Planning Ahead

This years first snow is now falling on Wizardden.com's roof. It's time to be thinking about the next couple months. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and that next weekend is the shopping nightmare known as Black Friday. This is the time when those who plan well ahead make their decisions on what to get their friends and family for the holidays and pick up cheap trinkets for anyone else. Sure we will have our own sales here but I am actually going to talk about something that doesn't cost a dime. This year, give the gift of Magic.

Pull out that drawer, go to the back of the closet, or slide out that box you hid away some time ago and reacquaint yourself with just how many magic cards you have. Times have changed since you started playing, where every card was once an adventure of it's own you now amass commons and uncommons like a squirrel packing away nuts for the winter. Perhaps it is time to share that adventure with others. Take all those old silly cards and make decks out of them. Give them to your friends, family, and their kids. Teach a new generation of to enjoy what you have come value so.

 I bring this up for a few reasons. Like I said times have changed some of those old cards are now pretty valuable. Who knows how many Sensei's Divining Top, Remand, Inquisition of Kozilek, and Gitaxian Probe you have hiding in there. It's also worth noting that with a little quality time and some patience you can save a great deal of money this season without avoiding all contact with people till the snow blows over. Most of all though, this could be the start of long lasting friendships forged on our favorite spell slinging past time.

When building these, do be careful how you build them. Remember that every first time player is going to enjoy the big simple things the most. The rush of casting a 7/7 trampler with no worry of a counter spell is paramount in making it both memorable and enjoyable. Avoid tricky interactions that muddle up the stack. As a general rule steer clear of instants till they grasp the basic rules. It also helps if you try to limit the number of unique keywords each deck has.

Try your best to match players to the best colors for them. Your micromanaging busy friends will likely enjoy white weenies, remember to give them some good answers like Oblivion Ring so their smaller creatures don't feel outclassed. Those thinkers and manipulators in your life will of course find some joy in blue with bouncing, tapping, and controlling creatures while attacking with evasive creatures and blocking with things like Wall of Frost. Know someone drawn to the darker things in life? Toss them some demons and Sign in Blood and watch their darker side come out as their tear off their own arm and beat you with it. Hotheaded, impulsive friend with a twitchy trigger finger? Give them the reins to a hasty dragon and a Lava Axe to Fling and watch them revel in a fast paced game. Lastly for those who enjoy the biggest plays, the story tellers, braggers. Give them some Rampant Growths and the largest green beats you can find. These are of course just suggestions to keep it simple but fun.

Regardless of what you chose to build or give away just remember the most important part, keep it fun. Magic is a game of ever growing depth and complexity, keep it fun every step of the way or it becomes to difficult to continue on and enjoy the best it has to offer. This has been Ariel once again with Wizardden.com bringing you an early gift idea before you spend far too much on one time gifts valued more by the tag than the time spent receiving them.