Future Sight Fate Blaster

[MuadDib85]

I would like to start by saying I know absolutely nothing about magic, except that I played a couple of games about 10 years ago...

I have recently received a deck as a gift:

On the top it has:
  
THEME DECK
FATE BLASTER

On The Front:
FUTURE SIGHT
FATE BLASTER
-expert level

I was was wondering if this is a good deck to start collecting/playing MTG?

Any info at all about this deck is appreciated... I will list all cards if necissary.

[SomeRandomDude]

Blue/Red?

That's the most bizarre and absolutely funnest color combination to play. Not very competitive, but its a blast.

The deck, however, is not type 2, which is problematic in finding someone to play, cuz extended will crush you. I would have recommend the Shards of Alara Naya deck to start.

[FM]

I echo what NBarden said, with an important adendum: how serious do you want to take it? If you want to start playing tournaments regularly, like Friday Night Magic and such, I'd recommend sticking with Standard and doing what he said. If you want to collect/play for fun, among friends, pretty much any decks will do, they TEND to be rather balanced.

[MuadDib85]

Blue/Red?

It has blue and red on the front.
(5 circles up the top, 1st is red, 2nd and 3rd are 'empty', 4th is blue and 5th is 'empty')

how serious do you want to take it?

Maybe when I learn all the rules properly I will play some Friday night games... but mainly want to play for fun.

Will every future sight deck have the exact same cards as mine?

How do I tell the "Random Pro Tour Player card" and the "Random premium Time Spiral basic land card"?

Can someone please explain how the ratios are worked out in MTG?...eg. Commons, Uncommons and Rares (LOTR).

What is the latest 'set' of Magic out?

[TheJord]

Theme Decks are the Magic equivalent of a Starter Deck in LOTR, and yes they all have the same cards.

The Random Pro Tour Player card will have a picture of a famous Magic player on it, where he/she is from and what they are known for etc

The Premium Land will be a foil land. Premium is the Magic word for Foil.

The Alara block is the latest block, with Alara Reborn the latest and final set in that block

[MuadDib85]

Thanks for that.

Does anybody know when is the next block (assuming there will be one) is due to be released?

[SomeRandomDude]

MtG isn't going anywhere any time soon, so there will be a next block.

The next scheduled set is M10- which is a core set. Previously, the sets have been like 6th edition, 7th edition, 8th edition, 10th edition, etc, now they're going to label them by the following year, so M10 releases summer 09, M11 will release summer 10, etc.

[Thranduil]

Well, they do things a bit differently in MTG. They've found that at optimum they want to release 4 sets a year. One of those sets is going to be a Core Set, which in July is going to be Magic 2010. That is going to be generic fantasy flavour, without any particular setting.

Then they release a block of 3 sets which follow a specific story and setting, which this year was Shards of Alara/Conflux/Alara Reborn, and in September is going to be Zendikar.

Thranduil

[Witchkingx5]

Yep, Zendikar is out now for a while and as in Alara, there are so many overpowered Cards...
And with re-releasing the Fetch lands, even Zoo Decks in t2 are possible and become really crazy cus' of all these rainbow-Alara and Cascade Cards....