March 14, 2007
Magic: The Gathering... the lost art of fun
Posted by Matt in
The year was 1994 and I was off to college. I had a lot of fun my freshman year but what truly defined it was a little card game I was introduced to in my first couple of weeks there. The card came was Magic: The Gathering and it would be the second most important thing to me my freshman year. It actually started out as “the” most important thing and remained as such for about 6-7 months. In my time of learning the complexities of the game, another interest that would become more important caught my eye… but that is another story. Besides, I married that interest so if you want to know more, I am sure a trip through our archives will give you a good background.
As time went on, we moved off campus and the responsibility of school became a bit more important. It was easy to Balance Magic and Careful Study in the beginning but by the end of my junior year, I had switched from a Pharmacy major to Computer Science. That brought in a world of hurt because every gen-ed was filled. I had core classes the rest of my time at URI (3 years). With the lack-luster Magic expansions coming out and the new found love of programming, I had a new place to focus my attention. Also, by 97, Magic tournaments were becoming more popular. That was all well and good but it brings me to why Magic has become a lost art.
Now maybe it is just in my area but the conventions I have gone to and the tournament I participated in recently, nothing has changed. Sure the cards are different but the deck concepts are over 10 years old. I played against the counter deck. That is a deck that is purely designed to stop you from doing anything and when you are unable to retaliate, they bring out their forces and stomp on you. There is also the burn deck. That deck is designed to deal as much direct damage to you in the shortest amount of time and of course the weenie deck. At least there, there is a bit of thought in its design and some variety. Ultimately, the decks were cookie-cutter decks with well known concepts documented extensively on the net. The conversations at the tournament were centered around “how fast” they got the win but not about the true essence of what made Magic great… FUN.
I am not saying that playing in tournaments is not fun or that you are not supposed to win. It just doesn’t float my boat. At the time I started playing magic, tournaments were different. Pre-made Magic decks were not purchasable and Al Gore was inventing the internet. A tournament consisted of the then few year old concepts of burn decks and counter decks but so many other “ideas”. Some were not good or slow to get going and others would wow you with combo’s like Festival and Siren’s Call (ya, it is a well known combo now but imagine the surprise when you first see it). Also, people did not make a living off of playing Magic. When I buy one of the “pre-fab” decks, they usually come with a card of a “Professional Magic Player” and their stats. Some of em make over $200,000 just playing in tournaments! To the semi-pro’s and the novice players, it becomes something to aspire to. What could be better then getting paid to play a game. Somewhere along the lines, it becomes more about the win and that is what clouded the fun.
It wasn’t until recently that I began to play Magic again. It felt good. Dusting off the old binders brought back memories and my original “Revised/Unlimited” binder still had a 60 card deck written in the cover (one of my first decks ever). An old school, Sengir Vampire, Nettling Imp, Royal Assassin deck with some blue mixed in for Counterspells, Unstable Mutations, and Flying Men. I won many a game back then with that deck but with the power brought in with the new cards today, they would offer some fierce competition. I think that “power” in the new cards has revitalized the game because at the time I slowed down playing, the new expansions like Dark and Fallen Empires were lacking luster and Ice Age was good but the fad of “ice covered lands” wore off quickly. At least they reprinted the Icy Manipulator which found its way into that Black and Blue (Bruise) deck above.
I have Bill and April (really April) to thank for the revitalization of Magic with me. And of course, Brian who once he heard I was playing again, brought back to me what I showed him freshman year, tactics. The student became the teacher. 9-10 years away from Magic, except for the occasional game, left me in the dark about a lot of things. I did not know just how much power returned to the game over the decade but the past 6 months has revealed a lot. Slivers are, for lack of a better word, insane! I have not yet made a sliver deck but I have played against a few. The concept behind slivers are that they are a creature, who when brought into play, adds bonuses to all slivers in play. There are many different types of slivers that provide a multitude of bonuses so what looks like an innocent little creature to start quickly becomes a force to be reckoned with later in the game. Bill has already become known for his mastery of slivers and every week when we get together, there is mention of if he is going to be playing a sliver deck or not.
April has once again found the fun in white and green. Two of her favorite colors to play back in college and with the new sets, she has found the joy of life, creatures, and the pursuit of destruction. Matt & Jody, Bill’s sister and brother-in-law, have also been bitten by the Magic bug along with Jess. We play old school. We remember that the concept that started the game was two mages, each with spells and creatures that they can summon when they have enough resources to tap and cast them. We don’t focus on speed and the win as much as we focus on strategy. Some might say we “play nice” but we just play to have fun. The tournament decks that work so well one-on-one no longer have a place in the group games. There, we need to focus on surviving vs. multiple opponents and a land destruction deck can only do so much.
Well, it is Wednesday and I do have to think of some deck concepts for this evening so I should be on my way. Also, with Brian and friends coming to visit in April (the month silly, not Bill’s wife), I have far more thinking to do. He and his friends have stayed true to the essence of what makes Magic great. I have only heard a few words to describe the many decks they have constructed but the one that first comes to mind every time I think of it is “BRUTAL”. Lots of thinking ahead indeed!
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Comments
Magic The Gathering is so awesome, I think i got hooked about 9 years ago.
http://www.squidoo.com/Magic-The-Gathering-Cards/
