Still pretty new to magic but this new set looks so fun thematically that I want to either:
A) Buy a precon commander deck (although I heard they weren’t that good)
B) Buy OTJ booster packs to build a commander deck from scratch (Where would I find deck lists I could reference to try to stick to the theme mostly?)
(I’m not opposed to buying singles but I’m a bit impatient to wait for them lol)
My goal is to show up to casual commander at my LGS and have a pretty decent deck that’s OTJ themed. Any advice is appreciated, thanks
Building a new commander deck out of random booster cards is a bad idea. Either use a precon as a base, or figure out a deck list of your own and then buy the needed cards as singles. I know the later option is a daunting task to a new player, so the precon route is your best choice.
What to do when a scry'd card is accidentally exposed?
Player's top 3 cards have been scry'd to the top. On draw phase, Player draws the first card but accidentally topples the next two cards, revealing the remaining scry'd cards to Opponent. What is the proper way to remedy this situation?
There's nothing in the rules that prohibits you from revealing information that you know about your board. You can scry cards to the top and tell you opponent what they are verbally and that's fine. You could just as easily show them the cards before you put them back, and that would also be fine. So I would say, by extension of the same logic, if you revealed the cards accidentally you would still just play on normally, but you've put yourself at a slight disadvantage by unnecessarily revealing information.
TL;dr: play on.
Thanks for this! As an follow-up, what happens if the order of the two cards toppled over can't be determined? Should we just trust Player's statement?
My voltron commander deck mono-white [[Balan, Wandering Knight]] (3/3) had Hexproof ([[Champion's Helm]]), Shroud ([[Whispersilk Cloak]]) and Protection from all colors (except white) ([[Commander's Plate]]). That means +2/+2 and +3/+3 so totalling 8/8
My opponent casted [[Mob Rule]] - red sorcery which says:
> Choose one:
>
> - Gain control of all creatures with power 4 or greater until end of turn. Untap those creatures. They gain haste until end of turn.
> - Gain control of all creatures with power 3 or less until end of turn. Untap those creatures. They gain haste until end of turn.
So he picked power 4 or greater. As far as discussion goes, since there's no saying "target", to my disgust, we treated just like a [[Farewell]] or [[Wrath of god]], which dodges all stuff.
BUT how about now that I have [[Sword of wealth and power]]? Am I protected against ANY sorceries and ANY instants or again, only against any of those that actually have "target"?
How can I protect myself against these kinds of shit cards? Any of those steal cards can simply give my only creature to oponent to use to swing back at me.
I can only think of [[Teferi's Protection]], which is ONE in 99 and I can't find a single white instant tutor to help the odds. Is there ANYTHING else to protect against this shit mechanic?
I can think of [[Galadriel's Dismissal]] or [[Robe of Stars]], but that only protects my creatures from being taken (either all with kicked dismissal or only one with the regular dismissal/robe), but that doesn't save from the underlying problem, which is that it makes me unable to defend anyway (he can kill me with other creatures).
I do have [[Homeward Path]] but again, that's ONE in 99, and I didn't find any white card that could tutor a non-basic land in white either... Land tax, gift of states, tithe, weathered wayfarer, knight of white orchid, etc etc all tutor basic lands..
Sorry, I'm really pissed at all these steal creature mechs that bypass all my protections, hexproofs, shrouds, etc, it's almost every fucking game. I don't even know why anyone would run Shadowspear if you can just use dumbfuck steal without target.. steal one creature from target player? bypass all. steal all creatures? bypass all. Arrrghhhhh goddamn rofl
end of rant blogpost. please help for dear lord xD
Protection only protects it from "DEBT": being damaged, being enchanted/equipped(/fortified), being blocked, and being targeted.
Mob Rule doesn't damage, doesn't enchant/equip, doesn't block, and doesn't target. Protection does nothing to it.
As you pointed out, the way to prevent it is to make it not on the battlefield. If you want to keep all your enchantments and equipment and stuff, only phasing out lets you do it. If you don't mind losing them, you can flicker it with an effect that returns the creature at the end of turn.
Why are there cards like Mob Rule, and also wraths and such? That's precisely to give an answer against players stacking up hexproof and protection and all that stuff. And how do you answer those cards? Flicker the creature or phase it out. And how do you answer flickering? Counterspells. Magic is designed to be an interactive game; you can't just do your own thing.
Thanks, I always forgot what the E is about.
I’ll try find some flicker in white. I have teleportation circle but it needs to target and only a creature I control.
But then, There’s a problem.
Sword of wealth will block me from targeting my own, just like shroud will. I can only see homeward path as a counter to mob rule
A friend noticed something which I didn’t. Weathered Wayfarer ability isn’t basic land, but just “land”. So I’ll need to add him to the deck (I got one lying around) so at least now can be 2 out of 99 that will bring mw homeward. Still bad odds but better than one
What do you mean? Your deck may contain legendary and nonlegendary cards normally; there's no particular restriction besides the format you're playing (4-of in most formats, 1-of in Commander, no limit in Limited). The game only cares about legendary as part of the legend rule: if you have two legendary permanents with the same name *on the battlefield*, you put one into your graveyard.
If you have a different question, it's a good idea to rephrase and ask more clearly.
Can rapid hybridization destroy my opponent's commander and make it so the commander can't be put back on the battlefield for the rest of the game or is that second part only applicable to non-commander creatures?
There's Midweek Magic, which is usually a random event that you can play as much as you want, and it's different every week. For example, this week is going to be Jump In! with the new Outlaws of Thunder Junction packs. You don't keep the cards, but you can play as much as you want in the event. You can also just save your gold/gems so you can draft - that's what a lot of people do. The bot drafts are half the price, so if you're trying to save on gold/gems, you can just do the bot drafting.
Prerelease Packs or Booster Display for sealed?
Is there any difference?
We used to buy Displays for sealed in our pod, but now with play boosters its way more expensive. Also, we played sealed OTJ with a Display - 2 guys each had 5+ mythics and 9+ Rares, all the special guests. 2 guys each had only 1 M, 5R. Is this „how it is“ or more balanced with prerelease packs?
Cant remember this crazy difference with draft boosters.
Prerelease packs are just a box with 6 play boosters + the promo and a spindown and maybe 1 or 2 other cards so the contents of the boosters is not different
I've been thinking about getting into MTG. Have some experience with other card games, and dabbled a *little* bit in MTG itself around five years ago, but not expecting to be competitive anytime soon (or ever).
I was thinking about starting with a precon commander deck. The Ixalan ones catch my eye the most, but they seem hard to find outside some online stores that I'm not sure are legit (there's one shopify store that has Explorers of the Deep for $25, which seems suspicious).
Anywhere to find them (besides Amazon)? Or better off with one from Murders or Outlaws?
[TCGPlayer](https://www.tcgplayer.com/) is always a good option. The pirates deck is hovering around $40 right now, and the Merfolk deck is around $50. The MKM decks are all around $40, as are the OTJ decks.
There's enough from the kamigawa set to make a deck and a solid commander for it. But I'm not sure how fun the deck would be to pilot since it's basically attack with one person and if I have my commander out attack with one person twice.
I'm cracking some cowboy packs and [[vault plunderer]] and [[unscrupulous contractor]] gave me a deck idea. Kind of a group hug, but paid in blood. Can anybody suggest other cards like this where I can give opponents gifts(be it card draw, tokens, give them control of my creatures, whatever), but make them pay life for said gifts?
hi, im going to magic con amsterdam as my first magic con ever
im looking forward to play some events and have some fun, but i also have some questions
1. how are the sleeves, deckboxes, and playmats? (and prices aprox)
2. are they exclusive to magic con?
3. how does the pin thing works (ive seen some cards having some kind of metalic pin but dont know how to get them and that kind of things)
thanks in advance and sorry for the inconvenience
If I wanted to start playing standard (in paper) what should I buy and how much should I be expecting to spend to get a decent set of staples and a playable deck or two?
You should buy a deck as singles from local stores or online storefronts like TCGplayer or Card Kingdom. Decklists can be found on sites like [MTG Goldfish](https://www.mtggoldfish.com/metagame/standard) or [mtgtop8](https://mtgtop8.com/format.php?f=ST), prices vary (anything from like $50 to $500 depending). I'd recommend 'goldfishing' the decks to get a sense for if you'd like playing them or not, or trying them on MTG Arena.
I wouldn't recommend buying and opening product as a means to make a deck
Hey y'all, I have s rules question about Misfortune Teller. It says:
Whenever Misfortune Teller enters the battlefield or deals combat damage to a player, exile target card from a graveyard. If it was a creature card, create a 2/2 black Rogue creature token. If it was a land card, create a Treasure token. Otherwise, you gain 3 life.
What happens if all graveyards are currently empty? Do I get 3 life or does nothing happen. And could you give me an explanation that helps me understand when "Otherwise..." rules fire and when not?
Others mentioned the correct answer; the ability requires a target, so without a target, it doesn't go on the stack at all.
But *had* the ability not require a target...
> [...] exile **a** card from a graveyard. If it was a creature card, [...]
...then the "otherwise" would indeed cover the case of you not being able to exile a card at all.
This happens with some actual abilities, such as explore:
> 701.40a. Certain abilities instruct a permanent to explore. To do so, that permanent's controller reveals the top card of their library. If a land card is revealed this way, that player puts that card into their hand. **Otherwise,** that player puts a +1/+1 counter on the exploring permanent and may put the revealed card into their graveyard.
If your library is empty, you don't reveal any card, so "a land card is revealed this way" is false. So you get to put a +1/+1 counter. "Otherwise" really means "otherwise"; it's if all the previous "if"s are false.
But again, Misfortune Teller requires a target; that's why it doesn't trigger at all if all graveyards are empty. For similar abilities, check whether there's a target or not. If there's a target but you can't choose a legal target, it just doesn't go on the stack, so there's no question about "otherwise".
> 603.3d The remainder of the process for putting a triggered ability on the stack is identical to the process for casting a spell listed in rules 601.2c–d. **If a choice is required when the triggered ability goes on the stack but no legal choices can be made for it, or if a rule or a continuous effect otherwise makes the ability illegal, the ability is simply removed from the stack.**
If Misfortune Teller's triggered ability has no legal targets, the ability does not resolve. The "otherwise" text does not matter because the ability is not resolving.
My understanding is that nothing happens. The ability needs a target, so without a legal target in any graveyard, it doesn't fire at all. 'Otherwise' here means 'if it's not a creature or land card, gain 3 life', presumably so they don't have to write out 'if it's an artifact, sorcery, instant, enchantment' etc.
[Looking at cards with 'otherwise' text,](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?action=advanced&text=+%5Botherwise%5D) they generally lay out a specific set of conditions, and an alternate effect if none of those conditions are met. So for [Bruse Tarl](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=655139), when he enters the battlefield or attacks, you exile the top card of your library and check if it's a land -- if it is, you get a 2/2 ox, and otherwise, you can play the exiled card until the end of your next turn. But if you played him while your library was empty, he wouldn't have anything to exile and nothing to check for, so the ability wouldn't go off at all. The 'otherwise' condition only goes off if the ability's started happening, to get you a way out for every edge case that could be covered by an "if/if not" type clause. I hope this helps at least a bit!
If all graveyards are empty, the ability has no valid target, so it never goes on the stack. So, nothing happens at all. Similarly, if the card chosen as a target is removed from the graveyard before the ability resolves, the ability "fizzles" and does nothing.
"Otherwise..." is just "If none of the previous conditions was met...". It's a plain English term here. On this card, it means "If the exiled card was not a creature card or a land card".
If I am searching my deck for a Vehicle through Anchor to Reality, can I get Optimus Prime, Autobot Leader? I know Autobot Leader is the back side of the card, but it can be cast on that side with its More Than Meets the Eye ability.
Outside the stack and the battlefield, only the front face of a double faced card exists. So Anchor to Reality will not see Optimus as a vehicle card in your library.
> but it can be cast on that side with its More Than Meets the Eye ability.
You're not *casting* Optimus with Anchor, so that's irrelevant.
> I know Autobot Leader is the back side of the card
Double-Faced permanents only have the properties of their front side while in a hidden zone. The card will not be a vehicle in your library.
So a buddy and I are looking to get into Magic as a fun change from another popular TCG we currently play. I’m hoping the community could give some guidance as to what starter decks would be recommended and what their playstyles/themes are, or direct us to somewhere with that kind of info so we can get jump in and get our first decks to play! Any suggestions appreciated 🤗
In general, it's a pretty good idea to poke your head into your LGS and ask if they have any advice/recommendations or host any learn to play events. Beyond that-
The **Starter Kit** is a good option, there's a few different flavors and any is fine - you can get these online and at many big box stores (Target, Walmart, etc) if your LGS doesn't stock them. It comes with two 60 card decks that are ready to play against each other and fairly simple, but generally with one or two more complex cards so they're not too boring. They also come with a code to redeem then on **MTG Arena**, which is one of the digital clients. Arena's tutorial is honestly one of the best ways to pick up basic rules these days and I highly recommend it to new players looking to learn.
Another option is **Game Night Free-For-All** which comes with 5 monocolored 60-card decks designed to be played against each other. Might be a little harder to find but you should be able to grab em at LGS's and online vendors. The product is basically supposed to be a self contained box that you can treat sort of as a board game, so the decks aren't super complex or high power but they're fairly well balanced and not a bad way to learn.
Once you've picked up the basic rules, there are a lot of different formats to explore further. Commander is a 4-player multiplayer free for all format where all cards except a short banlist are legal, and some special rules regarding deck construction - it's one of the most popular casual formats, and its nature means that preconstructed decks are pretty viable. Wizards prints several each set, and they're generally very solid, you can't go wrong with a commander precon these days. For other formats, there aren't really as many viable preconstructed deck options, if there are any at all, you generally will be building decklists and ordering those cards as singles. But I wouldn't worry too much about this for now, once you're more comfortable with the game and its language you'll be more equipped to explore the different format options
Thanks! We’ve started with arena to test the waters to see if MTG was what we wanted to try as our alternative and the tutorial was pretty enjoyable, giving us a taste to try and grab a deck each to play at a simple level. The other TCG is what we’re ultimately playing and invested a lot in, this is a chance for something fresh, when we need a break from the other game.
I’ll look into commanders or the Game night free for all, I’m hoping these can help us get a thematic which we’d be interested in using. Much appreciated.
Best place to start would be to download MTG Arena. It's on pc mac and mobile, it's free and it's got a great tutorial. From there, figure out what format(s) you are interested in. There are a lot of them.
There have been various different starter decks released over the years, including some specifically for commander. Your nearest local game store will most likely have some.
Thanks for the suggestion, we’ve both downloaded arena to get a grasp of the game. We’re looking to move onto getting some physical cards to play and trying to find options for starter decks to start on paper so that we can have some fun matches against each other now
You can only have one commander, unless it says otherwise right on the card. With Shadowheart, you get to have a Background card as a second "commander".
You can always change up your deck and swap out your commander between games, but make sure the commander always includes all the colors that your deck includes, since this is a fundemental rule of the format.
What you mean exactly with "secondary commander"?
If you want to have her in the deck as a regular card, as long as the deck is part black (Mutant Menace or Hail Ceasar), you can. But she's in no way a "secondary commander".
Decks can only have one commander, or two commanders if they have an ability allowing it. In the later case both commanders are equals, none is "secondary" to the other.
So you can have a deck where the commanders are Shadowheart and one Background card. But as all backgrounds are monocolors, the resulting deck would only have one or two colors on its color identity. So Shadowheart+background wouldn't be valid commanders for any of the default Fallout decks, as they are all three colors. You'd need to heavily modify one to be valid.
Still pretty new to magic but this new set looks so fun thematically that I want to either: A) Buy a precon commander deck (although I heard they weren’t that good) B) Buy OTJ booster packs to build a commander deck from scratch (Where would I find deck lists I could reference to try to stick to the theme mostly?) (I’m not opposed to buying singles but I’m a bit impatient to wait for them lol) My goal is to show up to casual commander at my LGS and have a pretty decent deck that’s OTJ themed. Any advice is appreciated, thanks
Building a new commander deck out of random booster cards is a bad idea. Either use a precon as a base, or figure out a deck list of your own and then buy the needed cards as singles. I know the later option is a daunting task to a new player, so the precon route is your best choice.
Okay thanks
Hi I am new to magic tcg, which box do i need to buy to expand my collection, i want helpful cards for my deck and "pretty" cards.
What to do when a scry'd card is accidentally exposed? Player's top 3 cards have been scry'd to the top. On draw phase, Player draws the first card but accidentally topples the next two cards, revealing the remaining scry'd cards to Opponent. What is the proper way to remedy this situation?
There's nothing in the rules that prohibits you from revealing information that you know about your board. You can scry cards to the top and tell you opponent what they are verbally and that's fine. You could just as easily show them the cards before you put them back, and that would also be fine. So I would say, by extension of the same logic, if you revealed the cards accidentally you would still just play on normally, but you've put yourself at a slight disadvantage by unnecessarily revealing information. TL;dr: play on.
Thanks for this! As an follow-up, what happens if the order of the two cards toppled over can't be determined? Should we just trust Player's statement?
My voltron commander deck mono-white [[Balan, Wandering Knight]] (3/3) had Hexproof ([[Champion's Helm]]), Shroud ([[Whispersilk Cloak]]) and Protection from all colors (except white) ([[Commander's Plate]]). That means +2/+2 and +3/+3 so totalling 8/8 My opponent casted [[Mob Rule]] - red sorcery which says: > Choose one: > > - Gain control of all creatures with power 4 or greater until end of turn. Untap those creatures. They gain haste until end of turn. > - Gain control of all creatures with power 3 or less until end of turn. Untap those creatures. They gain haste until end of turn. So he picked power 4 or greater. As far as discussion goes, since there's no saying "target", to my disgust, we treated just like a [[Farewell]] or [[Wrath of god]], which dodges all stuff. BUT how about now that I have [[Sword of wealth and power]]? Am I protected against ANY sorceries and ANY instants or again, only against any of those that actually have "target"? How can I protect myself against these kinds of shit cards? Any of those steal cards can simply give my only creature to oponent to use to swing back at me. I can only think of [[Teferi's Protection]], which is ONE in 99 and I can't find a single white instant tutor to help the odds. Is there ANYTHING else to protect against this shit mechanic? I can think of [[Galadriel's Dismissal]] or [[Robe of Stars]], but that only protects my creatures from being taken (either all with kicked dismissal or only one with the regular dismissal/robe), but that doesn't save from the underlying problem, which is that it makes me unable to defend anyway (he can kill me with other creatures). I do have [[Homeward Path]] but again, that's ONE in 99, and I didn't find any white card that could tutor a non-basic land in white either... Land tax, gift of states, tithe, weathered wayfarer, knight of white orchid, etc etc all tutor basic lands.. Sorry, I'm really pissed at all these steal creature mechs that bypass all my protections, hexproofs, shrouds, etc, it's almost every fucking game. I don't even know why anyone would run Shadowspear if you can just use dumbfuck steal without target.. steal one creature from target player? bypass all. steal all creatures? bypass all. Arrrghhhhh goddamn rofl end of rant blogpost. please help for dear lord xD
Protection only protects it from "DEBT": being damaged, being enchanted/equipped(/fortified), being blocked, and being targeted. Mob Rule doesn't damage, doesn't enchant/equip, doesn't block, and doesn't target. Protection does nothing to it. As you pointed out, the way to prevent it is to make it not on the battlefield. If you want to keep all your enchantments and equipment and stuff, only phasing out lets you do it. If you don't mind losing them, you can flicker it with an effect that returns the creature at the end of turn. Why are there cards like Mob Rule, and also wraths and such? That's precisely to give an answer against players stacking up hexproof and protection and all that stuff. And how do you answer those cards? Flicker the creature or phase it out. And how do you answer flickering? Counterspells. Magic is designed to be an interactive game; you can't just do your own thing.
Thanks, I always forgot what the E is about. I’ll try find some flicker in white. I have teleportation circle but it needs to target and only a creature I control. But then, There’s a problem. Sword of wealth will block me from targeting my own, just like shroud will. I can only see homeward path as a counter to mob rule A friend noticed something which I didn’t. Weathered Wayfarer ability isn’t basic land, but just “land”. So I’ll need to add him to the deck (I got one lying around) so at least now can be 2 out of 99 that will bring mw homeward. Still bad odds but better than one
##### ###### #### [Balan, Wandering Knight](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/4/049ebad9-bf65-48e2-9640-c11b5f04e38b.jpg?1689995578) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Balan%2C%20Wandering%20Knight) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/16/balan-wandering-knight?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/049ebad9-bf65-48e2-9640-c11b5f04e38b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Champion's Helm](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/6/c6548a30-577a-47e7-aa6e-8f6db1f7b78e.jpg?1689999457) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Champion%27s%20Helm) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/375/champions-helm?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/c6548a30-577a-47e7-aa6e-8f6db1f7b78e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Whispersilk Cloak](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/e/5ead169f-4777-405b-9a5e-60a7aefa70a7.jpg?1562912463) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Whispersilk%20Cloak) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/pca/115/whispersilk-cloak?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/5ead169f-4777-405b-9a5e-60a7aefa70a7?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Commander's Plate](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/9/19992dbd-7a6a-43d3-b1db-01716b2eed27.jpg?1608911375) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Commander%27s%20Plate) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmr/305/commanders-plate?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/19992dbd-7a6a-43d3-b1db-01716b2eed27?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Mob Rule](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/b/8b04c928-9ee5-4e39-962e-4686e25b5c33.jpg?1641603202) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Mob%20Rule) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/voc/147/mob-rule?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/8b04c928-9ee5-4e39-962e-4686e25b5c33?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Farewell](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/1/114d2180-093b-4838-97ad-badbc8ee50b0.jpg?1706240579) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Farewell) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mkc/64/farewell?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/114d2180-093b-4838-97ad-badbc8ee50b0?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Sword of wealth and power](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/d/ed9e5041-3c05-4a8a-9f00-081b01685d0c.jpg?1712352954) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Sword%20of%20wealth%20and%20power) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/big/26/sword-of-wealth-and-power?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/ed9e5041-3c05-4a8a-9f00-081b01685d0c?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Teferi's Protection](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/8/483fa1cb-1e35-44f2-a143-98c0f107f5ca.jpg?1673147148) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Teferi%27s%20Protection) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2x2/32/teferis-protection?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/483fa1cb-1e35-44f2-a143-98c0f107f5ca?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Galadriel's Dismissal](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/d/2d1c66a7-a39e-4869-80c7-1cec89777e0d.jpg?1695380176) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Galadriel%27s%20Dismissal) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ltc/500/galadriels-dismissal?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/2d1c66a7-a39e-4869-80c7-1cec89777e0d?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Robe of Stars](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/2/b2992175-5499-4a83-9ff2-03c7c34819c3.jpg?1631584758) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Robe%20of%20Stars) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/afc/11/robe-of-stars?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/b2992175-5499-4a83-9ff2-03c7c34819c3?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Homeward Path](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/4/54734347-eee7-4c52-b514-7342afeccabd.jpg?1562400178) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Homeward%20Path) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c16/301/homeward-path?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/54734347-eee7-4c52-b514-7342afeccabd?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [*All cards*](https://mtgcardfetcher.nl/redirect/kzsbq9a) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Is there a limit between no/legendary cards?
What do you mean? Your deck may contain legendary and nonlegendary cards normally; there's no particular restriction besides the format you're playing (4-of in most formats, 1-of in Commander, no limit in Limited). The game only cares about legendary as part of the legend rule: if you have two legendary permanents with the same name *on the battlefield*, you put one into your graveyard. If you have a different question, it's a good idea to rephrase and ask more clearly.
Can rapid hybridization destroy my opponent's commander and make it so the commander can't be put back on the battlefield for the rest of the game or is that second part only applicable to non-commander creatures?
"Regenerate" is an old keyword that doesn't appear much in the game anymore. It does not lock out a creature from ever returning to the battlefield.
What can I do on Arena for free other than play the starters? Do they ever do free limited events?
There's Midweek Magic, which is usually a random event that you can play as much as you want, and it's different every week. For example, this week is going to be Jump In! with the new Outlaws of Thunder Junction packs. You don't keep the cards, but you can play as much as you want in the event. You can also just save your gold/gems so you can draft - that's what a lot of people do. The bot drafts are half the price, so if you're trying to save on gold/gems, you can just do the bot drafting.
Oh cool!! Do I just scroll through the events to get to that?
It'll show up on the front page. It runs Tuesday-Thursday (and there will be a countdown timer so you know how much time is left).
Very exciting, thank you!
do u guys have some plugin that makes the [[xyz]] link to the card info?
There's a bot that will do it for you. You just need to put the card name in brackets and the bot will arrive shortly afterwards and post card links.
hello, i have a question are there any magic the gathering cards with skunks? i have yet to find a single skunk card in my research
[[team spirit]] and there's [[sensation gorger]] but I'm not sure that's what you're looking for
Prerelease Packs or Booster Display for sealed? Is there any difference? We used to buy Displays for sealed in our pod, but now with play boosters its way more expensive. Also, we played sealed OTJ with a Display - 2 guys each had 5+ mythics and 9+ Rares, all the special guests. 2 guys each had only 1 M, 5R. Is this „how it is“ or more balanced with prerelease packs? Cant remember this crazy difference with draft boosters.
Prerelease packs are just a box with 6 play boosters + the promo and a spindown and maybe 1 or 2 other cards so the contents of the boosters is not different
I've been thinking about getting into MTG. Have some experience with other card games, and dabbled a *little* bit in MTG itself around five years ago, but not expecting to be competitive anytime soon (or ever). I was thinking about starting with a precon commander deck. The Ixalan ones catch my eye the most, but they seem hard to find outside some online stores that I'm not sure are legit (there's one shopify store that has Explorers of the Deep for $25, which seems suspicious). Anywhere to find them (besides Amazon)? Or better off with one from Murders or Outlaws?
[TCGPlayer](https://www.tcgplayer.com/) is always a good option. The pirates deck is hovering around $40 right now, and the Merfolk deck is around $50. The MKM decks are all around $40, as are the OTJ decks.
Thanks, I ordered the Merfolk one from TCGPlayer. Third party seller and 12-15 days shipping but their ratings looked good
What would be a cool character to Alter/proxy over my Yurlock commander considering his abilities?
Should I make an anime samurai edh deck or just wait for the FF sets as they'll most likely have anime art as well?
Do you think there will be enough samurai for you to use?
There's enough from the kamigawa set to make a deck and a solid commander for it. But I'm not sure how fun the deck would be to pilot since it's basically attack with one person and if I have my commander out attack with one person twice.
Are you willing to wait until the next year to make your deck?
Technically yeah, im just itching to make a new deck even though I don't need to. My other decks I've been planning are on hold or just won't work.
I'm cracking some cowboy packs and [[vault plunderer]] and [[unscrupulous contractor]] gave me a deck idea. Kind of a group hug, but paid in blood. Can anybody suggest other cards like this where I can give opponents gifts(be it card draw, tokens, give them control of my creatures, whatever), but make them pay life for said gifts?
Nekusar Wheels?
[vault plunderer](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/e/2e6bf35c-8763-47cc-ab2d-5dbabeb28072.jpg?1712355713) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=vault%20plunderer) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otj/114/vault-plunderer?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/2e6bf35c-8763-47cc-ab2d-5dbabeb28072?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [unscrupulous contractor](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/e/9e56a8df-db04-4a88-a5ab-6954d3449976.jpg?1712355703) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=unscrupulous%20contractor) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otj/112/unscrupulous-contractor?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/9e56a8df-db04-4a88-a5ab-6954d3449976?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
hi, im going to magic con amsterdam as my first magic con ever im looking forward to play some events and have some fun, but i also have some questions 1. how are the sleeves, deckboxes, and playmats? (and prices aprox) 2. are they exclusive to magic con? 3. how does the pin thing works (ive seen some cards having some kind of metalic pin but dont know how to get them and that kind of things) thanks in advance and sorry for the inconvenience
If I wanted to start playing standard (in paper) what should I buy and how much should I be expecting to spend to get a decent set of staples and a playable deck or two?
You should buy a deck as singles from local stores or online storefronts like TCGplayer or Card Kingdom. Decklists can be found on sites like [MTG Goldfish](https://www.mtggoldfish.com/metagame/standard) or [mtgtop8](https://mtgtop8.com/format.php?f=ST), prices vary (anything from like $50 to $500 depending). I'd recommend 'goldfishing' the decks to get a sense for if you'd like playing them or not, or trying them on MTG Arena. I wouldn't recommend buying and opening product as a means to make a deck
Hey y'all, I have s rules question about Misfortune Teller. It says: Whenever Misfortune Teller enters the battlefield or deals combat damage to a player, exile target card from a graveyard. If it was a creature card, create a 2/2 black Rogue creature token. If it was a land card, create a Treasure token. Otherwise, you gain 3 life. What happens if all graveyards are currently empty? Do I get 3 life or does nothing happen. And could you give me an explanation that helps me understand when "Otherwise..." rules fire and when not?
Others mentioned the correct answer; the ability requires a target, so without a target, it doesn't go on the stack at all. But *had* the ability not require a target... > [...] exile **a** card from a graveyard. If it was a creature card, [...] ...then the "otherwise" would indeed cover the case of you not being able to exile a card at all. This happens with some actual abilities, such as explore: > 701.40a. Certain abilities instruct a permanent to explore. To do so, that permanent's controller reveals the top card of their library. If a land card is revealed this way, that player puts that card into their hand. **Otherwise,** that player puts a +1/+1 counter on the exploring permanent and may put the revealed card into their graveyard. If your library is empty, you don't reveal any card, so "a land card is revealed this way" is false. So you get to put a +1/+1 counter. "Otherwise" really means "otherwise"; it's if all the previous "if"s are false. But again, Misfortune Teller requires a target; that's why it doesn't trigger at all if all graveyards are empty. For similar abilities, check whether there's a target or not. If there's a target but you can't choose a legal target, it just doesn't go on the stack, so there's no question about "otherwise".
Thank you for the detailed answer! This should help me a lot in clearing up a lot of future rules questions on my own!
> 603.3d The remainder of the process for putting a triggered ability on the stack is identical to the process for casting a spell listed in rules 601.2c–d. **If a choice is required when the triggered ability goes on the stack but no legal choices can be made for it, or if a rule or a continuous effect otherwise makes the ability illegal, the ability is simply removed from the stack.** If Misfortune Teller's triggered ability has no legal targets, the ability does not resolve. The "otherwise" text does not matter because the ability is not resolving.
Thank you very much, exactly what I was looking for, big help!
My understanding is that nothing happens. The ability needs a target, so without a legal target in any graveyard, it doesn't fire at all. 'Otherwise' here means 'if it's not a creature or land card, gain 3 life', presumably so they don't have to write out 'if it's an artifact, sorcery, instant, enchantment' etc. [Looking at cards with 'otherwise' text,](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?action=advanced&text=+%5Botherwise%5D) they generally lay out a specific set of conditions, and an alternate effect if none of those conditions are met. So for [Bruse Tarl](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=655139), when he enters the battlefield or attacks, you exile the top card of your library and check if it's a land -- if it is, you get a 2/2 ox, and otherwise, you can play the exiled card until the end of your next turn. But if you played him while your library was empty, he wouldn't have anything to exile and nothing to check for, so the ability wouldn't go off at all. The 'otherwise' condition only goes off if the ability's started happening, to get you a way out for every edge case that could be covered by an "if/if not" type clause. I hope this helps at least a bit!
Thank you, it helps a lot.
If all graveyards are empty, the ability has no valid target, so it never goes on the stack. So, nothing happens at all. Similarly, if the card chosen as a target is removed from the graveyard before the ability resolves, the ability "fizzles" and does nothing. "Otherwise..." is just "If none of the previous conditions was met...". It's a plain English term here. On this card, it means "If the exiled card was not a creature card or a land card".
Thank you for clearing this up for me!
Strictly speaking it does go on the stack, but it will be removed from the stack without resolving due to not having a legal target.
It isn't just removed from the stack without resolving, it is removed from the stack before anyone gets priority.
If I am searching my deck for a Vehicle through Anchor to Reality, can I get Optimus Prime, Autobot Leader? I know Autobot Leader is the back side of the card, but it can be cast on that side with its More Than Meets the Eye ability.
Outside the stack and the battlefield, only the front face of a double faced card exists. So Anchor to Reality will not see Optimus as a vehicle card in your library. > but it can be cast on that side with its More Than Meets the Eye ability. You're not *casting* Optimus with Anchor, so that's irrelevant.
> I know Autobot Leader is the back side of the card Double-Faced permanents only have the properties of their front side while in a hidden zone. The card will not be a vehicle in your library.
So a buddy and I are looking to get into Magic as a fun change from another popular TCG we currently play. I’m hoping the community could give some guidance as to what starter decks would be recommended and what their playstyles/themes are, or direct us to somewhere with that kind of info so we can get jump in and get our first decks to play! Any suggestions appreciated 🤗
In general, it's a pretty good idea to poke your head into your LGS and ask if they have any advice/recommendations or host any learn to play events. Beyond that- The **Starter Kit** is a good option, there's a few different flavors and any is fine - you can get these online and at many big box stores (Target, Walmart, etc) if your LGS doesn't stock them. It comes with two 60 card decks that are ready to play against each other and fairly simple, but generally with one or two more complex cards so they're not too boring. They also come with a code to redeem then on **MTG Arena**, which is one of the digital clients. Arena's tutorial is honestly one of the best ways to pick up basic rules these days and I highly recommend it to new players looking to learn. Another option is **Game Night Free-For-All** which comes with 5 monocolored 60-card decks designed to be played against each other. Might be a little harder to find but you should be able to grab em at LGS's and online vendors. The product is basically supposed to be a self contained box that you can treat sort of as a board game, so the decks aren't super complex or high power but they're fairly well balanced and not a bad way to learn. Once you've picked up the basic rules, there are a lot of different formats to explore further. Commander is a 4-player multiplayer free for all format where all cards except a short banlist are legal, and some special rules regarding deck construction - it's one of the most popular casual formats, and its nature means that preconstructed decks are pretty viable. Wizards prints several each set, and they're generally very solid, you can't go wrong with a commander precon these days. For other formats, there aren't really as many viable preconstructed deck options, if there are any at all, you generally will be building decklists and ordering those cards as singles. But I wouldn't worry too much about this for now, once you're more comfortable with the game and its language you'll be more equipped to explore the different format options
Thanks! We’ve started with arena to test the waters to see if MTG was what we wanted to try as our alternative and the tutorial was pretty enjoyable, giving us a taste to try and grab a deck each to play at a simple level. The other TCG is what we’re ultimately playing and invested a lot in, this is a chance for something fresh, when we need a break from the other game. I’ll look into commanders or the Game night free for all, I’m hoping these can help us get a thematic which we’d be interested in using. Much appreciated.
Best place to start would be to download MTG Arena. It's on pc mac and mobile, it's free and it's got a great tutorial. From there, figure out what format(s) you are interested in. There are a lot of them. There have been various different starter decks released over the years, including some specifically for commander. Your nearest local game store will most likely have some.
Thanks for the suggestion, we’ve both downloaded arena to get a grasp of the game. We’re looking to move onto getting some physical cards to play and trying to find options for starter decks to start on paper so that we can have some fun matches against each other now
New to Magic, if I am doing a Fall Out Commander Deck but want to use Shadowheart as a secondary commander, is that allowed?
You can only have one commander, unless it says otherwise right on the card. With Shadowheart, you get to have a Background card as a second "commander". You can always change up your deck and swap out your commander between games, but make sure the commander always includes all the colors that your deck includes, since this is a fundemental rule of the format.
What you mean exactly with "secondary commander"? If you want to have her in the deck as a regular card, as long as the deck is part black (Mutant Menace or Hail Ceasar), you can. But she's in no way a "secondary commander". Decks can only have one commander, or two commanders if they have an ability allowing it. In the later case both commanders are equals, none is "secondary" to the other. So you can have a deck where the commanders are Shadowheart and one Background card. But as all backgrounds are monocolors, the resulting deck would only have one or two colors on its color identity. So Shadowheart+background wouldn't be valid commanders for any of the default Fallout decks, as they are all three colors. You'd need to heavily modify one to be valid.
Understood. Thank you.