Editor’s Note: While this is a “review” of Magic: the Gathering, we encourage you to take some notes, as Austin has provided you with some tips to help get started in a game that some might consider to have a high learning curve. Enjoy!
In the peculiar game of Magic: The Gathering (known as MTG by many), I always find that there are many aspects of the game that makes this card game one of my all-time favorites. For starters, it doesn’t have one set of plain old cards, there are new sets of cards, new types of cards, and cards that do certain things and come out very often. I also like how there is a comprehensive level of strategy that only intensifies as you really get into the game. Also, the game doesn’t just give you every card. It is a collectors game, consisting of thousands of different cards among many different sets of cards.
In Magic: The Gathering, there are multiples of sets of cards that bring out new joys in every corner of this game. For example, the new set coming out soon is The Battle For Zendikar. This set will include the ability to pull out land cards as fast as possible and use them to your advantage. Land cards are the basic point of the game, in which they are used to cast creatures spells and so on. Creatures are how you attack/defend and finally win the game against your opponent. Spells include instants, sorceries, enchantments, and artifacts that help your odds of winning the game increase. The new set that comes out focuses on getting land cards out with enchantments and then casting many creatures that in turn get extremely powerful by the land cards. Here is a guide for if you have never played Magic: The Gathering before and sound interested to play it.
Strategy is one of the main objectives in Magic, as it guides your deck of cards towards winning the game. A natural deck of cards includes 60 cards, but you are allowed to play with more if you want to. You can make a deck using your own bought cards or you can buy a pre-made deck consisting of a strategy deck already made for you. A strategy consists of cards that interact with each other. Intro-decks are great starter items because they show you how a pre-made setup strategy would work in Magic, and help you if you want to build your own deck in the future. They also come with 2 booster packs, which I will go into later.
As I said before, Magic: The Gathering is a collectors trading card game, which means some cards have a lot and a lot of value. If you’re trying to hunt down a “high-value” card, Booster packs are one way to find these cards, the other being buying them. In each booster pack of Magic ( as of sets like Modern Masters, M15 and so on), you get: 1 Land Card, 1o common cards, 3 uncommon cards, and 1 rare/mythic rare card. These card help make an easy deck when multiple are bought except for the need to buy a couple lands.
This is why a intro-deck is helpful because they come with 2 booster packs, which are able to be used to alter your intro-deck to your liking. As seen on the first picture, there are five land types, and 5 of every card type as well: Island, Swamp, Forest, Mountain, and Plains. Each deck has its own advantages, and you can always morph to colors together to try out whatever kind of deck you want!
Overall, Magic: The Gathering is a trading card game focusing on key elements of strategy and making you really focus on how to build your deck, and how to win the game. If yo uwnat to get into the game, tese cards are sold very frequently at very many stores, Happy Hunting!