases together, with the earliest attempts feeling more like I was telling her what/when to play each turn. The Dominaria prerelease was awesome, as she's experienced enough now that she knows what she can cast and is now thinking a turn or two ahead and the intra-team conversation feels more like any other team game of magic where we are coordinating our plays. Best moment last time was where we coordinated a big attack together to force our opponents down to 2 life and she finished them off with a Chainer's Torment.
If they have the very basics of magic down, it's probably ok to bring them. You may need to intervene or advise a bit more than usual depending on their comfort/experience. I'd say that it's still likely a good experience for them even if you are directing most of their plays.
The kid of another regular, age 10 or so, came to Dominaria draft once. They knew the game well enough to play with minimal help - though not the greatest, they were okay.
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