I want to play a casual and cheap TCG with my friends by doing something like this
>buy cheap theme/preconstructed deck
>buy one booster pack each week or two when we get together for games
>as a group, adjust decks and trade stuff
So my question is, what game would give the best experience using this set-up? I figured MtG would be fun because with only 5 colors, I feel like people wouldn't be too limited to what they can put in their deck from their booster.
I also thought the Pokemon TCG would be pretty easy to teach (I'm working with casuals, part of the reason I need to keep cost down), but am worried with evolutions and megas, people could get good cards in their packs and never get the commons needed to play them, although trading could fix this.
I know nothing about YuGiOh, but am willing to give it a try if my friends are up to it.
Any ideas or things you have tried in your groups? I'd really like to hear thoughts and opinions on a set up like this for playing card games.
>>46438024
Both Android: Netrunner (https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/android-netrunner-the-card-game/) and Game of Thrones (https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/a-game-of-thrones-the-card-game-second-edition/) are quite decent card games that don't require a large invesment. They get monthly expasion packs that come with playsets of 10-15 new cards for all factions, and major thematic expansion packs that focus on only one or two factions, that also come with full playsets or cards.
Assuming you and your friends are willing to play each different factions, you can save some money by sharing/trading the cards that aren't useful to you. Even then, compared to games such as Magic and Pokemon, these games are much more affordable.
The only drawback is that they're simply not as popular, and it's harder for you to find random people playing them on local stores, especially compared to something like Magic.
>>46438242
Using MtG and Pokemon as guidelines, how hard would the games be to teach? Could be worth a look.
>>46438024
Yugioh's structure decks are really good for the $10 price tag
>>46438024
People talk a lot about how bad a return you get buying sealed MtG product here, but Pokemon is much worse. Fewer cards per pack, and fewer playable commons out of those. The game itself is pretty fun (Pokemon's draw cards in every set pretty are much one par with MtG's draw power in Legacy, and it feels nice being able to see so much of your deck consistently), but the ration of good cards to trash is just not very favorable if you do want to buy boosters.
>>46438525
Any game do boosters right? Or are singles and LCGs the only solution for casual?
>>46438755
On one hand, one reason I switched from MtG to netrunner was that I think that booster are INHERENTLY "Doing it wrong"
That said, I do really like boosters for drafting/sealed and Netrunner is terrible for those, both in terms of cost and in terms of the stuff you need for drafting is useless after the draft cause you already have playsets.
>>46440565
Part of the reason I love cardgames is that fun feeling of opening boosters and getting a random surprise. I partially set up this system because if everyone starts with midiocre cards, there should be almost something you always can use in your booster.
>>46441106
>Part of the reason I love cardgames is that fun feeling of opening boosters and getting a random surprise
I know that feeling, but eventually my MtG collection got big enough that would nearly always be disappointing unless I happened to luck into a good rare or MAYBE a chase uncommon.
Anything else would almost always be crap and or something I could get for cheap enough in the singles market.
>>46438024
There are a number of limited formats you can run this way. Cube drafts are one example.
If you're running with casuals, I think you'll find that deck construction is somewhat beyond most of them. You might be better off with an "all-in-one-box" type of game.
Romance of the Nine Empires
Blue Moon Legends
Star Realms
Stuff like that. Star Realms is particularly easy to teach.
The Adventure Time Card Game might be a good option for an actual CCG. It's pretty solid. Fun mechanics, fun theme, nice production, not too expensive.
>>46441435
My friends play a lot of board/card games. Things like Sushi Go/Hannabi/Love Letters they love.
I guess we just miss that feeling of an always evolving game, just having a hard time keeping it cheap and fair for the group. A game in a box might be a good idea. I actually own the Netrunner base set, and the games fun, just afraid it'll be a little too much for some people.
>>46441875
Has your group gone through it's Dominion phase yet?
>>46441875
How about Legendary?
>>46441875
Lord of the Rings LCG would be another good option. Your group might have to do adventures on easy-mode for a while without a big card pool, but it's one of the best co-op experiences in gaming.
>>46441980
No, I really don't feel like my group would go for it. From the bit I have seen of the game, it's a bit too long and too strategic. Most people besides myself and one other are pretty casual. Played some Pokemon when they were young and that's it.
>>46438024
Check your local game stores to see what people are playing. If everyone is only playing Magic, then Magic would probably be the best option. I know people around here are playing Force of Will as well, but that's just a local situation.
Magic: the Gathering seems to work out fairly well. The hardest part is that some of the stranger cards basically require a custom-build deck to function, and so will be worthless otherwise. That, and the risk of one play keeping or trading for the expensive rare cards and just selling them to a game store somewhere.
Force of Will, along with YuGiOh, seem based around the ideas of AWESOME HUGE MONSTERS and AWESOME STUFF YOU CAN DO. As in, little sense of balance almost intentionally. If that's your thing, great. If not, then perhaps you should be wary.
I'm not even sure what other card games are available to you. The above, Pokemon, and MLP are the only things I regularly see in sold in stores. The specialty game shops have a bit of a larger variety, although that can be intermittent.
>>46442025
How is it?
>>46442068
A fast group can play a game of Dominion in like ten minutes. Half an hour is more common.
The basic ruleset is certainly no more complicated than a typical CCG.
I would be surprised if your group doesn't hook on Dominion hard. Sushi Go, Hannabi, Coup, and Love Letter have been popular with my group since we burned out on Dominion after several years of constant play.
If your group is unwilling to play anything more in-depth than filler games, you might be out of luck.
>>46442138
Not my cup of tea thematically but a lot of people seem to like it.
>>46442195
Might look into Dominion after hearing this.
>TCG
Don't do this to yourself, OP!
If you want cheap and casual, you're better off with a game that everyone can play right out of the box. Some suggestions:
Dominion
Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt. Skullzfyre
Infernal Contraption
Thunderstone (a bit too convoluted, but it's fun)
>>46442348
>you'll never have that feeling of playing TCGs with your middleschool friends, riding a bike to Target to buy a boosterpack with your allowance, and playing shitty decks for fun because you thought one card looks cool
I guess you're right anon, I shouldn't fall back into the TCG scam. Just remember FNM and MNP being a lot of fun before things got so serious and expensive.
>>46438024
I've seen EPIC advertised as "everything you need in one pack", realistically each person needs two. The packs are specifically balanced to make an instant deck mix.
Also available is a package of 120 cards of 4 factions designed for drafting.
>>46443275
>I've seen EPIC advertised as "everything you need in one pack", realistically each person needs two.
Fuck, if you want to play constructed you need 3.
Was very disappointed to learn that.
>>46443585
Constructed formats suck.
Even in games with much larger card pools than EPIC will ever have.
I don't have any experience playing it but I hear Force of Will is a really easy and fun tcg to get into.
>>46444125
I was actually super interested in this card game. Seems like a mash-up of every other TCG out there.
>>46446195
It mostly seems like Yugioh with a lot of Magic mechanics. What other TCGs does it look like?
>>46438024
>but am worried with evolutions and megas
What you should really be worried about is Supporters.
It's all well and good to have some big fancy monster on the field, but if the other guy has been lucky with his uncommons and has enough Supporters to get his draws going consistently he's going to have the edge.
>>46438024
If you don't mind dice instead of cards you might want to look into Dicemasters.
>>46438755
I would argue that Dicemasters does, though only because each die has 3 cards, and rarity is based on the cards.
So even if you want the Super Rare version of a character for your team, you only need to get the Super Rare once.
>>46438024
Play MTG and get into Pauper, or Commander. Those are the cheapest formats and are quite fun
>>46438024
If you want casual and cheap, I've heard good things about Android Netrunner, though i've never played it.
Yugioh starter decks are good, but buying boosters will get you literally nowhere, as the cards all require very specific cards to have any amount of synergy.
Magic would be a decent option, you can have fun with the starter decks and buying a booster will give you a few fun bits and pieces.
While I haven't played Pokemon in years, I think it's half way between YGO and MTG, while a lot of the stuff will work, your going to get evolutions you cant use.
>>46447538
Commander can be ridiculously expensive depending on the playgroup
