Monday night Wizards of the Coast released the Intro Packs for Magic 2011.   Along with the latest set, there will be a few changes to the Intro Pack format, most importantly, they are now 60 cards instead of 40.  This means a beginner can pick one up, pop any cards from the extra booster, and have a legal-casual ready deck without needing to make any further purchase.  Exactly the purpose anything called an 'Intro Pack' should strive to achieve.  Nothing more to add, end of story.  But... WotC can't seem to leave well enough alone.

Pre-constructed decks (the family tree from which intro packs were born) now haunt each MTG product like poltergeists.  For example, if you want to pick up the newest multi-player product, Archenemy, you better be ready to spend some cash.  It will cost you $20 for only one of the four game packs offered.  Not an impossible amount of money by any stretch (after all, it will only buy you one third of a Baneslayer Angel), but what exactly are you paying for?  Each Archenemy box comes with, "a 60-card Magic deck featuring eight rares, and a 20-card over-sized deck."  Unfortunately the price depends more on the former than the latter.  And what about experienced duelists who aren't willing to spend an extra $15 on a pre-con deck containing nothing of interest?  Too often they steer clear of what may be an exciting new MTG experience.

[caption id="attachment_10400" align="alignright" width="248" caption="WotC didn't get the message"][/caption]

Of course those few veterans who opt out don't seem to matter in Wizard's scheme.  Not as long as enough collectors and new-comers agree to purchase the product, pre-con decks and all.  That is a revenue stream WotC is clearly loathe to turn off, and must be the reason behind this pre-con saturation.  Each product includes a $10-$15 dollar price hike, due the the inclusion of a deck few players even want.  When Intro Packs sell, the idea is getting players into a game they are unfamiliar with.  If a duelist is looking at picking up a pack of Planechase, they probably don't need the 60 cards any more than they need random booster packs.  Actually, multiple friends of Gathering Magic have refrained from purchasing Planechase due to the price (again, inflated by the inclusion of a pre-con), despite being exactly the demographic WotC is looking for.  That opens another serious issue.

Are pre-constructed decks good for the game, especially in the long run?  These are products directly intended for beginning players, yet they are also used in an attempt to snare more commitment from long time players.  These players often look at the pre-con decks as the burden of purchasing any new MTG add-on.  Eventually the price and the quality of these decks grind casual buying by old schoolers to a halt.  After hundreds of dollars spent on the game, does one really need a foil Lord of the Pit for $25?  Also, the price might serve as a road block for newbies as well.  After all, there are only so many $15 Pre-cons a person is willing to buy before they want something more.  Perhaps WotC should borrow a page from the video game playbook - offer the hardware (Intro Packs, etc.) at a steep discount, then rely on the consumer to get hooked and start paying top dollar for everything else (expansions, Planechase, Duel Decks, etc).  Or even better, sell Planechase, Archenemy, etc without the decks, and on the cheap.

[caption id="attachment_3785" align="alignleft" width="175" caption="it's okay to laugh, we did"][/caption]

Even if price is no object to the consumer, quality sure is, and quality pre-con decks are few and far between.  Again, the Planechase 60-card offerings were bad enough that they actually prevented players in my group from picking up any PC packs.  To a man we scoffed at the idea of paying $35 for the foil Sliver deck, including the guy who still brags about his Essence Sliver build from 2007.  To be fair, we here at Gathering Magic are not privy to sales numbers, and all signs indicate MTG is doing as well financially as ever.  The point is, however, that these are specific examples of players not buying stuff because of expensive, low-power pre-con decks.

Again, pre-con decks like the Intro Packs for M11 are a great way to knock down the door to a very complicated universe.  But one is often enough, because fresh players have other sources of cards/learning.  (A not-so-quick aside: a year-or-so ago I was at a local FNM and happened across a rookie duelist. We shuffled up after our sealed match and played a few constructed games with the deck he had.  It was clear that he was just learning how to put everything together, and the games weren't very close.  Afterward I gave him all my sealed cards and a few pointers.  At the RoE Pre-release I saw him again, happy as a lamb, with 10 victory packs in his hand.  This is not to brag about my MTG tutoring, only to show how many players learn the game - through other players, not dumbed-down product.)  These young duelists also quickly realize they need to alter there decks dramatically to compete.  The Intro Pack has served it's purpose, there is no need to bundle a beefed-up version with every new release.

In the end, we only want to grab a few Archenemy packs without paying an arm and leg because they come with a deck WotC tells us is fun.  Is that too much to ask?

(Ed. Note: This column was written before the radically cool Elspeth vs Tezzeret Duel Decks (below) were announced.  Not exactly great timing.  We're working on that.)

Battle-hardened determination meets ruthless ambition

Elspeth Tirel is adrift amongst the planes, seeking only a place of solace. Despite her prowess in battles, she has no desire for confrontation, but is again pressed into combat to uphold her sworn duty of service and protection.

Tezzeret is an artificer equal parts ambition and etherium, the arcane alloy that imbues his body. His true allegiance is only to himself, and he’s unafraid to use allies as well as enemies as pawns in his quest for power.