I'd Tap That.
copyright WoTC
I starting playing the nerdiest card game on the planet back when I was about ten years old. That is absolutely wild to me, most things I pick up hardly last six months, let alone the majority of my entire life. I've gone to countless local tournaments and have spent at least $10k on this game in my lifetime and I cannot tell you the amount of protective card sleeves I've destroyed in that time period from shuffling up. I've made some amazing connections in this franchise. It's easy to learn, addictive, family friendly, and extremely competitive or extremely casual if you prefer either. Do you play this historic and iconic trading card game or are you curious about it?
It really is a game for all players.
photo credit WoTC
A game doesn't last nearly 24 years without being inviting to all kinds of players. This is something I've always appreciated about Magic, in any shop with more than 3 players in it, I've felt welcome, maybe not understood, at all, but welcome. This type of mindset seems to span across the community, where we're all very curious people that want to learn more about the game we're playing and the world around us. Have I had an awkward talk or two about being Trans? Of course, I do everywhere I go, but have I also questioned someone else's life out of curiosity or interest? Absolutely "when did you get your girlfriend to start playing? that's so cool of you" or asking another girl player that I'm friends with if she's dating anyone, and if not, why not LOL. The bottom line is, I've seen every type of person at a Magic event, and none of them were having a bad time. I've never had a bad magic event. Disappointing, sure, either I don't play well enough to my liking, get screwed on card draws, the prize support was listed improperly or organized without care,or the turnout isn't what was expected. None of those things, that have happened over the past 15 years of me playing, multiple times at that, have pushed me away. Tournaments like the one above, a Pro Tour regional qualifier, let us bring the best of both worlds together, in very competitive and very organized professional events than can net you up to $250,000 in prize money. You can see men, women, elders, children. Every type of demographic loves magic, language isn't a barrier since every card does what the card does regardless of what style it's printed in. This makes Magic a very universal game for the world, and one that makes non-verbal communication almost seem preferred at times. There's something that very psychologically turns me on, about the aspect of playing someone from Japan with Japanese cards, and not needing to read my English or Russian ones at all, and it not mattering for a second. It really is a game that can bring people together, and has for years.
It Begins!
image credit troll and toad
When I first started, I picked up a 7th Edition Two-Player Starter Kit, it came with a specialized rule-book, a Foil Thorn Elemental, and a demo of the MTG:Online client that was probably better back then than it is now. I made my mom buy it for me as a reward for school or something I think after staring at it in Walmart for a while, and then after reading over the rules and oohing and ahhing over the absolutely stunning artwork, I begged her to play with me. Begged. It took her two weeks to finally sigh and give me the time of day for it, and I didn't care in the slightest, I was ready to play Magic! I wanted to throw fucking Lava Axes at people! I wanted to imagine my terrorizing holographic Thorn Elemental destroying a town on a stormy night with thunder and branches cracking in my ears. This was a world I could escape in, and love it.
It was short lived unfortunately, I was a little kid, and big kid card games are fucking expensive, no way my mom was about to spend $30-50-70-100+ on a deck of cardboard, so I only have gift money to spend on it, and made horrible decks and got ripped off in trades at my local shops over the next year or two. Speaking of local shops, there was only one where I first started playing, the population was very little, so we only had 3-4 people at the shop max, with little to no tournament support. This always made me sad, and the events never changed there, not once. Same 3-4 people, same format, same prizes. It became very boring and discouraging, clearly these guys didn't want me to be a part of their group either, and used me to scrape some value off of along the way before I quit for a while. This was right around Mirrodin's release in 2003-Early 2004, I believe I just gave my cards away to friends at the time. This is my favorite card from that set, Platinum Angel.
I didn't pick Magic up again seriously outside of a pickup game or two with friends, until I started community college in the same city where I was in the above paragraph. I noticed that some of the Comp-Sci students I was learning with talked about it enough, and I wanted back in very, very badly. I had more access to money, could make better social connections to get to better events, and these guys didn't seem like complete assholes. Well I was wrong. I had bought a big box of cards from a good friend of mine, told me they were his dads and he wanted weed money, so..me being the little shit-head I was at the time, totally took it without even looking at them. Told my college buddies about it and they invited me over to their dorm to sort things out and see what I got. We estimated about $870 worth of notable cards in that box, I traded some of them for a Standard format deck, and sold a few too. Still had the majority though, and had kept all my cards in their dorm since I didn't live on campus and had nobody else to play with. The day eventually comes where I decide that I don't feel like attending that school anymore (this is like, three weeks into the first semester heh), so I quit showing up, and had all but given them all of my cards because I was lazy and had grown tired of their interpersonal drama. I like my drama, don't get me wrong, just not that drama. This was early 2011 and Mirrodin Besieged had just or was about to release, I was sad I'd missed pre-orders for it, but not very sad that I didn't have to deal with those dorm friends anymore. Sword of Feast and Famine though...
Fast forward to early 2013, Return to Ravnica had just been released, I had just moved in with my ex fiancee, and was itching for some new friends now that I was finally living in a bigger city. I was looking for any place to buy singles and supplies locally so I didn't have to wait to jump in with everyone, Buffalo has a surprisingly massive Magic community. The first shop I went to was very rude and unfortunately a sour experience completely, one of those "excuse me, can I buy something when you're done talking to your friend?" when I'm in front of a clear counter waiting to be helped, and then you're rude to me too, type of situations. I said screw it and ordered the entire deck online, I scoped out a few shops and jabbed my finger at one or two, settling on a place called Collector's Inn in Buffalo, NY. I still to this day use their playmat as a mousepad and plan on bringing it out of retirement soon when I start playing here in STL. This is what Magic was about.
30-60 people every week showing up nearly out the door, to this mom and pop owned gaming shop, with the sweetest and kindest owner, and some really great staff behind him. I found a home at Collector's. I was instantly welcomed and introduced to a few people, multiple of which would become my best friends for the next few years while I grinded Standard, Drafts and Pre-Release events along with a few larger ones if I could make them. I fell in love with the place so much, that I was there three nights a week! For some enthusiasts it might not be a lot, but for me to honestly dedicate 3 nights a week to something on top of all the research and such I'm doing on the off-time from the events? They're doing it right. Prize support was great, snack options were great, the card cases were stacked with relevant cards at great prices without much filler in sight. I fell in love with a girl in that shop, that's how fucking cool that little place is. I watched it grow, too, I got to watch it change locations and upgrade their venue, and they damn well deserved it. That place was the fucking best and if I ever have a game store experience like that one again, I'll cherish it as long as I can.
I eventually ended up breaking up with said fiancee, and moving home to MI for a little bit. I even contacted one of the dorm friends and had him buy the stuff I had left, I had an almost foiled out standard deck, really nice binders, boxes, dice, etc. Gave it to him all for about half value too, just because I didn't want it while in that city. I didn't want the memories of friendship and fun that I couldn't have there in MI. I got back together with her to try and work things out again, and thing didn't work out, I moved to St Louis just over a year ago...
And I'm ordering a new deck this Summer dammit, I already have the list filled out, just need to pull the trigger! It seems like there's a rather nice community here and I'm beyond excited to have something regular to do each week here, since I'm such a homebody and not much of a fan of clubs and bars at all. I still like to be social and have fun too though, c'mon! I cannot wait to get this in the mail and sleeve it all up, and beat the crap out of my next opponent!
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credit WoTC
Magic really has been a beautiful part of my life, and I never knew how prominent it's been until I was pondering things before bed last night. It's made me more socially aware, has helped me with problem solving and critical thinking areas, it's just..an awesome game. Be grateful for those hobbies and passions that stick with you, because most things can't stick to me for six months, Magic has done it for 15 Years.
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