I have a complete set of portal including the cards with alternate text. There is a lot of nostalgia here for me, I forgot the outer box that held the two smaller decks.
They weren’t legal. I remember going to buy some portal and was actively discouraged from buying it because I couldn’t use the cards. What a stupid idea.
The best way to get new players is to have somebody actively willing to mentor them at the card shop/game store, and to start them off with a simple, straightforward preconstructed deck with really good cards. I started my son on the Fire & Lightning precon (with a few card swaps to improve deck consistency), and the fact that it is just relentless burn and beats to the face that can just "oops, I win" against virtually any other deck makes it a lot of fun for new players. It has lots of great cards, too - Grim Lavamancer, Lightning Bolt/Chain Lightning, Figure of Destiny, etc. All in foil, too. The main weakness of monored decks are the fact that you often play out your hand and go into topdeck mode, which often allows your opponent to stabilize and recover, so swapping in more card advantage (The One Ring/Palantír of Orthanc/Browbeat), and search/deck manipulation (Magma Jet/Sensei's Divining Top) helps avoid this. The key focus should be on ingraining the turn structure, and how to make good play choices by teaching the concepts of mana curve, card advantage, and identifying win conditions. Portal was notoriously bad with a lot of overcosted and underpowered cards that weren't even sanctioned format legal until 2005.
Thanks for such elaborated comment mate! Appreciate that! Can't agree more on the having someone mentoring part, it is always much easier to learn with someone who already knows the rules and how to play. And we will open Fire & Lightning on this channel, I already have it, but don't tell anyone! 🤫
This is basically what Konami did with the 2-Player Starter set in Yu-Gi-Oh, except 25 years later. Why did they do it 25 years after Wizards made this flop? Because they're insanely stupid.
Portal is still quite popular for its alternate cards though, even the basic lands (actually been selling/trading away quite a few the last two weeks).
I had already been playing Magic for a couple years when this product came out. I can't remember how now, but a friend of mine somehow got a bunch of these and gave them away to a bunch of his friends (including me). At the time, I remember wondering why they were trying to teach new players the game, but used different terminology for half of the rules... Very nostalgic to see this opened. Thanks!
I remember buying this and playing with my brother. I didn't know how to play then and it was really cool. Now I wish that I still had all my original things...
@@MagicArchiveTV ha ill be 36 this month. i had this set i think there was also a version with a VHS tape? i might be misremembering or mixing it up with an other game at the time.
But portal was great and did teach a lot of new players the basics and got them playing.... it remembered fondly with anyone I've ralked to about it for ages
@@MagicArchiveTV Well I mean at the time, when I buyed it, I had started playing with 4th , and the cards didn't really compare, they felt overly simplified (it was the point I guess) but yeah just feld under par compared =P Still not has horrible has homelands felt, were cards seemed complicated and bad lol
I have a complete set of portal including the cards with alternate text. There is a lot of nostalgia here for me, I forgot the outer box that held the two smaller decks.
Wow! That’s nice!
They weren’t legal. I remember going to buy some portal and was actively discouraged from buying it because I couldn’t use the cards. What a stupid idea.
Yeah, mind-boggling 😅
Cards like Wrath of God etc that also appeared in other sets were legal on tournaments though.
The best way to get new players is to have somebody actively willing to mentor them at the card shop/game store, and to start them off with a simple, straightforward preconstructed deck with really good cards. I started my son on the Fire & Lightning precon (with a few card swaps to improve deck consistency), and the fact that it is just relentless burn and beats to the face that can just "oops, I win" against virtually any other deck makes it a lot of fun for new players. It has lots of great cards, too - Grim Lavamancer, Lightning Bolt/Chain Lightning, Figure of Destiny, etc. All in foil, too. The main weakness of monored decks are the fact that you often play out your hand and go into topdeck mode, which often allows your opponent to stabilize and recover, so swapping in more card advantage (The One Ring/Palantír of Orthanc/Browbeat), and search/deck manipulation (Magma Jet/Sensei's Divining Top) helps avoid this.
The key focus should be on ingraining the turn structure, and how to make good play choices by teaching the concepts of mana curve, card advantage, and identifying win conditions.
Portal was notoriously bad with a lot of overcosted and underpowered cards that weren't even sanctioned format legal until 2005.
Thanks for such elaborated comment mate! Appreciate that!
Can't agree more on the having someone mentoring part, it is always much easier to learn with someone who already knows the rules and how to play.
And we will open Fire & Lightning on this channel, I already have it, but don't tell anyone! 🤫
It didn't completely fail! I got this starter from my nephew way back in the day and I'm still an active player 😊
Wow! Almost the same here, but I started with Classic 6th edition :)
Failure is kinda the way WotC see it according to Mark Rosewater’s podcast 🤷♂️
I'm 51 years old, I have several cards of this set and I use the words deck or library :) the booster price was 2,95$
Wow! You even remember the price! Must have been a lot of fun playing Portal back then!
This is basically what Konami did with the 2-Player Starter set in Yu-Gi-Oh, except 25 years later. Why did they do it 25 years after Wizards made this flop? Because they're insanely stupid.
Seems like they forgot everything after 25 years 😅🤷♂️
Portal is still quite popular for its alternate cards though, even the basic lands (actually been selling/trading away quite a few the last two weeks).
And I can imagine why! The cards look awesome.
Yes, Portal lands are drop. I traded away mine years ago for a stack of Unstabled basics.
I had already been playing Magic for a couple years when this product came out. I can't remember how now, but a friend of mine somehow got a bunch of these and gave them away to a bunch of his friends (including me). At the time, I remember wondering why they were trying to teach new players the game, but used different terminology for half of the rules... Very nostalgic to see this opened. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing!
I remember buying this and playing with my brother. I didn't know how to play then and it was really cool. Now I wish that I still had all my original things...
Same here mate, same here
I learned how to play from Portal!
Wow! That makes you ancient, mate! 😂👍 Did you have this 2 player starter set or stuff from boosters?
@@MagicArchiveTV ha ill be 36 this month. i had this set i think there was also a version with a VHS tape? i might be misremembering or mixing it up with an other game at the time.
But portal was great and did teach a lot of new players the basics and got them playing.... it remembered fondly with anyone I've ralked to about it for ages
Yeah, that is very true. I am referring more to what WotC tell themselves regarding the set, especially Mark Rosewater on his podcast. :)
@MagicArchiveTV im a month or more behind on his podcast so i missed that. It started getting super repetitive
No wonder, it is almost 1200 episodes 😅
The very first MTG product that got my money lol
Wow!
this was my 1st tournament event
Wow, nice!
That’s where I started
Wow, nice!
I am as old as this release. I feel old now.
Imagine this game will be around in next 27 years!
I got this set in my Easter basket when I was 8 😅
youngster 🤣
where did you get that playmat?
Most likely on Cardmarket. Pretty sure it might be available on eBay too.
Because magic wasn't that hard to learn lol
Indeed! 😂
buyed some but it was meh
I guess it depends. In my case both of my prerelease kits’ rares (even without uncommons) cost more than what I paid for them.
@@MagicArchiveTV Well I mean at the time, when I buyed it, I had started playing with 4th , and the cards didn't really compare, they felt overly simplified (it was the point I guess) but yeah just feld under par compared =P
Still not has horrible has homelands felt, were cards seemed complicated and bad lol