Author and Magic buff Titus Chalk says there’s no better time to take up the iconic fantasy card game.
There’s a strong chance, if you were at school in the 1990s or have ever popped your head around the door of a specialist games shop, you have an inkling of what Magic: The Gathering is. The original fantasy trading card game might have been around for the best part of 25 years, but there’s still so much more to it than meets the eye. The community who play the game is growing faster than ever, providing a compelling experience for neophytes and veterans alike. So here’s five reasons why now is a great time to give Magic: The Gathering a try.
It’s more accessible than ever
The most tricky thing to grasp about Magic at first, is that unlike a board game or traditional card game, everyone needs to collect their own cards. This was a radical proposition when the game debuted in 1993 and is part of what can make it so addictive – you get to collect things, but unlike football stickers or Beanie Babies you get to do something with them. Now, with somewhere around 16,000 unique cards in existence, the thought of catching them all, might be far-fetched. The good news is you don’t have to. Most competitive play these days uses sealed product or only the most recent cards. And for more casual kitchen table play, you can take time to build up your collection. What is more, Magic’s designers have adopted a deliberate philosophy of making each card easier to understand, so that newer players can keep up with the veterans who have duelled since the 1990s. A free game called Duels of the Planeswalkers even offers a way to learn the game on your phone, tablet or console – so you can practice against the computer before ever having to confront a real-life opponent.
It’s a chance to interact with real, live human beings
When you do build up the confidence to seek out real-life rivals – or if you’ve been learning the game with a friend – you might notice, how Magic can bring people together. Local game shops will often hold Friday Night Magic sessions for example – relaxed tournaments for a broad cross-section of skill levels. And when you want to seek out more thrills and spills, you can travel to major cities almost any weekend of the year to compete in Grand Prix – big tournaments, often over 1,500 players strong, where professionals rub shoulders with us rank amateurs. It’s a way to travel with friends and take part in a genuine community, at a time when so much of our interaction is online. Sure, Magic’s community like many fandoms can lack diversity – but there are signs of change, with more high-profile women players than ever before, and a more diverse cast of designers and storytellers making the game itself. At over two decades old, there is also a mature segment to the community, which helps balance out some of the teenage testosterone that makes it’s way into gaming.
It’s steeped in fantasy flavour
One of the Magic’s strengths is its fantasy flavour, which has now had 20-plus years to ferment. It’s possible to enjoy the game without it – to treat it simply as an abstract strategy game. But for many, it’s the complete opposite – Magic is fantasy fun first and gameplay second. Each card is lavishly illustrated with artwork which captured the imaginations of so many of the game’s first fans. Today, the game’s fantasy world benefits hugely from story-telling away from the cards – for example in regular fantasy stories on the Magic home page. They provide a great opportunity to expand on Magic’s lore – and even to introduce characters to the canon who challenge stereotypes within gaming, for example the transsexual warrior Alesha, Who Smiles at Death.
Magic’s rich universe has also led to an uptick in cosplayers in the community, bringing the game to life at events like Grand Prix in their ingenious garb. Magic cosplay has proved a popular way for people to engage with the game on a creative level first and foremost, and can be a great way into the community for anyone looking to express themselves through their artistic wizardry as much as their gameplay.
It’s a game with unrivalled depth
For those who do get hooked on the gameplay, a rabbit hole awaits. You can engage with the game at all sorts of levels, from casual multiplayer jams, all the way up the game’s very highest level, the Pro Tour. That’s where the game’s incredible strategic depth gets shown off to the fullest – by brilliant minds dedicated to the game, fighting for big money prizes. If you want to join them, there’s a well-worn path of qualifying tournaments to take. It requires mastery of the game’s nuances and a laser focus, but for the most competitive, it can be incredibly rewarding. Down the years, hundreds of players have blossomed on their way to the Pro Tour, discovering not only camaraderie in their quest, but self-confidence in overcoming the challenges in their path. While total competitive immersion is not for everyone, it’s only possible because Magic itself is so well designed – each card brings a new interaction with the game’s overarching rules, meaning that the game is always evolving, always posing new puzzles to solve. In some ways, that makes it more complex than classic games like chess and poker. And the perfect match for thoughtful gamers.
There’s a movie coming – and you can get the skinny on it first
Don’t say we didn’t tell you: There’s a Magic movie in the pipeline and if you want to have the inside track before it reaches the big screen (like reading the book before the inevitable adaptation), now’s the time to pick up the game. Twentieth Century Fox has purchased the movie rights and Game of Thrones writer Bryan Cogman has been tasked with writing a script. While he may currently have his hands full with Westeros, Cogman is the perfect choice to bring Magic’s high fantasy to screen. And if you get busy slinging cards now, you can join in the excitement when Magic gets the blockbuster treatment – and impacts the mainstream like never before.
