i used to play magic all the time. i only had three decks, a mono blue mermaid deck, mono black control and a mono green squirrels(best deck ever)

I LOVE the game. I think its brilliant, addictive and involves fantastic strategy. Unfortunately it is also completely BROKEN due to its marketing strategy. The prohibitive cost of rare cards (the afore-pictured black lotus) keeping up with expansions, etc. make the game essentially unplayable for anyone unwilling to spend literally hundreds if not thousands of dollars on this one game. Unless you know enough people who are willing to play 'fairer' games (perhaps using only a certain era of cards that everyone has or something along those lines) or you're playing in one of those tournaments where you have to improvise (you get one starter and two expansions and have to make the best deck you can on the spot) the game just rewards wealth more than strategy. At those highest spending levels, sure, you will still have serious strategy at play but everyone who cannot spend that much might have the best strategy in the world but can never beat the guy with the $1000 deck.

@ ajay42
While some of what you said is true I've been able to play competitively on the budget of a 16yr old with no steady job. The games tournament structure is also mainly tournaments involving the latest sets so you don't have to own the great, Expensive cards of the past. Yes the best decks are usually the most expensive, but I'd say you could build most competitive decks today for under 100-@50 dollars.

I don't play, but I've always wanted to. I bought a starter deck a long time ago, but had nobody to play with, so I kind of lost the cards. :/

If you have any recommendations on what someone new to the game should buy for starters, it would be appreciated, as I now have a few friends interesting in playing.

Also, do you know of a good way to play Magic on the computer (online or even against a computer, for learning purposes)? I downloaded Magic Online after reading something about a free server, but I couldn't find a way to access it if it exists.

@ Tsunami
I'll shoot you off a PM tomorrow with some suggestions but for now I need sleep :D

Ha! Didn't realize I was signed in as Donna. That's what happens when you share computers. Its KyleGamgee if you didn't catch that.

I used to play a lot in 8th grade. I was pretty good too. I quit after Ice Age though. I just remember Fallen Empires being the crappiest expansion ever.

I still play with my friends every week or so. Never tried any tournaments or anything like that, though.

the only good thing from fallen empires was the breeding pit, an essential card before lord of the pit is dropped. 7/7 flying trample ftw