Hi I'm new to this website and wanted to ask a few questions concerning casual play.
I have never participated in sanctioned play for MTG for several reasons.
Cost
Distance
Competition and anxiety
I played magic casually in highschool. I did not have a job or a source of income. I don't recall how I got most of my cards. But i think they may have been gifts. So I would need to TRADE. To even think about getting new cards. Many of my friends were quite wealthy. Or had parents able to get them too and from jobs during the summer.
This was around 2010-2013. My point being here is I own many cards from those three years. My most recent magic purchase "Trying" to get back into the game to build decks with was an amonket deckbuilers toolkit. Though I still didn't get into the game do to the distance of my local store.
Come this week now that I finally have a way to visit my local game store. I was gifted some random cards from the newest Ravnica set!
Though nothing consistent enough to make a deck in the "Standard" format.
Here is my problem. My local game store only hosts "standard""Commander""sealed draft" and of course pre-release events.
The form of magic I played in highschool for most regards would be considered "casual" or "modern" As I would use cards as far back as alliance I had banding cards in my white deck for some funky reason.
But no one plays casual modern anymore. I want to be able to use the cards I've collected during my highschool days so I don't have to spend more money on a game I barely got to play. My friends If you could call them that were dicks to me later on. Because "you don't have good cards" or "You lose all the time." They wanted to play the meta. I wanted to play for fun of the game.
I arrived at my local gamestore the other day. Built a deck and asked if anyone plays the type of game I wanted to play. Every single player was playing commander. I was told it was the casual game night. I was recommended that my best bet is to make a "commander" deck, Or to just enter "sealed draft"
I don't own 100 of the same sleeve. I also don't want to spend anymore cash on magic until I'm experienced again in the game mechanics again.
"Magic: The Gathering" was a fun game when I was able to play it. I almost always lost. But it was something I loved doing. Maybe I need to go to my local library. Who knows. My closest game store is 10 miles away and it just feels so far.
Sorry if this is a retread of my life story. I'm just trying to tell this from my perspective.
"Also, you keep saying casual modern, and then say you were playing cards from Alliances. Dat ain't modern, son!"
My friends merely used the cards they owned, cards were cards. Sometimes we'd use older cards. Not always. Eventually the environment became more competitive.
My most recent decks I made a day or two ago would be considered "modern", as they contain cards from "Return to Ravnica" and "Guilds of Ravnica"
On the topic of sleeves. I could use several different colors to get a 100 card deck. But heres the thing. It is often considered agaisnt the rules or unfair to use multiple colors of sleeves. Due to a concept called "Stacking" which means I will know what cards might be in what sleeve.
Now the funny thing is if I'm really just playing for fun. It might not matter.
Yet every single player at my local stores uses "Dragon Shields" and none of the decks use multiple sleeves.
There's an odd hivemind of "dragon shields" being the only ones to buy there. I played "Card Fight vanguard" in the past. and always used KMC Hypermatts.
While I guess I could use multiple sleeves. I am worried I will get called out for stacking. I could play without sleeves if I'm a madman. I could always buy some penny sleeves at a sports store.
Using different colored sleeves is against the rules. Your options are to either buy sleeves so that they are all the same color or play without sleeves.
Thanks for the honesty. I will invest in a pack of 100 good sleeves when I can all the same color.
I think my big reason as to why I don't own enough sleeves for EDH/Commander is this. Many products sleeve packs were Standard sized 60 Card sleeve packs. These were the most common to come across at my local game/card selling locations. So I never though about needing more of the same type. Many of my sleeves are from my highschool days. So theyre crappy ultra pros.
I will try to make a deck suited to my local stores playing groups. I'll use my "Jace the living guildpact" as my commander if I can't find another suitable card. If need be as many of my cards aren't very valuable I'll just not use sleeves.
This is not something I want to do. Playing without sleeves will wear the cards our faster. But I don't want to spend anymore cash on magic immediately. I own hundreds of cards already. Many I never got to use in a game. I'll buy some Dragon Shields or some KMCs later on no rush.
While EDH is a really cool format. It was never the regular 60 card style of magic I'm used to. It just seems to be the most popular gametype at my local store. I guess I will have to adapt to the trends. Maybe I will eventually try Standard. So I'm one of the "cool kids" But thats a lot of "keeping up with the Joneses" I've never tried.
You know how annoying that is. It's the only planeswalker I own. Can I use Rakdos lord of Riots?
I'll stop asking questions here as this would merely turn into a deck building thread.
I am really confused how "this is the one exception to the rule" Happens to be the only planeswalker I have a copy of.
Rakdos, Lord of Riots is a legendary creature and thus can be used as a commander, yes.
It's not that your planeswalker is an exception to the rule. Planeswalkers as commanders are the exception to the rule. Only those that say they can be your commander can be used as commanders, because specific card texts trump general rules.
Ok, first, if you were playing in high school, you were probably playing type 1 or 1.5 (vintage or legacy). You can still play those casually, but many of the cards for competitive decks are quite expensive (hundred of dollars in legacy, thousands in vintage). If you have cards from alliances, you might want to price check your cards, because there are a number of expensive cards from around that time. Force of Will and Helm of Obedience come to mind for alliances specifically. None of your older cards are usable in modern even if you find a place to play it
Commander will allow you to play with your old stuff, but I don't recommend starting there. It sounds like you have a small to midsized collection. It will be extremely hard to build a commander deck out of what you already own. The singleton nature of the format means you need a much larger variety of cards, and you probably won't have the appropriate support cards to build your mana base and fill out your card advantage slots. Even if you want to play Rakdos as a commander I would recommend buying a (non-green) preconstructed commander deck that includes those colors to use as a base. This is to get a set of mana rocks that work in the colors you choose and to pull out some of the draw spells.
For sleeves, I recommend buying dragon shields. They sell as a pack of a little over 100 so even if one is bad, you'll have enough, and they last a long time. If your local store doesn't have them, purchase online. I've gotten used to the idea that most decks I build are going to cost me $10 in sleeves unless I tear apart a different deck.
On the planeswalker as commander subject, I think there's 7 that can be used as commanders? 5 were in commander preconstructed decks, and two were in Battlebond. Brawl is the format that allows other planewalkers to be used as commanders, but Brawl uses standard card pool so you wouldn't be able to play older cards (and more people play commander so finding a game for brawl might be difficult).
Most of the budget casual players play at community colleges or just with friends at home. Trying to get a 60 card casual game going at a local game store is like pulling teeth.
I somewhat said that out of jest. But yeah, usually the game store players are just focused on that nights tournament. If you get to know the players better you'll figure out who carries casual decks with them and whatnot.
At the college level I was able to find casuals with unsleeved decks, the decks placed inside ziploc bags with a rubber band around it. The decks would have a theme to them and curve out well, but lacked any big money cards. Games would always play out funny, good times.
I have never participated in sanctioned play for MTG for several reasons.
I played magic casually in highschool. I did not have a job or a source of income. I don't recall how I got most of my cards. But i think they may have been gifts. So I would need to TRADE. To even think about getting new cards. Many of my friends were quite wealthy. Or had parents able to get them too and from jobs during the summer.
This was around 2010-2013. My point being here is I own many cards from those three years. My most recent magic purchase "Trying" to get back into the game to build decks with was an amonket deckbuilers toolkit. Though I still didn't get into the game do to the distance of my local store.
Come this week now that I finally have a way to visit my local game store. I was gifted some random cards from the newest Ravnica set!
Though nothing consistent enough to make a deck in the "Standard" format.
Here is my problem. My local game store only hosts "standard" "Commander" "sealed draft" and of course pre-release events.
The form of magic I played in highschool for most regards would be considered "casual" or "modern" As I would use cards as far back as alliance I had banding cards in my white deck for some funky reason.
But no one plays casual modern anymore. I want to be able to use the cards I've collected during my highschool days so I don't have to spend more money on a game I barely got to play. My friends If you could call them that were dicks to me later on. Because "you don't have good cards" or "You lose all the time." They wanted to play the meta. I wanted to play for fun of the game.
I arrived at my local gamestore the other day. Built a deck and asked if anyone plays the type of game I wanted to play. Every single player was playing commander. I was told it was the casual game night. I was recommended that my best bet is to make a "commander" deck, Or to just enter "sealed draft"
I don't own 100 of the same sleeve. I also don't want to spend anymore cash on magic until I'm experienced again in the game mechanics again.
"Magic: The Gathering" was a fun game when I was able to play it. I almost always lost. But it was something I loved doing. Maybe I need to go to my local library. Who knows. My closest game store is 10 miles away and it just feels so far.
Sorry if this is a retread of my life story. I'm just trying to tell this from my perspective.
My friends merely used the cards they owned, cards were cards. Sometimes we'd use older cards. Not always. Eventually the environment became more competitive.
My most recent decks I made a day or two ago would be considered "modern", as they contain cards from "Return to Ravnica" and "Guilds of Ravnica"
On the topic of sleeves. I could use several different colors to get a 100 card deck. But heres the thing. It is often considered agaisnt the rules or unfair to use multiple colors of sleeves. Due to a concept called "Stacking" which means I will know what cards might be in what sleeve.
Now the funny thing is if I'm really just playing for fun. It might not matter.
Yet every single player at my local stores uses "Dragon Shields" and none of the decks use multiple sleeves.
There's an odd hivemind of "dragon shields" being the only ones to buy there. I played "Card Fight vanguard" in the past. and always used KMC Hypermatts.
While I guess I could use multiple sleeves. I am worried I will get called out for stacking. I could play without sleeves if I'm a madman. I could always buy some penny sleeves at a sports store.
Thanks for the Feedback.
I think my big reason as to why I don't own enough sleeves for EDH/Commander is this. Many products sleeve packs were Standard sized 60 Card sleeve packs. These were the most common to come across at my local game/card selling locations. So I never though about needing more of the same type. Many of my sleeves are from my highschool days. So theyre crappy ultra pros.
I will try to make a deck suited to my local stores playing groups. I'll use my "Jace the living guildpact" as my commander if I can't find another suitable card. If need be as many of my cards aren't very valuable I'll just not use sleeves.
This is not something I want to do. Playing without sleeves will wear the cards our faster. But I don't want to spend anymore cash on magic immediately. I own hundreds of cards already. Many I never got to use in a game. I'll buy some Dragon Shields or some KMCs later on no rush.
While EDH is a really cool format. It was never the regular 60 card style of magic I'm used to. It just seems to be the most popular gametype at my local store. I guess I will have to adapt to the trends. Maybe I will eventually try Standard. So I'm one of the "cool kids" But thats a lot of "keeping up with the Joneses" I've never tried.
I'll stop asking questions here as this would merely turn into a deck building thread.
I am really confused how "this is the one exception to the rule" Happens to be the only planeswalker I have a copy of.
It's not that your planeswalker is an exception to the rule. Planeswalkers as commanders are the exception to the rule. Only those that say they can be your commander can be used as commanders, because specific card texts trump general rules.
Former Rules Advisor
"Everything's better with pirates." - Lodge
(The Gamers: Dorkness Rising)
"Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science."
(Girl Genius - Fairy Tale Theater Break - Cinderella, end of volume 8)
Commander will allow you to play with your old stuff, but I don't recommend starting there. It sounds like you have a small to midsized collection. It will be extremely hard to build a commander deck out of what you already own. The singleton nature of the format means you need a much larger variety of cards, and you probably won't have the appropriate support cards to build your mana base and fill out your card advantage slots. Even if you want to play Rakdos as a commander I would recommend buying a (non-green) preconstructed commander deck that includes those colors to use as a base. This is to get a set of mana rocks that work in the colors you choose and to pull out some of the draw spells.
For sleeves, I recommend buying dragon shields. They sell as a pack of a little over 100 so even if one is bad, you'll have enough, and they last a long time. If your local store doesn't have them, purchase online. I've gotten used to the idea that most decks I build are going to cost me $10 in sleeves unless I tear apart a different deck.
On the planeswalker as commander subject, I think there's 7 that can be used as commanders? 5 were in commander preconstructed decks, and two were in Battlebond. Brawl is the format that allows other planewalkers to be used as commanders, but Brawl uses standard card pool so you wouldn't be able to play older cards (and more people play commander so finding a game for brawl might be difficult).
Didn't know casual games were odd at games stores. I'll go to my local library some time and see if I can't find some players.
At the college level I was able to find casuals with unsleeved decks, the decks placed inside ziploc bags with a rubber band around it. The decks would have a theme to them and curve out well, but lacked any big money cards. Games would always play out funny, good times.
The real challenge might be to find players.
These are the decks that I have constructed, and are ready to play:
01. Ankh Sligh to be exact.