Greetings, all! This is my first post in the FFG Forums, and I'm looking forward to many more!

My girlfriend and I are preparing to enter the W:I Hobby by purchasing the Core Set, and I had few questions for the folks on here.

First off, we're both TCG Vets (MtG and Pokemon), and we were wondering what size sleeve would be best for the cards. Will our old MtG sleeves work?

Secondly, what two decks would be best to learn the mechanics of the game in a balanced, well-rounded way? It's already all but established that, at least starting off, she will stick to Order and I to Destruction, but of the four factions, which have the best starting match-ups right out of the box? I've heard Orcs are easy to run, but I'd rather we be evenly matched more than anything. Also, a win on her side might insure she leaves the first play session with a positive experience! I want to get her hooked, not scare her off!

Lastly, is the Core Set enough to keep us happy for some time? We are both eager to dive into deck customization, so will there be enough content to keep us engaged for some time? Would it be best to pick up "Assault" after the Core Set, or "Legends" instead? Will there be any major Neutral cards that we will both want for our decks? I know some of them are limited and I hope none of them are staples that we both want, because we probably won't end up buying a second Core set...

Thanks for your time and I'm looking forward to some phenomenal responses!

Welcome to the game, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Sleeves that fit M:TG cards work just fine for Invasion. I've used Ultra Pro Soft Sleeves in the past, and now use Deck Protectors, both old and new size.

With your requirements, she should probably play Dwarfs at first, I'd give them the edge over Empire with just the Core Set. Empire would be the most normal looking faction though, so keep that in mind if she might not like the grim fluff and illustrations. As for you, I'd go with the Orcs. They are a bit easier and might increase the appeal of the game with their somewhat funny cards (the spellings and illustrations on some of them). Plus, your first game is likely to be a long one, which would give Chaos the chance to get its big demon into play, which the Dwarfs might not be able to stop. And we do want her to win, after all.

I think the Core Set can last one a long time - not if you want to dive into deck customization soon though. There aren't enough cards per faction for that, so all you can do is combine the two Order and Destruction factions into one "best of" deck each. I'd get Assault first, since it'll allow you to play High and Dark Elves too. And I'd get March of the Damned before Legends, since the latter introduces a new card type, and that can wait when you're just starting out.

As for the Core Set neutrals, you can't really distribute them evenly. By the rulesbook suggestion, they get randomly distributed, which is fine enough when you're playing with just the Core Set (you can divide them up by hand to make sure it's fair though). In the long run, if you want to build really competitive decks, there are a few cards you'd have to fight about, Warpstone Excavation and Contested Village, but as long as it's just the two of you, you can just agree that neither of you gets them and you'll be fine. Most non-core-set neutrals are order or destruction only, so if you keep dividing things along that line, you'll have little trouble.