We didn’t get to send anyone to E3, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take advantage of the collective knowledge everyone else gathered there!

Over at Escapist Magazine, Joshua Vanderwall looks to have received some serious time with Magic Duels: Origins, the free-to-play version of Wizards of the Coast’s iconic CCG that launches in July. If you like how Hearthstone handles its microtransactions, you’re in luck, though it differs from Blizzard’s game in several key ways.

As with Hearthstone, you can earn all cards for free, or spend real money to accelerate the process. There will be daily quests to net you more gold, as well as community quests that require all players to combine forces to achieve something. (The totally made-up example he gives is “Deal 1 million damage with red sorceries.”) The Deck Wizard will be a great help to players who might not be used to Magic’s rather complex deckbuilding, and matches against the AI will feature randomized decks. And if you’re just not that good at Magic? Don’t fret! You’ll earn gold for every match you play, win or lose.

It all looks like a pretty good package and something we’re definitely looking forward to next month!


  1. “oh but dust to craft cards”. That is actually at a slower trickle pace than GOLD! And you hit a faster STOP on that than you do gold! because you need TONS, and the booster packs you can only sacrafice so many. This also (if your smart and know how to maxamize dust) forces a F2P to sacrafice ALL classes. With my F2P account, I had to turn into dust ALL my other classes cards, except the class I Was working on (nearly impossible or a F2P to build up ONE DECK on one class much less multi decks on other classes that work). To avoid bordem, I usually keep two main classes and dust the rest. I got, after year of play, 4 horus average per day, maybe a handfull of cards. And of course, none that LINK up to the build I need. Just kind of a random jungle. Cash + hand picking your cards is best way. OR cash tons of boosters. Also, THE BEST WORD to break thigs games back: NET DECKS (google that subject…feel the fan bois tears)

  2. “As with Hearthstone, you can earn all cards for free, or spend real money to accelerate the process. ” Not at all. This is the most toxic P2W game alive.
    That “F2P” theory is just as real as this “not P2W” theory I am about to explain because “TECHNICALLY’ (that magical word fan bois fall on) you can earn the cards, but the environment has to be PERFECT (it is not, and it is P2W now). For example, to earn gold in game F2P you have to win 3 matches in a row There is NO LOSING GOLD but LOSING EXP. This puts you in a higher rank with lower bad cards, so soon you are like a soldier promoted without equipment and told to go to war. You can literally spend months teamed up against your favor playing at least 6 hours per day and not gain gold. I have passed weeks, load up, and there my enemy is with this paid “custom” deck backs, and every card that comes out is not in my library (advanced cards). And vice versa on my cash account. I have come across SKILLED AS HELL players that put up a GREAT fight with their non cash decks…I stomp them in the end. It can be a little challenging, and I Feel bad, but I STOMP them HARD.
    There is no competition it is brick wall P2W… but not at first, so that first glory hooks people. And at OB, or in new blood sign ups, you can swim in pools of easy standard and fair progression (hence the environment) but as you progress (winning doubling your EXP rate) the gold rate does not and you will sooner or later (around level 25ish) need cash out or the super slow losing streak hits. It is amazing to play and lose and hit max level with 1 booster pack per month and a half.
    There is always a fan boi “I got competition deck in 2 weeks”. Again, either lying, paid, or was in a OB favored enironment. It is not at all the realiry for the majority. Between my free and cash account the difference is so noticable, Id rather suffer in other restrictive F2P games like star wars or play a free trail and cash out later…. Because this is just a joke free. And bring any of that up and the brianless blizz bois fall out of the sky with teh fact less defense.

    • Are you talking bout Hearthstone? Cause nothing could sum up that game this perfectly. It’s beyond ridiculous how OP some of the cards are. Those cards would put you in a distinct advantage over your opponents no matter how skillful your own game is. You can spend as much time as you want building the smartest deck ever and you’d still get wrecked with people following set up decks rigged with op cards.

      I’m not being butthurt. The game is finely built and you will have a lot of fun with it at start. Slowly you’ll realize how helpless you are against decks with op cards galore.


Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here