Tag Archives: Magic finance

Accumulated Knowledge

PROTRADER: Playing Better part 3, Deckbuilding

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What is the best deck for a person ultimately more concerned with Magic Finance?

Red Deck Wins.

See you next week!

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…What, you’re still here? Okaaaay, we’ll actually do this. Geez, y’all are a pushy bunch.

All joking aside, there are two major points that I want to touch on today, and they are both important subjects that have not been covered much, if at all, recently. The first is going to be the shorter, more game-play based topic of playing the right type of deck, while the second is going to try and figure out HOW to buy in to future Standards. The latter may sound silly at first, but recognize that we are still treading into unknown territory with regards to the new rotation schedule, and if you haven’t been around since Khans, where do you start? Figuring out how to get new or lapsed players in (or back in) to the tournament scene is a great way to grow your market, as well as anticipate future trends.

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expensive cards

ProTrader: Magic doesn’t have to be expensive.

Accumulated Knowledge

PROTRADER: Everything In Its Right Place

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This week’s article is not a continuation of the Playing Better series (which will continue next week), but is more of an address to the various things that have come up since I started that series. This is going to be one of those grab bag style pieces that is slightly more focused than a collection of quick hits. If there is one major point to be made, however, it’s the following:

NOT EVERYTHING IS FOR EVERYBODY: We have three supplemental Magic products coming out this summer, and they are all in the form of actual sets (as opposed to pre-constructed decks or something). This is unprecedented, and has a type of psychological impact that people have largely had trouble articulating.

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expensive cards

ProTrader: Magic doesn’t have to be expensive.

Accumulated Knowledge

PROTRADER: Playing Better, Part 1: Refocusing

Hello, and welcome to the first installment of a new mini-series that I hope will be very informative. Without getting too cutesy in trying to build it up, I want to talk about what it genuinely takes to get ahead financially playing Magic. So many people talk about Magic Finance as just making their hobby more affordable, but then make choices and actions that are against that better interest. This series would probably best be termed “Grinder Finance” were that title not currently used by fellow writer and potential mustachioed organ grinder Jim Casale.

File Photo of Jim Casale.
File Photo of Jim Casale.

Our first lesson may be the most important, as it will set the tenor for the rest of the articles. The goal is to breakdown everything that you currently do, figure out what you need to be doing differently (if you actually want to change), and then make informed decisions based on our analysis. Subsequent topics in this series will include what decks and formats you should play if you actually want to get ahead, what tournaments to play in, Magic Online, and more. We may briefly touch on some of these in passing today, but for now, let’s just begin by talking about all the things you do wrong and why they are destroying your dreams and aspirations.

Hello, Neo.
Hello, Neo.

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expensive cards

ProTrader: Magic doesn’t have to be expensive.

The Science of Magic

The Science of Magic: Is Modern Pay-to-Win?

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Editor’s Note: Say a welcome to Ardon, who is bringing some much-needed hard data to answer some of the more difficult questions we face in the game. I think you’ll like this piece, so enjoy! – Corbin


One of the great appeals of Magic is that it tests our skills. But powerful cards cost more money, which leads to some awkward tension: did we win because we outmaneuvered our opponents, or did we simply outspend them? Are we becoming better players, or just more invested? The idea of “pay-to-win” is Magic’s biggest elephant creature token in the room. I’m a graduate student, so I thought, why not collect data? I found evidence that money influences results, but not in the way I expected. As a result, I think we should pay less attention to win percentage, and focus instead on consistency.

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