I find the limited deck customizing to be perplex at first also but after I read the designer's note I fully understand why this route was taken. I had play CCG competively in sanction environment for many years and there will always be meta deck that everyone used. In your example, you said I could just make the same deck but don't you see that's not what the designer want for this game. They don't want to turn this into a game for Pro CCG player. They want this to be fun simple game of Magic where new and veteran player can both enjoy it.
Deckbuilding is probably the hardest part (and require the most understanding of game mechanics) in any CCG gaming. May be you can I can put up a decent deck but how about people like my daughter or my son or my more casual gamer friends who have limited knowledge in gaming let alone card games. How fun would it be for them to play against our uber deck and get smash everytimes. Eventually those people will find the game boring (no one want to get beaten down every games) and they would lost interest and stop playing.
I have mention before about me playing SWCCG, that was one bitch of a game to learn. The reason the game never gain popularity is because it was so hard to learn. The new people would get stomp constantly and eventually the player based never grew (except for a few that willing to learn it). It's the same analogy here. Before these new players learn the deck building they would get bore and tired of beat down by the pro players. and turn off by the game and stop playing.
@mibuokami
Yes, you are 100 percent correct, this is what Wizard want from this game. To get people excited about magic so that may be next time they go to Target or Wal-mart they would pick up the starter pack and get deeper into the world of CCG. Or get those old players that have long quit to start playing and try the Magic On-line.
