Stolen Goods

I'm writing today about my favorite topic, my son Jacob.  Before I do though I'd like to share something from another family member.  During our phone calls, my father will tell me a hard luck story or another that features him prominently.  Dad will almost always close these stories with, "Well, if it weren't for bad luck I wouldn't have any," or with, "Well, if nothing else I can always serve as a bad example."

You see, the world has been dumping on my pops in epic fashion for the better part of his life.  His ability to maintain good humor through the worst roadside breakdown story anyone has ever heard or his fight against Verizon over basic service FOR CRYING OUT LOUD (sorry, I occasionally channel my pop) doesn't surprise me.  It's so much a part of who he is that I hardly notice anymore.

As to what my father's plague of bad luck has to do with my son, let me take you back to when Jacob had finally settled on a deck to play during the new Standard season (spoilers for an upcoming article, Jacob has made a commitment to play at a higher level after some talks with the parents).

Several Weeks Ago...
...in a dining room far, far away, our young hero was seated at the family computer searching through net decks to find something he wanted to play.  This scene had repeated several times in recent days in our household.  No decision had been made yet, but it wouldn't be much longer.  It was September 29th, and in a week and a half States would be held.  It was time to pull the trigger.

Jacob and I had talked extensively over the past couple of weeks about this.  I had spent some time watching the SCG NJ coverage the previous weekend and felt I understood the current meta.

Ok, you've got me.  I didn't understand it all (this was prior to the Pro Tour).   Neither did anyone else...but I was pretty sure that I was figuring out the direction it will go in (hint, the same direction it's always gone in).  Jacob seems to like my logic.  Either that, or he's really thinks some of the cards are boss.  It wouldn't matter to me if he wanted to play U/W Control, I'd support him.  It's also possible I'd call him some names if that's what he wanted to do, but I'd support him.

Luckily, the kid seemed to be pretty smart and had picked a deck that would adjust well to the changing metagame.  Better yet, between our two collections he thought he had most of the cards necessary.

Great!  Let's build a deck.

Panic Sets In
Jacob started where he always seemed to.  He popped open his rare binder and started looking through it, pulling cards as he found them.  Just a few minutes into his search for the right cards, he started to grumble.  It's something he does while building.  I don't even pay attention to it anymore, it's just part of his process.

After a bit of time he finishes with our binders and moves into looking through his decks.  He's not a half hour into this process when I notice the tone of his grumbling has shifted into a new gear.  I start to hear what can only be described as low-level panic mixed with a hint of anxiety and a dash of, "Oh [expletive redacted because this is a family friendly article]!"  I could tell, even in another room and occupied with dinner prep, that something wasn't right.  I called out, asking if he needs any help.

"Yeah," he snaps, "Have you seen my commander deck?"  He only has three or four of them, but when he referred to it this way I knew immediately which one was missing.  He was talking about the one he was most proud of (and the one he built first).

I respond with the usual parental claptrap.  It wasn't particularly useful, but I got him moving towards looking instead of simply complaining.  He's 13.  In terms of parent/son relationships and missing items, this means he's got to solve his own problems with minimal parental oversight.  Plus, I was hungry. Since there was no blood was involved with his problem, I was going to finish cooking first.  A man must have his priorities.

Fast Forward
I'm going to spare you the details of the search.  Suffice it to say, he was more thorough than most boys his age.  I searched as well, once I had some free time and realized that he wasn't having any success.  As I mentioned before, this one wasn't just some random collection of cards that were the same color.  No, this was his baby.  His G/R Ruric Thar deck was not to be found anywhere.  This deck was the first one he had made and likely the one with the most card value, time invested, and favorable memories.

I don't know if either of us will know how valuable the deck was, but it wasn't peanuts.  The deck held cards he was going to put into a Standard Tier 1 deck which would have saved him at least $70 (lands included).  Beyond that, I won't hazard a guess.  It wasn't a thousand dollar deck by any definition.  There were no more than one or two cards that were signed and a few foils of various persuasions.  At least none were custom/altered art as far as I know.  Somewhere between two and four planeswalkers were in it as well.  Ultimately, a low value EDH deck.  But the sentimental value to him was pretty significant.

How did it disappear?  Did it fall out of his bag or did someone with nefarious purpose in mind liberate it from him?  I won't ever know how it happened.  I'm sure I know where it disappeared though, which doesn't sit well with me.

But me being upset at the financial loss, or sad for his loss of innocence (theft of personal property can be pretty jarring), or ticked off at a group of people I considered to be decent won't bring the deck back.  Me trying to teach Jacob more about personal responsibility won't do much either.  Because I was aware of some of the more publicized thefts in the past year so it shouldn't come as any surprise that I've been working with him to be more aware of what he's doing with his gear.  He acts more aware of his bag and decks than most adults carrying valuable legacy decks, so I know I'm getting through to him.

The worst part of all of this is?  Feeling more than a little helpless.

I can't watch Jacob's stuff for him.  And even the most aware individual will have moments where they are distracted, so I don't want him to become obsessed over this.  If someone wants something bad enough, as a rule they'll figure out how to take it.  Even if it is something a 13 year old treasured more than a little bit.

There is a moral for this story.  The family friendly version is this: some people are jerks, minimize your contact with them when you can, and pay attention to your gear.  Or we could always reference the wisdom of my father at the top of the page.

Be the Change
On matters of security, I have two final thoughts to share.  First, there are some interesting products out there that are worth investigating (links posted below).  Or you can do what Jacob and I will be doing in the future - only bringing the items we need to events and a guy named Biff.  Everyone needs a guy named Biff in their corner.

• TrackR
• Kensington Proximo
• DeckTracker (Project on hold, perhaps it could see the light of day).

Secondly, if you can't beat them then I recommend finding a way to have the last laugh.  This Saturday, I'm doing just that.  I'll be one small cog in the machine that will be overseeing all of security for Eternal Weekend in Philadelphia.  I may not do more than check wristbands and bags, but for me it's an important step in combating theft in the community.  So if you see me on Saturday (I'll be one of the 'older' people helping), feel free to say hi.  Just don't come to Eternal Weekend and plan to steal somebody else's deck.  I wouldn't want to pull my security ninjitsu on you and call for the Philly PD.  After Jacob's loss, there is no way I want to see anyone else lose their deck.

[Full Disclosure: I'm 99.9% sure I know when and where Jacob's EDH deck disappeared.  Unfortunately, that doesn't help me track it down for several reasons I don't want to get into here.  If you care for your gear, then pay attention to it at all times.  Make sure your bags are zipped closed when not in use.  Keep your bag on your back or under your seat with your feet on it at all times.  Don't leave your gear lying around.  And for Pete's sake, make sure you only bring what you need for the event - leave the expensive stuff at home.]

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Reblogs, Retweets, & Mentions of all kinds are appreciated - as an independent writer I'm only read when others like what they see and share with their friends.

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Requiem for an Angel

My brothers and sisters of Magic the Gathering, thank you for joining me on this most solemn of

occasions.  We will be celebrating the life of one of the greatest of creature types in Magic, soon to be relegated to the role of 'Rarely, if ever, Appearing' instead of 'Beloved Mainstay'.

While many of you may not have known our friends angels well, we still welcome you to our service today.  Angels, the most heartwarming and beautiful of creatures, have been with us for many years.  The lives of Angels have touched many, from the LGS whipping boy to the tournament champion.  Angels have been around for so long that we really have no idea what our lives will be like with them.  Please, join with me in a moment of silence as we remember the many Angels that have joined with us to fight back the hoards over the years....

Yes my friends, Magic has all but killed Angels.  They are now on the endangered creatures list.

Death of the Core Set
Core Set 2016 will be the last of Magic the Gathering's Core Sets.  As of September 2017, Core Sets will no longer contribute to Standard, and no more will be made.  For some very good reasons (you can read about it here), Core Sets are going the way of the dodo.  Instead, Standard Format will rely on between 5-6 sets at a time built on a two set block format.  Any given Standard season will be comprised of three blocks and will rotate every 6 months.

This change has been met with a great deal of excitement.  Most people are very happy to see this change, as the advantages are pretty clear for gamers.  First, Standard will NOT become stale.  The faster cycle of rotations will prevent that from happening.  And secondly, it will mean greater excitement as we get twice as many new blocks over a year's time in a Large/Small development cycle.  What's not to like?

Gamers are thrilled.  Design and development at Wizards is thrilled.  This new format has the appearance of being a win-win for everyone.  But that's not the whole story.  There is a pretty large group of people that will be negatively affected by this change.

Constricting Design Space
Undoubtedly, this change will result in constricting design space within the blocks.  Current blocks are 3 sets, often in some configuration of 2 large sets and 1 small set.  Each block represents a world/story within the Magic Community.  And each of these worlds is fully fleshed out by the creative geniuses at Wizards.

Mark Rosewater has made the point that, "...the third set has always been the problem child," in his

article referenced above.  As he described some of the problems, I can see it.  Stretching a story over three sets has got to be a Herculean task.  But it does have one advantage.  Three sets gives the Design team plenty of space to be creative, offering new mechanics, spells, and creatures.

By limiting stories to two sets, one large and the other small, we'll see tighter, more efficient design.  Ideas that don't work in the first two sets can't be floated to the 'problem child'.  They'll be cut.  Reprints that some players come to love to see sneak into sets will no longer happen as often (with the likely exception of cantrips and removal spells), due to the tighter constraints placed on design by the limited card count and set size.

No longer will Design have a large bucket that it needs to fill.  Now, it will have a cup - and it will have to get the job done with that cup every six months.  Story and space will force Design to be very miserly with their set design.

This will be good for competitive players.  Arguably, it will be great for them.  But for casual players, collectors, and everyone else, this new design cycle has the potential to be disappointing.  Yes, as Mark has pointed out we will get to revisit beloved worlds more often.  The change in WotC's approach to design will have a negative affect though on things we've come to love the Core Sets for providing.

Goodbye Angels
So what does the loss of Core Sets really mean?  Aside from no more semi-regurgitated design, it means something pretty important to players.  Several creature types will be going on the endangered species list.  Of them all, I'm going to miss regular printings of angels the most.  Angels are one of the creature types that simply do not fit well into many block stories.  Yes, we saw a one in Gatecrash and a small host of them in Innistrad block - but aside from them they aren't commonly seen in blocks.

The flavor text still gives me chills.

Many angels that have been printed since Magic first started, with most of them in recent years having been consigned to Core Sets or special products (Commander products especially).  I will admit that some of my favorite cards are angels.  I loved playing Serra Angel in M14 draft and loading it up with completely unfair enchantments.  My first Commander deck (which was a very casual attempt) was based on a theme of Angels and Dragons.  Nothing was better than playing a Sunblast Angel after baiting an opponent into attacking me the previous turn.  And I can't forget what a beast Avacyn was for me in M15.  Angels have had some of the best abilities.  At face value, most were at least 4/4 fliers.  Their additional abilities though, whether an ETB pump for your side or a one time trick, always enchanted me as a gamer.

As we go forward, surely angels will make their presence known.  They'll sneak their way into the occasional Duel Deck or Intro Pack.  When angels make sense flavor-wise, we'll get them in blocks. Remember though, unless they find their way into a block they won't be Standard legal.

I know that there will be other creature types that end up relegated to the back of the filing cabinet following this change.  I'll be saddened by their loss as well.  Nothing will make me more sad though - even if I've only been playing for just under 3 years - than knowing that regular appearances by angels will be no more.  Core Set M16 will surely be a bittersweet experience for those of us that love angels in Magic.  I plan on drafting every single one I come across, as a tribute to their greatness in the game.

And if I you happen to spot me at a draft late next summer and I have a little tear in my eye, you'll know it's not allergies.

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Reblogs, Retweets, & Mentions of all kinds are appreciated - as an independent writer I'm only read when others like what they see and share with their friends.

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