If matches against AI are going ten minutes, you're doing it wrong. You can half that. Takes some work finding the perfect deck .

Maybe as well the old DOTP had decent variety and there was a counter deck to most decks. It still had its most played OP decks but it was then a challenge to beat that. Duels of late does dish up a real tough ask if you do not have all the cards but you should still be able to get a decent win rate as you never know how important that next pack will be in getting you the cards to change things up. It can work best to target a deck you know will do well in versus and target a set with boosters that give you cards to improve it. This works even better if those cards are in a smaller set as its likely you find them when you open them quicker.

It's also a catch 22 as the more you open and build the easier it becomes. Its that start that you can find a challenge and off putting initially.

Although I recently got an Xbox One, I've played Duels since its release on iOS, never spent any money, and there was a two month period where you couldn't even play because the server wouldn't connect; so I definitely know how much of a grind it can be. I'm still not quite caught up to the point where I can buy the whole new set at release, but I'm 3 packs from unlocking the last of AER now on iOS.

From my past experience, if you have Origins fully unlocked you should be able to make a fairly decent Mono Red or R/W aggro deck that can beat the hard AI in well under 10 mins (should average around 5-6 mins to win). That's what I used to do and that should cut your capping time in half. It's not what I would call "fun", but it's kind of the price you pay instead of paying actual money.

I do hate that there are so many Versus daily quests now, because I rarely played multiplayer to grind since it's a crap shoot with a limited collection. I definitely feel for you there.


Edit: Also, I'd focus on AER since it's the newest set and, if they stick to what they've been doing regarding sales, won't likely go on sale for two more releases. Before the next release, KLD will likely go on sale, so I'd avoid that set for now.
You can make a good, fast grinding Vampire Madness deck out of SOI and EMN and they were just on sale before the last release, so those are a good bet as well.

I used to hate that cuz versus was so awful on Xbo. one. But now those matches are typically faster than AI and for double the reward ! Plus I'm actually testing my decks now which is great. Beast used to talk about how much better playing ladder was and he's right

This. KLD and SOI should give you the cards to make a relatively wide range of aggro decks covering multiple colors that should be perfectly viable online.



This also. I would suggest doing this until you have most if not all of KLD unlocked. From there you should be able to make something that you can take online and be successful with (Rakdos Artifacts/Vehicles, Boros Vehicles, Gruul Energy, and so on).

If you take the time to look into which sets are worth unlocking first and play smart it can significantly cut down your grinding time.

I started Duels shortly after EMN came out (late July of last year) and still managed to easily hit rank 40 before the season ended, back when Xbox matchmaking was outright garbage. I was fully caught up on cards sometime around November and had enough gold saved up to buy all of AER the day it dropped. I will admit that I spent $35 on the game, because they had concurrent sales running for gold and a couple of sets (BFZ/OGW) and I wasn't going to pass that up.

I kinda think that no one has played AI much in a while. Keep seeing a lot of "used to". I don't doubt it used to be faster. but I also take load times into consideration, possibility of mana screw or flood and having to restart, also the fact computer will win the game and then having to start it over. So 10 minutes is an average.

As for the sets, it doesn't matter what type I am after. that's irrelevant for the sake of making something that will work consistently in 1v1 to get coins. and if there is a good RDW I can take online and use, I am all for that too. If there were a few better burn to the face spells, I would be happier(from origins). And if someone has a list for an agro that will be good, by al means, throw it at me, lol. *guards face*

I can set you up with a few lists that only use SOI/EMN block. If you want a compromise, shell out for coins now while they are on sale. $24 for 7.5k coins (50 packs) means you could get over half of any big set or most of any small set for <$30. That's about what you'd pay for one installment of the old standalone DotP games, right?

Here are a few of my builds for SOI/EMN (some may contain some cards from BFZ, too, but you should be able to make substitutes as necessary):








I also have a Gruul Werewolves list that is mostly SOI and a Dimir Zombie-control list. Vamps prolly has the best win record of all of the ones posted and Hoomanz prolly has the worst. Delirium is prolly the funnest to play. Oh, and word of advice on Vamps, if you build it - try to play on your opponent's turn when possible. Madness is like flash on steriods and a lot of times you can get some big hits in by letting an unwary opponent swing into you thinking they don't need to hold back a blocker, and then surprise them by dropping a Bloodmad Vampire or such at the end of their turn.

It's a shame you are off the Playstations.
It's nice to revisit the older games and there is still a player base for 2014. Not sure about 2013.

coins are not on sale for me as far as I can see. still the usual 39.99 for 7500.

and yeah devil it sucks I don't have the ps3 to use anymore. would have been super happy if magic had been on the ps4. I'm sad because of it, lol.

and I would have to get more of SOI to do those, I barely have any those you have listed.

Wizards copped out by not doing iut on psn. but it could also be something to do with updating on psn or Microsoft made them only do it for thiers, meh.

Just spend 40$ and buy most of Kaladesh. Get all the good vehicles and watch your win rate go up to 75-80%. In all your postings, you've never stated that you're hard up for cash. Most other games cost 60$ plus tax. Hell.. a night out with the wife and kids costs more than 40$.. and that only lasts 3-5 hours.. how much more entertainment value will you get out of Duels for the same money?

Right now I don't have the cash. that's part of the issue. I will soonish though.

It's intentional. My xbox name used to be Sl33pHumper but it was reported and I was forced to change it. I didn't log in today and I have to work until Wednesday morning so I won't be available until then.

TBH even though I have lots of coin and nothing to buy I find myself playing the AI more than ranked matches just because I like testing decks and vs the AI it is faster to connect. The AI is very easy to beat as it makes lots of stupid plays so I would definitely go that route if I was grinding for coins. Ideally you would play vs for the win bonus and quest coins if needed then just grind AI for the rest of the daily quota. Note you can complete the quests without wining sometimes.

if someone has an origins only list to use against ai, please post it. I know how to play the game and all that, but when ai is dropping 4/4's on turn 3 that are bigger than anything I have by that turn, then it does get to be a pain to beat it. And all the ai I face plays are vehicles and energy cards, and it drops something every turn bigger than anything in an agro deck really.

But I will try anything really.

http://magicduels.wikia.com/wiki/Decklists

If you scroll down you can get some decklists for D cards only, origins + D ect

UR Thopters? You're not missing much, and wide is not a bad strategy vs. the AI. You will have a problem at the 2 drop slot, but the AI decks are slow. Don't try that deck on VS. though.

lol, ai decks aren't slow when I play, the do something as of turn 1 every time. and I was using thopters in vs, was fine, just not all the time. that was what I was using the first time I ever capped, which was only a week ago. and if I am going to go wide as you say, I might as well play a human for more coins.

long and short, first turn is almost always that hub that gets any colr, 2nd turn is that cub and 3rd is 4/4 red haste that it keeps at end of turn, and with vehicles to boot. If I can make an agro deck that can kill ai fast, so be it, I am ok with that. problem is, ai is just as fast and drops bigger threats.

ARE YOU LEAVING OR WHAT?!

I gave him a solid Thopters deck.. but without the busted ass vehicles to go with it, it's slow for the current meta. The worst part IMO is that his best burn is Twin Bolt and Firecraft.

Brutal. But he could be playing it to farm gold, and opening packs, hoping for vehicles. Or at least, that was my thinking.