Newbie with newbie rule questions

[hennerzthebeast]

Ok heres my story first. I'm 17, and i just started playng MTG again. Well i first started playing when i was 9. Yeah, a lots changed since then and i can't find anyone to teach me at my school, and nothing on the net i've looked up is even worth my time, excluded this site that is.

Of course I have questions, tons in fact. I'll be brief right now tho.

1.) How many cards can you have in your deck?

2.) WTF is stacking? i'm sorry that wasn't around when i was 9 man, i just don't get it, and reading about isn't working.

[lionden_56]

60 cards min, no max. There are variations that use less, but as a new(ish) player, you won't be playing those soon.

Stacking is a little more complicated, so stick with me on this one:
The stack is where spells "wait" to resolve. When you announce a spell and pay for it, it goes on the stack. Then, each opponent has a chance to respond with instants. If they do, their spell also goes on the stack, on top of your spell. Once everyone has passed on playing instants, spells on the stack resolve, top-down. So in the above example, your opponent's spell resolves before yours.

I hope I helped...the stack is the toughest part of the game for new players (or returning in your case) IMHO...

[stolin]

1.) you must have >60


2.) this is something that occurs when you use an ability or play a spell in response to an ability, spell, or step i nthe turn. If you play spell/ability A, and then your opponent plays spell/ability B as the last spell played, then you go down from the top of the stack.
First spell/ability B's take effect, followed by that of s/a A's unless it is nullified.

the stack is better shown with an example, which I'm sure one of the rules gurus will be happy to give you :D

feel free to ask questions! this is a magic community

[PerfectCell]

A friend explained it to me like this, and I like it.

Let's say you've got a boxing ring. And you've got a whole bunch of fighters that want to get in. Every time one guy jumps out of the audience to get in, you might have someone else get up too. So, once everyone who wants in gets up, you let them in, last guy first. And if someone knocked someone else out in the meantime (counter, fizzle), then the KO'd guy doesn't get to fight.

[thegeneralpublic]

Actually stolin, the minimum is 40 for drafts. But don't worry about that; newbies don't do much of that. (Drafting is where you open up a booster pack, take a card, pass to the left, repeat for 3 packs and make a deck adding in your own basic land).

[stolin]

thank you for correcting me tgp, it was an honest mistake..

see how friendly we are here?


tgp, you know i was referring to casual deck size. now i feel like pwning you in something. look what youve gone and done

[thegeneralpublic]

:D That's A. Retentive man, saving the day. :wink:

[Einsteinmonkey]

I may be wrong, but "stacking" can refer to the practice of trying to avoid clumps and mana problems in your deck by putting a land, then a couple spells, then a land, then a couple spells, etc, before shuffling. Also known as manaweaving.

Ignore this if this isn't what you're thinking of.

[Neuromancer]

Originally posted by lionden_56
60 cards min, no max. There are variations that use less, but as a new(ish) player, you won't be playing those soon.

Stacking is a little more complicated, so stick with me on this one:
The stack is where spells "wait" to resolve. When you announce a spell and pay for it, it goes on the stack. Then, each opponent has a chance to respond with instants or activated abilities. If they do, their spell also goes on the stack, on top of your spell. Once everyone has passed on playing instants and/or activated abilities, spells on the stack resolve, top-down. So in the above example, your opponent's spell resolves before yours.

I hope I helped...the stack is the toughest part of the game for new players (or returning in your case) IMHO...

Fixed. Note that in your time, the system was FAR more complicated.