So a guy from my boardgame group picked up Magic recently with his son. I'm used to Standard, so we have vastly different cards available.

My question is simply: In a low, low budget situation, are 2-color decks still the way to go despite having no or only crappy duals?

https://www.channelfireball.com/article ... ca-update/

It depends on what's in your deck, obviously. If you're trying to cast Steel Leaf Champion, then you need at least 23 green sources. That means you won't be able to run 2 colors. But if all your low-mana cards are artifacts and your only colored cards are 5-mana cards that cost only one colored mana, e.g. Kenrith, then you only need 9 white sources i.e. you can get away with 3 color decks.

Thank you, I know this. But this is Standard wisdom. I'm wondering if kitchen table expectations are lower.

I mean, in Limited we also run 2 colors with all basics and it's better than mono color. Though there's also the aspect that you're unlikely to get 23 good cards in the same color.

But think of a card pool where you have mostly commons and uncommons - enough quantity to build a mono colored deck. Do you still go 2-color with all basics or common dual lands?

I would always go 2 colors in kitchen table.

IMO it's easiest for learners to start with mono-coloured decks if possible, and transit to 2 or more colours (a little) later.

Avoiding being colour-screwed or situations where you want to cast two 1W spells off 3 forests and 1 plains is an important, but not the most basic skill. It's more important to learn combat, learn what a curve is, learn what each colour's identity is. Going for two colours can come after that initial step.

Then it becomes a card quality question. Do you have any payoffs for staying monocolor? For example, Steel Leaf Champion is a powerful payoff for staying mono G. So are cards like Vivien, Arkbow Ranger. These cards are strong, but to play them you need to stay mono G. Meanwhile Rekindling Phoenix is a great card that isn't nearly as color intensive. You could conceivably play a mostly-red deck and splash Blessed Light.

If the best cards in your pool aren't so color intensive, then you should play 2 colors. If they are color intensive, then you should stay monocolor.

If it’s kitchen table magic you go for what’s fun. I’d run 2 color decks because I find color pairs more fun than mono colors, but to each their own. Dual lands are more important for competitive constructed. In limited (which is closer to what your experience will be with a shoe box of cards at home, not having playsets of mythics and rares) 2 color decks are normal and perfectly fine without playsets of dual color lands - or any dual lands at all.

There is no kitchen table metagame. Or rather, each playgroup has its own metagame. What cards are available? What decks are others playing? As long as everyone is playing at roughly the same power level you can all have fun. That's the only advice I can give you without knowing more about what you're up against.

Thanks for the various replies and opinions.

I'm not up for a match against these guys, it's more about what I (as the knowledgable guy) tell him (as the beginner) how to approach MtG. If things go well, we might convert a few more guys and teach the others some Paper down the road.
So far I told him that 2-colored is the norm and it mostly depends on availability of rare duals whether you rather go mono or even 3-color. So far he prefers mono for its consistency and I don't know if 2-color would actually be stronger given what he has. The available card pool is certainly much closer to a limited format than what we talk about here.

I think I would take Modulo's suggestion, coz that presents an actual learning curve, mono green should probably be the way to start.

Lmao this sneaky ****er turning Sol’s post into an add. Or I assume that’s what it is, I ain’t clicking on that

Good radar Timh