Hello, nerds and geeks alike,
Semaj King here to tell those of you who don't know about the popular trading card game, Magic the Gathering! First, even though Magic the Gathering (MtG) is popular, I won’t assume you know what MtG is. For those of you who don't know, MtG is a two or more player card game. It is also the first trading card game ever and was created by Richard Garfield and published back in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. MtG is a card game played with 60+ cards in various formats with varying rules in which you face off against other opponents. This battle is meant to be a representation of a Planeswalker, a mystical being able to traverse the planes. As a player of the game, you embody a Planeswalker and use the-the cards in your deck (also known as your library) in a series of innovative combinations to defeat your opponent, a rival Planeswalker with a deck and combinations of their own. Each player is given 20 life points. The underlying goal as a player is to win. This can be accomplished three ways.
• Drop your opponent's life counter to zero
• Mill your opponent's deck so that he can't draw any more cards
• Give your opponent 10 poison counters
Now that you have a small idea of what MtG is, let's see if I can convince you to play! MtG offers a lot for it to be just a card game.
1. Brain Busters
Mtg is quite the brain buster. With there being such a variety of abilities and styles of play, to avoid being crushed by the opposition you have to be ready to adapt to a forever changing battle.
2. Social Butterfly
Because of events like tournaments and pre-releases, you get the chance to meet some very interesting people. In your intense clash of wits across the planes of MtG it is not unlikely you gain a few allies along the way, and who doesn't like more friends.
3. Free Stuff
Speaking of those tournaments and pre-release events, can you say free stuff? At most events, you get free cards for winning or for just being there! Not to mention a lot of players there are super friendly, especially to worthy opponents.
4. Styling and Profiling
MtG allows for amazing customization. This means the decks purpose, construction, and tempo will be all your own. With its endless possibilities it opens a pathway to create your own unique style of play.
5. Going Pro
Similar to major league sports, MtG has a Pro league of its own known as the Grand Prix! A large scale tournament filled with the best players of MtG the world has to offer. Rewards for this type of tournament go far beyond that of its smaller predecessors offering monetary prizes of up to $250,000 with $40,000 being granted to the tourneys winner!
If I’m going to tell you all of the good things I love about magic, I also have to tell you some of the sad truths. MtG like most hobbies isn't free, in fact, it can be a bit costly at times depending on the format and type of player you are. If you're not wanting to spend too much money, $15 is all it takes to get started! It will probably take between anywhere from 5-10 minutes to do. Locate a comic shop, card shops, or major shopping center near you, these stores will more than likely contain MtG structure decks. A structure deck is a special set containing a pre-constructed deck, a detailed set of the game rules, and a 20-sided die. Pick one or two of these for you and a friend, look thoroughly over the rules and begin your travels across the planes of MtG, and hey who knows, I might see you across the planes some day.
