Need help with learner decks project

[(nameless one)]

The short story behind it is that I am teaching my cousins, a couple of my coworkers who play Hearthstone and my girlfriend (she is forcing me to teach her) how to play Magic.

I wanted to have 10 learner decks, one for each dual color combination. 9 of them are set and I am having troubles building a G/W deck.

Keep in mind that I am only using 3 of the same kind non-permanent rares. The rest are common and uncommon cards.

Typically I would just put together G/W cards but I actually add a means to learn an aspect of the game. Let me explain based on each color combination and deck type:

W/R - Soldier tribal deck (aggro) - deck that showcases the basics of deck building: synergy.
R/G - Flavor Zoo deck (aggro) - deck that showcases the Red philosophy (damage per card).
W/B - Token deck ("midrange") - deck that showcases the idea behind 2-1.
R/B - Reanimator (combo) - deck that showcases "cheater" mechanics. Also showcases two/three card combos.
U/G - Defender combo (combo) - deck that showcases the idea behind critical mass combos (sum is greater than its parts).
U/W - Generic control (control) - deck that showcases the philosophy of card advantage.
G/B - Attrition (control) - deck that showcases how a grindy deck works (recursion)
U/R - Pyromancer ("tempo") - deck that showcases what tempo really is (card vs board position - bounce/land destruction/taxing permission)
U/B - Fish ("tempo") - deck that showcases the philosophy of "who's the beatdown"

With all the examples above, I am at lost on how to build the G/W deck while trying to showcase an aspect of the game. What aspect of the game have I missed that I can incorporate in the G/W colors?

Thanks in advance.

[apple713]

The short story behind it is that I am teaching my cousins, a couple of my coworkers who play Hearthstone and my girlfriend (she is forcing me to teach her) how to play Magic.

I wanted to have 10 learner decks, one for each dual color combination. 9 of them are set and I am having troubles building a G/W deck.

Keep in mind that I am only using 3 of the same kind non-permanent rares. The rest are common and uncommon cards.

Typically I would just put together G/W cards but I actually add a means to learn an aspect of the game. Let me explain based on each color combination and deck type:

W/R - Soldier tribal deck (aggro) - deck that showcases the basics of deck building: synergy.
R/G - Flavor Zoo deck (aggro) - deck that showcases the Red philosophy (damage per card).
W/B - Token deck ("midrange") - deck that showcases the idea behind 2-1.
R/B - Reanimator (combo) - deck that showcases "cheater" mechanics. Also showcases two/three card combos.
U/G - Defender combo (combo) - deck that showcases the idea behind critical mass combos (sum is greater than its parts).
U/W - Generic control (control) - deck that showcases the philosophy of card advantage.
G/B - Attrition (control) - deck that showcases how a grindy deck works (recursion)
U/R - Pyromancer ("tempo") - deck that showcases what tempo really is (card vs board position - bounce/land destruction/taxing permission)
U/B - Fish ("tempo") - deck that showcases the philosophy of "who's the beatdown"

With all the examples above, I am at lost on how to build the G/W deck while trying to showcase an aspect of the game. What aspect of the game have I missed that I can incorporate in the G/W colors?

Thanks in advance.

White and green typically get the best costed creatures / power rating. often it comes at the price of committing to the color (having more manasymbols of a specific color)

jungle lion
savannah lions
watchwolf
Kalonian Tusker
leatherback baloth


or you could take a different approach. Cards in these colors often serve as toolbox creatures think creatures found in survival. cards in these colors also have combat interactions like first strike, flying, lifelink, trample, banding (maybe not what you want them to be learning about from the start)


knight of the reliquary
Reclamation Sage
thalia
baneslayer angel

[ahg113]

2nd for the G/W being a toolbox deck for creatures deck. Throw in a GSZ, Fauna Shaman and x as the three rares.

The other option for G/W is fat beats, going over top the opponent and just ground and pound, not even grind. Kinda like table top magic for 6th graders, which prolly won't make a good legacy deck...

[Slag]

"Ramp" is becoming more and more of a viable strategy in various formats, including legacy by way of the Eldrazi decks and Nic Fit. A deck that centers around an assembling the Urzatron or Temple of the False God with some of the less powerful land search, and then leading to a few big business spells would teach the player about cultivating resources.

[Offler]

I use to visit smaller fantasy and anime festivals in our city and teach magic. I picked some duel decks.

Jace VS chandra
Heroes VS Monsters

have proven to be quite balanced and quite easy to teach players. However Phyrexia VS Coalition was not good in this, and Ajani VS Bolas was complete tragedy in this manner.

[(nameless one)]

I ended up turning the G/W deck into an Astral Slide deck. The deck will focus on building and playing around an engine card. The idea of value versus volume is also applied on this deck.

I have also changed the U/B from a fish deck into a Draw/Go Psychatog deck and made the G/B into a more aggro/control deck.

The reason for this is because U/R essentially teaches the same thing as U/B, in a sense that both can apply the "who is the beatdown" aspect of the game.

G/B achieves the same thing and it also showcase on different ways of disrupting an opponent.

U/B will now focus on showcasing the Stack. I feel like this should be taught to a lot of new players.

[Tylert]

I like the idea of having decks to teach magic to people.
However, I would only do 3 decks: 1 aggro, 1 mid-range, 1 control.
I would also use basic cards like vanilla creatures or creatures with one ability, and spells that do not have too much text.
I'd try to showcase at least a spell of each type (planeswalkers excluded, those are too complicated) in each deck.

I'd probably only build 2 decks, because each player needs to be able to win and the most difficult part would be to balance each deck :)

However, after having played with both deck a few time and having understand the basic rules of magic, I would probably switch to the 10 decks so they can have an idea of the different play styles.

[apple713]

I like the idea of having decks to teach magic to people.
However, I would only do 3 decks: 1 aggro, 1 mid-range, 1 control.
I would also use basic cards like vanilla creatures or creatures with one ability, and spells that do not have too much text.
I'd try to showcase at least a spell of each type (planeswalkers excluded, those are too complicated) in each deck.

I'd probably only build 2 decks, because each player needs to be able to win and the most difficult part would be to balance each deck :)

However, after having played with both deck a few time and having understand the basic rules of magic, I would probably switch to the 10 decks so they can have an idea of the different play styles.

depending on how new your players are or their ability to learn the game it might be better to introduce 1 aggro 1 control 1 Combo. That way the players learn the cycle of the game, combo>aggro>control>combo.

[Bed Decks Palyer]

Combo might them discourage. Also, one doesn't appreciate the combo deck until he's fed up with the usual Wurm->Terror->Unsummon->Swords->Counterspell plays.

[(nameless one)]

Well, I am testing this with my girlfriend. She has zero knowledge of the game. So far I started teaching her using the Boros Soldier deck vs. Gruul Zoo deck. The idea is to teach her combat math first along with what goes on a turn. The Boros deck only has permanents and sorceries while the Gruul deck only has burn (instants) as the non permanents. So far she has picked up on it. Both decks are easy to play, almost like auto pilot when facing each other.

My next "lesson" is using the Orzhov deck against the Golgari deck. The Orzhov deck will basically teach the concept of 2 for 1 trades. The Golgari will showcase different means to disrupt your opponents.

I think it's important to teach combo because it is an aspect of the game. I will not teach it to her right away, rather it will be the last two concepts that I will teach her.

[(nameless one)]

Hey guys,

I am currently divided on how to tackle the Dimir (u/b) color combinations. Originally, like what I posted above, it was a fish deck. It has since evolve into a U/B Psychatog-Upheaval Draw-Go deck.

I don't really have any problems with both but would love to hear feedback.

My reasonings were:

U/W could be the permission deck, but it won't be the Draw/Go style like a Psychatog deck.

U/R could be the fish deck but as it stands, it's more like a counterburn deck.