As I scrolled through my Facebook feed a couple of weeks ago, an article caught my attention. The headline mentioned the changing block structure of Magic: the Gathering. At the time, I only perused the article and, as I often do against my better judgment, skipped to the comment section. Therefore, I didn’t really understand the ramifications of the change. I thought (as the comments said) that it was mostly in response to a stale and slow to change competitive format. That doesn’t affect me because I’m just not into the competitive gaming scene.

Chris sent me a message saying that he finally got around to reading about the change and inspired me to consider it as a subject on the podcast. There, we discuss the potential changes to friendly games like the ones that we play where the rules might not always match the book, but at least we always agree.

Researching for the podcast led me to a very informative article by Mark Rosewater (link) so I won’t spend much time on teaching you about the changes, either. That just leaves the first C in CCG and I am very interested in the collecting aspect of the game, so I will concentrate on that in this article. Every time a new set is released, I pick up a box of boosters and a fat pack. I put the cards in order, with the visual checklist preceding the set in a binder representative of the yearly block. I have never finished a set, but I think I’ve figured out a way, with an idea from Chris, to fill in the missing cards.

So, what does this change mean for this style of collecting? Well, the current block is unchanged of course. I will get boxes of cards for Magic 2015, Khans, and then the two sets that follow. I will put them into a binder, probably one that has Garruk on the cover because he’s one of my favorite characters in the Magic multiverse and I’m glad that he’s prominently featured this year.

As far as I can tell, that will continue going forward. Though, instead of there being three sets per block, there will be only two. All that means for my collection is that I will buy two smaller binders instead of one large binder each year. The big change coming is that there will be no more core set after next year.

Initially, I resisted this change. I often think of myself as flexible, but as I get older, change becomes scarier. As Abe Simpson said, “I used to be with it, but then they changed what it was. Now what I’m with isn’t it, and what’s it seems weird and scary to me. It’ll happen to you…” I considered the change, though, and reflected back to another recent change. When I saw the M15 spoilers online, I thought that there was something different. A conversation with Chris and opening the packs from my Fat Pack confirmed that they changed the design of the cards. As a collector, it was a welcome change. Trying to read the numbers of the old color bordered cards was very difficult on the green and nearly impossible on red. Since the bottom border is now all black, that problem is solved.

I think that doing away with the core set can have a similar positive effect on collections. The article above mentions that the change will help to keep the game fresh through more changes more quickly. Another thing that stood out to me as I opened the M15 packs was the number of reprints. At first, it was (somewhat) nostalgic to see the old cards with the new borders and I reasoned that reprints are inevitable. Certain cards are just staples for their color and useful in nearly any deck. Think Cancel or Pacifism.

However, I found myself becoming less excited and more “Meh” as I opened pack after pack and saw the same cards with the same artwork over and over. Reprints are inevitable and they won’t end with the new block structure, but there is a potential silver lining to the situation. As I sorted through my boxes of cards in the hopes of unloading some of the extras, I was reminded that reprinted cards from expansion sets were often given different artwork that reflected the style of the expansion. I can live with those reprints because they give another interpretation of the card and that is interesting to see.

Overall, while initially scary to hear (no third set! no more core set!) and easy to misinterpret their intentions behind them, the changes are welcome. They promise to keep competitive play fresh through more rapid changes. Any reprints will, hopefully, reflect the style of the expansion in which they appear and not feel quite so stale, either. As always, thanks for reading. What do you think about the changes in competitive, friendly, or collecting?

Here it is..our first deck list..(wipes tear..). Now as with every deck list we will post on here we can’t promise you that you will win tournaments (are there even Legacy tournaments anymore?), or in general, that you will win every game that you play. What we can promise you is that it’s a fun deck to pilot. When it works the way it should, it’s not so fun to play against, but it’s not without it’s weaknesses which I will cover below.

Strengths: Big creatures, lots of burn removal, can be devastating in the mid to late game.

Weaknesses: Slower deck, struggles against aggro, and god help you if there is a board wipe, because that’s a wrap.

The List:(60 cards)

Creatures

 Spells

Kilnmouth Dragon x2

Bonfire of the Damned x1

Furyborn Hellkite x2

Flame Slash x4

Thundermaw Hellkite x2

Seething Song x2

Moonveil Dragon x2

Lightning Strike x3

Balefire Dragon x1

Lightning Bolt x4

Ogre Battledriver x1

Anger of the Gods x1

Scourge of Valkas x1

Mizzium Mortars x1

Dragonmaster Outcast x1

Awaken the Ancients x2

Hellrider x1

Annihilating Fire x2

Vexing Devil x1

Madcap Skills x2

Utvara Hellkite x1

Artifacts

Dragonspeaker Shaman x 2

Quicksilver Amulet x2

Guttersnipe x2

 Lands

Chandra’s Phoenix x1 

Mountains x 18

 

The Strategy

Use Quicksilver Amulets, Seething Songs and Dragonspeaker Shamans to get Dragons out as soon as possible. Use burn spells with Guttersnipe to keep opponent’s side of the board clean while pinging them for 2 damage for every spell you cast. If you are having trouble getting a Dragon out on the board, use Awaken the Ancients with Madcap Skills to keep your opponent busy.

Let me set up the scenario for you: I’m playing a mono red dragon deck, my opponent (Shawn), Izzet. The score is currently 15-4 in my favor. Shawn has been the victim of mana screw for the first few turns so I was able to beat him down for the first half of the game, although for the last couple of turns he has started to get some momentum going. Too little too late. My hand consists of the following: 1x Kilnmouth Dragon, 1x Furyborn Hellkite, 2x Hellkite Tyrants and finally, 1x Moonveil Dragon. On the board, I have Guttersnipe and a Quicksilver Amulet. My opponent has a couple of small creatures in play but nothing with flying. In short, whatever creature I play will most likely end the game. However, as the title would suggest, things didn’t quite turn out the way I wanted. With a smug grin, and a d*ck-ish level of self-satisfaction, I drop the Kilnmouth Dragon, onto the board. I then spread my hand on the table like I’m revealing a royal flush, which I guess in this case it was. My Dragon is now a 17/17 flier and my opponent has no blockers, so unless he is incredibly lucky and draws removal, this game is a wrap. I pass my turn fully expecting Shawn to draw a card and then scoop. He draws, then much to my chagrin, he plays Traitorous Instinct, taking control of the Kilnmouth Dragon, giving it haste and +2/+0 and swings in for 19 damage. I stare across the table, trying to process what the hell happened…I had an 11 point lead…11 friggin’ points…what happened? Well, let’s discuss it..

Okay, so what was my first mistake? That would obviously be playing a huge creature when it wasn’t necessary. Shawn was down to his last gasp at only 4 life, there was no need to drop a creature that big when I knew he had no blockers, AND to boot, one that was larger than my life total. I gambled that he wouldn’t have an answer for it, and I lost that bet. I could have easily played any of the other dragons in my hand, which, when he took control of it, wouldn’t have instantly squashed me. I could have played 2 of the other dragons in my hand the next turn, and most likely have ended the game in the next turn or so. Ok, so other than being a bit on the cocky side, what was my other mistake? Well, that would be not playing defensively. I was playing an Izzet deck..red and blue..that means removal, counters and creature-swipin’. In my opinion, blue has the most options when it comes to turning a game around in a second. Even though I knew his deck was focused on control, I didn’t play like I was aware of this fact. So what’s the big lesson here? Well you can draw your own meaning from this article, but the lesson I learned was this : when you have a size-able lead, you still have to find that balance of going for the kill, so to speak, and not letting your guard down. Always prepare for the worst case scenario and don’t over-commit to a play, leaving yourself wide open. As neat as it is to drop a 17/17, it’s not so neat when that 17/17 suddenly turns into your opponent’s 19/19 and folds you up like a cheap chair.

My first game was actually pretty memorable but not because of the game itself, but because it was on the day of the Boston Marathon Bombing. A friend had asked me a few weeks earlier if I was interested in trying out the game. He had played it back in his middle/high school years and wanted to get back into the hobby, the only issue being that he couldn’t find anybody to play against. After a day of thinking about it, I decided that it couldn’t hurt to at least try one game. I poured over the rules online, taking it all in, and instead of being overwhelmed or having tons of questions, I felt like it was all so easy and almost strangely familiar. Fast forward to April 15^th 2013, I sat across from my friend, ready to play for the first time. I had bought a pre-made mono green deck from Amazon and nervously shuffled it, hoping that my knowledge of the game was as solid as my friends because, after all, I didn’t want to kill his good time by having to stop every twenty seconds to answer one of my questions. I drew my first hand and suddenly it wasn’t new to me anymore..it was natural to me. I didn’t win that game, or the game after that for that matter (f***ing white lifegain..), but something strange did happen..instead of having to ask a ton of questions, I was answering them. Now at the time, I didn’t read too much into it and just chalked it up as being a quick learner. From that first game on, I was hooked..when I wasn’t working or spending time with my girlfriend, I was scouring the internet for deck lists, then searching Ebay to buy the cards for those deck lists. I found out that my former roommate and best buddy/brother Shawn was looking to get back into playing and soon our once a month video game nights included MTG. We are pretty even players, usually going back and forth as far as wins and losses goes. I was always just happy that I could hang in there with someone who had previous experience and that I could actually put up a challenge.

February 23^rd 2014

I received a text notification from Facebook that I had a message from an old childhood friend. I opened up the message and read..and was immediately confused. My friend was asking about a game I created when we were younger and if I had ever done anything with it since because he thought his son might enjoy it. I stared at the screen trying to grasp what in the hell he was talking about. What game? When would I have created a game? I leaned back and closed my eyes and really focused, shutting everything out. Suddenly, what I can only describe as a wave of memories came back to me all at once, bringing with it a fairly painful headache and leaving me stunned as everything I thought I had lost in my teenage years came back..

March 15^th 2004

Stay with me, keep those eyes open, buddy..you’re gonna be fine.

I remember that phrase being repeated over and over to me..and every time I didn’t believe it. There was too much blood, so many things were broken, I could feel things moving that shouldn’t have been moving, my breaths getting harder and harder to take. I felt myself fading but it wasn’t scary, it was peaceful. I thought of my friends and family, said one last goodbye and prepared for whatever was next.

Ok, ok..I’ll get to the point..15 minutes earlier I was driving on the interstate on a chilly Sunday afternoon, when inexplicably something gave out in the rear end of my car, sending it careening into the median at 70 mph. The front end slammed into the dirt flipping the car over, trunk over hood. I was ejected out of the rear windshield of the car. I suffered a broken arm, broken back in 5 places, broken collarbone, collapsed lung, a hemorrhage in my right eye, and a concussion. The doctors were very worried that I would suffer some degree of brain damage, but miraculously I didn’t, I passed all of the tests: No brain damage, no paralysis, and most importantly, still alive. However, what did happen was that I suffered some memory loss..not total amnesia but I lost bits and pieces of my life..all of which were around the middle and high school years..which brings us to the final chapter of the story..

February 23^rd 2014

I sat on my couch letting the memories wash over me. I remembered almost everything. My girlfriend kept asking me questions in an attempt to pull the last stubborn bits of broken memories into the light I remembered old classmates, old teachers, things I had done, people I had met, and finally sitting down in my parents basement (yeah, I know, keep the nerd jokes to yourself, b*tches) with my friends, reading comics, drawing, trading sports cards, listening to music, and playing MTG. There it is. The reason why the rules were so easy to learn, the game was so natural, was because I played when I was teenager. Strangely enough, back then I had always played a mono red deck, and sure enough my favorite deck now is a mono red deck. Red was my favorite card color back then and still is to this day. I tend to splash it into almost every deck I build as I did back then. Is it a coincidence? Maybe. But I rather believe that it was my memories, the younger me, letting me know that he was still there.

Fyi..after getting my memories back I realized that my first time playing was actually in 1995 when I was 15, a friend who went to Boston every summer, returned at the end of August with a few decks of cards, saying that everyone out in Boston was playing it now. He gave me one, taught me how to play (kind of), and that’s that. I guess I could have just said that, but where’s the fun in that?