So today Noah and I are having over some family to play mtg. My brother, and two of my cousins already play. But my brother is bringing his gf and one other cousin of mine are coming and they have never played before. What are some really great (and not too expensive, I'd like to use cards we already have) beginners decks? Easy to pilot and showcase the game well is what we are looking for.
Try my really cheap selesnya agro deck in standard. Relies on combat and lifegain to punish the enemy. Plenty of common card in there and it's about 50 bucks to make (a touch more if you use scry temples)
It can also comfortably win a 1v1 in 6 turns too :)
Mono colored. Usually red or creature decks. Try to limit the weird cards or cards with options. Or just team up for some thg and have their partner help pilot their decks until they feel confitant enough to do it them self.
Get some Event Decks! :)
intro decks would probably be good too. I think they're designed to be relatively uncomplicated so people can learn how to play easily (?). The gruul one might be good, lots of creatures and less instants and other stuff. It would be easier to learn.
Exalted decks are nice and cheap. The skeleton of Mill decks are also very inexpensive and easy to pilot.
Let's not forget about RDW. How easy can a deck really get? Oh yeah. Burn.
I have a straightforward mono white deck that costed basically nothing. And really is just spare cards but I've won as early as T5 with super buff fencing ace
~creatures~
4 {fencing ace}
2 {phalanx leader}
4 {Auramancer}
2 {hopeful eidolon}
2 {cavalry Pegasus}
~Instants~
2 {safe passage}
2 {intervention pact}
~Enchantments~
4 {ethereal armor}
4 {gift of orzhova}
4 {ordeal of Heliod}
4 {gift of Heliod}
~Artifacts~
2 {Trepanation blade}
2 {elixir of immortality}
~Lands~
22 {plains}
Quote from: Taysby on December 22, 2013, 02:15:45 PM
Where is the {sphere of safety}?
Shhh! Haven't been able to get one yet ;p
Token decks are fun, so are mono green decks. Simple concepts and easy to play! Mono red is a popular suggestion because of the simplicity of what it tries to accomplish, but I think a new player would find it dificult to pilot because the deck plays so many instants. This means they would have to know when to respond to things. And we all know that new players like to cast things on their own turn. You also have to know when to cast your burn and when to hold 3 {Lightning Bolt}s in your hand. A newer player would just cast them as they come, and lose because of it. The reason a red player has an advantage is that their opponent doesn't know what his or her life total REALLY is. But if you don't save your burn spells, that element is gone.
Mono green decks are easy to pilot, and great for newer players. Creature combat is the most essential part of Magic (as said by Mark Rosewater), and green decks focus on that. Once they grasp the concept of combat, other things will come more easily.
Token decks teach newer players the value of card advantage. If I spend one card to make two tokens, and my opponent has only one removal spell, I come out ahead. It's a a simple concept that when learned, is very valuable.
Green stomp, RDW, White Weenie, or (almost) any Midrange should do well. As long as they aren't worrying about land destruction, counterspells, various complications including the different stages within steps, or the stack they should be fine.
I had the same situation so to make it say for new players I have a mono of each color.
A really easy to use deck is mono black. Taught my gym teacher how to play (instead of doing gym) and he was winning within a few games against me and my friends.
Funny that I stumble upon this, brought 2 decks to NY to attempt to teach my mother to play. I could post them if you like?
7 {island}
9 {plains}
4 {azorius guildgate}
4 {favored hoplite}
4 {battlewise hoplite}
4 {phalanx leader}
4 {fabled hero}
2 {daxos of meletis}
2 {Bident of thassa}
4 {mizzium skin}
4 {ordeal of thassa}
4 {aqueous form}
4 {hidden strings}
4 {tritons tactics}
4 {gods willing}
4 {dauntless onslaught}
4 {wingsteed rider}
8 {swamp}
12 {mountains}
4 {akroan horse}
4 {guttersnipe}
4 {young pyromancer}
4 {tymaret the murder king}
4 {doom blade}
4 {read the bones}
4 {molten birth}
4 {magma jet}
4 {lightning strike}
4 {altars reap}
4 {spark jolt}
4 {duress}
4 {electrickery}
3 {diabolic tutor}
Tribal goblins is cheap. Red in general is pretty cheap, straight forward, and(usually) fun.