Magic: The Gathering.

[The Silent Orator]

So... I started playing today. A friend loaned me a deck and taught me how to play... and I'm immediately hooked.

So, who here plays? Anyone play at, like, tournament level?



Anyone care to suggest a good deck for someone like me? Cost and stuff doesn't matter too much... just as long as it's a good deck (suggested cards, combos, etc.).

My friend said you can have more than one type in a deck, so if possible, can someone suggest some good cards to put in a red/black deck (after watching my friends play, I have a bias toward those colors).

[Beanybag]

I used to play at tournament level, but that was years ago. I went slivers, good start, got stronger as the game progressed, and there are some really good, but hard to get, slivers out there. Some of those lands that come into play tapped, but really shine as the game goes on...those work well, and throw in a few counter spells. You don't really need any other instants or the like with slivers. Try to stick with 2-3 colors if possible with slivers though. I did white, green, blue.

[Kainus Maximus]

I also used to play years upon years ago. Got out of the hobby, and began pouring my funds into other hobbies.

Firstly, here is a tool that I strongly suggest downloading: www.magicworkstation.com/ it is basically a deck constructor and play tester. It gives you interesting data about your deck, and if your deck is legal for certain tournament types.

On specific deck combos, there are tons out there. I mean, a disgustingly large amount. My personal and only remaining deck was a damned if you do damned if you dont deck where the opponent was forced to spend mana or take damage, and by spending all their mana, allowed me to play specific cards that played on that situation; I think I only used cards from the Invasion block in that. Anyways, there are tons of combos, some are even turn two kill combos, but generally you want to find a deck that is both challenging and fun to play with/against.

Try and find a card or set of cards you like, and build around them, but try not to be too specific in that, or your deck will suffer.

[EJP]

I use to play but haven't in in a long time since no one on here has challenged me. I use the same thing that Kainus just linked and I also use that program to make my custom magic cards.

[Beanybag]

By the way, when I say I played at tournament level, I wasn't implying that I won...I just had fun.

[Ninmast]

If you're running red and black, you'll probably want to either do sacrificial creatures, like goblins and zombies, or go the magic way and use cards like Blaze (XR sorcery to do X damage to your opponent) and Terror (Destroys a nonblack creature). The former can really stack up well, but probably might be a bit advanced just starting out, while it's really easy to just unleash spells on your opponent, wipe out his forces and strike directly at his life points.

[The Silent Orator]

Actually, I've played a Zombie deck before. The deck that I was using to get "acquainted" was a pure black deck... a zombie deck focusing on just... destroying stuff on your opponent's side of the field.

Goblins, though... I'll have to check them out in Magic Workstation.

[Kainus Maximus]

Goblins can be played a couple different ways, but generally are speed weenies. I've made a turn three kill Goblin deck in workstation, and even planned on purchasing it in person, but fell out of the game before I could do so. The deck probably wouldnt have made me many friends either.

[Ninmast]

And, of course, the enemy of any pure deck ... Story Circle. WW, I believe, and you choose a color as it comes into play. Any time a source of that color would deal damage to you, you may tap 1 colorless to negate it.

My favorite deck of all relied on circles of protection (Story Circle had not yet made its debut, and circles of protection are aimed at specific colors and only cost 1W to put into play) and Platinum Angel (4/4 Artifact Creature for 7 colorless with Flying and, "So long as Platinum Angel is on the field, your opponent cannot win the game and you cannot lose the game.") to just draw it out while I pecked away with weenie unblockables like Phantom Warrior or turned one of their lands into an island with Phantasmal Terrain, then gave my old, old buddy Sea Serpent (5U, 5/5 with Islandhome) Islandwalk with Fishliver Oil.

I'm not bluffing when I say one match I was in, I got into the negative ten thousands in life points and still won. The only drawback is that it's slow to get started compared to a lot of the faster decks today.

[The Silent Orator]

*bump, slightly*

I got my own deck now. I'm beginning to see what you mean with Story Circle, Ninmast.

I run a red deck... full of direct damage and my wonderful Planeswalker. The person I went up against in our group's last 3-on-3 match (I think we called it Emperor, but I forget) ran a black and white deck... but what pissed me off the most was that she played the artifact "Protection from red" or something like that.

I was like, "Mother f--"

I kinda made myself infamous when my second game I ever played, I managed to somehow scrape a win against the person who's supposed to be the best of the group. She runs a green elf deck and recovers life faster than I could take away half of the time... and she summons creatures like no friggin' tomorrow.

Our first battle, I managed to pull out Furnace of Rath (1 colorless, 3 fire), which means any damage done in that battle would be doubled. Then next turn, I played my planeswalker, Chandra Nalaar, and did 2 damage with her effect.

She recovered with those stupid elves and was at, like... 29 life. Then I pulled out my combo. I used the -8 loyalty thing on my planeswalker to deal 20 damage to her life (it's 10, but it's doubled with Furnace of Rath), then I tapped five fire to play Lava Axe, which did 10 damage (5x2 from FoR).

Needless to say, this deck makes me happy. Four Lava Axes, four Furnace of Raths, four Planeswalkers... a creature that's 3/1 with Haste and only costs one fire mana to summon (although it gets destroyed at the end of the turn).

I got a LOT of cards that when I tap them (creature-wise) or play them (sorcery-wise), does one damage to player or creature. Very useful as a lot of us in that group seem to play 1/1 creatures to chump block or something... also very useful for destroying those damn tokens.



Also, I kinda threw my friends' advice to the winds and put in slightly more lands than they suggested. The guy who helped me make my deck said that I really only need about 20-ish land to fuel my spells... but I edited it a bit to keep it at 60 cards and I have about 25 land. Needless to say that with a lot of cards that cost X colorless, I can do a lot more damage with a lot of mana... although, on occasion, I've been in situations where I had ten or eleven mana out on the field and I kept topdecking more mana.

... and one time, for the first six or eight turns, I only had two mana to work with... which pissed me off.




Also... I want a Mox Ruby. Those things are EXPENSIVE, though.