...that I wish I knew when I started the game.
There is no way I can list everything here in one go and explain them at the same time. So instead I'll chip away at this list as it occurs to me. You don't have to agree with me or disagree. But I would ask that you share whatever thoughts make the most sense to you for new players.
Read the cards. No, seriously...read them. Read your cards in your hand and on the field. Remind yourself what they say during your turn. Read your opponent's cards. If you can't read upside down or at the distance they are at, ask to see it them closer. Then, when you're all done - read them again.
Don't bother with the flavor text (although some of it is a good way to pass the time).
It all seems like common sense. But how many times have you tried to play a sorcery during your opponent's turn? How many times have you missed a trigger (one of the most common mistakes in the game, even for pros)? How often have you paid the wrong amount for a spell? How many times have you simply misinterpreted a card? Read them and then read them again. So long as you aren't taking more than a few minutes per turn, no one can accuse you of slow play.
How to keep score. There are easily as many ways to keep score as there are variations on how to play Magic. Gamers use dice, apps on their digital devices, more dice, pennies, silly little sliders with beads, and more. What too few gamers use (even in casual games where this is less of an issue) is the simplest solution of all. Every once in a while I may cast blame or aspersions. Here's one that I won't apologize for - Wizards of the Coast is doing this wrong.
The makers of Magic, Wizards of the Coast, want to do a good deed. They practically give away a special 20 sided dice called a countdown counter. The dice are made in fantastically clever color schemes. You get them in special packages of products and nearly everyone uses them. But while it's a great nod to casual gaming that is the foundation of Magic and players love them, they aren't what people should be using. From the very, very beginning players should be taught to use pen and paper. It's not a casual versus competitive viewpoint here. My opinion is more of a, "Let's teach the method we want them to use later from the outset." Wizards should enter into a contract with a large notebook company and make this happen for the fans of the game.
In the meantime, do yourself a favor. Go get a half or quarter sized notepad and get into the habit yourself. You'll thank me when you see someone tip their countdown die over (d20's are very wibbly wobbly), make a mistake with a slider or the power goes out on their iDeviceofChoice. At your next FNM you can keep score with it. This will let you reserve dice for the purpose they were created: as counters and to determine who goes first using Yahtzee rules.
Paper offers historical tracking of a match and doesn't lose its place when the table is flipped. So endeth the scorekeeper's sermon.
Focus first on having fun. This piece of advice is short and hopefully respected. Don't try to figure out the hundreds of pages of rules. Don't try to second guess the meta game in Standard. Don't get stuck on figuring out how to create the perfect commander deck.
(If you have no idea what I'm talking about then you're halfway there already).
Start with one of the many entry level, intro products offered by Wizards. Play them until they aren't fun anymore and you aren't discovering new combinations. Then, move slowly (having a mentor or a guide is best I think) into the format known as limited draft. Draft is great fun, a fairly level playing field, and best yet, a chance to meet new people. From there, you can get into Standard. Or Commander. Or any of 10-20 other variations. Please don't hurt yourself though...start slow and small.
Until next time...
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