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To preface this, I've been out of Magic for quite a while. Mercadian Masques came out, and I, like many players, faded off the scene. Four weeks ago, a friend hit me up for money to get a Ravnica booster box. All of a sudden, I'm back in the scene, and trying to catch up on years of new sets, new ideas, and even a whole new look on the cards. I don’t plan on getting back in on the tournament scene, at least not for a while, but getting back into casual has been great fun. So, whether new, returning, or just looking for way to get better decks, we’ve all got one problem: Decks are expensive. A single Darksteel Colossus or Jitte can run $10 or more, and by the time you’re stocking a decent deck, you could be out $100+. What can you do to keep costs down but still stay competitive with your friends? Here’s some tips. 1. Buy a preconstructed deck.
Ideally, pick something suited to your play style, or a color base you’re comfortable with: if you’re a slow and cautious player, maybe a Red speed deck is not for you. If you are very careful with resources and get the maximum possible out of every card before reluctantly letting it go, Black might not be your strong suit. Try out some, though, and get comfortable with different styles on the cheap. Try and stick mono color at the start, as it simplifies things greatly and highlights the responses each color has to various situations and problems. 2. Plan, plan, plan. So, now you’ve got some ideas for things. You understand the game, and you’re getting some more nuanced play. I mentioned Wizard’s website; specifically, Wizard's 'The Gatherer' is the source for the next phase of good play. Pick a set that’s fairly recent, for this article Ravnica. Go through the whole set on full spoiler view. [Here's a link to the full spoiler view of Ravnica. ~Streetz~]
3. Get a low price. Well, duh. But how? First, limit yourself a bit. A deck with twenty rares is cool, but it’s going to kill your wallet. Find alternatives to them; most sets have ways around buying the huge rares. Then, it’s time to get priced. Now, you could check up on a price guide, but sadly, these don’t always overlap with the actual price you’ll shell out for the cards. Solution? eBay. Search the card name, making sure to add –online in the search line (you want real cards here). Get a basic feel from the auctions as to a price, then get what you’ll probably pay by looking at the eBay Stores. You most likely will pay a bit more than that minimum, so use that to set bids accordingly. Look up cards you don’t plan on getting; if you see an undervalued rare but have a cool combo for it, get it now. Now, you can also use official magazine prices, or other online merchants; I just list eBay stores as an example because it collects many prices in one spot for you. Find the cheapest place or approach and stick with it; looking for stores online, checking your local comic shop, and asking other people for trades or to get rid of some older cards also works just fine. [Note: A good start might be to check out some of the advertisers on MDV. *grin* From experience, be weary of local hobby shops. I used to think I was getting a good deal for $1 rares at my local shop only to find out that some of my advertisers sell the cards for MUCH less than a $1 (we are talked .35 to .90 cents). Do your card pricing homework - it pays off. Literally. ~Streetz~] 4. Tweak.
That should be plenty to get you started. Spend a little time to research, and you’ll save a lot of money. Look over the published decklists of tournament winners in Standard and recent blocks for new ideas. Try building a deck around a common, or a random card from a set. Most importantly, try a new deck idea at least once a month. You’ll notice you get better at tweaking your old ones along the way. And finally, don’t get rid of an idea. Really like a card, but your combo for it doesn’t work? Don’t approach it head-on; there’s an alternative to everything out there. Even the mightiest Jitte falls to a Disenchant.
Let me close with a sad truth in Magic: you're gonna have to
put some money in to do well. Generally, expect to spend somewhere between
$10-40 a deck, more if you're packing it with sweet rares. A good bet is to use
Gatherer to get a deck idea together around an idea that you can get cheap cards
to fill in. Don't bother with Duress when Hymn to Tourach might work, don't rock
the Jitte if a Bonesplitter is all you need. Once you've gotten a strong idea
and some budget cards for it, try them out, using a free program like Apprentice
or Magic Work Station. This will give you an idea of what works, what needs to
be fixed, and possibly even some directions you'll want to move it in. Post it
on forums, whether here or elsewhere, noting that it's a budget deck, and ask
for advice, then playtest that out. Once you've come up with something that's
pretty cool and pretty cheap, go for it. Or, if you'd rather get in fast, use a
Precon, and use some of the articles on magicthegathering.com to get ideas for
where to move it, what to change, and how you can make it better while not
shelling out a ton. You can discuss this article in the MDV forums here. Most Popular
Articles of 2005 |
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That’s
right. Spend $10, and Wizards has already gone to the trouble of setting up a
deck for you. Their website even gives play tips on it and ways to tweak it or
add some money. It’s a great place to start because each one illustrates a good
tempo, has some decent cards, and most importantly, shows good build style.
We’ll get back to that in a minute. I would even advise that you play with that
deck for a week or two; get to know it, see where it needs improvement. 
Tweak.
Then tweak more. Then take however tweaking you thought I meant, and add more.
Now comes the fun part. You’ve gotten an idea, you’ve got the cards for it, and
you can still afford to buy some more to round this out. Playtest it against
everyone you usually play with, against all kinds of decks. Listen to what
people have to say on it. Then, get on Gatherer, and come up with solutions.
You’re weak against mass removal? Look into what your color can do against it.
Proxy in some options, then go out and get the best ones. Often, commons out
there are your best friends, especially for removal; don’t break the bank for a
Plated Slagwurm if a Yavimaya Wurm will work just fine.