I just started playing Magic two weeks ago and I'd like to go to my local FNM sometime soon to play with some folks. Is it okay etiquette to request the opposing player to briefly explain each card they play as I do not have a knowledge of many of the cards floating in standard? I am not sure if players do this to begin with and maybe this is a silly question.
Depends on the room. At my FNM it would be OK. I know some places that would give warnings for it if you did it constantly. Best idea would be to talk to whoever is running the event and ask ahead of time.
...or I could be completely wrong. Who really knows?
Back when I was in high school, I used to write little quotes on the whiteboard of my chemistry class, little, funny things that I'd made up and attributed to an anonymous author. Just tiny things I found amusing. Some time near the end of the year, a substitute teacher game in, read it, and told us a quote she had heard from a 13 year old girl. I don't remember what it was, but the quote sounded deep and philosophical. Then I actually thought about it. I realized that the quote was actually meaningless, but simply couched in the language of philosophy and depth. And that's what your post is. It is meaningless bull**** that you said in such a way as to make it seem sophisticated. But just as a lab coat doesn't make you a scientist, language won't make you a philosopher. Only love of wisdom will. And until then, you will always remind me of a nameless 13 year old.
FNM is casual REL so it's fine to ask what they do. Lots of players are fine with it because not everybody gets to play all of the time. Most of the time if I see my opponent reading the card upside down I will turn it around for them and explain.
People at FMN tend to be pretty casual, just testing decks and so on That being said some people may get mad at you but even so you still have the right to read the card
It would be good etiquette to say something at the start of the match. As for a warning, no actual judge would ever give a warning at an FNM level event for simply asking for card info. I can't imagine what kind of store would.
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Back when I was in high school, I used to write little quotes on the whiteboard of my chemistry class, little, funny things that I'd made up and attributed to an anonymous author. Just tiny things I found amusing. Some time near the end of the year, a substitute teacher game in, read it, and told us a quote she had heard from a 13 year old girl. I don't remember what it was, but the quote sounded deep and philosophical. Then I actually thought about it. I realized that the quote was actually meaningless, but simply couched in the language of philosophy and depth. And that's what your post is. It is meaningless bull**** that you said in such a way as to make it seem sophisticated. But just as a lab coat doesn't make you a scientist, language won't make you a philosopher. Only love of wisdom will. And until then, you will always remind me of a nameless 13 year old.
Just explain at the start of a match that you're fairly new to the game and that you may need to have a look at the cards your opponent plays until you get the gist of what they do.
Usually when I'm playing someone newer and I can tell they don't know all the cards I'll just casually turn it to face them and say something like 'Hey, if you don't know what a card does when I play it just feel free to turn it over and have a look.' I mean, as long as they aren't like...randomly unsleeving my cards and licking them to obtain the rules text via osmosis. It's public information and they need to know what the cards do.
People at FMN tend to be pretty casual, just testing decks and so on
My experience is that this varies greatly from store to store and even from player to player. Overall, the overwhelming majority of players won't have a problem with you not knowing all the cards. What you should do is simply ask if you may look at the card, then pick it up and read through to see what it does. I think it would be more awkward to ask your opponent to explain it to you, although you could ask questions.
People at FMN tend to be pretty casual, just testing decks and so on
My experience is that this varies greatly from store to store and even from player to player. Overall, the overwhelming majority of players won't have a problem with you not knowing all the cards. What you should do is simply ask if you may look at the card, then pick it up and read through to see what it does. I think it would be more awkward to ask your opponent to explain it to you, although you could ask questions.
Although it can really be fun to go to a store you've never been to before, act like a complete noob, and ask them what their cards do. Then, if they lie or whatever, call a judge over and say "so-and-so here says this card does such-and-such." The faces, man
(at)MrEnglish22 "still a better Commander card than Emmara Tandris" -On the topic of Squire
On my last FNM, i practically explained my oponent my strategy to win and how good his cards were, well the match was one turn away from finishing and ended up with a new fnm friend xD.
