Hello all!
Excuse me my very long post but i just want some feedback of y'all, now that Riftbound is out for months. I asked some similar questions long time ago, but now that the game is out with the second or third set, the Feedback will maybe be different.
I play magic since forever and still love this game. Sadly - even liking commander and the other formats - i'm still in my heart one of those few "kitchen table player" that loves building tons of different decks based on the cards that i have/like/pull. Those decks are neither competitive nore are they really working out, but i simply like building, testing and upgrading them. Of course i have also Commander Decks or more competitive stuff, but at the end - even in Pauper - you'll play against the same meta-decks over and over. Finding other players for games on a regularly basis outside of Commander or competitive seems impossible.
When Riftbound was announced, it catched me. Because here, it's again this "good old" 1 vs 1. All those other TCGs may be nice, but most of the time its the theme that doesnt catches me. But Riftbound, that was something else.
Many Magic players told me that even as a magic player, i should try out Riftbound because it is THAT good.
I have to admit: i dont know much about the mechanics and i would have to learn everything from scratch.
I will put numbers in front of my questions, so it might be easier to give some feedback. Thanks to everybody taking the time to answer those questions and help me out!
- Does it makes sense to start this new TCG if you already play magic (like: theres not really enough "new/different" mechanics to "justify" playing Riftbound)?
- Has the meta enough (or even more than magic) variety or is it the same 3 decks competing with eachother, while the others will fight for the "rest"?
- In magic, a not-meta deck will rarely stand a chance against a deck pumped with the most expensive rares and mythics (of course paying attention to the synergies, etc), with tutors and stuff. You will not be able to win with a deck that you build out of the cards you pulled in displays - at least not against a deck (talking about modern and standard) that runs 4 times the "best cards". No matter how good you play.
- How does it works for Riftbound? Is this quiet the same or has the distribution of rarity in your deck the same impact? Or is it more "skill focussed"?
- Is there the same "bulk problem" (as i call it) like in magic? Do you also have hundreds of cards that end up unused or do most of the cards find some kind of "use" in different decks and still be viable?
- I know, i know: "buy singles". But i love cracking one-two displays and building decks out of the ideas and cards i got while cracking those packs (buying missing singles to complete some playsets if necessary). In magic, most of those "selfbrewed fun-decks" cant compete and are just made for "kitchen table" (which is relativly rarely played nowadays. I talked about it at the beginning). I am aware that it might seem crazy but i always prefered the idea having 10 mediocre magic-decks (even if i would lose) than playing with the same two 200€ decks over and over - even if at the end, i spent the same amount of money for it. I cant overcome the urge to have "variety and quantity" over "quality". Just to be clear: i am willing to spend quiet an amount of money on Riftbound if i would start with it.
- So: how expensive is Riftbound? Is buying a display and all champion decks a good idea (if my budget is allowing it) to even have fun at my local LGS or will i have to build a meta decks out of specific (expensive) cards because "i will end alone at my kitchen table without any others to play "the mediocre way""? I hope you understand what i want to ask you here...
- Knowing that the first set is still sold at incredibly high prices, does it makes still sense starting with Riftbound? Is the first set so expensive because of the cards in it that i would need or is the set so expensive because it was not (and still not?) really abvailable?
I know that this is a very long post and i am grateful for everyone who reads and tries to understand what i try to ask/tell you.
Thank you very much!