Hearthpwn

MTGA offers more strategy and complexity with high fantasy themes so I do enjoy the aesthetic of the design and artwork. Hearthstone is more simplified and accessible so I will continue to play both. 

Quote from hillandder >>

 

This is by far the best free experience, you get full playable decks every day, the ammount of free card in a week is far more generous than HS.

I still wonder how anyone can pause at this. Obviously any new CCG will have to be more generous than HS to lure the players otherwise they might as well not release the game in a first place lol. That is not to say that HS couldnt be more generous, but like listing this as a plus is so ... irrelevant? It will always be true.

MTG is undeniably the better game, at least for people who like deeper/longer games, but HS is just so much slicker and more polished, not to mention quicker, so that's the one I play 

Not on Mac, so hearthstone, once it hits Mac we’ll see 

I recently started MTGA and I have to say the new player experience is better than in hearthstone.You get several complete and functioning decks (although not top tier but compared to hearthstone better than the basic decks). However, I think it will be a more expensive game than heartstone since you cannot pay for everything with ingame gold but you need "gems" to enter certain modes  (the currency you buy with real money). Additionally, the decks are 60 cards and can contain up to 4 mystic cards (=legendary). That makes it harder to achieve multiple different decks with a reasonable playtime and low investment. I don't think I will be able to have the same collection like in hearthstone with 3 pre-orders. In HS I can basically play any deck I like, that will hardly be possible in MTGA with 150 bucks per year. But I will see.

Admitted, I am not completely new to magic since I casually played it in the 90s and I always have liked rules (which is done much more consistent than in HS). I sometimes fuck up the order (sacrificing something too early etc) but I have to say at present I like it more than hearthstone. It is more complex and requires more attention, but the games are about the same length. The only thing I dislike is that there is no possibility to play against the AI to test some things like synergies and order. But all in all I am having fun playing it. At least more fun than I had with Elder Scrolls legend, Faeria or Gwent. Presently I think I will stick to it.

But MTGA is not a competition for Hearthstone. Hearthstone is much more accessible for a quick game, it is easier to watch (since the interactions are more intuitive to grasp) or summed up, it is more casual. I know for sure that some of my friends who play hearthstone will not like MTGA simply because it requires too much attention.

Edit: What I forgot: Deckbuilding is much harder as far as I can tell. In hearthstone it is hard to come up with the optimized deck, but in general, the direction is very clear. For instance, I built a very competetive Genn Paladin on day 1 including all the powercards (dude buffs, call to arms, etc.) and just lacking some less obvious ones like Amani Berserker . But in MTGA building a deck seems to be much harder work. Also something not everyone likes. Probably another reason why the free decks are relatively strong.

Quote from Sinti >>

Quote from hillandder >>

 

This is by far the best free experience, you get full playable decks every day, the ammount of free card in a week is far more generous than HS.

I still wonder how anyone can pause at this. Obviously any new CCG will have to be more generous than HS to lure the players otherwise they might as well not release the game in a first place lol. That is not to say that HS couldnt be more generous, but like listing this as a plus is so ... irrelevant? It will always be true.

 Maybe it's not relevant to you but for many who want to play other CCG that are coming out this kind of feedback is relevant.

Right now the game is extremely generous, don't know if it's for the beta. But i'm pretty sure there is a finite number of free decks you'll get anyway.

There is no friend list or friend duel and that is a major point for me right now. I love playing with someone and sideboarding to find a way to counter their decks.

In quick constructed, MTG:A you have no idea what you are going against and since you play them only once you just have to pray that your hand have what you need or play an aggro deck that will just overpower any deck.

Quote from DSchu102285 >>

Quote from Sinti >>

Quote from hillandder >>

 

This is by far the best free experience, you get full playable decks every day, the ammount of free card in a week is far more generous than HS.

I still wonder how anyone can pause at this. Obviously any new CCG will have to be more generous than HS to lure the players otherwise they might as well not release the game in a first place lol. That is not to say that HS couldnt be more generous, but like listing this as a plus is so ... irrelevant? It will always be true.

 Maybe it's not relevant to you but for many who want to play other CCG that are coming out this kind of feedback is relevant.

But that is my point, you should fully expect that other CCGs will be more rewarding in terms of free stuff than HS, otherwise they cannot even manage to gather the player base. I will admit that if ppl state specific things that you will be getting, like hillander said about fully playable decks every day, that is a relevant information. But just saying "reward system is more generous than HS" is super irrelevant, duh ... ofc it is. It has to be.

Yeah, I mean you're both right.  Yes it should be expected for reasons you mentioned.  But those of us (me too) really enjoying the high-level of rewards are simply saying we like it as part of the reason we're playing MTGA right now.  It's just that your tone seems to be trying to tell us we shouldn't enjoy it because it was expected, when that is beside our point.

Quote from robo_hs >>

Yeah, I mean you're both right.  Yes it should be expected for reasons you mentioned.  But those of us (me too) really enjoying the high-level of rewards are simply saying we like it as part of the reason we're playing MTGA right now.  It's just that your tone seems to be trying to tell us we shouldn't enjoy it because it was expected, when that is beside our point.

No, im definitely not trying to say you shouldnt play it or enjoy it. Feel free to do whatever you like. I was focused on that one "argument" that ppl keep repeating; and not only when it comes to MTGA, it was the same with ESL and Gwent. It just seems so silly, like it gets thrown around as one of the biggest reasons to play the game(s). I suppose i do understand why that is in the end, it just rly feels kinda funny, since it is basically implied by default, otherwise like i said earlier, those games wouldnt get any playerbase in a first place.

I think, this will be their nail in their coffin in the long run... this "nerf" will lead at least to a few people which will take their pronounces serious...

Voted for MTGA.

The main reason is that I think that MTG is better constructed as a card game than Hearthstone. The goals of each game are different which is totally understandable. I like both games. 

Hearthstone always felt to me like it was more "childish", but this isn't necessarily bad. 

1. Those goofy themes and randomness are hilarious and entertaining. I love that and I have to admit I had a blast playing it and it gave me some good laughs. But the game is designed to help new players as much as it is possible. Well, this is actually a good thing, objectively speaking, since you get more people to like your game faster.

2. The game helps you a lot to learn it fast and the increased randomness gives the new player many chances to win experienced players. An experienced player can make some better trades and value plays but a new player can turn things around with an insane random effect, like if you get a good class card from Rogue copycat effects, or a good Unstable Portal minion, or some Juggler knives or even Missiles that hit the desired targets. In addition the Mulligan is far easier to learn and understnad,  than MTG, where it can severely punish you.

3. Also, as a game it's easier to understand from the aspect of deckbuilding. You only worry about the actual cards since the carefree resource system provides you with additional resources each turn. The decks are 30 cards up to 2 copies which means that it's easier to decide if you need a card more often. Even the most complicated cards have simple effects and applications. 

4. There's an evergreen set that stays the same, so even if you refrain from the game for a while, you can still return and kick off at a good pace without feeling that everything is weird around. 

Well these things all tend to feel more helpful to either new players, or returning players. When I was playing Hearthstone regularly and climbed the ladder up to the high ends, I sometimes felt the frustration when a player that was seemingly "worse" (if you can say that for a card game) than me could get luckier and beat me. I also felt the frustration that the game designers tend to care more about the players who leave Hearthstone for a while and then come back, rather than all those poor fellows that dumped their money in the game. It just doesn't feel fair. So I refrained from Hearthstone's "competitive" side and I settled with playing just a little bit and I kept trying different Tier 2 and below decks and had an incredible time. I think that now that I play less Hearthstone, I like Hearthstone more. It just doesn't feel oppressive anymore or frustrating. (In fact I am the one now giving frustration to all those serious players with my random or mill-fatigue decks hehe)

MTGA on the other hand, feels more serious business to me. 

1. The tone of the themes and the cards themselves are not some kind of fun material. The cards are quite complicated and you actually need a lot of time to learn all the game-mechanics. And I am not talking just about keywords. I am talking about learning the stack, the deal with each phase, all the different type of decks (tappout, draw go, combat tricksters, mana weavers, etc). It just has so many things that provide more skillful decisions and plays. So yes, my conclusion is that the game features more advanced strategies and plays. The game itself is not noob friendly and you'll have a hard time comprehending the rulings and the mechanics. Also you don't get much help from the cards as there are not many random effects and most times you'll end up getting crushed by experienced players.

2.  Speaking of advanced strategies and plays, one of the main differences from Hearthstone is that if you learn to play one deck you can play almost all decks (Combo decks are an exception. Please, smart**ses). Hearthstone is a game of powerhouse plays. Since you are only active during your turn, you must do your best on your turn. Players proceed in doing the most high-value or powerhouse plays each turn, spending their mana in the best possible way. Eventually the player that achieves most of these kind of plays is in a more advantageous spot to win the game. MTG on the other side has a lot of decks that specialise in different kind of plays and they may need to take some turn to set up their final game plan, or fix their situation accordingly. And there are many archetypes that due to the Combat system require some serious interaction with the opponent. Which leads us to...

3. Honestly one of the most solid arguements, beside the advanced strategies and goals is the interaction with the opponent. I think this is what makes a huge difference. The ability to read your opponent's plays and actually think about them is an important aspect of strategy. You must not only make the most beneficial plays for you, but to care for your opponent and set traps for him. It can make a huge difference in your winrate and is often a much needed skill in Tier 1 vs Tier 1 matchups, where both players have a powerful deck. 

4. The economy factors are different. Unlike Hearthstone where you have to manage only your active cards which lead you to victory, in MTG you don't have a carefree resource system. Instead, you have to create an efficient manabase for your deck, in order to see it work properly. Like in almost every strategy game, you have to care as much for your win conditions as you care for your resources. Give me any Tier 1 deck and let me deteriorate it's manabase and it's no longer a Tier 1 deck. This creates an extra skill requirement in deckbuilding (Please don't even mention netdecking, smart**ses). You must find the "perfect" manabase for your deck, in order to avoid screws and floods (search the terms) and adjust things so that you can play any color at any given time.

5. The game modes in MTGA are diverse and well designed, unlike the poor Hearthstone Arena, which is a really random thing to spend your money on. I feel that this is actually the case most times in the difference in Game Design. MTGA offers many possible modes that each have their own "goetia". The draft mode is good and it actually needs a lot of thought when crafting your deck. Unlike Arena, which can really screw you hard, even if you are good. And I am not talking about making good trades and plays. I am talking about having to deal with insane decks, due to the randomness of the triple card choice. 

All in all, subjectively speaking I prefer a game where I can start as a noob and get crushed by everyone, until I work my way to the top and then crush all the noobs below me. This is frustrating to most people who want everything served on their plate (fuckin' millenials and damned Gen X), but on the other hand I can't stand trying hard to make it to the top (looking at you Hearthstone) and then get screwed by some lucky newbie. I understand that Hearthstone is more appealing as a game for many people for various good reasons.  But this is a very good reason for me to play competitive in MTGA, rather than Hearthstone. This is where I put my money on.

If you really are on the side of those who seek a game that focuses on strategy more and gives you harder goals to break through, with the righteous reward, MTGA is your game. 

P.S.: No I am not a WOTC salesboy, ya whining toddlers.

Quote from Chewmass >>

Voted for MTGA.

....

 Exactly my point of view. I'm done with HS.

add a third choice to the poll, i like both games, mono-red aggro is so good i was farming a lot of gold with it hahaha, i really like how you can keep the cards u draft in mtga, that would be really cool in hs.

I reached the end of the generosity in the beginning. I admit, you get quite a lot as a beginner and it pushes you in a better situation than hearthstone leaves you (althought I never experienced the new ranks 50-25, but they only give you packs). For the interested parties I will sum up how I felt the beginners experience and how I understand the crafting system.

In general, you need to pay more attention than in hearthstone. Later in every game you will have several opportunities to play cards in your opponents turn and also the general interactions are more complicated (when you should activate abilities and such stuff).

You get right at the start 6 mono colour decks of which 2 are decent beginner decks. After that you can unlock one new deck per day for (I think 6 days) and on the seventh day you get the missing decks so that you have 11 two coloured  decks. Some are better, some not so good, but in the decks you get always a few epics (rare cards) and/or legendaries (mystic rare cards). Additionally, in between the quest for the decks, you get a quest which gives you another free pack.  So all in all, it should be 11 decks and about 7 packs for free (maybe a little more, I didn't count). This is a good start for the beginning. Additionally, per week, you get 3 packs for 15 wins (which is not too difficult to achieve). And every pack you open gives you at least 1 epic or legendary. Still, you  need lots of them.

However, now I am at the normal pace of progress. That means a daily quest (about 500-750 gold; sounds much, but a pack costs 1000 gold), gold per win and the weekly 3 packs. I don't know the gold cap or whether there is one, but the gold per win wickly decreases from 250 to 50 and lower (Edit: You also get cards as a daily quest; For 7 wins it seems that the chance of getting an epic is reasonable high (I got my second epic in a row), so that's also something to get more cards).  It is not possible to buy into all events with gold, but only with "gems" which you can buy with real money, or earn in a draft mode (similar to arena) for 5000 gold and which nets you between 50 and 950 gems (depending on your success). There are other draft modes which you can only access with gems, but they can give you up to 2200 gems. To go real infinite, you need to win about 5/6 out of 6/7 I think.

If you want to play real competetive decks, they will be harder to achieve for F2P as in hearthstone. As I already mentioned previously, you can include up to 4 cards from every rarity and the top decks all have multiple legendaries and epics and of each of them at least 2 copies (mostly 4). I don't think I already understood the carfting system entirely. You get wild cards for different rarities with which you can craft cards of the respective rarity. The wild cards are either opened in a pack or are added after you opened a certain number of packs (an uncommon wild card all 6 packs, epics  I don't know, but I guess all 16 packs and rares are about all 30 packs (the numbers are what I think to remember). You can't dust cards, but as I understood cards you already have and get in packs decrease the wild card counter somehow.

A good way to improve the collections are the drafts since you can keep the cards you chose. In this way your collection will accummulate commons and rares (called uncommons in MtGA) quickly. But as I said above, buying the drafts with gold will take time. 45 packs are roughly 50 bucks.

TL;DR: The beginner's experience in MtGA seems to be better than in hearthstone, but overall playing competetively as a F2P will likely be harder. You can get a pack a day, but the decks need 60 cards and many legendaries and epics (often 4 of each). No dusting but you can craft cards with respective wildcards. Not all modes can be accessed with gold, but you can earn "gems" by playing a certain draft mode. Additionally, there seem to be more than 3 expansions a year (good for change, bad for accumulating cards F2P). And finally, the game is slightly more complicated than Hearthstone and you need to pay attention since you can interact in your opponents turn.

 Edit: Just because I didn't see the link my post-poster cited below, I also put it here. 3 additional free packs with the redeem code mentioned in the link:

https://www.toiletdrake.com/magic-arena-open-beta-survival-guide/

Quote from mayatola >>

Quote from AUzg >>

If someone could, please is there something like a tutorial for beginners, what to buy/craft, how many wildcards can I have at one time and general advice for someone who basically never played magic...I am regularly legend in HS so I can grasp the game concepts pretty easily probably, but these other things I don't wanna screw up (although I'm gonna play mtg super casual, HS is better for me, as people said, you can play for 5 minutes or for 5 hours, far more accesible than mtg in that regard)

 Here is a decent guide that gives you some basic information as well as a free non unique code (usable for everyone) for three packs: https://www.toiletdrake.com/magic-arena-open-beta-survival-guide/

Crafting isn't recommended until you find a deck/playstyle that you enjoy. Like for me, I enjoy esper control (esper is just a term for Blue, White, Black color combination) so most of my crafting will center on those three colors. But some people enjoy mono green beatdown (aggro), mono black control (though I don't think there is one in this meta now), bant aggro (bant is White and Red)

 Bant is white-blue-green :) From Shards of Alara.

You are thinking of Boros which is white-red.

Quote from AUzg >>

I just started mtg the other day, honestly don't have a clue about the cards or anything, but the quick game mode (bo1?) were pretty fun even with basic decks...I did get a few of tgose mythic cards already (mythic rare or whatever it's called), so I'll try and build something of my own soon...

If someone could, please is there something like a tutorial for beginners, what to buy/craft, how many wildcards can I have at one time and general advice for someone who basically never played magic...I am regularly legend in HS so I can grasp the game concepts pretty easily probably, but these other things I don't wanna screw up (although I'm gonna play mtg super casual, HS is better for me, as people said, you can play for 5 minutes or for 5 hours, far more accesible than mtg in that regard)

 

 Most MTGA people would tell you not to buy packs with gold but rather to save up and play quick draft because you will increase your collection faster than with buying packs.

What to craft is entirely dependent on your deck preferences. Some people recommend to craft a fast deck (mono-red or mono-blue) and do dailies with it, while you slowly build your Tier 1 deck.

How many wildcards can you have? AFAIK there is no limit.

General advice? When you draft, it is ok if you pick a card that has no synergy in your drafted deck but you need in your collection; a good card that you can choose is often more valuable than a pack full with cards that are useless to you.

MTG has richer lore, deeper gameplay, and better art, among other things. The only thing HS does better is its accessibility for new players, and is cheaper and has a better experience for paying customers. Maybe also the fact that there is no land screw but the RNG element cancels that out. 

I think Im done with HS for a while. Playing MTGA instead. Though the value for what you spend is beyond bad. Like really, dont spend money if you can help it. Magic is one of the most mismanaged IPs in the cardgame business. Seriously, fuck the suits in charge. 

Just finished playing a couple days worth of MTG:A and i am pretty impressed overall by its design. I dunno if i am going to sound old as f*** but i remember back in 2004-6 they had a similar MTG program that was little more than a proxy sim in the way it played MTG, and it failed miserably. You could sell cards for "gold" in an auction-type setting as well as pay for cards with cash straight up. 

I spent the 5.99 on the started pack (2500 gems/5packs) and i think i opened 15 packs total and wasnt able to build anything (not surprised) that the competitive ladder would accept. Despite this though you get a ton of cards right out of the gate through pre-built decks which makes it a little easier. Something to remember though is that there are like 2k+ cards in standard format in MTG:A so this is a lot harder to get to a competitive level as a newer player than HS.

You unlock more bulk through pre-con decks as you play. Wild card system allows crafting of what you want, but its not a generous as HS at all. With HS, you can really squeeze your collection down to afford cards you want, and this isnt possible with MTGA as there is no dusting/converting. You feel this immediately and it almost kills it for me as there are colours i don't play at all, and likely never will. 

TL:DR - Must spend money (imo). No dusting. Way more cards to get. A good chunk of mandatory rares/mythics are gated behind wildcards. Right out of the gate there are 5 or so sets to buy packs out of. Way too overwhelming. HS wins out slightly for ease of access to competitive ladder.

25% of players voted MTGA. That is huge considering this is a HS staple website. you would think ppl choosing HS was around 90 to 95%

I think this shows how much ppl are tired of HS residual and unfixed problems