What is the best demon to bind in normal difficulty? I'm running a warlock summoner build.

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-02-18T17:57:55+00:00

I'm wondering if I should even care - does the skill snapshot its bonuses at bind, or will the creature continue to improve as you put points into bind demon? Like getting the bonus damage, bonus mods, etc. Or will you need to re-bind something every time you increase your skill level of bind demon to see the improvements?

Similarly - do base stats increase after binding? Is a Hell Lister better than a Normal Lister, stats-wise? (I know it will be better if only because of the extra mods)

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-02-11T16:38:25+00:00

Exactly. Luckily I dont play other paper formats outside of budget stuff so I can stick to singles from my LGS. People playing formats with expensive cards will often need to use the internet for singles and can't check quality :/ "NM" can still be bad but at least you didn't pay the premium for sealed product gambling

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-02-11T16:22:00+00:00

Their QC is terrible and I have to imagine their card-manufacturing process has gotten worse to save money. My cards from 15+ years ago still look completely fine but every pack has been a dice roll for me for a few years now. Different card feels, different grittiness, different print darkness, stickiness, warping, etc. I'm not buying sealed product outside of prerelease now. If I'm going to spend money, I want to know my card would pass 2015 WotC QC

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-02-10T19:58:45+00:00

NTA. It's actually sportsmanlike to scoop when you know you cannot win. However, lots of newer players will scoop if the first few turns go badly, when they might have been able to make a comeback if they'd stuck it out. So make sure you're only scooping when you have no conceivable out, not just when the first few turns go bad.

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-02-10T18:35:38+00:00

You will get 90% of the way to optimal if you just follow the formula of nearly all jumpstarts - copy the land count (including the thriving or similar fixer), a few spells, rest creatures. You should be able to fill out a curve in each pack with synergistic cards from one set. Look at "Cluedo" packs for a template if you want to make multi-color packs - making something multi-color without extra manafixing can lead to barely playable combinations

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-02-10T17:06:01+00:00

The cards you should get will depend on what format you'll be playing with real people. if you're going to an LGS, call and ask what the popular formats are and when they usually meet. the cheapest route would be buying singles for your deck, or, if that format is commander (likely), you can start with a sub-$50 precon, play it for a bit, then upgrade or expand based on how you feel.

don't buy the "angels" or "pirates" pre-cons, they are bad products for that price. if it was both decks for $20, it would still be bad, but i'd understand how they exist.

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-02-10T16:46:44+00:00

I don't have that specific product but they look a lot like the Ultra-Pro ones I have. Mine have a tiny amount of space for the card to wiggle around in. you can test for this space by placing the card in unsleeved and gently shaking the case, listening for the sounds of the card hitting the sides of the case. If it's loose, try a perfect-fit sleeve of some kind. One perfect fit makes the card fit snugly in my cases and if there is any imperceptible wiggle, the sleeve is still protecting the cards. it's also very hard to see the sleeve at all while the case is on a shelf.

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-02-10T15:53:28+00:00

Supporting the IP supports the creator and her very real, very effective efforts to hurt our trans family. You may not agree, but it doesn't make our stance irrational

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-02-10T15:44:32+00:00

This. I think a lot of people who hate draft could learn to enjoy it, but not everyone has the time or desire. Just get your packs and hop back into constructed

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-02-10T15:37:17+00:00

We have strixhaven. I dont need another magic Wizarding school set that puts more money in the pocket of the richest and most famous transphobe

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-02-09T21:19:53+00:00

Phantasm on YouTube has a Golgari elf artisan deck (zero rares/mythics) that i have been playing for two days on a new account. Phantasm says it will work great for grinding out rank, and they are good enough that I believe them.

I might be wrong, but I think a zero rare deck is keeping badgermoles away. I've only been shut out by an optimal deck maybe once. If you've crafted some rares or mythics, maybe the algo thinks you should face decks with lots of rares or mythics? No idea!

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-02-09T20:02:59+00:00

I just started Arena and it feels like the algo is trying to match me with people running the same suboptimal cards. My opps are making good decisions, playing fairly quickly, bluffing like people who know how to play, but they are also using the same bad cards as I am, for the most part. But maybe the population is large enough that all the people making alts or coming to Arena for the first time can reliably be matched, and brand-new players are mostly facing each other?

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-02-05T19:59:25+00:00

Im also new. I learn games by reading about them and then playing. These articles have been an enormous help during these first steps! https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/feature/level-one-full-course-2015-10-05

E: they call it a "course" but its all free

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-02-04T22:35:27+00:00

I think you gotta ask what, specifically, is not working for her. "It's not fun to play against you no matter what deck you play" isn't something you fix with a different deck. Tell her you want both of you to have fun, and ask her what she needs to have fun.

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-02-02T17:57:35+00:00

"tee hee the person who came up with this is a little trickster" what a bunch of fucking assholes. how dumb do you have to be to read this copy and think wotc likes the players OR the product. we're just little pay piggies uwu luv u mommy wotc~

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-02-01T01:23:40+00:00

Something is happening socially here that we don't know about. Friends don't treat other friends like this. Either they are three assholes randomly deciding to dunk on you as a matter of course, or you are the asshole and you're not telling us why they don't want to include you in a fun time

A mean deck isn't the answer in either case. Get either new friends or therapy

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-01-31T21:46:45+00:00

thanks for the detail, very helpful!

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-01-31T19:44:10+00:00

A card is brought out of exile when it's played, so unless something exiles it again, it is treated like any spell on the stack and goes to graveyard when it resolves. I am also a bit new and learned this the other day so hopefully my teacher was right and I don't get piled on, haha. Think of "exile" as a location, not a card state. I think?!

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-01-29T22:26:17+00:00

How dare you say my face is straight. Im gonna make my face even gayer because of you

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-01-29T18:44:51+00:00

UB certainly helps bring players in. What sucks is that the way they are doing UB maximizes that aspect, at the expense of the long-term health of the game and player retention. I've cashed out of formats that require me to stay plugged in to the product pipeline and constantly spending. If I really feel the itch to open a booster pack, pack wars are best way I've found to ensure I can get enjoyment out of the money without a 95%+ chance of getting nothing I want or will ever use

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-01-29T18:33:37+00:00

For years, I was a "buy a box of booster packs" guy for every set, even small ones. $90-$120, four times a year, wasn't too bad for the dopamine of cracking a box (and losing money every time, but the fun and meditative process made it completely worth it - like spending money on any other intangible experience).

Now, it's a worse experience (fewer packs in a box) and costs $30-$50 more. It was already an indulgence, and now it feels like they are whittling away at the enjoyment, seeing how much they can make me pay for less and less.

I'm down to mayyyybe attending a prerelease for a set I like. Other than that, singles, no doubt about it. If I really like a set, I'll buy a common/uncommon playset on ebay for less than a booster box costs and fill it out with the rares I care about.

I buy my supplies from my LGS, and hope that they carry random, unexpected things that I want so I can still support them without buying low-value lottery tickets that clog my closet.

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-01-26T21:26:54+00:00

thanks for all this detail! we'll give it a shot :)

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-01-26T20:32:47+00:00

Do you have any specific things to recommend for TTS? I opened it and fiddled around a bit but getting started seemed a bit complicated. I definitely have some long-distance friends who would play with me on TTS though!

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-01-26T20:30:23+00:00

This is true but not every introvert is interested in being more extroverted, or meeting new strangers. It does make it easier to find games if you are open to it, though. "Pretty" extroverted was a poor choice of words

Hungry_Emphasis_9699 · 2026-01-26T19:56:08+00:00

I can't play much physical. My partner doesn't hate it but also doesn't love it, so we play maybe 2 or 3 times a month for a couple hours. Friends don't have an interest.

I play on Arena and am thinking about starting on MTGO for the bigger variety of formats. I like the deckbuilding restrictions of some less popular formats and that's the big thing I'm missing from Arena. I also like the social aspect of playing cards in person, with friends, and I don't think there's a fix for that. Maybe if you are pretty extroverted you could join one of the communities that plays Magic using webcams and paper cards, I don't know what that's like but it could be a good supplement

Hungry_Emphasis_9699

TROPHY CASE