I recently bought some cool Japanese cards for my EDH. I'm wondering how you guys play with foreign cards in your decks. Do you assume that everyone knows the card? Do you keep an English version in your box? Or do you type out a list of each foreign card? Any other ideas?
Usually if it's a pretty common and widely played card people will already know what it is and what it does. If you have an english copy you could keep it in your box. Otherwise, I would just keep a sheet with the oracle texts for all the cards on it.
I play vintage casually, I was using a french dark ritual for a while before getting another couple english ones, but its kinda hard to mistake dark ritual so...
Its no different than using text-less versions of spells or fancy proxies. If everyone knows what the card does, there's no reason to need to clarify. I occasionally get frustrated when people do this with already confusing cards. The guy with the foreign Chains of Mephestopheles is not popular.
The only foreign-language card I've got in any deck is an Italian version of Kobolds of Kher Keep. It's... pretty easy to remember what that card does.
In my dozen or so decks, the only foreign card I use is a chinese Necroskitter. That's because they were like .25 a piece, instead of like 3.50. I mostly play with the same playgroup, who knows what it does - if someone asks, I can easily recite the oracle text or we'll be somewhere with a computer/someone will have a smartphone and be able to look it up.
Honestly I just assume I'm playing with competent players who either know what the cards do or will take my word for it. If ever a player starts looking like they don't trust what's going on, I remind them that it is absolutely within their right to call a judge to confirm.
For what's it's worth, I play with a commander deck that is 93% Japanese foil, which is when this will happen most of the time. I do use various languages at FNM, though, which is where I get the confused looks most often, haha.
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I personally have never understood the allure of foreign cards, outside of saving money on Italian Mana Drain and the like.
Whenever my playgroup for EDH has a question on what a specific card does (such as oracle wordings), we usually use someone's phone to access magiccards.info.
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I don't understand the appeal of foreign cards and I dislike when people play them.
If its on something simple, or a staple its not too bad, but when people are playing off the wall cards, or things that are very wordy and complicated it gets annoying.
During the last SCG coverage someone did mention an all foreign Enchantress deck, that does sound pretty hilarious yet incredibly obnoxious to play against.
I recently bought some cool Japanese cards for my EDH. I'm wondering how you guys play with foreign cards in your decks. Do you assume that everyone knows the card? Do you keep an English version in your box? Or do you type out a list of each foreign card? Any other ideas?
Play em how I normally do. Shuffle em and smack em down on a table.
Only foreign/textless cards I have are common ones (Liliana's Specter, Cancel, etc).
I'd imagine the one I'd have to remember well is if I owned a textless Cryptic Command.
Casually I joke that it's a 'blue wrath'. It does what I want it to do!
On topic though: If I ever thought I'd forget the card text, I'd bring an english copy
or just bring a print out of the oracle text.
I should probably keep the Oracle texts with me. It doesn't come up very often though - the two playgroups I'm a part of are relaxed groups where there's a level of trust, and people generally know the cards anyway.
Case in point, I have a couple cards proxied at the moment because I'm shipping them out to an artist for a signature. When we pulled out our EDH decks last night, I simply said, "I have two or three cards proxied in here because I'm sending them out to get signed, what do you want me to do about that?" They said if I draw any of them just explain what they do and keep playing.
I had a Japanese Glistening Oil in my EDH deck... Worst idea EVER!!! I tend to use foreign cards in my EDH decks and people generally don't have a problem. That card gave me all hell!!!
I'm new to magic, and recently ran into this problem. I was playing a 1-on-1 EDH tournament and my opponent played Il Tabernacolo della Valle di Pendrell. I asked him what it was and he said "Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale". I asked what it did and he was reluctant to answer. Then when it came time for me to pay upkeep costs, he didn't know if it said "destroy" or "sacrifice", which mattered since my commander was indestructible (via Darksteel Plate). I should have spent more time reading it, because the Italian isn't that hard to decipher... but he was already annoyed that I was taking too long to decide between paying mana vs sacrificing my creatures, and I ended up paying more mana that I should have.
*edit* If you have a $300 foreign card in your deck, please have the English wording and oracle text either memorized or printed out...
*edit* If you have a $300 foreign card in your deck, please have the English wording and oracle text either memorized or printed out...
Really, if you're taking ANY foreign card to a tournament, know the exact text of it.
The flipside of that is, if your opponent plays a foreign card and you are even a tiny bit unsure of what it does, ask the TO for the oracle text. It's within your rights if the tournament is sanctioned, and it's just a reasonable thing to do even if it's not.
The guy who brought a non-English card to an English-language tournament can deal with however long it takes, especially if an entry fee was paid.
I play with a lot of French and German cards but I always know what the card does in English so I can explain it easily. Plus being able to read French well allows me to translate not only French, but Italian and Spanish cards when there is a question.
I have a set of chinese mox diamonds that I'm still trying to get rid of. I absolutely can't stand looking at foreign cards. Not sure why, but something about it irritates me.
I have a set of chinese mox diamonds that I'm still trying to get rid of. I absolutely can't stand looking at foreign cards. Not sure why, but something about it irritates me.
Hey, if you can't stand reading anything but "Amurhicun," then ship them off to me. I don't mind foreign language cards.
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For what's it's worth, I play with a commander deck that is 93% Japanese foil, which is when this will happen most of the time. I do use various languages at FNM, though, which is where I get the confused looks most often, haha.
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Whenever my playgroup for EDH has a question on what a specific card does (such as oracle wordings), we usually use someone's phone to access magiccards.info.
If its on something simple, or a staple its not too bad, but when people are playing off the wall cards, or things that are very wordy and complicated it gets annoying.
During the last SCG coverage someone did mention an all foreign Enchantress deck, that does sound pretty hilarious yet incredibly obnoxious to play against.
RGStandard Gruul AggroRG
540 Peasant cube- Gold EditionSomething SpicyPlay em how I normally do. Shuffle em and smack em down on a table.
Only foreign/textless cards I have are common ones (Liliana's Specter, Cancel, etc).
I'd imagine the one I'd have to remember well is if I owned a textless Cryptic Command.
Casually I joke that it's a 'blue wrath'. It does what I want it to do!
On topic though: If I ever thought I'd forget the card text, I'd bring an english copy
or just bring a print out of the oracle text.
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Case in point, I have a couple cards proxied at the moment because I'm shipping them out to an artist for a signature. When we pulled out our EDH decks last night, I simply said, "I have two or three cards proxied in here because I'm sending them out to get signed, what do you want me to do about that?" They said if I draw any of them just explain what they do and keep playing.
*edit* If you have a $300 foreign card in your deck, please have the English wording and oracle text either memorized or printed out...
G Pumped Elvish Warriors G
GW Infectious Slivers WG
WU Milling Allies UW
Legacy:
UB Hex-Depths BU (combo-control)
G NO/Aggro Elves G
Commander:
WUBRG Sliver Army GRBUW (multiplayer)
WUG Rafiq the Exalted GUW (1-on-1 voltron)
GU Edric's Circus UG (multiplayer tokens)
B Relentless Rats B (multiplayer combo)
UB Sygg, the Punisher (in progress)BU
UBR Nicol Bolas, Elder Dragon Highlander RBU (in progress)
Really, if you're taking ANY foreign card to a tournament, know the exact text of it.
The flipside of that is, if your opponent plays a foreign card and you are even a tiny bit unsure of what it does, ask the TO for the oracle text. It's within your rights if the tournament is sanctioned, and it's just a reasonable thing to do even if it's not.
The guy who brought a non-English card to an English-language tournament can deal with however long it takes, especially if an entry fee was paid.
Hey, if you can't stand reading anything but "Amurhicun," then ship them off to me. I don't mind foreign language cards.