As someone with ~1300 hours in MT1, this sequel exceeds all my expectations. Difficulty was raised in a way that's challenging without feeling insurmountable. Pretty much everything you might have disliked about the first game has been improved. New card types have been introduced that deepen the gameplay significantly without being overwhelming. Upgrades are more potent than they used to be (doublestack doesn't increase cost anymore!). This means you feel stronger, but you also NEED that strength, because of the ramped up challenge, which is the sweet spot for games like these. I can't recommend 2 enough. Even if you haven't played 1, I would still say 2 is a worthy entry point.