@TheMagicer carefully conserving resources is actually a very important skill in the game.
I play a Iroas aggro deck that can be very explosive, but is bad at drawing cards.
It needs to get to 7 devotion for Iroas, but any extra creatures don't bring much benefit while do bring a lot of risk. If I have no cards in hand and get board wiped, I'm basically done. So I always try to hold back as much as I can after 7 devotion to prepare.
Im glad you're thinking about this! A real level up.
@TheMagicer I guess it depends on what you mean by "fake falling behind".
I do conserve my resources to avoid being perceived as a threat. That's not only proper resource logistics, it's also saving my stuff from removal to reduce risk.
I will also argue that I am not a threat based on my board state compared to other players, or try to convince people that some plays are unnecessary.
I think the difference is between lying about my luck vs being strategic in how I present my board state
@xgranade imo this is more of a rule 0 matter. If I had a card like that in my deck, I would get the table's permission before starting and bring a replacement card in case someone objects.
@bec pantlaza will see the creature enter under the effect of Elesh Norn.
"Creatures get" is a status effect that applies as long as a creature is on the battlefield. It doesn't trigger, it just is.
Compare this with an activated or triggered ability which goes on the stack and can be responded to.
Elesh Norn simply changes the rules of the game, so Pantlaza never gets the chance to see the bigger version of the creature
@rigatti @MysticKetchup I agree with the article, except for the start point. I think the first sign of that big change was when they got rid of the block structure. I think there are a lot of problems with that structure being rigidly enforced, but I don't think that 4+ new planes a year is correct. It really does feel like they're frantically hopping from one place to the next in the hopes that "ooh shiney" will keep people invested
@Graphy to get a lot of LOTR cards specifically, the best value is to buy singles. If you just want a bunch of cards in hand you could buy a box and have fun cracking packs (more expensive, but possible to pull some of the most popular cards) or you could contact someone who buys and sells cards (like CardGardenMTG on Twitter) who sells repacks. They're much cheaper, but do have the most chase cards already taken out. Still a good way to get cards if you want a variety.
@Graphy commander is fun, but it's a LOT for new players. Instead I'd recommend getting 2 starter decks specifically designed for new players (like intro decks).
Another option I like to use is Jumpstart packs! They're fairly simple and offer a lot of variety. Plus you can mix and match to customize the decks according to the new player's preferences. That way they can get a feel for what colors they enjoy
@TheMagicer of course I have other decks that are better at drawing cards so it's fine if they overextend because I can probably draw out of it. Definitely deck-dependent