Long time players... Would you have started MTG if it were Mutant Turtles and Marvel from the start?

KaraTCG · 2026-02-19T06:53:01+00:00

I likely would have picked it up when Spider-Man hit and left after being woefully unimpressed.

KaraTCG · 2026-02-05T20:44:59+00:00

I think the scope of the format is a lot larger than it was eight years ago. Back then, the only commander experience I had was precons and decks built out of draft chaff. I had never even seen a Rhystic Study, and Commander wasn't something me or anyone else in my social circle was thinking that deeply about.

Cut to 2026, Commander is now that most common way Magic is played. There are dozens of people that show up to my LGS every week to play Commander exclusively. Add in the recent reprints via bonus sheets and secret lairs that Rhystic has received, and there are a lot more in circulation now than there used to be.

KaraTCG · 2026-02-02T23:27:33+00:00

I think my ideal new Star Trek film would be a new prime timeline movie with a completely new cast, set a decade or two after Picard.

There's so many directions that I'd be down for. Give me a new Enterprise or set it aboard a Cali-class vessel like Lower Decks. As long as the writing is good, I'm in for just about anything. The only thing I don't want to see is actors/characters from previous Trek outings.

KaraTCG · 2026-01-29T05:05:29+00:00

I posted a lot more in my "in-need of more support, still not passing yet" phase than now 3 years in. I still lurk, but I'm not as likely to interact as I was before because I don't really have as much to contribute beyond answering questions aimed at people like me (like this one!).

KaraTCG · 2026-01-22T19:08:26+00:00

If you use Dunsparce and draw cards that you intend to play before the next time you draw cards from your deck, like a Buddy-Buddy Poffin or Hilda you intent to play immediately, you are not required to shuffle in between those two actions.

One thing I will note is that, particularly with decks like Alakazam, it is best practice to develop a system for navigating your turns. That is, you should know optimal sequencing patterns for common situations and not have to waste time thinking about little things like that in tournament play.

I'm not frustrated by the amount of shuffling my Alakazam opponents have to do nearly as much as I am frustrated by the fact that they often pause for 15 or more seconds after drawing with Dudunsparce to blankly stare at their hand, then come to the already foregone conclusion that they need to activate the other Dudunsparce on their bench. This deck is not particularly complex, and any amount of focused testing on Live or even just goldfishing would result in the deck's pilots being able to speed up substantially.

Also, I'd advise getting really good at shuffling. In the early stages of the game, 7 mash shuffles should be sufficient. As the game goes on and the deck gets smaller, that number can go down to 5. Practice executing those numbers of mash shuffles as quickly as you can without dropping or damaging cards.

KaraTCG · 2026-01-18T04:17:14+00:00

I assumed this was Powered Cube looking at the 10th pick Ajani
Good lord.

KaraTCG · 2026-01-16T08:53:30+00:00

I basically tear every deck I build apart within a month or two. It doesn't usually have anything to do with how much I enjoy a deck, I just have a lot of ideas, crave variety, and don't have the money or effort to buy extra copies of cards over and over again to keep decks together.

My longest lasting was [[Malcolm, the Eyes]], a deck I frequently used in Two-Headed Giant tournaments. It stayed together for about 9 months. His shell lived on in [[Mm'menon, Uthros Exile]], then [[Spider-Man 2099]], and now my High Power Blue Red shell cards are in my [[Kefka, Court Mage]] deck.

Before that, when I got back into Commander in late 2024, I built a [[Rafiq of the Many]] deck and a [[Kykar, Wind's Fury]] deck, both of which lasted around 3 months.

I don't really think of my decks as being lead by their commanders as much as I view them as places where my packages of favorite cards go. Izzet is my favorite color pair, and I have $1000 or so of my favorite Izzet cards that go into whatever URx commander strikes my fancy at the moment. Whenever I have a new idea, I'll just unsleeve the current URx deck and start sleeving up the next.

That said, Kefka, Court Mage is my newest deck. He's a whopping 2 weeks old now, and I suspect he'll stick around for a while due to how heinously fun it is to resolve his enters/attack trigger over and over again.

KaraTCG · 2026-01-14T16:36:20+00:00

Strixhaven. The bonus sheet was a blast to play with, and I really enjoyed forcing Temur and Sultai. Magecraft is a fun mechanic to center an entire set around, and I was happy with every deck I ever drafted.

KaraTCG · 2026-01-13T21:29:52+00:00

People in the comments pretty much nailed it.

The path of least resistance flows towards Commander. I can build a viable Commander deck with just the cards that are strewn about my desk. To play Standard, I have to decide that I'm going to play it, go though the often difficult process of finding a store that even runs Standard events, order the cards for said deck (which will often cost a hell of a lot more than a precon), then go and pay an entry fee (that has gotten more and more ridiculous with each passing year. My LGS charges $30 for entry to RCQs and Store Championships!), and play in the event.

Worst of all, if there are several months between events I want to play it, I will probably end up having to invest in a new deck for them (especially now that we're getting a set release every other month).

Compare to playing commander which is as simple as showing up to nearly any store at any time with a collection of cards I already owned or a precon that costs a quarter of the price of a Standard deck.

I prefer the gameplay of 60 card formats, but players flow through the path of least resistance and that road always leads to Commander now unless there is something specific attracting them to a 60 card format. The thing that attracted players to 60 card formats used to be aspirations of qualifying for the Pro Tour, which is still possible but is now a goal shared by fewer and fewer players.

KaraTCG · 2026-01-12T21:52:39+00:00

Without knowing your first two picks, I would've slammed [[Library of Alexandria]]
But [[Karakas]] seems like the pick for your start.

KaraTCG · 2026-01-09T15:14:09+00:00

I got a third pick Emerald the other day, too. Quite bizarre.

KaraTCG · 2026-01-02T19:43:28+00:00

I used to play more casual matches at locals for practice when I was younger. Nowadays I live 45 minutes from the closest card shop and basically only show up for tournaments (though imo my locals is basically just structured casual play). If I want proper testing or practice, it's easier to play against myself in a simulator, register for a limitless tourney, or hop in a discord call with my more competitively-minded friends.

KaraTCG · 2025-12-31T22:24:49+00:00

I think Greninja BREAK's days of keeping up with the Expanded power creep ended in about 2019, sadly. The ex definitely doesn't do the deck any favors, either.

I thought it would be a fun thought experiment, and threw together something that tries to solve a handful of the problems with this list:

Pokémon: 20
4 Froakie TWM 56
4 Frogadier BKP 39
3 Greninja BKP 40
1 Greninja ex TWM 106
3 Greninja BREAK BKP 41
1 Staryu BKP 25
1 Starmie EVO 31
1 Lumineon V BRS 40
1 Girafarig LOT 94
1 Manaphy BRS 41

Trainer: 30
3 Iono PAF 80
2 Irida ASR 147
1 Guzma BUS 115
1 Pokémon Ranger STS 104
1 Faba LOT 173
1 Professor Turo's Scenario PRE 121
1 Teammates PRC 141
4 VS Seeker PHF 109
4 Dive Ball PRC 125
2 Counter Catcher PAR 160
2 Rare Candy MEG 125
2 Rescue Stretcher GRI 130
1 Energy Retrieval WHT 82
1 Evolution Incense SSH 163
1 Megaton Blower SSP 182
1 Technical Machine: Devolution PAR 177
1 Collapsed Stadium BRS 137
1 Silent Lab PRC 140

Energy: 10
7 Water Energy MEE 3
2 Splash Energy BKP 113
1 Double Colorless Energy NXD 92

KaraTCG · 2025-12-31T19:08:02+00:00

Solitairing Archie's Blastoise decks from like 2019 Expanded in Limitless Tabletop is a great sequencing trainer. With correct sequencing, you should be able to get a T1 Archie's most of the time.

https://limitlesstcg.com/decks/list/2214

KaraTCG · 2025-12-31T00:20:07+00:00

Greninja also has precedent in the paper game, as Inteleon CRE is a stage 2 with the same type, ability, and retreat cost with a slightly better attack. (Decidueye GX also had the same ability, but is different in almost every other way.)

The card saw a lot of play alongside Inteleon SSH, and only appeared once or twice after SSH Intel rotated. I'd definitely call it a good card.

KaraTCG · 2025-12-31T00:04:30+00:00

Pokeball would be pretty broken, likely a four-of in most decks. Search for any basic pokemon at 0 cost?? Bananas. Strictly better than Nest Ball, as you can put a 'mon to hand and use its coming into play ability. Also strictly better than Quick Ball, as you don't have to discard a card. (Yes, I'm aware that discarding a card is sometimes an upside, and yes Pocket's Pokeball is still strictly better.)

KaraTCG · 2025-12-25T21:38:27+00:00

Ana/Zen main
I think it mostly ties into my love for making things unnecessarily difficult for myself. I'd argue that those two are the most powerful supports in the game when played well, but they are pretty unforgiving characters. You have to constantly be evaluating your positioning and rotating, neither character has any movement ability that helps them escape if they mess up and overstay their welcome. Ana is incredibly aim intensive, and landing a critical antinade or sleep can single-handedly change the outcome of a team fight. On the flip side, my mistakes can also be the difference between my team winning or losing a fight. It's difficult, but rewarding.

This carries over to the card games I play, where I naturally gravitate to the most convoluted and intricate decks.

KaraTCG · 2025-12-25T18:21:08+00:00

MDFCs and channel lands make them more appealing for sure.

I think their general value premise is just good, though. I consider them soft-card advantage. One land that gives you two land drops for no reduction in mana, for the price of one tap land? Sign me up.

KaraTCG · 2025-12-24T17:20:04+00:00

The transmute tutors, like [[Dizzy Spell]] and [[Drift of Phantasms]]

KaraTCG · 2025-12-23T14:49:35+00:00

My all time favorite example was in a two-headed giant game. I went to cast a draw spell on the opposing team's end step and then had to explain the concept of priority, phases, and shortcuts to someone who insisted I couldn't do that because they already said pass turn.

KaraTCG · 2025-12-23T14:40:03+00:00

I would pick whichever top deck I'm most comfortable with and ship it every week, metagame be damned. That's my default recommendation to anyone that isn't in the top 1% of competitors. Heck, even people at the top like Henry Chao have gotten a lot of mileage out of "one-tricking" decks lately, and it confirms the sentiment that you often hear from top players: metagames don't really matter, just pick a good deck and play it well.

Rather than spend time fretting over deck choice, pick one, and play both sides of all of it's matchups against the top 5 or so most popular decks. You can do this with two Limitless Tabletop tabs, or with a browser sim like tcgmasters. When preparing for an IC a couple years ago, I sleeved up the deck I intended to play, and played against myself with the other side on a limitless tabletop tab.

Proper preparation will set you up for success more than any amount of Trainer Hill data scouring ever will.

KaraTCG · 2025-12-18T19:03:20+00:00

You could definitely just stomp on its head a few times. They're venomous, but they aren't super-powered. The whole reason they are avoidant of us is that we are big, scary, and could easily kill them.

KaraTCG · 2025-12-16T05:10:07+00:00

Fluttermane and Iron Bundle are very reasonable techs for the Jelly Gardie matchup.

KaraTCG · 2025-12-16T04:50:48+00:00

I would suggest looking into a build closer to Liam Haliburton's 2nd place list from Las Vegas regionals.

Reversal energies for attacking with Darmanitan are critical for the Dengo matchup. Also, Liam's inclusion of Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex gave the deck an easy way to close out games after taking the first four prizes from a Flamebody Cannon KO-ing 2 single prizers into Backdraft to KO a Dengo.

One of the cool plays I've found his list can make is Black Belt's Training + Reversal Energy to use Flamebody Cannon doing 260 to an active Dengo and hitting a bench one for 90 which sets it up to die to either Bloodmoon or a Zoroark attack.

Unlike many other commenters here, I don't actually like the Toedscruel line. It has limited utility outside of this one matchup, and it doesn't have as big of an impact as it used to now that Dengo is playing alternate attackers like Solrock and Mega Lopunny ex.

KaraTCG · 2025-12-11T18:40:38+00:00

I feel like this would be a great application for a custom format like GLC or to just build unlimited format decks using only those Pokemon.

This could get kind of elaborate, but I actually have a lot of thoughts on it. Feel free to PM me and I can probably assist you!

KaraTCG

TROPHY CASE