When Covid-19 hit in early 2020, in-store games was pretty much halted around the world. To scratch that itch of casting spells, many Magic players turned to online platforms, to the like Discord, Facebook Messenger, and even the fan-made, browser-based Spelltable. This year, a new standalone programme called MTG Duelist has surfaced, and it offers some real potential in solving some of the past problems of other platforms.
While all these platforms served a basic function of allowing us to play Magic, it did come with some drawbacks. For one, you would always need to have your paper deck available, not to mention a decent webcam aimed at your tabletop.
If you’ve seen play test features in deck builder sites such as Moxfield, MTG Duelist looks very similar visually, just that you are playing against real people.
The entire game is run by click-and-drag functions, and some keystrokes such as Alt will flip card face up or down, while hitting TAB over your Library will pull out a drop down menu. It takes some getting used to but after a couple of games, you’ll get the hang of it.
Let’s get into what great about MTG Duelist, and what could still use some work:
What’s Great About MTG Duelist:
Play any deck and any format
Because you are importing deck lists directly into MTG Duelist, you can play every known format, so that means even expensive Vintage and Modern decks. For players like myself who found those paper formats prohibitively expensive, MTG Duelist makes it infinitely more accessible. On the deck screen, you can import a deck list, it’ll generate the card images in a snap and you’re off.
With tens of thousands of deck lists available online, now you have access to that tier 1 or cEDH deck you’ve been eyeing but never got down to building. Hit “Play” after creating your deck, and just like Spelltable, you can create/join a private room or an open one if you’re flying solo and looking to make new friends.
No need to own the actual cards
Unlike Spelltable or playing on streaming platforms, with MTG Duelist, you don’t need to own any of the physical cards to play a game of Magic. Even though that’s not in Wizards of the Coast’s best business interest, it makes Magic all the more accessible, especially who those who found the game’s cost to be holding them back from trying the game.
Even in the free-to-play MTG Arena, it takes time and patience to build a good collection from nothing, unless you’re willing to throw in some green. Being able to import and use any deck in the world is probably the best feature of this system.
What’s Still Lacking for MTG Duelist:
No true banter and political game
If the biggest advantage is the ability to play any deck or card you fancy, then the biggest drawback comes from the lack of the social element. Especially in 4-player casual Commander games, a huge part of the fun comes from making over-the-table deals and jabbing at opponents when they attack you. On Duelist, sadly that element is lost, just like every other online platform out there.
Being able to voice chat over the in-built audio system is great, but while testing the app out, I realise how important how the visual cues from the other players. Are they giving you the eye? Are they hiding their cards or keeping suspiciously quiet? All this is missing in online play.
Bugs
Naturally as a fan-made, passion project, not everything can be perfect. I did encounter some bugs and errors while playing, one of which was this “error” banner that would pop up. There was no way to close that message or click on anything behind it, so the only option was to quit the app and restart it. MTG Duelist boots up very quickly so it’s more an inconvenience than anything.
In one of our games, a friend’s deck was not showing up after joining the room, and in another scenario the back side of a Model Dual-Faced Card could not be shown. These were mostly one-offs and don’t make the app bad, but if there are too many inconveniences it could hinder its journey towards going mainstream.
No 4-player Battlefield
On Spelltable, you’re able to see the full board for a 4-player game, but on MTG Duelist, you’ll have toggle to the ‘other half’ of the table because the default screen is meant for a 2-player game. This isn’t an issue if you’re playing any format other than Commander, but it’s a big enough drawback that is worth mentioning, especially if Commander is your go-to format.
No Rules Assistance
This would be more of a feature to help newer players settle into the game. Since MTG Duelist offers free and limitless gameplay (remember, no need to own cards), it’s a very good platform for introducing the game. But without some basic rules assistance such as a reference card for turn phases, or descriptions of common keyword mechanics, I fear new players will just get lost and eventually frustrated with it. They would be better off playing on MTG Arena for a better user experience.
End Step
Is MTG Duelist worth checking out? Absolutely. The promise of free, unlimited gameplay that provides an alternative way to play Magic during lockdowns is invaluable. It’s not without its problems but you can easily close one eye and look past them. Give it a shot at the very least, and let us know your thoughts between Duelist, Discord, or other platforms you use.
