From:	Hansen <hansen@********.COM.SG>
Subject:	Useless Cards (was: FASA Ambassadors?)
Date:	Thu, 25 Jun 1998 08:09:43 +0800

>> I can tell you what my reaction was (coming into card games only last
>> year): "Oh my god. I like to collect complete sets. Now I can choose
>> between collecting 3000+ Magic cards, or about 400 Shadowrun cards and
>> then expanding gradually. I take SR." Of course there were other factors
>> like friends´ advice and RPG type preference also, but the sheer amount
>> of different, and very expensive, Magic cards really appalled me.
>> ---Felix
>
>Well, I came in about two weeks ago, and the Magic cards really turned me
off
>from that. I mean, true, you probably can't collect them all, though that
>would possibly be a good thing, because more trading would ensue. Also,
the
>huge variety of the Magic cards kind of made me shiver. Just collecting SR
>cards, I've at first ran across a good many I couldn't use at all, being
only
>for Yakuza, Mafia, Lone Star, etc. and not having any of those cards.
You're
>more likely to run into problems like that in huge sets of cards.
>
> Ace


Hi, just started reading my mail again and this conversation picked up my
interest.
Regarding Magic cards, it is possible to collect them all (I'll assume all
as one of each card printed including variations in text, picture or
whatever; as well as factory misprints - cards that were printed wrong, not
those with a bad printing.) I know a couple of guys who own such sets. They
however take the collecting as a hobby, in fact, I hardly ever see them
play.
Regarding useless cards, magic is just packed full with them. For example,
the entire 'Legends' expansion had pretty good uncommons and rares but
almost all the commons sucked. A lot of cards also become obsolete when a
new improved card appears to replace it. As for SR there are some cards that
are quite sucky too. Take for example Security Decker, Scatter and Gyro
Stabilizer. These cards useable (effectively) in only very specific
conditions or require too much time to use or just plainly suck. Some other
cards are also not too hot but more usable include Chipjacks & Skillsofts,
Suicide Run, Last Stand, Brain Freeze, Distraction, The Hidaway and Major
Drain. These cards are very effective but only in against a specific deck.
They are what you call sideboard cards - and not very effective ones at
that.

Well that's my 2 cents worth of rambling, thanx for listening.