THE SPOILS 2-PLAYER STARTER KIT - Or, "what am I doing?"

[Hapacomenos]

So, hello, I recently stumbled upon a retailer's site selling "the spoils" so I researched the game a little, and it looks quite promising.He currently has some decks and packs, but I think the player starter kit would be the best option for me since I wanna learn the game and have fun. Is it worth it? Is buying two separate decks better?
Any other advice is welcome, and Im looking forward to this fun game.

[ClockmanCardVault]

The two player starter has its upsides and downsides. The upside to the two player starter is that it gives you all the rules, a fun Spoils lore sheet, and two pre-constructed decks that give you a good idea how the game is played. Both decks are incorporate two trades, so you get to see how mixed decks work. Plus, the two decks are completely different, so you'll get to experience different styles of decks if you try out both.

The downside to the two player starter is that it contains no Gearsmith cards (one of the five trades). If you want a complete view of what the different trades (colors) are and what they do, the two player starter will only let you experience four of five. For the full experience you may be better off picking up one of each of the Pre-Constructed decks, either from the Seed or First Edition blocks (or both!).

I don't know how much you are willing to spend to dive into the game, but getting a combination of First Edition and Seed cards would give you the best feel for the game as those are the only two "blocks" that exist and both take place in different eras of the story. Dabbling in both will give you a good idea of the flavor and lore, plus you'll get hands on experience with the specific mechanics found in each of those "blocks."

Hope that helps!

[Hapacomenos]

That was insightful. I just cant resist the box art, and it seems like a "collectible" item.
I see the game isnt generally expensive, but Im more interested in how the deck "tier" goes.
In most games, such decks (to get you in the game) contain cards that are mostly useless after youve passed the learning stage. So am I better getting packs/decks since they can be more "competitive"? Not that im looking into competitive, but Id hate someday meeting other spoilers and realising my deck is *trash*. Also, could you -or anyone else- explain a little about the seeds? The store ill visit has the Seed 2 or something, tho Ive seen boosters/decks with just Seed on them. Are they all playble or is there a rotation like MtG? Are the old cards "outdated" by , lets say, Seed 3?
Thanks in advantage

PS: ~20€ is the amount im thinking of spending until I have more people/friends playing.

[ClockmanCardVault]

Here is a breakdown of the sets:

First Edition: Part One - 220 cards - First release by Tenacious Games and is the "base" set. It introduces all of the trades, some principle characters, and the general lore. Released as booster packs, pre-con decks, and competition packs (which is basically a box that contains 3 packs worth of cards and resources).

First Edition: Part Two - 165 cards - Second release by Tenacious Games and is a direct expansion to the first set. These two sets make up what I guess is called the "First Edition Block." Released only as booster packs.

Seed: Children of the Lingamorph - 220 cards - Last official release by Tenacious games and is set in an earlier period of the Spoils lore. Introduces a handful of new mechanics such as Flip-Up, Recur, double-threshold resources, and the Rogue "gamble" mechanic. It is the first set in the "Seed Block." Released as booster packs, pre-con decks, and competition packs (which is basically a box that contains 3 packs worth of cards and resources).

Seed Part Two: Gloamspike's Revenge - 110 cards - First release by Arcane Tinmen but still designed by the game's creator Josh Lytle. The set is noted for having no uncommons and expands on the Seed mechanics, as well as adding the new mechanic of cards flipping face down as resources, as well as some cards having effects while they are resources. Also introduced Crests. Released only as booster packs.

Seed Part Three: Fall of Marmothoa - 55 fixed cards - To be released on July second, is the last set of the "Seed block" and contains 30 fixed cards, some of which have been Spoiled. The other 25 cards are meant for casual/multiplayer play. Released (as far as we know) only as the fixed deck box.

Second Edition - 300 cards - Second release by Arcane Tinmen. This set combines First Edition Part One and Part Two as the stock of those sets ran out and needed to be reprinted. It obviously has less cards than those two sets combined, but the cards that were not reprinted are still legal. Released only as booster packs.

Constructed formats involve Open (all cards) as well as the two block formats, but those aren't seen much. The blocks are generally used for Draft and Sealed play, although mixing them certainly is an option.

Overall, the Seed block is generally considered stronger than the First Edition block, but that does not mean that First Edition is outdated in any way. Decks still consist of plentiful amounts of First Edition cards, so to be "competitive," you'll want to dabble in all of the sets.

[Hapacomenos]

Thank you very much. But, in regards to the 2 player starter, what should I do? Are the cards from the 1st seed or the 1st edition? and are they "playble"? thanks again.

[ONEone]

i believe the 2 player starter is part 1 and 2, but they are labeled "starter" on the bottom of the cards. i picked one up at gencon a couple years ago and played it with a friend and we instantly fell in love with the game.

i agree with the drawback that there isn't a gearsmith representation in it. i would do the precon deck option and decide between the trades that sound fun. that way you get some resource cards and something a bit more 'advanced' than the 2 player starter, those decks are really basic and small. then pick up some packs to customize things. if you do get packs go for the new 2nd edition and some seed packs.

[El Pez]

I for one, completely recommend picking up the Starter kit if you are new, or are interested in the fluff (storyline, flavor) of the Spoils, especially if you can pick it up cheap like I did. The cards are from 1st edition and 1st part 2, the resources are from seed (full art resources with girls on them). It also contains 2 copies of the Tournament Faction and 1 each of the 5 Seed factions. Unless you buy a Seed Competition Pack (functionally 3 packs of Seed, all of the Factions, and some staple resources) you can't really get the Factions anywhere else (save buying one of each Seed pre-con).

The Kit was produced right before Seed came out or at the same time, and the card quality is the same as that of Seed (aka not as good as Seed II or 2nd Edition but better than Beta). The decks are non-competitive, designed to be played against each other, not anything tournament caliber. I haven't gotten to play them against each other, but they look to be paired evenly. It is true that there is no Gearsmith in either of the decks, but unfortunately in a game with 5 Trades, there is no way to make 2-Trade decks and not leave someone out. The Seed pre-cons are a good place to start, but they are all single Trade decks, so the 2 player starter kit is good for an idea of what 2-Trade decks are like. Plus, you get a deck for you and a friend for about the same price as 1 or 2 Seed pre-cons, depending on where you pick up the Kit.