No one is forcing anyone to look at leaked cards.
If you don't want to see spoilers, stay out of the threads that are likely to contain them.
As an aside, I wouldn't mention "high horse" when you're on your own about "saving them happiness."
Not everyone's Christmas is ruined by seeing the gifts. Not everyone wants/likes surprises.
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- TSRD
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Why do you say it was outside the normal color? An artifact has no color and thus it can't be "outside of one". I mean, what is the point of saying something like that? Artifacts can have any effect in the game for the right price. For Example, they obviously didn't have a problem with the disc's effect on any artifact since they printed Oblivion Stone not long ago. Card draw happens on a ton of Artifacts and so on and so on...
Obiously the power levels are not the same but then again those older cards were not reprinted for a reason (and it was power level not "oh no black can kill an enchantment"). These Magus are simply twists that give you some of the feel for the old on a much easier to balance base.
~Nim
I guess since this has been asked four or five times and no one has answered I will.
In the US (and maybe other places as well, though from the sound of it not) on TV there is a channel called Cartoon Network which plays, you guessed it, cartoons all day. During the day it plays shows for younger viewers, like scooby-doo and whatnot. At night it plays shows for older viewers. This late night block is called Adult Swim and is mostly made up of Anime. WotC runs adds during this time for Magic which is a very good choice given the age/general tastes of Adult Swim's viewers.
Anyhow I think that covers it.
~Nim
*Edit: Aww mine was longer... You just snuck in. :mad:*
On the subject of colored beliefs I should imagine all colors want what they want for "eternity". White wants Order forever. Blue wants Knowlege "forever" (it really isn't a state of being though so it is hard to say how blue makes out in all this). Green wants... for all intents and purposes... Nothing (seeing as how it desires nature to takes its course, something that would happen anyway, all it needs to do is stop others from messing with it). Red wants Freedom forever. And Black wants... Everything and Nothing. Everything in that it has great greed/personal hunger, Nothing in that it really doesn't care if there is, say Order, so long as black is happy.
All of the colors seem very simple in that way and yet it isn't really that easy. The White guard may very well be a weak man saying, "Come on now guys please stop this." or he could be a guard who draws his sword and chops someone down to stop an argument. Both are going for the same goal, stopping the argument, and to white it really doesn't matter how it is done. The idea that white wouldn't kill and would try to talk to people and work things out comes from people believeing that white is "good". Not necissarily. A dictator who places everyone under Martial Law and Curfew, with public executions for those who break said laws would still be very, very white. Nothing is ever very clear cut.
Finally I think black wouldn't do exchange very often at all. Exchanging means to give them something and you gain something. Black doesn't want to give anyone anything. If it is something powerful that is in their way they would just get it killed off... Not worrying about getting it on Black's side. Much less through trickery. When you want power you just take it in the most direct means needed. Overthinking things (as in planning out exchanges that offer a benifit but not a total win) is very blue and not overly black, I think anyhow. But it wouldn't be too out of character if they had to do one...
Just my thoughts...
~Nim
I must ask you... These are all, without a doubt, better then the Dragon? Why?
-Akroma, Angel of Wrath. In a straight race... maybe (actually they kill their target, at 20 hp, at the same time). But that isn't all you do is it? There is more to the game then that, right? What if you need three turns to kill him but he has a Dark Confidant on the board? Akroma can do nothing to stop him from perhaps drawing into an answer. The dragon can flat out destroy the problem. Being able to be dropped at instant speed also let's him slip ten damage in before your opponent can even respond with something like ***. Akrom only gets six (though granted she is tougher for targetted removal to deal with). I'm not saying the dragon is better then Akroma but he isn't worse either. He is different.
-Avatar of Woe. Forgetting for a moment that Woe can be played for :symb::symb:, it is hardly "better". In a race, the dragon actually kills the opponent a turn faster, can likely kill at least one of your enemy's critters on his come into play trigger (though then he only ties Woe in the race... Then again if Woe stops to kill something *thus meaning they each killed a critter* the dragon will win the race), and has evasion that at times is better then fear (though, to be fair, at times it is worse also...). Add on to this that Woe has no haste (flash works like haste if you want it to) and is thus likely to be ***ged, fettered, ect... before it can do anything, again I must think the dragon is not in any way inferior.
-Avatar of Fury. Again forgetting that Fury can be played for :symr::symr:, it is, again, hardly better. Like akroma it cannot effect the board unless your opponent lets it, like Woe it lacks haste and thus is much more vulnerable and, unless you want to spend more mana, the dragon outraces it as well. I don't remember ever seeing this used... I could simply be forgetting though...
-Scion of Darkness. Since we are just discussing each card and not others that work well with them, we will forget alternative means of getting Scion into play. Trample is good but it does slow the kill a bit (this card is also slower to kill the other player then the dragon btw), Graveyard stealing is nice but requires that you opponent actually plays critters (I play critterless decks often) and that they have died, making it, at times, unreliable. Finally, cycleing is good if you don't want him early on but it might also mean nothing later so...
-Tidal Kraken. While he does have the best evasion you can ask for he still has problems. In a flat race he loses, he doesn't effect the board, and he also lacks haste. That doesn't make him worse then any of the above though because he will win in four turns unless killed (or you hold him back for blocking) which is a nice assurence to have...
-Sundering Titan. Now this is a sick, sick card. Is it better? Alot of the time... Yes. Always? No. First his effect can backfire, killing your lands too. He has no evasion meaning endless chump blocking if you can't deal with their Kher Keep, and he also can not stop a Dark confidant from pulling the game away with a few draws... Hardly a dominant victory over our new dragon. Still I think there is no doubting that Titan is one of the best fatties to see print in a while....
-Bosh, Iron Golem. I had to stop and say... What? I definatly can't see why Bosh is "better". Again bosh loses in a race, trample can be worse then flying fairly often, his ability reqires you to build a deck around it to make it even usable (and that is extra mana and cards you're useing...), and no haste meaning a death is definatly possible before he does anything... Better? I think not. By a large amount this time too.
-Symbiotic Wurm. Same in a damage race but no evasion/haste... Gives out very small tokens when it dies and also has no effect on the board (beyond blocking). Why is this better? Sure even if it gets killed you got something out of it but the same can be said of the dragon... So... Why?
-Bloodfire Colossus. Loses in a damage race/ties with use of ability, has no evasion/haste, kills both his and your critters (at the cost of your bloodfire too), and could have his ability made useless because you could kill yourself using it. Is he better? No. Is the dragon better? Not always. They are different.
-Nicol Bolas. Wow. Um... Forgetting that he hasn't been in print for years, has six colored mana symbols in his cost (of three different colors no less), and has an upkeep... He only ties in the damage race, has no haste and his ability only does something if he actually survives and manages a hit (not to mention that by the time you drop him both of you could have empty hands and thus his ability has no effect)... Um, there is no doubt he is a classic and has at least a respectable amount of power but "better? Hardly.
-Verdant Force. Same damage clock (not counting his saps), no evasion, no way to effect your opponents confidant... Still, he is the other great fatty that saw print recently. A swarm maker of epic proportions. And even with this much power I still can't say he is "better"...
I hope this helps a bit in understanding that "better" is a very hard word to use well. There are many situations when this dragon would be better then even classics like Akroma. His cost is more then fair and I think he lives up to the role of a finisher very, very well.
Please try not to be too harsh on him now, kk?
~Nim
Magic is actually quite simple if you do this. Of course, you need to get the basics on playing lands/critters/sorc/instants and so on out of the way, but past that doing what the card says is really all it takes most of the time.
Anyhow let's discuss decks.
Guide lines:
Simple is good but don't cradle them. Treat them as adults (or however old they are/how you should treat them). An all creature/land deck even as the first one seems a little too... low keyed. A few simple spells will not only provoke questions but also allow a little thought to go into the games. This is vital because magic is a game of the mind... Get them used to thinking.
It helps greatly if you know the person as well. If you know their feelings on issues you can start them in their strengths. I person who is more thoughtful/patient/passive may be better off to start in blue or white. I more agressive person might like red or green better. That kind of thing. This doesn't mean they won't like something else but it can be useful in keeping their attention for the first few games (when rules and other dry talk is breaking in every turn or two).
Colors:
Try and bring the ideals of the color out.
Raging Goblin/Shock
Grizzly Bears/Giant Growth
Wind Drake/Unsummon
Ravenous Rats/Dark Banishing
Master Decoy/Holy Day
*Note: I had a heck of a time thinking of a white spell... *** came to mind first of course but it didn't seem like it fit with the others up there so I went for choice #2.*
These are all iconic cards of their colors and really speak to what that color is. Give them a taste of the flavor for that color. Maybe talk a little about what that color is like and what it likes.
White is the color of Order, Law, Society.
Red is the color of Passion, Action, Chaos.
Green is the color of Nature, Instinct, Growth.
Blue is the color of Intellect, Development, Change.
Black is the color of Ambition, Sacrifice, Power.
*Note: Don't do this if you think they aren't interested. It can be boring very easily to talk of this kind of stuff for some people.*
Sample Deck:
Here is a sample list I would try out...
White:
Creatures:
4x Eager Cadet
4x Honor Guard
4x Infantry Veteran
4x Glory Seeker
4x Master Decoy
4x Kjeldoran Outrider
4x Feild Marshal
Non-Creature:
4x Holy Strength
4x Pacifism
4x Kjeldoran War Cry
Lands:
20x Plains
This would be a nice mid-level deck for someone interested in white/creatures. It may be a bit too much for a starter but that doesn't mean it isn't a nice little deck for a more experianced student. This deck not only teaches combat well but it also focuses them on other things that may not get alot of attention. Paying attention to what's in a graveyard, a creature's type, and having a theme are all great points in it's favor.
*Having a theme is worth mentioning. A theme can help draw the player (admittedly, younger ones) into a sense of being "in" the battle. Your army of soldiers facing off vs the goblin hoard is a classic in fantasy works and bringing it to "life" is exciting in and of itself.*
Final thoughts:
I think that in the end however, observation is the best form of learning. Have them watch a bit and then ask them if they have any questions...
*If they don't ask any then you should ask them some. Sometimes people feel out of sorts and don't really know what they want to say, so talk a bit with them and try and find points they need help on.*
Finally, If you're really serious about them playing/learning, getting them a MTGO account is useful. You can't make rules mistakes (it won't let you), while at the same time it gives you a limitless supply of replays you can use.
Good Luck to you all in everything you do!
~Nim