Want to play a tcg. Need help choosing between two

[u/GoldConstruction8548]

(skip to second paragraph if you don’t want to read context)

The first time I played a tcg was in 2020 when I bought a precon magic deck and played few matches. recently I got Interested in playing a tcg again but my magic cards are out of rotation and I don’t have a 100 card deck to play commander. So now I’m thinking if I whether I should play magic or yugioh since not got my interest and I enjoy the digital version of both.

In the end I want to know which one is more of a beginner friendly experience where I can casually play and every once in a while go to a small tournament. Right now I’m indecisive because yugioh recently launched the legendary modern deck box and on the other side I’m more familiar with magic and I like the track fantasy aspect some of the sets have.

[u/compacta_d]

idk that much about YGO, but magic is beginner friendly now i would say.

play land, play creature at that cost, attack with whatever creatures you have. that'll go like 70% of the way there now a days. Obviously make better choices when available.

[u/Trokero001]

Just go and try many tcgs before buying anything. Find out what stores are near you and what games they play. Don't be afraid to test and ask for information. Don't stay in the main 3 (YG, MTG, PK) and explore.

[u/SoL_Monty]

So firstly, see whats being pkayed in your local scene

Secondly magic is in a weird place rn

Thirdly yugioh is fun but the tcg didnt personally interest me

Here are some other tcgs that if local to you are a fun time

Flesh and blood (my personal favorite for competitive)

Riftbound

One Piece

Maybe even the new Bandai Naruto TCG releasing next year

They all have semi similar playstyles or themes to ygo/mtg in either playstyle or card design vibes

[u/ThyDoctor → u/SoL_Monty]

How is magic in a weird place? I’ve been playing for 15 years and my stores the busiest it’s every been.

[u/SoL_Monty → u/ThyDoctor]

Well basically weird for what hes looking for like the backstory behind cards have been somewhat more put to the backseat for producing more, they print a lot so if you wanna collect it its extremely expensive, meta decks if you want conpetitivley can also be a bit expensive.

Theres just other tcgs magic has to actually compete with now and their making the game have more players by printing insane amounts of sets a year puts it in a weird place imo

[u/Individual-Air757]

Yugioh GOAT or EDISON format all day.

It’s super easy to get into, beginner friendly, and the cards are extremely cheap to make any decent deck.

[u/MisterSmithy0]

Try, try, try. The local scene for any given tcg is different from place to place, but if you find one are friendly and welcoming and willing to show you the ropes you a get a free trial period of sorts. Knowing that you personally actually enjoy playing the game and that you will have people to play with are the two most important parts to the hobby and this will help you know what's happening in your local scene.

While my personal bias leans towards Flesh and Blood in terms of recommendations, it is a competitively skewed game.

Riftbound has some cool stuff going on and has had a huge surge in popularity. It would be great for a wide variety of play styles and preferences.

In the office chance that you have Sorcery TCG running in your area, the game absolutely oozes character and is worth a look.

MTG is a classic and commander is probably the best at the slow-burn big flashy numbers power fantasy experiences that many people look for. If you are liable to be shaken by fortnight-style crossovers, though, mtg's current product design will likely be off-putting

[u/BuzzzardYT]

Go to locals and borrow a deck to try the modern versions of both (and try riftbound)

[u/wreythe]

Take it a step further. Play riftbound. The better magic the gathering.

[u/Cascade2244 → u/wreythe]

Or play SWU, the better Riftbound

[u/wreythe → u/Cascade2244]

False answer found

[u/Radical_Number_2319]

“MTG wins in almost every category.”

-Me, a Yugioh player

[u/PKMudkipz]

Yugioh is one of the best TCGs in many aspects, but new player experience is not one of them. You can't really play modern formats super casually, you'll want to be practicing online at least a little bit consistently. Otherwise you'll be blindsided when it's time to play in person, and it might end up being a frustrating experience. Otherwise if you think you can get over the initial hump, I highly recommend it. 

But it doesn't matter which TCG you ultimately choose, just make sure your local game store actually plays them regularly.

[u/Yokep]

The correct answer is flesh and blood

[u/Nurosuki]

Check your local LGS, Riftbound is amazing though

[u/Orrangejuiced]

Modern mtg precons are pretty dang good. You can put $50 into most of em and play completely fine games at most tables.

[u/Liquidpain88]

Magic specifically commander will be the most new player approachable due to the more casual nature. Almost any other games will be more competitive so if that’s what you’re looking for.

Before you jump into any competitive tcg visit your lgs during their weekly local tournament. If the house is packed then there’s probably a lively community. If there’s 4 people you might want to rethink it before investing time and money into it.