Of course, playing with real cards for 20+ years, Commander and no-format (beyond basic 60-cards, no more than 4 of each) at that, has greatly spoiled me. For all the neat cards and themes in Standard, there are so many bits of utility and awesome that I cannot access, and that makes me sad. As always, drawing more cards is king, and there are several go-to options that simply aren't in Standard.
Not being able to buy singles is rough, but the Wild Card system (and the knowledge that other nonpayers have the same issue) works well enough, especially for filling out playsets of commons. The Arena-only cards threw me for a loop, but I can appreciate them, particularly Soulhunter Rakshasa.
To be honest, I didn't realize there were Arena-only cards until I went to add Soulhunter Rakshasa to a buy list. So I contented myself with using a Wild Card to copy it. Several newer cards that I was unaware of DID end up on that list, however. Colossal Majesty, Winged Words, and Return of the Wildspeaker are all on to-buy lists. The latter is my favorite type of green draw - burst.
I don't foresee not playing, because Arena makes a nice solo game and does a fine job of enforcing all the rules and making me realize how much I gloss over when playing casually. By this, I mean that if I am holding an instant of any sort in my hand, it checks to see if I want to cast it. Even if it is irrelevant. Which means extra button mashing. First world problems.
Another quirk is that since my opponents are all live, some of them take forever to make a decision. Protip - if I have no creatures in play and no cards in hand, just swing. My impatience is tempered a bit with the knowledge that Arena will time out in the middle of a match, but if you log back in quick enough, it takes you back to that match.
So just maybe, some of my slower opponents have been dealing with that. I keep this in mind when they hesitate. I am less forgiving of the opponents that scoop, preventing me from completing quests early. Be it casting X amount of specific color spells or attacking with X creatures, opponents bowing out early sets me back a game.
I'll continue playing Arena, though, if only to pass time. By refusing to pay actual money for any of it, I am almost forced to only use it for this reason. Now that I have figured out how to add people I know and directly challenge them to matches, I am far more willing and interested in playing. I've pushed through the various 'deck winnings' challenges, so have a small wealth of cards, supplemented by the packs I get; if nothing else, I'm looking forward to dueling my brother up in Ohio.
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