So I originally started off as a magic player and I would like to move over to the UFS side of life. But before I do that I have some financial questions. In order to become a even semi-competative player in magic you have pretty much 1 of 2 options. Either you spend easily over a grand to get your pieces of power and than pray that you have a little bit of luck in order to do something at the vintage tourney. Or, you spend about 2-3 hundred dollars on rares every 3-4 months to try and stay competative in the standard enviroment.

I basically am wondering how much does it take to play even semi-competative UFS? Is it worth spending the money to buy the boxes and boxes needed to get the rares and super rares? Or is trading and single buying the best way? The other thing that I have noticed in both games is that the commons and uncommons are both starting to become acutally very good (bitter rivals and red lotus). So instead of having to rare chase it is worth actually buying single packs because you could get your rare you wanted AND get a common or uncommon that you might actually use.

Ok, that is enough wall-texting for me for now. Let me know what you think. Thanks in advance.

Well like you said the commons and uncommons are used in greater number then the UR's . CSi can give you a good idea of what the cards are going for right now . But UR's are now going to be at a 1-3 ratio instead of a 1-4 ratio so its only going to get easier too pull the cards you need. If you ever need help in getting key cards let me know and accessing our trading forum will help out as well.

It's a bit of a mix...

About about 2 boxes per set will get you all the commons and uncommons you need. After that, trading and buying singles is probably the most cost effective way to go about it.

Attending a lot of events, and getting your hands on various promos can also help with that. (trading)

Like Scuba said you're coming in at a good time for UFS financially. Not only are they upping the ratio of URs in boxes but they are also making sure that the most powerful cards end up in sets and not in event-exclusive promos (see Blood Runs True) so buying boxes and singles trading/buying is your best bet to get all the cards you need, and pick up the occasional promos to boost your deck without actually needing them to play the symbols on them.

For the record: Blood Runs True is NOT an event exclusive card. It was in every Cutting Edge Starter Box, and can be yours, right now, along with 4 copies of rejection, gorgeous team, Blinding Rage, Tiger Fury... etc... for the low low price of 70ish dollars (bought from your LGS with a bit of a discount or on some online retailing site for even cheaper).

To the OP:

There ARE some rare cards that every other person has been throwing in their decks, but they haven't been winning every game with that deck configuration either. Those being Olcadon's Mentoring, Feline Spike, Ira Spinta, Seal of Cessation, Blood Runs True, Lord of the Makai... Yeah that's about it isn't it guys/gals?

You might want SOME rare (ultra or promo) cards in your deck, but it need not be that entire list above... You will one day soon find other rare cards that in combination with certain character and other cards, perform sufficiently to be up to the task of taking on those listed above.

Also be aware of this game's current OP program. It is mostly around local play, and rewarding you in a semi organized fasion for playing it locally, and then at a larger scale, with Nationals and Worlds (Origins and Gencon respectively for US area stuff) in which, IIRC, is again ANYone may attend, where in if you WIN this big thing (which will be from a standard card pool. ie. with rotation) you get your own face on a card, you help design, and all copies of it to distribute as you wish, which is cool because you are standard legal for a few years and probably kick a fair bit of butt.

Game on.

vermillian said:

Wait what are you talking about? Where is this number coming from? Cause I was pretty sure BRTs are still 25-30 a piece.unless you mean one brt and a set of the deck rares, cause thats 30 for brts, and 10 per deck, which isnt really a low price, its normal >_>

As a constructive addition as someone who joined this game competitivly after playing magic, this game is like playing extended competitivly price range, though finding some of the singles is hard, you basically have to buy a few boxes of every new set to trade for what you need out of it

vermillian said:

Blinding Rage and Tiger Fury are... Sagat cards...

For the low, low price of a Cutting Edge starter box you get:

1 Blood Runs True

4 Rejection

4 The Gorgeous Team

Aaaaaand that's all you should probably care about because it seems no one cares about the rest of them either.

vermillian said:

Outside of trading/buying online (which don't count), can you get BRT any OTHER way except buying a Cutting Edge starter box?

No.

So you have to have the event of buying a Cutting Edge starter box to get a BRT, QED it's an event exclusive promo.

Do not limit the word "event" to merely occasions of organised play. Etymology will cry if you do.

This game is a lot less expensive than Magic overall... I played magic competitively for years... 10 years to be exact, and I did well on the circuit of tournaments, I often would hit 12-20 a year.

Also, this game is more strategic... its more about how you play than what uber rares you have.... Unlike magic where I can hand an awesome deck to a scrub, and in 10 minutes teach him how to play it... He might go 4-4 with it, but thats much better than with other games...

UFS=SKill

Magic= $$$ and time

Cascade said:

God I hate English. >_<

muftuk: where are you from? try and find your local playgroup and go have fun. people will be more than happy to let you borrow a deck. this community is nothing like the magic community can be. we are all, usually, really open to one another. so find your local place and have at it. all the money you put into the game will be rewarded when you go to worlds and nationals and can not only play to become cardboard immortal, but meet some of the coolest/craziest/OMG I'M NAKED/random people of your life.

Cascade said:

Dude this game is full of way too many event exclusive cards then, isn't it? Man... what gives?

And yes I've been told. I'm silly about thsoe Sagat cards (NOT in Cutting Edge).

OK well then new side topic. How much are YOUR starter boxes of Cutting Edge locally? It appears they be out of print in many of my normal sources! YIKES! BRTs ARE hard to get, aren't they?

Meh. basically just act as a counter spell once per turn that gives your opponent a card back too... yeah its good don't get me wrong... be all and end all? ... meh.

reply to the op: this game is cheap. it is by far the least expsensive game i have ever played, and also one of the most complicated (it's not like warhammer, but it's not a money wins game like ygo or mtg.) and you get to win cardboard reencarnations of yourself, whats not to like.

and the nice thing is this BRT thing they're talking about isn't even necessary for competitive play...

you could build a tournament worthy deck for anything between $20-$400 buying singles. That $20 deck if built properly and run properly has as good a chance as beating the $400 deck as any other deck in the format. Some of the best cards in the game right now are starter deck rares and uncommons, a new Core set (AKA Starter Decks and some new stuff) is coming out this april.

Also depending on the area you live in and the people there, you might not even have to pay to play this game. I haven't bought a box since set 9 and I still play competitvely simply because I just borrow cards from people every week. Heck, when I owned none of the cards I brought with me to world 08...

Scott Gaines said:

I am from Green Bay, WI. It was actually our local scout that suckered me into playing this game. So far I have been playing for about 3 weeks. I tell you what the whole new players play for free thing can really sucker a guy in. I ended up with 2 bitter rivals, 2 red lotuses and a BRT. That was pretty much enough to suck me in. So far I'm working on an evil/fire Zi Mei deck. We will see how it does in the regionals by me.

cheesey zi mei cheese lol