Thursday, February 28, 2013

Things I Know Now...

...that I wish I knew when I started the game.

There is no way I can list everything here in one go and explain them at the same time.   So instead I'll chip away at this list as it occurs to me.   You don't have to agree with me or disagree.   But I would ask that you share whatever thoughts make the most sense to you for new players.

Read the cards.   No, seriously...read them.   Read your cards in your hand and on the field.   Remind yourself what they say during your turn.   Read your opponent's cards.   If you can't read upside down or at the distance they are at, ask to see it them closer.   Then, when you're all done - read them again.

Don't bother with the flavor text (although some of it is a good way to pass the time).

It all seems like common sense.   But how many times have you tried to play a sorcery during your opponent's turn?   How many times have you missed a trigger (one of the most common mistakes in the game, even for pros)?   How often have you paid the wrong amount for a spell?   How many times have you simply misinterpreted a card?   Read them and then read them again.   So long as you aren't taking more than a few minutes per turn, no one can accuse you of slow play.

How to keep score.   There are easily as many ways to keep score as there are variations on how to play Magic.   Gamers use dice, apps on their digital devices, more dice, pennies, silly little sliders with beads, and more.   What too few gamers use (even in casual games where this is less of an issue) is the simplest solution of all.  Every once in a while I may cast blame or aspersions.   Here's one that I won't apologize for - Wizards of the Coast is doing this wrong.

The makers of Magic, Wizards of the Coast, want to do a good deed.  They practically give away a special 20 sided dice called a countdown counter.   The dice are made in fantastically clever color schemes.   You get them in special packages of products and nearly everyone uses them.   But while it's a great nod to casual gaming that is the foundation of Magic and players love them, they aren't what people should be using.   From the very, very beginning players should be taught to use pen and paper.   It's not a casual versus competitive viewpoint here.   My opinion is more of a, "Let's teach the method we want them to use later from the outset."   Wizards should enter into a contract with a large notebook company and make this happen for the fans of the game.

In the meantime, do yourself a favor.   Go get a half or quarter sized notepad and get into the habit yourself.   You'll thank me when you see someone tip their countdown die over (d20's are very wibbly wobbly), make a mistake with a slider or the power goes out on their iDeviceofChoice.   At your next FNM you can keep score with it.   This will let you reserve dice for the purpose they were created: as counters and to determine who goes first using Yahtzee rules.

Paper offers historical tracking of a match and doesn't lose its place when the table is flipped.   So endeth the scorekeeper's sermon.

Focus first on having fun.   This piece of advice is short and hopefully respected.   Don't try to figure out the hundreds of pages of rules.   Don't try to second guess the meta game in Standard.   Don't get stuck on figuring out how to create the perfect commander deck.

(If you have no idea what I'm talking about then you're halfway there already).

Start with one of the many entry level, intro products offered by Wizards.   Play them until they aren't fun anymore and you aren't discovering new combinations.   Then, move slowly (having a mentor or a guide is best I think) into the format known as limited draft.   Draft is great fun, a fairly level playing field, and best yet, a chance to meet new people.   From there, you can get into Standard.   Or Commander.   Or any of 10-20 other variations.   Please don't hurt yourself though...start slow and small.

Until next time...

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

The First Time is Always the Best

Let's get this established from the beginning.   I'm not someone who knows a thing about card tricks or disappearing women.   If that's what you're interested in, move along.

What I am interested in is the subculture centered around a card game called 'Magic: The Gathering'.   Even more specifically I am going to try writing from the somewhat unique perspective of coming to the game later in life.   I don't know what shape this blog will take in the coming weeks and months, but by nature I like to write about what interests me.   And right now, my principal interests are based on this complicated card game that I've only been introduced to in the past year.

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Most introductions to the game of Magic happen via friends introducing friends in high school and college.   It's a clear story told retold weekly at Friday Night Magic events in small local game stores.   Seeing the interactions, hearing the slang in use about all matters MTG, and knowing the types of relationships between those who fall into the 'typical' MTG player category only affirms this belief.

And yet, somehow, I missed the boat.   Perhaps I was too busy going to college or hanging out with people who didn't play.   I do recall being more than a little bit interested in Pinochle, Warhammer 40k and Scrabble during my formative years.   I also recall something about a girl...

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Fast-forward 19 years from the start of MTG (right at the end of 2011, if you must be precise).   I'm walking into a game store for the first time in I can't say how long.   I'm 38 years old.   I'm married with two boys and I'm largely living the American Dream (which seems to mean that I can afford to pay my taxes).   One son, Matthew, is as old as the game itself.   Wait a second - perhaps that is why I couldn't play a fledgling card game.   Matthew has a smallish collection of MTG cards and has played some over the years, but never really became seriously interested in the game.   My other son, Jacob, is eleven years old.   We've just stepped into a local game store opened by a gentleman both my older son and I have spent time with over the years.   And my youngest is literally tugging at my sleeve and hitting me with those puppy dog eyes.   "Puh-puh-please dad, can we get some Magic Cards?   I want to learn to play."

Initially, the concept was to visit Nick's new game store for a bit, drop some greenbacks and head back home.   I had seen several games online that I knew he carried, and was hoping to get one or three.   The trip started off as a show of loyalty to his new venture.   But after having walked through the store and having listened to Matthew and his friend talk for an hour about MTG, a new plan was born.   One that would curse me to become a planeswalker as well.

"Sure Jacob, let's get some stuff."   And with that, I had stepped into it.   Knowing that Matthew would find it novel to play his younger brother for all of a week before he'd grow bored with it, I came up with what I thought to be a clever little plan.   So I spoke to Nick, friend and store owner.   I explained that I'd like to start playing MTG.   I told him that my youngest wanted to start playing, and I thought he'd need someone to play against.   Jacob was going to be buying some cards, and I wanted something that I could play for a while against him.

Nick set me up within 30 or so minutes with a fairly close approximation of the then current Red Deck Wins that was still somewhat popular at the time.   I didn't understand it well at the the time, but he kept grinning at me as if I was the chosen one or a nice roast beef sandwich.   As he explained the different interactions - Shrine of Burning Rage and more, I started to get a little excited.   Seriously.   I was actually starting to think that this is going to be more fun than the occasional chore I had first thought it would be.   After the first ten words came out of his mouth - I was also a little confused.

Like a typical, overconfident male lost but unwilling to ask for directions, I nodded.   A lot.   I am proud though, towards the end of his showing me how RDW really wins, I thought I was getting it.

Before leaving the store, I purchased some standard MTG equipment as well.   A playmat, sleeves and deckbox for me were all added to Jacob's growing pile.   I figured, given my advanced age anything that would help me play better was a fair purchase.   So I made sure to get some RTFC sleeves, not so much to intimidate my opponents with the scary black but more to remind me - hey stupid, read the card.

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The car ride home was full of MTG discussions.   As the two older boys sat in the back and conspired to build Jacob a blue deck that would frustrate and confound me (without dipping too deep into their rares), I examined my feelings about the day.   At the time I was 38, almost an old codger.   I'm allowed an occasional self-indulgent slip into personal reflection.   Do you know what I figured out?

First and foremost, I'm a gamer at heart.   It's been a little while since I've spent any amount of time playing anything on a dedicated basis, but I love to play.   Second, I had found a new way to connect with my two boys simultaneously.   Even though they are about 8 years apart, it's still cool enough to consider a win.   And lastly, I was going to do everything I could to become good enough to beat them both, regularly.   Ok, the third isn't strictly true.   Not really.   No, I don't really mean it.

Well, maybe just a little bit.