If you’ve been thinking about getting into a fun Magic the Gathering format, but don’t know where to start, this article is for you!
Guest Post by Andrew Schrank.
Magic, or MTG, is all over hobby stores. Warhammer and MTG easily take up the majority of LGS sales and time.
We all know plenty about Warhammer but let’s take a look at MTG, as you have probably seen it by now at your local store and at least wondered what it was all about.
Magic and Commander
Magic has multiple formats, but one of the most friendly to get into is Commander or also known as EDH (Elder Dragon Highlander). This is a 99 card singleton deck with one big creature or Planeswalker in charge of it, kind of like Warlords in Warhammer. The Commander shares the relationship with the deck like a Warlord to your army in Warhammer. While they don’t dictate your strategy, it helps if they work together.
Getting into the Game is a Breeze
The sole reason EDH is easy to get into isn’t necessarily due to the format but, more so due to the product Wizards of the Coast (the owners of MTG) puts out. The commander pre-constructed decks come out once a year and so far each set has been very successful. They introduce exclusive tools and unique play styles in each release. It’s the single product EDH players look forward to every year. The product is also relatively balanced. Meaning if you and a small group of friends get together, you can each pick up a box and have a fair game ready to play fresh out of the boxes. The 2018 and 2017 products had four decks released. The years prior had five.
Optimizing Your Decks is Laid Out
These decks not only offer a good starting point but also have clear pathways to improve them. While they aren’t competitive or tournament ready out of the box, each usually has a clear upgrade path. For example, 2018’s Enchantment deck has a single theme in mind; Enchantments. This lets you bypass the struggle of finding a potential theme and having to build around it. With a Precon so centrally focused, you have a much smaller pool to choose from. If your deck is all about Enchantments, you don’t have to waste time looking at all the spells in those colors, only those that deal with Enchantments.
So, my recommendation to you is to look through the Commander Precons, find a theme you like and buy it. Then head to your LGS to play a pickup game and learn. There is only so much you can learn without trying it yourself.
Also remember it’s a game, learning something new can be frustrating, but rewarding if you make it through. If you can learn Warhammer, you can learn Magic.
Do you play Magic yourself? What format do you play? Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group.
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About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
