# MtG Online Players - Starter Deck Suggestions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 14, 2002, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtg-online-players-starter-deck-suggestions/142771 "2002-12-14T19:48:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![haardvark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@haardvark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/haardvark)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtg-online-players-starter-deck-suggestions/142771/1 "2002-12-14T19:48:17Z")
Fellow Dopers Gathering Magic: I just succumbed against my better judgement and registered for MtG online. So I’ve got my $9.99 certificate to spend. I don’t want to bother at first making up a deck and I don’t want to buy a whole bunch of boosters in any case. Can anyone suggest a good starter deck from the canned ones they sell? I don’t know the new blocks well enough (haven’t really played since 5th ed). I tend to like green and red but I am open minded to anything (although blue tends to need too much thinkin…) tia, mana-tappin’-'vark ---
**Author:** ![haardvark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@haardvark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/haardvark)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtg-online-players-starter-deck-suggestions/142771/2 "2002-12-14T19:50:54Z")
geez, kind of a sad geeky use for a 100th post… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![haardvark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@haardvark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/haardvark)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtg-online-players-starter-deck-suggestions/142771/3 "2002-12-15T01:55:51Z")
what, not a one out there? Seems to me **Legomancer** is an online player… ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtg-online-players-starter-deck-suggestions/142771/4 "2002-12-15T02:42:20Z")
Well, I don’t know the difference between online and IRL play, but I know I bought a couple Invasion decks and they were pretty good, especially the red/ (green? or white…don’t remember) one. ---
**Author:** ![SC\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@SC\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SC_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtg-online-players-starter-deck-suggestions/142771/5 "2002-12-15T02:51:10Z")
Are Sligh-style manacurve decks still a viable option? ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtg-online-players-starter-deck-suggestions/142771/6 "2002-12-15T07:09:31Z")
Well, the blue/green Trounce-O-Matic deck from Odyssey is really quite strong. Buy two of them, and you get a very competitive deck. Oddly enough, I’m playing a draft on MTGO as we speak. Just surfing SDMB between rounds. Look me up (same name) if you happen to be on now! - Justin ---
**Author:** ![red\_dragon60](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@red\_dragon60](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/red_dragon60)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtg-online-players-starter-deck-suggestions/142771/7 "2002-12-15T07:16:56Z")
Trounce is excellent, you get the Wild Mongrels that win games. Get some of the precons with Basking Rootwallas in them and you have an excellent madness deck. You can go to [www.magicthegathering.com](http://www.magicthegathering.com) and select products on the left, then go to expert level, and select sets from that menu. You can find the spoiler lists for the set and the precon lists and what they contain. It pays to do your research! ---
**Author:** ![haardvark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@haardvark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/haardvark)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtg-online-players-starter-deck-suggestions/142771/8 "2002-12-15T12:40:38Z")
well, I ended up getting the red/green Onslaught deck (Devastation) I read the blurbs over but don’t know the cards well enough in the new sets to really sense whether or not this was a good pick. Cycle is a neat idea. Morph seems like a bit of a pain in the ass to incorporate into play but we’ll see. Maybe early in the new year I’ll join a league and freshen up my deckbuilding skills that way. It’s tricky 'cos with a young baby around the house it’s hard to get a half-hour in one spot to oneself (I’ve already had to do a couple of “brb-spitup” and “afk-dirty diaper”) maneuvers in the chat line. Thanks to any and all for the advice. My game name’s the same. Maybe I’ll see ya around (be gentle!) [extreme geekery]We could have a Doper Clan![/extreme geekery] …except of course there probably already is one… - 'vark p.s. if you are lurking and haven’t checked out M:tG Online (but are familiar with the game) I urge you to do so. It’s quite an impressive piece of work IMHO.