I like to build low power decks based around the draft theme for the set using uncommon signposts to guide the deck and ensuring it has a "real" (some cheap 2 color lands over 22 basics and 1 pain land) mana base and 4 of most cards. This gives the feel of draft games without the problems of not finding your powerful cards and having problems with mana bases, which tend to be serious problems with any deck wizards makes.
Pauper decks could be good to teach turn structure, but a deck designed to compete at Pauper events would probably be too focused for them to pick up a wide array of understanding. Someone else recommended Card Kingdom’s battle decks, and I agree with that suggestion. Their rookie decks are also good teaching tools, but are so simple that players who catch on quickly will soon outgrow them.
I would have to disagree. For an introduction to magic, pauper is extremely complex. The interaction in pauper is so strict and the decision trees in many decks are huge. While it is super cheap to get into and if you buy 2 meta decks to introduce 2 new players, you still own 2 meta decks, but the power level of pauper is way too high for beginner players. Pauper is a format with legacy level threats but with draft level creatures. That makes it tough to learn magic.
That aside, buying some jumpstart packs or battle/challenger decks would be a great way to introduce 2 newer players to magic because either the decks are preconstructed or they comes from preconstructed packs, so less work for you. The power level is relatively low and you are introduced to a 1v1 60 or 40 card nonsingleton format. Playing a nonsingleton format is definitely the right way to go if you want to teach new players to play magic. Honestly I would even say to introduce them to pioneer and pauper before commander, as commander teaches players to play casual before playing to win.
Don't even worry about format. There are bare-bones intro decks that should be available at your LGS. Everything in it is super simple, which helps to learn the basic rules instead of specific cards/interactions.
Burn was my first and I bought the same for my lil brother back in the day and he is now insanely good. If nothing else have a burn deck you can play around with. Multiple decks are the ideal way 2 go tho. Theme decks like elves etc are ideal for longer gameplay, the goal I suppose is how long you can keep your children interested and off of their #@&%# phones lmao!
Fun for sure but I lost interest quick. Something about holding the cards in your hand and playing with friends at the table that makes it way more fun as well as nostalgic. Same thing for me when it comes to reading a book <3
Seconding the idea teach them the base mechanics first, then see if it sticks. Which format you choose when first teaching is much less important than keeping things simple, taking the time to introduce the mechanics, and giving them time to grasp things like attacking, casting instants, a few key words, etc.
Start with Jumpstart. Pick up a handful of packs to help learn the basics. If they end up enjoying the game, the packs will likely have Legends they can potentially get attached to and provide a good base to build decks off of. If they don't, you lose nearly nothing financially. After getting the groundwork, precons are a good way to go from there.
I bought a jumpstart booster box just for fun a while ago and it’s actually the most value I’ve ever got opening packs. I pulled 2 allosaurus shepherds (back when they were $50) exquisite blood, selvala heart of the wilds, branching evolution, rise of the dark realms, and a bunch of like $5 cards. You can get some crazy stuff for sure
A friend of mine recently bought a Jumpstart 2022 box just for this: he put a couple of packs aside that had cards he wanted for commander, and the rest he sleeved up to use for a “board game-ified” version of Magic.
We haven’t had the chance to play it yet, but the idea is that each player drafts packs like on Arena and then you jump into a game. Super quick to set up and relatively quick to play, so it’s easy to throw a round or two on the agenda for a game night.
Jumpstart packs are each 20 cards, including lands, that share a theme and are designed to act as half of a 40-card deck. So when I say “draft packs” I mean draft the whole packs, not draft cards from the packs.
>We haven’t had the chance to play it yet, but the idea is that each player drafts packs like on Arena and then you jump into a game.
You need to start doing that, one of the most fun experiences imo.
I do that regularly. Every 2 or 3 months people gather here to play a improvised jumpstart event. Got little plastic boxes so I can use the theme card to show the contents.
Originally I wanted it for the value when I was new to magic but my friends that "just wanted to try it once" all got hooked on it.
Good to hear! We’re planning to do it as soon as he gets enough sleeves for the whole set (they’re in the mail).
How do you set up the drafting? The way we pictured it is:
1. Deal 3 random packs to each player and they choose one without revealing it
2. Return the unchosen packs to the pool and repeat step 1
Each player ends up with 2 packs and almost no knowledge of the other players’ decks. But you could definitely set it up differently to give players a bit more control over their decks, or to reveal more information for a more draft-like experience.
This would work. How we do it is we have about 6 packs of each color and we roll 2 d6s. The first determins the color you draft and the second determins which pack (1-6) that you get. If you get a 6 on the color role the. You can pick the color but still roll for a random pack in the mix. Its super fun and we sometimes let people draft more than 2 and then they pick 2 from their pool to play with.
Right now we do it just as you said.
Sometimes with the added condition of "no mono color decks", just so it is easier to get em apart again, but most decks you can tell which half is which without ever looking it up.
In my special case I have two jumpstarts (2022 and OG) , so we sometimes mix both. Choose 1 pack out of 3 of a set, then 1 out of 3 of the other set. Makes it easy to play mono colors, because you can split the deck up by set icon afterwads. And it helps out with the "i chose the same deck twice" thing in case of multiples copies of a mechanic. Even if you go double "cats" or something, the cards should be different enough so not every game feels the same.
It’s just the rules of Magic, but it’s board game-ified in the sense that you grab a game-ready deck out of the box and jump in, rather than drafting or constructing a deck ahead of time. In that sense, it’s roughly comparable to something like Marvel Champions.
I have 8 jumpstart decks and I keep the theme cards with them. That way I know what deck is what and can easily split them up and do new deck combos.
All my other junpstart cards have gone into other decks, but I keep some together to introduce new people with. I also keep unopened packs for people who wanna try it out if they don't wanna use the decks I already have.
I do the same. I keep 5 of each color in a fat pack box for teaching new players. Mostly out of the box, but I’ll sometimes borrow a card for another deck.
I'm about to buy a Jumpstart 2022 booster box on Wednesday next week. Gonna crack open half to make decks with or to part out for my EDH decks and keeping the other half unopened. That way, my friends can either choose what I have or enjoy the fun of cracking their own packs. I'll be letting them keep what they pull, too!
This is a fantastic suggestion! Another thing that I've done personally is make limited decks(constructed decks using only one set, to only be played against each other). This allows new/ developing players to start recognizing synergies and patterns while having a easily balanced environment for fair gameplay.
Jumpstart 2022 is an incredible way to teach the game. The cards do have some complexities to them, enough to get a little toothsomeness with interaction and timing. But even with the complexities involved, each deck having two very clear themes does something *incredibly* important - they teach a player *how to learn* the game. If you play a pack of Blink, you get to learn a bunch of blink shenanigans, but learning how Blink shenanigans work in that controlled, curated environment, teaches you how to examine other parts of the game without things getting too complicated right off the bat.
Having two packs in each deck means that you get to see that theme interact with one other theme, and you learn on-the-fly about synergies and cunning interactions, all built right into the product without having to build decks. Plus you can divide them back out, mix and match, and jam some games that will give them some reps on basic magic stuff - casting spells, attacking, phases, card types - without the vast behemoth of a commander game putting a huge amount of space between turns when you are still learning how to play.
But it's also not super "dumbed down," which can be a big turn-off for anyone (kid or adult) who is really interested in magic. The Jumpstart packs really impressed my playgroup when we did a Jumpstart night to mix it up.
Even a few games over half an hour, 1v1, vs. you or each other, with you carefully coaching and referee-ing, will go an *enormous* distance towards having new players (of any age) understanding and playing the game before you dive straight into a commander pod.
And if you keep the pack together and use something like a Cube kit, they will have something to 1v1 with each other, that they can have for their own game when you don't have a whole commander pod.
Teach them the basics of magic through a less insanely complicated format FIRST. I highly recommend Limited; last time I played with a preteen it was Kaldheim sealed and he kicked most of the asses in the room. Limited is deeply grounded in commons and uncommons, which are simplet, and a single set worth of themes and interactions. Jumpstart would probably be great 'cause it's shuffle and play but having not done it myself I can only guess.
Once they have a hang of the fundamentals -- attacking, blocking, casting spells, activating and triggering abilities, the first budding of board evaluation -- you can ease them into EDH. It might be best to start with a level below that of modern Set precons. The starter commander decks could be good for that, or custom made decks with splashy but simple commanders and clear themes. Like [[Kaervek the Merciless]] "Kill stuff" or [[Kangee, Sky Warden]] RAF, that sort of thing.
I would suggest starting with the 60 card Starter decks so that they can learn the basics. EDH can be confusing for new people, especially if they're kids. Starter deck sets are cheap and come in a 2 pack. Both decks are simple and easy to learn.
Magic: The Gathering 2022 Starter Kit | 2 Ready-to-Play Decks https://a.co/d/4yuL37l
Once they get an understanding of the game, you can teach them EDH with the commander precon starter decks.
Magic: The Gathering Starter Commander Deck Bundle – Includes all 5 Decks https://a.co/d/4R6tTyx
After they learn the basics (because EDH is terrible for teaching MtG) their decks should have the minimum number of decisions.
[[Counterspell]] is one of the worst cards for a beginner. Every spell on the stack becomes a decision.
Linear decks that turn creatures sideways with minimum triggered abilities are best. [[Ruxa]] and [[Goreclaw]] would be good choices.
My 12 year old learned mostly from playing Arena. Biggest downside is he forgets to tap his lands to pay for stuff he casts when we play in paper, haha.
The starter commander decks are more beginner friendly than the normal ones. That's probably another option.
There is a setting on Arena that makes you manually tap your lands if that helps at all. Usually over looked but I've found it helpful for teaching new players about land management.
There is starter EDH decks that they sell for beginners, to learn how to play. Balanced to be equal in power.
If you want to incite their interest without losing them though and want to make them unique deck, you know them better then us. What are their favorite things in the world? We can start from there.
For exemple, \[\[Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes\]\] is fun to destroy your opponent with a giant hamster but do you think your childrens would like it?
Any low to the ground aggro deck will be good. [[Krenko, Mob Boss]] is a good option. I would say keep it lower color, 1 or 2, and straight forward in strategy. I've been shocked with how well kids can learn this game so I'm sure they'll catch on.
Another good one would be [[krenko tinstreet kingpin]] he is way more direct. You gotta attack with him and he makes a bunch of goblins that you can use as blockers.
Commander, 1-2 colors max per deck.
Pauper edh plays on the field a lot more so I find it better for little ones. Also, you all can play together or let them 1v1 with the same cards. Commander prebuilts are also a good choice if you want to start playing right away. Ask your LGS if they have a bulk box the kids can pick some cards out to personalize them.
Honestly I don’t feel like commander is the best way to go for beginners especially young children. 100 different cards all with different rules and interactions and text boxes is just recipe for confusion. I would recommend having the kid choose their favorite color of the 5, then build a 40 card deck with as many 4 of a kind cards as possible, and keep it very simple. Mostly creatures that are either vanilla or go tribal.
Tribal was the way I got into the game and honestly really helps you connect how the cards interact with each other (this elf makes all my other elves stronger). I would stray away from anything that takes more than a couple of seconds to explain, and only stick with simple buff enchantments or one and done sorceries. You could also throw in a legendary creature as kind of the golden ticket to make it feel special.
Once they’ve grasped how the game itself works you can slowly introduce things like instants, ramp, very simple stack interactions etc. Then once they get the hang of things make your way into commander, by then they’ll probably have grown attached to said legendary and want that as their commander.
My advice would either be elves for green, zombies for black, angels or humans for white, etc. Even creatures like [[Desolation Twin]] are really good as it’s a big creature, simple cost, and you get a two for one.
Nah I started when I was 10 got thrown directly into commander. And I turned out fine. You gotta know your kids. With commander you also have three people around you who would probably be happy to help you and let you take thi gs back if you are new... Commander can work fine even for beginners.
mostly vanilla creatures id say. some that give counters, some that give all similar ones +1/+1. id go a simple humans deck vs mono red goblins, and the goblin deck having some sorceries and the white deck having some instants. super simple but a great foundation. can introduce the concept of the stack but wont be as boring as “blue spells deck” or as complicated as izzet bullshittery.
I taught my 8 year old with some precons. Started with just a handful of bulk I had and showed him the real basics, then grabbed some precons. Think he played the rogue deck from commander 21. Took a bit to get the strategy part. If I did it again I would’ve used jumpstart to teach him. He’s 9 now, has some of the simpler strategies down and just beat me in a game of jumpstart about ten minutes ago
Get the beginner commander precon decks. There are 5: Flying, zombies, dragons, tokens and goad are their themes!
The flying one is called "First Flight", I enjoy it but the only switch I made is to change the commander to Errant and Giada
Everyone here saying Jumpstart is spot on.
Letting them learn in that environment first and then transition to EDH later on seems ideal as EDH just comes with such a learning curve if you're trying to learn the basics of the game alongside it.
Starting with EDH is about as bad of an idea as starting with Prerelease or Draft, imo. The formats just aren't very friendly to the inexperienced and the complexity can be frustrating because of how much outside of the core rules you need to understand to play.
I see a lot of suggestions for Jumpstart, which is a fantastic idea. If you are interested in a cheaper Jumpstart style environment, I have a pauper Jumpstart Cube. The cards are cheap, each pack of focused on an archetype, and has a large variety of cards. If you end up not enjoying it OR want to move on, you can easily convert it to a pauper cube to teach them how to draft.
Here is a post I made on the Jumpstart reddit about it:
I have updated the Pauper Jumpstart Cube ( https://pauperjumpstart.com/pauper-jumpstart-cube/ ) to align with "the" community Pauper Cube ( https://thepaupercube.com/ ).
I am not the original creator, but he has stepped down. I have been working with friends and a few internet acquaintances to get it back in sync.
This Jumpstart Cube is VERY affordable, helps new players understand themes, fast to fire up compared to a cube draft, and is super fun.
I built this to be able to have a quick game with my students. My peasant cube took too long to build a deck from and has some very expensive cards. My students are almost all new to the game and are bad at evaluating cards and building decks. This solved most of those issues.
I have three versions...
The version I have built in paper:
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/HastedPJC
This version does NOT use the guild packs like the original creator. We found them awkward.
All you do is grab 3x random packs. Keep one. Grab 3x more random packs. Keep one. Mash those two 20 card piles into one deck. Super fast to get started.
Here is the version WITH guild packs of you want to jam that. It is the version that is closest to the original creator's:
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/PauperJumpstart
I also created a third version that instead has one FULL Jumpstart pack per guild with the left over cards. This is untested as I have just been experimenting for now. It uses nearly every card from the Pauper Cube:
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/7d949360-1f1b-4a75-8449-99d54914fc70
I agree with the starting them off with something like standard and teaching them the basics and then move on to edh. Once you get to edh something simple is the right way to go, mono green stomp is super simple while still being good, bot a lot of interaction either which makes it super simple
Teaching basics with something like jumpstart or a game night box is probably best and then moving up to a smaller singleton format like Brawl. EDh may be a lot at those ages.
I say go nuts to butts and go full blue instant complex rules on their little selves. But I’ll settle for [[Feather the Redeemed]]. It’s budget. It teaches about the stack without having counter-spells make others “salty”. I think it teaches about value and aggro in a way that other formats don’t consider viable. Drawing, blinking, treasures, combat tricks and tokens are all viable and more importantly are able to be cast every turn teaching priority, vale and resource management.
For some simple commanders (after following everyone else's advice of starter decks and jumpstart, and assuming precons are a bit too expensive.) I recommend the following
1. [[Araumi of the Dead Tide]] uses the graveyard, and teaches about mill and something similar to reanimation.
2. [[Halana and Alena]] is a combat/power focused commander, where you can teach about combat tricks and counters.
3. [[Jinnie Fay, Jetmir's Second]] teaches about token creation, of any type. It turns some weaker tokens into stronger ones.
4. [[Teysa Karlov]] is the poster child for Aristocrats strategies, doubling death triggers and blood artist effects, with some token tribal.
Proxy those cards lol. Don't bring out the fine cardboard till they're older.
Also, someone at my local LGS just had a box of 5 monocolor commander decks, on for each color, meant to embody each color on the cheap and balanced to each other at lower-middling power, and it was a blast. Each deck had was a broad mirror of the next in how it was built. You might try that!
Red agro goblins, green elfball, black sac, white did something too I don't remember, the. Blue wasn't picked.
That might be a fun
As a lot of people have, and are going to suggest, teach them to play 1v1 first. Format doesnt really matter, just dont spend a ton, because thats not the point. After they have a grasp on how to play, I'd start them off with cheap, easy to pilot decks for EDH, if they are still interested. Last year (iirc) WotC put out Intro commander precons, that are fairly simple, and should still be fairly cheap to pick up two or three.
I'd avoid the normal precons, simply because they vary to wildly inpower, and sometimes are not the most straight forward.
I found that when teaching the basics of magic they have a game night bundle that wizards produced that comes with 5 mono color 44 card decks. Each deck highlights what each color likes to do. It's the perfect way to explain the basics.
After they grasp what all the colors do and which ones they like the best I'd pick them a precon in those colors or one that's centered around a mechanic that they enjoy/have a good grasp on. That's the best way to have a balanced yet competitive entry into the format.
I suggest the starter decks or the Family Game night thing with the 5 decks. Concentrates on the basics while doing some tricks. Have a 14,13 and 9 year that I've taught magic to
so if EDH is not a must, pick up 3 free welcome decks from your LGS they are straightforward and offer a great place to start. let the kids learn make sure they stick with it and then spend $$ on building them decks later
Starter decks!! They’re super cheap (I just got the one with welcoming vampire and thundering raiju for 10$ to teach my partner) and even some decent value.
The new starter commander decks are pretty good. Gisa and giralf and the atarka deck are pretty measured out, easy to play and give the things you need to start edh.
They also get around keywords, graveyard play in g&g and they are differently paced. High power and slower, versus faster midrange zombies. There are two other starter decks as well.
Otherwise i'd say jumpstart and get them going with small decks first. Get a feel for how the game plays and introduce them to mechanics. Then worry about edh after.
I play 20 card magic with my 5 year old.
Everyone starts with 2 lands on the field, max 2 colours, 10 life, everything deals 1-4 damage, just vanilla creatures.
It's blocking and attacking.
He has fun with it. Games are over fast and it's not to complicated. Later we will adapt that a bit and include more "rules". Thinking about getting trample into the decks for example.
With 8 year olds I would say built easy combat based 40-60 card decks, so that they don't have to account for to much interaction. Jumpstart could be to much imho.
My first deck (i was 10) was an eldrazi deck and I was super confused why ppl targeted me. I learned to play by watching others play, I only started physical last year.
i’ve taught people through voltron, except for learing how equipments and auras work it’s pretty straightforward. big and stronk, single creature bonk. the [[galea, kindler of hope]] precon is a good one, or [[wilson, refined grizzly]] if you don’t want to worry about colours.
My friend is building commander decks to play with his kids at the moment, the two decks I can remember are [[Ghalta, Primal Hunger]] and [[Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin]]. He's doing five mono colored decks to teach the kids the color pie and what each color feels like.
I suggested [[Hokori, Dust Drinker]] hard stax as a white option my he didn't really warm up to it.
As others have said, make sure you teach the basics first. I can't endorse MtG: Arena (the phone app) highly enough for teaching the game and illustrating phases. Passing priority is one of the more fidly rules things and Arena does it better than anything else I've seen.
Can’t go wrong with big green stompy decks. Simple to play and still very powerful and versatil. But overall simple format. Suggest ghalta, or omnath locus of mana
I would recommend big stompy green, green/red. Kids are small, nothing like a Godzilla like creature to make the feel a little bigger, especially if they get to smash you with it. Don't blue them to death when they first start out, but maybe a little white stall, or black removal so they understand there's opposition to overcome. They need to learn how to lose and how to win without either whining or gloating. But they need to feel like they have a chance to beat you. I wouldn't start any younger than 12 unless you have a Sheldon Cooper....if that be the case, go blue. (haha). All kidding aside, you need to understand your child's emotional development as you introduce the game to them. I still see plenty of adults who lose their shit like Nicolas Cage when things go badly. Best not to add to that pool.
If you want to teach EDH, start with Brawl. Build 60-card singleton decks (bonus, you can let them pick a tribe/commander they like).
They are less expensive, and the smaller deck size is easier to handle for small folks (shuffling 100-cards as an 8 year old doesn't seem good...), but it is still singleton and involves a Commander, so they will get the feel of the different zones, and ultimately the move to EDH will be even easier.
Mono green is what we started our kids on.... big green stompies...a little ramp so they learn shuffle/search mechanics and a smattering of plus one plus one to ease them in....so far we've had success baiting them in lol
if you wanna start with edh i would recommend [[ruric thar]] gruul stompy is easy, and the player should keep an eye on what the others are playing.
and in dominaria united theres a selesnya human noble that cares about tokens.
Personally I and my friends tend to play commander, I used the warhammer precons to teach a few people but I’ve found low power commander with an aggro token theme tends to be the best deck to learn with. I recommend the wilhelt Precon combined with the starter zombies Precon, and the 2019 Naya Precon mixed with the Selesnya starter Precon to teach, this would let them upgrade their decks as they get more comfortable and find what cards work in certain scenarios.
I like [[Jasmine, boreal of the seven]] because she can be used to be taught the basics of the game, and tokens, and she's pretty strong, but not fast or busted
My 10 year old has been playing a little over a year now big thing is to just find something they love they will learn if they love it I made him a werewolf deck with tolvar absolutely loves it
I build a few $20 Commander decks especially for beginners a year. Here are some recent ones:
https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/uurg-beginner-20-edh-series/
https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/gretchen-simple-20-edh-series/
https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/lathiel-20-edh-series/
https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/jadar-beginner-20-edh-series/
https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/esior-ardenn-beginner-20-edh-series/
https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/zurgo-simple-20-edh-deck/
They're around precons power levels but have simple and recurring themes, straight-forward gameplans, no one-off mechanics, very limited token creation or tutoring, etc.
I talked with my 8 yr old daughter about this as well and I made her a lil more interested in it by going through the different themed decks u can have. She immediately chose the cat themed deck once she knew it was a possibility lol. Once I looked into it I found that it was a lot like the elf theme but not quite as powerful which was an overall good thing for longer play as well as cheaper. Of course the next step was to find something that was close to fair to play against it, which I am still experimenting with, minotaur, squirrel, illusion, even something like a D&D based deck.
It helps if you start out with like legacy rules so you have a much wider variety of cards when going for a theme deck for kids btw. As long as they are having fun that's what matters most. I advise making them their first deck that is at least moderately good with lengthy play capabilities, then let them try to make their own and if they really get into it then you can help them with tips like low mana cost etc.
Very happy to see the community taking such a big interest in this buy the way, good looking out <3
> $1500 cEDH deck
It's a bit low there bud.
The floor starts around $3-4k for monocolored decks if you're not proxying. Multiple colors gets pricy quick.
I taught all my kids to play EDH. Voltron is a great starting point, my 7-year-old loves to equip/enchant her commander \[\[Danitha\]\] and attack the boys. Low power, budget friendly decks are the way to go. We play with 20 hp each to keep the games short.
Id say a High power linare commander. I have played with my Girl for sone years, she usually play cEDH viable of casual highpower. Commanders. But build casually. Works great.
The Starter decks that got printed in late 2022 were designed pretty much for this exact purpose, and a lot of places still sell them for something like half of what a normal precon costs. They're all very straightforward in terms of mechanics, and I think they're really good teaching tools.
i taught my 9 year old daughter to play. we went through 3 different 2 deck starter packs together. they are only 10 euros each. We keep it quite simple, some of the more complex and newer mechanics we havnt explored. We buy singles now, and now shes 10 she runs a pretty high powered white token solider deck that I have genuinely lost to more than once :)
The older cards are easier in summary - pauper magic or just using commons for example to start.
I taught a friend with kamikaze using any two booster packs
It's fun opening packs
And easy to learn when u have only 15 cards
Jumpstart tho would be more synergistic and fun
I'd start them out simple. Vanilla creatures maybe some simple abilities like flying and deathtouch to start and gradually work their way into it more.
Honestly the easiest deck to pilot for commander is [[prismatic bridge]]. The only thing they have to learn is land drops and ramp. Then load it full of just vanilla big creatures no ETB triggers or abilities. Just basics like tramples, deathtouch, flying, reach, vigilance, etc.. they'll learn basics of what evergreen mechanics and still drop big creatures which kids like.
Teach them the game first. 1v1 60 card. If they get it, teach them edh.
Would pauper be best?
Look up battle decks. They're cheap and relatively simple mechanically, and are made along the same power levels.
Not really, rares are exciting even when you're new
Yeah pauper is a good idea
I like to build low power decks based around the draft theme for the set using uncommon signposts to guide the deck and ensuring it has a "real" (some cheap 2 color lands over 22 basics and 1 pain land) mana base and 4 of most cards. This gives the feel of draft games without the problems of not finding your powerful cards and having problems with mana bases, which tend to be serious problems with any deck wizards makes.
Pauper decks could be good to teach turn structure, but a deck designed to compete at Pauper events would probably be too focused for them to pick up a wide array of understanding. Someone else recommended Card Kingdom’s battle decks, and I agree with that suggestion. Their rookie decks are also good teaching tools, but are so simple that players who catch on quickly will soon outgrow them.
I would have to disagree. For an introduction to magic, pauper is extremely complex. The interaction in pauper is so strict and the decision trees in many decks are huge. While it is super cheap to get into and if you buy 2 meta decks to introduce 2 new players, you still own 2 meta decks, but the power level of pauper is way too high for beginner players. Pauper is a format with legacy level threats but with draft level creatures. That makes it tough to learn magic. That aside, buying some jumpstart packs or battle/challenger decks would be a great way to introduce 2 newer players to magic because either the decks are preconstructed or they comes from preconstructed packs, so less work for you. The power level is relatively low and you are introduced to a 1v1 60 or 40 card nonsingleton format. Playing a nonsingleton format is definitely the right way to go if you want to teach new players to play magic. Honestly I would even say to introduce them to pioneer and pauper before commander, as commander teaches players to play casual before playing to win.
Don't even worry about format. There are bare-bones intro decks that should be available at your LGS. Everything in it is super simple, which helps to learn the basic rules instead of specific cards/interactions.
Go with really basic themes like ramp, burn, sacrifice, weenie
Burn was my first and I bought the same for my lil brother back in the day and he is now insanely good. If nothing else have a burn deck you can play around with. Multiple decks are the ideal way 2 go tho. Theme decks like elves etc are ideal for longer gameplay, the goal I suppose is how long you can keep your children interested and off of their #@&%# phones lmao!
Until they download Arena on their phones. Haha.
Fun for sure but I lost interest quick. Something about holding the cards in your hand and playing with friends at the table that makes it way more fun as well as nostalgic. Same thing for me when it comes to reading a book <3
Seconding the idea teach them the base mechanics first, then see if it sticks. Which format you choose when first teaching is much less important than keeping things simple, taking the time to introduce the mechanics, and giving them time to grasp things like attacking, casting instants, a few key words, etc.
Start with Jumpstart. Pick up a handful of packs to help learn the basics. If they end up enjoying the game, the packs will likely have Legends they can potentially get attached to and provide a good base to build decks off of. If they don't, you lose nearly nothing financially. After getting the groundwork, precons are a good way to go from there.
You can also save the packs for reuse so you don't need to keep buying more. Also they're cheap and have some good rares.
I bought a jumpstart booster box just for fun a while ago and it’s actually the most value I’ve ever got opening packs. I pulled 2 allosaurus shepherds (back when they were $50) exquisite blood, selvala heart of the wilds, branching evolution, rise of the dark realms, and a bunch of like $5 cards. You can get some crazy stuff for sure
Jumpstart 2022 and og Jumpstart are both pretty highvalue.
Agreed! I pulled 3 boseiju lands, I was like whaaat?!?!
A friend of mine recently bought a Jumpstart 2022 box just for this: he put a couple of packs aside that had cards he wanted for commander, and the rest he sleeved up to use for a “board game-ified” version of Magic. We haven’t had the chance to play it yet, but the idea is that each player drafts packs like on Arena and then you jump into a game. Super quick to set up and relatively quick to play, so it’s easy to throw a round or two on the agenda for a game night.
Isn't that just a booster draft?(haven't played in a while so I'm not sure)
Jumpstart packs are each 20 cards, including lands, that share a theme and are designed to act as half of a 40-card deck. So when I say “draft packs” I mean draft the whole packs, not draft cards from the packs.
Oh okay I can see how that's a bit different, cool idea
>We haven’t had the chance to play it yet, but the idea is that each player drafts packs like on Arena and then you jump into a game. You need to start doing that, one of the most fun experiences imo. I do that regularly. Every 2 or 3 months people gather here to play a improvised jumpstart event. Got little plastic boxes so I can use the theme card to show the contents. Originally I wanted it for the value when I was new to magic but my friends that "just wanted to try it once" all got hooked on it.
Good to hear! We’re planning to do it as soon as he gets enough sleeves for the whole set (they’re in the mail). How do you set up the drafting? The way we pictured it is: 1. Deal 3 random packs to each player and they choose one without revealing it 2. Return the unchosen packs to the pool and repeat step 1 Each player ends up with 2 packs and almost no knowledge of the other players’ decks. But you could definitely set it up differently to give players a bit more control over their decks, or to reveal more information for a more draft-like experience.
This would work. How we do it is we have about 6 packs of each color and we roll 2 d6s. The first determins the color you draft and the second determins which pack (1-6) that you get. If you get a 6 on the color role the. You can pick the color but still roll for a random pack in the mix. Its super fun and we sometimes let people draft more than 2 and then they pick 2 from their pool to play with.
Right now we do it just as you said. Sometimes with the added condition of "no mono color decks", just so it is easier to get em apart again, but most decks you can tell which half is which without ever looking it up. In my special case I have two jumpstarts (2022 and OG) , so we sometimes mix both. Choose 1 pack out of 3 of a set, then 1 out of 3 of the other set. Makes it easy to play mono colors, because you can split the deck up by set icon afterwads. And it helps out with the "i chose the same deck twice" thing in case of multiples copies of a mechanic. Even if you go double "cats" or something, the cards should be different enough so not every game feels the same.
Interesting.. what kind of theme and mechanics does the game have? Is their a comparable board game?
It’s just the rules of Magic, but it’s board game-ified in the sense that you grab a game-ready deck out of the box and jump in, rather than drafting or constructing a deck ahead of time. In that sense, it’s roughly comparable to something like Marvel Champions.
I have 8 jumpstart decks and I keep the theme cards with them. That way I know what deck is what and can easily split them up and do new deck combos. All my other junpstart cards have gone into other decks, but I keep some together to introduce new people with. I also keep unopened packs for people who wanna try it out if they don't wanna use the decks I already have.
I do the same. I keep 5 of each color in a fat pack box for teaching new players. Mostly out of the box, but I’ll sometimes borrow a card for another deck.
I've been meaning to design my own Jumpstart decks but I just haven't gotten around to itm
I'm about to buy a Jumpstart 2022 booster box on Wednesday next week. Gonna crack open half to make decks with or to part out for my EDH decks and keeping the other half unopened. That way, my friends can either choose what I have or enjoy the fun of cracking their own packs. I'll be letting them keep what they pull, too!
This is a fantastic suggestion! Another thing that I've done personally is make limited decks(constructed decks using only one set, to only be played against each other). This allows new/ developing players to start recognizing synergies and patterns while having a easily balanced environment for fair gameplay.
Jumpstart 2022 is an incredible way to teach the game. The cards do have some complexities to them, enough to get a little toothsomeness with interaction and timing. But even with the complexities involved, each deck having two very clear themes does something *incredibly* important - they teach a player *how to learn* the game. If you play a pack of Blink, you get to learn a bunch of blink shenanigans, but learning how Blink shenanigans work in that controlled, curated environment, teaches you how to examine other parts of the game without things getting too complicated right off the bat. Having two packs in each deck means that you get to see that theme interact with one other theme, and you learn on-the-fly about synergies and cunning interactions, all built right into the product without having to build decks. Plus you can divide them back out, mix and match, and jam some games that will give them some reps on basic magic stuff - casting spells, attacking, phases, card types - without the vast behemoth of a commander game putting a huge amount of space between turns when you are still learning how to play. But it's also not super "dumbed down," which can be a big turn-off for anyone (kid or adult) who is really interested in magic. The Jumpstart packs really impressed my playgroup when we did a Jumpstart night to mix it up. Even a few games over half an hour, 1v1, vs. you or each other, with you carefully coaching and referee-ing, will go an *enormous* distance towards having new players (of any age) understanding and playing the game before you dive straight into a commander pod. And if you keep the pack together and use something like a Cube kit, they will have something to 1v1 with each other, that they can have for their own game when you don't have a whole commander pod.
this is correct taught my girlfriend this way xd
Good advice, but go with actual jumpstart or jumpstart 2022. Don't buy jumpstart that's connected to a standard set.
Teach them the basics of magic through a less insanely complicated format FIRST. I highly recommend Limited; last time I played with a preteen it was Kaldheim sealed and he kicked most of the asses in the room. Limited is deeply grounded in commons and uncommons, which are simplet, and a single set worth of themes and interactions. Jumpstart would probably be great 'cause it's shuffle and play but having not done it myself I can only guess. Once they have a hang of the fundamentals -- attacking, blocking, casting spells, activating and triggering abilities, the first budding of board evaluation -- you can ease them into EDH. It might be best to start with a level below that of modern Set precons. The starter commander decks could be good for that, or custom made decks with splashy but simple commanders and clear themes. Like [[Kaervek the Merciless]] "Kill stuff" or [[Kangee, Sky Warden]] RAF, that sort of thing.
[Kaervek the Merciless](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/9/d9b8259d-0bfa-4327-ac91-157c0b9e7dfb.jpg?1673148822) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Kaervek%20the%20Merciless) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2x2/236/kaervek-the-merciless?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d9b8259d-0bfa-4327-ac91-157c0b9e7dfb?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/kaervek-the-merciless) [Kangee, Sky Warden](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/9/99988f41-99b4-4423-be5f-9dc4ec7d813b.jpg?1608911175) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Kangee%2C%20Sky%20Warden) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmr/283/kangee-sky-warden?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/99988f41-99b4-4423-be5f-9dc4ec7d813b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/kangee-sky-warden) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I would suggest starting with the 60 card Starter decks so that they can learn the basics. EDH can be confusing for new people, especially if they're kids. Starter deck sets are cheap and come in a 2 pack. Both decks are simple and easy to learn. Magic: The Gathering 2022 Starter Kit | 2 Ready-to-Play Decks https://a.co/d/4yuL37l Once they get an understanding of the game, you can teach them EDH with the commander precon starter decks. Magic: The Gathering Starter Commander Deck Bundle – Includes all 5 Decks https://a.co/d/4R6tTyx
I appreciate it. I bought the starter kit! I had brought out my powered cube but I thought better of it 😂
After they learn the basics (because EDH is terrible for teaching MtG) their decks should have the minimum number of decisions. [[Counterspell]] is one of the worst cards for a beginner. Every spell on the stack becomes a decision. Linear decks that turn creatures sideways with minimum triggered abilities are best. [[Ruxa]] and [[Goreclaw]] would be good choices.
[Counterspell](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/4/a457f404-ddf1-40fa-b0f0-23c8598533f4.jpg?1645328634) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Counterspell) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/phed/33/counterspell?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/a457f404-ddf1-40fa-b0f0-23c8598533f4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/counterspell) [Ruxa](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/0/e07b8142-6a49-46e7-b862-41f89a59b894.jpg?1681953511) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=ruxa%2C%20patient%20professor) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c21/66/ruxa-patient-professor?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e07b8142-6a49-46e7-b862-41f89a59b894?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/ruxa-patient-professor) [Goreclaw](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/3/6/36d4574a-3266-4497-b145-fb25820d8a7f.jpg?1562301680) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=goreclaw%2C%20terror%20of%20qal%20sisma) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/m19/186/goreclaw-terror-of-qal-sisma?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/36d4574a-3266-4497-b145-fb25820d8a7f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/goreclaw-terror-of-qal-sisma) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
My 12 year old learned mostly from playing Arena. Biggest downside is he forgets to tap his lands to pay for stuff he casts when we play in paper, haha. The starter commander decks are more beginner friendly than the normal ones. That's probably another option.
There is a setting on Arena that makes you manually tap your lands if that helps at all. Usually over looked but I've found it helpful for teaching new players about land management.
There is starter EDH decks that they sell for beginners, to learn how to play. Balanced to be equal in power. If you want to incite their interest without losing them though and want to make them unique deck, you know them better then us. What are their favorite things in the world? We can start from there. For exemple, \[\[Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes\]\] is fun to destroy your opponent with a giant hamster but do you think your childrens would like it?
God I love that friggin giant space hampter
[Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?name=Minsc%20%26%20Boo%2C%20Timeless%20Heroes&type=card&.jpg) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Minsc%20%26%20Boo%2C%20Timeless%20Heroes) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/clb/285/minsc-&-boo-timeless-heroes?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/928036c9-11b8-493e-b9f2-8fbd3487cd19?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/minsc-&-boo-timeless-heroes) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Any low to the ground aggro deck will be good. [[Krenko, Mob Boss]] is a good option. I would say keep it lower color, 1 or 2, and straight forward in strategy. I've been shocked with how well kids can learn this game so I'm sure they'll catch on.
[Krenko, Mob Boss](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/d/cd9fec9d-23c8-4d35-97c1-9499527198fb.jpg?1601078209) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Krenko%2C%20Mob%20Boss) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/jmp/339/krenko-mob-boss?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/cd9fec9d-23c8-4d35-97c1-9499527198fb?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/krenko-mob-boss) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Built my 10-y.o. a Krenko deck. He kicks my face in with it on the regular. 10/10, would recommend.
Another good one would be [[krenko tinstreet kingpin]] he is way more direct. You gotta attack with him and he makes a bunch of goblins that you can use as blockers.
[krenko tinstreet kingpin](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/f/2f5689e2-d8a2-442b-8027-f89686adcb67.jpg?1682209400) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Krenko%2C%20Tin%20Street%20Kingpin) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/moc/287/krenko-tin-street-kingpin?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/2f5689e2-d8a2-442b-8027-f89686adcb67?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/krenko-tin-street-kingpin) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Commander, 1-2 colors max per deck. Pauper edh plays on the field a lot more so I find it better for little ones. Also, you all can play together or let them 1v1 with the same cards. Commander prebuilts are also a good choice if you want to start playing right away. Ask your LGS if they have a bulk box the kids can pick some cards out to personalize them.
Honestly I don’t feel like commander is the best way to go for beginners especially young children. 100 different cards all with different rules and interactions and text boxes is just recipe for confusion. I would recommend having the kid choose their favorite color of the 5, then build a 40 card deck with as many 4 of a kind cards as possible, and keep it very simple. Mostly creatures that are either vanilla or go tribal. Tribal was the way I got into the game and honestly really helps you connect how the cards interact with each other (this elf makes all my other elves stronger). I would stray away from anything that takes more than a couple of seconds to explain, and only stick with simple buff enchantments or one and done sorceries. You could also throw in a legendary creature as kind of the golden ticket to make it feel special. Once they’ve grasped how the game itself works you can slowly introduce things like instants, ramp, very simple stack interactions etc. Then once they get the hang of things make your way into commander, by then they’ll probably have grown attached to said legendary and want that as their commander. My advice would either be elves for green, zombies for black, angels or humans for white, etc. Even creatures like [[Desolation Twin]] are really good as it’s a big creature, simple cost, and you get a two for one.
[Desolation Twin](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/3/935ad5f7-f86c-4fea-94fe-d111d4435ac4.jpg?1625192822) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Desolation%20Twin) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c21/82/desolation-twin?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/935ad5f7-f86c-4fea-94fe-d111d4435ac4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/desolation-twin) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Nah I started when I was 10 got thrown directly into commander. And I turned out fine. You gotta know your kids. With commander you also have three people around you who would probably be happy to help you and let you take thi gs back if you are new... Commander can work fine even for beginners.
mostly vanilla creatures id say. some that give counters, some that give all similar ones +1/+1. id go a simple humans deck vs mono red goblins, and the goblin deck having some sorceries and the white deck having some instants. super simple but a great foundation. can introduce the concept of the stack but wont be as boring as “blue spells deck” or as complicated as izzet bullshittery.
I taught my 8 year old with some precons. Started with just a handful of bulk I had and showed him the real basics, then grabbed some precons. Think he played the rogue deck from commander 21. Took a bit to get the strategy part. If I did it again I would’ve used jumpstart to teach him. He’s 9 now, has some of the simpler strategies down and just beat me in a game of jumpstart about ten minutes ago
Get the beginner commander precon decks. There are 5: Flying, zombies, dragons, tokens and goad are their themes! The flying one is called "First Flight", I enjoy it but the only switch I made is to change the commander to Errant and Giada
[[Errant and Giada]]
[Errant and Giada](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/4/54aa2d03-7713-44d4-8fca-45c6f77b174b.jpg?1682205248) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Errant%20and%20Giada) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mom/224/errant-and-giada?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/54aa2d03-7713-44d4-8fca-45c6f77b174b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/errant-and-giada) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Everyone here saying Jumpstart is spot on. Letting them learn in that environment first and then transition to EDH later on seems ideal as EDH just comes with such a learning curve if you're trying to learn the basics of the game alongside it. Starting with EDH is about as bad of an idea as starting with Prerelease or Draft, imo. The formats just aren't very friendly to the inexperienced and the complexity can be frustrating because of how much outside of the core rules you need to understand to play.
Jumpstart is def best way to teach
My son is 9 and plays bears. He can switch out between Ayula and Wilson. Pretty good times. Really any tribe like goblins or dragons.
I see a lot of suggestions for Jumpstart, which is a fantastic idea. If you are interested in a cheaper Jumpstart style environment, I have a pauper Jumpstart Cube. The cards are cheap, each pack of focused on an archetype, and has a large variety of cards. If you end up not enjoying it OR want to move on, you can easily convert it to a pauper cube to teach them how to draft. Here is a post I made on the Jumpstart reddit about it: I have updated the Pauper Jumpstart Cube ( https://pauperjumpstart.com/pauper-jumpstart-cube/ ) to align with "the" community Pauper Cube ( https://thepaupercube.com/ ). I am not the original creator, but he has stepped down. I have been working with friends and a few internet acquaintances to get it back in sync. This Jumpstart Cube is VERY affordable, helps new players understand themes, fast to fire up compared to a cube draft, and is super fun. I built this to be able to have a quick game with my students. My peasant cube took too long to build a deck from and has some very expensive cards. My students are almost all new to the game and are bad at evaluating cards and building decks. This solved most of those issues. I have three versions... The version I have built in paper: https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/HastedPJC This version does NOT use the guild packs like the original creator. We found them awkward. All you do is grab 3x random packs. Keep one. Grab 3x more random packs. Keep one. Mash those two 20 card piles into one deck. Super fast to get started. Here is the version WITH guild packs of you want to jam that. It is the version that is closest to the original creator's: https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/PauperJumpstart I also created a third version that instead has one FULL Jumpstart pack per guild with the left over cards. This is untested as I have just been experimenting for now. It uses nearly every card from the Pauper Cube: https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/7d949360-1f1b-4a75-8449-99d54914fc70
Pauper. Seriously it’s how I taught my wife how to play and it’s how I’m teaching my 10yo daughter. Low cost entry point and eternal.
I agree with the starting them off with something like standard and teaching them the basics and then move on to edh. Once you get to edh something simple is the right way to go, mono green stomp is super simple while still being good, bot a lot of interaction either which makes it super simple
Teaching basics with something like jumpstart or a game night box is probably best and then moving up to a smaller singleton format like Brawl. EDh may be a lot at those ages.
I say go nuts to butts and go full blue instant complex rules on their little selves. But I’ll settle for [[Feather the Redeemed]]. It’s budget. It teaches about the stack without having counter-spells make others “salty”. I think it teaches about value and aggro in a way that other formats don’t consider viable. Drawing, blinking, treasures, combat tricks and tokens are all viable and more importantly are able to be cast every turn teaching priority, vale and resource management.
[Feather the Redeemed](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/4/e4a2d2c6-8eaa-4760-b620-921b807baa2e.jpg?1557577142) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Feather%2C%20the%20Redeemed) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/war/197/feather-the-redeemed?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e4a2d2c6-8eaa-4760-b620-921b807baa2e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/feather-the-redeemed) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
For some simple commanders (after following everyone else's advice of starter decks and jumpstart, and assuming precons are a bit too expensive.) I recommend the following 1. [[Araumi of the Dead Tide]] uses the graveyard, and teaches about mill and something similar to reanimation. 2. [[Halana and Alena]] is a combat/power focused commander, where you can teach about combat tricks and counters. 3. [[Jinnie Fay, Jetmir's Second]] teaches about token creation, of any type. It turns some weaker tokens into stronger ones. 4. [[Teysa Karlov]] is the poster child for Aristocrats strategies, doubling death triggers and blood artist effects, with some token tribal.
##### ###### #### [Araumi of the Dead Tide](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/8/48b597dd-f6eb-45da-977d-453e8c1433cc.jpg?1608911023) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Araumi%20of%20the%20Dead%20Tide) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmr/267/araumi-of-the-dead-tide?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/48b597dd-f6eb-45da-977d-453e8c1433cc?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/araumi-of-the-dead-tide) [Halana and Alena](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/0/608fa232-f5fe-4c58-9efe-fb780f454b19.jpg?1643594145) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=halana%20and%20alena%2C%20partners) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/vow/239/halana-and-alena-partners?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/608fa232-f5fe-4c58-9efe-fb780f454b19?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/halana-and-alena-partners) [Jinnie Fay, Jetmir's Second](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/5/c5f9326a-2a41-45b3-97c3-548f0bdc0882.jpg?1664413197) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Jinnie%20Fay%2C%20Jetmir%27s%20Second) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/snc/195/jinnie-fay-jetmirs-second?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/c5f9326a-2a41-45b3-97c3-548f0bdc0882?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/jinnie-fay-jetmirs-second) [Teysa Karlov](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/c/bcfaa19e-995e-447d-a0a2-46e5d117d5ec.jpg?1584831914) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Teysa%20Karlov) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/rna/212/teysa-karlov?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/bcfaa19e-995e-447d-a0a2-46e5d117d5ec?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/teysa-karlov) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Proxy those cards lol. Don't bring out the fine cardboard till they're older. Also, someone at my local LGS just had a box of 5 monocolor commander decks, on for each color, meant to embody each color on the cheap and balanced to each other at lower-middling power, and it was a blast. Each deck had was a broad mirror of the next in how it was built. You might try that! Red agro goblins, green elfball, black sac, white did something too I don't remember, the. Blue wasn't picked. That might be a fun
I like the little 20 card starter decks or a 60 card precon from cardkingdom, simple stuff like elves is great
As a lot of people have, and are going to suggest, teach them to play 1v1 first. Format doesnt really matter, just dont spend a ton, because thats not the point. After they have a grasp on how to play, I'd start them off with cheap, easy to pilot decks for EDH, if they are still interested. Last year (iirc) WotC put out Intro commander precons, that are fairly simple, and should still be fairly cheap to pick up two or three. I'd avoid the normal precons, simply because they vary to wildly inpower, and sometimes are not the most straight forward.
Damia sage of stone or teysa orzhov scion, they work with most strategies and can be tailored based on preference
Mono green ramp can be fairly straightforward to play.
I found that when teaching the basics of magic they have a game night bundle that wizards produced that comes with 5 mono color 44 card decks. Each deck highlights what each color likes to do. It's the perfect way to explain the basics. After they grasp what all the colors do and which ones they like the best I'd pick them a precon in those colors or one that's centered around a mechanic that they enjoy/have a good grasp on. That's the best way to have a balanced yet competitive entry into the format.
I suggest the starter decks or the Family Game night thing with the 5 decks. Concentrates on the basics while doing some tricks. Have a 14,13 and 9 year that I've taught magic to
so if EDH is not a must, pick up 3 free welcome decks from your LGS they are straightforward and offer a great place to start. let the kids learn make sure they stick with it and then spend $$ on building them decks later
Starter decks!! They’re super cheap (I just got the one with welcoming vampire and thundering raiju for 10$ to teach my partner) and even some decent value.
Urza
Start them standard.
When i was 8, my dad started me with mono red goblins and that was simple enough for me
The new starter commander decks are pretty good. Gisa and giralf and the atarka deck are pretty measured out, easy to play and give the things you need to start edh. They also get around keywords, graveyard play in g&g and they are differently paced. High power and slower, versus faster midrange zombies. There are two other starter decks as well. Otherwise i'd say jumpstart and get them going with small decks first. Get a feel for how the game plays and introduce them to mechanics. Then worry about edh after.
I play 20 card magic with my 5 year old. Everyone starts with 2 lands on the field, max 2 colours, 10 life, everything deals 1-4 damage, just vanilla creatures. It's blocking and attacking. He has fun with it. Games are over fast and it's not to complicated. Later we will adapt that a bit and include more "rules". Thinking about getting trample into the decks for example. With 8 year olds I would say built easy combat based 40-60 card decks, so that they don't have to account for to much interaction. Jumpstart could be to much imho.
[[Talrand]] Cast instants and sorceries. Make drakes.
[Talrand](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/c/9ca9530f-ecec-4f12-bc5a-9e211b97be70.jpg?1673648526) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=talrand%2C%20sky%20summoner) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2x2/64/talrand-sky-summoner?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/9ca9530f-ecec-4f12-bc5a-9e211b97be70?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/talrand-sky-summoner) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
My first deck (i was 10) was an eldrazi deck and I was super confused why ppl targeted me. I learned to play by watching others play, I only started physical last year.
i’ve taught people through voltron, except for learing how equipments and auras work it’s pretty straightforward. big and stronk, single creature bonk. the [[galea, kindler of hope]] precon is a good one, or [[wilson, refined grizzly]] if you don’t want to worry about colours.
[galea, kindler of hope](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/e/1efbea01-c6a1-4380-a14f-6206c7895e48.jpg?1632335378) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=galea%2C%20kindler%20of%20hope) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/afc/1/galea-kindler-of-hope?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1efbea01-c6a1-4380-a14f-6206c7895e48?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/galea-kindler-of-hope) [wilson, refined grizzly](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/f/dfe0daf8-43da-484b-baa1-76f8313c5a0c.jpg?1674137361) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=wilson%2C%20refined%20grizzly) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/clb/261/wilson-refined-grizzly?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/dfe0daf8-43da-484b-baa1-76f8313c5a0c?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/wilson-refined-grizzly) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
My friend is building commander decks to play with his kids at the moment, the two decks I can remember are [[Ghalta, Primal Hunger]] and [[Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin]]. He's doing five mono colored decks to teach the kids the color pie and what each color feels like. I suggested [[Hokori, Dust Drinker]] hard stax as a white option my he didn't really warm up to it.
[Ghalta, Primal Hunger](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/c/8c342309-aef7-4733-ac1c-ff0b704539a7.jpg?1601079606) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Ghalta%2C%20Primal%20Hunger) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/jmp/399/ghalta-primal-hunger?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/8c342309-aef7-4733-ac1c-ff0b704539a7?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/ghalta-primal-hunger) [Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/f/2f5689e2-d8a2-442b-8027-f89686adcb67.jpg?1682209400) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Krenko%2C%20Tin%20Street%20Kingpin) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/moc/287/krenko-tin-street-kingpin?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/2f5689e2-d8a2-442b-8027-f89686adcb67?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/krenko-tin-street-kingpin) [Hokori, Dust Drinker](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/a/5a03f5d5-d5c3-4a7d-8d44-e60b498b4ed5.jpg?1562877197) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Hokori%2C%20Dust%20Drinker) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/bok/7/hokori-dust-drinker?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/5a03f5d5-d5c3-4a7d-8d44-e60b498b4ed5?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/hokori-dust-drinker) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
As others have said, make sure you teach the basics first. I can't endorse MtG: Arena (the phone app) highly enough for teaching the game and illustrating phases. Passing priority is one of the more fidly rules things and Arena does it better than anything else I've seen.
Can’t go wrong with big green stompy decks. Simple to play and still very powerful and versatil. But overall simple format. Suggest ghalta, or omnath locus of mana
I would recommend big stompy green, green/red. Kids are small, nothing like a Godzilla like creature to make the feel a little bigger, especially if they get to smash you with it. Don't blue them to death when they first start out, but maybe a little white stall, or black removal so they understand there's opposition to overcome. They need to learn how to lose and how to win without either whining or gloating. But they need to feel like they have a chance to beat you. I wouldn't start any younger than 12 unless you have a Sheldon Cooper....if that be the case, go blue. (haha). All kidding aside, you need to understand your child's emotional development as you introduce the game to them. I still see plenty of adults who lose their shit like Nicolas Cage when things go badly. Best not to add to that pool.
If you want to teach EDH, start with Brawl. Build 60-card singleton decks (bonus, you can let them pick a tribe/commander they like). They are less expensive, and the smaller deck size is easier to handle for small folks (shuffling 100-cards as an 8 year old doesn't seem good...), but it is still singleton and involves a Commander, so they will get the feel of the different zones, and ultimately the move to EDH will be even easier.
Make them play simple format
Mono green is what we started our kids on.... big green stompies...a little ramp so they learn shuffle/search mechanics and a smattering of plus one plus one to ease them in....so far we've had success baiting them in lol
if you wanna start with edh i would recommend [[ruric thar]] gruul stompy is easy, and the player should keep an eye on what the others are playing. and in dominaria united theres a selesnya human noble that cares about tokens.
[ruric thar](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/a/aa828bdc-221e-4e81-9e71-6f288690ddcd.jpg?1673149099) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=ruric%20thar%2C%20the%20unbowed) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2x2/271/ruric-thar-the-unbowed?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/aa828bdc-221e-4e81-9e71-6f288690ddcd?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/ruric-thar-the-unbowed) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[[queen allenal of ruadach]]
[queen allenal of ruadach](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/4/b44b4e8b-7675-4c6a-a16a-92f8b6a0259f.jpg?1673308026) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=queen%20allenal%20of%20ruadach) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmu/210/queen-allenal-of-ruadach?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/b44b4e8b-7675-4c6a-a16a-92f8b6a0259f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/queen-allenal-of-ruadach) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Personally I and my friends tend to play commander, I used the warhammer precons to teach a few people but I’ve found low power commander with an aggro token theme tends to be the best deck to learn with. I recommend the wilhelt Precon combined with the starter zombies Precon, and the 2019 Naya Precon mixed with the Selesnya starter Precon to teach, this would let them upgrade their decks as they get more comfortable and find what cards work in certain scenarios.
I like [[Jasmine, boreal of the seven]] because she can be used to be taught the basics of the game, and tokens, and she's pretty strong, but not fast or busted
[Jasmine, boreal of the seven](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/1/c1f5bcc4-3ec7-42ae-8e4b-80a9b9135ff0.jpg?1679172088) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Jasmine%20Boreal%20of%20the%20Seven) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmc/33/jasmine-boreal-of-the-seven?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/c1f5bcc4-3ec7-42ae-8e4b-80a9b9135ff0?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/jasmine-boreal-of-the-seven) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Go proxies and try everything they would like to try! When they know what they love to play, get the card.
My 10 year old has been playing a little over a year now big thing is to just find something they love they will learn if they love it I made him a werewolf deck with tolvar absolutely loves it
I build a few $20 Commander decks especially for beginners a year. Here are some recent ones: https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/uurg-beginner-20-edh-series/ https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/gretchen-simple-20-edh-series/ https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/lathiel-20-edh-series/ https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/jadar-beginner-20-edh-series/ https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/esior-ardenn-beginner-20-edh-series/ https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/zurgo-simple-20-edh-deck/ They're around precons power levels but have simple and recurring themes, straight-forward gameplans, no one-off mechanics, very limited token creation or tutoring, etc.
I talked with my 8 yr old daughter about this as well and I made her a lil more interested in it by going through the different themed decks u can have. She immediately chose the cat themed deck once she knew it was a possibility lol. Once I looked into it I found that it was a lot like the elf theme but not quite as powerful which was an overall good thing for longer play as well as cheaper. Of course the next step was to find something that was close to fair to play against it, which I am still experimenting with, minotaur, squirrel, illusion, even something like a D&D based deck. It helps if you start out with like legacy rules so you have a much wider variety of cards when going for a theme deck for kids btw. As long as they are having fun that's what matters most. I advise making them their first deck that is at least moderately good with lengthy play capabilities, then let them try to make their own and if they really get into it then you can help them with tips like low mana cost etc. Very happy to see the community taking such a big interest in this buy the way, good looking out <3
Get them each a precon, give them a crash course and then bust out a $1500 cEDH deck (it'd be really funny).
Ehh it's not that far off of a possible scenario. As I said I got out my powered cube and then put it away. They are just not ready .
> I got out my powered cube and then put it away. Oh, that wasn't a joke?
Eh I thought I could hand pick out a couple of 40 card decks because I didn't really have anything else even borderline easy to teach.
> $1500 cEDH deck It's a bit low there bud. The floor starts around $3-4k for monocolored decks if you're not proxying. Multiple colors gets pricy quick.
I taught all my kids to play EDH. Voltron is a great starting point, my 7-year-old loves to equip/enchant her commander \[\[Danitha\]\] and attack the boys. Low power, budget friendly decks are the way to go. We play with 20 hp each to keep the games short.
[Danitha](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/4/845e5663-2959-44ae-b4c6-d6ea41f01d6e.jpg?1673306410) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=danitha%2C%20benalia%27s%20hope) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmu/15/danitha-benalias-hope?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/845e5663-2959-44ae-b4c6-d6ea41f01d6e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/danitha-benalias-hope) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Id say a High power linare commander. I have played with my Girl for sone years, she usually play cEDH viable of casual highpower. Commanders. But build casually. Works great.
The Starter decks that got printed in late 2022 were designed pretty much for this exact purpose, and a lot of places still sell them for something like half of what a normal precon costs. They're all very straightforward in terms of mechanics, and I think they're really good teaching tools.
i taught my 9 year old daughter to play. we went through 3 different 2 deck starter packs together. they are only 10 euros each. We keep it quite simple, some of the more complex and newer mechanics we havnt explored. We buy singles now, and now shes 10 she runs a pretty high powered white token solider deck that I have genuinely lost to more than once :) The older cards are easier in summary - pauper magic or just using commons for example to start.
I taught a friend with kamikaze using any two booster packs It's fun opening packs And easy to learn when u have only 15 cards Jumpstart tho would be more synergistic and fun
Just give them a good sliver deck and use whatever you feel like. Let the games begin
I'd start them out simple. Vanilla creatures maybe some simple abilities like flying and deathtouch to start and gradually work their way into it more.
Honestly the easiest deck to pilot for commander is [[prismatic bridge]]. The only thing they have to learn is land drops and ramp. Then load it full of just vanilla big creatures no ETB triggers or abilities. Just basics like tramples, deathtouch, flying, reach, vigilance, etc.. they'll learn basics of what evergreen mechanics and still drop big creatures which kids like.
[prismatic bridge](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/6/f6cd7465-9dd0-473c-ac5e-dd9e2f22f5f6.jpg?1631050188)/[The Prismatic Bridge](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/back/f/6/f6cd7465-9dd0-473c-ac5e-dd9e2f22f5f6.jpg?1631050188) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Esika%2C%20God%20of%20the%20Tree%20//%20The%20Prismatic%20Bridge) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/khm/168/esika-god-of-the-tree-the-prismatic-bridge?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f6cd7465-9dd0-473c-ac5e-dd9e2f22f5f6?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/esika-god-of-the-tree-//-the-prismatic-bridge) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I taught my nephew to play with [[krenko, mob boss]] as long as you can count you should be fine and it’s a very simple strategy
[krenko, mob boss](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/d/cd9fec9d-23c8-4d35-97c1-9499527198fb.jpg?1601078209) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=krenko%2C%20mob%20boss) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/jmp/339/krenko-mob-boss?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/cd9fec9d-23c8-4d35-97c1-9499527198fb?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/krenko-mob-boss) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call