[pyrale]

afaik pro players either borrow their cards from stores, or are running stores in order to have access to the cards.

Almost none of them would be able to play the game at their level while also paying for their working tools. But, somehow, they are shown as examples to players without these connections...

If I can give an advice to anyone willing to play somewhat competitive magic without mortgaging their house, play block pauper magic.

[technofiend]

The difference is in GoW battles between armies destroy the armies. Nobody would play M:TG if every time you lost a land it went into a shredder. Now imagine your Power 7 are set on fire before you eyes when you lose instead. GoW is designed to consume resources which can only be replaced by unrealistic wait times (days, weeks) or purchased for cash.

At least for the ycombinator crowd, the lesson learned should be how to design such a game assuming your morals allow it. I briefly considered writing a parody that openly abused you for spending money in game. BROADCAST: "Hey everyone, this idiot just spent $10 on some bits on a server in California!" But yeah I would feel bad even making money from that game, and it seemed like a lot of work for something that would probably net $35.

[dagw]

Nobody would play M:TG if every time you lost a land it went into a shredder.

I haven't played M:TG in over decade, but at least then it was standard 'ante up' a card before each game that you would lose if you lost.

[evanelias]

Much more than a decade, I'd wager! Ante stopped being standard quite a long time ago. Personally I stopped playing in 1997 and ante had already ceased to be a common practice in my area several years before that, from what I remember.

Just googled it and the last card to even have an ante-impacting ability was printed in 1996. Seems it stuck around as an optional rule but wasn't common in my experience, probably because tournaments always skipped it.

[dagw]

...you're right. Fuck, I'm getting old.

[technofiend]

Yes I remember that, but it was only one card. :-)

[lgieron]

That is only true for constructed (I've known people who made a living out of playing 8-4 drafts on mtgo). And even for constructed, it is only pay to win up to a point where everyone has access to all the cards (by either buying or borrowing), which is where most competitive constructed players are.

[pyrale]

Last I checked, pro gaming was always a mix of constructed and draft/sealed, which meant you couldn't reach top level without practicing both extensively.

A full edition set costing in the thousands, and there being 3-4 sets per year, the price to compete is fairly high.

[lgieron]

If you don't aspire to be a pro player and just want to have fun, you can compete in limited only. I have friends who do that. I myself chose phantom sealed deck tournaments on mtgo, which, provided you don't suck, are basically free.