Theyre usually not a good fit for Brackets 1 and 2, where casual, slower-paced games are the norm
The basic conceit is this: youre a mighty wizard (player) and you use your book of spells (deck of cards) to battle your opponent until their health is depleted (their points are at zero.) With over twenty thousand cards at players disposal and almost 30 years of history, its a game with a high level of variance and replayability
He can't be equipped, you can't give him an aura and you can't target him with instants and sorceries, but he's also usually a lethal threat on the turn he hits the field
Steam Siege and Roaring Skies are standout sets in the XY era, with powerful Break cards, EX cards, and standard cards that keep opponents on their toes, such as Yveltal and Shaymin EX
Dragon Whelp was very much a sleeper win condition, as a lot of players never pumped it enough to kill it, if you were in a long game, opponents may forget you can pump it for more than three