Magic: The Gathering Arena - Another MtG video game

I find it surprising that nobody ever redid Shandalar. Seems like a nobrainer, RPG + card game, stuff like Slay the Spire are kinda like it, but not quite…

And I quite enjoy Arena. Great way to play Magic without falling down the paper crack route “proper” Magic requires, and it’s even better than Hearthstone for me, at least as long as the daily quests mostly involve just playing cards and not playing cards while winning. I can put together a fast mostly trash any color deck, and quickly finish any quest, having fun along the way, instead of having to beat my head against the wall of much better decks than mine.

Sadly, this game made me buy a starter pack IN REAL LIFE. I just like the pictures on the cards, okay? I haven’t done this since the late nineties!

Actually was by chance at Target seems to be sellng MTG as well as … Boardgames? and very euro games at that!

I’ve never played Magic, so this game is my first exposure to the game. I’ve been enjoying it and they’ve been generous with the 2 color decks you can earn each day. But like @mtkafka, I’m starting to get an irrational itch to buy physical cards, like an animal!

Yeeeesssss…

I got my son into Magic pretty early (when he was maybe… 9 or so?) and he and I play regularly now and he has his own decks/collection and cards I covet that he refuses to trade to me. It’s awesome.

I agree about Shandalar. I’ve been waiting for something like it to come along for decades. It really puzzles me why no developer has ever tried that formula again.

This weekend they’re running a Momir Basic event in support of Extra Life. They’re streaming some stuff on Twitch where you can support the charity, or you can just play the event for fun. I’ve liked the format ever since I first tried it back in Magic Online, though of course you have to like lots of randomness in your games to enjoy it.

Yeah. It’s not for me. I’m taking a pass. I’ll miss Singleton again.

Friends and other social features coming soon (in the next build or two).

I thought this was a decent article by a Magic pro on Arena.

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=14926

He basically credits it with rekindling his love of the game.

I can’t wait for the social features to arrive. Actually playing against the folks from Qt3 is going to be so much more enjoyable than the random assortment I meet now. I had to shut of emotes, it was getting annoying.

“Your Turn”
“Your Turn”
“Your Turn”
“Your Turn”
“Your Turn”
“Your Turn”

Well I think I’ve found my lane on MTGA. I just drafter Blue/Black control in both Guilds of Ravnica and Dominaria as well as playing it in standard. I’ve actually started winning again for the first time since the wipe for open beta.

So I’m locked into playing Ranked Constructed with my starter decks until I win?

Wut?

I’m regretting reinstalling this.

Are you quick playing? Because I never seen that, even dailies are usually just the play x color.

I’m locked out of all other play modes and options until I complete my quests or some nonsense.

I vaguely remember something like that when I started but I’m pretty sure it was “play a game” not “win a game”.

Are the games against the AI? Because if not, that must be a bug.

I think you need to complete the new player experience before you can engage with the other play modes? In any case, it’s worth doing as well as the daily quests because it unlocks a bunch of premade decks that actually have quite a few good cards that you will later be able to use for constucted events.

I’ve pretty much built three meta competitive decks now: mono blue tempo, mono red aggro, and Golgari midrange. They’re the cheaper options (eg I don’t have the full set of planes walkers for the Golgari deck, and mono coloured decks save you needing dual lands) but I’m managing a 52% winrate with them.

Give us deck lists, will ya?

I’m surprised anyone would be interested in my (probably) sucky modifications to successful netdecks, but sure!

Here’s my mono-red aggro, which you’ll notice is missing most of its sideboard. I only play Bo1 due to time contraints:

4 Fanatical Firebrand (RIX) 101
4 Ghitu Lavarunner (DAR) 127
2 Rekindling Phoenix (RIX) 111
4 Runaway Steam-Kin (GRN) 115
4 Viashino Pyromancer (M19) 166
18 Mountain (XLN) 273
2 Experimental Frenzy (GRN) 99
4 Lightning Strike (XLN) 149
4 Shock (M19) 156
2 Lava Coil (GRN) 108
4 Wizard’s Lightning (DAR) 152
4 Goblin Chainwhirler (DAR) 129
2 Electrostatic Field (GRN) 97
2 Risk Factor (GRN) 113

3 Fight with Fire (DAR) 119
1 Lava Coil (GRN) 108
2 Banefire (M19) 130

It’s only 18 Lands, and it works. I tried with 16 and I kept getting screwed, but with 18 and the way that Arena does the best of two hands assignment in the Bo1 ladder mode, I’ve been reasonably able to win against many matchups (i.e., most anything without lifelinkers).

Mono Blue Tempo, it’s my favourite deck to play and I’ve had the most overall success with it, again the sideboard is not complete and it really should have 2 Warkite Marauders in it:

4 Curious Obsession (RIX) 35
4 Dive Down (XLN) 53
3 Essence Scatter (M19) 54
21 Island (GRN) 261
4 Merfolk Trickster (DAR) 56
3 Nightveil Sprite (GRN) 48
1 Opt (DAR) 60
4 Siren Stormtamer (XLN) 79
4 Tempest Djinn (DAR) 68
4 Wizard’s Retort (DAR) 75
4 Mist-Cloaked Herald (RIX) 43
2 Spell Pierce (XLN) 81
1 Sleep (M19) 74
1 Anticipate (M19) 44

2 Negate (RIX) 44
2 Chart a Course (XLN) 48
1 Nightveil Sprite (GRN) 48

and finally, my take on Golgari Midrange, not much to say about it except I went all-in on the Explore package because I was seeing a lot of aggro in the meta:

7 Forest (GRN) 264
4 Overgrown Tomb (GRN) 253
2 Memorial to Folly (DAR) 242
4 Merfolk Branchwalker (XLN) 197
4 Jadelight Ranger (RIX) 136
2 Plaguecrafter (GRN) 82
3 Ravenous Chupacabra (RIX) 82
4 Golgari Findbroker (GRN) 175
1 Izoni, Thousand-Eyed (GRN) 180
4 Seekers’ Squire (XLN) 121
2 Vraska, Golgari Queen (GRN) 213
1 Find // Finality (GRN) 225
2 Assassin’s Trophy (GRN) 152
1 Vraska’s Contempt (XLN) 129
3 Wildgrowth Walker (XLN) 216
1 Carnage Tyrant (XLN) 179
4 Woodland Cemetery (DAR) 248
7 Swamp (RIX) 194
1 Path of Discovery (RIX) 142
1 Underrealm Lich (GRN) 211
2 Doom Whisperer (GRN) 69

4 Duress (M19) 94
4 Kraul Harpooner (GRN) 136
3 Kraul Foragers (GRN) 135
3 Necrotic Wound (GRN) 79
1 Arguel’s Blood Fast (XLN) 90

I also have a pretty fun to play version of the Merfolk deck that shockingly wins more than I think it should, mostly because I think it’s crummy enough to dodge the stronger meta decks. Here it is:

4 Mist-Cloaked Herald (RIX) 43
14 Island (RIX) 193
4 River Sneak (XLN) 70
4 Merfolk Mistbinder (RIX) 164
8 Forest (RIX) 196
1 Seafloor Oracle (RIX) 51
2 Tempest Caller (XLN) 86
1 Herald of Secret Streams (XLN) 59
2 Kumena’s Speaker (XLN) 196
2 River Heralds’ Boon (XLN) 204
1 Deeproot Elite (RIX) 127
3 Jade Bearer (RIX) 134
2 Jungleborn Pioneer (RIX) 137
2 Hinterland Harbor (DAR) 240
1 Spell Pierce (XLN) 81
2 Silvergill Adept (RIX) 53
1 Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca (RIX) 162
2 Sleep (M19) 74
4 Curious Obsession (RIX) 35

1 Spell Pierce (XLN) 81

Enjoy!

No, it’s definitely real players. With not-at-all-starter decks.

Dude was slapping around my mono-red starter deck with Etali and Monstrosaurs with his tuned up Red/Green Dino deck.

And it’s win. Cause I lost that game hard and am still locked out.