# What do I need to play Magic the Gathering with my kid? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 9, 2012, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311 "2012-04-09T22:24:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311/21 "2012-04-10T19:50:13Z")
IIRC, for instance, it’ll drop a new card and auto-pause forever until you click through it. Other phases will pause too, and clicking on a card will pause it until you re-click to indicate that you’re done reading. I don’t think you can get away from the latter estting. And I think that there’s a slight difference between the two Planeswalkers games, but I can’t certify that 100%. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311/22 "2012-04-10T20:09:30Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Regarding the Steam game, I got it (the 2012 version) a while back when it was six dollars or so. As far as I could tell, the UI required me to right click and select something in order to be able to read a card–and then did not allow me to play the card until I had right clicked and selected something to de-magnify the thing. This seemed ludicrously clunky to me so I put it away. It’s possible I just didn’t figure out the right way to use the UI, but it wasn’t particularly important to me that I learn how to play that particular game as I had other ways to entertain myself available. > > But anyway, now I’ll ask–does it sound to you like I just was missing something UI-wise? Hmmm, yeah, this isn’t the way it should work. You can use the mouse scroll wheel to magnify/zoom out of any card at any time. This pauses the game while you read the card details. Just using the scroll wheel or right clicking will take you back to the game. There are instances where the game will require you to “allow” a card. In this cases you’ll have to click on the card to allow it (or you can click down below on your deck for possible counters). It’s a card game, so it’s hella easier to use the mouse over the controller, which feels lacking, as it necessarily locks down what you can do at particular times during gameplay. With the mouse you can, for example, check out ANY other card in play at pretty much any time. This isn’t always possible with the controller. Alternatively you COULD use the controller on the PC if you wanted to. I switch between the two depending on whether I’m playing on the TV or the PC monitor, but again, vastly prefer the mouse interface (except on the main menu where the developers apparently forgot that this game was supposed to work with a mouse). ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311/23 "2012-04-10T20:51:41Z")
It is possible (in most cases) for two players to play off of the same deck-- I’ve done it a few times when a friend and I were hanging out and only one of us had brought a deck. The games tend to be a bit boring, though, since both players will have exactly the same capabilities at their disposal, and you’re entirely missing out on the deck construction aspect, which is in many ways bigger than the play itself. And there are a few mechanics which would work out really weird that way. A large part of play is effects which theoretically affect both players equally, but which in practice are unequal. For instance, you might have a card which says “Destroy all creatures”, which would affect both your creatures and your opponent’s creatures. If you’re both playing the same (or very similar) decks, such a card would probably not be worth bothering with at all. But if your opponent is playing a deck with a lot of creatures, and you’re playing a deck with few or none, suddenly it becomes a lot more effective. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311/24 "2012-04-10T21:10:20Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Regarding the Steam game, I got it (the 2012 version) a while back when it was six dollars or so. As far as I could tell, the UI required me to right click and select something in order to be able to read a card–and then did not allow me to play the card until I had right clicked and selected something to de-magnify the thing. This seemed ludicrously clunky to me so I put it away. It’s possible I just didn’t figure out the right way to use the UI, but it wasn’t particularly important to me that I learn how to play that particular game as I had other ways to entertain myself available. > > But anyway, now I’ll ask–does it sound to you like I just was missing something UI-wise? IIRC, you can use the scroll wheel to look at a card. I didn’t like Duel of the Planeswalkers, but my complaints are primarily as an existing M:tG player. Someone new to the game isn’t going to be as annoyed by some of their design decisions. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311/25 "2012-04-10T22:23:00Z")
There’s a lot of accurate information on the thread that’s making it much more complicated than it needs to be. Your best bets, as noted: 1) two Intro Packs, which each contain a 60 card, typically two-colored, deck (plus a booster pack of 15 random cards). Wizards of the Coast, the company that publishes MtG, puts out four or five of these every time they release a new set (four times a year), and they’re specifically designed for newer players – cool cards and interactions, but nothing too complex and a balanced power level. If you go this route, get two packs from the same expansion (e.g., Innistrad or Dark Ascension). Each set features different mechanics and advantages different types of strategies, so it’s possible (although not likely) that if you mix and match the cards from one set will just be hella better than the others. If you can find them, you might want to get the packs for the Magic 2012 Core Set, which is mechanically simpler, but in the Intro Packs it’s prob not a big deal. 1. Duel Decks. This is a box containing two pre-made decks built around opposing concepts. Drawbacks are that the decks are somewhat more complex and are usually monocolored. While that can strengthen them, it’s probably less fun for the casual player. Also, there’s no booster pack in the box. OTOH, if you care, you’re more likely to be able to recoup your investment on the Duel Decks if you want to sell them in a few years. Wizards releases two Duel Decks a year, one set has decks constructed around a theme, (e.g. Knigts vs. Dragons, Divine vs. Demonic) or around two “planeswalkers” – wizards who appear on a special card type (e.g. Venser vs. Koth, Ajani vs. Nicol Bolas). Shouldn’t matter which you choose – planeswalker cards are sorta complex, but they’re fun, so it’s a trade-off. The reason these are your best options is because they’re pre-contructed. One of the coolest parts of Magic is being able to come up with your own decks of cards that all work with each other in powerful ways. But it’s really complicated to do, and there’s no need to go down that advanced route until you already understand the game. Finally, you’ll need to figure out how to play. There’s an insert in these boxes which can help, although it’s probably better as a reminder. You could try Duels of the Planeswalkers again (as **Grumann** says, use the scroll wheel to magnify and demagnify) – it isn’t exactly the same as paper Magic, but it’s close enough to let you understand the game. Otherwise, Wizards made several How to Play videos a year or two ago. I’ll see if I can dig up the links. There’s a ton of other Magic product out there which will offer you a lot of ways to expand your game once you get tired of your first 120 cards, but you can get a **lot** of mileage out of this stuff first. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311/26 "2012-04-10T22:28:45Z")
One addendum: I didn’t notice if you mentioned the kid’s age. The current sets (Innistrad and Dark Ascension) are set on a horror-themed world. No gore, but a few of the card designs could be scary to a younger child. If that’s something you’re worried about, either get one of the Duel Decks, the intro packs from the M12 set I mentioned, or wait a month for the packs from the new set, Avacyn Restored. That takes place on the same world, but it’s all about the good guys saddling up and kicking the monsters’ ass, so it has a different vibe (at least from the few cards already revealed). [This page](http://www.wizards.com/magic/tcg/newtomagic.aspx?x=mtg/tcg/newtomagic/learntoplay) has links to the instructional videos I mentioned, as well as a brief demo program for PC. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311/27 "2012-04-10T23:31:04Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > One addendum: I didn’t notice if you mentioned the kid’s age. The current sets (Innistrad and Dark Ascension) are set on a horror-themed world. No gore, but a few of the card designs could be scary to a younger child. If that’s something you’re worried about, either get one of the Duel Decks, the intro packs from the M12 set I mentioned, or wait a month for the packs from the new set, Avacyn Restored. That takes place on the same world, but it’s all about the good guys saddling up and kicking the monsters’ ass, so it has a different vibe (at least from the few cards already revealed). If that’s a concern, I’d suggest avoiding black decks (self explanatory) and Phyrexian decks from the Shards of Mirrodin block (the ones with an upper case Phi - Φ - on them). ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311/28 "2012-04-11T02:32:03Z")
I wouldn’t say avoiding black is necessary as a rule; there’s always lots of demons and stuff, but to my eye they made them scary in Innistrad block as opposed to just tough and mean looking. You’re probably right about the Phyrexian stuff. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311/29 "2012-04-11T02:49:08Z")
Yeah, I think [Abattoir Ghoul](http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=222911) is pushing the line on CREEPY a little bit, compared to other black cards from other sets. Side discussion: what is the creepiest Magic card ever? That’s gotta be somewhere on the list. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311/30 "2012-04-11T03:37:21Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > I wouldn’t say avoiding black is necessary as a rule; there’s always lots of demons and stuff, but to my eye they made them scary in Innistrad block as opposed to just tough and mean looking. You’re probably right about the Phyrexian stuff. It’s not completely necessary, but it’s an easy guideline for a newcomer to remember without looking at decks on a card by card basis. But yeah, Phyrexia is more open and shut. The Scars of Mirrodin block is basically one big retcon so they could do [horrible things](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=230082) to one of their old sets. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311/31 "2012-04-11T17:16:21Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > It’s not completely necessary, but it’s an easy guideline for a newcomer to remember without looking at decks on a card by card basis. > > But yeah, Phyrexia is more open and shut. The Scars of Mirrodin block is basically one big retcon so they could do [horrible things](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=230082) to one of their old sets. How is it a “retcon”? AFAIK the Scars block is basically at the end of the Magic timeline. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311/32 "2012-04-11T18:00:39Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > It’s not completely necessary, but it’s an easy guideline for a newcomer to remember without looking at decks on a card by card basis. I woudn’t want to steer the OP away from black altogether – if he’s getting two intro packs, especially, it might be hard to avoid, and because of black’s copious removal it’s usually easy for a newcomer to pilot it. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311/33 "2012-04-11T20:05:35Z")
Just to sum up the five colors: White: Goodness, protection, law, healing. Typical creatures are soldiers, knights, and angels. Blue: Water, air, knowledge, subtlety. Typical creatures are wizards, merfolk, and sea monsters. Black: Death, evil, ruthlessness, power at all costs. Typical creatures are various undead and demons. Red: Fire, earth, savagery, chaos. Typical creatures are goblins, fiery elementals, and dragons. Green: Life, nature, ecology, physical might. Typical creatures are elves, wild animals, and forces of nature. These are arranged around a circle (sometimes called the “color pie”), so (for instance) white is adjacent to (allied with) green and blue, and opposed to red and black. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311/34 "2012-04-11T20:45:06Z")
This thread inspired me to play the (video) game again. Then Nicol Bolas spanked my party in like 4 rounds. I’m going to need to do co-op to beat him I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311/35 "2012-04-11T21:42:48Z")
According to the TV commercials I remember from the '90s, all you need is a deck and a friend. Depending on whether you consider your son a friend or an enemy, this could pose a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311/36 "2012-04-11T22:50:59Z")
> [@markdash](#): > > How is it a “retcon”? AFAIK the Scars block is basically at the end of the Magic timeline. Because at the end of _Fifth Dawn_… …there wasn’t anybody left on Mirrodin to be horribly butchered by the Phyrexians. Once Slobad and Glissa got tired of being the only living things on Mirrodin they would have broken their soul traps, returned to their original planes with their friends and families, and lived happily ever after. ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311/37 "2012-04-12T12:58:45Z")
I have an 8 year old boy, and we bought the deck builder kit with the 125 cards and have had no problems playing with that. We’ve since bought a few booster packs, but we had plenty of games with just the original 125. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311/38 "2012-04-12T20:34:47Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > there wasn’t anybody left on Mirrodin to be horribly butchered by the Phyrexians. I wasn’t playing then, but the setting material from Scars said that all the non-native Mirrodinians got sent home, but there were lots of natives descended from those early colonists, and they stayed. Was that explicitly ruled out at the end of the original block? (What about Thrun?) –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311/39 "2012-04-12T22:22:03Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > I wasn’t playing then, but the setting material from Scars said that all the non-native Mirrodinians got sent home, but there were lots of natives descended from those early colonists, and they stayed. Was that explicitly ruled out at the end of the original block? (What about Thrun?) Yes, explicitly. After Memnarch’s Ascension Web activated, Karn stated that his plane was empty again. ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311/40 "2012-04-13T20:40:49Z")
> [@Trepa\_Mayfield](#): > > Side discussion: what is the creepiest Magic card ever? That’s gotta be somewhere on the list. I always found [Takklemaggot](http://www.evocacion.com/takklemaggot-c16199.html)to be a bit creepy. That could partly be because of all the text though . . . I haven’t really played Magic since about '05. When I started I think Ice Age had just come out. I played with some friends for a few years but stopped until I found a bunch of people in college that played. My best moment was beating my roomate’s deck that was probably worth $300 with a goblin/burn deck. (Horray for Goblin Grenade!) A few years ago I talked with a friend who had just begun playing it and I didn’t know half the rules he was talking about. The game seems to have changed a bit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-play-magic-the-gathering-with-my-kid/618311.md?page=3)