how to handle lack of cards

[Hectorius]

hello everyone!

I am new to the game and only got the core set. me and my girlfriend played a few games and now we wanted to make our own decks.
silly but difficult question: who does have the right to choose what cards?
just simple example: there is only one copy of Purify in the game. pretty good card against rot etc.
we both wanted to take this card in our deck.
easy answer: buy 2nd core set or tomes. yes, but even then are not enough cards of one certain card available (4 cards per book allowed).
so how do you guys handle this?

(I had the idea for one certain situation: for example priest vs beastmaster: priest can choose all the Holy cards that she wants (it's her school), and the ones left over, those, the beastmaster could use. and with beastmaster vice versa. he can choose all the nature cards he wants and what is left, priest can take. Problem in this case: who can choose over the non-main school cards?!)

kind regards

[Bluebaron]

You could proxy those cards. Maybe not so beautiful as the real cards but any player could have the cards they want.

If you don't like the idea, then i would go for the solution you have proposed. For the non main-school i would do the same. Let one player choose a non-main school he can choose from first. Then the other player can choose two other non-main schools he can choose from first. And so forth until no schools are left.

[Wildhorn]

Buy a 2nd core box and 2 Core Spell Tome #1. Problem solved.

[sIKE]

Buy a 2nd core box and 2 Core Spell Tome #1. Problem solved.

Wait until the 4th edition of Mage Wars Arena is released, buy it and another Tome #1.......

[V10lentray]

The 4th edition is supposed to be out sometime in April. The best method is to buy a second core set. I have 4 copies of the core set, and 2 copies of everthing else.

2 Copies of the core set are open and in my card pool. The 3rd set is put together for apprentice sets to teach the game at events. And my 4th copy is still sealed, which I got for working events. The 4th copy was meant to go to some friends to learn the game which I haven't gotten around to teaching them.

[Coshade]

The fastest way I would suggest is to just proxy the card. If you want to make it high tech you could take a picture of the card or scan it then print it on a thick print paper (that way your opponent cant see through the card).

[V10lentray]

You can save the image of the cards by using the spellbook builder or card database and print them.

After you print them, put them in a sleeve with a magic card or anyother card so that the opponent doesn't know which cards are proxies.

[Hectorius]

thank you all for the feedback!
I like the idea about simply scanning & printing as many suggested. embarrassing that I didn't get this one  for now it should be good.
also neat idea by Bluebaron, ty!

I have 4 copies of the core set, and 2 copies of everthing else.

that's a little scaring me at the moment. but I love the game too. I could imagine buying the 4th edition as a 2nd core set for the cards. only problem: I'm from Germany. even here it takes loong until the translated versions come. Forged in Fire for example: it will be just released in may (2015)!

and what do you think about mixing the 3rd and 4th edition? I heard the new one will have new artworks for some cards.

[V10lentray]

The 3rd vs 4th edition isn't really an issue. 

There wil be more cards, different artwork for some, different board, different spellbooks, Smaller box design (12x12). 

The dice and markers will be the same, although there is a change with the damage markers (different denominations).

[Boocheck]

I will definelty get another core set of 4th generation. Just because of everything in it

And also, some tokens sustain heavy damage from bear tsunami and i really need some of those