For those curious about TCGs but unsure if they're ready to drop hundreds of dollars on collectible cards, digital TCGs such as Magic: The Gathering Arenacan be the perfect way to test the waters and learn the rules before making that plunge.
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PostsHowever, like the tabletop version,Arena itself can have a steep learning curve if not approached carefully. Taking the time to understand the functionality of the Arena platform will not only help you master the rules of Magic: The Gathering, but can be an excellent way of developing a deeper understanding of the game's diverse and shifting meta.
Learn The Ropes With The Starter Decks
Upon creating your account and completing the tutorial, the game gives you several starter decks featuring all the color types within Magic: The Gathering, as well as a couple of dual-mana decks. Each color has its own playstyle, strengths, and weaknesses.
These decks are all legal in MTG's Standard format and are designed to be intuitive for new players. While these decks aren't going to be competitive against seasoned players, they're effective enough to show what makes for good synergy and basic combos.
In addition to being a great learning tool, all the cards within these decks are yours to build with. Study the keywords of each card's textbox carefully, paying attention to how they relate and trigger effects off of one another.
As you collect new cards, you can improve upon the starter decks by adding in new and better spells that make for more effective combos. When you finally have a large enough collection to build decks from scratch, the cards from your starter decks can be excellent supplemental options.
Check Your Inbox Regularly For Free Packs
Before buying packs in-game, remember that the game frequently rewards players with free packs for winning matches as well as for special events. Free pack rewards for special events will be found in your inbox at the top right of the main menu screen.
Arena often rewards you with free packs whenever a new set is released as a way of introducing them to new or returning mechanics.
Opening packs is the fastest and cheapest way for new players to expand their collection and obtain wildcards, which can be used to obtain those hard-to-find rares or mythic rares you need to finalize your deck builds.
Find Cards Using Advanced Search
Magic: The Gathering has printed over 20,000 unique cards since its release in 1993. While not every card is available on Arena, the total number of cards on the digital platform is still daunting. Browsing through every printed card to find the best combos for your deck can often be a time-consuming process.
One feature of Arena that makes this process much easier is the Advanced Search function.You can set specific parameters by typing in specific codes and phrases to narrow your search to specific types, colors, costs, rarities, and effects.
If you were designing a deck with cards that create a high number of creature tokens, such as Scute Swarm,the best way to find cards that combo well would be to type "when a creature enters the battlefield" into the search bar. This will bring you cards that trigger effects, such as damage or lifegain, any time a creature enters the battlefield.
Spend Your Wildcards Wisely
The most critical resource on Arena is your wildcard collection. While gold can be spent on packs and gems can buy entry into drafts and other events, wildcards are the only way to buy individual cards when deck building on Arena.
When on the advanced filters screen, by checking the "Not Collected" filter option, all cards in the selected format that you don't own will appear in your search.
To use a wildcard, clicking the "Craft" button or right-clicking the selected card will allow you to use a wildcard of that card's rarity to add it to your collection. Because the ability to buy individual cards is so helpful, you should only ever spend these when building a specific deck.
Pay Attention To Set Rotations When Deckbuilding
While most casual players of Magic: The Gathering don't necessarily observe what is currently legal in Standard or Commander formats during friendly matches, the Magic: The Gathering Arena platform does. To play a deck in Standard or Alchemy, all the cards within it must be part of the current rotation.
Click the format you plan to use the deck with when setting search filters, and only cards within that format will appear. The tricky thing is that formats regularly remove cards from Standard every few years, typically in the Fall.
If you prefer to play in formats such as Standard or Alchemy, it is not recommended to spend wildcards on spells that will soon be taken out of rotation.
Take note of which sets are next in line to be removed from Standard or Alchemy and use cards from them sparingly. Using a mythic rare wildcard for a Commander in Standard Brawl, only for it to be removed a month later, is not only infuriating but costly.
Prioritize Synergy Over Rarity
One mistake many beginners make is assuming that just because a card is rare or mythic, it belongs in their deck. While rarity often indicates the broad utility of a card, it also comes with a higher mana cost and doesn't necessarily combo well with the rest of your deck.
Instead, always prioritize lower-cost cards that trigger desired effects off of the rest of your deck, as this is what will ultimately gain you control of the board.
Use Arena's Mana Average Calculator
Another incredibly useful feature in Arena is that when you select "Deck Details," it will show you statistics about the composition of your deck. This includes the types of cards, the format it's designed for, as well as what the average mana cost of your deck is.
Typically, you want to keep the average mana cost as low as possible, otherwise, your cards will be too expensive to play on your turn.
Certain decks, such as landfall decks or mana ramp decks, benefit from having a higher mana average since they will be able to afford beefier spells fairly early in the game. Because of this, decks like these require a higher land count than decks with a lower mana average.
While there is no one rule for determining land count, it's crucial to know where your average mana cost is and take it into account when deciding this.
Employ Stops To Bluff Your Opponent
In a game at a table, there is an ever-present tension of seeing how much untapped mana your opponent has and wondering when they may cast a well-timed counter-spell or lightning bolt to foil your plans. In Arena, the game is designed to move as quickly as possible and skip through the game's various turn phases if there is nothing you can do.
While this streamlines the experience, it telegraphs to your opponent that you have nothing up your sleeve, and they're free to cast their big game-winning card.
During a game, at the bottom of the screen, you can select to add a "stop" during various turn phases to create the illusion that you have a card to play in response.The game will prompt you as though you were able to cast a spell or activate an ability, even if you are not, concealing your situation from your opponent.
It's worth mentioning that while this strategy is effective, it can also be irritating to play against and is only recommended for more competitive formats.
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