Building a Collection: Legacy WRITTEN BY Orren Mckay

Legacy is one of the more expensive formats to play. Depending on the deck you decide on, you could be looking at a deck that easily runs into the $2000+ range. This potential price tag can tend to scare people off from Legacy. It's a terrible shame because Legacy is a fun, interesting and exciting format with tons of viable decks and strategies. This installment of Collection Building will look at ways to make entry into Legacy more budget-friendly while working to build and improve your overall Magic collection.



As with everything else in life, a good plan always helps. Legacy has tons of decks to choose from: Burn, Dredge, Belcher, Storm, Show and Tell, Omnitell, Reanimator, Lands, Esper Control, Miracles, Food Chain Combo, Infect, Death and Taxes, Maverick, Jund, MUD, 12-post, Merfolk, High Tide, ... like four or five distinctly different versions of Delver. This isn't even a complete list. There are even sub-categories of these decks. For example, there is traditional Dredge and mana-less Dredge. The point of all this is Legacy has a lot of viable decks that you could see and an enormous card pool that spans more than 20 years of Magic. When figuring out what you want to play and how you want to build your collection to make this possible, you need to play and find out what you enjoy playing. The best way to do this is look at the least expensive viable deck options and start playing Legacy.

Entry Points: Decks with which to begin

Mono-red (or Burn) is by far the most common, affordable entry into Legacy. It is pretty simple to build. The most expensive cards will end up being Goblin Guide, Eidolon of the Great Revel and maybe the fetch lands (if you play that version) and some of the sideboard options (like Ensnaring Bridge). A lot of the cards are in the $5 range, so the deck isn't super cheap, but $200-400 isn't a bad price for a deck, especially one that will still be legal in the format five years from now with only minor updates.

Dredge and Belcher are a little bit more expensive than Burn, but not so much that they are terrible to assemble when you are first starting. The major cost for both of these decks will be the Lion's Eye Diamonds. Belcher also runs a Taiga but as dual lands go, that's one of the more affordable. [Editor's Note: You can also run it with Stomping Ground and most of the time it plays exactly the same way]. Belcher is a potential turn one win combo deck where if your opponent has a Force of Will in hand, you probably don't win. Dredge is an odd deck that plays unlike...well, anything else.

Any of these three decks would work to get you started in Legacy. Burn is probably being the best choice. Belcher is very much a glass cannon deck and Dredge crumples to certain graveyard hate games 2 and 3. Burn also doesn't tend to get the respect it deserves. This because it's such a cheap and accessible deck that it tends to attract newer and less experienced players, and naturally, these novice players tend to not put up the numbers of those with more experience in Legacy.

[Editor's Note: Burn was my first Legacy deck].



Once you assemble your initial Legacy deck, play as much Legacy as you can. Figure out what you like to play. If you decide that it's Burn, then congratulations, you're done. If your deck of choice ends up being another deck, then it's time to make a plan. What deck(s) have you seen and/or played against that you liked? Which did you hate? What strategies did you like? Which strategies and decks suit your preferred playstyle? Pick the deck that feels right to you. Next, work on assembling that deck.



Absolutely first of all, before anything, I would recommend proxying up your ideal Legacy deck so you can play it and determine for sure that you do like it. Some decks seem wonderful on paper and just don't feel right or suit you when you get down to playing them.





Step Two: Looking at the next decks

After the deck passes this test, now it's time to look at the expensive cards in your future deck. Let's say, for example, you want to play RUG Delver (Temur Delver). The big money cards in this deck are: Tarmogoyf, Force of Will, Wasteland, Volcanic Island and Tropical Island. With three or four of each of these, you are looking at a pretty steep price tag, and not something most people would just pick up in one shot. Make and keep a running list of what you need for the deck in your trade binder or on your phone. Remember to include the less expensive cards too. Everything you lack. Whenever you get a chance to trade, check and see if you can cross off cards. Sometimes you just randomly run across someone with a few Stifles that they want to trade away.



For the more expensive cards, try to pick them up in useful blocks. Cards that are expensive in Legacy are usually that way because they see play in a number of decks. For example, work toward four Force of Wills first. They show up in most of the decks with blue in the format. Having a playset of them puts you much closer to being able to build an interim deck. Having three is less helpful. This strategy can get you away from mono-Red and give you some variety play-wise. It also gives you experience with other decks, something that is always beneficial. With the addition of Aether Vials, zero to four Wastelands (depending on the version), some merfolk and Mutavaults (that you may have left from standard a little bit ago) you have a Merfolk deck. Picking up those Wastelands also puts you closer to your goal deck. If you combine Tropical Islands with your Force of Wills, you can visit Infect on your way to RUG Delver. The main point here is to identify the common threads among the Legacy deck lists and plan your acquisitions. You may even discover decks along the way that you like even more than your final goal.

Picking up useful blocks of cards is a good idea.

Use PucaTrade to your advantage when hunting for Legacy staples. It's one of the few places where you can trade more current cards for these without a painful premium. It will probably take a while to accumulate enough points for a playset of Force of Wills or Wastelands, but it is important to remember that building a collection involves patience. For March-April 46 Force of Wills and 31 non-promo Wastelands were traded. The cards are out there, it just takes some time and the points.



Another option for making Legacy more budget friendly is to opt for less than NM cards. If you are able to stand it, a sleeve playable card is good enough. Thanks to PucaTrade's recent fund raiser, they should be offering this option in the near future as well. The difference in cost between a NM versus "playable" Tropical Island is sometimes enough to be able to afford a second one.



Legacy is not cheap to play, even when you opt for mono-Red Burn. Don't let this discourage you. Plan what you want. Accumulate cards as you are able and grow your collection. A Magic collection doesn't just happen. It grows and evolves over time.



General Advice



Try to always buy something when you go to your local card shop. What you buy doesn't have to be expensive -- maybe a drink and a snack, a couple of rares out of the bulk box, or some sleeves. There is always something random that you need for magic. Spending money at a card shop makes the shop owners happier and helps establish a good rapport. They are providing you with a place to play, they have rent, electricity bills, etc. Pick up something random that you need, spend a little money and build some goodwill. Win, win.



The first time you visit a new card shop (one you have never visited) make sure you buy something. See above, plus, if you end up visiting the shop long-term, it starts things off by making a good impression. If you are on vacation or whatever and will probably never return to that shop, still look around and try and buy something. Random game shops have odd, neat things that others don't. Sometimes you discover that you just can't live without that stainless steel d20 that's about the diameter of a fifty-cent piece.



Never trade or sell to shops. Never is a strong word, but until you know exactly what you are doing, it's a good rule to follow. I know this advice may seem a little odd considering the above, but for the purposes of collection building, it is one that needs to be discussed. Card shops are businesses. A business works by buying/trading for things at less than retail value and selling them for as close to retail prices as possible. When you sell or trade to a shop, you can probably expect 50% or less of the retail value of your cards. If you want to trade for a Tarmogoyf with a shop, you can expect to give up double or more in trade value to get it. If you want to trade cards or sell cards to acquire other cards, there are many less costly ways to do this. Trade with other players. PucaTrade. Ebay or Magic Facebook groups. These will require a bit more effort and patience, but if it ends up saving you $100 in card value, it will be worth it. Shops are businesses that you should support. They aren't charities that you should give a small fortune in cards.



Buy and use some kind of card bag where you can keep all of your Magic-related stuff in when you are out in the world. Keep your deck(s) and trade book(s) in it. Only take out the trade book or deck that is currently in use. When you are no longer using something, put it back in the bag. It is sad to have to mention this, but theft is an issue in the Magic world. When a small box of cardboard can be worth many thousands of dollars, it is one you have to be aware of and take steps to manage. Always keep your bag with you. If you absolutely, positively, can't take your bag with you somewhere and must ask a friend to watch it, make sure you pick someone who is actually your friend and who is as crazy about their cards as you are about yours. Also, never leave your bag in the car at a tournament. These bits of advice may help protect you from theft.





Orren Mckay has been playing Magic since the winter of 1993. Since that fateful day when he opened his first starter deck and found the amazing and pretty Underground Sea that produced both black and blue mana and this awful unplayable artifact that you just sacrificed for three of any color mana, he has been hooked. These days, he teaches Computer Science at the University of South Carolina. He plays pretty much every constructed format (except Vintage), collects Magic art, and has a serious passion for EDH and shiny things. Definitely shiny things. @OrrenMckay.

Curious about how to trade cards with other people on PucaTrade? Here's How. It's completely free.