My brother first got me into the game when I was in 3rd grade. The game has so many layers of strategy involved, even outside of actually playing the game. The strategy already starts with building your deck of cards. There are 5 main colors in Magic, Red, Green, Blue, Black, and White; each of these colors correspond to certain kind of play-styles and you can mix and match as much as you want. After you've built a deck, you start playing. This is where even more strategy takes place. Now, your deck is put to the test against someone else's deck, and you fight to win. In the end, the winner is determined by who reacted better to each other's plays, who built a more balanced deck, and an ounce of luck.
The interesting thing about Magic is that the card is always right, even if it contradicts the foundation-rules of the game. This attribute of the game makes it ever-evolving and full of surprises. I mean, it's lasted 19 years so far.
Recently, I've been rekindled into playing the game ever since I met some friends here at the University of Michigan who also shared interest in the card game.
The last time I've played the game was probably in middle school, and now that I've come back, I see how much the game has evolved since then (immensely). So many new abilities have been introduced and the cards there's so much variety now that it's almost jarring!
Maybe it's my nostalgia, but the game is still as great as ever, and it's a great study break game with my friends. Games can range from 10-20 minutes each and it's the perfect combination of luck and strategy! So if you're looking to find a strategy-intense game to pick up, this is the game for you! Hopefully you'll find some people around who have heard of the game to rekindle their childhood and play with you!
I've never played Magic myself but your posts has made me contemplate why it's still so popular today. While other games like Pokemon and Gogo's have gone by the wayside, I still see people today with their magic cards. I think it has to do with the point you make about the ever-evolving nature of the game. Pokemon has more or less remained stagnant since its inception. Sure they have added more Pokemon into the mix but the gameplay is still the same. Magic, as you said, has increased it's variety as the years have gone on. It's like online gaming today. One of the reasons online gaming is so popular is because they are constantly adding new maps and gameplay modes that can be downloaded online. This prevents stagnation. Some games are timeless - but others are forced to evolve or die. Magic, it seems, has chosen to evolve.
ReplyDelete-Jonathan Miller, The Playas