When first getting into Magic, we all tend to play on kitchen tables with a starter deck plus a few boosters. Obviously that’s a lot of fun, but eventually we all run into the same roadblock—the player with the finely‐tuned £300+ tournament deck.

To kick off my new article series exploring the best practices of trading and building a powerful collection, I’m going to look at some key tips that new and developing players can use to improve their decks and start competing without parting with too much cash.

So let’s get started:

Tip #1: Lands are money!

Just about every player in the history of Magic has a horror story about trading away a Scalding Tarn, Rishadan port or some other expensive land card for a 10p big dragon or giant without realising how expensive or good the land was.

Lands are what help you cast your spells, and everybody needs to cast spells. These cards often hold high values, especially the ones that tap for multiple mana types or give a unique effect. Newer lands (the ones you’re currently opening in your boosters) also start cheap but then tend to rise in value when the old ones get phased out.

This happens every rotation so don’t get caught by it. Don’t trade lands away without checking their value first!

Tip #2: Expensive cards are worth more than what they are worth

In general it’s a bad idea to trade a £50 card for ten £5 cards. This is because more expensive cards usually hold their value better in the long run and are harder to get where cheap cards can be picked up as an added bonus or “throw‐in” to a big trade.

If you’re trying to build a specific deck, it’s better to hold the expensive cards to trade for the expensive cards you need from that deck. Very few people are willing to trade big expensive things into smaller bits even if the total value is greater.

Tip #3: Play in drafts, pre‐releases or just buy commons and uncommons

Drafts and pre‐releases aren’t just a great way to familiarise yourself with new sets, they’re also a great way to get the commons and uncommons you need for a deck while still having fun.

As a general rule, don’t trade rares for uncommons even if you really need them for your deck. It’s usually much cheaper and quicker to just spend a small amount to buy all the commons and uncommons you need from online stores and use the rares to trade into other things.

Tip #4: Buy or trade for cards that are undervalued

There are many examples of cards being valued at $3 only to shoot up to $30 a few weeks later when people had time to see how good they were. If you played against a card from a new set that seems completely overpowered but has a relatively low price then there is a decent chance that people just haven’t realised how good it is yet.

Examples of these are Boros Reckoner, Deathrite Shaman or Huntmaster of the Fells. Many of these cards started out at very low prices and the people who had played with them and bought or traded for a lot made big money. Playing in pre‐releases helps with this as you get to use the cards early but it’s not essential if you have the right eye for what will fit into a good deck.

Tip #5: Always check the value of cards on a credible website

If you are new to the game there’s a good chance that you won’t always be able to see why certain cards are good or bad. If a card has a high value there is always a reason why, and you don’t want to trade away cards for nothing only to realise later how good they are. Checking values of cards on reputable websites is a good way to make sure no one is getting ripped off.

And lastly, have fun! Trading is a great way to connect with new players, discuss what they’re playing and make some new friends in the process!