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Better Online?

Exploring if Magic: The Gathering’s Major Formats are Better Online

***Short story time: I want to take a minute and apologize about this articles delay, I actually had about half of this done in late July. However my wife and I were driving home from a camping trip and we hit a deer that was on the road. It totaled our car, and thankfully neither of us suffered serious injury. However it was both physically, mentally and emotionally challenging. Yet, throughout this process I was able to spend more time engaging with the subject matter of this article (MTGO) as I was recovering physically and on hold with insurance companies. One thing I noticed was that Magic has helped me through some pretty dark times in my life, and that’s something I am very excited to write about within the next couple weeks. I know that I’m not alone in this community and I want to be as transparent in these articles as I can. So without further adieu, please enjoy, hate, or feel indifferent about the opinions I have and feel free to leave a comment!

Hello friends,

Once again I’m back and hoping to help you guys help yourselves and each other! I’m often asked this question by newer and occasionally more experienced players: is Magic: The Gathering Online (MTGO) worth it? My answer for them will be the same for you, what are you trying to accomplish by playing online? Sometimes Magic players often fall into the trap of constantly wanting what we don’t have, be it a completely foiled out EDH deck or eventually breaking out into paper Legacy. While the drive to want something we don’t have can be a great motivation leading to great satisfaction, it is not a good reason to spend $10 and jump into MTGO. The remainder of this article will seek to address “if it’s worth it?” broken up by sanctioned formats (Standard, Modern, Legacy, and Vintage) including Limited (Draft/Sealed). However before jumping into the formats I’ll preface with a couple obvious factors to consider, then feel free to skip parts of this article; reading only what’s relevant for you.

Time: No matter how efficient your shop is, FNMs or other weekly events take a long time and usually start around 6:30, thus rendering it quite difficult to leave work and head over quickly while still eating healthy. I played at a shop for a couple years where the closest place to buy food was a gas station, consequently my only sustenance in between rounds was a gas station hot dog and cup of coffee. When I draft at home my fridge is upstairs, I can work, do homework, push-ups (yeah right), or cook in between rounds. Thus my time can be used more efficiently while still getting my fix of MTG. This is something to consider a little more when your married or have kids. Like anything MTG is a commitment and if making it to your shop becomes a chore rather then something that brings joy, perhaps finding a way to effectively maximize your time by entering a Sealed or Constructed league is what will make spell-slinging online worth it for you!

Money: This is perhaps one of the greatest challenges of MTG, it is not a cheap game. Many people wonder if after building a deck in paper, is it worth it to start investing in digital cards. Many of my peers regard the purchase of digital cards a cardinal sin. I will concede that there have been moments of my own digital deck building where I’ve shook my head trading an exorbitant amount of tickets for a few Eternal or Vintage Masters Drafts or pieces of a deck. However, after many years I’ve learned where I draw my line when MTGO stops being worth it. This is essential for you to do as well, otherwise you could end up with two mediocre collections and a ton of discouragement rather then effectively utilizing your finances and becoming a better player. Know what your want out of MTGO before you go in.

***If you want to run MTGO on a Mac it will not be cheap, MTGO is exclusively Windows, getting the programs legally will be expensive. I run MTGO on my Mac through Parallels ($80.00 USD) on Windows ($150.00-250.00)***

Computer Access: MTGO is online, if your access to internet is limited or your computer has a hard time playing games, please stick with paper. It sounds obvious but I’ve read a number of threads that forget to mention this simple fact. The last thing you want is to miss a crucial pick, have your clock run out, or a misplay because of a slow computer or internet connection.

People: One of my number one reasons for getting into MTG was the community. I loved being surrounded by a group of amazing people who are passionate about the same things as me. MTGO reduces the “Gathering” aspect to the rudiments of the game. This is a pro & con for a couple reasons. There is little interaction between you and other people allowing you to focus exclusively on the game, rules, and improving your skill. However if you are like me and you like making friends and getting to know people, playing exclusively online detracts from the overall enjoyment of the MTG community.

Now that I’ve stated the obvious (like MTG takes time and money). I’ll spend some time expanding on the different formats, there will be little discussion of meta or deck choice, rather observations that you can consider when deciding if MTGO is worth it for you.

LIMITED: Thankfully I live in a city with a thriving MTG community, a menu of shops offering various Limited events different days of the week. Furthermore should I have that deep desire to crack some packs and venture through the most recent plane of the Multiverse at 3:00am, my home office computer has MTGO when I need it! The fact that I have access to both Local Game Store (LGS) events and MTGO allows me to see both sides of the fence.

• Skill Level: The caliber of Limited players online is much higher then 99 percent of shops you will find. While this can be a turn off for many players, those wishing to improve their game by investing the time and money into MTGO will see a rapid payoff the next time they are playing at their LGS.

• Collection: No cards? NO PROBLEM! The fact that you do not need a collection makes MTGO incredibly attractive when considering if going online is worth it.

• Leagues: A more recent addition to the MTGO menu of ways to play, this allows working men, husbands, dads, and students to participate in Sealed leagues of the most recent set without devoting 2-3 straight hours of their day into screen time.

Essentially the Limited format in MTGO can be a source of great enjoyment, to practice and learn your game with little to no financial investment. I highly recommend trying Limited in MTGO.

CONSTRUCTED: Before expanding on each individual format, as is the case with Limited there are a number of pros and cons associated with Constructed formats on MTGO. Wizards has managed to mitigate some of the cons of Constructed with Pro Tour Gauntlets however due to the random assignment of decks to players, at this time the experience has a more Limited ethos. Again MTGO can be a great environment however knowing as much as you can about it will certainly help your discernment process.

• Investment: This varies on specific format as with paper magic, Standard decks can range from $100-300 online however the cards are digital. I’ve found that getting my money back out of MTGO is generally a terrible process, trading with bots can be an unforgettable experience in the worst way. After downsizing a collection to a Modern, Legacy and Vintage deck, selling out is nearly impossible as some stores find the collection too small despite the large financial investment in those 225 cards. This is why I strongly advise knowing what you want out of MTGO before going in.

• Diversity: Some of the most incredibly laughably bad and enjoyable decks I’ve ever played against are seen in the practice rooms of MTGO. If you are eager to play a terribly bad infinite turn mill deck and you’re too embarrassed to take it to an FNM, MTGO is a wonderful environment for you. The added benefit of a diverse community is that you will be able to play against decks that might not exist in your local communities. The last thing you want is to sit down round one of a PPTQ or GPT and play against a deck you have no experience against.

THE FORMATS

Standard: While I may not be up to date on the most recent iterations of tier one decks in the Standard format, the basic principals remain the same. Standard is a rapidly rotating format with varying meta games shop to shop, and online as well. Generally MTGO is ahead of the meta in most formats and in this circumstance the case is no different with Standard. What this means for those wishing to invest in the online meta is risking their deck becoming obsolete faster. This is not always the case, however it is a risk to consider if you are not already familiar with bot trading.

Modern: If I were to invest my time and money into a MTGO collection (I have) it would be in Modern. The community is much larger then that of other Eternal formats and the skill level is exceptionally high. This coupled with the fact that it is an Eternal format adds the security of your collection not losing value. The format is supported with frequent tournaments and online queues have a relatively short wait time. Modern is also supported by leagues.

Legacy: Like Modern, those who play Legacy are incredibly talented players with a deep understanding of sequencing and the stack. There is a “diverse” meta online, with some experimental Legacy decks. The price of entry is also exceptionally attractive with some decks online being a third of their price in paper. With very low risk of bans the risk of cards becoming obsolete is very low.

Vintage: Undoubtably the most skill intensive and creative format on MTGO, I strongly encourage anyone who has not played Vintage and loves Eternal formats to consider adding Vintage to their accessible formats. Additionally unless you’re very wealthy, this is the only way you can play sanctioned Vintage Magic: The Gathering as Vintage decks on paper can be over $10,000 and are around $1000 online.

In close, I hope you were able to enjoy this and find yourself better equipped to make the choice of venturing into an online multiverse. Know what you want out before you go in. Feel free to ask questions or offer your opinions below!

Thanks Planeswalkers,
Riley Harper

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