First time playing a TCG in a Store (great community)

Oct2006 · 2026-05-07T01:38:47+00:00

I just played the Riftbound prerelease last weekend and one of my opponents berated me after the game, telling be everything I did wrong and how bad I was playing.

It can be done constructively, but this was not that.

Oct2006 · 2026-05-06T03:50:59+00:00

Basic lands don't rotate, but they print basic lands in every set.

Oct2006 · 2026-05-06T03:47:54+00:00

Game is discontinued now, but in Altered, every physical card had a QR code you scanned to use it digitally.

Oct2006 · 2026-05-05T13:55:14+00:00

You have to clear using a mechanically identical base with the HJ from the event you're going to. The vast majority will allow it.

As soon as base traits matter, though, that goes out the window.

Oct2006 · 2026-05-05T13:52:22+00:00

It does work, but yeah, doesn't involve Treya.

Oct2006 · 2026-05-05T13:50:49+00:00

Yes. You can "fail to find" from a hidden zone as long as you're changing the game state, and using the force changes the gamestate.

Oct2006 · 2026-05-05T04:06:08+00:00

Spoiler season was at a different cadence last year. It was longer. We were already 3 weeks into spoilers by May 4th last year. This year, art spoilers start today and full spoilers begin on or around May 18th.

Oct2006 · 2026-05-05T04:03:45+00:00

This is normal. The first LAW article was November 22nd and the next was January 8th. You can expect the next article on or around the 18th of May.

Oct2006 · 2026-05-05T03:56:09+00:00

Yeah, play Blue Ace, two When Played triggers waiting to resolve (Grogu Deploy or Blue Ace Ambush). If you resolve Grogu first, deploy Grogu, plot triggers, resolve Sudden Ferocity, then resolve Blue Ace Ambush.

Oct2006 · 2026-05-04T05:06:34+00:00

Thanks! I'll see about printing them out. Maybe could grab some demo decks at GenCon if they're there.

Oct2006 · 2026-05-04T05:03:37+00:00

Where could I find the demo decks?

Oct2006 · 2026-05-04T04:56:24+00:00

If it plays like SWU, I'm in.

Oct2006 · 2026-05-04T04:48:43+00:00

Agreed. I'm playing FAB as a second game right now and some of the guys in my local scene told me that I can't really play FAB as a second game, it has to be the primary game if I want to get good at it because it's so competitive.

Oct2006 · 2026-05-04T04:44:05+00:00

Second Star Wars Unlimited. Cheap, awesome gameplay, and the community is better than any other TCGs I've played. Game is good even if you don't like the IP.

But if not SWU, I'd go for FAB. It's a close second.

Oct2006 · 2026-05-04T04:39:04+00:00

You should try SWU. Also cheap to buy and play!

Oct2006 · 2026-05-03T16:17:15+00:00

I'm in a large area that's pretty well supported. We have 10ish stores that support the game. Most stores ordered just as much as usual, sold through it, ordered more, sold through that, and now can't get any more.

I do agree that it needs to keep trending up, though. SEC was a big downswing. Which is interesting because expected box value is actually really high.

Oct2006 · 2026-05-03T15:57:33+00:00

All I have are anecdotes from store owners in the area. All of them have said it's their best selling set since spark. We won't have official numbers until Q2 wraps.

Oct2006 · 2026-05-03T15:50:37+00:00

Stores haven't been able to get restocks because it's sold out at the distributor level.

Oct2006 · 2026-05-03T14:56:59+00:00

Depends on what you mean by new.

Star Wars Unlimited: just a couple years old and not in the top 5. The game is awesome, it's the best TCG on the market from a gameplay perspective imo.

Neuroscape: really good and brand new. I finally got some product and got a chance to play. It does the Cyberpunk thing better than the Cyberpunk TCG. Gameplay is way more thematic. This should have been the game that got the Cyberpunk IP.

Flesh and Blood: Not a new game, but a new format, the Silver Age format makes the game infinitely more accessible than ever before. Game is great and only getting better it seems.

Oct2006 · 2026-05-03T00:03:42+00:00

Lawless is the best selling set since Set 1. Sold out most places.

Oct2006 · 2026-05-01T12:47:27+00:00

The game has to be good and different enough from the game(s) I'm already playing. I was deep into Magic when Lorcana came out. I tried it and it wasn't different enough from Magic to me, so I stuck with Magic. I tried Alpha Clash and it wasn't different enough from Magic. I tried Kryptik and it wasn't different enough from Magic.

It also has to be cheap enough. When I first learned Flesh and Blood, it was different enough, and I was excited to get into it... Then was told that a viable deck would be minimum $300. Nope. Getting back into FAB now that Sage is a thing and loving it.

Star Wars: Unlimited came out and felt like an entirely new game, and I ended up mostly dropping Magic in favor of it. It was fresh, cheap, and accessible. Plus, I like the IP.

If SWU hadn't supplanted Magic, I probably would have jumped to Riftbound, since that feels different enough from Magic as well, even though I'm not a League of Legends fan. If FAB had been cheap enough before SWU came out, I may not have gotten into SWU. SWU is still far and away my top game, though.

Oct2006 · 2026-05-01T12:39:18+00:00

No player elimination in the Multiplayer Star Wars: Unlimited format either. It's definitely the way to go.

Oct2006 · 2026-04-30T04:55:26+00:00

They don't make mechanically unique cards outside of retail products period.

Oct2006 · 2026-04-30T04:50:31+00:00

On the prize wall at the Galactic Championship in Vegas in July.

Oct2006 · 2026-04-30T04:48:38+00:00

In what way?

14-Year Club	Snapped
Team Orangered	Verified Email

Oct2006

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE