How to teach Magic

TomigonTomigon
edited March 2015 in MTG Gameplay Chat
If you teach someone how to play magic, what are your approaches? :D

Comments

  • FunnyCardsAndStuffFunnyCardsAndStuff
    I just play open-hand with them and explain everything as we go in the game, instead of telling them everything in one big go, which they could easily forget.
  • CorwinnnCorwinnn
    I have two simple, single color decks... One black and one green. We play with cards exposed and we walk through a few times... then when they see how I use the cards I have, we switch decks, and I show them how to use the other cards, plus I have a flip chart with all the steps and we refer to it all the time.
  • PolanetyPolanety
    First thing is tell them how complicated magic is (And how expensive, if you want to) straight up. If they're still into playing magic, I start really simple. I give them my three color aggro deck that takes no skill to play. I start open handed, going through the phases. We'll go over the same card a few times just so they get the mechanics.

    A really important thing is to tell them what to do as you're playing, not all before. Magic is a tough game to learn.
  • mtgcardsmithmtgcardsmith
    I also start with two basic single-color decks, limited in power (only a few rares, no mythic) with good examples of most spell types. Usually two of green/white/red. Explain the basics of a magic card (types, cost, P/T) and answer any questions. Then we'll walk through the phases of each turn. In my experience, it's even easier to teach two newbies at once and just act as a judge/teacher.

    I agree with @Polanety too, its good to have an up-front warning about how addicting and expensive it can get as you dive deeper into competitive Magic.
  • EatSleepTapEatSleepTap
    I've taught some of the kids at my local game store how to play (No, I'm not a creeper), and I mostly just play with simple decks and play open handed. Plus, you never want to play control against any of them!
  • Gafratt01Gafratt01
    "I thought that {1}{r} means that you need to have at least one fire mana out to play"
  • CorwinnnCorwinnn
    "fire mana"
  • DeepSkyDeepSky
    edited May 2015

  • MemnarchitectMemnarchitect
    edited May 2015
    @EatSleepTap

    One of my first experiences with Magic was playing the Tenth Edition Molimo, Maro Sorcerer starter deck against the Blue Tenth Edition starter deck with an employee at the local game store.

    Mono-Green Midrange versus Mono-Blue Control

    While I quickly grew bored of the same interactions between simple cards, it showed me quite efficiently many different ways to deal with threats efficiently, without killing them in combat.

    Wall them, Tap them, Mind Control them, Incapacitate them, Fly over them, Bounce-Loop them, Dig for any of those answers to them.

    There are 100 ways to lose as a creature in Magic.
  • EatSleepTapEatSleepTap
    @Memnarchitect Then I guess I'm just the only one who hates control :(
  • ostewartostewart
    @EatSleepTap you are not alone!
  • strongbelievesstrongbelieves
    edited March 2016
    It is important that the very first time you play them, while they are still learning you rules, you wipe them out mercilessly with your best combo deck turn 5-6 so they know you don't play with scrublord noobs that can't 360noscope.

    And maybe keep MTGSalvation open on a computer or a tablet so you can show them details on abilities, types, etc.

    Also, get them into all of the pre-Origins lore. That stuff's great. Just don't tell them about the Super Friends. Anyone who starts reading MTG lore with something as generic and uninspired as the Origins backgrounds and the BFZ/OTG stories is going to get bored and give up fast.

    Edit: And play with hands revealed until they get it.
  • ZendikarIncarnateZendikarIncarnate
    Play openhanded with some modified duel decks, and I get the better one so I can teach them that magic is full of loss
  • Faiths_GuideFaiths_Guide
    I've heard it said that one should start by teaching with just creatures and move up from there. Only one win condition only one way to achieve it, simplify as much as possible then scale up. Perhaps use only commons (definitely just basic lands).

    When I was learning I used these: .
    Helped me make sure I wasn't playing wrong.

    Playing open handed seems like a theme (reading through the comments above. That seems like a good option. I have taught (and learned alongside) multiple beginners. The main thing to keep in mind is that it takes time to become familiar with it, don't give them all the technicallities up front.
  • GrimshacGrimshac
    edited March 2016
    I just throw beginners right into playing versus my UW control deck, and they get a Rakdos Aggro deck. I figure that if they can't cope, they weren't meant to be part of the MtG masterrace anyway.







    /s
  • Faiths_GuideFaiths_Guide
    So you use "survival of the fittest" techniques to weed out those inferiors whose lot in life isn't of the caliber necessary to associate with the peaks of perfection (aka MTG players)?

    HAHAHA
  • GrimshacGrimshac
    @Faiths_Guide

    Exactly! See, I figure that if you can't even work under the stress of understanding how the stack works within 20 minutes of sitting down to play your first match, then you won't ever understand it. Meaning you will never understand the glory that is Eldrazi Displacerx2 :)
  • WD40WD40
    I literally make a stack to explain the stack.
  • Faiths_GuideFaiths_Guide
    edited March 2016
    How simplistic of you. Why don't you make it as difficult as possible to weed out the unworthys?

    "If @Grimshac would do it we probably should too." - Proverbial Proverb
  • ZendikarIncarnateZendikarIncarnate
    Or the first thing I do is put my Ephara in my hand so my newbie can feel the wrath of the gods. Or the wrath of believed-to-be gods, such as Kiora. Or slap them with a rebound life card. Literally. I once slapped someone with this card:

    image
  • GelectrodeGelectrode
    I have taught about 10 kids how to play Magic. About 8 of them played the blasphemy known as Pokemon, so I show them the synergy between both games. They all got it a lot easier than I would have thought.
    The best approach for me concerning decks is to create 5 "crap-decks" of each color, then let them play them all, then they decide which one they want to keep.
  • GelectrodeGelectrode
    edited March 2016
    Oh yeah, and if there is some troublesome fifth-grader who thinks he's all that with his store bought deck, I normally apply my specialty treatment of "Grixis Delver" upon the sorry fool. They get cured in approximately two minutes (or three MTG turns)
  • LujikulLujikul
    I'm terrible at teaching. My very first time trying to teach someone, I tried to explain everything before we even played a single card. Instants, sorceries, creatures, mechanics, abilities, all that crap, at once. It took a month before he could beat me once. Now he crushes me.

    Of course, now I just try to figure out what card game the new person has played and try to draw as many comparisons as possible for their feeble mind. And then I straight up kill them for the next two weeks.
  • ZendikarIncarnateZendikarIncarnate
    A couple days ago I taught someone how to teach magic. He really wanted the new Delirium modified intro pack, so he played with that. He had no idea how to play Mindwrack demon, and tried to kill my 13/13 Uvenwald Hydra with his tooth collector. Good luck with that one.
  • ZendikarIncarnateZendikarIncarnate
    Also, show your opponent an aggro and a control, to show that not all decks have this one card.
  • muppetman47muppetman47
    What I do first is explain to them the basics (attacking, blocking, tapping,etc.) and the basic spell types (creature, instant, sorcery, enchantment) and what the differences are. Then I would play an open hand game explaining the abilities that come up.

    I would play with two of the new decks by WotC. They are easy to learn the basics and are pretty well-balanced. Go easy on them. Don't play combos, storm, or crush them, Maybe let them win so they are encouraged to continue learning. Maybe make them a cheap but good Standard deck and then play with them for a few months. Once they are building decks take them to a draft or FNM. Have fun with it is the best advice I can give. If you guys are both having fun the person learning will continue playing.
  • JAMJAM
    I explain the mana system first, then I explain creatures/instants/sorceries, going into more depth when it comes up (like combat and how it works). I use special decks that I made from cards lying around that I thought were simple (mostly vanilla, french vanilla, etb triggers, simple effects). I usually play the first game with open hands.

    Mark Rosewater did a Drive to Work Podcast on teaching new magic players, and techniques to keep in mind while doing so. One of them involves not going into depth about the strategy of the game to keep the new player from getting confused.
  • TrippleBoggey3TrippleBoggey3
    Dual decks work very well in teaching magic.
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