Getting into a new trading card game like Magic: The Gathering or Pokémon, even as an expert in another one, is a difficult transition to make. If anything, moving from one game where you’re an expert to another with a completely different rule set is harder than learning the game with no prior knowledge. This is where the starter pack comes in.
Starter packs for trading card games should offer a comprehensive guide to getting you up to speed with a new game. The card types, the board state, the mechanics, how to win, and everything in between. If, when you’re done with a starter pack, you don’t feel like you could move straight on to playing a casual game against another player, there’s a strong case to be made that it’s failed to do its job.
With more high-level trading card games around than ever before, I’m going to take a look at seven starter packs to see which one does its job the best.
7
Yu-Gi-Oh
Two-Player Starter Set – $19.99
Easily the worst starter set for a TCG right now is the Yu-Gi-Oh two-player starter set. This product is simply too basic, and if two complete newbies sat down to play their first game of Yu-Gi-Oh, they’d spend a lot of time consulting search engines to figure out whether they’re playing right and how to resolve certain cards and actions.
This list will only contain official starter packs, kits, or boxes. No isolated starter decks will be included, and each game will feature only one product, using the most basic beginner’s introduction as the representation.
It’s reasonably priced, and this pack includes two pre-built decks and a 64-page comic that teaches you how to play. That’s it; the decks don’t even contain any playmats, so your introduction to the game and the battlefield is all going to come from this black-and-white comic.
It also doesn’t help that the current state of Yu-Gi-Oh means that whatever you learn in this starter set isn’t representative of the games you’ll play out in the wild.
Compared to the other attempts at creating entry-level beginner products, Yu-Gi-Oh is comfortably at the bottom of the pile. One thing working for this productis the price, as it can often be foundwell under the $19.99 MSRP.
6
One Piece
Learn Together Deck Set – $39.99
While the One Piece starter set is much better than the Yu-Gi-Oh one in terms of teaching a brand-new player how to play, and at least having the decency to come with a playmat, its high price point does raise some questions, especially when it includes three decks rather than two.
On one hand, it’s nice to have some variety within the starter set to test out different builds, but if it’s the primary reason that this is the joint most expensive set on this list, and comparatively basic compared to the other $39.99 set, then that’s a big drawback.
For now, this remains the best way to get into the One Piece TCG, but at this price point, a more comprehensive package would be appreciated going forward.
5
Riftbound
Proving Grounds – $39.99
As the most expensive introductory product on this list, alongside One Piece, Riftbound’s Proving Grounds has a lot to live up to. Fortunately, unlike with One Piece, the value here is truly felt.
In the Proving Grounds box, you get four total decks to play with, as the game can be played with up to four players. You also get four figurines of the champions that lead each deck, four separate game boards, four oversized battlefield cards, and a how-to-play guide.
I think the Proving Grounds box is great value for money if you can find it at MSRP, as I know this has been a struggle from time to time. However, it isn’t a sure thing that you’ll come away knowing exactly how to play Riftbound to a level where you could go and play the game casually against others. This comes from the power level of the decks being hugely nerfed, but the decks can be upgraded to make them somewhat competitive in casual games once you’re ready.
4
Pokemon
Battle Academy – $19.99
While Pokémon may be the biggest collectible card game in the world right now, a surprising number of collectors don’t actually know how to play the game. The Battle Academy box is a brilliant introduction to the game, but it definitely feels tailored to younger players, which works against it.
Inside the box you get three 60-card decks, a hardback playmat, deck boxes, counters, a metallic coin, a rulebook, a setup guide, and guides for playing. There’s a ton of value here for $19.99, and the Battle Academy is a great way to learn how to play the game, especially if you’re also trying to get a younger player into it.
In the same vein as Yu-Gi-Oh, the preparedness you get from playing with the Battle Academy probably isn’t high enough to be ready to go up against experienced players right away, so you may want to do some additional research into building your own Pokémon decks and understanding the nuances of win strategies and card types before you get too far ahead of yourself.
3
Star Wars Unlimited
Intro Battle: Hoth – $19.99
Star Wars Unlimited is forgotten about all too often, but if you’re looking for a great way into this TCG, the Intro Battle: Hoth starter set is ideal. The game is a bit jarring if you’re coming from other TCGs, but the rule set feels fairly intuitive once you’ve played a few games.
This box set comes with a two-player hardback playmat, two pre-constructed decks, a ton of counters, and a how-to-play guide. You have everything you need to learn the game, although you’ll want to move on to other starter decks or build your own decks if you want to cross the line into casual play with others.
It’s simple but effective, and at a low MSRP, it’s a relatively low-risk way to see if the Star Wars Unlimited TCG is something you could really get into.
2
Disney Lorcana
Lorcana Gateway – $24.99
Coming in at second place on this list is Disney Lorcana’s Gateway box. Inside this product is everything you could possibly need for two completely new to Lorcana players to pick up the game and learn it in stages, working from smaller deck sizes of 30 cards all the way up to the Core Constructed minimum of 60 cards.
You also get hardback play boards, a bunch of pop-out counters, and handy deck-specific guide books. Everything in this box has a purpose, and while Lorcana is relatively easy to learn, if you’re moving over from another TCG, playing ultra-passively may be confusing. This Gateway product does everything you could possibly want an introductory TCG box to do, and you’ll come out of the other side ready to move onto casual games with strangers with no problems whatsoever.
1
Magic: The Gathering
Beginner Box – $29.99
Top of this list, but not by much, is Magic: The Gathering and its Beginner Box. This new product is typically released alongside new, full-size Universes Beyond sets, but you can also find it for the Foundations set.
This stacked product includes two hardback play mats, two instant play decks, two learn-to-play guides, two spindown dice, some counters, and eight jump-start decks.
The big advantage that the Magic: The Gathering Beginner Box has over the Lorcana Gateway product is that it introduces the Standard format in a very easy-to-digest way, but also cleverly brings Jump Start into the fold, Magic’s mystery quick-play format that’s become hugely popular.
You get all of this for an MSRP of $29.99, and like pretty much every other product on this list, you can find it for under this price fairly easily, either online or via your local game store.
