MAGIC: THE GATHERING 2015 CORE SET: DECK BUILDER’S TOOLKIT / DESIGNER: RICHARD GARFIELD / PUBLISHER: HASBRO / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Magic: the Gathering is a remarkable game. The enduring collectable cards of duelling wizards are famous across the world, and that is partially due to its flexibility and size, which allows for multiple play styles. Like most things with a huge fan following, it can seem a little impenetrable to outsiders, but the game’s producers, Wizards of The Coast, provide numerous ways in, from introductory packs to more hardcore collections like The Deck Builder’s Toolkit. This pretty much contains everything you need to get acquainted with the game. It does this by giving you enough cards to design your own decks and get stuck in.
The Deck Builder’s Toolkit is 285-card boxed set that includes recent booster packs from all the major releases. It’s clearly designed as both a way in for new players and as a refresher for those looking to get back into the hobby; though tournament-level gamers looking for more cards to form a solid backbone to their deck design will find enough here to be of use.
Though you’ll be lucky to get more than a handful of rare cards from this selection, The Deck Builder’s Toolkit isn’t really about that. (Rare cards are easier to find in boosters and the like). What you get is 100 land cards (the basic component in any Magic deck) and enough uncommon cards of all the different colour types to get used to the game itself. What it doesn’t contain is huge game-winning cards; instead we have useful and practical cards designed to encourage tactical play and good practice. Example cards include Cancel, Negate and Nullify (which are fairly self-explanatory), and these suit one style of play. Those who prefer a different sort of game style are also catered for and the set has been calculated to allow gamers to explore multiple tactics in order to develop and invent their own approach.
Over all, it’s a very strong set and excellent way to get back into the Magic hobby.
