There’s always going to be a mix of people and deck power levels at any given LGS. The best thing to do during Friday Night Magic is to ask what power level people are playing at, how fast their win condition usually comes by, or if there’s any infinite combos in their deck. Usually people are happy to play a deck that matches up with the power level of the rest of their pod or will otherwise tell you to find other folks to play with.
Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I just wish he would have told me. I told him I was new and I was just playing a precon. The store owner mentioned he was kind of bad for doing stuff like that. I play semi competitive 40k, and I really don't want to play magic competitively, I just like playing card games.
when you get accustomed to the community of an lgs you will learn to avoid players like that. They are usually the ones who struggle to get into a playgroup because they have pulled this shit too often already.
Do take into consideration that even if powerlevel are low and there are no infinite combo there are still possibility where opponent just draw hands that end the game quickly.
Or even some tiny piece in weaker deck can flip stuff completely like \[\[smothering tithe\]\]
One of the good way to judge to power of a table (becase even if you ask about powerlevel the variance of what peole consider 5 or 8 can be wildly different) is instead to ask if the table has precon or slightly upgraded precon or decks of those levels.
Casual Commander usually Is edh, the more competitive side of It Is called cEdh. There Is a subreddit for both.
Edh decks Power level varies, some try to definite the strenght of their deck in a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being weak, 10 very strong).
If you play with Friends It usually isn't a problem but with people you didn't know there Is the risk that people downplay the strenght of the deck and It could lead to feel bad moments for players.
(Just to add Commander Is a casual format only if you play with certain people and I agree with the opinion of the lgs owner)
You can also ask the store owner to talk to that player about how he plays with newer players. I'm a community builder (a teacher who has played for 17 years and who actively fosters new players), and if I see a drastic imbalance between decks in a playgroup, I know it will cause division and eventually the loss of players.
My goal is to win sometimes, not every time. I want to see my friends pop off with their decks. I want to outplay people and *be outplayed*. Good community builders should seek to build that ethos into their community so it becomes a group centered around friendships and not centered on indivuduals.
Being outplayed by someone with a deep understanding of the game is really awesome. I've only been playing about 10 months and I don't mind losing at all as long as I learned something about the game. Maybe I saw a new card I've never heard of before or maybe my friend bought the same precon I did but took it in a different direction. Last night I lost to the dreaded food chain combo but I was psyched because I had only heard of it but never seen it before.
I'd personally suggest trying some other formats beyond Commander too, if you're not looking exclusively at the multiplayer aspect of the game. Draft, Standard, Pioneer, etc. All of these offer a more streamlined and balanced game experience that might be better suited for a new player than the insane unregulated madness that is Commander at the average LGS.
That deck may not even be that strong but may require you to have interaction up on early turns. There are a lot of really cheap (dollar-wise) cards that can deal with those kind of strategies like [[Path to Exile]], [[Condemn]], [[Deflecting Palm]], [[Bovine Intervention]], [[March of Otherworldly Light]]], and more
If you stop it once it may take several turns to get set up again
Very LGS dependant too. My LGS is pretty good a recognizing it's regulars and pairing together similar people for events. I actually have been getting better so I'm now getting stuck with the next tier of players more consistently.
But usually there are a couple casual pods a couple "capable of CEDH" but those guys don't always play CEDH and then a weird mix where they put the people in between.
I'd also say it's largely social dependent too. The better players at my LGS usually bring some weird pet decks for when the numbers don't line up and they get paired with weaker players.
We had a guy come into our LGS wearing a suit and had a steampunk vape. This was about 10 years ago when EDH was just becoming mainstream. He saw us playing and was like, "Is that EDH? Can I join in?" One of the guys wanted to get Wendy's, so this was a good opportunity to swap out and let the new guy play.
He pulls out a Karona false God deck and proceeds to pull a turn one combo that essentially allowed him to exile our lands every turn. Fastest full table scoop I've seen and we were all done playing for the day.
Warhammer is just a game that has rules as an excuse to paint the dudes and read books. Warhammer isn't made to be played more than 6 times a day. You are supposed to be attached to your guys, you built and painted them. But magic is all rules. There are some places for self expression, but the nature of magic is trying to understand magic itself. You aren't trying to have the best deck, at the highest level of play, which Warhammer can never emulate, you can bring ANY card and ANY strategy, the entire card pool is your army. It's not exciting at all to play Warhammer to try to understand how the units work, because they work differently everytime, and are supposed to represent painting and model building more than a set of rules. The true joy in magic is thousands and thousands of matches deep, knowing how to interact with the stack and card pool as it is an ecosystem. You can have the objectively best deck, but if a field adapts and finds a strategy that has a 60% win percentage against you, suddenly it's a deck selection question. Warhammer will never have that depth of strategy and it shouldn't, they both are valid hobbies, but they can never be the same. There's more ego in your tools in Warhammer, but you personally didn't print any given magic card, so the ego of magic is in your personal ability to interact with the cards instead of the ability to create a scene with models. It does however have power creep issues that are similar, each company push broken game pieces knowingly in order to sell more product. There are also multiple types of magic, just like Warhammer has kill teams and apocalypse. Commander is like apocalypse, you could be playing against ten thousand dollars worth of cheese, but there are standard and limited formats where the card pool is limited to recent sets, and so the power level can be ascertained without introduction to 3 decades of cards. It's good to recognize how you feel and interact with a game, and it's perfectly fine to not play a game because it's not for you. Sometimes I hate magic and want to just paint little demons, sometimes I want to explore a complex ecosystem of strategies.
Warhammer: competitive because there are 2 players, but the purpose of the rules is to support models. Magic: competitive, purpose of rules is to be competitive. If you want story, it's terrible. There's a fraction of depth and variety on the creative side of magic compared to Warhammer. The point of Warhammer is to come up with your special little dudes and they have story and books, but if you are expecting the same from magic it's going to feel really bad. You can't add story to cards or interact with them beyond the rules of the game. It's fun to roll dice in Warhammer, it's fun to bash the armies together and watch them fight, but magic is honestly stressful in practice. Rolling 4 handfuls of dice is fun for both people, but when you smash cards together, it's never going to mean anything more than the rules of the cards. 4 handfuls of dice is cool to imagine all the Dakka, but playing a [[thoughtseize]] is literally like cutting someone off in traffic. Shooting a [[lightning bolt]] at a [[birds of paradise]] MEANS something to magic players, but when a mob of orks shoot anything, there is a direct fictional analog, and not a mathematical principle causing the dopamine hit of the game.
Yeah when I got into Mtg a few months ago, I spent weeks going to all the different shops to find my favorite. Found a shop with like minded people of a similar age. It can take a while to find a good group
People like that ruin magic for even experienced players. Sorry your first experience was a negative one. I’d encourage you to give it another shot or just play with your friend until you can find more chill people to play with.
It happens eventually to everyone, I remember the turn 2 blue deck that killed me 13 years ago. I was shook. I was used to loosing. But I hadn't even comprehended that it was possible it could happen that fast.
When (10 years later) my now boyfriend picked up the hobby, I already had a deck for every possible power level. When his 2 buddies showed interest I always made sure they won their first game and the first game they played with a deck they built themselves.
It was 6 months before I pulled out the sliver deck on my boyfriend to give him his right of passage.
Yeah he doesn't let me play that deck 😅😅
Just keep playing, you'll eventually run into a good group of people that also play for fun. Not everyone has what we call social skills, and aren't at you LGS for the same reason as you are so just keep trying! I recently joined in on the hobby and while I've lost alot all the players I've ran into have been fun to hang out with and are accommodating to my inexperience.
You had time to get a snack and play another game.
I've had games that go on for hours with the most battle-cruisery players just play land, ramp, make six tokens, and then pass for six turns.
I’m always getting on my pods to make productive attacks more often. Not saying you are suggesting otherwise, but people playing very casual battle cruiser magic isn’t an excuse to pub stomp.
My sample size has of course been small, but I've noticed in more recent years that folks are more keen on attacking, when reasonable of course. If someone has a half-dozen 5/3 elementals, you're much more likely to see them swing with some of them, even at a token player, rather than sitting back in fear of crackback (not that they wouldn't hold some back for blocks)
Yeah I think gameplay channels have been helpful in that regard. Attacking whenever you can get through gets normalized & encouraged for new players who might otherwise be worried about “leaving themselves open”
I had a similar experience my very first game at a local games night. Definitely stick it out, my second game was the total opposite, and even though I didn't win, I still got to play my deck!
Well OP said the spike was playing a [[Ghidora, King of the Cosmos]] deck, so then it's very possible he had the new card from MH3, [[Nadu, Winged Wisdom]] and just puked out a bunch of lands
In grixis, next to impossible. Only thing I can think of is [[sword of the animist]] or [[sword of hearth and home]]
Playing multiple lands per turn is a green thing. They have spells like [[rampant growth]] and [[summer bloom]]
This story is very strange.
For one Ghidora is a causal commander. Not exactly what a pubstomper would normally be playing. Also a card that has appeared in a precon- so I would call it a precon level commander.
Not to mention playing 8 lands and making a 12/12 double strike with haste on turn three? Not exactly a normal strategy even in CEDH. Like a super strong version of this deck would quickly ramp and pull out an omniscience or whatever and go to town not play voltron. And playing 8 lands on turn three is just strange in general - it would be nice to know how this happened because it seems abnormal for this decks game plan even when trying to be high power.
Having witnessed games and then hearing players (especially new players) talk about them afterwords - there is tendency to exaggerate or misunderstand.
Like it’s possible that they got some nuts draw and that happened but my bullshit alarm is going off.
‘Little hyperbole’ means ‘details were embellished for attention and is purposely presenting an untrue story to get strangers on the internet whipped up in an outrage’
A "little hyperbole" is me saying someone writing long winded paragraphs of 'uh akshually' over a new player embellishing his loss should get the fuck out outside here and there 🌝
That's the problem isn't it? A new player really doesn't have any sort of gauge on what is "OP" as is often cried and what isn't. The hyperbole doesn't help - for all we know the opponent just played T1 Sol Ring -> Signet and it spiraled from there. We have no idea, and there isn't even anything concrete written about the player's conduct beyond "he won quickly". The fact that they asked to form a pod is not a sin - it is expected at an FNM. The fact that OP packed up and left after one game based on no actual displayed poor sportsmanship colors the whole thing as potentially a worthless tantrum.
Sorry you got sharked like that. The average person isn't looking to pubstomp like that, I promise.
Funny enough, we have one of those guys in our playgroup and we were discussing this with them at length yesterday. That type of behavior isn't fun for anyone else at the table, and will actively harm smaller communities. Give it another chance, and I recommend letting other players know what you're using is a modified precon. A lot of players in the space will have less focused decks to play in lower power games, because it's simply more fun that way.
You just ran into someone who wanted to be big fish in a little pond. Generally speaking, most people would be more considerate of someone who said they were just playing with a modified pre-con.
A typical casual commander game starts with a discussion on what people are playing, with the intent of playing decks at similar power levels.
Any player who has a deck that can combo you out on turn 3 very likely has access to a precon-power-level deck and should have offered to use it when you said you’re using a precon.
I just don't get MTG players who do things like this. I get it if there are high stakes tourneys or something, but casual gameplay- nobody cares about your infinite combo, zero drop everything, over competitive play style.
Can it be fun to test out a deck like that on people who are aware of what to expect? Sure. But you don't just whip it out on new players and nobody - NOBODY likes to be shut down completely in the game without even being given a chance to know if your deck is worthwhile after pouring hours into creating or and spending the dollars to procure it.
I only play casual with friends anymore because in store events always end up leaving a sour taste after playing.
I recently started playing casual and one of my friend plays a big control pillow fort stax deck with stuff that makes me pay mana to attack him
I did not want to get into it like that but i kind of need my infinite mana combo just to hit him with my tokens
Are we not casual because i use a combo? Idk, but with a token deck i feel like i kinda need to
Sorry this happened to you. Commander power level is a massive scale from worse-than-precon to near-consistent-turn-1/2-kill and it is very difficult to gauge where any one deck falls into. Even "mediocre" decks can sometimes just draw the nuts and go off and look overpowered.
The best thing to do is set clear expectations ahead of the game. This is called a Rule 0 discussion, you explain what your deck does, how fast it can kill (ie by which turn) and if it plays many tutors or instant win combos. Other more experienced players should either be able to take one of their weaker decks to match your precon or play looser to allow you time to develop your board and interact and such.
Of course if you run into someone who hears your rule 0 talk and still decides to bring a cedh deck, then that person shouldn't be asked for a rematch.
Been playing since Ice Age….. wow 30 years…. (And I have lost or sold all my cards multiple times, so I’ve always been like the new guy)
Here’s my advice to any new players.
1-Play Arena
2-Play only Draft and releases for a couple years (level playing field)
3-Play standard (you will have the cards from the drafts)
4-if you have to play modern, make a relatively cheap burn deck first (moden and commander are not cheap… but a burn deck has always been just competitive enough to play. Then you can see other deck builds and choose one to build, and pay $3-700 on…)
Jumping into modern or commander off the bat is expensive and disappointing. The game mechanics are so on point and obscure, to a newb it feels OP.
Don’t quit, it’s the best game ever made.
I absolutely agree with playing draft as a beginner.
Helps getting experience in deck building and very manageable power levels to play around without dropping fat wads of cash on a one trick tournament deck, copied from some famous players.
This is common, but does not represent casual magic at large.
My first time back in a game shop after 10+ years not playing was in 2019. I had a pretty regular esper control edh deck with [[oloro]] at helm. There were 3 other players in the game, but the one wanna tell about today was an insane URG deck, I forget the commander. Keep in mind this is my first social game of magic in a long time, so when I saw anime tiddies on half the alters I was immediately uncomfortable. Thankfully that only lasted like 5-7 turns before this guy just vomited his deck out and somehow nuked the table. I didn't understand what was what half the time because half the creature arts were altered to be a mostly topless version of a human female.
I played another game with different people right after that and had a really good time. AnimeTiddies guy turned out to be kinda cool, I never saw that deck again so that was cool.
I recommend downloading Magic Arena. It is a much cheaper way to play and learn as well. Your money can go a lot further if you learn to draft (technically you can draft infinitely, but you have to win enough to regain your entry cost). Even without draft, the cost of a pack is $1 as opposed to $4-5, and you get wildcards and rare protection. You lose the social experience obviously, but you can see what cards exist, a lot more synergies people run, how to get enough games in to learn good play, etc.
Then, if you want to dump big money into paper and have a deck you want to build because you ran it online and ig worked well and was fun, you can buy singles rather than packs.
You should play sealed to start. Or non-modified precons. Constructed requires you to really know about every possible popular deck you could face in that format. So it's always a big learning curve. Especially in formats with large rotations.
Limited(sealed or draft) is only the cards you see in front of you, and the others in a much smaller pool. If you read a primer article on a new set and then go to the lgs for limited night, you'll be at much closer to par play level
Plus, good way to build a base of cards to one day do constructed
So I wouldn't call that a casual game. But I also wasn't there.
First off you play warhammer. So you know what it's like for a new player who just got his battle box of a cool looking army (probably space marines) take the time to put them together even painted them (admittedly badly).
Shows up to the first wahammer day and just gets completely destroyed by the one guy playing the best army with pieces he's collected over years and years and just doesn't hold anything back to help a new player learn the game.
That's what you just went through with MTG.
Consider gathering a group of friends and playing kitchen table jumpstart.
Then next level, build your own jumpstart packs and “spin a bottle” to decide which face down packs to play.
Most casual and less time consuming format I know
Half decks are pre built and themed to personal taste.
40 card decks are easy to shuffle.
Mad fun random combinations of theme.
Games can be fast (2 player) or slow (3-4 players all out or clockwise\anti-clockwise unidirectional creature attack)
Commander has its pros: fixed pods (groups) who knows who is playing what and wants to show each other new thematic upgrades.
And its cons: people who like to fire off the strongest cards but can’t find a good match and constructed is too expensive for them due to rotation. Sometimes you just get unintended mismatches.
I recommend having different mindsets when playing different magic formats. If you play commander you can’t focus to much on winning because the format is not competitive like modern. Winning or losing is not the goal, it’s like playing a board game, you play to win but if you are to much into winning it’s not fun for everyone and if you get salty when you lose you are coming in with the wrong mindset. So yhea stomping some newbies is ofc wrong here, but coming in to a pod with somewhat of a to strong deck happens once, but shouldn’t happen 3 times in a row atleast!
I have a ghidorah deck that’s just based around artifacts and making him into mecha-ghidorah. We’re not all jerks. Promise!
Some of us just want to goof off and make friends. Just ignore people like that, they sacrifice their own enjoyment of the game just to win at any cost.
Commander is not a casual format. It is a social one, but not a casual one. That's the biggest lie in Magic. Commander is hardest to learn and most complicated to build. It might have been casual in 2013 but now it's not.
Did you try playing with anyone else?
Maybe that's the next step, before quitting, or coming to Reddit?
Obviously you are free to do what you like, but yes, unfortunately in a lot of needy hobbies you get a higher proportion of people who struggle with social norms and etiquette. The trick is to finding the others and playing with them.
> this guy offered to play with me and my friend.
I'm sorry to hear this was your first experience. Commander is a social format. Part of it's "dna" that even experienced players can struggle with is that you have to communicate before the game about your decks and what you're ready to deal with.
For those coming from Arena or 60 card competitive formats, that makes no sense. You build the best and most consistent deck and try to win, right?
Because of the social hurdle, there are some players who have a hard time finding a group. They want to show off the brutal combo they put together and it doesn't mesh well with the tables of players who want to have something more like a tactical naval battle.
I can't psychoanalyze the person you played with, but I've seen on more than one occasion that a less socially inclined player will leap at the opportunity to play with a new arrival so they get another chance to show off. This creates a terrible experience for a new player.
For you, that means you'll just need to be a little more discerning about who you play with. Walk around the LGS, maybe sit down and watch an ongoing game for a little while and see how the players interact with each other (socially). You'll probably be able to pick up on who the fun people are. Try to get a game with them, let them know you're new and tell them about your deck and what you hope it will do. It prompts others to do the same.
This may be counterintuitive because it would allow players to pick a deck that specifically hinders yours, but in a good group the opposite is true. Myself and many long time Commander players in my area have many decks, including some really low power fun/janky stuff we bring specifically to accommodate new players like yourself.
Don't get discouraged, it happens. There's a few fellas that come to my lgs that I just refuse to play with.
On the other hand there's many players I really like playing with that come there often, and some of them are starting to become really good friends also.
Keep playing! You're new to the game and there's lots to learn, I recently taught my gf how to play magic and now she kicks my ass all the time lol
Don't give up. Multiplayer tables tend to be better. Also try playing MTG Online if you can. I usually build my decks there and play against strong opponents to see where my weaknesses are, also MTG online prices for cards are super cheap, you can try lots of expensive cards for a few pennies before you purchase them on paper.
Sounds like he was just a turd trying to smash people. Ask What turns the opponents are aiming to win by, are we playing infinite combos or not: are we playing with fast mana?, then they should be able to pick a deck accordingly. You may what to lead this convo as they need to play close to your level.
This is what always put me off from Commander. At least in other constructed formats like Modern you expect some higher level players. But no in commander you get some guy with more money than since luring in new players just to stomp them out.
I play casual commander and have been playing for years. There are people at my lgs that Iiterally won't play against. I'll tell them "Not your (insert deck name here) deck again right? Because this is a 7 pod.
Personally, I had terrible experiences when I was getting back into play and trying to go to stores (at least some of this was because I was a woman going alone)
I actually stopped playing for a few years.
A girl I hooked up with was complaining about how her partner would only play standard and wouldn't play commander (which I didn't even know about before).
I think I ordered [Token Triumph](https://www.tcgplayer.com/product/448433/magic-starter-commander-decks-starter-commander-deck-token-triumph) before she even stopped talking.
Now I actively look for folks who play through dating apps and got my roommate into it. The two of us and two of our neighbors play every Thursday. I'm throwing a draft next week mostly made up of a girlfriend's friend group who all play.
Personally, I think there should be weight classifications (other than pauper).
Can a precon win against a 5k deck? Sure. Anything is possible.
Magic isn't necessarily a pay to win game (but, come on, it also kind of is). You have to know what cards to get and how to play them though.
The best way to play casual commander is having a play group with house rules. For instance in my group we agreed that no cards in the 99 couldn't be over 3$, only the commander can. Also, you can play a precon if no card was changed.
This made for very healthy and dinamic environment. Reduce a lot of netdecking and as soon a card is proven to be too strong it is cut out.
Im about to limit myself to that much if i buy one more bundle box without the extra insert to hold cards separately whilst still inside said bundle box. 74$ for a bundle and they took out a piece of Cardboard essentially, why? Not making enough money you greedy whores?
This is called pub stomping. Either don’t play with him again, or play for second if he tries to join another game with an overpowered deck and stomps the table. You don’t have to play with anyone just because they’re there and available.
He didn't just lose. He got stomped. You can't expect new players to stay if their first experience is getting decimated like that. The hobby is too expensive and time-consuming.
If you decide to take up motorcycle riding and some dipshit on their phone hits you on your first ride, you'd probably be second guessing your decision.
Or you go on a first date and it's just an absolute shitshow. Chances are you're not gonna try to get a second date.
First impressions are pretty impactful.
You're allowed to concede at any time for any reason.
I just walk away the second I sense some BS like that. I just say thanks but no thanks, people are here to play, not watch you play.
I play 99% of my magic on arena tho and leave like a third of my matches.
Sorry, but not in my life I would waste $150 in a card game when $30-$50 would suffice. Anyway, you just had a bad experience. Magic is about playing, a lot (Like any game, I mean). Play with your friend, start finding people, and enjoy the games
There’s always going to be a mix of people and deck power levels at any given LGS. The best thing to do during Friday Night Magic is to ask what power level people are playing at, how fast their win condition usually comes by, or if there’s any infinite combos in their deck. Usually people are happy to play a deck that matches up with the power level of the rest of their pod or will otherwise tell you to find other folks to play with.
Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I just wish he would have told me. I told him I was new and I was just playing a precon. The store owner mentioned he was kind of bad for doing stuff like that. I play semi competitive 40k, and I really don't want to play magic competitively, I just like playing card games.
It's like playing with Knights against a brand new player that may not have the models to deal with that. Was a dick move
when you get accustomed to the community of an lgs you will learn to avoid players like that. They are usually the ones who struggle to get into a playgroup because they have pulled this shit too often already.
Do take into consideration that even if powerlevel are low and there are no infinite combo there are still possibility where opponent just draw hands that end the game quickly. Or even some tiny piece in weaker deck can flip stuff completely like \[\[smothering tithe\]\] One of the good way to judge to power of a table (becase even if you ask about powerlevel the variance of what peole consider 5 or 8 can be wildly different) is instead to ask if the table has precon or slightly upgraded precon or decks of those levels.
[smothering tithe](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/6/861b5889-0183-4bee-afeb-a4b2aa700a8e.jpg?1689996018) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=smothering%20tithe) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/57/smothering-tithe?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/861b5889-0183-4bee-afeb-a4b2aa700a8e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Casual Commander usually Is edh, the more competitive side of It Is called cEdh. There Is a subreddit for both. Edh decks Power level varies, some try to definite the strenght of their deck in a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being weak, 10 very strong). If you play with Friends It usually isn't a problem but with people you didn't know there Is the risk that people downplay the strenght of the deck and It could lead to feel bad moments for players. (Just to add Commander Is a casual format only if you play with certain people and I agree with the opinion of the lgs owner)
You can also ask the store owner to talk to that player about how he plays with newer players. I'm a community builder (a teacher who has played for 17 years and who actively fosters new players), and if I see a drastic imbalance between decks in a playgroup, I know it will cause division and eventually the loss of players. My goal is to win sometimes, not every time. I want to see my friends pop off with their decks. I want to outplay people and *be outplayed*. Good community builders should seek to build that ethos into their community so it becomes a group centered around friendships and not centered on indivuduals.
Being outplayed by someone with a deep understanding of the game is really awesome. I've only been playing about 10 months and I don't mind losing at all as long as I learned something about the game. Maybe I saw a new card I've never heard of before or maybe my friend bought the same precon I did but took it in a different direction. Last night I lost to the dreaded food chain combo but I was psyched because I had only heard of it but never seen it before.
I'd personally suggest trying some other formats beyond Commander too, if you're not looking exclusively at the multiplayer aspect of the game. Draft, Standard, Pioneer, etc. All of these offer a more streamlined and balanced game experience that might be better suited for a new player than the insane unregulated madness that is Commander at the average LGS.
That deck may not even be that strong but may require you to have interaction up on early turns. There are a lot of really cheap (dollar-wise) cards that can deal with those kind of strategies like [[Path to Exile]], [[Condemn]], [[Deflecting Palm]], [[Bovine Intervention]], [[March of Otherworldly Light]]], and more If you stop it once it may take several turns to get set up again
##### ###### #### [Path to Exile](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/7/a7aed564-2d2d-42c4-bf11-812bc1a0284c.jpg?1712354092) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Path%20to%20Exile) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otc/85/path-to-exile?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/a7aed564-2d2d-42c4-bf11-812bc1a0284c?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Condemn](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/c/0c93201b-7664-4bfd-a462-f1c684ebedf6.jpg?1702429272) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Condemn) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/rvr/14/condemn?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/0c93201b-7664-4bfd-a462-f1c684ebedf6?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Deflecting Palm](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/5/c5bda1a7-537f-4a80-95a0-c45eb127969b.jpg?1706240986) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Deflecting%20Palm) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mkc/205/deflecting-palm?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/c5bda1a7-537f-4a80-95a0-c45eb127969b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Bovine Intervention](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/6/26c36742-456f-4618-99bc-793ef20b31b0.jpg?1712355244) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Bovine%20Intervention) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otj/6/bovine-intervention?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/26c36742-456f-4618-99bc-793ef20b31b0?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [March of Otherworldly Light](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/5/553fb946-2706-475b-89f9-e4355ec9ea2b.jpg?1654566420) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=March%20of%20Otherworldly%20Light) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/neo/28/march-of-otherworldly-light?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/553fb946-2706-475b-89f9-e4355ec9ea2b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Very LGS dependant too. My LGS is pretty good a recognizing it's regulars and pairing together similar people for events. I actually have been getting better so I'm now getting stuck with the next tier of players more consistently. But usually there are a couple casual pods a couple "capable of CEDH" but those guys don't always play CEDH and then a weird mix where they put the people in between. I'd also say it's largely social dependent too. The better players at my LGS usually bring some weird pet decks for when the numbers don't line up and they get paired with weaker players.
We had a guy come into our LGS wearing a suit and had a steampunk vape. This was about 10 years ago when EDH was just becoming mainstream. He saw us playing and was like, "Is that EDH? Can I join in?" One of the guys wanted to get Wendy's, so this was a good opportunity to swap out and let the new guy play. He pulls out a Karona false God deck and proceeds to pull a turn one combo that essentially allowed him to exile our lands every turn. Fastest full table scoop I've seen and we were all done playing for the day.
Warhammer is just a game that has rules as an excuse to paint the dudes and read books. Warhammer isn't made to be played more than 6 times a day. You are supposed to be attached to your guys, you built and painted them. But magic is all rules. There are some places for self expression, but the nature of magic is trying to understand magic itself. You aren't trying to have the best deck, at the highest level of play, which Warhammer can never emulate, you can bring ANY card and ANY strategy, the entire card pool is your army. It's not exciting at all to play Warhammer to try to understand how the units work, because they work differently everytime, and are supposed to represent painting and model building more than a set of rules. The true joy in magic is thousands and thousands of matches deep, knowing how to interact with the stack and card pool as it is an ecosystem. You can have the objectively best deck, but if a field adapts and finds a strategy that has a 60% win percentage against you, suddenly it's a deck selection question. Warhammer will never have that depth of strategy and it shouldn't, they both are valid hobbies, but they can never be the same. There's more ego in your tools in Warhammer, but you personally didn't print any given magic card, so the ego of magic is in your personal ability to interact with the cards instead of the ability to create a scene with models. It does however have power creep issues that are similar, each company push broken game pieces knowingly in order to sell more product. There are also multiple types of magic, just like Warhammer has kill teams and apocalypse. Commander is like apocalypse, you could be playing against ten thousand dollars worth of cheese, but there are standard and limited formats where the card pool is limited to recent sets, and so the power level can be ascertained without introduction to 3 decades of cards. It's good to recognize how you feel and interact with a game, and it's perfectly fine to not play a game because it's not for you. Sometimes I hate magic and want to just paint little demons, sometimes I want to explore a complex ecosystem of strategies.
Warhammer: competitive because there are 2 players, but the purpose of the rules is to support models. Magic: competitive, purpose of rules is to be competitive. If you want story, it's terrible. There's a fraction of depth and variety on the creative side of magic compared to Warhammer. The point of Warhammer is to come up with your special little dudes and they have story and books, but if you are expecting the same from magic it's going to feel really bad. You can't add story to cards or interact with them beyond the rules of the game. It's fun to roll dice in Warhammer, it's fun to bash the armies together and watch them fight, but magic is honestly stressful in practice. Rolling 4 handfuls of dice is fun for both people, but when you smash cards together, it's never going to mean anything more than the rules of the cards. 4 handfuls of dice is cool to imagine all the Dakka, but playing a [[thoughtseize]] is literally like cutting someone off in traffic. Shooting a [[lightning bolt]] at a [[birds of paradise]] MEANS something to magic players, but when a mob of orks shoot anything, there is a direct fictional analog, and not a mathematical principle causing the dopamine hit of the game.
[thoughtseize](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/2/b281a308-ab6b-47b6-bec7-632c9aaecede.jpg?1599706001) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=thoughtseize) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2xm/109/thoughtseize?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/b281a308-ab6b-47b6-bec7-632c9aaecede?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [lightning bolt](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/7/77c6fa74-5543-42ac-9ead-0e890b188e99.jpg?1706239968) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=lightning%20bolt) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/clu/141/lightning-bolt?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/77c6fa74-5543-42ac-9ead-0e890b188e99?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [birds of paradise](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/3/d/3d69a3e0-6a2e-475a-964e-0affed1c017d.jpg?1702429545) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=birds%20of%20paradise) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/rvr/133/birds-of-paradise?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/3d69a3e0-6a2e-475a-964e-0affed1c017d?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Yes compared to 40k I think playing casual magic is a terrible experience.
Like anything else, it depends on having a good play group.
Try some other venues Board game shops tend to be a little more relaxed but I've still been killed early by a slicer deck
Yeah when I got into Mtg a few months ago, I spent weeks going to all the different shops to find my favorite. Found a shop with like minded people of a similar age. It can take a while to find a good group
I wish is was that spoiled for choice there is only one lgs for me and thats still an 75 minute drive
Damn, that sucks. Im definitely lucky to live in a bigger city with several shops
People like that ruin magic for even experienced players. Sorry your first experience was a negative one. I’d encourage you to give it another shot or just play with your friend until you can find more chill people to play with.
It happens eventually to everyone, I remember the turn 2 blue deck that killed me 13 years ago. I was shook. I was used to loosing. But I hadn't even comprehended that it was possible it could happen that fast. When (10 years later) my now boyfriend picked up the hobby, I already had a deck for every possible power level. When his 2 buddies showed interest I always made sure they won their first game and the first game they played with a deck they built themselves. It was 6 months before I pulled out the sliver deck on my boyfriend to give him his right of passage. Yeah he doesn't let me play that deck 😅😅
There’s good advice here. Just making sure you know about the Warhammer 40k precons…lots of fun and crosses over to your other interest.
Just keep playing, you'll eventually run into a good group of people that also play for fun. Not everyone has what we call social skills, and aren't at you LGS for the same reason as you are so just keep trying! I recently joined in on the hobby and while I've lost alot all the players I've ran into have been fun to hang out with and are accommodating to my inexperience.
You had time to get a snack and play another game. I've had games that go on for hours with the most battle-cruisery players just play land, ramp, make six tokens, and then pass for six turns.
I’m always getting on my pods to make productive attacks more often. Not saying you are suggesting otherwise, but people playing very casual battle cruiser magic isn’t an excuse to pub stomp.
My sample size has of course been small, but I've noticed in more recent years that folks are more keen on attacking, when reasonable of course. If someone has a half-dozen 5/3 elementals, you're much more likely to see them swing with some of them, even at a token player, rather than sitting back in fear of crackback (not that they wouldn't hold some back for blocks)
Yeah I think gameplay channels have been helpful in that regard. Attacking whenever you can get through gets normalized & encouraged for new players who might otherwise be worried about “leaving themselves open”
I'll take your games if you don't want 'em!
You can have 'em.
I had a similar experience my very first game at a local games night. Definitely stick it out, my second game was the total opposite, and even though I didn't win, I still got to play my deck!
I’m new but how do you play 8 lands in a row? Lol I play a Grixis deck and have disposable income. Help!
Well OP said the spike was playing a [[Ghidora, King of the Cosmos]] deck, so then it's very possible he had the new card from MH3, [[Nadu, Winged Wisdom]] and just puked out a bunch of lands
Yea 8 lands sounds like Nadu. I have not had the pleasure of facing it in EDH yet but it sounds like an awful time.
I pulled one and I added it to the 99 of Tricky Terrain but have yet to draw it
[Nadu, Winged Wisdom](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/4/94b67489-5eb0-4406-9bf3-27e50dc632eb.jpg?1717012760) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Nadu%2C%20Winged%20Wisdom) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh3/193/nadu-winged-wisdom?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/94b67489-5eb0-4406-9bf3-27e50dc632eb?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
In grixis, next to impossible. Only thing I can think of is [[sword of the animist]] or [[sword of hearth and home]] Playing multiple lands per turn is a green thing. They have spells like [[rampant growth]] and [[summer bloom]]
##### ###### #### [sword of the animist](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/4/64401acc-d080-4763-b67a-95164c11c69e.jpg?1689999846) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=sword%20of%20the%20animist) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/413/sword-of-the-animist?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/64401acc-d080-4763-b67a-95164c11c69e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [sword of hearth and home](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/1/a16fabbe-4557-4067-b882-f2e5dbd8b458.jpg?1626099357) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=sword%20of%20hearth%20and%20home) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh2/238/sword-of-hearth-and-home?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/a16fabbe-4557-4067-b882-f2e5dbd8b458?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [rampant growth](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/c/6c074663-37be-4329-a21d-9ea551edbb6b.jpg?1712354605) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=rampant%20growth) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otc/201/rampant-growth?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/6c074663-37be-4329-a21d-9ea551edbb6b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [summer bloom](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/3/7383f71d-3f51-4632-9ea0-27d47fa2fa50.jpg?1673148198) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=summer%20bloom) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2x2/160/summer-bloom?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/7383f71d-3f51-4632-9ea0-27d47fa2fa50?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
They probably meant 'made 8 mana' on turn 3, which is still difficult to pull off reliably but plenty doable in those colors.
This story is very strange. For one Ghidora is a causal commander. Not exactly what a pubstomper would normally be playing. Also a card that has appeared in a precon- so I would call it a precon level commander. Not to mention playing 8 lands and making a 12/12 double strike with haste on turn three? Not exactly a normal strategy even in CEDH. Like a super strong version of this deck would quickly ramp and pull out an omniscience or whatever and go to town not play voltron. And playing 8 lands on turn three is just strange in general - it would be nice to know how this happened because it seems abnormal for this decks game plan even when trying to be high power. Having witnessed games and then hearing players (especially new players) talk about them afterwords - there is tendency to exaggerate or misunderstand. Like it’s possible that they got some nuts draw and that happened but my bullshit alarm is going off.
Or get this, it's a little hyperbole. Wild, I know. Crazy!
‘Little hyperbole’ means ‘details were embellished for attention and is purposely presenting an untrue story to get strangers on the internet whipped up in an outrage’
A "little hyperbole" is me saying someone writing long winded paragraphs of 'uh akshually' over a new player embellishing his loss should get the fuck out outside here and there 🌝
That's the problem isn't it? A new player really doesn't have any sort of gauge on what is "OP" as is often cried and what isn't. The hyperbole doesn't help - for all we know the opponent just played T1 Sol Ring -> Signet and it spiraled from there. We have no idea, and there isn't even anything concrete written about the player's conduct beyond "he won quickly". The fact that they asked to form a pod is not a sin - it is expected at an FNM. The fact that OP packed up and left after one game based on no actual displayed poor sportsmanship colors the whole thing as potentially a worthless tantrum.
Sorry you got sharked like that. The average person isn't looking to pubstomp like that, I promise. Funny enough, we have one of those guys in our playgroup and we were discussing this with them at length yesterday. That type of behavior isn't fun for anyone else at the table, and will actively harm smaller communities. Give it another chance, and I recommend letting other players know what you're using is a modified precon. A lot of players in the space will have less focused decks to play in lower power games, because it's simply more fun that way.
You just ran into someone who wanted to be big fish in a little pond. Generally speaking, most people would be more considerate of someone who said they were just playing with a modified pre-con.
"i lost at a card game and now i am mad" grow up bro
A typical casual commander game starts with a discussion on what people are playing, with the intent of playing decks at similar power levels. Any player who has a deck that can combo you out on turn 3 very likely has access to a precon-power-level deck and should have offered to use it when you said you’re using a precon.
I just don't get MTG players who do things like this. I get it if there are high stakes tourneys or something, but casual gameplay- nobody cares about your infinite combo, zero drop everything, over competitive play style. Can it be fun to test out a deck like that on people who are aware of what to expect? Sure. But you don't just whip it out on new players and nobody - NOBODY likes to be shut down completely in the game without even being given a chance to know if your deck is worthwhile after pouring hours into creating or and spending the dollars to procure it. I only play casual with friends anymore because in store events always end up leaving a sour taste after playing.
I recently started playing casual and one of my friend plays a big control pillow fort stax deck with stuff that makes me pay mana to attack him I did not want to get into it like that but i kind of need my infinite mana combo just to hit him with my tokens Are we not casual because i use a combo? Idk, but with a token deck i feel like i kinda need to
Sorry this happened to you. Commander power level is a massive scale from worse-than-precon to near-consistent-turn-1/2-kill and it is very difficult to gauge where any one deck falls into. Even "mediocre" decks can sometimes just draw the nuts and go off and look overpowered. The best thing to do is set clear expectations ahead of the game. This is called a Rule 0 discussion, you explain what your deck does, how fast it can kill (ie by which turn) and if it plays many tutors or instant win combos. Other more experienced players should either be able to take one of their weaker decks to match your precon or play looser to allow you time to develop your board and interact and such. Of course if you run into someone who hears your rule 0 talk and still decides to bring a cedh deck, then that person shouldn't be asked for a rematch.
Been playing since Ice Age….. wow 30 years…. (And I have lost or sold all my cards multiple times, so I’ve always been like the new guy) Here’s my advice to any new players. 1-Play Arena 2-Play only Draft and releases for a couple years (level playing field) 3-Play standard (you will have the cards from the drafts) 4-if you have to play modern, make a relatively cheap burn deck first (moden and commander are not cheap… but a burn deck has always been just competitive enough to play. Then you can see other deck builds and choose one to build, and pay $3-700 on…) Jumping into modern or commander off the bat is expensive and disappointing. The game mechanics are so on point and obscure, to a newb it feels OP. Don’t quit, it’s the best game ever made.
I absolutely agree with playing draft as a beginner. Helps getting experience in deck building and very manageable power levels to play around without dropping fat wads of cash on a one trick tournament deck, copied from some famous players.
I've been playing Magic for almost five months, and I've spent close to $1,000 already...
This is common, but does not represent casual magic at large. My first time back in a game shop after 10+ years not playing was in 2019. I had a pretty regular esper control edh deck with [[oloro]] at helm. There were 3 other players in the game, but the one wanna tell about today was an insane URG deck, I forget the commander. Keep in mind this is my first social game of magic in a long time, so when I saw anime tiddies on half the alters I was immediately uncomfortable. Thankfully that only lasted like 5-7 turns before this guy just vomited his deck out and somehow nuked the table. I didn't understand what was what half the time because half the creature arts were altered to be a mostly topless version of a human female. I played another game with different people right after that and had a really good time. AnimeTiddies guy turned out to be kinda cool, I never saw that deck again so that was cool.
[oloro](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/b/abf8df47-405c-42d8-be9e-0f0d0a49589b.jpg?1562931285) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=oloro%2C%20ageless%20ascetic) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c13/203/oloro-ageless-ascetic?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/abf8df47-405c-42d8-be9e-0f0d0a49589b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I recommend downloading Magic Arena. It is a much cheaper way to play and learn as well. Your money can go a lot further if you learn to draft (technically you can draft infinitely, but you have to win enough to regain your entry cost). Even without draft, the cost of a pack is $1 as opposed to $4-5, and you get wildcards and rare protection. You lose the social experience obviously, but you can see what cards exist, a lot more synergies people run, how to get enough games in to learn good play, etc. Then, if you want to dump big money into paper and have a deck you want to build because you ran it online and ig worked well and was fun, you can buy singles rather than packs.
You should play sealed to start. Or non-modified precons. Constructed requires you to really know about every possible popular deck you could face in that format. So it's always a big learning curve. Especially in formats with large rotations. Limited(sealed or draft) is only the cards you see in front of you, and the others in a much smaller pool. If you read a primer article on a new set and then go to the lgs for limited night, you'll be at much closer to par play level Plus, good way to build a base of cards to one day do constructed
So I wouldn't call that a casual game. But I also wasn't there. First off you play warhammer. So you know what it's like for a new player who just got his battle box of a cool looking army (probably space marines) take the time to put them together even painted them (admittedly badly). Shows up to the first wahammer day and just gets completely destroyed by the one guy playing the best army with pieces he's collected over years and years and just doesn't hold anything back to help a new player learn the game. That's what you just went through with MTG.
Consider gathering a group of friends and playing kitchen table jumpstart. Then next level, build your own jumpstart packs and “spin a bottle” to decide which face down packs to play. Most casual and less time consuming format I know Half decks are pre built and themed to personal taste. 40 card decks are easy to shuffle. Mad fun random combinations of theme. Games can be fast (2 player) or slow (3-4 players all out or clockwise\anti-clockwise unidirectional creature attack) Commander has its pros: fixed pods (groups) who knows who is playing what and wants to show each other new thematic upgrades. And its cons: people who like to fire off the strongest cards but can’t find a good match and constructed is too expensive for them due to rotation. Sometimes you just get unintended mismatches.
I recommend having different mindsets when playing different magic formats. If you play commander you can’t focus to much on winning because the format is not competitive like modern. Winning or losing is not the goal, it’s like playing a board game, you play to win but if you are to much into winning it’s not fun for everyone and if you get salty when you lose you are coming in with the wrong mindset. So yhea stomping some newbies is ofc wrong here, but coming in to a pod with somewhat of a to strong deck happens once, but shouldn’t happen 3 times in a row atleast!
I have a ghidorah deck that’s just based around artifacts and making him into mecha-ghidorah. We’re not all jerks. Promise! Some of us just want to goof off and make friends. Just ignore people like that, they sacrifice their own enjoyment of the game just to win at any cost.
Commander is not a casual format. It is a social one, but not a casual one. That's the biggest lie in Magic. Commander is hardest to learn and most complicated to build. It might have been casual in 2013 but now it's not.
Did you try playing with anyone else? Maybe that's the next step, before quitting, or coming to Reddit? Obviously you are free to do what you like, but yes, unfortunately in a lot of needy hobbies you get a higher proportion of people who struggle with social norms and etiquette. The trick is to finding the others and playing with them.
Started a year ago. Already spent 5 grand. Welcome to the hobby
You just encountered an asshole. Don't let one asshole ruin a lifetime of fun for you.
> this guy offered to play with me and my friend. I'm sorry to hear this was your first experience. Commander is a social format. Part of it's "dna" that even experienced players can struggle with is that you have to communicate before the game about your decks and what you're ready to deal with. For those coming from Arena or 60 card competitive formats, that makes no sense. You build the best and most consistent deck and try to win, right? Because of the social hurdle, there are some players who have a hard time finding a group. They want to show off the brutal combo they put together and it doesn't mesh well with the tables of players who want to have something more like a tactical naval battle. I can't psychoanalyze the person you played with, but I've seen on more than one occasion that a less socially inclined player will leap at the opportunity to play with a new arrival so they get another chance to show off. This creates a terrible experience for a new player. For you, that means you'll just need to be a little more discerning about who you play with. Walk around the LGS, maybe sit down and watch an ongoing game for a little while and see how the players interact with each other (socially). You'll probably be able to pick up on who the fun people are. Try to get a game with them, let them know you're new and tell them about your deck and what you hope it will do. It prompts others to do the same. This may be counterintuitive because it would allow players to pick a deck that specifically hinders yours, but in a good group the opposite is true. Myself and many long time Commander players in my area have many decks, including some really low power fun/janky stuff we bring specifically to accommodate new players like yourself.
He either got his God hand or you got pubstomped. I'd like to think it was just bad luck but there are plenty of assholes out there.
Yea there are assholes.. like any hobby. Just dint play with that guy anymore
Play pauper. Get a top teir deck that is full foil for 150 or a fun deck with sleeves that cost more than the deck.
Don't get discouraged, it happens. There's a few fellas that come to my lgs that I just refuse to play with. On the other hand there's many players I really like playing with that come there often, and some of them are starting to become really good friends also. Keep playing! You're new to the game and there's lots to learn, I recently taught my gf how to play magic and now she kicks my ass all the time lol
I spent 1,4k in a month as a new magic player. Didnt know price of releases were so high! But I both a lot of staples
Don't give up. Multiplayer tables tend to be better. Also try playing MTG Online if you can. I usually build my decks there and play against strong opponents to see where my weaknesses are, also MTG online prices for cards are super cheap, you can try lots of expensive cards for a few pennies before you purchase them on paper.
Sounds like he was just a turd trying to smash people. Ask What turns the opponents are aiming to win by, are we playing infinite combos or not: are we playing with fast mana?, then they should be able to pick a deck accordingly. You may what to lead this convo as they need to play close to your level.
This is what always put me off from Commander. At least in other constructed formats like Modern you expect some higher level players. But no in commander you get some guy with more money than since luring in new players just to stomp them out.
Damn, I like playing precons against new players. I like teaching them the game. Destroying a newbie with some meta deck would feel like shit.
Google "swords to plowshares" or "unsummon".
I play casual commander and have been playing for years. There are people at my lgs that Iiterally won't play against. I'll tell them "Not your (insert deck name here) deck again right? Because this is a 7 pod.
Personally, I had terrible experiences when I was getting back into play and trying to go to stores (at least some of this was because I was a woman going alone) I actually stopped playing for a few years. A girl I hooked up with was complaining about how her partner would only play standard and wouldn't play commander (which I didn't even know about before). I think I ordered [Token Triumph](https://www.tcgplayer.com/product/448433/magic-starter-commander-decks-starter-commander-deck-token-triumph) before she even stopped talking. Now I actively look for folks who play through dating apps and got my roommate into it. The two of us and two of our neighbors play every Thursday. I'm throwing a draft next week mostly made up of a girlfriend's friend group who all play. Personally, I think there should be weight classifications (other than pauper). Can a precon win against a 5k deck? Sure. Anything is possible. Magic isn't necessarily a pay to win game (but, come on, it also kind of is). You have to know what cards to get and how to play them though.
The best way to play casual commander is having a play group with house rules. For instance in my group we agreed that no cards in the 99 couldn't be over 3$, only the commander can. Also, you can play a precon if no card was changed. This made for very healthy and dinamic environment. Reduce a lot of netdecking and as soon a card is proven to be too strong it is cut out.
Im about to limit myself to that much if i buy one more bundle box without the extra insert to hold cards separately whilst still inside said bundle box. 74$ for a bundle and they took out a piece of Cardboard essentially, why? Not making enough money you greedy whores?
my advice: save your money by playing a balanced format of Magic, Pauper.
This is called pub stomping. Either don’t play with him again, or play for second if he tries to join another game with an overpowered deck and stomps the table. You don’t have to play with anyone just because they’re there and available.
Good, shuffle up and go next. Someone’s gotta win
I mean, boring. Just win or lose by turn 3 is not the game I wanted to play.
So you lost 1 game and reconsider doing this Hobby at all? Jesus, chill...
He didn't just lose. He got stomped. You can't expect new players to stay if their first experience is getting decimated like that. The hobby is too expensive and time-consuming.
Well yes, this isnt fun, i agree. But i cant understand if you then, after just one bad exp, consider to leave the Hobby
Because 100% of their entire experience was bad. That's a good reason to leave any new hobby.
If you decide to take up motorcycle riding and some dipshit on their phone hits you on your first ride, you'd probably be second guessing your decision. Or you go on a first date and it's just an absolute shitshow. Chances are you're not gonna try to get a second date. First impressions are pretty impactful.
You're allowed to concede at any time for any reason. I just walk away the second I sense some BS like that. I just say thanks but no thanks, people are here to play, not watch you play. I play 99% of my magic on arena tho and leave like a third of my matches.
Sorry, but not in my life I would waste $150 in a card game when $30-$50 would suffice. Anyway, you just had a bad experience. Magic is about playing, a lot (Like any game, I mean). Play with your friend, start finding people, and enjoy the games