I missed out on all the hoopla when it came out. Now I'm ready to learn. Any pointers for us newbies?
Try and find a local store or group that runs Friday Night Magic (FNM). It's a fairly light-hearted format, people are generally willing to correct you, give you pointers, or occasionally let you back up something disasterous, rather than leap on you for tiny mistakes and pound you into the ground.
Don't think that you have to spend a fortune on the game. One way to keep playing quite cheaply is to focus on draft events - you'll pay more for the event (typically the cost of three boosters, plus a little to cover the organiser's costs), but at least you're on the same footing (in terms of cards, if not player skill) as all the other players. Constructed, even at FNM, can have you going up against people who have spent hundreds of $LOCAL-CURRENCY on cards that you don't have access too.
Even easier than draft, to start with, is sealed deck - you're not worrying about which cards to keep and which to pass on, just make the best deck you can with the cards you have. It's pricier again than draft though, and doesn't (at least locally to me) run as often.
Prepare to lose, quite a bit. I started playing last autumn, typically a couple of sessions a month, and I'm just starting the scrape the odd win through. Don't worry too much about it, as long as you're still enjoying yourself, look at what the other player is doing and how they've managed to win.
Don't worry about having to know every card. Some of the people you play with will be walking Magic encylopedias, but it's enough to pick up as you play a few games what are the really hot cards and which are the stinkers. Draft is especially helpful for this - anything you keep on and on seeing being passed around is probably a stinker! Take a look at the cards you've got, and look for abilities that work well together, cards that seem cheap for what they do, or simply that look like they might be fun to play.
If you want to play constructed, have a look at the Magic website for the 'Building on a Budget' column. You're probably not going to win a championship with the suggested decks, but you can at least have some fun against people with the larger, rarer card pools to construct from, without having to spend a fortune on cards yourself.
Hope you find a good group of players, and get to enjoy yourself.
Tim Franklin has given you some thoughts on competition play.
My input would be, unless you love nit-picking details and are prepared to spend hours at a time checking through the latest rules updates on the Wizards of the Coast website, AVOID COMPETITION PLAY AT ALL COSTS. There are rules points out there (such as are all lands still swamps or not if you target an Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth that has been animated by a Kormus Bell with an Ovinise?) which drive me to distraction and which in a formal tournament may kill you if you think you understand them but do not.
Just to comment on this, all of my advice was geared around FNM play, which in my experience is *nothing* like the above, and pretty much as far from hard-core "competition" as you can get, unless you're lucky enough to have friends who play who are already friends through other avenues.
FNM is supposed to be "just a bunch of guys at your local store", and for me at least works out a lot like that.
"Real" tournaments, with significant prizes, feeds into other higher-level events, etc, are I'm sure far more driven by tiny obscure corner-case rules - I've yet to play at anything more hard-core than a pre-release, which was more formal, but not still not really in that league.
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Ok, I’ve been playin since alpha and have got hundreds of ppl over there first hurdle and got them addicted to magic. FNM (Friday Night Magic) is a sponsored WOTC (Wizards of the coast) event held by some FLGS (Friendly local gaming stores). These events are good to meet folks who can teach you the game. There are assclowns out there who don’t have the knack for teaching. Avoid assclowns. Start simple. MTG (Magic the gathering) products have "Level of Play" indicators on them. "Starter" is where you want to start.
The core editions (Numbered editions, not named. 7th ed, 8th ed... Not Planeshift, or Shadowmoor) are the easiest to learn with. They have "Staple" cards (Cards that are integral to the game) and usually don’t have too many set specific mechanics.
The basics:
60 cards in a standard deck.
20 critters, 20 spells, 20 land (Land, AKA mana, AKA power to cast spells) is a good mix. Some go more or even none on critters/spells but 20 (1/3rd of your deck) land is a staple. No more than 4 of any card other than basic lands.
You both start at 20 life/health
Phases:
Untap: Set all your cards that are in play un tapped (normal readable up)
Upkeep: Pay for any card that says "Do this at upkeep" there aren’t many.
Draw: Draw a card from your library (Deck)
Spell phase: Summon critters/play "Sorcery" spells ("Instant" spells can be cast any time, even during other players turns) Creatures are unable to attack the round they come into play (Summoning sickness)
Combat: Declare attacking creatures ("Tap" the card by turning it 20-45 degrees to the right is a standard showing of tapped. Opponent declare blockers, damage resolves. Some critters die, some live, some may get to your opponent. Those that do take his life total down.
Spell phase: Same as first spell phase
End of turn: If you have 8 or more cards in hand discard down to 7.
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The 6 dollar deck: A fun way to test a set is to go to the common singles (A dime at some stores) and pick 2 colors, get 10 of 1 land 10 of another, 10 of 1 creature color, 10 of the other. 10 spells of a color, 10 of another. Instant 60 card deck. It wont win tournaments but it is fun against other 6 dollar decks. And I have won tournament with a 6 dollar deck, but its not normal.
Joe mamas house: Get some starter/constructed, or 6 dollar decks and go play at Joe mamas house with a few friends.
Draft: If you dont have 4 of very card in the game ever printed like that guy next to you, that guy next to you will almost always stomp you and your 300 card collection. Wherein comes the Draft. You get 3 packs of cards. Wait till they say go, open 1 pack, pick 1 card from it, give the rest to the guy at your right. The guy at your left passes the 14 he didn’t pick to you. You pick one of those, pass the rest. Repeat till all are gone. Open pack 2, pick 1, pass the rest to your left this time. Rinse repeat.
Rare drafting: Choosing what is rare over what’s good. Usually doesn’t win, bit you can walk away with 15 rare cards for 9 bucks in packs.
There you have it, the raw basics.
Check out http://www.wizards.com/magic/rules/MagicRulebook_10E_EN.pdf for more solid basics but that guide is still a bit tricky for a nub. Get a starter deck and a 6 dollar deck and chill with some friendly gamers at your FLGS and the basic guide will be easy reading. After ya win a hand or 2 you can attempt a draft game. Have fun. BTW, the cards are coated in crack cocaine making them incredibly addictive.
I heartily recommend playing online. MTGO has its flaws, but it beats playing the same 3 guys at the cardshop over and over. Plus, I can draft at 2am in my underpants if I feel like it. (I don't, but the freedom is liberating.)
God I used to love magic, even sicker, I used to love watching the pro tour videos. My wallet thanks me for quiting. :)
Same here. I'd still love to play but I'm not willing to pay for small paper cutouts (or virtual paper cutouts) now that I have to pay my own rent and work for my own money. I'm actually working on a set of simple rules for people like me who enjoy making and using their own cards with proxy programs. So when the rules are finished my friends and I will be able to play on equal footing with as many different decks as we like and all we have to pay for is paper and ink.
TS
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Plus, I can draft at 2am in my underpants if I feel like it. (I don't, but the freedom is liberating.)
And really, that's what the New Capitalism is all about: the freedom to do everything from home, in your underpants.
</offtopic>The advice given here is top notch, and I know - I just started playing MtG with the release of Morningtide. My first games were at a sealed tournament, then regular games with my friends (some old pros and some new). Basically the advice given (play FNM, play sealed/draft, play with your friends) is exactly how I got into this game. And I can't wait to try the $2 deck.
The biggest hurdle for me is deck building. Reading the advice columns on wizards.com and watching how other people build decks has taught me bunches, but it's exciting (at least for me) to know I still have more to learn. It can be intimidating when you think about how expansive the game is and how in-depth the rules are. The solution (at least for me) is to just stay small, focus on one trick/ability/tribe/color/whatever at a time, until you've seen what it can do and how it works, then incorporate another something into what you've got.
Let us know how things work out!
carboard crack! Just say no- or at least have friends nearby for intervention.
Download the online game - play with a standard deck for free against someone who has to do the same.
without paying you go into a 'guest' mode and everyone is on the same level.
this will allow you to try for free, no huge pocketbooks bringing massive amount of cards with them, can play anytime you want, and the computer will not allow you to make rules mistakes and will ease you in that direction.
that's what i think anyway.