Trying it out...

[SkullBuster]

I'm more of a YGO player (I Judge at tournaments actually) and some players in my area actually want to bring me into MTG.

I've known how to play the game way back 1998 (6th grade), and yeah, I didn't really start my own decks or anything.

With the drastic transition from then to now, will it be easy for me to follow up with the game?
Noticed a LOT of new abilities. Thank GOD for keywords. XD

Also, is this place to ask around for deck builds etc? You guys recommend somewhere else?

Also, what would be a nice n00b build?
I'm thinking mono-G coz I've been looking around and it's still mostly beatdown/swarm oriented. XD

[a-slice-of-cake]

Welcome!

It all depends on your goal on what you want out of the game. Do you want to play tournaments? Casual? If tournaments, which formats? Do you like aggro, control, midrange, or combo builds? You'll find MTG has a lot more options than YGO as far as decks and decisions go -- which is why we love it.

This is a fine place to ask for deck builds, but we need to know your preferences before making any suggestions.

[SkullBuster]

We do have sanctioned tournaments here under DCI. It's Standard.
I was thinking more of a semi-competitive build that I can take into it.
I don't know what's the current meta, so as far as what to bring I don't really have a clue.

Sine I'm starting out again maybe aggro would fit me more?

[ShadowZ]

We do have sanctioned tournaments here under DCI. It's Standard.
I was thinking more of a semi-competitive build that I can take into it.
I don't know what's the current meta, so as far as what to bring I don't really have a clue.

Sine I'm starting out again maybe aggro would fit me more?

In that case I suggest a W/G/x (White, Green, and whatever other colors you want to play) Ally build. Easy to play and not very expensive to build.

[fallenonme]

My friend has a decent W/G/U ally deck that's type 2, although it's more of a mill/control and not so much aggro. The shapeshifter really is a nice ally though if you can get some (if you plan on making this deck anyway)

[SkullBuster]

Built a mono-Green. It's still in the works so it's giving some bad hands.

LMK what you think?

4x Llanowar Elves
4x Leatherback Baloth
3x Elvish Visionaries
2x Arbor Elf (Should be Garruk)
2x Kalonian Behemoth (Should be Rampaging Baloths)

4x Harrow
4x Bestial Menace
4x Overrun
4x Vines of Vastwood
4x Howl of the Night Pack
3x Rampant Growth

18x Forest
4x Khalni Garden

Mythic Rares and fetchers are expensive. o-o

[yosebyo]

Hey, I also just started playing magic again.. Been playing YGO for the past few years and I think it is time to rotate.. Built almost the same deck but with Nissa/Eldrazi combo.. Maybe try Harmonize and Oran-Rief, the Vastwood?

[SkullBuster]

Seems Harmonize isn't Type II? Or am I wrong?

[yosebyo]

Yes, you're right it isn't type II.. Seems like I'm playing casually then.. xD

[SkullBuster]

Learned all these technical **** mostly through the sites.
Being an rather old person getting into the game these days, people already expect you to know much before they even pay any attention to you. >_>
Plus I'm a YGO player, y'know...

[fallenonme]

Fetches are expensive, but you wouldn't need them that much. The only reason you'd have them from what I can see is for your rampaging baloths (when you'd get them) or for thinning your deck. However, with howl of the nightpack I feel you'd want to try to get as many forests as possible anyway which the fetches would only give you less of.

You could always try Omnath, you do have plenty of mana ramp, and all green, so I feel it wouldn't be that hard to get him up fairly quickly.

[SkullBuster]

Regarding Omnath, I really don't understand him well.

Say I played him this turn, does he get pumped by the mana I payed for his Summon?
Second, if I tap more Forests this turn, he gains that much?
And last, if say I pumped him up to 5/5 my turn, it carries over to my opponent's turn?

I guess not on the last part. It doesn't say turns. XD

[fallenonme]

He wouldn't bet pumped for the mana you payed for his summon no.

He would however get pumped by the mana you created AFTER the summoning of him.

And he would stay pumped on your opponents turn as the mana doesn't empty from the mana pool, (well green mana, but that's all you would create.) So he would stay pumped until you used that mana to play a spell. So with that mana (lets say there's 5) you could play overrun without actually tapping anything. Or you could just let it sit there and have Omnath stay pumped.

[SkullBuster]

Oh I get it, I think.
So if say I played Harrow, I can play another Harrow for the floating 3 that's on Omnath? Essentially making one Forest produce two mana?

[fallenonme]

Not necessarily. When you tap a land, you produce one mana that that land can produce. So in this case, when you tap a forest, you produce one green mana. Without omnath on the field, this mana if not used would go away at the end of the phase, however, with him on the field it would stay in.

So if you tap three forests with omnath out, you would still only have 3 green mana in your pool, however if you played a harrow, you would gain two land cards, but then you would not have any mana in the pool since you played harrow, so there would be 0 mana in the pool, and omnath would be a 1/1. However, you can tap the two forests that came out in order to put 2 green mana in your pool, so not only would Omnath now be a 3/3, but the next time you play harrow, you only need to tap one forest in order to play it instead of three, even if it was on your opponents turn.

I hope this makes sens, and I'm sorry if I'm being confusing. :p

[SkullBuster]

Ahhh... Okay. So if I have like 10 Forests, I could just tap all of them out, then play Howl, and Omnath will be 4/4 until it's my turn again unless I use the remaining 3 mana for anything else?

Oh, and you mentioned something about fetching Rampaging Baloths? What card does that?

[fallenonme]

If you tapped ten lands and then played Howl, he would be a 4/4 until you use the remaining 3 mana for anything else. You keep the mana in your pool until either you use it, or Omnath dies, so the mana would stay in your pool, even after your turn ends, then your opponents turn ends, and then it's your turn again, unless you used it of course.


And by fetches I just meant a fetchland. :p Like verdant catacombs. If you play that while Rampaging baloths is on the field, then you could use the landfall effect to put a 4/4 on the field, then sac it to put another land thus putting another 4/4 out. So you'd use the fetches to have two activations of the landfall effect per turn. That's all I meant by that. :p

[SkullBuster]

Oh, OK. I thought something out there could let me search for Baloths. o_o

Regarding triggering abilities, I've seen Join the Ranks make Hada Freeblade gain two counters. Does that mean if I would get two 4/4 Beasts if I played Harrow while I have Rampaging Baloths by that logic?
It counts "how many" even though one effect just put them there?
Is this type of mechanic consistent all throughout MTG?

If so, I'd understand why some players would mix YGO and MTG logic up. XD

[fallenonme]

Yep, you would get 2 beasts when you played harrow. And it is, well, landfall is a new mechanic for this set, as are allies, but yah. :)

And Summoning trap (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=197527) can help you *search* for it, but yah, it only lets you look at the top 7 cards instead of your entire library.