That TCG Blogger

Since the glory days of the internet struck, the TCG world has been fathomed over the use of tournament winning decks being posted online. This makes it so any nine year old kid with loads of money can become a pro without all of the work the normal player does. The question in being though, is that is net-decking is right or wrong? If you dive into any MTG forum you can quickly see the long debate and numerous opinions on the subject, but I’m not here to give you an opinion. I’m here to tell you what just might possibly be the answer everyone is looking for, that there is no answer and only different methods make net-decking right or wrong. “But wait, isn’t that just some extremely broad answer to the biggest question in gaming?” You might think so now, but if think about it, using a gun can either be good or evil, correct? The only difference that makes the item good or evil is how it is used against someone. This is the same with net-decking.

Most people in the gaming world fail to see the good with net-decking in today’s society. Someone who is partially new to Magic: the Gathering (meaning they have somewhat of a deck building ability and know the rules well) and wants to go further will study the main tournament decks, that is only natural. But to get the full experience of the deck itself, they need to either see or use it in an actual game. Thus, they might take the deck they “netted” to play against their friends or to a local FNM. This doesn’t mean they are just building it to win; they want to learn how to play the game better. This game isn’t like others; you can’t just jump in and hope to do well. A proper education of the mechanics is needed, and thanks to the internet the possibilities of teaching yourself are endless.

On the contrary though, there is a darker side to net-decking; and sadly to say that it mainly resides in the younger generation. When a thirteen year old picks up a game like magic, their first thought isn’t “Oh, I need to learn more about the game”, it is more than often, “Oh, this game is awesome, I need to crush everyone in it.” Thus, they go to the internet and noticing the accomplishments of the decks, they steal the idea for their own personal gain. Kids often try to impress their friends and older kids playing the game, so it is only obvious that they would try to do it in the fastest way possible and with minimum work.

It is fairly simple to identify the two different brands of net-deck players. The learning player will more than likely take more time analyzing and study their cards more (sometimes obviously). However, the theft will often just play cards quickly, not understanding the full concepts of what he is playing. If you can’t tell by watching, ask them “Where did you get the deck idea?” The learner will often reply honestly with who’s deck it is and where they found, also giving what they hope to learn. On the opposing side, the thief will reply with something pertaining to “It was my idea”, so they can look even cooler. Just be on the lookout for the two different kinds of players and take note that not all net-decking is evil.

-That TCG Blogger-

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