“Magic: The Gathering…..It’s the devil’s work!”

If you grew up hearing this, then you either had a great childhood filled with memories of playing with your friends or you missed out on the beginning of the biggest trading card game to date.

I wish I had the opportunity to been able to start playing this game at such a young age but instead I was trading Pokémon and collecting Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. I had no idea MTG would have grown into such a massive community of gamers.

My journey into MTG started with an introduction by my best friend’s brother when we met up at a local game store during summer break from college. At first I was hesitant. Filled with anxiety with learning all the rules and different formats. Doubting myself before I even started. My mind racing with thoughts like: “What if I screw up a play, what if I get frustrated and get flustered, or maybe I don’t shuffle the cards quick enough.” As you can tell. My social anxiety was going through the roof.

But suddenly something happened…….I heard something that triggered a core a memory.

A memory of total bliss, tenacity, and one of the core skills of every gamer….

SMACK TALK.

Oh yea. You best believe that triggered a memory. Remembering the nights playing Halo, Super Mario Kart, and other video games. The memory of enjoying my youth with my friends. Laughing as we chug Mountain Dew and trying not to screen peek as we white knuckle our controllers.

This nostalgia was quickly followed with a new peak interest in a game. I was hooked. I felt like a little kid again. Shuffling up the cards, reading the mechanics, learning each cards ability. I couldn’t get enough.

MTG is filled with different strategies and mechanics. The combinations are endless. I learn new combos and gameplay with every release of a new set. It never gets dull.

That is why there is a style for everyone. You want to play aggro? Play with red and ping away at your opponents health. Use monsters, instant spells. Whatever you like to get the most damage. You want to be more strategic and play the long game? Play like a blue player and counter spell everything so no one can play but yourself. Yes, this is a type of strategy. One that many hate but also loved by many. You get to choose.

That is another aspect of the game that I fell in love with. The different combinations of colors.

Different combinations of colors? What does that mean.

Well you see. In Magic: The Gathering. There are 5 different colors that every card is associated with, technically 6 but one is called colorless. The 5 colors are red, white, black, green, and blue.

Each of these colors represent a certain theme and strategy. That is why there is a strategy for everyone. You get to choose the way you like to play, or want to play. You have the final say in your deck building. You could go ultra competitive and play to win with very efficient card combinations, or you could choose to build janky and play for fun. The choice is yours and your play group.

My play group? Yes, your play group. I can’t miss mentioning one of the most important aspects of Magic: The Gathering….

IT’S THE GATHERING! The gathering of friends, the merriment of smack talking, the laughter of gameplay banter. The joy of the game and sharing that experience with your friends and/or family.

Now that you have made it this far. Search for your local game store, buy some ready to play pre-built decks, and enjoy the fun!