You are currently viewing MTG Arena Tips For Newbies And Veterans

MTG Arena Tips For Newbies And Veterans

Magic the Gathering first came onto the card gaming scene in 1993 and continues its dominance today through its second digital format, MTG Arena. Unlike MTG Online, the mechanics and everyday gameplay are designed for newbies and veterans alike. MTG Arena is currently in Open Beta and will officially launch in 2019, but is available now (and it’s completely free).

Whether one’s never played Magic the Gathering before or is used to playing IRL, MTG Arena is a free-to-play PC only game designed to help beginners become seasoned veterans — and most importantly, have fun while doing so.

5 MTG Arena Tips For Beginners

MTG Arena Core Draft 2019 Gameplay
Image via Wizards of the Coast and MTG Arena

Once downloading MTG Arena, newbies will complete a tutorial on the mechanics of gameplay, followed by being awarded several mono-colored decks. Complete the daily tasks and quests to win in-game gold currency and continue to receive pre-constructed decks. Completing daily’s is instrumental towards building a strong library of cards and in-game gold.

Open 3 Free Ravnica Booster Packs

Now that you’re all set up, claim three free Ravnica booster packs by going to the Store tab and entering the code “PlayRavnica.”

Save Wildcards And Gold

MTG Arena Deckbuilding And Wildcards
Image via Wizards of the Coast and MTG Arena

Opening booster packs from one of the 5 Magic the Gathering sets offered in MTG Arena provides a wide range of common, uncommon, rare, and ultra-rare cards to a player’s library. It also provides wildcards, which allows a player to unlock a card not in their library.

Save these wildcards initially and continue to unlock packs through daily’s while using the in-game gold to purchase booster packs from specific sets. Visit the site Mythic Spoiler to discover what cards are in the sets offered in MTG Arena. This will help players choose which booster packs are ideal for them.

Using Wildcards And Importing Decks

Once the beginning player has collected all the pre-made decks from quests, visit MTG Arena Pro or Aether Hub to learn what decks other players are using. Once finding a deck which fits your style of play, click on “Export.” This will copy the cards in that person’s deck. Open MTG Arena and go to the Deck tab. Click on Import and the copied deck will immediately show up in your collection.

Cards you don’t own will be highlighted in red. This is where the wildcards come into play, allowing the player to unlock cards. If you don’t have enough wildcards to complete the identical deck, go back to the Deck tab, single click on the new deck and then on the Copy button. This will create a copy of the imported deck, allowing the player to remove cards they don’t own and supplement in ones they do, without messing up the originally copied deck.

Playing Competitive And Drafts Or Purchasing Booster Packs

MTG Arena Booster Packs
Image via Wizards of the Coast and MTG Arena

Most MTG Arena players are divided on this issue. Using in-game currency or purchased gems to play competitive rounds and drafts is fun, but if using a newbie deck the rewards are small and counterproductive.

If a new players goal is to create one or two super op decks, then using the gold towards purchasing booster packs is the wiser option. Each time a booster pack is opened, the player is closer to receiving more wildcards while adding new cards to their library. Wildcards unlock specific cards needed while a large library gives beginners the chance to experiment and create decks on their own.

Best Option For Purchasing Gems In MTG Arena

Like any FTP game, MTG Arena gems can be purchased and used towards playing in drafts, unlocking booster packs, or playing in the competitive rounds. Spending real money falls completely on the individual but is certainly not necessary. Beginners are offered a one-time deal for $5, providing booster packs and over 2000 gems. This is a great deal and well worth the money, however, those who wish to remain FTP don’t need to purchase this bundle to compete or play.

Have Fun

Magic the Gathering is an extremely fun, competitive, and tactical style card game (with a dash of luck too). The idea is to not get bogged down by rank, wins, or losses — but to enjoy every moment playing. Play the way you want and even choose who you want to play against with Direct Challenge. Above all, enjoy not having thousands of cards scattered around the home while spending hundreds of dollars with MTG Arena.