Getting back into M:tG (after ~10 years)

[Judging__Eagle]

I was introduced to M:tG by a friend around 1993-1993; and the first cards were a starter box & some boosters that I & my brother shuffled into a oversized deck and proceeded to misplay the game for months, before we started going over the rulebook to figure out how to really play the game.

Sometime around 2006-2008 I gave away the last of my cards to friends b/c I didn't play anymore.

Now I'm looking at getting cards & playing at my LGS again.

I'm considering playing old school; getting a large amount of cards, then building decks from what I have. I should buy a pre-constructed deck, or netbuild/test a build. However, netdecking doesn't have the same appeal as constructing decks from currently owned cards.

I've looked at buying collections from online classifieds (craigslist, kijijii), but I'm also considering buying bulk or repacked lots from eBay sellers in Canada; possible looking at Amazon's online stores.

I'm also thinking that I should go to the 10 or so LGS in my tri-city area and asking for a free/cheap starter box(es) to restart my collection.

Are there any other ideas on how to get cards to make my own decks inexpensively?

[MisterDee]

If it's just wanting to play, go digital with MTGO. All the old cards are easy to get (not always cheap, but always cheaper than in paper & availability is pretty much guaranteed.) As an added bonus you don't have to deal with the endemic cheating and better yet, you don't actually need to interact with game store barnacles.

[Judging__Eagle]

It's more about the social interaction than the gameplay itself.

[Mistborn]

So if you want to do M:tG you've got basically four options in terms of formats.

1) Draft/Limited: this is the format that 90% of cards are designed for and the one you will won't be punished for not having a collection. The upfront buy in is lower than any format, but of course you need to buy packs for every event. Also if you're not familiar with Drafting it requires you to learn an entirely new new skill.

2) Standard: A viable standard deck will usually set you back something like $200 and that deck will stop being viable in something like 6 months to 2 years. As a rotating format it is constantly evolving but frequently it devolves into something that sucks a barrel of cocks.

3) Eternal: Eternal formats are harder to find players for and decks can cost thousands of dollars. Unless you have a bunch of pauper players in your area. The allure of eternal formats the shear number of decks and that you buy a deck a play with it forever until you gain a deep mastery of it.

4) Commander: commander games are probably the second easiest games to find players for at your FLGS. The format is intended to be more casual, designed to give players the opportunity to use their big flashy cards. This is a doubled edged sword as games can drag on for hours or end abruptly when some assembles their combo. Decks can be built on a budget but expect some in every game to throw their wallet on the table.

[Krusk]

Drafting is the way to go, at least to start. Its like 20$ to buy in usually, and everyone is on the same playing field. No one ebayed the exact cards for their deck and normally nonviable tactics are effective.

I dont play mtg anymore, but friends of mine do. They occasionally pay for me to go to a draft on the condition i give them what i draft/win and get at least 1-2 rares.

I get to play mtg, and i dont have to own a bunch of cards or play with anyone who pours tons of money in.

If you actually want cards, do some drafts to build a collection. You can play the same day you go to the shop, and dont need to invest much for your cards. Then after a few drafts, youve got enough for some decks.

[JonSetanta]

When playing Draft, you could be evil like some Kamigawa players I once saw grab all the good cards regardless of color, lose the tourney, and walk out with choice sales.

In that draft I saw three Sensei's Divining Tops come my way, an uncommon, and I grabbed all three.
They jacked up to $15 apiece years later.
Maybe more.

[Judging__Eagle]

When playing Draft, you could be evil like some Kamigawa players I once saw grab all the good cards regardless of color, lose the tourney, and walk out with choice sales.

In that draft I saw three Sensei's Divining Tops come my way, an uncommon, and I grabbed all three.
They jacked up to $15 apiece years later.
Maybe more.

Glad to see collecting & the secondary market are still going strong. Without it, M:tG would have no value beyond card rarity alone.

I remember friends to played booster drafts back in the 1990's who had no problem grabbing valuable rares/UCs, even if they wouldn't help them win the game.

I've been looking at some youtube videos talking about Drafting, but only the basics right now.

[Eikre]

I'll take a value rare every time and still usually win. Trying to pick up dollar uncommons at the detriment to your experience is dumb, though. Your time is more valuable than that.

[Username17]

Now is an awkward time to get into Magic. Some of the most powerful sets for Standard ever are currently legal, and will leave Standard rotation in a month. I mean seriously, currently Red decks have the following 4 cost threats to choose from:



That's not a joke. One of them is a 5/4 Indestructible Haste creature that can also burn off cards in your hand for unblockable damage for 4 mana, and the other is a Planeswalker that can be used as a card advantage engine, a mana ramp, a source of unblockable damage, or a removal spell, and saves up for a reasonably hard win condition.

Both of those cards stop being legal in Standard next month. And all the decks that were designed based around using or fighting those cards will have to go home and rethink their lives.

We are going to go to a world of very good mana for everyone in the set after next and everyone will be playing 3 color decks. But for the moment, the only three color decks that will be supported are Abzan (G/B/W), Naya (G/R/W), Jeskai (U/R/W), Sultai (B/G/U), and Grixis (R/U/B). And that's because there are going to be a total of 15 multilands that are Standard legal and they will not be evenly distributed around the colors.

-Username17