I've played paper Magic for as long as I've been gaming with friends (the advent of video gaming kept me away from others until I got a little further along in school). That shared social experience of flipping cardboard, shuffling decks, and generally being a group-oriented outlet of shenanigans.

Since it's not a secret anymore it's safe to lay it out: Magic Online is not my usual Stomping Ground. While the appeal off playing anytime and nearly anywhere against any of thousands of potential opponents is obviously appealing, it's the crucial missing element of smiling faces and off-table antics that has deterred me from the digital realm.

But choosing to cut myself off of a part of Magic that only grows year over year for the prideful reason of "Eh… it's not my thing." is foolish. Giving it a go, and seeing what a casual junkie like me can get out of it is an experience that's immensely valuable for a variety of reasons:

• Experiencing online play directly versus second hand accounts and arm-waving speculation
• Finding the gems and uniquely online ways to enjoy Magic
• Exploring a whole new dimension of Magic
• Diving into the nearly endless supply of Commander players (especially given the recent announcement)

If you've ever considered jumping into the world of Magic Online I hope you'll bear with me: I'm about to take you through my first, awkward digital steps.

One Low, Easy Payment (Rinse, Repeat)

The biggest hurdle I have to online play is that while I have easy access to nearly any printed card in Magic (and reasonable access through some friends for more unreasonable cards should the need arise), I don't have the same developed personal collection and network of friends.

I'm starting with a blank check for a new account (actual monetary total: $9.99).

And if you're wondering if I'm going to cheat and use my "status" (a chuckle-inducing idea in of itself) to recruit free cards from blasting the Internet I'm specifically avoiding that as it would entirely defeat the purpose of trying this out as a true new face to the online game.

Without much fanfare the process of signing up is easy:

• Download and install the client first (as this takes some time).
• Create a new account (I did this through the client interface)
• Authenticate the account through the emailed token

While there is list of what the starting kit contains:

• 1 Magic 2011 Booster Pack
• 2 Magic Online Event Tickets
• 5 Avatars
• 1 Planeswalker Deck Pack
• Over 300 Magic Online cards

It isn't exactly explain what everything is what it's all for. Like your average male with self-assumed intelligence I decided to simply jump and see for myself. The first thing to do it hit the "collection" tab and you'll get a window that looks like this:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="First Kit Screen on MTGO"][/caption]

Intuitively I double left-clicked to open the kit. Instead, my first lesson was the I have to right-click, then select "Open One of These" to pop the top.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="309" caption="Opening the kit"][/caption]

It's not like taking the shrink wrap off of something but the confirmation dialogue box asking "Are you sure you want to open this pack?" is reassuringly normal, echoing my normal thought as I tear into any sealed product.

The answer is obviously "Yes" here.

With a slight pause for dramatic effect (or system recalling) I was treated to a screen that broke down everything I just cracked:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="639" caption="New Cards"][/caption]

I took the liberty to change the card size to maximum (displaying five across). Fortunately, hovering over a card also displays it larger in a pop out area on the right hand side as well as display a little box describing everything about the card. This let me look closer at anything.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Pop up screen"][/caption]

The five avatars are Vanguard avatars, which are for a fun format that modifies the game for each player: a solid "+1" for fun so far.

The booster pack is obvious as it's the same as the paper form. No further explanation needed.

The Planeswalker Deck Pack is for a restricted card format using what I imagine are themed decks for specific colors. Since these cards are "sticky" and can't go anywhere and only the Planeswalker cards may be used it seems like this might be the place to start.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="503" caption="New Player"][/caption]

Event Tickets are multipurpose objects used buy into events (something for another day) as well as serve as the de facto currency, usable to purchase cards from online dealers and other players (also something for another day).

And, finally, cards. What was meant by "over 300" cards was a little vague. This can be broken down into the following:

[cardlist]

30 Plains

30 Island

30 Swamp

30 Mountain

30 Forest

3 Terramorphic Expanse

1 Angel's Feather

1 Dragon's Claw

1 Demon's Horn

1 Kraken's Eye

1 Wurm's Tooth

1 Assassinate

2 Barony Vampire

1 Blood Tithe

2 Bloodthrone Vampire

2 Bog Raiders

2 Child of Night

1 Corrupt

1 Diabolic Tutor

1 Disentomb

2 Doom Blade

1 Duress

2 Gravedigger

2 Liliana's Specter

1 Mind Rot

2 Nether Horror

2 Nightwing Shade

1 Quag Sickness

1 Rise from the Grave

2 Rotting Legion

1 Sign in Blood

1 Stabbing Pain

1 Unholy Strength

1 Viscera Seer

2 Aether Adept

1 Armored Cancrix

2 Augury Owl

2 Azure Drake

1 Call to Mind

1 Cancel

2 Cloud Elemental

1 Diminish

2 Foresee

2 Harbor Serpent

1 Ice Cage

1 Jace's Erasure

1 Mana Leak

2 Maritime Guard

2 Merfolk Spy

1 Mind Control

1 Negate

2 Phantom Beast

1 Preordain

2 Scroll Thief

1 Sleep

1 Tome Scour

1 Unsummon

1 Awakener Druid

2 Brindle Boar

1 Cultivate

1 Dryad's Favor

1 Duskdale Wurm

1 Fog

2 Garruk's Companion

2 Giant Growth

2 Giant Spider

1 Greater Basilisk

1 Hornet Sting

1 Hunter's Feast

2 Llanowar Elves

1 Naturalize

1 Plummet

1 Primal Cocoon

1 Prized Unicorn

2 Runeclaw Bear

2 Sacred Wolf

1 Spined Wurm

2 Sylvan Ranger

2 Wall of Vines

2 Yavimaya Wurm

1 Act of Treason

2 Arc Runner

2 Berserkers of Blood Ridge

2 Canyon Minotaur

1 Chandra's Outrage

1 Demolish

1 Earth Servant

2 Fiery Hellhound

1 Fireball

2 Goblin Balloon Brigade

2 Goblin Piker

2 Goblin Tunneler

1 Incite

1 Lava Axe

2 Lightning Bolt

1 Manic Vandal

1 Pyretic Ritual

1 Shiv's Embrace

2 Thunder Strike

1 Volcanic Strength

2 Vulshok Berserker

2 Ajani's Mantra

1 Ajani's Pridemate

1 Armored Ascension

2 Assault Griffin

2 Blinding Mage

2 Cloud Crusader

1 Excommunicate

1 Goldenglow Moth

1 Holy Strength

1 Infantry Veteran

1 Inspired Charge

1 Mighty Leap

1 Pacifism

2 Palace Guard

1 Safe Passage

1 Serra Angel

1 Siege Mastodon

2 Silvercoat Lion

1 Solemn Offering

2 Squadron Hawk

2 Stormfront Pegasus

2 Tireless Missionaries

2 Wild Griffin

[/cardlist]

While I was hoping for something more along the lines of the Deck Builder's Toolkit I'm more than happy to sink into a Magic 2011 Sealed pool without any rares. It actually mirrors my start so long ago as a fresh player in paper. With just over 30 cards per color any deck pushing 60 cards into a library would have to be two colors, a nice touch for getting someone to try more than just one.

After confirming the cards I went on to open my Planeswalker Deck Pack to see what was cooking there and I was pleasantly surprised to see piles of cards that weren't commons and uncommons: everything from more basic lands up through Broodmate Dragon and Incinerate.

Pretty cool stuff considering that having powerful cards and being able to jump into play immediately is a pretty awesome thing. While I could bore you (and torture Trick) by listing out every Planeswalker format deck list granted, I'll instead pick my favorite from the bunch: Scales of Fury

"Scales of Fury"

• (60)
• 3 Blightning
• 4 Civic Wayfinder
• 4 Dragon Fodder
• 4 Furnace Whelp
• 2 Gravedigger
• 2 Incinerate
• 2 Naturalize
• 4 Plague Beetle
• 4 Rampant Growth
• 3 Sprouting Thrinax
• 3 Terror
• 1 Violent Ultimatum
• 13 Forest
• 6 Mountain
• 5 Swamp

Buy This Deck Export text format

One of the greatest features I love about Magic Online is that preconstructed deck lists, like those for the Planeswalker format, are already saved thanks to installing the client. By hitting the Deck Editor tab, then the Load button near the top I can select the Planeswalker folder, then any Planeswalker deck I want to see.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="455" caption="Deck Selection"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="455" caption="Deck Selection (cont.)"][/caption]

Since the New Players room is where the games of the Planeswalker format are most likely to be found that's where I headed:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="503" caption="New Players room"][/caption]

And created a New Game, which defaulted to a game of the Planeswalker type and, also conveniently, grabbed the Planeswalker deck I was looking at before (as seen above).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="New Game Settings"][/caption]

Getting Busy

Playing Magic Online reminded me of when I play with one of my local players who is deaf. Each card is moved sequentially, arrows replace the fingers that point to targets, and mana is tapped neatly to avoid having to count what we're playing for what.

It's actually a very nice system that's entirely intuitive for anyone who has played some Magic before.

The first game was with a player who, at first, seemed to be playing the same deck by dropping back-to-back Sprouting Thrinax. I managed to pair my own up and incinerate the other, but it quickly because clear this was not a mirror match. Nath of the Gilt Leaf, Rampaging Baloths, and Platinum Angel joined the party on the other side.

There may have been two Blightnings aimed at me in the mix there as well.

I threw my Furnace Whelp into the red zone and, luckily, Platinum Angel took the fall. However it didn't take long for the Baloths to start making tokens. Grinding me down seemed to the plan all along as the big, trampling token maker just sat back and let the miserable work of killing me be performed by Fervor-enhanced land drops and a Troll Ascetic.

Nice deck when I don't have any solid answers other than a miser's copy of Violent Ultimatum buried somewhere deep in my deck.

I kept plugging away until Broodmate Dragon, the one I didn't see in any preconstructed deck lists, showed up. I knew it was time at that point. I mercifully didn't chump block the Ascetic when it was sent in with the Dragons.

Quickly, I fired off another game. This time it was a monored agro deck that brought Goblins of all sorts. Dragon Fodders, Goblin Sky Raider, Bloodmark Mentor all joined in the fun. While I managed to dish triple Blightning (that is I played every copy in my deck) I fell to an endless stream of Goblins. Fervor really messes with how fast you go down.

The next game was against a monogreen deck. Blanchwood Armor on a Trained Armodon when I'm not on black mana for my multiple Terrors is awkward. Next turn: Incinerate I could have responded with.

The Magic gods were not playing nice with me today.

Rampant Growth to find a Swamp the long way helped, but the Giant Growth after I go to Incinerate an unblocked Grizzly Bear was a little disheartening. One Swamp for double Terror and a freshly drawn Sprouting Thrinax is perhaps the most annoying hand I can think of against a green beatdown deck while sitting at 3 life.

I had to drop the Thrinax to stay afloat and pray the the fifth forest and Overrun wouldn't appear on the other side. Giant Spider was the ticket and I was able to trade up a bunch of dudes, leaving me with the Terror to nuke the Armodon and an unpopped Thrinax but dropped me to just 1 life.

More mana than I could care about was floating around the battlefield by this point, but not a lick of it would do me any good when I have just one Swamp for my ultimate spell: Violent Ultimatum. At 1 life I could only hope that Hornet Sting wasn't in the opposing 60.

Instead, it was the Overrun I knew that had to be in there that got me.

Game Results

While getting beaten down quite a few games (I played more games and lost all of them… yeah.) isn't necessarily the most fun I can think of, it was actually quite refreshing to play with a fairly restricted card pool and a preconstructed deck that was just as greedy with mana as I am with decks I brew myself.

The obvious result is that I have some decisions to make with how I should move forward, and that's where you come in. I'm not interested in jumping to grinding drafts or queues online, and it should already be clear that competitive decks aren't my cup of tea. What I can do is offer you the chance to tell me what you'd like to see next:

1. Modify and build a unique Planeswalker deck to take back into the New Players room in order to enact vengeance upon the masses.
2. Scope out the free card offerings online to snag some cards (likely all commons) and start building something I can play that isn't Planeswalker specific.

While Commander is definitely something I want to jump into at some point, where I can go without investing more money (at the moment) is my quest. Magic is something I love dearly and understanding the variety of ways to play online – even if it's just the cheap ways for now – is what I'm after.

Tell me which you want and we'll roll from there!